Green Sense Radio

Major League Baseball & sustainability/Toyota Prius sales decline

Major League Baseball has been making major strides when it comes to sustainability. All 30 teams have their own innovative ways to reduce waste, conserve resources and to encourage fans to do the same.  We’re joined by Paul Hanlon, Senior Director for Ballpark Operations and Sustainability for Major League Baseball. 

 Tom Appel, publisher of Consumer Guide Automotive has Green Automotive news on the trends known as ‘peak car,’ ‘peak oil’ and the possible decline in popularity of the Toyota Prius. 

Wind turbine wake steering/Soybeans and water conservation

We know that wind turbines are a clean source of power. But we’re learning more ways they can generate power more effectively.  Wake-steering, which is pointing turbines slightly away from oncoming wind  can improve both the quantity and quality of power from wind farms, and probably lower operating costs. This is according to a new Stanford study. We’re joined by mechanical engineering PhD student Michael Howland. 

Soybeans are the 2nd-most field planted crop in the U.S. and a crop that popular among farmers has a big impact on how we best use resources. Amy Roady with Illinois Soybean Growers shares some of the issues and solutions around water conservation and soybean growing.  

Current water innovations/Archi's Acres

Water, a resource much of us simply take for granted, is something that if you lose access too has catastrophic effects on day-to-day life. The non-profit partnership Current, based in Chicago, delivers advanced research and market-driven innovations to enhance water resources, build resilience and drive sustainable economic growth by bridging gaps in water technology commercialization. We’re joined by Executive Director Steve Frenkel.

The idea of soldiers turning their swords into plowshares goes back to the Book of Isaiah in the Bible but it’s being lived out in new ways today as the numbers of U.S. veterans transitions back into society back home goes up along with agriculture technology. Karen Archipley co-founded Archi’s Acres which trains military vets to become organic farmers.

Indoor vertical farming meets greenhouse tech/Patachou Foundation

While indoor vertical farming with 100 percent artificial light has been getting a lot of attention, greenhouses, something that’s been around much longer, could be coming back thanks to new ways of integrating the two approaches. Juan Miguel Morales Sandoval is with the greenhouse manufacturer Rufepa and joins us from Spain. 

The Patachou Company operates several vibrant eating establishments in Indianapolis andFrom this successful organization, the Patachou Foundation was established which aims to endchildhood hunger in Indianapolis. We’re joined by founder Martha Hoover. 

Green Automotive News/Preserving our nation's wetlands

 

Consumer Guide Automotive publisher Tom Appel has Green Automotive News with VW planning on putting out more EVs, and news about EV sales overall.  

The Wetlands Initiative is dedicated to restoring the wetland resources of the Midwest to improve water quality, increase wildlife habitat and biodiversity, and reduce flood damage. It was founded 25 years ago and we’re joined by CEO Paul Botts.  

Trillions of trees could help climate change/Urban Ag update from Amsterdam

 
The answer to climate change could lie in the trees. Recent research at Switzerland’s Crowther Lab tells us how many trees would need to be planted to ultimately capture two-thirds of human-made carbon emissions. We’re joined by Professor Thomas Crowther from Crowther Lab in Zurich, Switzerland. 

As we continue to find better ways to make the most out of our resources, one way we can do more with less is by moving our farms indoors. With an update on the latest in urban ag news, we’re joined by Chris Higgins of Hort Americas who recently attended the Green Tech convention in Amsterdam. 

Earth Day 2019/The Shellworks

In the book 'Silent Spring' by Rachel Carson she writes, ‘in nature, nothing exists alone.’ This simple but important quote is the centerpiece for Earth Day 2019, which is coming up on April 22nd this year. We’re joined by Earth Day Network president Kathleen Rogers.  

A group of Masters students at the Royal College of Art and Imperial College in London that calls themselves the Shellworks making plastic out of compounds found in the shells of lobsters, a common food waste. Insiya Jafferjee joins us on Green Sense from the UK. 

Drive Electric Earthday/Not Coralated

As we recently talked about, we’re marking into the 49th annual Earth Day. But this year is also a first for ‘Drive Electric Earth Day’ which is  a national campaign to share information about EVs. We’re joined by Plug In America executive director Joel Levin.

Visual art can often bring attention to causes and issues not only in what they display, but how they’re constructed. Currently at the Moody Center for the Arts at Rice University, students are combatting plastic waste by creating sculpture inspired by coral reefs. We’re joined by Jones College senior Alex Rovner who co-created the piece called ‘Not Coralated.’

Renewable natural gas/Indoor farming update

Zero-carbon renewable energy gas sounds like the fuel of the future. But, Clean Energy Fuels recently announced that it’ll be available in about six years. We’re joined by Ashley White, Director & Head of Corporate Sustainability for Clean Energy Fuels

Hydroponic vegetable production, vertical farming, urban agriculture continues to be an area of focus as we work to figure out how to feed the world while using less energy and resources.Hort Americas works brings technically advanced, cost effective products to the greenhousegrowers across north America and also has its finger on the pulse of the indoor growing news.General Manager Chris Higgins joins us.

Benevity Corporate Goodness Awards/South Africa water crisis

Corporations in the private sector are doing more to help improve the world and, thanks to B Corps like Benevity, which is a global leader in social responsibility and employee engagement software, recently announced its winners of its 2019 Corporate Goodness Awards. We’re joined Sona Khosla,VP of marketing for Benevity.   

A year ago at this time, the city of Cape Town, South Africa was looking like it could run out of water within a few months. The crisis was averted  - but that doesn’t mean it won’t necessarily be avoided in the future. We’re joined by journalist Udo Carlse from South Africa.