Ep 207: Interconnected Challenges: Climate Change, Energy Security, and Human Rights

The intricate interplay between energy consumption, climate change, and human rights is a pressing narrative affecting our daily lives. Fueled by conventional sources, our insatiable energy demand poses a dual challenge, threatening the delicate balance of the planet. The concept of energy security unveils the vulnerability of our energy infrastructure to the unpredictable effects of climate change, with fossil fuels contributing to both emissions and geopolitical tensions.

This nexus profoundly impacts vulnerable communities, where reliable energy is crucial for basic needs. Climate-related disruptions directly infringe upon human rights, from access to essential services to the fundamental right to life. Extreme weather events increase mortality rates, creating a palpable connection between climate change, energy security, and human rights. 

The implicit right to a healthy environment is also at stake, as pollutants from energy production affect global warming and public health, disproportionately impacting those with fewer resources. The narrative emphasizes individual responsibility in making sustainable choices to reduce carbon footprints, while urging governments and corporations to prioritize sustainable energy policies, invest in renewables, and address climate impacts on vulnerable communities. 

The interconnected challenges of energy production have become a compelling narrative, stressing the urgency of caring for the planet as a means of safeguarding human rights and ensuring a sustainable future for all.

Join Host Bernice Butler, Luke Metzger of Environment Texas, Brenda Brickhouse, with EPRI and Jeffrey Rissman of Energy Innovation as they discuss the impact of climate change on energy security & human rights.

Ep 206: Embracing the Future: Renewable Energy's Challenges and Opportunities for Everyday Living 

In the ongoing shift towards a cleaner and more sustainable future, renewable energy emerges as a crucial lifeline for our planet and personal well-being. This discussion explores the challenges and opportunities inherent in adopting renewable energy sources, emphasizing the direct impact on our daily lives. 

The consequences of our reliance on fossil fuels extend beyond environmental concerns, affecting our health and ecosystem balance. This discussion underscores the interconnectedness between consumer choices and global environmental issues, emphasizing the collective responsibility we share. 

Renewable energy, encompassing solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal power, offers tangible solutions. By reducing reliance on fossil fuels, we can improve air quality and respiratory health. Additionally, renewable sources promote energy independence, community empowerment, and economic growth through job opportunities. 

The transformative potential of the renewable energy sector extends to industry innovation and economic stimulation. Government policies, including incentives and subsidies, play a pivotal role in accelerating renewable adoption. Embracing renewable energy is portrayed as a journey towards a cleaner environment, a resilient lifestyle, and a commitment to a sustainable future. The opportunities presented by renewable energy are not abstract but intricately woven into the fabric of our daily decisions, offering a pathway to a healthier and more vibrant life for individuals and future generations. 

Join Host Bernice Butler and Pierre Conner of Tulane University’s Energy Institute as they unpack and explore our future Energy production and consumption landscape.

Ep 205: Navigating the Interconnected World of Energy Production, Consumption, and Personal Health 

Modern living relies on energy to power daily routines, impacting both the environment and personal well-being. Energy-efficient homes emerge as solutions, blending comfort with environmental responsibility. Leveraging advanced technologies and renewable sources, these homes minimize waste and reduce carbon footprints, benefiting inhabitants' health. The prevalent use of fossil fuels in energy production poses severe health risks, releasing pollutants that affect respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Additionally, fossil fuel extraction contributes to resource depletion and environmental imbalances, endangering public health. Recognizing the interconnection between daily life and energy consumption is crucial. Urgency to address fossil fuel dependency intensifies considering rising global temperatures, extreme weather events, and resource depletion. Embracing energy efficiency and renewables safeguards the planet for future generations and preserves present health and wellness. Informed choices illuminate a path to a healthier, more sustainable future, emphasizing the profound impact of our decisions beyond mere convenience. 

Join Host Bernice Butler as she explores and unpacks the intersection of Energy Production and Consumption with our Health with David Turcotte with Lowell Healthy Homes Program and Maria Chavez with the Union of Concerned Scientists.

Ep 204: The Clean Energy Imperative- Why do we Need it, What is it, When do we Need it?

In our daily lives, energy is the vital force powering homes, transportation, and industries. The escalating threat of conventional energy sources to the environment demands an urgent shift to clean energy. This imperative, driven by goals such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving public health, and creating economic opportunities, stems from the environmental toll of fossil fuels. Energy consumption directly impacts the planet's health, making the transition to clean energy crucial. It involves not just adopting renewable sources but a holistic shift in consumption and production efficiency. Embracing energy-efficient technologies, from appliances to smart home systems, contributes to a sustainable future. 

The urgency to address both consumption and production is underscored by immediate climate change consequences. Experts emphasize a critical juncture, urging a swift transition to adapt to existing changes. Progress has been slow, with the U.S. Department of Energy projecting 80% clean electricity by 2030, shy of the 100% goal by 2035. To achieve this, reliance on fossil fuels must end, and investments in clean, accessible, affordable, sustainable, and reliable energy sources are crucial. The clean energy imperative unfolds in everyday choices, emphasizing individual actions in consumption and production as integral to the larger narrative of change.

Join Bernice Butler and Emily Beagle from the Webber Energy Group at UT Austin and Rana Adib with the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century as they unpack and explore a holistic approach to energy for our everyday lives.

Ep 203: Plastic Pollution Solutions: A Call to Everyday Action

Plastic pollution, often overlooked, profoundly affects our lives, health, and the planet. Plastics can take up to 500 years to break down, posing significant threats to human health as microplastics enter the food chain. This pollution permeates air, water, and food, posing a direct threat to health and ecosystems. Shifting plastics from one area, like oceans, may exacerbate disparities, as burning them releases harmful chemicals affecting nearby communities. Humans face exposure through inhalation, ingestion, and skin contact, leading to various health issues.

Efforts to address plastic pollution involve stakeholders like governments, nonprofits, and businesses exploring innovative solutions. Advanced recycling technologies break down plastic waste for new materials, while biodegradable and compostable plastics offer eco-friendly alternatives. Circular economy initiatives promote recyclability, creating a closed-loop system. Past attempts, like traditional recycling, fell short due to contamination and limited demand. The path to a plastic-free future involves individual choices, encouraging conscious stewardship for ourselves and the planet. It requires understanding that seemingly insignificant decisions reverberate through the interconnected environment, influencing our quality of life. 

Join Host Bernice Butler as she talks with Rob Koenen of The Boxed Water Company, Jackie Nuñez with Plastic Pollution Coalition and Win Cowger with the Moore Institute for Plastic Pollution Research, as they explore how our everyday action can significantly impact Plastic Pollution.

Ep 202: The Impact of Plastics and Plastic Pollution on Human Health 

Plastics, while transforming modern life, pose severe threats to the environment and human health. With a global production of 7 billion tons, a mere 9% is recycled, leading to widespread pollution in landfills and oceans. The report "Plastic Not-So-Fantastic" highlights the enduring nature of plastics, with every piece ever produced lingering in some form today. Microplastic infiltration into the air, water, and food supply poses an invisible threat, with studies revealing human exposure through various avenues. 

Scientific research on plastic's health impacts is evolving, indicating exposure to toxic chemicals and microplastics. The World Wildlife Fund estimates an average person ingests about 5 grams of plastic weekly, raising concerns about cumulative health risks. Documented effects range from cancer to reproductive and cognitive impairment, breathing difficulties, kidney disease, and cardiovascular issues. 

Plastic pollution extends beyond humans, affecting marine life and ecosystems. Microplastics from everyday products and hormone-disrupting chemicals like BPA exacerbate the problem. Addressing plastic pollution demands collective action, heightened awareness, and innovative solutions to protect the environment and human well-being. It's a call for individuals, communities, and policymakers to reassess their relationship with plastic for a sustainable future. 

Join Host Bernice Butler and Anja Brandon and Samantha Romanick as they unpack and explore how Plastics and Plastic Pollution impacts our human health.

Ep 201: Plastics Pollution – What’s so Bad about Plastic & Why Doesn’t Everybody Know about It

The daily disposal of plastic waste, including items like coffee cup lids, wrappers, and containers, poses a significant environmental threat. In 2021, global trash generation reached 400 million tons, with the U.S. contributing 51 million tons, only recycling 2.4 million tons. Plastics, derived from fossil fuels, undergo an energy-intensive process emitting greenhouse gases. Plastic pollution harms wildlife, habitats, and human populations, with synthetic plastics constituting 95% of all plastics ever made. 

Plastics, introduced commercially in the 1950s, offer convenience but have a low recovery rate compared to materials like glass and paper. Inefficiencies in recycling, attributed to processing challenges, hinder their reuse. Plastic's exponential production since the 1950s, driven by qualities like ease of shaping and low cost, comes at a significant cost to health and the environment. 

Plastic's impact on sea life is well-documented, but increasing studies focus on its effects on human health, fertility, land ecosystems, crops, and plants. Plastic's main ingredients originate from oil and natural gas, with additives containing hazardous substances. Plastic packaging, with over 4,000 chemicals, poses risks to human health, demanding a reconsideration of reliance on this pervasive material and a commitment to sustainable alternatives. 

Join Host Bernice Butler with Mary Johnson from Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health and Nena Shaw with the EPA to explore and unpack this phenomenon.

Ep 200: Lancet Countdown Report & COP28

The intersection of environmental and health endeavors is epitomized by two significant initiatives: The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change Report and COP28. The Lancet Countdown serves as a vital analysis, comparable to the championship of Health and Climate Change impact assessments. It meticulously connects the dots between health and climate, providing evidence-based science crucial for understanding the consequences of climate change on your health. Recognizing the interdependence of human health and the planet, this report serves as an indispensable guide for individuals navigating the era of climate change. 

COP28, the recent climate summit in Dubai, stands as a beacon of global collaboration to address the climate crisis. Leaders worldwide gathered to strategize on cleaner energy sources, combat air pollution, and support vulnerable nations grappling with climate challenges.  

Understanding these initiatives is crucial for individuals navigating the complexities of daily life amidst climate change repercussions. The Lancet Countdown informs about the health impacts, urging individuals to recognize the tangible effects already happening. COP28, on the other hand, symbolizes global unity and commitment, emphasizing the interconnectedness of individual actions and international efforts. Both endeavors underscore the urgency for informed choices, local engagement, and global cooperation to secure a healthier planet and better quality of life for current and future generations. 

Host Bernice Butler talks with Jodi Sherman, Dave McGlinchey and Liz Willets to unpack and explore the everyday impacts of  science based reporting and planning for our future by local and world leaders.

Ep 199: Zero Waste and the Economics of Waste Management

This episode explores the concept of zero waste, which aims to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills, incinerators, and the ocean, and to increase the reuse, recycling, and composting of materials. Zero waste is not only good for the environment, but also for the economy and society, as it saves resources, energy, money, creates jobs, and improves health and well-being. The episode also discusses the economics of waste management, which examines the costs and benefits of different waste management options, such as prevention, reduction, reuse, recycling, recovery, and disposal.

Join Host Bernice Butler and guest Ruth Abbe and Gary Liss from Zero Waste USA, as they invite listeners to reflect on their own consumption and disposal habits, and how they can adopt a more sustainable and circular lifestyle.

Ep 198: Waste & Waste Mgt. - Understanding E-Waste and It’s Pervasiveness in our Lives 

The escalating concern of electronic waste (e-waste) is exemplified by its rapid growth and potential environmental and health hazards. The Global E-waste Monitor 2020 reveals a disturbing trend, projecting a staggering 100% increase in global e-waste to reach 74 metric tons by 2030. This surge is propelled by higher consumption rates, short product life cycles, and limited repair options. The toxicity of electronic components, vital for functionality, poses a significant risk when discarded, underscoring the need for careful handling.

Despite the substantial generation of e-waste, the recycling rate is suboptimal. In 2018, an estimated 2.7 million tons of consumer electronics were produced in the United States, with only 38.5% recycled, leading to the disposal of 1.66 million tons in landfills. The decline in the recycling rate from 25% in 2009 to 23.9% in 2018 raises concerns about responsible waste management. Then the question becomes – of the material recycled, what is the efficiency and efficacy of the recycling method and processes. 

Children, in particular, face heightened vulnerability to the toxic substances in e-waste due to their smaller size and underdeveloped organs. However, amidst these challenges, e-waste presents an opportunity for resource recovery. Precious metals like gold, silver, and rare earth elements can be extracted for reuse, contributing to a circular economy. 

Understanding and addressing the pervasive issue of e-waste is crucial for environmental protection, human health, and resource efficiency. Responsible and sustainable e-waste management, including recycling, can mitigate environmental impacts, create jobs, and reduce the demand for virgin materials and energy. Taking proactive measures is essential to curb the escalating metric tons of e-waste generated globally. 

Join Host Bernice Butler and guests Callie Babbitt and Rudiger Kuehr as they unravel and unpack some of this.

Ep 197: Hazardous & Chemical Waste - Health and Environmental Consequences and Opportunities

Hazardous, chemical and toxic waste is any waste that can harm human health or the environment. It can come from many sources, such as industries, households, farms, hospitals, mines, and military sites. It can also be in many forms, such as liquids, solids, gases, or sludges.

Hazardous waste can affect us and the environment  by contaminating the soil, water, and air that we need for food, drinking, and breathing; by exposing us to chemicals, metals, radiation, or infections that can cause diseases, cancers, or genetic disorders. Hazardous waste can enter our body through ingestion, inhalation, or skin contact, and damage our organs, tissues, or cells.

But we can prevent and reduce hazardous waste by our every day actions and activities such as choosing products that are safe, durable, reusable and recyclable, and avoiding unnecessary or impulsive purchases and using products wisely and efficiently, and following the instructions for storage, use and disposal, among many others.

By understanding and addressing hazardous wastes’ impact on our health and our environment  we can contribute to the sustainability and well-being of ourselves and the planet. 

Join Host Bernice Butler and experts Elif Kongar and Dele Ogunseitan as they explore and unpack Chemical, Hazardous and Toxic Waste.

Ep 196: Environmental Intersection of our Consumption-based Culture & Waste Generation: Food Waste

Waste, an inevitable outcome of human activities, poses significant environmental and health consequences across various categories, including municipal solid waste, hazardous waste, industrial waste, and more. The quantity and nature of waste generated are influenced by factors like economic growth, population size, and consumption habits. Developed countries, such as the U.S., typically produce more waste per capita. 

The generation of waste signifies inefficient use of resources, making waste reduction crucial for achieving sustainability and a circular economy. Strategies to achieve this include preventing waste, reusing and repairing products, recycling, composting, and recovering energy from waste. These approaches not only minimize environmental impacts but also conserve resources, save energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and stimulate job creation. 

Despite efforts to reduce waste, not all can be avoided or recovered, necessitating proper waste disposal methods. Common disposal methods, like landfills, incinerators, and open dumps, come with significant environmental and health risks such as groundwater contamination, air pollution, and disease transmission.

Waste management emerges as a complex and dynamic challenge requiring integrated and holistic solutions. Involving multiple stakeholders, including governments, businesses, civil society, and consumers.  Addressing technical, social, economic, and environmental facets, waste management becomes an opportunity to build a more sustainable and resilient society.  

Join Host Bernice Butler as she talks with Liz Goodwin with the World Resources Institute and Claudia Fabiano with the EPA to explore and unpack  the health and environmental impacts of our waste generation and management of it.

Ep 195: Extreme Weather Events: Fire & Winds & Coping with Dual Threat of Wildfires

Wildfires, though not a weather phenomena, are linked to weather, often ignited by lightning, and capable of generating their own weather patterns. Global incidents in Chile, Australia, California, and Canada underscore the destructive impact of uncontrolled fires. In the American West, widespread wildfires are becoming the norm, with increasing frequency since the 1980s. The U.S. witnessed over 9.8 million acres burned in the past year alone. While wildfires play a natural role in ecosystem renewal, they also pose threats such as habitat destruction, air pollution, and the release of greenhouse gases. 

Wind significantly influences wildfires, contributing to fire whirls and firestorms. Fire whirls are spinning columns of hot air carrying flames, while firestorms generate winds and thunderstorms, creating their weather systems. Wind directs the fire's spread, and its speed determines the fire's pace, shape, and intensity. Different fire behaviors result from wind dynamics. 

Wildfires have increased in frequency and intensity since the 1980s, and are projected to continue rising. Some Western ecoregions have year-round fire seasons. Wildfires release carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. 

The combination of fire and wind presents risks to lives, property, and ecosystems, necessitating awareness and preventive measures. Recommendations include creating defensible spaces around homes, using fire-resistant materials, adhering to fire restrictions, staying informed about fire and weather conditions, and following authorities' instructions during wildfires. Human activities and climate change can exacerbate wildfires, emphasizing the importance of understanding fire and wind dynamics and implementing preventive measures to mitigate their impact. 

Join Host Bernice Butler as she explores and unpacks Fire & Winds at the intersection of Wildfires with Deepti Singh and Jennifer Marlon.

Ep 194: Extreme Weather Events - Extreme Heat and Heatwaves

Extreme weather events, particularly heatwaves, are no longer abstract concerns but tangible threats impacting our lives. This discussion aims to unveil the profound implications of extreme heat on physical, mental, and communal well-being, emphasizing its interconnectedness with our daily lives. 

Every facet of our well-being, from the air we breathe to the water we drink, is intricately tied to the health of our planet. Extreme heat and heatwaves signify undeniable shifts in our climate, affecting communities, homes, and bodies in often unrecognized ways. 

Beyond the discomfort of scorching summer days, these events alter the very air composition, making it harder for our bodies to cool down and leading to a surge in heat-related illnesses. Moreover, extreme heat contributes to broader disasters like droughts and wildfires, wreaking havoc on agriculture, ecosystems, and the economy. 

Urban areas, susceptible to the urban heat island effect, experience prolonged high temperatures, exacerbating energy demands, air quality issues, and health hazards. Recognizing that extreme heat and heatwaves are interconnected with various environmental and societal aspects, the call to action is urgent. 

Mitigating these impacts necessitates a collective effort, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions, conserving water and energy, enhancing urban planning, improving emergency preparedness, and raising awareness. By uniting in these efforts, we can safeguard ourselves, our communities, and our planet from the detrimental effects of extreme heat and heatwaves, forging a resilient and sustainable future for current and future generations. 

Host Bernice Butler explores and unpacks some of this with Kristi Dahl of the Union of Concerned Scientists and Catharina Guidice an ER Physician in Los Angeles.

