Green Sense Radio

The Greening of Young Hearts and Minds

This week we are joined by Mike Bryson, Roosevelt University’s Professor of Sustainability Studies and co-leader in developing the university's first Strategic Sustainability Plan. The plan positions the school as a leader in driving the greening of American higher education institutions. Mike discusses the plan’s goal of creating an environment that is focused on key issues and challenges in sustainability with courses focused on climate and energy, education and outreach, waste and natural resources, and economics and governance.

Is Hydrogen the silver bullet when it comes to a clean energy fuel?

Hydrogen is abundant, but is it really the clean energy fuel of the future?

This week Tom Appel, publisher of Consumer Guide Automotive, joins us to discuss the pros and cons of hydrogen and his thoughts on applications for where it can become the fuel of the future.

Clean energy options for your home

This week we spoke with a master of many trades, Ron Cowgill. Ron is a
contractor in the Chicago area and the host of Mighty House Radio Show. With
winter coming and power outages a possibility, we reviewed home generator
options, including - solar, to learn which is most cost-effective. We also discussed
what’s involved with home solar panel installation - is it a DIY project or
something best left to professional installers?

Take - Make -Waste- Rethinking our relationship with stuff!

This week we explore the circular economy, a practical approach to sustainability, with our guest Sandra Goldmark who is a professor, author, and entre- and intrapreneur with deep expertise in circularity and the need for radical collaboration for climate action. Sandra discusses her experience in theatre design and how it opened her eyes to the vast and entrenched
systems that control how we make, obtain, and dispose of our stuff and how they are harmful to both people and the planet.

Campaign to Make Illinois a leader in the use of EVs

Brian Urbaszewski, Director of Environmental Health at the Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago, joins us again with an update on their Clean Air Initiative RHA is working to reduce air pollution from diesel fuel, supporting efforts to increase the use of clean nonpolluting sources of energy, and increasing the use of electric vehicles.

The Respiratory Health Association is on a mission to prevent lung disease, promote clean air and help people live better through education, research, and policy change. Listen to our previous episode with Brian to learn more about RHA and its mission to prevent lung disease, promote clean air and help people live better through education, research, and policy change.

Listen Now

Will the US Run Out of Diesel Fuel: Fact or Fiction?

This week Tom Appeal, Publisher of Consumer Guide Automotive, joins us to discuss the current diesel crisis. The US reserve is reported to have a 25-day supply, lows that have not been seen since 2008. During our interview, Tom provides a factual analysis of how gasoline and diesel are produced, the demand for each, who are the largest users of diesel, what it means to have a low diesel supply, how diesel shortages can affect the supply chain, and what’s the bottom line for consumers.

The farm of tomorrow is here today!

The Chicago Tribune in 1961, ran a series of articles on the world of tomorrow.
They talked about how agriculture will be so mechanized that farms will resemble factories with automation control devices performing precision agriculture. Artificial Intelligence (AI) will replace human judgment for optimizing crop production and harvesting, packing, and shipping
will all be done with robots.

Eric Adamson is the Co-founder and CEO at Tortuga AgTech, and he is transforming the agriculture world of tomorrow today! Tortuga has developed a robotic strawberry harvester that is picking strawberries as we speak. Tortuga AgTech aims to build a healthier society and a thriving planet through smarter farming and helps farms be more resilient, sustainable, and successful with technology. In our interview, Eric shares insights on how these robotics work, robotic harvesting challenges, and the pros and cons of using robots instead of manual labor.

What’s part car, part SUV and goes 0-60 mph in 3.8 seconds?

This week Host Robert Colangelo shares his thoughts with Tom Appel, publisher of Consumer Guide Automotive, after test-driving the 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT, including a rundown of its performance and features. The all-knowing Guru of Gears also talks about the current state of charging stations and if they will be a limiting factor to increased vehicle sales as EVs become more popular.

How Zoning Broke the American City

Are zoning codes stopping cities from being vibrant, equitable, and sustainable? This week we spoke with M. Nolan Gray, the Research Director for California YIMBY (Yes in My Backyard) and author of “Arbitrary Lines: How Zoning Broke the American City and How to Fix It.” During the interview, Nolan discusses how flawed policies are a major reason many US cities cannot address housing shortages, stunted growth and innovation, persistent racial and economic segregation, and car-dependent development. Nolan shares his proactive ideas for making our
cities better.

Making Chicago’s Water infrastructure resilient to climate change

This week we spoke with Josina Morita, Commissioner for the Metropolitan Water
Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD). The MWRD, one of the largest
water districts in the country, employs 2,000 people, and has been providing clean drinking water and managing wastewater for Chicagoans since 1889.
Commissioner Morita talks about historical engineering feats (reversal of the
Chicago River and TARP- Tunnel and Reservoir Plan) the district has completed,
the challenges a big City faces in hardening its water infrastructure to be more
resilient to climate events and why protecting local freshwater sources is more
important now than ever.