Sustainable Planet

The results of a media search would have anyone believe that genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are the worst things ever created, science experiments designing crops that destroy human health and the planet. Instead, the global food system is far more complex than the claim that conventionally-grown crops (a.k.a. GMOs) are Frankenfoods and organic crops will save the day. Key Topics Jorden and...

Most people might not consider blaming space pollution for disruptions in our daily lives. But the exponential increase in satellites and debris in the Lower Earth’s Orbit is more than just science fiction. From heads of government concerned with national security to gamers losing valuable seconds in an online competition, space pollution is a growing concern. Jorden and Kimberly discuss why space...

Once a cornerstone of American agriculture, political interests in cotton led to the ban on hemp production. Though having many similar uses, hemp wins the environmental battle against cotton. From clothing to canvas, paper to plastic, Jorden and Kimberly compare the versatility and sustainability advantages of the two plants, weighing hemp’s chances as a viable rival to cotton. Key Topics Jorden...

On a daily basis, humans are nudged, and if it’s done effectively—or if people aren’t paying close enough attention—without necessarily realizing they’re being swayed. Environmentalists latched on to Nudge Theory in the late 2000’s, hoping to make sustainable choices the default, despite the fact that humans aren’t inherently eco-friendly creatures. Jorden and Kimberly discuss the ins and outs of...

To even come close to meeting greenhouse gas emission reduction goals, fossil fuels need to make way for sustainable sources of energy that provide liquid fuel and electricity. Not only are these alternative fuels more likely to make climate change mitigation goals realistic, but sustainable fuels actually save energy, as they are far less energy-intensive to produce. Jorden and Kimberly discuss t...

In the 20th regular episode of Sustainable Planet, Jorden and Kimberly explore why critical minerals are vital to modern society, excavate who’s got what and where, and unearth just how deep the issues go surrounding critical minerals. Key Topics Jorden and Kimberly discuss include: Why all rare earth elements (REEs) are critical minerals, but all critical minerals are not REEs Who defines what qu...

Kimberly talks with Leah Rampy about earth & soul: Reconnecting Amid Climate Crisis and her experience as a retreat leader. Key Topics Kimberly and Leah discuss include: What to do when rats infest your community garden Why humans would be a lot better off if we were as cooperative as nature is How immigration’s impact on the New World is akin to terraforming in science fiction stories Why mod...

Whole industries have emerged to help people cope with all the stuff capitalism has brainwashed us into accumulating. Driven by everything from conspicuous consumption to the disposable mindset, Jorden and Kimberly recount how consumers are encouraged to buy, purge, and repeat. Key Topics Jorden and Kimberly discuss include: Why governments need people to buy more stuff How reality television show...

Kimberly talks with polymath Dr. J. Doyne Farmer about his new book Making Sense of Chaos: A Better Economics for a Better World. A physicist, Doyne’s life experience and intellectual curiosity landed him at Oxford University, directing an interdisciplinary group of researchers in the complexity economics program. Key Topics Kimberly and Doyne discuss include: Why Doyne decided against a promising...

Halloween has grown into a multi-billion-dollar holiday. Along with all that spending comes a lot of sustainability issues. From candy and costume choices to what to do with all those leftover decorations and candy wrappers, Jorden and Kimberly hope to save the planet while keeping Halloween fun. Key Topics Jorden and Kimberly discuss include: Which tops U.S. Halloween spending: Candy, costumes, o...

Like the Yellow-Billed Stork that migrates in Africa based on rainfall, more humans are migrating, some permanently abandoning their homes due to environmental circumstances. The world is witnessing an increase in the movement of climate refugees seeking better living conditions, expelled from their homes by factors ranging from rising sea levels and wildfires to droughts and floods. Join Jorden a...

The ‘complimentary’ bag is such an ingrained part of the shopping experience that most people don’t think about alternatives besides ‘Will it be paper or plastic today?'. Though more supermarket customers are confronted with the notion that they should be responsible for their own reusable shopping bags, lacking government regulations, the majority of people opt for single-use plastic bags to tran...

Since the inception of Sustainable Planet, Kimberly has wanted to include a segment about people pursuing sustainability in their daily lives, such as through the careers they choose. Kimberly’s first guest on ‘On the Ground’ is Greg Pipkins. He and his wife Jamie started Kept House, an estate sales company, after being their own first customers. Since their first sale in 2020, Kept House’s approa...