Ep 193: Climate Change: How it’s Changing our Economic Future & the Role of Policy, Economics and Individual Action

Climate change is a pressing challenge with profound implications for our economy, prompting a comprehensive exploration of its intersection with economic factors. This discussion seeks to elucidate the far-reaching effects of climate change and the potential roles of policy, economics, and individual actions in mitigating its impact. 

The economic consequences of climate change are not abstract; they directly influence our daily lives and financial well-being. Extreme weather events, on the rise, lead to economic fallout, impacting communities through increased insurance premiums, strain on local services, and disruptions to crop yields affecting grocery prices. 

However, embracing sustainable practices offers economic opportunities. The shift to a greener economy creates jobs in renewable energy, fosters innovation, and stimulates economic growth. Supporting eco-friendly businesses and demanding sustainable products allows individuals to drive positive change in the market. 

Governments play a crucial role in addressing economic consequences. Policies targeting greenhouse gas emissions, carbon pricing, and incentives for renewable energy aim to reduce the economic impact of climate change and foster sustainable growth. Economists contribute by identifying effective, cost-efficient policies for emission reduction. 

Individuals also play a significant role. Consumer choices, such as supporting eco-friendly products and businesses, send powerful signals to the market. This discussion emphasizes that understanding the economic dimensions of climate change is accessible to everyone, urging mindful consumption as a means of contributing to a collective movement toward sustainability. 

Host Bernice Butler explores and unpacks the economics of Climate change with Dr. Michael Mann, University of Pennsylvania, Adam Kent, Natural Resources Defense Council and Angela Betancourt, Net Zero.

Ep 192: Impacts of Climate Change, How we’re Adapting and Mitigation Strategies

Climate change stands as one of the most urgent challenges confronting our world today, demanding a collective effort from all individuals to address its impacts. Despite its seemingly remote nature, climate change is not a concern relegated to future generations but is actively shaping our daily lives. The imperative for immediate action is underscored by the escalating effects of rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and ecological shifts, all of which directly influence our health, well-being, and communities. 

While the discourse surrounding climate change is often dominated by scientific and global policy discussions, it is imperative to recognize its personal implications. The consequences of climate change, such as water scarcity, extreme weather events, health risks, food insecurity, and economic impacts, are tangible aspects affecting individuals on a daily basis. The air we breathe is increasingly at risk due to rising pollution levels, exacerbating respiratory illnesses. Heatwaves, growing in frequency and intensity, pose severe health risks, particularly in urban areas. 

Understanding these personal ramifications is crucial for fostering a sense of urgency among ordinary individuals navigating their daily lives. Climate change is no longer an abstract threat; it is a palpable force shaping our immediate surroundings. 

Individuals must recognize the interconnectedness of their actions, community dynamics, and global initiatives. Daily choices, from consumer habits to energy consumption, contribute to the broader narrative of climate change. International forums such as the COP meetings play a pivotal role in aligning nations and fostering collective action.  As well, Global collaboration is essential in addressing climate change, as isolated responses from nations would lead to dire consequences, burdening different regions unevenly and hindering global progress.  

Listen in with Dave McGlinchey & Michael Oppenheimer on Adapting to Climate Change & Mitigation Strategies.

Ep 191: How is it Changing our Every Day Lives and our Health

Human-caused climate change is underway, with widely acknowledged impacts such as sea ice loss, accelerated sea-level rise, and more intense heatwaves. Some effects, like droughts and wildfires, are occurring faster than anticipated. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states that observed changes are unprecedented and irreversible for centuries. Future outcomes hinge on human actions; increased greenhouse gas emissions will lead to severe global consequences, but emission reduction efforts may mitigate the worst effects. 

The current warming rate is unprecedented in the past 10,000 years, and human influence on climate change has transitioned from theory to established fact since the 1970s, according to the IPCC. Climate change, coupled with other health stressors, affects human health, intensifying existing threats and giving rise to new ones, with vulnerability influenced by factors like age, economic resources, and location. 

Climate change's immediate and pervasive impacts on health, such as severe storms and heatwaves, can be deadly, while long-term consequences include increased heart disease, respiratory issues, vector-borne diseases, and reduced access to clean water and food. 

Amidst the  wars currently gripping our global attention, the urgency of climate change might seem less apparent, but it poses imminent threats to health and safety. Climate change concerns are widespread among the U.S. population, with seven in ten adults fearing harm to health. A majority believes that various entities, including businesses and governments, are not doing enough to address the issue. Recognizing the immediate and far-reaching consequences, action is imperative to safeguard health in the face of climate change.

Ep 190: Understanding the Science and Reality of Climate Change :  "Climate Change Unveiled: A Closer Look at the Science and Your Everyday Reality

In the midst of our hectic lives, it's easy to overlook the intricate dance of climate change affecting everything from the air we breathe to the food we eat. Beyond the common association with melting ice caps, climate change, driven by increased greenhouse gas emissions from human activities, manifests in extreme weather events, altered precipitation patterns, rising sea levels, and disruptions to ecosystems. 

The impact of climate change is closer to home than we often realize. Extreme weather events disrupt daily routines, affecting transportation and home safety. Changes in agricultural patterns due to climate change influence the availability and affordability of the food we consume, impacting crop yields and prices. Water scarcity becomes a consequence as precipitation patterns shift and glaciers melt, affecting drinking water, agriculture, and industry. 

The economic implications of climate change are vast, from increased healthcare costs due to heat-related illnesses to the financial toll of extreme weather events on communities. Understanding the science is just the beginning; the real question is why we should care.

The personal stake in climate action is significant. Ensuring a stable climate safeguards the availability of essential resources, from clean air and water to reliable food sources, thereby preserving our quality of life and that of future generations. 

Climate action is a collective effort, involving sustainable practices, support for clean energy initiatives, and advocacy for responsible policies. By understanding the science and recognizing our personal stake, we empower ourselves to be agents of change. It's not just about saving the planet; it's about securing a better, healthier, and more prosperous future for ourselves and generations to come. The urgency to act is not just for the planet but for the very fabric of our everyday lives.

Ep 189: Environmental Justice, Health Impacts, and Climate Justice: Fostering Awareness and Change – looking at the current and trending issues

Environmental justice is a pressing concern that transcends borders, focusing on fair treatment for all, regardless of their background. It has its roots in the 1960s civil rights and social justice movements, notably events like protests by Latino farm workers in California, African-American students in Houston, and residents of Harlem, NYC, advocating for their communities' well-being. 

The pivotal moment often associated with the environmental justice movement was the 1982 protests in Warren County, NC, where residents protested the relocation of contaminated soil to their predominantly Black county. While their efforts were not immediately successful, they sparked a nationwide movement supported by data showing hazardous waste sites disproportionately located near Black and Latino communities. 

Today, environmental justice continues to evolve and integrate into public policy. It encompasses a broader perspective of the environment, considering where people live, work, play, learn, and pray. This inter-generational, multi-racial, and international movement advocates for justice by linking economic, environmental, and health issues and demanding safe, clean communities and workplaces. 

Key issues in environmental justice include equitable resource distribution, rectifying historical disparities, addressing climate change's unequal impact, and improving public health outcomes. Historically marginalized communities, often low-income and minority populations, have faced environmental hazards without access to the benefits of a clean environment. Climate change exacerbates existing inequalities, disproportionately affecting vulnerable groups. 

The connection between environmental justice and health is undeniable. Exposure to environmental hazards has severe health consequences, with disadvantaged communities facing higher risks due to their proximity to industrial facilities and limited healthcare access. 

Join host Bernice Butler and guest Michael Gerrard and Maya van Rossum to look at current and emerging trends in environmental justice and climate justice issues.

Ep 188: The Economics of Environmental Justice or Injustice & Impacts on Everyone’s Pocketbook

The location of polluting facilities in low-income neighborhoods and communities of color has severe economic and health consequences. These marginalized areas suffer from higher rates of asthma, heart attacks, and premature death, perpetuating poverty and limiting opportunities across generations. This injustice has far-reaching effects, as highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic, exposing the interconnectedness of environmental and health disparities.

The environmental justice movement, which emerged in the 1980s, shed light on the link between pollution, race, and poverty. An illustrative case was the 1978 illegal dumping of hazardous chemicals in North Carolina, where a landfill was placed in a predominantly black and impoverished area, despite protests. Subsequent academic research has delved into the correlations between environmental injustices and various measures, revealing inefficiencies resulting from discrimination.

From an economic perspective, environmental justice is vital because it examines how environmental discrimination leads to market inefficiencies. While equity is essential, economics focuses on efficiency and serves as a tool for policymakers and society to enhance decision-making and rectify market failures. The multifaceted nature of environmental injustice demands comprehensive solutions.

Climate justice further emphasizes the need for equitable distribution of the burdens and benefits of climate change resolution, promoting fairness between and within generations. Climate change exacerbates challenges faced by those impacted by environmental injustices.

Rob Verchick and Ed Barbier join Host Bernice Butler unpack the economic implications of environmental and climate justice at the nexus of health.

Ep 187: How & Why Environmental Issues And Their Health Impacts Have Burdened Certain Populations And How & Why They’re Coming For Us All 

The intricate interconnectedness of environmental well-being, climate stability, and human health is often overlooked in our daily lives. However, these factors shape the destinies of communities and nations globally. This discussion delves into the intersection of environmental justice, climate justice and health, shedding light on their historical burdens and universal relevance. 

Environmental elements like air and water quality significantly impact our health and contribute to health disparities in areas burdened by social inequities known as social determinants of health. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences defines environmental justice as the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people in environmental laws and policies, regardless of race, nationality, or income. Environmental health disparities emerge when communities with poor environmental quality and social inequities experience higher rates of illness and disease. 

Over 12 million people globally die annually due to living or working in unhealthy environments, with environmental pollutants causing respiratory diseases, heart disease, and cancer. Individuals with low incomes often reside in polluted areas and have unsafe drinking water, while children and pregnant women face higher health risks related to pollution. 

Research spanning decades reveals that black and brown communities bear the brunt of environmental harm, with climate change exacerbating these inequalities through extreme weather events like hurricanes and wildfires.  As well Instances of environmental injustice abound, from air pollution in low-income communities due to incinerated single-use plastics to lead-contaminated water in Flint, MI. Environmental injustices persist in many communities across the country. 

Carol Ziegler and Katrina Korfmacher talk with Host Bernice Butler to explore and unpack persistent Environmental Justice and Climate Justice and how they are increasingly affecting us all.

Episode 186: Future of Transportation & its Impact on Air Quality: Renewable Energy & Electric Vehicles – Hope for the Future

The evolution of transportation has played an integral role in shaping modern society, from historical horse-drawn carriages to today's advanced trains and drones. However, while transportation innovations have revolutionized mobility, they've also contributed to environmental concerns, particularly air quality. As we navigate the 21st century, the necessity for sustainable transportation solutions has grown urgent, affecting present and future generations alike. The transportation sector is a major contributor to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, posing a significant challenge. 

The significance of this issue lies in its profound impact on various aspects of our lives, including health and the delicate balance of Earth's ecosystems. Air quality directly influences human well-being, with polluted air causing respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular diseases, and more. Urban skylines marred by pollution underline the pressing concern for public health. 

A hopeful solution emerges in the form of renewable energy and electric vehicles (EVs). Renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and hydropower reduce reliance on fossil fuels and cut down greenhouse gas emissions. EVs, powered by electricity and producing no tailpipe emissions, offer a cleaner alternative to traditional vehicles. Embracing these innovations has the potential to mitigate the harmful effects of vehicular emissions, fostering cleaner air and healthier lives. 

This issue transcends mere data and resonates on a personal level, impacting our daily lives, communities, and future. Air quality knows no boundaries, affecting our homes, commutes, and loved ones. Individual choices ripple outward, shaping policies, technology, and society's trajectory. 

As we navigate the uncharted waters of transportation's future, our decisions today shape the legacy we bequeath. 

Lori Bird with the World Resources Institute and John Boesel, with CALSTART join Host Bernice Butler for an exploration  of the interconnectedness between transportation, air quality, and well-being. The promise of renewable energy and EVs offers a hopeful path forward, where mobility aligns with sustainability. This journey is not exclusive to experts; it's for every individual invested in a cleaner, healthier future. It's a testament to progress, resilience, and the reimagining of our world—a journey that unites us all.

Episode 185: Impact of Air Pollution on Human Health – Chronic Disease Toll of Air Pollution

Air pollution, both visible and hidden, poses a critical global threat to health and prosperity, causing over 7 million annual deaths worldwide, a number on the rise. It encompasses indoor and outdoor contamination from various sources, including vehicle emissions, industrial processes, and natural events. Nearly all of the global population breathes polluted air, with low- and middle-income countries facing the highest exposures. 

Air pollution's hazardous components include vehicle emissions, volatile organic compounds, and fine particulate matter. Notably, it intertwines with climate change due to shared sources like fossil fuel combustion.

The health impacts are vast and expanding as research continues, affecting organs and systems far beyond respiratory issues. Even developed countries grapple with air quality concerns, while developing nations face intensified pollution due to rapid industrialization. 

Over two million annual premature deaths are attributed to air pollution. Its effects range from common diseases to nervous, digestive, and urinary system impairments. Though strides are made in the struggle against pollution, no safe threshold has been determined. Solutions exist, such as transitioning to renewable energy and electric vehicles, but the journey requires global commitment. Today, we delve into these strategies with our esteemed guests, aiming to uncover ways to reduce air pollution's health and environmental impacts. 

Mark Ereth, formerly with the Mayo Clinic, Joel Schwartz with Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Sarah Vogel with the Environmental Defense Fund talk with Host Bernice Butler about why we should care about the chronic disease  toll of air pollution.

Episode 184: Why our Transportation Impacts Climate Change  - The Role of Transportation in Air Pollution  

Transportation is vital but contributes significantly to carbon pollution and climate change. Burning fossil fuels in vehicles releases greenhouse gases, causing global temperature rise and climate disruptions. Sustainable options like carpooling, biking, and public transit can curb emissions.

Transportation-related air pollution poses health risks, particularly in marginalized communities near highways and industrial areas. Pollutants like particulate matter and nitrogen oxides contribute to respiratory issues and cardiovascular diseases for us all. 

The transportation sector accounts for a substantial share of US emissions, with California's transportation responsible for 40% of the state's emissions. Airplanes, ships, and trains also contribute significantly to global emissions. 

Climate change disrupts transportation systems, challenging their ability to withstand extreme weather events like heatwaves, intense precipitation, and sea-level rise. 

Individual actions play a vital role in addressing these issues. Recognizing the link between transportation, climate change, and air pollution, and choosing eco-friendly options can help protect the environment and health.  

Solutions must address both personal choices and systemic changes to ensure a sustainable and equitable future. 

Guests David Reichmuth and Doug Brugge talk with Host Bernice Butler to explore and unpack how transportation affects our everyday air quality and the quality of our lives.

Episode 183: Trouble in the Air: How and Where Does our Air Quality Get Tainted and Corrupted

Today we delve into the pressing issue of air pollution, examining how the air we breathe is becoming increasingly contaminated and threatening our health and environment. Despite its importance, the quality of the air is often overlooked, with various sources of pollution contributing to its deterioration. 

We explore the escalating issue of air pollution, examining its diverse sources and far-reaching effects on health and the environment. A panel of experts, including scientists and researchers, sheds light on the complexities of pollution, emphasizing its link to public health. Various forms of pollution, such as industrial emissions, vehicle exhaust, wildfires, and agricultural practices, are explored. Gases like carbon dioxide and methane are highlighted for their role in climate change. Todays discussion underscores the significant impact of polluted air on respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological health across all age groups and regions. 

Despite the concerning situation, we highlight stories of resilience and innovation from global communities and individuals striving to combat pollution through technology and sustainable practices.  Everyone is encouraged to take action, presenting an opportunity for collective efforts toward a greener future.  Air quality is a vital element connecting humanity, and it must be preserved for a healthier world.

Episode 182: Intersection of Climate Change with the Food we Eat & Food we don’t eat; Intersection of Diet and Environment

In our daily lives, we often overlook the significant impact our food choices have on our health and the environment. The relationship between what we eat and our surroundings is profound, influencing climate change, resource consumption, and overall environmental well-being. Understanding this connection empowers us to make informed decisions that positively affect our health and the world around us.

Our environment plays a pivotal role in determining the foods available to us, based on factors like climate, geography, and agricultural practices. Climate change, primarily caused by human activities, is exacerbated by our current food system, leading to greenhouse gas emissions and environmental degradation. Choosing more plant-based foods, sourced locally and seasonally, can help reduce our carbon footprint and mitigate the impact of our food choices on climate change.

The food industry's impact on the environment also influences consumer choices, with intensive animal agriculture contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. Our environment's influence on food choices also affects our health, with diets high in processed and calorie-dense foods associated with obesity and chronic diseases.

Host Bernice Butler explores and unpacks this with guests, Paul Behrens and Joy Youwakim who help us understand what we can do to help drive solutions.

Episode 181: Food Production, Agriculture & Land Use: How it affects Environmental Quality & Health

This Show explores the intricate relationship between food production, agriculture, land use, and its profound impact on both the environment and our, human health. It shows the significance of understanding this connection to make informed choices for a healthier future.

Land use plays a critical role in shaping environmental quality and human well-being. It extends beyond soil and rocks; it forms the foundation of our existence. How we manage and utilize land has far-reaching consequences for the environment and our personal health. By comprehending this relationship, we can empower ourselves to make informed decisions that promote a sustainable future.

One of the main areas where land use has a direct impact is agriculture. As the primary human activity for food production, agriculture involves crop cultivation, livestock raising, and other practices.

Agriculture significantly influences land use patterns, determining which areas are designated for farming and affecting the allocation of land for other purposes like urban development or conservation. Climate change is both impacted by and impacting agriculture.

Host Bernice Butler and Peter Lehner with Earth Justice and Cristine Morgan with the Soil Health Institute delve into the complex web of interactions between food production, agriculture, land use, climate change, and human health. Understanding this connection is vital for making sustainable choices that benefit both the environment and our well-being. By adopting responsible agricultural practices and considering the impact of land use on climate, we can pave the way towards a healthier and more resilient future.

Episode 180: Food Production: Intersection of Environment and Economics

Food production is inseparable from the environment and vital for survival. While the food system has successfully met population growth and reduced prices, there are significant trade-offs. The global food system imposes high environmental and health costs, including emissions, pollution, biodiversity loss, foodborne diseases, and malnutrition.

