The SustainUW Podcast

Greta Gerwig's blockbuster sensation, "Barbie," has been the talk of the town since well before its release. Having grossed over $1.3 billion as of August 2023, there is no question that audiences are enamored with the film. But "Barbie" also has its detractors, who critique its treatment of gender and its uneasy relationship with consumerism, among other things. In this ep...

Malorie Garbe, the Sustainability Coordinator for University Housing, and assistant Anna Silverman join hosts Brynne Hill and Bailey Tomsich to delve into what move-in looks like for incoming dorm residents at UW–Madison. In addition to offering tips and tricks for how students can ensure they are moving in sustainably, this episode explores ways that students can engage in sustainability opportun...

The 2021 film “Don’t Look Up”, directed by Adam McKay and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, and Jonah Hill, is a dark comedy that offers an allegory of the dysfunctional conversation around climate change. In this episode of the SustainUW Podcast, hosts Rory Tevlin, Kylie Schedler, and Gigi Diekelman gathered to talk about the movie and give it their collective review. D...

The University of Wisconsin–Madison has a long history of producing prominent environmental figures like Aldo Leopold and wide-ranging sustainability research, but institutional, campus-focused sustainability initiatives are relatively recent. This spring, the Office of Sustainability entered its second decade, and hosts Kylie Schedler and Rose Adler-Rephan wanted to learn more about where the Off...

Waste: it's one of the most visible, even popular, issues in sustainability. After all, everyone can reduce, reuse, and recycle, right? Achieving "zero waste," however, is a complicated proposition. In this episode, host Bennett Artman explores what zero waste means and how we might get there with two members of the UW–Madison Office of Sustainability, Travis Blomberg and Rachel Schu...

Care for some crickets on your pizza? 80 percent of the world’s countries regularly consume insects, so maybe it’s time to find out what you’re missing! In this episode, hosts Gigi Diekelman and Eliza Lindley explore edible insects from their many angles — sustainable protein, nutrient powerhouses, culinary delicacies, and more — guided by Chef Joseph Yoon and researcher Colleen Henegan. Then, the...

What does the future of agriculture hold for us? From the increasing interest in organic farming versus conventional practices, to hydroponics and urban agriculture, there are many opportunities in the growing world of food production. In this episode, hosts Gigi Diekleman and Kylie Schedler talk with Jacob Breit from The Associated Students of Madison (ASM) about his summer internship on an organ...

We all use energy, but many of us don't think about where it comes from or how to ensure it's not only clean, but reliable and plentiful. Changing Energy , a new book by Dr. John Perkins, brings energy systems out from the shadows. Hosts Gigi Diekelman and Claire Naughton speak with Dr. Perkins about his book, the advantages and risks of different energy sources from solar to nuclear, and...

What is eco-anxiety? How do our various lived experiences influence how eco-anxiety presents itself? Can we harness eco-anxiety to make a positive difference? Join host Rose Adler-Rephan as she discusses these issues with special guest Dekila Chungyalpa , Director of the Loka Initiative, Center for Healthy Minds and Healthy Minds Innovations. Dekila has worked with faith leaders and culture keeper...

The UW–Madison Sustainability Writing Awards are intended to inspire conversations about how writing can bring together people with different experiences to reflect and act within the context of the global climate crisis. Thanks to the generosity of donors, in the fall of 2022 the Office of Sustainability offered three $200 scholarships to undergraduate, graduate, and professional students who sub...

When you shop for clothing, do you consider the sustainability of your choices or the brands you wear? Do you love thrifting or do you buy the newest trends? Have you ever considered how clothing donations are handled by thrift stores? Join hosts Rose Adler-Rephan and Gigi Diekelman as they address all these questions and more with John Cobb, the associate director of retail operations at the St....

What is it like to be an indigenous student on the UW–Madison campus? How do the histories and practices of the Native Nations of Wisconsin inform our understanding of environmental stewardship? And how are longstanding conversations between indigenous students and campus administrators evolving today? Join hosts Bennett Artman and Rose Adler-Rephan as they discuss these issues with special guest...