Businesses have long been using subscriptions as a strategy to keep customers coming back with regularity. Amazon latched onto this notion to compete with its brick-and-mortar competitors, launching its Subscribe & Save program in 2007. Jorden and Kimberly consider how a home delivery business model sustainably stacks up against in-store shopping. Key Topics Jorden and Kimberly discuss include...

Using sand at a pace far faster than nature can replace it, booming demand for the world’s second most traded commodity has sent us borrowing into the future while sand mafias, pirates, and counterfeiters want to cash in on this lucrative business. Jorden Dye joins Kimberly as her new co-host to discuss the many uses for sand, the problems caused by extraction, and how to decarbonize the cement in...

Joe joins Kimberly to talk about the difficulties corporations, governments, and consumers face in the capitalist system (that has yet to find a viable competitor). Since consumers are driven by status, corporations are beholden to stakeholders, and governments are inextricably tied to both, meaningful progress toward climate change goals is a long game. The question is whether we’ll be around lon...

Blowing up in the media in 2021, climate anxiety gained attention from mental health professionals over the last few decades as people’s concerns about climate change increased. Numerous studies have found rising environmental distress among people around the world, but also indicate that increased awareness is more likely to prompt action. Michael and Kimberly consider the underlying factors that...

Hurricane Beryl just battered its way through the Caribbean, the most powerful recorded in the Atlantic this early in the season. Extreme weather caused by climate change is worsening, evidenced by stronger and more frequent natural disasters. From thunderstorms to typhoons, dust storms to wildfires, insurance premiums for homes and businesses in high-risk areas are skyrocketing. In some cases, th...

Worldwide, countries struggle to provide affordable housing, not to mention expanding the market in a way that doesn’t undermine climate change goals. Global North cities in the U.S., Canada, U.K., and Australia have relied on urban sprawl to appease the demand for more—and bigger—houses. Plagued by the poor air quality, forest fires, and water shortages that coincide with urban sprawl, this appro...

Mexico couldn’t ask for a better cash crop. Referred to as oro verde by farmers and orchard owners in Michoacan (and more recently Jalisco), their standard of living has improved considerably with a global rise in the popularity of avocados. The birth of ‘superfoods’, the, now ubiquitous, ‘avocado toast’ brunch staple, and the love of guacamole are responsible for the huge economic boon for not on...

Rob and Kaihan join Kimberly to talk about their new book, Proximity: How Coming Breakthroughs in Just-in-Time Transform Business, Society, and Daily Life. Highlighting the failures that laid the foundation for the success stories of how to attain P = 0, Rob and Kaihan offer ways to bring consumers and producers closer together while achieving greater sustainability in the process. Innovations as...

A country finally attempts to implement more stringent fossil fuel regulations and before the law is even passed (or not, in the case of the U.S.), the policy sends companies on a spree to mine, dig, and drill as quickly as possible. This ‘Green Paradox’ raises the question of how on Earth humans are going to meet the UN’s Climate Change COP28 goals in time to avoid planetary meltdown. Harold Hote...

Would you rather live in London or Gothenburg? For more excitement and a lush 174 sq. ft. of green space per person (and to skip Duolingo Swedish lessons), you might choose London, but for future sustainable security, Gothenburg might be the better bet. Unless hard-pressed, you’re far less likely to Lagos, Nigeria, despite its 6.5% annual growth rate and less than 10 square feet of green space per...

In Episode 7, delving into the global clothing industry, Michael and Kimberly iron out the difference between fast fashion, ultra-fast fashion, and slow fashion—the sustainability reaction to these trends. A brief look at why we are tempted to fill our closets and drawers sets up consideration of the effects of the global clothing supply chain, what policy-makers are doing, and options for clothes...

In Episode 6, Michael and Kimberly put on their academic hats to discuss Commodity Fetishism, a concept Karl Marx used to explain what compels consumers to buy the stuff we do and, ultimately, how understanding this fetishism helps us get out of the sustainability hole we’ve dug. Key Topics Why we care more about the ‘perceived value’ of a Ralph Lauren Polo shirt than the ‘real value’ of a plain o...