The value of global agricultural production is over $5 trillion, but the food system generates 2 to 5 times more value through activities like transforming and delivering food. Developed countries like the US and UK rely minimally on agriculture for food system value. Developing countries estimate the global food system value at $8 trillion.

Calculating environmental and health costs is complex, but conservatively estimated at $6 trillion. These costs include malnutrition, food loss, safety, land degradation, and emissions. The public bears increasing healthcare costs, while future generations face resource depletion and a hostile climate.

Fortunately, existing technologies and practices can make agriculture and the food system more environmentally friendly. The food and agriculture sector, primarily privately owned, comprises farms, restaurants, and manufacturing facilities. It relies on water, transportation, energy, and chemicals.

These numbers should motivate action. Implementing climate-smart practices can create a resilient and sustainable food system. By addressing challenges, we benefit present and future generations.

Join Host Bernice Butler as she talks with Sean Cash and Doug Petry about the intersection of environment and economics In our food production activities

Episode 179: Food Production, Agriculture and Land use – Food Production: Challenges to Environment & Health

In today's interview, we explore the world of food production, agriculture, and land use, with a focus on their environmental and health impacts.

Throughout history, wild habitats have given way to agricultural land, which now accounts for half of the world's habitable land. This shift has led to a reduction in wilderness, posing a threat to biodiversity. Agriculture plays a crucial role in feeding our growing population, but it also has significant consequences.

Food production has a profound impact on the environment. It contributes to water use and pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, depletion of natural resources, and soil erosion. Industrial agriculture, in particular, harms the environment through air, soil, and water pollution. Livestock operations alone are responsible for 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Pesticides and other toxins used in food production not only harm the environment but also pose health risks, including cancer and neurological disorders.

The health impacts of food production are substantial as well. The use of pesticides and overuse of antibiotics in animal agriculture can lead to serious health problems, including antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

With the global population projected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, ensuring access to safe and nutritious food becomes increasingly challenging. Food production will need to increase by over 50% to meet demand.

Understanding our complex food system is crucial. Each of us has a role to play in this system, and our choices impact its functioning.

Join Host Bernice Butler as she talks with Judith McGeary and Kurt Rosentrater about Environmental and Health Impacts of Modern Food Production.

Episode 178: Food Production, Agriculture & Land Use - Agriculture, the Good, the Bad, the Ugly and the Hopeful

Although fundamental to our lives, food production and agriculture often go unnoticed in our daily conversations. It's time to shed light on the intricate processes and decisions involved in bringing food from the farm to our plates. Understanding why these topics matter to each of us is essential.

Food production, agriculture, and land use have far-reaching consequences for our well-being and the ecosystems we rely on. In this episode, we delve into these critical topics to explore their complexities and discuss the hope for a more sustainable future.

While agricultural advancements have increased crop yields and meat production, they have also caused ecological and environmental damage. Issues such as global warming, aquifer depletion, deforestation, and antibiotic resistance demand our attention. Our choices in food production and land use have a direct impact on our health and the planet.

Sid Miller, Commissioner of the Texas Department of Agriculture talks with Host Bernice Butler and helps us explore and understand all this a lot more.

Episode 177: Increasing Effects of Environmental Toxins on Human Health: Top Health Concerns Today & A Closer Look at the Intersection with Cancers

Today we delve into the critical issue of environmental toxins and their effects on human health. We have the privilege of speaking with a distinguished scientist and a renowned doctor, both experts in their respective fields. Together, we aim to shed light on the increasing concerns surrounding environmental toxins and the profound implications they have for individuals and society as a whole.

In our modern world, the escalating effects of environmental toxins have become a cause for alarm, these toxins pervade the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we consume, and even the everyday items we utilize. Among them are cancer-causing chemicals and endocrine disruptors that wreak havoc on our health by disturbing delicate biological systems designed to maintain our well-being.

One well-known example of such toxicity is lead, with people being generally aware of potential sources like old paint and outdated plumbing systems. However, there are other hidden culprits we must be mindful of, particularly endocrine disruptors. Today Megan Liu and Joe Pizzorno help us explore and understand this more.

Episode 176: Chemicals, Hazardous & Toxic Substances – Effects on Environment of Toxic Substances we Use and put into It

The impact of toxic substances on our health and the environment is a critical issue that often goes unnoticed in our fast-paced lives. It's time to shed light on the profound effects of these substances and the importance of understanding their risks. From radon in basements to lead in drinking water, and exhaust from cars to chemicals released from landfills, toxic substances can have detrimental effects on our well-being. By raising awareness and taking steps to reduce our exposure, we can mitigate the harmful health effects and protect our environment.

The rapid progress of technology and modern living has brought numerous benefits to society, but it has also resulted in a significant environmental cost. Our daily routines, from morning to night, involve the use and disposal of various products that often contain toxic components. These substances, found in cleaning supplies, pesticides, plastics, and more, may seem harmless, but they can disrupt the delicate balance of nature when released into the environment.

Toxic substances, by definition, are chemicals that can harm living organisms and ecosystems. The impact ranges from killing organisms in water bodies and decimating plant and animal life in contaminated areas to causing reproductive complications and impairing the overall survival of ecosystems

Episode 175: Celebrating World Environment Day: An Interview with the United Nations Environment Programme

Today we have the privilege of exploring and unpacking the significance in our everyday lives of World Environment Day. Developed and fostered by the United Nations and their United Nations Environment Programme, World Environment Day addresses how the state of our environment directly impacts our lives and the lives of future generations; it shows individuals how they can contribute to the broader global efforts to address pressing environmental challenges and be a part of a collective movement towards positive change and inspire others to take action.

With over 50 years of rich legacy, UNEP has played a pivotal role in promoting sustainable development and protecting our planet's natural resources. In this exclusive interview, we will explore their core mission, their efforts to safeguard the environment, and the significance of World Environment Day in their agenda.

Throughout its existence, UNEP has been at the forefront of addressing climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and other critical environmental issues. From pioneering landmark agreements like the Montreal Protocol to driving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, UNEP continues to shape the global environmental agenda.

World Environment Day serves as a platform for UNEP to foster dialogue, engage stakeholders, and mobilize action. Each year, the celebration revolves around a central theme that highlights an urgent environmental concern. This thematic approach empowers individuals and communities to make a tangible impact.

Our guests today to help us understand this more are Mara Carrea and Dan Cooney with the United Nations Environment Programme and our guest co-host is Trammell S. Crow, founder of Earthx.

Our Pulse of the Community segment explores Clean Air Action Day.  The North Texas region is in nonattainment status for ozone, and  although attention should be paid to air quality all year, summer is the height of ozone season, when temperatures typically soar

North Texans are encouraged  to start taking steps to ensure better air quality by choosing clean air strategies that work for each individual. The North Texas Council of Governments promotes Clean Air Action Day to bring attention to this issue. North Texans are encouraged to maintain their Clean Air Action Day commitment made on June 2 throughout all of ozone season, which ends Nov. 30.

Episode 174: Cities, Built Environment , Infrastructure and Nature: Infrastructure : How it affects the Health of the Environment and Our Health

The United States is grappling with the issue of outdated and aging infrastructure, which poses a challenge for cities across the country. Infrastructure, which encompasses various elements such as roads, bridges, buildings, water, parks and energy, serves as the foundation that enables society to function effectively. It plays a crucial role in powering businesses, connecting workers to their jobs, and protecting the nation from the effects of climate change.

Reports from organizations like the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) warn of an infrastructure crisis in the United States, with 25% of critical infrastructure at risk of failure due to flooding. The New York Times has identified urgent vulnerabilities in various areas, including deteriorating rail tunnels, earthquake-prone schools in Puerto Rico, closed rural bridges, water crises, climate change impact on dams, and levee failures.

Addressing the issue of aging infrastructure is crucial for the United States to ensure the continued functioning of society and support economic growth. It requires investments in environmentally responsible and equitable infrastructure projects, along with measures to mitigate the health risks associated with failing systems. Despite ongoing efforts, the impact of climate change remains a significant obstacle that must be addressed in order to build a sustainable and resilient infrastructure for the future.

Jose Aguayo with the Center For Environmental Health, Mikel Wilkins with TBG Partners, Architectural & Engineer and Garret Boone, entrepreneur, environmentalist and conservationist and City of Dallas first Greening Czar – talk with Host Bernice Butler to explore and unpack how Infrastructure impacts our environmental health and our human health.

Episode 173: Cities, Built Environment, Infrastructure & Nature - Trees, Tree Canopies, Urban Nature Spaces vs Houses, Roads & Farms

Amidst the hustle and bustle of our modern lives, it is essential to pause and appreciate the vital role nature plays in our overall well-being. One element of nature that often goes unnoticed but holds tremendous significance is the tree canopy. Stretching overhead like an intricate living tapestry, the tree canopy provides numerous benefits, from environmental sustainability to mental and physical health improvements. And, tree canopies also make up Forests, which are an important part of any city, given that they provide several environmental benefits.

Urban nature in all its forms — urban forests, parks, and greenbelts — provides a range of benefits and services to society, most of which are not readily bought and sold. Economists have tried to calculate the “use value” of nature and its environments, but it presents a complex economic puzzle as to how we can estimate values for the many indirect, intangible services and functions that urban nature provides, such as beauty, green infrastructure functions, and psychological benefits.

The allure of nature spaces is undeniable. They offer a sanctuary where one can escape the cacophony of urban living and reconnect with the natural world. However, the encroachment of human development threatens to disrupt this delicate balance. Houses, roads, and farms have become ubiquitous features of our landscapes, often replacing the once-lush green spaces that harbored diverse ecosystems. But even in the midst of these structures, trees and tree canopies continue to exert their influence, reminding us of the coexistence between nature and human civilization.

While houses, roads, and farms serve essential functions in our daily lives, they often lack the harmonious connection with nature that trees and tree canopies effortlessly provide. Houses, with their solid walls and confined spaces, can sometimes feel isolated.

In today’s show, we delve into the captivating world of trees, forests, nature spaces and the stark contrast they create with man-made structures such as houses, roads and farms.

Host Bernice Butler talks with Rob McDonald, lead Scientist with the Nature Conservancy and Melanie Askay with Dane County Climate Action to explore and unpack some of this.

Episode 172: Indoor Environment: How it gets that Way & How it Affects your Health & Wellbeing

The indoor environment plays a crucial role in our health and well-being, but many of us are unaware of the factors that affect its quality and how they can impact us. Understanding these factors is essential for leading a healthier and happier life. Today, we will focus on the various elements that influence indoor air quality.

Indoor environments have a significant impact on our health, productivity, and overall well-being. Exposure to indoor air pollutants, toxins, and microbes can increase the risk of various diseases. Additionally, interactions among people in homes, workplaces, transportation, and other indoor spaces contribute to these risks. Recently, there has been a shift towards emphasizing prevention and recognizing the importance of the built environment to our health.

As people spend more time indoors, the potential health effects resulting from indoor exposures increase. Climate change also has the potential to affect the indoor environment, as the conditions inside buildings are influenced by the conditions outside.

Host Bernice Butler unpacks why we must care about the indoor environment part of our built environment with environmental physicians, Stephanie McCarter and Michael Bauerschmidt and Parsons School of Design professor Alison Mears.

Episode 171: Healthy Cities, Healthy People Intersection with Built Environment: Effects on Natural Environment – Wildlife and Climate Change

The built environment refers to all the human-made physical spaces that we inhabit, such as our homes, workplaces, and recreational areas. It has a significant impact on our health, as it influences land use, waste disposal, and natural resource consumption. The built environment includes buildings, public spaces, utilities, roads, and other infrastructure, all of which can expose us to pollutants and limit access to physical activity, transportation, and social interactions, affecting our well-being.

In the US, the built environment accounts for 68% of electricity consumption, 35% of greenhouse gas emissions, and 12% of potable water usage, producing 136 million tons of construction and demolition waste annually. Poorly designed built environments can contribute to chronic diseases and cancer, affecting our health outcomes.

The way our communities are planned, designed, and built has a significant influence on our health and longevity. The environment plays a crucial role in disease dynamics and determines the health of individuals. The built environment can contribute to preventing and containing both chronic and infectious diseases, both directly, such as through environmental quality, and indirectly, such as through influencing behaviors that impact disease transmission and health.

By adopting sustainable and conservation-focused approaches, we can reduce the negative impacts of the built environment on natural systems and promote healthier and more sustainable living environments for all.

Host Bernice Butler talks with Susannah Lerman of the USDA Forest Service and William Moomaw of Tufts University, to explore and understand how our Cities and Built Environment are affecting our health and wellbeing and that of our environment.

Episode 170: Earth Day Month: How Individuals are taking Action to Move things Forward For the Planet

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if we celebrated Earth Day every day? What if we made small changes in our daily lives to protect and preserve our planet?

Earth Day is celebrated every year on April 22nd, and it serves as a reminder to us all to take care of our planet. However, this year, let's take it a step further and make Earth Day every day.

We all talk about the importance of protecting our planet, but are we actually doing anything about it? It's time to take action and make changes in our daily lives to protect our environment. By making small changes, we can make a big impact. Let's invest in our planet by making Earth Day every day.

As the world becomes increasingly aware of the environmental challenges we face, more and more individuals are taking action to help move things forward for the planet. From small lifestyle changes to large-scale initiatives, people around the world are stepping up to make a difference.

Climate change and its devastating effects have become a crucial topic worldwide. The planet is in danger, and it’s up to us to take action to save it. Many individuals are making a conscious effort to reduce their carbon footprint and contribute to a sustainable future. But how much are people investing in their own actions to save the planet?

Many people have just come off of a month of celebrations, challenges and other ways of being intentional about honoring our planet earth.

Host Bernice Butler talks to some of these folks today. Becca and Luke McGraw and Brandon Schauer help us explore and unpack how individuals are moving the needle forward.

Episode 169: Earth Day; Investing in Our Planet–How does Investing in our Planet look To and For Future Generations

Investing in the planet today means ensuring a better future for future generations. This investment includes transitioning to renewable energy sources, reducing waste and recycling, protecting biodiversity, investing in sustainable agriculture, and investing in environmental education.

The U.S. Congress has passed landmark bills to curb carbon emissions and accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy, providing an opportunity to make big, bold moves for the planet and our future. If we continue along our current path, severe climate disruption, conflict, drought, and hunger worldwide will occur. However, the new funding will allow the U.S. to achieve emissions cuts of 40% by 2035, promising a better future for generations to come.

In this Show, Host Bernice Butler talks with Grace Doleshel, a youth activist campaign Director with the Our Climate organization, and with Lauren Casey with Climate Central to delve into How does Investing in Our Planet Look to and for our Future Generations.

Episode 168: Earth  Month: Investing in Our Planet– How does this look Environmentally?

Our planet is facing a lot of environmental challenges, from climate change to pollution to deforestation. And it's up to us to take care of it. But how much do we need to invest to ensure a healthy environment for future generations? Well, it's not a straightforward answer. It depends on various factors, like the severity of environmental issues, economic development, and political will. But some estimates suggest it could be in the trillions of dollars.

 One of the biggest environmental challenges we face is climate change. We need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45% by 2030 and reach net-zero emissions by 2050 to limit global warming to 1.5°C. To achieve this target, we need to invest in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and low-carbon technologies. The world needs to invest $3 trillion per year in clean energy by 2030 to reach this target.

 Deforestation is another environmental challenge that contributes to climate change and biodiversity loss. To address this issue, we need to invest $100 billion per year to promote sustainable forest management. This investment would help protect forests, which are essential for regulating the Earth's climate, supporting biodiversity, and providing important ecosystem services.

Pollution is another significant environmental challenge. Air pollution causes 7 million premature deaths each year and costs $5 trillion per year. To address this issue, we need to invest in clean transportation, renewable energy, and low-emission technologies.

Investing in our planet will require the collective effort, but the benefits are significant, including improved public health, economic growth, and a more sustainable future for all. Investing in renewable energy, reducing waste and increasing recycling efforts, and supporting sustainable businesses are all great ways to invest in our planet.

Host Bernice Butler will unpack and explore this with co-host Trammell Crow and guests Becca Benner with The Nature Conservancy and Roger Mort with PACT, Packaging Manufacturing.

Episode 167: Earth Day: Investing in our Planet–What does investing in the planet look like Economically; What is the Business case for Investing in the Economy

Investing in our planet has become increasingly important in recent years as the effects of climate change and environmental degradation become more apparent. But what does investing in our planet look like economically? How can it benefit the economy as well as the environment?

Investing in the planet involves making economic decisions that prioritize environmental sustainability and social responsibility.

Investing in our planet can result in long-term economic growth. Investment in renewable energy, clean transportation, green infrastructure and sustainable agriculture all have positive economic benefits, such as reduced fuel costs and improved crop yields. Investing in our planet can bring numerous economic benefits, and there are many ways to support the environment while also generating economic growth. For individuals, perhaps the greatest economic impact of investing in our planet, arguably is our health, or better health outcomes. Investing in our planet provides immense health benefits due to improved air quality, access to safer drinking water sources and better sanitation. Many of these benefits are reflected positively within local health indicators such as infant mortality rates & public confidence towards healthcare.

Digging into this with Host Bernice Butler, are a well-rounded group with Dallas green Businessman, Trammell Crow, Nicole Hunter and Jim Massey.

Episode 166 - How can Earths Primary Investor ( the Human Population) Best help the Planet

April has now become synonymous with Earth Day = the entire month not just the day of Earth Day – which is always April 22 – It officially marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement started in 1970. Though is not an official, federally recognized Holiday, it is a federally- responsive movement = was instigated by the people, from the ground up = and most environmental accomplishments today still are ultimately - and after a very long slog still instigated by one or some groups of committed citizens – and we should all thank them, as a part of our Earth Day celebrations activities.

This Earth Day month, 2023, we want to dig into it’s significance. The theme of Earth Day 2023 is again - Invest in our Planet, and it’s an important reminder that we all have a responsibility to protect our planet. Investing in our planet means taking action to reduce our impact on the environment and ensure that future generations can enjoy the same resources we have today. By taking small actions every day, we can make a big difference in the health and well-being of our planet.

Today,we have some of the folks from some of our most accomplished and impactful organizations in in the country in Environmental protection advocacy. They are all nonprofit organizations that operate independently of any government, or NGOs. They care deeply and act intentionally on behalf of our Planet Earth – so who better to help us explore and understand this some more.

Episode 165 - Oceans & Waters: Groundwater Pollution and Water Conservation

Clean water is essential for our health and protection of the environment.

We have talked about Oceans/Urban waterways, now we want to talk about those in between waters -that all of us come into contact with constantly all day, everyday. Groundwater and tap-water, or public water supply.