2022 was characterized by momentous climate change news in the United States: in the early summer, the Supreme Court dealt a blow to the EPA's ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Not long after, Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act, which is widely considered the most meaningful climate legislation this country's history. In the first episode of Season 3, host Hannah Schilling exp...

Dr. Barbara Hendrie is the Regional Director for the UN Environment Programme's North America Office and has built over two decades of experience in sustainable development and humanitarian affairs, working for both the United Kingdom and United States governments. In this episode, hosts Rose Adler-Rephan and Kylie Thomasen speak with Dr. Hendrie about her remarkable career path, her crucial envir...

In our latest episode of the Green Paths series, host Eliza Lindley speaks with Lori Peppard, who is a service area representative at Second Harvest Foodbank. From teaching in California to working for the Red Cross, Lori has had a wealth of experiences that have brought her to this stage in her career. Listen in as Eliza talks with Lori and traces her path to a career in hunger relief--which also...

What makes for a sustainable food system? How do we balance our personal and cultural food habits with our impact on the planet and each other? And what is a "sustainable diet" anyway? In this episode of the Wicked Problems series, hosts Rose Adler-Rephan and Kylie Thomasen speak with two special guests from UW–Madison: Tom Bryan, who is a teaching faculty member in the Organic Agriculture certifi...

Gray wolves elicit conflicting reactions in American culture, from awe and reverence to fear and hatred. They are also a hot topic lately, as different groups and political forces argue about whether they should be included on the federal endangered species list and whether states like Wisconsin should allow hunting seasons for them. But how did the gray wolf get on the endangered species list in...

In our first episode of the Green Paths series, host Eliza Lindley speaks with Dr. Tim Lindstrom, who is the intern program manager for the UW–Madison Office of Sustainability as well as an instructor in the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies. We'll hear about Tim's journey from Kansas City to Sweden to Madison, and how Tim's varied experiences, educational background, and personal interes...

Plastic: it's everywhere, it's incredibly useful, and it offers certain accessibility advantages--but it's a huge sustainability issue. In our first episode of the Wicked Problems series, hosts Rose Adler-Rephan and Kylie Thomasen explore the thorny tradeoffs that we face with single-use plastics.  Series Description When it comes to sustainability, wicked problems seem to be everywhere. As t...

Welcome back to The SustainUW Podcast, hosted by student interns at the UW–Madison Office of Sustainability! For our second season, we're delighted to bring you a new approach and a new set of hosts. Over the coming year, we'll be dividing our episodes into three series: Wicked Problems, Green Paths, and Hot Topics . Learn more about each of these series in today's introduction episode and meet th...

Host Marina Minic takes listeners on a delightfully zany yet informative trip through her adventures with fermentation, from cheese to yogurt to kombucha. Come along for the ride--and try out her kombucha recipe when you're done! 

We all know that Earth Day commemorates our planet and offers people an opportunity to dedicate themselves to living more sustainable lives. But what's the history of Earth Day, and how has that history intersected with a broader history of social and environmental activism, especially on college campuses? In this bonus episode, hosts Catie McDonald and Marina Minic explore these questions and int...

What is the history of farmers markets and how can they be used as a tool for justice? What is direct trade and how does it differ from Fair Trade? In this episode, which was made in collaboration with the Social Justice Hub, hosts Marina Minic and Arushi Gupta discuss markets and trade with special guests: Alfonso Morales, who is Vilas distinguished achievement professor at UW–Madison and managin...

In this rich and wide-ranging conversation, storyteller, cultural geographer, and "accidental environmentalist" Carolyn Finney speaks with hosts Hannah Kasun and Savannah Holt about race, history, environmental belonging, "colorblindness," and much more. Dr. Finney is the author of Black Faces, White Spaces: Reimagining the Relationship of African Americans to the Great Outdoors (UNC Press, 2014)...

With 23 teams and 900 athletes, the Wisconsin Badgers are a huge part of the UW–Madison experience. But that big athletics enterprise also means a lot of resource use and a significant opportunity for sustainability interventions. In this bonus episode, hosted by Catie McDonald and Hannah Kasun, we explore a new student athlete sustainability organization called SALS, or Student Athlete Leaders fo...