Green Sense Radio

Renewable jet fuel from leaves & twigs, saving butterflies

Renewable jet fuel from leaves and twigs - Alaska Airlines recently flew the first commercial flight powered by forest residuals: the twigs, branches and leaves left behind by sustainable forestry. Dr. Ralph Cavalieri, Director of the Northwest Advanced Renewables Alliance at Washington State University explains how this exciting new renewable energy source is made.

 

Save butterflies, save ourselves - A continent-wide butterfly habitat network is being launched by the North American Butterfly Association to save these beautiful, endangered insects.  President Jeffrey Glassberg explains how preserving and restoring their ecosystems will benefit us all.  

Charity Navigator, EPA fuel economy report

Making the most of your charitable contributions - The average household in the US gives close to three thousand dollars to charities, according to Charity Navigator but they could be doing more to make sure they're giving smarter. We're joined by Sandra Miniutti, Charity Navigator’s VP of marketing and CFO. 

Car emissions going down, fuel economy going up - There are two good trends according to a new EPA report. Dr. Dave Cooke of the Union of Concerned Scientists joins us to explain what's behind the green trend.

The Clean Economy prevails over politics, Bloom foam made from algae

The clean economy will prevail over politics, no matter who's in the White House, according to author, consultant and environmental economy expert Andrew Winston. He says wind, solar, and other renewable energy sources makes more economic sense than fossil fuel and the change in presidential administrations will probably not interrupt the unstoppable clean economy.

Instead of clogging waterways, algae is being made into safe, petroleum-free plastic. Inventor and Managing Director Rob Falken with Bloom explains how his company's plastic is reducing toxic algae blooms and the reliance on petroleum.

Green Tech expert Michael Kanellos/Salt Lake City's renewable pledge

Can a major city powered mostly by coal become 100 percent renewable? That’s Salt Lake City, Utah's pledge in the coming years. We’re joined by Tyler Poulson, Sustainability Program Manager with Salt Lake City. 

We can always count on Forbes writer Michael Kanellos for an engaging, fascinating conversation on the latest cutting-edge green technology. He joins us for a long overdue chat. 

City-based farms continue to find new ways to grow food close to consumers. But, there are still challenges on how to fund for farms within city limits. Chris Higgins of Urban Ag News has a look on Growing Green, our feature on urban agriculture.

Star Trek's "Boldly Better Future" with the Roddenberry Foundation, How2Recycle makes recycling easier

Star Trek’s “boldly better future” could become a reality.  Learn how the Roddenberry Foundation is supporting tomorrow’s solutions today in technology, science and art. We’re joined by Rod Roddenberry, who’s carrying on the legacy of his father, Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry. 

How can we make recycling simpler?  It can be, thanks to a new labeling system proposed by How2Recycle. Kelly Cramer with the Sustainable Packaging Coalition explains how this new, simple method can help keep trash out of landfills. 

Volvo Supertruck, Smart Plastic Technologies

The Volvo Supertruck is a new kind of semi that uses many new technologies to save fuel we learn about from Pascal Amar, senior project manager.  

The Great Pacific Garbage patch is what happens with plastic which takes centuries to biodegrade. But it could rot away thanks to an additive from Smart Plastic Technologies. Mike Ricciardi is the company’s CEO.


Dr. Richard Swart, global thought leader on crowdfunding, updates us on equity crowdfunding of sustainable initiatives and innovations. 

Generating Energy with Kite Power Solutions, LinkeDrive truck milage saving program

Bill Hampton is the CEO of Kite Power Solutions and he joins us from Essex in the UK to tell us more about this fascinating, high-flying energy solution. 

While new truck technologies are being developed to save fuel, there are ways for current trucks on the road to get better mileage by how their driven.  That’s where LinkeDrive comes in - and joining us to tell us more is Jeff Baer the company's CEO.

Tom Appel publisher of Consumer Guide Automotive joins us with an update on new diesel technology. 

Emissions-free electric buses by Proterra, the FDAs new organic rules

Emission-free electric bus maker Proterra, an American company, just debuted a bus that goes 350 miles on a single charge.  Eric McCarthy is the VP of Government Relations at Proterra.  Robert Colangelo and Chris Higgins of UrbanAg News take a look at organic produce and have a lively discussion on if they truly are safer and more nutritious.  Plus, a look cross-laminated timber, a sustainable way build skyscrapers out of wood when Robert chats with architect Joe Mayo of Mahlum Architects.

The Solutions Project, High-Speed Rail Update on Green Sense

Rick Harnish of the Midwest High Speed Rail Association has a look into the recently announced $2.5 billion federal loan to Amtrak and whether this could be a kick start for high-speed rail in the U.S.

The Solutions Project works on accelerating the transition to 100% clean, renewable energy for all people & purposes. It has the backing of Van Jones, Mark Ruffalo and Leonardo DiCaprio. We're joined by Tyler Nickerson, Dir. of Investments and State Strategy for the Solutions Project.

Dr. Richard Swart, Drive with Dave on Green Sense Radio

Crowdfunding, the simple idea of funding a project or venture by raising monetary contributions from a large number of people is really taking off. To dive into how it’s being used to fund sustainable business, we’re joined by Dr. Richard Swart, a global thought leader in crowdfunding.