Clean, fresh water is a limited resource. With all the severe droughts happening in the world, the limited supply of fresh water is becoming one of our most precious resources. Every person on earth needs water to survive. Without it, many would get sick and even result in death.

While almost 70% of the Earth is made up of water, many parts of the world suffer from clean water shortage. Conserving water is important because it keeps water pure and clean while protecting the environment. Conserving water means using our water supply wisely and be responsible

Groundwater pollution and water conservation are two important issues that are interconnected with our clean water – or lack thereof.

Groundwater is a critically important natural resource that is a key component of our clean water system. Groundwater is often cheaper, more convenient and less vulnerable to pollution than surface water. Therefore, it is commonly used for public water supplies. It provides drinking water for an estimated two billion people and is used across the world for numerous activities such as growing food, industrial processes, and energy production. Unfortunately, it has come under increasing threat from pollution due to human activity.

In today’s show we will discuss why we should be concerned about groundwater pollution and its big sister, water conservation.

Episode 164 - Oceans & Waters: Urban Waters and Waterways -More important now than ever

Cities share one key characteristic: they're full of people, buildings and businesses. Because everyone shares the same relative space, air and water, environmental impacts are concentrated in smaller areas, including waterways.

Urban waters and urban waterways are some of the most important elements of any city or urban environment. Without these freshwater resources, cities would be unable to sustain growth. As the world's population continues to grow, urban areas are becoming increasingly crowded and polluted – making it more important than ever to prioritize the protection of these natural resources. As well, urban waters and urban waterways are often overlooked when looking for ways to protect the environment.

So why are Urban Waters and Urban Waterways so important:

They help protect water quality by filtering pollutants and preventing them from entering larger waterways or drinking water sources. They preserve biodiversity because urban stream banks and wetlands provide a variety of habitats for species ranging from insects and fish to birds and mammals.

Water quality touches all of us every day: through the water we drink from the tap, shower and swim in, and use to water our plants and crops with. Your local water utility serves a key role – treating wastewater and drinking water – but ensuring access to clean waters and the land surrounding them starts with us – all of us!

Episode 163 - 2022 The Lancet Countdown Report on Health & Climate Change

This Report is something that in and of itself is so very important to how we navigate our everyday lives in their era of Climate Change repercussions, both now and in the near future – it is at the very heart and essence of Healthy Living Healthy Planet radio & our mission to help you explore and understand the unbreakable relationship between your health and the health of the planet – and unpacking and exploring it helps us meet our goal of being responsible explainers in chief.

This report is the most respected of Health and Climate Change impact analysis - and like the holy grail of evidence-based science and research connecting these 2 existential components of our lives and our world. It brings together 35 academic institutions and UN agencies from every continent, and structures its work across key sections of activities.

It is a report that is annually awaited by the world – our governments all over the world, leaders, decision makers, business and policy makers and we think it is vital to make sure it is known about and brought to our audience of ordinary folks in their every day lives.

The Lancet Countdown is a report that unapologetically analyzes the impact of climate change on human health. This annual report provides a global overview of how climate change is affecting various aspects of our lives and offers recommendations for policymakers and communities to mitigate its effects.

On todays show, Laalitha Surapneni and Naomi Beyeler discuss what the Lancet Countdown Report 2022 is and why people should care about it.

Episode 162 - The Problem with our Oceans & Water-borne Health Impacts

Our oceans, plentiful and majestic as they appear, are under grave threat from human activities. From plastic pollution to algal blooms, our oceanic environments are suffering from a variety of environmental and health challenges. Our actions in regards to the ocean can have profound impacts on human health directly and indirectly. It is becoming increasingly clear that changes in the climate, resulting from global warming, are having a detrimental effect on our oceans and its inhabitants.

The ocean is integral for sustaining life on earth and it’s home to millions of species that live within it. Unfortunately, our activities have caused destruction and disruption of these habitats which has caused an imbalance in the delicate ecosystem of the ocean. As a result, human health has been affected both directly (contaminated seafood) and indirectly (with airborne toxins absorbed by plankton which enter food resources further up).

On this show we discuss the current state of our oceans and the problems that are arising due to human activity.

Episode 161 - Energy Production an Consumption: Why are we in an Energy Crisis ~ Environment & Health Impacts

The energy crisis is here! Demand for energy has been growing faster than supply and this has caused a rise in prices, plus increased use of non-renewable sources. It affects all of us, from individuals to businesses to governments. Population growth, climate change, technology advances and even political conflicts have added to the problem. Natural disasters like earthquakes can also disrupt production and affect our energy supplies. This crisis can be costly for everyone - people get hit with higher prices; companies face delays and higher costs; countries sometimes need to borrow money for fuel imports due to limited stockpiles. Luckily there are steps being taken - people are investing more in renewable energy sources.

Fossil fuels, and other non-renewable energy sources, like coal, oil, and natural gas, release a lot of carbon dioxide when burned. This increases global warming, leading to more intense storms and rising sea levels. Plus, disasters like droughts happen more often. The destruction of forests from deforestation makes it even worse. These energy sources also cause health problems everywhere. Air pollution from burning them can lead to asthma, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, strokes, and even damage little ones’ brains.

Mark Jacobson and Rahul Srinivasan talk with Host Bernice Butler to help us unpack and understand this more as we look at the energy crisis on two fronts: our health and our environment

Episode 160 - Energy Production & Consumption-: Health Impacts of our current Fossil-fuel Dominated Economy

From the electricity that lights your home to the car you drive to work, modern life has relied on fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas (in 2019 est approx. 75%). But burning them not only creates climate change, it releases pollutants that lead to early death, heart attacks, respiratory disorders, stroke, exacerbation of asthma and absenteeism at school and work. The World Health Organization estimated that approximately 7 million premature deaths were associated with air pollution in 2012 alone.

As well, energy and environmental problems are closely related, since it is nearly impossible to produce, transport, or consume energy without significant environmental impact. The environmental problems directly related to energy production and consumption include air pollution, climate change, water pollution, thermal pollution, and solid waste disposal. The emission of air pollutants from fossil fuel combustion is the major cause of urban air pollution. Burning fossil fuels is also the main contributor to the emission of greenhouse gases. Diverse water pollution problems are associated with energy usage. One problem is oil spills. In all petroleum-handling operations, there is a finite probability of spilling oil either on the earth or in a body of water. Mining the Coal used to generate energy can also pollute water.

Dr. John Balbus and Professor Garvin Heath talk with Host Bernice Butler to help us unpack and explore this.

Episode 159 - Energy Production & Consumption- Where are we now on the Road to Becoming a Renewable Energy Society

We’ve all heard the latest news on renewable energy and how it can benefit our planet. But where exactly are we when it comes to transitioning towards a fully renewable energy society? Today, we’ll take a look at what progress has been made and what steps still need to be taken in order to make sure we develop a sustainable future.
Why should we care about how and when we’re transitioning to renewable energy? Renewable energies help reduce carbon emissions that contribute to climate change: Burning fossil fuels, such as coal and gasoline, emits harmful greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, which is a major contributor to global warming and climate change. Renewable energies do not emit such pollutants and so using them can help slow down climate change by reducing our dependence on fossil fuels – as well as help our health.

Just in these last couple of weeks, most of our country has been experiencing some of the ravages of climate change – in the extreme weather events that we saw with rain in California and ice, snow and cold weather here in Texas and across the mid-west and the east. In fact, just last week we saw the wind chill at the summit of New Hampshire’s Mount Washington dropped to minus-108 degrees, marking what meteorologists and climate scientists say probably is the lowest temperature recorded in the history of the United States.

The conversation around transitioning to 100% renewable energy is becoming more mainstream and it’s becoming increasingly important to understand the implications of this shift. Renewable energy offers key benefits to people everywhere, both in terms of economic, environmental and most importantly health impacts.

Renewable energy has been gaining ground as an alternative to traditional sources of energy because it is a cleaner, more sustainable option. But what are the health impacts of switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy? Overall switching to renewable energies instead of relying on traditional sources of energy has multiple direct and indirect implications for public health, prime among them is it reduces air pollution and respiratory issues.

Host Bernice Butler talks with Noah Long of the Natural Resources Defense Council and Tish Tablan with Generation 180 to unpack where we are in our transition to renewable energy as a society.

Episode 158 - Plastics & Plastic Pollution: How Plastics & Plastics Pollution is Impacting Our Health

Plastics are one of the most widely used materials, yet they can have a damaging impact on our environment and human health, according to recent studies.

Since 1950, about 7 billion tons of plastics have been produced worldwide, 9% and 12% of which have been recycled and incinerated, respectively. Human population increase and consistent demand for plastics and plastic products are responsible for continuous increase in the production of plastics, generation of plastic waste and its accompanied environmental pollution.

Another report calls it: Plastic Not-So-Fantastic: How the Versatile Material Harms the Environment and Human Health - From cell phones and computers to bicycle helmets and hospital IV bags, plastic has molded society in many ways that make life both easier and safer. But the synthetic material also has left harmful imprints on the environment and our human health.

We’ve likely never gone a day without seeing something made from plastic. So, I ask you now = look around you = how many items can you count made from plastic = isn’t that crazy?

In addition to the plastic we see in use every day, large pieces of plastic remain in landfills for hundreds of (even a thousand!)/ or even forever; tons of plastic waste flood into our oceans, devastating marine ecosystems; and plastic particles even make their way into the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat.

Yep, It’s inside our bodies? But we can control this.

Episode 157 - Plastics & Plastic Pollution – How & Why Plastic Pollution is a Climate Change issue

As we go about our daily lives and use and throw away many different kinds of plastics, we don’t know or think about how plastics and plastic pollution affect our environment and our health. Plastic fills our dumps, homes and oceans. Plastic debris is found absolutely everywhere, from the Arctic to Antarctica. It clogs street drains in our cities; it litters campgrounds and national parks.

The amount of plastic waste that is not recycled is a major environmental issue. Plastic pollution also has a direct impact on the environment because plastics do not break down naturally in the environment. This means that plastics can remain in the environment for hundreds of years building up, polluting land and water sources. Plastic pollution is especially damaging to marine life and its ecosystems because it can be ingested by animals .

Plastic pollution is on the rise and it has a direct impact on human health. In order to reduce plastic pollution and its impact on climate change, it is important to reduce the amount of plastic we use because getting rid of all this plastic also causes problems for the planet. Just 16% of plastics are recycled – the rest goes to landfill or incineration or is just dumped.

Guests Katherine Owens and Erin Simon talk with Host Bernice Butler to help unpack what we can do to help drive solutions.

Episode 156 - Plastics & Plastic Pollution – What’s so Bad about Plastics and Why Doesn’t Everybody know about it?

Consider the amount of plastic you put into the trash or recycling on a typical day. There's the lid to your coffee cup, and perhaps a bag from a newspaper. There's the wrapper from a granola bar, a yogurt container, a salad clamshell, and the plentiful packaging from inside a box that arrived in the mail.

Many of these plastic items are useful and convenient, but they also come with a high environmental cost. In 2021, global trash generation was approx. 400 million tons, with the U.S. generating approx. 51 million tons of it. That's approx. 300 pounds per person in a single year (and only 2.4 million tons recycled). By the time these disposable products are in your hands, they've already taken a toll on the planet: Plastics are mostly made from fossil fuels, in an energy-intensive process that emits greenhouse gases and creates often hazardous chemicals.

And then there's what happens when you throw them away. If you're like most people, you probably assume that when you toss plastic into the recycling bin it will be processed and turned into something new. The truth is that only a fraction of plastic is actually recycled. And if it's not recycled—and it's usually not—it is landfilled, incinerated, or littered.

Host Bernice Butler talks with Christina Dubin and Win Cowger, to explore and unpack what and how plastic and plastic pollution does to your health and to the environment as they discuss What’s so Bad about Plastics.

Episode 155 - The Road from COP 27 – Where do we Go From Here & Why Does it Matter?

About COP 27, ( the Conference of the Parties), President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi of Egypt

where it was held this past year, said, I deeply believe that COP27 is an opportunity to showcase unity against an existential threat that we can only overcome through concerted action and effective implementation.

The hosting of COP27 in the green city of Sharm El-Sheikh in November, marked the 30th anniversary of this United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. In the thirty years since, the world has come a long way in the fight against climate change and its negative impacts on our planet, and developed better tools to address its causes and consequences.

Thirty years and twenty-six COPs later, we now have a much clearer understanding of the extent of the potential climate crisis and what needs to be done to address it effectively. The science is there and clearly shows the urgency with which we must act regarding rapidly reducing emissions of greenhouse gases, taking necessary steps to assist those in need of support to adapt to the negative impacts of climate change, and finding the appropriate formula that would ensure the availability of requisite means of implementation, especially in the midst of the uninterrupted international crises we’ve experienced, including the ongoing food security crisis exacerbated by climate change, desertification and water scarcity.

Dr. Tess Wiskel, MD with Harvard C-CHANGE talks with Host Bernice Butler to explore what happened at COP 27 and what it means to ordinary people in their everyday lives.

Episode 154 - Waste & Waste Management – Toxic & E-waste

Simply defined, a hazardous waste is a waste with properties that make it dangerous or capable of having a harmful effect on human health or the environment. Hazardous waste is generated from many sources, ranging from industrial manufacturing process wastes to the batteries we use each day and may come in many forms, including liquids, solids gases, and sludges.

While e-waste is not technically defined as a hazardous waste,-because it can be reused and recycled - is it none the less hazardous. E-waste is one of the fastest-growing waste streams on the planet. Already, we produce something like 50 million tonnes of it each year. And that number’s only set to increase as electronics become more accessible worldwide.

E-waste, or electronic waste, encompasses electrical and electronic equipment that’s outdated, unwanted, or broken. That means everything from smartphones to end-of-life refrigerators. Basically, anything that runs on electricity that you’ve decided to get rid of.

Neil Peter-Michaud talks with Host Bernice Butler to unpack and uncover what this means to us in our everyday lives.

Episode 153 - Economics of Waste & Waste Mgt and Circular Economy

Waste is not only an environmental problem, but also an economic loss.

When resources are produced and used in ways that lead to their disposal as waste, the loss of those resources is an economic loss. When resources can be saved, reused, recovered or used more efficiently, there is a net economic gain.

Waste is part of the economy – it is a by-product of economic activity, by businesses, government and households. Large amounts of waste are generated minute by minute in our world - including: food and garden waste, construction and demolition waste, mining waste, industrial waste, sludge, old televisions, old cars, batteries, plastic bags, paper, sanitary waste, old clothes and old furniture… the list goes on.

The amount of waste we generate is closely linked to our consumption and production patterns. The sheer number of products entering the market poses yet another challenge. Demographic changes, like an increase in the number of one-person households, also affect the amount of waste we generate (e.g. packaging goods in smaller units).

Waste is also an input to economic activity – whether through material or energy recovery. The management of that waste1 has economic implications – for productivity, government expenditure, and, of course, the environment.

Host Bernice Butler and guests Stacy Savage, Jeremy Drake and Maggie Clarke explore the economic impacts of Waste and Waste Management and what it means to the environment and our daily lives.

Episode 152 - Waste & Waste Mgt: Environmental Intersection of our Consumption-based Culture & its Waste Generation

Virtually every resident, organization, and human activity in the U.S./the world generates some type of waste. Many different types of waste are generated, including municipal solid waste, hazardous waste, industrial non-hazardous waste, agricultural and animal waste, medical waste, radioactive waste, construction and demolition debris, extraction and mining waste, oil and gas production waste, fossil fuel combustion waste, and sewage sludge – and more including clothing waste.

Waste generation, in most cases, represents inefficient use of materials.

Once generated, wastes must be managed through reuse, recycling, storage, treatment, energy recovery, and/or disposal or other types of releases to the environment. Most municipal solid wastes and hazardous wastes are managed in land disposal units. For hazardous and industrial wastes, land disposal includes landfills, surface impoundments, land treatment, land farming, and underground injection.

Jamil Admad with the UN Environment Programme and Aditi Varshneya With the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives talk with Host Bernice Butler to help us better understand how our consumption patterns are driving waste and its management.

Episode 151 - Extreme Weather Events – Cold Snaps & Extreme Cold

While it does not affect as many people as its opposite, extreme heat does, extreme cold can be just as deadly, especially in areas that are not accustomed to cold weather.

As with extreme heat, extreme cold has a variable definition depending on the location and how accustomed the population is to those temperatures. For example, people who live in a temperate state such as Florida may find 50 degrees chilly or cold, while those who live in colder states such as Minnesota may find 50 degrees to be comfortable or even warm.

Many people would associate hypothermia as the threat associated with extreme cold. However, freezing temperatures can also pose challenges for infrastructure, including roads, electrical systems and water systems. It can cause infrastructure failures and hazardous traveling conditions.

Both unseasonable and extreme cold spells are caused when a Polar Vortex moves out of its usual path as a result of climate change. The wind can make cold temperatures feel even colder. The wind chill index measures what the temperature feels like on exposed skin based on the speed of the wind. A wind chill can cause your body to lose heat faster and your skin to freeze very quickly

Health risks of extreme cold = include windburn, frostbite & hypothermia among many others. A normal body temperature is approximately 99º. When your core body temperature drops by 1 or 2ºC (1.8 or 3.6ºF), or your body is exposed to severe cold it increases your risk of harmful effects.

Judah Cohen with MIT Parsons Lab and Verisk and John Walsh with the International Research Center at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks help Host Bernice Butler to explore and unpack these issues.

Episode 150 - Extreme Weather Events: Extreme Heat is causing more health impacts than any other weather condition.

Extreme heat can increase the risk of other types of disasters. Heat can exacerbate drought, and hot, dry conditions - that can in turn create wildfire conditions. Buildings, roads, and infrastructure absorb heat, leading to temperatures that can be 1 to 7 degrees F hotter in urban areas than outlying areas – a phenomenon known as the urban heat island effect. This impact is most intense during the day, but the slow release of heat from the infrastructure overnight can keep cities much hotter than surrounding areas. Rising temperatures across the country pose a threat to people, ecosystems, and the economy.

Exposure to excessive heat has wide ranging physiological impacts for all humans, often amplifying existing conditions and resulting in premature death and disability.

Extreme heat is one of the leading causes of weather-related deaths in the United States, killing an average of more than 600 people per year from 1999-2009, more than all other impacts (except hurricanes) combined. Heat stress occurs in humans when the body is unable to cool itself effectively. Normally, the body can cool itself through sweating, but when humidity is high, sweat will not evaporate as quickly, potentially leading to heat stroke. When there's no break from the heat at night, it can cause discomfort and lead to health problems, especially for groups that are particularly vulnerable to heat stress including older adults, infants and children, people with chronic health conditions and outdoor workers.

