Green Sense Radio

Drainage that beautifies/Floating river ecosystems

Ingham County, Michigan Drainage Commissioner Patrick Linneman is internationally known for his drainage projects. They replace pipes with plants, creating wetlands and fountains for public enjoyment.

 

A floating ecosystem was installed this summer in the longtime polluted but much-improving Chicago River. Not only will it beautify parts of the river, it’ll help birds, fish and other wildlife to return to the river.  Nick Wesley Urban Rivers is our guest.

Chef Mareya Ibrahim has a follow-up to last week’s healthy grilling recipe with a healthy grilled dessert that’s perfect for summer celebrations.

Deloitte Resources Study/Smart Infrastructure

While the Trump administration might be turning its back on climate change, everyday people and business across the country are reducing consumption and supporting renewable energy. That’s from the most recent Deloitte Resources Study. Joining us is Marlene Motyka, US and Global Renewable Energy Leader with Deloitte. 

 

Our nation’s crumbling infrastructure is the topic of a lot of discussion. But what kind of infrastructure can we aspire to have?  Recently at Cornell University, engineers tested smart utility pipelines that have the ability to adjust to and even withstand disasters like earthquakes.

Brad Wham is part of the engineering team at Cornell behind the recent tests.

CarPrint app/Changing salmon standards

There's a new smart phone app that aims to make eco-driving into a game that cuts down on pollution, saves you money and makes driving more fun.  We're joined now by Anna McDevitt, director of communications for CarPrint.

We've heard for a while that farmed salmon is bad for the environment. But, things are changing. The Monterey Bay Aquarium announced that certain kinds of  farmed salmon are now okay to eat. We're joined by Peter Redmond of the Aquaculture Stewardship Council.

Plus, the Fit Foodie Chef Mareya Ibrahim has a healthy grilling recipe for the Fourth of July.

Bugs end hunger/floating solar power plants

For many, if you offered them a plate of insects they'd say "I'm no longer hungry."  But there is a movement promoting bugs as a viable food source for people.  To prove it, Jeremy Connor, head of Seeds of Action ate insects as his primary protein source for the last month. 

After we covered floating nuclear plants possibly coming to China, we've been seeing headlines about world's largest floating solar power plant now online there. This is something more common than many people realize. The company Ciel and Terre has installed them in Japan, France, South Korea, China, Brazil, Taiwan, and the United States. We're joined by Eva Polybels of Ciel and Terre.

Solar's incredible growth/Toast beer made from leftover bread

Solar power accounts for 39% of all new electricity generation capacity last year. Greentech Media recently hosted its 10th annual solar summit and to give us an overview of where the industry's headed, we have Stephen Lacey, Green Tech Media's editor in chief.

Toast Ale is beer that reduces food waste by using leftover bread that is otherwise thrown out. To tell us more is Madeline Holtzman of Toast Ale.

Tom Appel of Consumer Guide Automotive shares a test drive of the Kia Niro hybrid crossover.

The Farm Bill and food waste/Plastic-eating caterpillars

The United States spends 218 billion dollars each year on food that is never eaten while one in seven Americans faces food insecurity. This is part of a new report on food waste from the Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic. To help us understand how we can improve our food system in the US is Christina Rice, one of the authors of the report.

Plastic bags are being used every year by the trillions. There have been lots of efforts made to reduce the amount of plastic we produce, but what about all of it that’s already there?  Paolo Bombelli with the University of Cambridge is co-author of a new paper about how a certain insect larvae could be part of the answer.

Green Builder Reader Survey/Wild Earth Guardians

Saving energy tops the list of more and more people who are improving their homes and for the people who do the work to improve them. The latest issue of Green Builder magazine surveyed contractors and other green pros about who’s best when it comes to lights, water heaters, deck materials and other stuff used in building and improving homes. Joining us is CEO Sara Gutterman.

More than half of all marine species may be at risk of extinction by within the next 100 years unless we make significant conservation efforts. That’s according to the organization WildEarth Guardians, which has been making a lot of those efforts including helping the six types of fish which were just added to the list of protected species by the Endangered Species Act. Joining us is Bethany Cotton from Wild Earth Guardians.

Glacier National Park glaciers disappearing/Floating nuclear power plants

The glaciers of Glacier National Park in Montana could be gone in our lifetime. A report from the US Geological Survey says they’ve already

shrunk by 40 percent in the last 50 years. Daniel Fagre’s a research ecologist with the USGS’s Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center

says their fate is sealed and they’ll be gone in the coming years.

 

There’ve been reports of floating nuclear power plants being developed by China in order to power islands in the South China Sea. Are these

“floating Chernobyls” or an example of a viable power source that we could learn from in the US. David Lochbaum is the Director of the Nuclear Safety Project with the Union of Concerned Scientists.

Evolution Trash Bags/Green Bond's Unprecedented Growth/Toyota's Project Portal

While we wish that everything could be recycled, some things have to be thrown in the trash if they are, it makes sense that those trash bags are made more sustainably. Evolution Trash Bags recently announced a line of eco-friendly trash bags. We’re joined by the company’s president Jim Seery.

Green bonds saw massive growth in 2016 and 2017’s predicted to be even bigger.  Sean Kidney is co-founder and CEO of the non-profit Climate Bonds Initiative and serves as a member of the European Commission's High Level Expert Group on Sustainable Finance.

Tom Appel, publisher of Consumer Guide Automotive gives us an update on Toyota’s Project Portal to develop hydrogen fuel cell powered trucks.

A toxic close call in Lake Michigan/Solar-made nylon

A recent accidental spill of toxic, potentially cancer causing hexavalent chromium in northern Indiana from the U.S. Steel Plant in the area has been given the all-clear by the EPA. But, it raises many concerns for Americans at at time where funding for the agency’s being cut by the Trump administration.  Rachel Havrelock is founder of the Freshwater Lab, which works to communicate Great Lakes water issues to the general public.

Nylon, which a great fabric because of how adaptable and durable it is, may be replace by something more sustainable that doesn’t rely on fossil fuels.  A new textile which is made from using solar energy has been discovered by Miguel Modesto and his team at NYU.