Green Sense Radio

EPA clean water rollbacks/Understanding 'organic' and 'locally grown' labels

Chris Higgins of HortAmerica joins us to help explain what the labels ‘organic’ and ‘locally grown’ on food products actually mean – and they are still useful. 

Some rules under the Clean Water Act were recently repealed by the US EPA. While the move is praised by some in the agriculture industry, environmentalists are saying now is not the time to put clean water at risk. To help us understand what the roll-back means, we’re joined by Bart Johnsen-Harris, clean water advocate with Environment America.  

Green Builder Media/Biosphere 2 in the 21st century

How we approach the built environment: From the materials used, to the energy saved in building it, to the energy saved when it’s a functioning building, to how we reuse and recycle parts of it as it ages is crucial to sustainability in today’s world.  Sara Gutterman is CEO of Green Builder Media and joins us on Green sense.  

 
Biosphere 2, originally built as a self-contained ecosystem to research maintaining human life in outer space grabbed a lot of headlines when it first came into existence in the early 90s. Since that time, it’s been taken over by the University of Arizona as a place for research and education and we’re joined by John Adams, deputy director of Biosphere 2.  

Lake Michigan hazardous waste spill/Soil judging champion Sarah Boxum

Parts of America’s newest National Park, Indiana Dunes, recently had to be shut down because of a chemical spill into the nearby Little Calumet River which flowed into Lake Michigan killing hundreds of fish. As if that’s not problem enough, nearby communities were not informed about the dangers for a matter of days. Howard Learner is an experienced public interest litigation attorney and President and Executive Director of the Environmental Law & Policy Center and joins us.  

As we have learned, soil is much more than just ‘dirt’ and its health is crucial to our own survival on the planet. Someone who sees soil perhaps a bit differently than most is Autum Boxum, the soil judging national champion and recent college graduate.  

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.