Hot days are also associated with increases in heat-related illnesses, including cardiovascular and respiratory complications and kidney disease.

Episode 149 - Extreme Weather Events: Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Storms & Floods

Extreme weather continues to swell like US coastlines during high tide. And with it comes the realization that the climate changes we were warned about are already here. For decades the core question in the public debate over global warming was: Will all these scientific projections come true? Now, Britain has had its hottest summer ever and New Zealand its third-warmest winter in a row. The Rhine, Danube, Yangtze, and Colorado rivers dried out, interrupting commerce and power generation. Heat records were smashed.

Weeks of catastrophic flooding submerged a third of Pakistan, killing more than 1,700 people and destroying 1.3 million homes. Scientists say flood infrastructure, public awareness campaigns, and satellite or drone monitoring may all be a part of improved disaster management—once the country can think about such things again.

If nothing else, Americans — who popularized climate change denial — are starting to believe their own eyes. Almost half of Americans now report they’ve seen global warming affect other people and 30% say they’ve experienced its effects personally. Research also shows that Americans believe most of their compatriots don’t support climate policies when the opposite is true. That implies regular Americans aren’t nearly as split over the need to take action as some politicians might have us believe.

Nevertheless, big-picture metrics suggest there’s still an enormous amount of work to do if we’re to avert the worst of the projections..

It’s sometimes said that climate change will cost rich countries money and poor countries lives. The science says we’ll all pay.

Episode 148 - Help us to explore and unpack the health and environmental impacts of Wildfires (Droughts & Winds).

In the early 2000s, a new field of climate-science research emerged that began to explore the human fingerprint on extreme weather, such as floods, heatwaves, droughts and storms.

Known as “extreme event attribution”, the field has gained momentum, not only in the science world, but also in the media and public imagination. These studies have the power to link the seemingly abstract concept of climate change with personal and tangible experiences of the weather.

Scientists have published more than 400 peer-reviewed studies looking at weather extremes around the world, from wildfires in the US and heatwaves in India and Pakistan to raising the risk of some types of extreme weather.

Together, forests, shrubland, and grassland cover more than half of the land area in the United States. These ecosystems are important resources, both environmentally and economically. Although wildfires occur naturally and play a long-term role in the health of these ecosystems, changing wildfire patterns threaten to upset the status quo. Multiple studies have found that climate change has already led to an increase in wildfire season length, wildfire frequency, and burned area. The wildfire season has lengthened in many areas due to factors including warmer springs, longer summer dry seasons, and drier soils and vegetation. Similarly, climate change threatens to increase the frequency, extent, and severity of fires through increased temperatures and drought as they affect the various and different areas of the US and the world. As well, wildfires now are adding substantially to the health impacts of our air pollution.

Daniel Swain at UCLA and Noah Diffenbaugh at Stanford talk with Host, Bernice Butler talk about how Wildfires can affect the health of us all – as well as the environment.

Episode 147 - Climate Change- Looking Forward: the most Promising + Emerging Climate Change Mitigation, ie What are We Doing About it?

The climate crisis is increasingly marching forward Fortunately, there are many things we can do to ensure our future is as prosperous as possible. These actions fall into one of two broad categories: climate change adaptation and climate change mitigation. These terms go hand-in-hand while navigating through the climate crisis, but they mean very different things.

Climate change mitigation means avoiding and reducing emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere to prevent the planet from warming to more extreme temperatures. Climate change adaptation means altering our behavior, systems, and—in some cases—ways of life to protect our families, our economies, and the environment in which we live from the impacts of climate change. The more we reduce emissions right now, the easier it will be to adapt to the changes we can no longer avoid.

Mitigation actions will take a while to affect rising temperatures, so we must adapt now to the change that is already upon us—and will continue to affect us in the foreseeable future.

Mitigation can mean using new technologies and renewable energies, making older equipment more energy efficient, or changing management practices or consumer behavior. It can be as complex as a plan for a new city, or as a simple as improvements to a cook stove design. Efforts underway around the world range from high-tech subway systems to bicycling paths and walkways.

Here today to talk with Host Bernice Butler are Sam Calisch with Rewiring America, Debbie Ley with the Energy and Natural Resources Unit of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, and Linda Rudolph with the Public Health Institute and the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health.

Episode 146 - The Politics of Climate Change and How it Affects our Economic Future

The success of the recently enacted climate change legislation shows how the politics of climate change have shifted profoundly since scientists began years ago, warning about how human-caused emissions would warm the planet. Whereas President Jimmy Carter once pushed clean energy as a matter of personal, moral responsibility, the new bill treats climate change as a pragmatic pocketbook matter of consumer rebates and corporate tax incentives.

Whereas climate change once seemed distant, it is now a constant presence in shaping weather patterns, the economy and daily life in much of the world, especially during the harsh summer months.

Above all, backers of the 730-page legislation dubbed the Inflation Reduction Act — although little in the bill deals with inflation — say it is overdue, coming decades after leading climatologist James Hansen testified in Congress and rang the alarm over global warming.

Now, with world leaders preparing to hold. COP 27 - their next major climate summit in Egypt in November, developing countries look to the United States for leadership even while criticizing it for the greenhouse gases it emitted over the last century.

A recent report conducted in April and May of this year which sampled a representative sample of the US population done by the Yale program on climate change communication and the George Mason Univ program on climate change communication-looking at how registered voters view our climate and energy policies - had some very interesting findings about what people say and what people do what they actually think.

Episode 145 - Climate Change, Asthma and Allergies – How is it Changing our Everyday lives and Health

The World Health Organization says Climate change is the single biggest health threat facing humanity, and health professionals worldwide are already responding to the health harms caused by this unfolding crisis.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has concluded that to avert catastrophic health impacts and prevent millions of climate change-related deaths, the world must limit temperature rise to 1.5°C.

Climate change is already impacting health in a myriad of ways, including by leading to death and illness from increasingly frequent extreme weather events, such as heatwaves, storms and floods, the disruption of food systems, increases in zoonoses and food-, water- and vector-borne diseases, and mental health issues.

Although it is unequivocal that climate change affects human health, it remains challenging to accurately estimate the scale and impact of many climate-sensitive health risks. However, scientific advances progressively allow us to attribute an increase in sickness and disease and mortality to human-induced warming, and more accurately determine the risks and scale of these health threats. What we do know is that climate change is a huge threat to respiratory health by directly causing or aggravating pre-existing respiratory diseases and increasing exposure to risk factors for respiratory diseases.

Host Bernice Butler talks with Dr Neha Pathak with WebMD and Jenna Riemenschneider with the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America to help explore and unpack how climate change is affecting our health.

Episode 144 - Climate Change: State of the Planet

Within the lifetime of anyone born at the start of the Baby Boom, the human population has tripled. In the 1960s, humans took about three-quarters of what the planet could regenerate annually. By 2016 this rose to 170 percent, meaning that the planet cannot keep up with human demand, and we are running the world down.

Humans have altered about 70 percent of Earth’s land surface and ocean. Wetlands have lost 85 percent of their natural area; the ocean’s large predatory fish are two-thirds gone; coral reefs have lost half their living mass. Agriculture has halved the weight of living vegetation on land, driving a diversity loss of 20 percent; 40 percent of extant plants are currently endangered. The world’s wild populations of birds, mammals, fishes, reptiles, and amphibians have declined by an average of nearly 70 percent in just the last 50 years, a breathtaking plummet. More than 700 species have gone extinct over the last 500 years, an extinction rate 15 times the natural rate. These disruptions and declines have caused the deterioration of soil, air, and water quality; pollination; carbon sequestration; and human health. Other things have increased: floods, fires, the number of malnourished people, plastic pollution, general, toxification and infectious epidemics.

Fossil fuels, which fuel many if not most of our climate change issues, presently enable most consumption; they're the source of 85 percent of commercial energy – and this must change.

Debora Ley with the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s 6th Assessment Report and Dana Nuccitelli with the Citizens Climate Lobby talk with Host Bernice Butler about our Current State of the Planets’ Climate Change.

Episode 143 - Climate Change Communications: What is Climate Change- How do we know it when we see It

The effects of human-caused climate change are happening now. There seems to be almost universal agreement among scientists that earth will continue to earm and the Effects will be profound.

Effects that scientists had long predicted would result from global climate change are now occurring, such as sea ice loss, accelerated sea level rise, and longer, more intense heat waves.

In fact, some changes (such as droughts, wildfires, and extreme rainfall) are even happening faster than scientists previously assessed. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) — the United Nations body established to assess the science related to climate change — modern humans have never before seen the observed changes in our global climate, and some of these changes are irreversible. But, if we can reduce emissions, we may avoid some of the worst effects.

Climate change, together with other natural and human-made health stressors, influences human health and disease in numerous ways. Some existing health threats will intensify and new health threats will emerge. Not everyone is equally at risk. Important considerations include age, economic resources, and location.

Climate change is not always easy to wrap your head around. It can seem distant, far away, or less urgent than many of the other challenges we face day to day. Especially today, as we face a global pandemic, it may not appear to be an immediate threat like COVID-19 or even monkeypox. However, the warming planet has impacts that are pervasive, immediate, and endanger our health and safety, and we cannot afford to wait any longer to act.

Episode 142 - Children experience 83% of the burden of our environmental issue impacts.

According to the World Health Organization, reducing environmental risks could prevent 1 in 4 child deaths. In 2012, 1.7 million deaths in children under five were attributable to the environment. These included 570 000 deaths from respiratory infections, 361 000 deaths from diarrhea, 270 000 deaths from neonatal conditions, 200 000 deaths from malaria and 200 000 deaths from unintentional injuries.

One example of what reduced risk can accomplish is - CONSEQUENCES OF REMOVAL OF LEAD FROM GASOLINE • 95% reduction in blood lead levels in US children • 95% reduction in incidence of lead poisoning • 2-5-point gain in population mean IQ • $200 billion annual economic benefit to US each year since 1980 through increased economic productivity of a generation of more intelligent children. • Aggregate benefit over the past 30 years of $3 trillion.

Environmental risks have an impact on the health and development of children, from conception through childhood and adolescence and also into adulthood. The environment determines a child’s future - early life exposures impact on adult health as fetal programming and early growth may be altered by environmental risk factors.

UNECF says, Climate change and environmental degradation undermine the rights of every child. Climate change is a direct threat to a child’s ability to survive, grow, and thrive.

Children experience 83% of the burden of our environmental issue impacts.

Episode 141 - The Economics of Environmental Justice & Impacts on Everyone’s Pocketbook

Locating polluting facilities in low-income neighborhoods and communities of color means that people with marginalized identities experience more asthma, a greater likelihood of heart attacks, even premature death. The disadvantages that come with these health issues, like missing school, create a cycle of poverty and lack of access to opportunity that spans generations and shapes every part of the experience of being a person of color or low-income person in the United States. And, as our society becomes more interconnected - this impacts of this situation are increasingly spreading to everyone - in unintended and un- thought-of ways - as the covid pandemic has and is clearly showing us.

The grassroots movement that placed environmental justice issues on the national stage around 1980 was soon followed up by research documenting the correlation between pollution and race and poverty

I n 1978, 31,000 gallons of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)—a highly dangerous chemical—were illegally dumped on behalf of the Ward Transformer Company across 14 counties in North Carolina. The state collected the contaminated soil and identified two landfill sites for the waste: a publicly owned landfill in Chatham County, and a recently foreclosed property in Warren County. The Warren County site had a shallow water table, making it unsuitable for a landfill. However, the site was privately owned and near a town with no mayor or city council. In contrast, the Chatham County site was publicly owned, giving local residents an opportunity to participate in the siting decision. Additionally, in 1980, Warren County was 60 percent black and 25 percent of its families were below the poverty line (and the area immediately near the site had even higher proportions of people of color), whereas the corresponding figures for Chatham County were only 27 percent and 6 percent. Ultimately, the state placed the landfill in Warren County. Protests over this decision drew widespread support from civil rights groups and gained national media attention = thus the environmental justice movement was born

Episode 140 - How & Why Environmental issues and their Health Impacts have over-burdened certain populations of our Society – and How & Why They’re coming or Us All.

Environmental factors such as air and water quality are fundamental determinants of our health and well-being. Environmental factors can lead to disease and health disparities when the places where people live, work, learn, and play are burdened by social inequities. These social inequities, often referred to as social determinants of health, include differences in individual behaviors, cultural influences, access to health services, economic status, and literacy levels.

Environmental health disparities exist when communities exposed to a combination of poor environmental quality and social inequities have more sickness and disease than wealthier, less polluted communities – says the NIEHS which has long worked to reduce environmental health disparities and promote environmental justice — which they define as = the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people in environmental laws and policies regardless of race, nationality, or income.

More than 12 million people around the world die every year because they live or work in unhealthy environments. Environmental pollutants can cause health problems like respiratory diseases, heart disease, and some types of cancer.2 People with low incomes are more likely to live in polluted areas and have unsafe drinking water. And children and pregnant women are at higher risk of health problems related to pollution.

Tracking environmental pollutants is key to figuring out where and how people are exposed. Laws and policies to reduce different types of pollution can also help prevent many serious health problems and deaths.

Environmental Justice guarantees that all people have equal access to a healthy, safe, and sustainable environment, as well as equal protection from environmental harm.

Cedric Taylor, Univ of Michigan and Stephanie Chambers, Trinity College in Hartford, talk with host, Bernic Butler to help us unpack and explore Environmental Justice: What it means to all of Us.

Episode 139 - Air Quality & Transportation -Renewable Energy & Electric Vehicles: State of their Impact on the Environment

The transition to an environmentally sustainable economy will take at least a generation, if not a bit longer. And at the end of the journey, we will not emerge with a pristine planet. The goal is to minimize the damage we humans inflict on the planet; because the damage will probably never be totally eliminated. There are too many of us and too little planet to eliminate destruction. We need to understand our impacts and reduce them as much as possible. Our principal goal should be to mitigate problems that are global in scale, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, virus transmission and invasive species.

A critical element of the transition is to reduce our use of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are expensive and environmentally destructive. In the United States, most of our use of fossil fuels is for transportation. 

Today, transportation accounts for almost 30% of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the United States.

The good news is that passenger vehicles in the U.S. are electrifying at an unprecedented rate.

The same society-altering shift is happening now with electric vehicles = that happened not long ago with smart cell phones. according to a Bloomberg analysis of adoption rates around the world.

Host Bernice Butler talks with Alice Grossman with TX Transportation Institute at A&M and Lori Bird of the World Resources Institute about Our Transition to Renewable Energy & Electric Vehicles – What is the State of their Impact on the Planet.

Episode 138 - Air Quality & Transportation - The Chronic Disease Toll of Air Pollution

Air pollution is a familiar environmental health hazard. We know what we’re looking at when brown haze settles over a city, exhaust billows across a busy highway, or a plume rises from a smokestack. Some air pollution is not seen, but its pungent smell alerts you.

It is a major threat to global health and prosperity. Air pollution, in all forms, is responsible for more than 7 million deaths each year globally, a number that has increased over the past two decades.

Air pollution is contamination of the indoor or outdoor environment by any chemical, physical or biological agent that changes the natural qualities or traits of the atmosphere.

There are many pollutants of major public health concern- both outdoor and indoor air pollution – that cause respiratory and other diseases and are important sources of disease and death..

WHO data show that almost all of the global population (99%) breathe air that exceeds WHO guideline limits and contains high levels of pollutants, with low- and middle-income countries suffering from the highest exposures.

What Is Air Pollution?

Air pollution is a mix of hazardous substances from both human-made and natural sources.

Vehicle emissions, fuel oils and natural gas to heat homes, by-products of manufacturing and power generation, particularly coal-fueled power plants, and fumes from chemical production are the primary sources of human-made air pollution.

Nature releases hazardous substances into the air, such as smoke from wildfires, which are often caused by people; ash and gases from volcanic eruptions; and gases, like methane, which are emitted from decomposing organic matter in soils.

Heather Adair-Rohani and Jason Sacks talk with host Bernice Butler to help us under and explore the disease toll and exposures from the air all around us – and help us understand what we can do to help drive solutions

Episode 137 - Air Quality & Transportation - Why our Transportation Impacts Climate Change so Much

The U.S. transportation sector is responsible for about a third of our country’s climate-damaging emissions. Cars aren’t the only vehicles that pollute — airplanes, ships and trains produce a large portion of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Yale Climate Connections asked: How can American society reconcile people’s seemingly boundless love affair with their vehicles with the need to reduce carbon emissions?

Mobility clearly is essential to economic growth, but in our carbon-based world moving people from place to place exacts a steep price. For many people, the journey to and from work are the bookends of the daily grind. But how we choose to travel to the office, or even to pop to the shops, is also one of the biggest day-to-day climate decisions we face.

In countries like the UK and the US, the transport sector is now responsible for emitting more greenhouse gases than any other, including electricity production and agriculture. Globally, transport accounts for around a quarter of CO2 emissions. And much of the world’s transport networks still remain focused around the car. Road vehicles – cars, trucks, buses and motorbikes – account for nearly three quarters of the greenhouse gas emissions that come from transport.

Dr, Alberto Ayala and Kelly Blynn talk with Host Bernice Butler about why and how our transportation impacts climate change so much and what we can do about it.

Episode 136 - Trouble in the Air - Current & Future Challenges with our Air Quality

According to the EPA, great progress has been made in achieving national air quality standards, which EPA originally established in 1971 and updates periodically based on the latest science. One sign of this progress is that visible air pollution is less frequent and widespread than it was in the 1970s.

However, air pollution can be harmful even when it is not visible. Newer scientific studies have shown that some pollutants can harm public health and welfare even at very low levels.

Today, pollution levels in many areas of the United States exceed national air quality standards for at least one of the six common pollutants. Looking at some of then-attainment status maps, about the only thing to be surmised that the areas have in common is that they seem to be mostly interior areas of the county.

Although levels of particle pollution and ground-level ozone pollution are substantially lower than in the past, levels are unhealthy in numerous areas of the country. Both pollutants are the result of emissions from diverse sources and travel long distances and across state lines.

According to the EDF:Around the world, nine out of 10 people breathe unhealthy air. Air pollution is now the biggest environmental risk for early death, responsible for more than 6 million premature deaths each year from heart attacks, strokes, diabetes and respiratory diseases.

That’s more than the deaths from AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined.

Chris Klaus with the North Central TX Council of Governments, Transportation dept. and Dr. Rima Habre with the University of Southern California join Host Bernice Butler to help explore and unpack what’s happening with the air all around us.

Episode 135 - Food Production, Agriculture and Land Use – Sustainable Agriculture – Profitable coexistence between Food production and Ag Pollution

From fertilizer runoff to methane emissions, large-scale industrial agriculture pollution takes a toll on the environment.

However, Agriculture is the world's largest industry. It employs more than one billion people and generates over $1.3 trillion dollars worth of food annually. Pasture and cropland occupy around 50 percent of the Earth’s habitable land and provide habitat and food for a multitude of species.

Agriculture—including how we grow, raise, transport, process, and even store food and nonfood crops and agriculture products—has a profound effect on the entire planet. Think of what it takes to feed, for example, the roughly 10 billion animals raised for food each year in the United States.

The monumental quantities of fertilizers and pesticides that go into those operations (and all the manure that comes out) are just a few examples of the pollution associated with agriculture.

Agricultural pollution is the contamination we release into the environment as a by-product of growing and raising livestock, food crops, animal feed, and biofuel crops.

For most of our history, humans were hunters and gatherers. We fished in the ocean, hunted on land, and collected wild-growing fruits, seeds, and plants. Modern agriculture was born just 12,000 years ago, and it transformed our way of life, giving us more consistent food supplies, allowing the growth of civilizations, and supporting an exponential boom in human population.

In the thousands of years since, agriculture has undergone tremendous growth, where humans have set aside more and more land to grow food. But many of the tools enabling this high-input, high-volume agriculture have also contributed massive amounts of agricultural pollution.

Dr. junjie Wu with the Dept of Agriculture at North Carolina State University and Max Kane with Farm Match talk with Host Bernice Butler to explore and unpack some of this.

Episode 134 - Cathy Day & Heather Carpenter on Impact of Climate Change on Foods we Eat and those we don’t Eat.

As dramatically as climate change stands to literally remap the planet, no effects will be more profound than those on our food system. Climate change is reshaping the life that once teemed in our oceans, and that billions of people rely on for sustenance; it’s complicating the growing conditions for everything from everyday lettuce to rarefied truffles; and it’s making the act of eating beef more indefensible with each passing year. Even if you’ve had the luxury of paying no mind to climate change, you will eventually taste it.

Climate change puts the food supplies at risk of people in developing and developed nations alike.

Why it matters: About 800 million people worldwide lack food. Many more have deficiencies in essential nutrients. 76% of the world’s population gets most of its daily nutrients from plants—yet climate change is already causing droughts and flooding that can destroy staple food crops. If extra CO2 in the atmosphere makes those crops less nutritious, it will be even harder to feed the world’s growing population – and we are already seeing climate migration or climate change refugees. Daily on the news we are hearing about how in many of the developed countries of the world immigration is a major and often divisive issue.

In most of the places where food is grown today, crop yields and nutrient content of our food are likely to be lower because of effects of climate change. Studies have shown that increased temperature and elevated CO2 levels can reduce the nutrient density of some staple crops

Cathy Day with the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition and Heather Carpenter with University of Portland, join Host Bernice Butler to explore and unpack what this means for ordinary people in their every day lives.

Episode 133 - Health & Environmental Impacts of our Food Production - Global Agriculture under pressure

By 2050 we’ll need to feed 2 billion more people. How can we do that without overwhelming the planet? And, perhaps overwhelming our pocketbooks as well.

Todays guest has written - The numbers of hungry people are rising again, with hunger concentrated in fragile, conflict-, and climate-affected regions where production and trade are disrupted. Concerns are growing that the environmental costs and health impacts associated with the prevailing model of agricultural production are unacceptably high. The spread of the global coronavirus pandemic in 2020 has revealed shocking vulnerabilities in food and agricultural systems at all levels.

Today, however, the convergence of multiple stresses— conflict, climate change, environmental degradation, changing diets, and a global health crisis—is challenging our model of productivity.

Countries around the world have enacted a wave of export curbs on food since the start of the Ukraine war,.On nearly every continent, nations have put new restrictions and bans on products ranging from wheat, corn and edible oils to beans, lentils and sugar. Lebanon has even banned the export of ice cream and beer. This and other issues are driving up global food demand.

Emmy Simmons, senior advisor to the Food Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, joins host Bernice Butler to help understand why we must care about this.

Episode 132 - The intersection of Food Production with Economics and Environment

Food, which is the primary purpose of agriculture is essential for all living organisms to survive and flourish, but for human beings, food transcends biological needs and has long been an integral part of social life and culture. Over the past century, the food system has done very well in producing enough food to outpace population growth and reducing the real price of food to make it more accessible. Indeed, Agriculture is an economic engine – it can help reduce poverty for 75% of the world's poor, who live in rural areas and work mainly in farming. It can raise incomes, improve food security and benefit the environment. But there are significant trade-offs, - for all of us - that have become more and more pressing everyday.

And yet, against this significant contribution to the global well-being, the global food system, as currently organized, is not doing well for its purposes. It imposes very high environmental and health costs ranging from greenhouse gas emissions, land degradation, water and air pollution, overdrawn aquifers, and biodiversity loss, to food borne diseases, growing anti-microbial resistance, persistent under- and malnourished children, and rising obesity.

So - what is the net verdict? Is the global food system adding or subtracting monetary value?

It is estimated that the value of global agricultural production at just over $5 trillion and it is estimated that the food system generates 2 to 5 times as much value as farm production itself.

Barry Goodwin and Julie Howard join Host Bernice Butler to explore the interactions of our Food Production system and what it means for ordinary people in their everyday lives.

Episode 131 - Health & Environmental Impacts of our Food Production, Agriculture and Land use-Current Issues & Challenges affecting How we get Heathy, Accessible Food while Protecting our Environment – that has to produce the food.

For much of human history, most of the world’s land was wilderness: forests, grasslands and shrubbery and dominated its landscapes that rolled on and on forever with nobody on them. But, the last few centuries, wild habitats have been squeezed out by turning it into agricultural land – which supports our food production system!

Agriculture is a major use of land. That is - the necessary growth of our world’s food sources, plants and animals and their cultivation in order to get to our tables, nourish our bodies and soothe our souls.

Half of the world’s habitable land is used for agriculture. - This leaves only 37% for forests; 11% as shrubs and grasslands; 1% as freshwater coverage; and the remaining 1% – a much smaller share than many suspect – is built-up urban area which includes cities, towns, villages, roads and other human infrastructure. The extensiveness of the agricultural use of our land has a major impact on the earth’s environment as it reduces wilderness and threatens diversity of all living things upon the earth – as it continues to sustain pressure for more production of food and meat. The global human population is expected to reach 9.7 billion people by the year 2050. As population continues to grow, we face increasing challenges to ensure that people will have access to safe, nutritious, and healthy food.

Ryan Nebekar with Food Print and Sara Garcia, With Univ California, Davis help host Bernice Butler unpack the health and Environmental impacts of our Food Production, Agriculture and Land use = that ‘s affecting how we get the food we need.

Episode 130 - Cancer on the rise: Intersection with Enviro Chemicals & toxic substances – Latest Research Discoveries

Since the 1970s, more than 87,000 chemicals have been approved for commercial use. Yet of those thousands of chemicals, only just over one thousand have been formally examined and graded for their hazardous/cancer-causing potential. Of those, five hundred have been found worthy of being graded on a cautiously worded scale ranging from “known” cancer-causing. The National Institutes of Health says - It is ideal to adopt the Precautionary Principle: until a chemical is found to be harmless, try to not use it. The precautionary principle means that you are maintaining awareness of what you are putting on and in your body and taking steps to avoid exposing yourself unnecessarily to toxins in your household and environment.

But what about the other 86,000 (give or take) chemicals that are being inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed into the skin in an unfathomable number of combinations? We simply cannot escape our exposure to man-made chemicals. But there is a lot we can do to moderate our exposures and to protect our health.

When you realize the extent to which we live within a chemical-laden environment, it can make you paranoid. It is likely that most environmental toxins will never be conclusively tied to cancer, but the list of those that have been is growing and we have no reason to believe it will not continue to grow as we become more adept at tracing chemicals and studying their effects on the human body over time,

Here to help us explore and understand this are practicing Physician and activist, Dr. Anne Epstein, MD., DeeAnn Saber, a Naturopathic Practitioner and Professor Lydia Jahl. Join in as they talk with host Bernice Butler about how to protect ourselves and our planet.

Episode 129: Intersection of Chemicals & Toxic Materials and Climate Change

If we say climate change, the first thing that pops into your heads is probably not the impact of toxic chemicals on the environment. Some people can probably name a chemical that contributes to climate change, whether that is carbon dioxide or methane. But what about many, many other chemicals that you are not as familiar with?

Yes, chemical contributions directly to climate change are important, but this interplay is not the only consequence of mixing chemicals and climate change/there’s a lot more going on. Climate change is altering how toxic chemicals impact our health and the health of the environment. What this means for us is that as the world warms, reducing our exposure to toxic chemicals becomes more & more important with each passing day.

Caring About Toxic Chemicals Can Help Minimize the Impact of Climate Change – and they do have significant effect on how climate change can impact you, me and the world. These impacts compound as more chemicals are produced or utilized. In 1970, the U.S. produced 50 million tons of synthetic chemicals.1In 1995, the number tripled to 150 million tons, and today, that number continues to increase.

Host Bernice Butler unpacks how Chemicals in our environment, toxic materials and climate change all interact and impact each other with Darya Minovi, Jacob Carter and Lynn Lafferty.

Episode 128: Chemicals, Hazardous & Toxic Substances – Increasing Effects of Toxins on our Health & Environment

Toxic substances/pollutants are materials contaminating the environment that cause death, disease and/or birth defects in the organisms that ingest or absorb them. The quantities and length of exposure necessary to cause these effects can vary widely.

Environmental toxins are cancer-causing chemicals and endocrine disruptors, both human-made and naturally occurring, that can harm our health by disrupting sensitive biological systems thus, messing- up the way the body was designed to work.

Lead toxicity is a well-known example. People are generally aware of potential sources of lead, such as old paint and old pipes.

But endocrine disruptors ( which again throw our body’s systems out of whack) and usually mimic estrogen = are found in many everyday products we use, including: some plastic bottles and containers; food can liners; detergents; flame retardants; toys; cosmetics; and pesticides.

Lara Adler a Holistic Health Coach, Dr. Susan Buchanan MD, clinical professor at the University of Chicago School of Public Heath and Tracy Woodruff with University of California at San Francisco explore and unpack how all of this is affecting us every day with Host Bernice Butler.

Episode 127 - Effects on Health & Environment of Chemicals, Hazardous & Toxic Wastes all around us that we Use & Put into It.

The old saying, "what you don't know can't hurt you," isn't always good advice. When it comes to toxic substances, WHAT YOU KNOW CAN HELP YOU. Some examples of what we didn’t know that dis hurt us are: Radon in basements, lead in drinking water, exhausts from cars and chemicals released from landfills are just a few examples of toxic substances that can hurt you. By understanding how, we can reduce our exposure to chemicals and reduce our risk of harmful health effects and harm to our environment.

On this show what we mean by toxic substances is a substance that can be poisonous or cause health effects and harm our environment and stop it from working as it is supposed to . People are generally concerned about harsh chemicals and spills that we hear about on TV. However, products that we use daily, such as household cleaners, prescription and over-the-counter drugs, gasoline, alcohol, pesticides, fuel oil and cosmetics, can also be toxic. Just about any chemical can be toxic or harmful.

Jenn Horney, who measures the health impacts of disasters and Emily rogers, a “Zero Out Toxics advocate talk with host Bernice Butler about what we do know that can help us!

Epi 126: Cities, Built Environments & Infrastructure: Trees and Spillover effects

Forests are an important part of any city, given that they provide several environmental benefits.

And, Urban nature in all its forms — urban forests, parks, and greenbelts — provides a range of benefits and services to society, most of which are not readily bought and sold. Trees in general provide a large number of environmental benefits that we directly experience by having trees planted throughout our city. Some of benefits we experience that are carried out by trees include: Removal of pollutants from the air, soil and water; Release of water vapor into the atmosphere which cools the surrounding areas, mitigating the urban heat island effect and Increased property values.

We also talk about the “spillover” that’s appears to be happening causing animal born diseases to spillover not our human population.

Episode 125: The Indoor Environment: How it Gets that way & How it Affects our Wellbeing

The quality of our indoor environments affects our health, well-being and productivity, and risks for many diseases are increased by indoor air pollutants, surface contamination with toxins and microbes, and contact among people at home, at work, in transportation, and in many other public and private indoor places.

Our current recognition of the importance of the built environment to health came when measurements of levels of specific pollutants were first made in indoor air and the major contributions of indoor exposures to total personal exposures to air pollution were recognized. This recognition was broadened by such dramatic problems as mobile homes that could not be occupied because of extremely high levels of formaldehyde from building materials, the finding of homes with radon levels as high as those in underground uranium mines, and the appearance of a new clinical syndrome, often referred to as “sick-building syndrome,” that has been linked to the building environment.

Dr Stephanie McCarter, M.D. with the Environmental Health Center Dallas and Simee Adhikari with Ring workspaces join host Bernice Butler to help us explore and unpack some of this.

Episode 124 - Healthy Cities, Healthy People Intersection with Built Environment & Climate Change

Our built environment includes all the human-made physical spaces around us. It defines the spaces in which we live, work, or play, and it affects us though associated land-use strategies, natural resource consumption, and patterns of waste disposal. These include our buildings, furnishings, open and public spaces, roads, utilities and other infrastructure. These structures and spaces affect our health by bringing pollutants into our environments. and by allowing or restricting access to physical activity, transportation and social interactions

Sacoby Wilson with the Univ. of Maryland School of Public Health discusses the Intersection of Healthy Cities and Healthy People and how physical spaces can expose people to Toxins or pollutants and influence lifestyles that contribute to diabetes, coronary vascular disease, and asthma. We recently saw this with the on set and the quick and wild spread of covid.

Episode 123 - Cities, Built Environment& Infrastructure: How Infrastructure affects Health of Environment & Our Health

How does Infrastructure affect the health of environment? Our health Infrastructure is the physical foundation. The facilities and structures of what our society needs to operate includes roads, highways, buildings, bridges, water, and energy. Cities around the United States are dealing with outdated and aging infrastructure. As a country, we all experience and know we must now invest in infrastructure for a better future and we must do so environmentally responsibly and equitably. We are seeing innovative investments and plans in support of safer, more reliable infrastructure networks. But climate change continues to chase our efforts. Guests Kate Newman, Word Wildlife Fund, Vice President, Sustainable Infrastructure and Public Sector Initiatives and Tony Robinson, President of Axis Building Consultants help dissect this hard hitting topic.

Episode 122 - Earth Day 2022 - Climate Change

Invest in our Planet, Invest in yourself or should we say, invest in your own health/healthcare as our health is inextricably linked to climate change. Yes, evidence over the past 20 years definitely indicates that climate change can be associated with adverse health outcomes. It is good to see the increasing numbers of increasingly loud doctors and other healthcare professions speaking out and trying to educate the public on these impacts. Many health professionals and their respective organizations believe that Climate change is the single biggest health threat facing humanity and they are already seeing and responding to the health harms caused by this unfolding crisis. Joining in on this discussion is Jeni Miller, Executive Director Global Climate & Health Alliance.

Episode 121 - Earth Day 2022 - State of the Air Report

This Episode continues our April discussion and it's theme, Earth Day 2022 - Investing in our planet, with our guest from the American Lung Association, Laura Kate Bender. We explore the importance of investing in our planet for better lung health and what we need to do and how we need to it and why we need to do so. How can we invest in our Planet in order to get the dividends of bbetter lung hhealth. Investments in aaddressing climate change and ensuring clean air for all are the key. The report says Invest in the transition to zero emission vehicles and heavy duty equipment. Invest in clean, non combustion renewable electricity. Set a national clean electricity standard that places health and equity at the forefront and defines “clean” as wind, solar, geothermal, and other renewable, non-combustion sources.

Episode 120 - Earth Day 2022 - Invest In Our Planet

April has become synonymous with Earth Day. The entire month, not just the day of Earth Day. The theme of Earth Day 2022 is Invest in our Planet. Here to discuss the best ways to invest in our planet is Michael Fletcher, CEO of Earth X. One of the most accomplished and impactful organizations in the country. Earth X I says it ss the worlds largest environmental experience with annual Earth Day Expo in Dallas and spanning the globe with their annual Earthx Film Festival.

Episode 119 - Electric Vehicle Transition – Intersection of Clean Energy Imperative

Last year’s failure of the Texas electric grid, which came just weeks after General Motors’ pledge to make only electric vehicles by 2035 –this highlights the daunting task the United States faces as it seriously begins moving toward weaning its economy off fossil fuels. While GM’s announcement is striking from a historical vantage point — the nation’s largest automaker choosing to jettison the internal combustion engine — the collapse of the Texas grid underscores how far the country has to go as it attempts to “electrify everything.” Helping us unpack and explore why EVs are coming , they are here to stay and wont go away, are Lori Clark and Rock Robinson.

Episode 118 - Earth Day 2022: Invest in the Planet

April has become synonymous with Earth Day. The entire month not just the day of Earth day.

The theme of Earth Day 2022 is Invest in our Planet. Here to discuss the best ways to invest in our planet are some folks from some of our most accomplished and impactful organizations in the country. They are all nonprofit organizations that operates independently of any government, or NGOs. And they care deeply and act intentionally on behalf of our Planet Earth.

Glenn Hurowitz, the founder and CEO of Mighty Earth. Kathleen Rogers, President of Earth Day Network and Patrice Simms of Earth Justice.

Episode 117 - Oceans & Waters: Groundwater Pollution & Conservation

We continue our Oceans/Urban waterways series with those in between waters that all of us come into contact with constantly all day, everyday. Groundwater and public utilities water.

Groundwater will normally look clear and clean because the ground naturally filters out particulate matter. However, human induced chemicals can be found in groundwater. Industrial discharges, urban activities, agriculture and disposal of waste all can affect groundwater quality.

Why do we need to save or conserve water?

Clean, fresh water is a limited resource. With all the severe droughts happening in the world, the limited supply of fresh water is becoming one of our most precious resources. Conserving water is important because it keeps water pure and clean while protecting the environment.

Many believe that our water supply infinite. However, our supply is quite the opposite. It is important that we must not pollute your water as many do not realize just how important and scarce water is. To dicuss this all-important topic is Helen Dulac of the Water Resources & Public Education Manager at North Texas Municipal Water Distric. David Cowan, the Watershed Manager for the North Texas Municipal Water District and Dr. Rosario Sanchez, a Senior Research Scientist at the Texas Water Resources Institute at Texas A&M.

Episode 116 - Urban Waters/Waterways

Urban waterways, also known as living streams or urban streams are waterways that pass through an urban area or receive stormwater runoff from an urbanized catchment. They play akey role in liveable cities by sustaining plants and animals, providing social and cultural connection and supporting economic development through tourism and agriculture.

The health of urban waterways is heavily influenced by urbanisation. Vegetation clearing, road and building construction and polluting activities all increase the frequency and volume of polluted stormwater flowing into waterways and significantly degrade their health.

Water quality touches all of us everyday through the water we drink, shower and swim in. The water we use to nourish our plants and crops with. But ensuring access to clean waters and the land surrounding them starts with us.

Why Should This Matter To You?

Jeff Odefey of American Rivers and Marc Yaggi of Water Keepers Alliance discuss an urban conundrum and the continuum of changes driven by demographic, economic, political, environmental, cultural, and social factors. The future liveability of cities is challenged by population growth and a changing climate that impacts on the environment that sustains us.

Episode 115 - The Problem With our Oceans

In this new series, we focus on the connection between the health of the ocean and the health of the planet. The oceans can affect our health in many ways. They contain many types of microscopic organisms, some of which produce toxins when conditions are right. Eating the contaminated seafood may cause serious illness. Harmful algal blooms are unsafe to touch or swallow, and they can produce airborne toxins that cause health problems when inhaled.

Lest we not forget to briefly mention the plastic pollution which the nexus of Oceans is usually central when looking at plastic pollution.

Anika Dzierlenga and Michelle Tigchelaar discuss the ocean and how changing the way we treat the home to the greatest diversity of major plant, animal, and microbial groups on earth oceans isn’t just about the creatures that live in them, it’s about the people who depend on the them.

Episode 114 - Energy: The State of our Clean/Renewable energy Transition

Fossil fuel production and combustion is a major driver of climate change and can also directly affect our health.

Why it Matters: From the electricity that lights your home to the car you drive to work, modern life has relied on fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas. But burning them has a major impact on climate change, air quality, and public health.

Dr. Gavin Dillingham and Emma Searson discuss the environmental and health impacts of fossil fuels and will the shift to renewable energy be a financial burden or financial boom.

Episode 113 - The Road From COP26

The climate summit in Glasgow saw the planet take major steps towards addressing the climate crisis but stumble attempting the giant leap needed to limit warming.

The two week conference brought together diplomats from nearly 200 nations to refine the details of the Paris Agreement, to keep alive the hope of limiting human caused global warming. to 1.5 degrees

Dr. Jonathan Harris discusses what we accomplished at COP 26 and what we did not.

Episode 112 - The Clean Energy Imperative

Host Bernice Butler talks with Dina Cappiello with the Rocky Mountain Institute and Luke Metzger with Environment Texas about why its necessary and how we move toward our inescapable future where clean and healthy energy sources reign.

They discuss how our energy sources—from the way that we heat, cool and power our homes and businesses, to how we travel—play an important role in air quality = because they have been dependent on the burning of fossil fuels!!! Burning fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas, gasoline and diesel = emits toxic air pollution, and releases greenhouse gases, which drive climate change.

They discuss how mericans still live with air that is unhealthy to breathe, and t what ordinary people in our everyday lives can do to help drive solutions.

Episode 111 - Hazardous Waste, Drug & Chemical Disposal

Hazardous, toxic waste is the potentially dangerous byproduct of a wide range of activities that are required for our everyday living - including manufacturing, farming, water treatment systems, construction, automotive garages, laboratories, hospitals, and other industries, and from many of the items we use all the time everyday.

Toxic waste can harm people, animals, and plants, whether it ends up in the ground, in streams, or even in the air. Some or wildlife often absorb these toxic substances when they eat fish or other prey.

William Diesslin with and Diana Aga are here with host, Bernice Butler to help us unpack and understand this some more.

Episode 110 - Industrial Waste & Electronic Waste – Ever Proliferating & Hidden in Plain Sight

With our obsession for more and more electronic gadgets, we are now discarding approx. 3 million tons of it annually. This added to the industrial wastes generated by everything from brewing and winemaking to a hospital visit – all these being things we like, want and need, our problem with waste generation and disposal grows and grows.

Bernice unpacks the environmental issues caused by Industrial and electronic waste (e-waste) and the associated health impacts with Jim Puckett with the Basel Action Network (ban.org) and Greeshma Godikota with Cornell University.

Jim discussed how toxic waste and toxic waste trade or exporting, affects pollution, the toxicity of our fragile ecosystems and exposes many to health hazards and how Basel Action Network is working to certify electronics recyclers.

Greeshma discusses how industrial companies and ordinary people in their everyday lives can help to reduce and minimize both industrial and electronic waste.

Episode 109 - Environmental Effects of our Consumption-based culture and its Waste Generation

Featuring Brian Roe from Ohio State University and Melissa Pflugh Prescott from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Brian Roe lists the different types of waste typically found in a landfill. Brian also shares the harmful effects of food waste, over consumption, and more.

Melissa Pflugh Prescott talks about food waste and how difficult cultures around the world view food in modern society. Melissa also explains how food waste is directly affecting climate change.

Bernice Butler, Brian, and Melissa discuss positive steps that listeners can take to help drive solutions.

Episode 108 - Forever Plastics and Challenges with Plastic Replacements

Features Dianna Cohen of the Plastic Pollution Coalition and Rainer Lohmann from the University of Rhode Island.

Rainer Lohmann defines forever plastics and explains the unintended consequences of chemicals that cannot break down.

Dianna Cohen talks about the Plastic Pollution Coalition and their efforts to move to closer a world free of plastic pollution.

Bernice, Rainer, and Dianna also review helpful, harmful, and misleading plastic alternatives to help listeners drive solutions in an informed way.

Episode 107 - Plastic Pollution: Effects or Our Waterways, Food Chain, and Waste System

Features Maria Westerbos from the Plastic Soup Foundation and Hans Peter from Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Maria Westerbos talks about the impetus of the Plastic Soup Foundation and defines the multiple layers and harrowing meaning of the term, “Plastic Soup”.

Hans Peter Arp explains nano-plastics and the surprising, unknown ways the COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to the plastic pollution crisis.

Bernice, Peter, and Maria also discuss unknown plastic chemicals, solutions, policy issues, and more.

Episode 106 - Plastic: Endocrine System, Hormones, and Reproductive Health

Features Michael Green from the Center for Environmental Health and Tracey Woodruff from the University of San Francisco.

Michael Green shares his passion for environmental advocacy and the CEH’s efforts to drive large companies towards solutions. Michael also explains how a lack of progress contributes to climate change.

Tracey Woodruff talks about harmful plastic chemicals such as “phthalates”, and their long term effects on our hormones, endocrine and reproductive systems.

Episode 105 - What is Plastic Pollution? How Did We Get Here?

Features Jim Puckett of the Basel Action Network.

Jim Puckett explains the severity of the plastic pollution crisis, its global and economic impact on the environment, toxic additives, and takeaways to help drive solutions.

Jim also talks about the Basel Action Network and it’s efforts towards a clean environment.

Episode 104 - Extreme Cold and Cold Snaps

Features Judah Cohen from Atmospheric and Environmental Research and Lyn McCright and Teresa Walding from Advanced Nurse Coaching.

Judah Cohen gives an overview of how to determine extreme cold and talks about the regional aspects of climate and weather related risks. Cohen also educates listeners on polar vortexes.

Lyn McCright and Teresa Walding discuss the heath aspects of extreme cold and how resiliency is important; both physically and mentally.

Episode 103 - Flooding, Hurricanes, and Storms

Features Shana Udvardy from the Union of Concerned Scientists and Laura Lightbody from The Pew Charitable Trusts.

Shana Udvardy helps to differentiate a hurricane from a heavy storm and explains each hurricane category. Shana also informs listeners on the progress from NOAH’s rainfall measuring, modeling, and ranking systems, and more.

Laura Lightbody talks about Pew’s Flood-Prepared Communities Initiative, discusses the regional affects of flood events, and enlightens listeners on how flooding has impacted all 50 states. Laura also shares many of the unknown impacts of downstream flooding.

Episode 102 - Wildfires and Drought

Features Jay Balagna, Jim Whittington, and Kristina Dahl.

Jay Balagna talks about the climate causes and effects of wildfires and how the impacts on rural and urban areas. Jay also shares his experiences with the California Wildfires.

Jim Whittington enlightens listeners on how often wildfires are human caused, weather conditions, as well as the difficulties for firefighters in regards to prevention and health.

Kristina Dahl breaks down the worldwide increase in wildfire intensity and drought. Kristy also explains how the changes in climate are causing larger, long-lasting fires.

Episode 101 - Extreme Weather Events and Extreme Heat

Features John Nielsen-Gammon, Jaime Madrigano, and Laurence Kalkstein.

John Nielsen-Gammon defines extreme heat from a meteorological perspective and explains underlying causes of extreme heat. John also discusses local solutions, like dedicated green spaces and more.

Jaime Madrigano talks about the broad public health impacts of extreme heat and how consistencies in extreme heat can be associated with cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, reproductive health, and more.

Laurence Kalkstein talks about the regional effects of extreme heat and the cause of other weather events, like flooding and drought. Laurence also explains the heat warning systems he’s developed in multiple cities.

John, Larry, Jaime, and host Bernice also get into a lively discussion about the “variability of climate”.

Episode 100 - The Road to COP26 + Climate Change from a Kids Perspective

In this special episode of Healthy Living Healthy Planet Radio, host Bernice Butler takes a deep dive into COP26.

This COP26 is the UN Climate Change Conference, taking place in Glasgow, Scotland. The summit will bring parties together to drive action towards the goals of combatting Climate Change, in accordance with the Paris Agreement.

All countries will come together to inspire climate action ahead of COP26 by a legally binding agreement and allocation of funds.

Later in broadcast, Bernice Butler speaks with her niece Natalya Lankford, a 7th grader who shares her view on climate change, greenhouse gases, and the potential consequences it can have on her future.

Episode 99 - Climate Change and our Health

Features Dr. Brita Lundberg of Climate Code Blue and GBPSR

Dr. Lundberg talks about the growing involvement in physician led organizations such as Physicians for Social Responsibility, specifically the Greater Boston Chapter.

Host Bernice Butler and Dr. Lundberg also discuss the five different ways climate change affects our health, including air pollution, vector borne diseases, water impacts, and many more.

Episode 98 - The Economics of Climate Change

Features Dr. Jonathan M. Harris, Visiting Scholar at the Tufts University Global Development and Environment Institute and Dr. Richard S.J. Tol, Professor at the Department of Economics, University of Sussex.

Dr. Harris draws the distinction between climate change and global warming, a common misconception and barrier that prevents forward moving dialogue. Dr. Harris also explains the processes that cause global warming, and how that in turn effects climate change.

Dr. Tol discusses social costs of carbon and the damage to human welfare as more carbon dioxide is emitted. Dr. Tol also shares the top impacts of Climate Changes at both the global and local level.

Episode 97 - Environmental Justice and Social Equity: The Environmental Burden on our Children

Features Sean McCabe from Project Dryad.

Climate Policy Specialist Sean McCabe informs listeners about the Children’s Environmental Rights Initiative and their efforts to prevent polluting substances and other negative impacts that effects the youth’s environmental health.

Sean and host Bernice Butler also talk about the importance of protecting human rights in the transition to renewable energy.

Episode 96 - Environmental Justice and Social Equity: The Economics of Environmental Justice

Features Sheila R. Foster, Professor of Urban Law and Policy at Georgetown.

Professor Sheila Foster identifies the major sources of environmental justice issues and concerns, including legacy pollutants and contamination in neighboring communities.

Host Bernice Butler and Shelia Foster also discuss the role of law, environmental protections, and actions that can drive solutions.

Episode 95 - Environmental Justice: What is it and why is it Important?

In a special unscripted episode of Healthy Living Healthy Planet Radio, host Bernice Butler defines sheds light into the Environmental Justice Movement and how the racial and economic impacts effect the population.

Environmental Racism: Communities of color are often targeted to host facilities that have negative environmental impacts. Bernice explores the youth-led and international Environment Justice Movement and the direct link between economic, environmental, and health issues.

Episode 94 - The Chronic Disease Toll of Air Pollution

Features Dr. Juanita Mora of The Chicago Allergy Center and Vijay Limaye from the NRDC.

Dr. Mora talks about how to recognize the physical symptoms that may be a direct result of air pollution. Host Bernice Butler and Dr. Mora raise awareness of specific fall allergens.

Vijay Limaye discusses the indoor and outdoor components of air pollution and how that effects the global population. Limaye helps listeners recognize and identify the different types of particulate matter.

Episode 93 - Renewable Energy and Electric Vehicles

Features Dr. Eric Larson of Climate Central and Princeton University.

Dr. Eric Larson explains the seven different sources of renewable energy and the pros and cons of each. Later in the episode, host Bernice Butler and Eric Larson discuss Princeton University’s recently released report, “Net Zero America”.

Episode 92 - How Our Transportation Effects Climate Change

Features John Bailey of the Natural Resources Defense Council, Dr. Aida Ramos from the University of Dallas, and Dr. Liia Ramachandra of EpiLynx.

John Bailey connects the dots between the various modes of transportation and how they impact and contribute to climate change.

Dr. Aida Ramos breaks down the recent IPCC (The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) report on the state of climate change around the globe.

Dr. Liia Ramachandra sheds light on how climate change effects skin health both internally and externally.

Episode 91 - Trouble in the AIR! Who, what when, where, and why?

Features Dr. Elena Craft of the Environmental Defense Fund.

Dr. Elena Craft explains the AQI, “Air Quality Index” in relation to air pollution and our health. Dr. Craft connects the dots between air quality and climate change.

Episode 90: Agriculture: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, and the Hope for the Future

Features Anne Thornton, Director of Agriculture at Collin College, Judith McGeary of Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance, and Joyce Connelley of Marshall Grain Company.

Anne Thornton talks about Urban Sustainable Agriculture and the need for efficient food systems in urban communities.

Joyce Connelley gives the distinction of heirloom varieties compared to genetically modified crops and hybrids.

JudithMcGeary touches on the environmental and health impacts of urban sustainable agriculture.

Bernice and the panelists also discuss the possibility of using technology to scale sustainable farming development and use less land.

Episode 89: Food Production and the Intersection of Environment and Economics

Features Sarah Low of the University of Missouri, Kurt Rosentrater of Iowa State University, and Channing Arndt of the International Food Policy Research Institute.

Sarah Low - Sarah educates listeners about mass production, local and regional foods, and the evolution and acceptance of organic foods.

Kurt Rosenstrater explains why the general public has become aware about food sustainability. Kurt also talks about grains and their role in food production.

Channing Arnt discusses the impact of food production on the economy compared to other countries and the innovation of new agriculture technology.

Host Bernice and our guests have a fruitful discussion about the need for more accessible and affordable food and the possibilities of making junk food less, “junky”.

Episode 88: Food Production: The Challenges to Our Environment and Our Health

Features David Tilman, Chair in Ecology of the University of Minnesota and Director of the University’s Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve.

David Tilman explains the food production system and the evolution of our natural crops through preservation and processing.

Host Bernice Butler and David Tilman discuss the effects that food production has on climate change as well as growing concerns of animal extinction.

Episode 87: The Effects of Environmental Chemicals and Toxic Materials on our Health and Climate Change

Featuring Linda S. Birnbaum from Environmental Health Sciences

Host Bernice Butler and Linda S. Birnbaum discuss the latest research and statistics on chemicals like pFast and pesticides and their impact on our climate.

Later in the show, Linda sheds light on the negative effects of mixing certain toxins and chemicals.

Episode 86: Chemicals and Toxic Materials: Environmental Effects of What We Use

Features Frank A. von Hippel of the Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health and Joe Schwarcz of McGill University’s Office for Science and Society.

Frank A. von Hipppel and Joe Schwarcz discuss the unknown environmental and health ramifications from harmful chemicals.

Bernice, Frank, and Joe engage in a lively discussion on why proactiveness is important to reduce harm, as research and data results are often behind.

Episode 85: Healthy Cities, Healthy People: Their Intersection with the Planet

Features Sara Hammerschmidt and Monika Henn of the Urban Land Institute.

Sara Hammerschmidt talks about the importance of healthy cities and the power of zoning. She further explains how public education can improve our overall environmental health.

Monika Henn discusses healthy cities from the financial and developmental perspective. Henn also sheds light on the unexpected impacts of our changing environment.

Episode 84: The Built Environment Effects on our Natural Environment, Wildlife, and Climate Change.

Features Kevin Taylor of the World Wildlife Fund.

Kevin Taylor sheds light on our wildlife. In particular, “keystone species” and their necessity to our natural environment and eco-system.

Episode 83: Infrastructure: The Intersection Between Our Health and the Environment

Features Solange Gould of Human Impact Partners.

Solange Gould explores and expands upon the definition and importance of infrastructure. Gould and Bernice discuss how our infrastructure impacts the environment and our health.

Episode 82: The Outdoor Built Environment and Environmental Health Impacts

Features Wendy Perdue of the University of the Richmond School of Law, Hilari Varnadore of the U.S. Green Building Council, and Dr. Frank Shallenberger from the Nevada Center of alternative and Anti Aging Medicine.

Wendy Perdue talks about why it is important for buildings to achieve LEED certification by the U.S. Green Building Council and the effect on our environmental health.

Hilari Varnadore discusses the significant impacts of buildings and man-made structures on our health.

Dr. Frank Shallenberger shares the healing and detoxifying benefits as well as the common misconceptions of Ozone Therapy .

Episode 81: The Indoor Environment and our Health

Features Ruth Ann Norton of Green and Healthy Housing, Stephanie McCarter, M.D. from Environmental Health Center of Dallas, and Bill Walsh of the Healthy Building Network.

Ruth Ann Norton discusses the harmful impacts of “Sick Building Syndrome” on day to day brain function and health.

Stephanie McCarter, M.D. explains how long term exposure to indoor materials and chemicals affect longterm health.

Bill Walsh sheds light on the ways indoor building and construction materials can have unintended consequences on children.

Episode 80: Earth Month 2021: Restoring Our Earth - Biodiversity, Extinction and Our Health

Features Tierra Curry of the Center for Diversity and Dr. Aaron Bernstein from the Center for Climate.

Tierra Curry discusses eco system services and sheds light on how important pollination is to our agriculture and overall health.

Dr. Aaron Bernstein draws the connection between the effects of climate change our eco system and our health.

Episode 79: Earth Month 2021: Restoring Our Earth - Youth Leading the Way

Features Grace Edinger of Earth Force, Lizbeth Ibarra of Youth Vs Apocalypse, and Aaryaman Singhal of Sunrise Movement Dallas.

Grace Edinger discusses the importance of teaching activism for sustainable change in early development.

Lizbeth Ibarra talks about climate justice organization through youth proactivity, and environmental racism.

Aaryaman Singhal informs listeners on the political efforts towards climate change policies and shares the need for creating sustainable communities.

Episode 78: Restoration and Mitigation: Eco-Systems, Forests, and our Well-Being

Features Will Anderson of the World Resources Institute and Dr. Susan Abookire, MD.

Will Anderson points out the diversity in our eco-systems and explains how clean toxins from tropical forests effects human health.

Dr. Abookire discusses the medicinal benefits of trees, plants, and forests.

Episode 77: Earth Day 2021 - Resorting Our Climate and Resorting Our Health

Features Kathleen Rogers of Earth Day Network, Michael Morris of the North Central Texas Council of Governments, and Michael Cain of EarthxFilm and EarthxTV.

Kathleen Rogers discusses the origins, positive impacts, and political ramifications of Earth Day.

Michael Morris explains how Earth Day directly relates to clean transportation efforts in North Texas.

Michael Cain reveals the lineup of films and shows launching for Earth Week, streaming exclusively on earthxtv.com.

Episode 76: What is Our Water Doing to Our Health: Human Health Implications of Water Degradation and Global Warming

Features Dr. David Gilkey of Montana Technological University, Andria Ventura of Clean Water Action, and Katie Huffling of Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments.

Dr. Gilkey draws connections between environmental, human health and our water degradation.

Andria Ventura discusses drinking water, pollution prevention, source water protection, and even how pharmaceuticals impact our water.

Katie Huffling reminds listeners that Global Warming and our changing climate is very much a human health issue.

Episode 75: Groundwater Pollution, Conservation and Regeneration

Features Denise Hickey of North Texas Municipal Water District and Jennifer Clary of Clean Water Action.

Denise Hickey grants local listeners an inside scoop on Dallas Water management, sanitation and storage.

Jennifer Clary speaks on why water policy matters, and the importance of groundwater.

Tune in to this episode to get a better grasp on where groundwater comes from, how it’s stored, sanitized, and delivered into our homes and lives.

Episode 74: Water, Water Everywhere: Why We Must Care About Our Urban Waterways

Features Tom Szaky, TerraCycle's CEO and Founder, and BJ Cummings of The University of Washington.

Tom Szaky shares about TerraCycle’s connection to clean water, plastic pollution, and sustainability.

BJ cummings gives listeners a look into our urban waterways, their importance, and the degradation urban waterway pollution causes in our cities and homes.

This episode hits home and reminds listeners how connected we are to our urban waterways.

Episode 73: The Problem With Our Oceans - Environmental Health Issues and Threats

Features Marin Hawk, Fisheries and Commercial Manager for the Marine Stewardship Council-US (MSC).

Marin unpacks the major threats and issues to our Oceans, explores the direct pollution as a result of human activity, and explains the connection between climate change and ocean health. 

Listeners gain a special look into the Marine Stewardship Council in the second part of the episode. Marin dives into fisheries, safe and sustainable seafood standards, and the benefits of seafood for human health. 

Episode 72: The Clean Energy Imperative: Where are we? How are we doing? How is our health and wellbeing impacted?

Features Jeffrey Logan of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Joshua D. Rhodes, Ph.D. of the University of Texas, Austin and Julie McNamara of Union of Concerned Scientists.

These experts address the clean energy imperative, and improvements & pitfalls in our energy sector since interviewing Dr. Hayhoe last season, as well as the exciting opportunities on the horizon.

Julie McNamara unpacks the different components that inform our energy sector and decisions including policy & technology.

Joshua and Jeff come together in a roundtable interview to compare and contrast how their clean-energy-focused cities approach the transition and the common threads that can be utilized across the USA and worldwide.

Episode 71: Are Fossil Fuels Really Dying:  How Are We Replacing Them? (Environmental & Health Impacts)

Features, Jonathan Buonocore of Harvard C-CHANGE, and Elizabeth Parks of Parks Associates.

Jonathan Buonocore and Elizabeth Parks unpack the fossil fuel industry, the alternative options, and the big question: are they really dying out?

Jonathan shares incredible insight about the chemical makeup and health impacts of gasoline, the hazards of natural gas, and the replacement alternatives available now and in the future.

Elizabeth speaks about consumerism and the market in regard to fossil fuels and the cleaner alternatives, unpacks smarthomes, and offers greener options to the everyday listener.

Episode 70: Energy Production: An Overview of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly On Our Health

Features, Seth Shonkoff Ph.D. of PSE (Physicians, Scientists, and Engineers for Healthy Energy), and Dr. Melissa Lott of Columbia University.

Dr. Shonkoff and Dr. Lott break down the good the bad and the ugly of energy production and human health.

Dr. Shonkoff speaks about optimizing not only the production but also the storage and distribution of the energy sector, trends in home energy use, and the connection between COVID-19 and energy use.

Dr. Lott explains current energy policy and the opportunities to advance, the important role technology plays in the energy sector and the connection between air pollution and energy.

Episode 69: Energy Production: An Overview of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly On Our Environment

Features Kit Kennedy of the NRDC, and Dr. Todd Cowen of Cornell University.

The two experts unpack the good, the bad, and the ugly of energy production, supply, and use on our natural and built environment.

Kit dives into the possibility for clean energy regulations; offers easy ways to convert to sustainable energy; and connects climate change and energy production.

Dr. Cowen sheds light on the connection between engineering, energy and the environment. He recounts engineering solutions and pitfalls. And he explores real-world impacts of our energy industry.

Episode 68: The Economics of Waste, Waste Management & Health

Features, Dr. David Bishai of Johns Hopkins and Peter Borkëy of OECD, and a Community Pulse segment with Heidi Solba of Let's Do It World.

These three experts shed light on the important connection between the economy, our healthcare industry, and our waste systems.

Dr. Bishai explains the term healthcare economy and unpacks what it truly means.

Peter Borkëy unpacks the benefits of a circular economy and where waste and waste management exisit within one.

Heidi Solba wraps up the episode by reminding listeners how we can come together to protect our health by cleaning up our world together.

Episode 67: Toxic Chemical Waste & E-Waste Crisis – The Environmental and Health Consequences & Opportunities

Features Dr. William Suk of NIEHS, and Dr. Callie Babbit of the Rochester Institute of Technology and a Community Pulse segment with Terry Shultz is of United Electronic Recycling, LLC.

The three experts break down the most prevalent types of hazardous, toxic and E-waste, and where they come from.

Dr. Suk shares his expertise on the connection between public health and hazardous waste.

Dr. Babbit unpacks American’s reliance on electronics and the trends in e-waste as a result.

And Ms. Schultz closes the episode by sharing how Texans are tackling e-waste recycling in safe and responsible ways.

Episode 66: Health Impacts of Waste, Improper & Inadequate Disposal

Features, Dr. DavidCarpenter of University at Albany, SUNY's School of Public Health, and James Isensee of RPS Group, with a special Community Pulse segment with Danielle McClelland from the City of Dallas.

These experts join HLHP and enlighten listeners about the various different health impacts of landfill leaching, waste-contaminated water and soil, and toxic trash-induced air pollution. They speak about mental and behavioral health and remedies to reduce exposure.

The three experts examine inadequate waste disposal locally, nationally, and internationally and speak about the best ways to make changes moving forward to protect our health and the health of the planet.

Episode 65: Environmental Effects of Overconsumption & Waste Generation

Features, Debra Reinhart from The University of Central Florida University and Kate O’Neill UC Berkeley.

With the recent holidays, and in the midst of a COVID-19 world, full of online ordering and shipping, these two expert guests join HLHP Radio for a timely episode that unpacks American’s relationship with overconsumption, waste, and the impact on our environment.

Debra and Kate cover a range of different topics in their individual segments, from waste relations amongst the richest nations, waste patterns during the pandemic, the connection between water and climate change, to the engineering of landfills, and the solutions for better waste disposal structures and systems moving forward.

Episode 64: Lancet Countdown Special Episode

Features Dr. Renee Salas Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Massachusetts General Hospital, and Dr. Jeremy Hess, Professor of the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, Global Health, and Emergency Medicine at the University of Washington.

The two come together for this very special episode to give a briefing on the 2020 Lancet Countdown. They bring their special expertise as lead authors to listeners and unpack the connection between climate change and health. The two reflect on previous reports, look at the impact of COVID-19 on the findings, and look into the future toward change.

Episode 63: Plastics and Cancer

Features, Justin Colacino, Ph.D. of Michigan State University and Nsedu Obot Witherspoon of the Children’s Environmental Health Network.

These experts join HLHP Radio for a roundtable discussion about the ongoing study of the connection between plastics and cancer. They site their own scientific findings, speaks about the variance in cancers, unpack BPA (what it is and how it harms our bodies), and the elevated risks of plastic related cancer in our children and elderly.

Episode 62: Impacts of Plastic Pollution on Land & Food

Features Madeline Kaufman, of Debris Free Oceans and M.B. Kirkham, Ph.D., of Kansas State University.

These experts unpack the impacts of plastic pollution on the water we drink, the seafood and produce we eat, and more. They cover the newly studied impacts of microplastics on soil and the connection between soil pollution in our oceans and soil pollution on our land.

Episode 61: The Long Life Cycle of Plastics & it’s Environmental & Health Costs

Features Jane Patton of Center for Environmental International Law and Dr. Shanna Swan of Mount Sinai Health Systems.

Jane unpacks the environmental pollution at every level of plastic production, consumption and disposal. She reminds listeners that although durable, the trade off of plastic pollution is not worth the environmental degradation. She speaks about the Plastic Free Presidency (PPAP) push for Biden. Jane closes by identifying humans key role in plastic pollution and the changes we can make as everyday individuals to change the long lifecycle of plastics.

Dr. Swan shares about her upcoming 2021 book release for, Count Down, and gives listeners insight into the toxic chemicals that impact human fertility, hormones and health. Dr. Swan unpacks which of these toxins come from plastic and the risk factors associated. Dr. Swan gives listeners tips about protecting themselves from plastic pollution, solutions to employ plastic regulation, and great plastic-alternatives that are much safer for our health.

Episode 60: Wildfires - Are They Coming for All of Us?

Featuring Dr. Chris Dicus of Cal Poly, and Dr. David Bowman of the University of Tasmania. These two experts bring an incredible perspective on the wildfires impacting both California and Australia, as well as the patterns around the world.

Dr. Dicus speaks about the various fire risks and causes from wind-events, and downed power lines, to lightning storms and pre-existing unhealthy forest conditions. Dr. Dicus unpacks “fire season” and the changes as a result of climate change. Loss of life, loss of property and environmental damage have all increased in recent years. Moreover, while climate change impacts wildfires, in turn, wildfires are a tremendous source of carbon pollution. Dr. Dicus speaks about the importance of prescribed burns and forest management and breaks down some of the myths about them.

Dr. Bowman speaks about the history of humans and fire, and their co-dependence on fire, from the cars we drive to the way we heat our homes. Dr. Bowman speaks about the correlation between dry, dehydrated landscapes and prolonged fire seasons and gigantic fires. He reminds listeners and that wildfires are indeed extreme weather events. Dr. Bowman warns that the fires on the east side of Australia were so intense they mimicked a medium volcano eruption. As a result, they put Australia on the top greenhouse gas emitter list and impacted Australia’s weather and climate. These fires were not normal fires and their damage was seen around the world.

Episode 59: Nourished Festival Holiday Special - Nourish Your Healthy Body

Join guests, Betty Murray and Christie Sayes in this Nourish Thanksgiving Special, as they speak about the connection of food and nutrition to the health of our bodies and planet. Expert guests discuss vegan and plant-based options, supportive and healthy habits and traditions we have with food.

To learn more about this special episode visit:

https://online.nourishedfestival.com/tradeshow/sessions-details/207 

or

https://online.nourishedfestival.com/home

Episode 58: The Environmental and Health Costs of Storms, Hurricanes and Flooding

Features Dr. Nielsen-Gammon of Texas A&M and Dr. Jim Diaz of Louisiana State University.

Dr. Nielsen-Gammon helps local listeners understand the weather patterns and extreme weather in Texas. Some of these patterns are predictable, some are more sporadic. For example, we’ve experienced one degree Celsius in warming, as as a result, our rainfall (and storms) have greatly increased. Dr. Nielsen-Gammon also explains the challenges in predicting and modeling thunderstorms and tornados. Dr. Nielsen-Gammon also breaks down which storms pose the greatest economic, health, and environmental impacts. Dr. Nielsen-Gammon closes by helping locals to prepare for upcoming storms.

Dr. Diaz helps listeners connect the impact of storms and human health. He breaks down the top 3 most common causes of death as a result of storms and flooding. Dr. Diaz also reminds listeners that every storm is a different event with different risks. While immediate injury and death are grave impacts as a result of storms, there are also diseases transmitted by mosquitos and rats that have long-term impacts on human health. Dr. Diaz also breaks down why soil contamination after storms is such a threat to human health. Dr. Diaz closes by reminding listeners how they can protect their health during storms.

Episode 57: The Environmental, Health and Economic Impacts of Drought

Features Dr. Renee McPherson of University of Oklahoma & SCIPP of NOAA and Dr. Jay Lund of UC Davis.

Dr. Renee McPherson breaks down the technical definitions of meteorological drought, agricultural drought, hydrological drought and ecological drought, as well as the timelines and impacts of these droughts. Dr. McPherson expands the more newly defined ecological droughts impact on our environment and vegetation. Dr. McPherson notes the regions most prone to drought, nationally and internationally. The El Nino and La Nina weather patterns are connected to drought. The warming effects & decreased predictability of rainfall of global warming contribute to the impact and frequency of droughts. Dr. McPherson closes by reminding listeners that drought is the 2nd largest contributor to natural disaster & economical strife.

Dr. Jay Lund explains how drought and public health intersect. Public water systems, although all are unique, are impacted by large droughts and as a result water conservation ensues. Dr. Lund speaks about harmful algal blooms and the resulting pollution to our drinking and sanitation water. Dust and particulate matter as a result of drought, particularly in rural areas this causes problems for folks with allergies and asthma. Moreover, the wildfires decrease air quality, and effect our mental and economical health and security. Dr. Lund also explains Valley Fever and its connection to drought.

To learn more about the health impacts of drought also read an article written for HLHP by the Center for Disease Control on Drought and Public Health.

Episode 56: Extreme Heat, Climate Change and COVID-19 Pandemic

Features Bob Henson, Meteorologist of Yale Climate Connections, and Dr. Laalitha Surapaneni of The University of Minnesota Medical School.

Bob Henson breaks down the definition of extreme heat, the variance in different parts of the country, and the danger of heatwaves. Bob continues to speak about awareness and planning for heat, after a heatwave in 1995 that truly alerted our populations to the consequences of our warming planning. Extreme heat has changed the way we live and our habits, in small and large ways, from water bottles being as common as our wallets, and more concrete cities planting trees. September 2020 was collectively the highest temperature month on record. Bob reminds listeners to take little steps to understand our weather patterns and "stay cool!"

Dr. Surapaneni explains that heat is one of the most direct impacts of climate change on health. There are various ways to look at heat's impact on health, from the numbers of people exposed to extreme heat worldwide, to the number of laborer hours lost as a result of health. Dr. Surapaneni also notes heat impacts pre-existing conditions, such as her patient’s sickle cell anemia crisis. When we think of extreme heat we must expand our understanding of how it impacts our overall health. Dr. Surapaneni urges listeners to protect themselves by speaking to their primary care physicians, especially during the overlapping crisis of rising temperatures and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Episode 55: The Economics of Climate Change

Features Jesse M Keenan, Ph.D. of Tulane University, Rob Williams, Ph.D. of the University of Maryland and Jasmine Sanders of Our Climate.

Dr. Williams breaks down how climate change and environmental and carbon taxes connect. Moreover, how taxes can serve as an economic form of environmental policy. Dr. Williams also expands on the most effective ways we can turn the tide on the economic impact of climate change.

Dr. Keenan zooms into the household level of the economics of climate change. From the price of food we eat, to the cost of energy bills, and even the cost of housing, the at-home impact is spanning. Dr. Keenan is one of the first scholars to connect climate change & real estate market, he seamlessly unpacks this connection in depth.

Jasmine speaks about the climate migration side of our economy. Jasmine unpacks the definition and cause of climate migration. She notes that, 80% of the population relocated as a result of climate change are women. Jasmine also breaks down the inequities prevalent in climate migration, from the impact on people of color to the impact on migrant workers. These impacts in fact intersect with COVID-19 as well and Jasmine breaks this down.

Episode 54: Asthma, Allergies, Chronic Disease and Climate Change

Dr. Jeffrey Demain of the Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Center of Alaska, and Dr. David Dyjack of The National Environmental Health Association.

Dr. Jeffrey Demain breaks down exactly how and why allergies occur and the wide variety of allergic reactions. He further notes that the increase in pollen and pollen potency, leads to more allergy diagnosises in the public. Thus, as the climate changes and the allergy seasons become longer the impact becomes greater. Dr. Demain differentiates between allergies and asthma. He also offers solutions to listeners and hope for the future.

Dr. David Dyjack talks about NEHA’s climate change committee and vector control committee. Dr. Dyjack explains that chronic disease, including allergies and asthma, is a major force behind our declining life expectancy in the USA and a profound issue in our country. Chronic disease is a prolonged illness that requires care for a year or longer. Dr. Dyjack shares insight into the states and populations impacted most by climate change & chronic disease. He closes by urging listeners to care for our vulnerable populations. 

Episode 53: The Intersection of COVID-19, The Flu and Climate Change

Featuring Jeffrey Shaman, Ph.D. of Columbia Public Health and Dr. Samantha Ahdoot of Pediatric Associates of Alexandria.

Dr. Shaman speaks about pathogenic diseases and vector borne diseases in relation to weather and climate change. Further, he breaks down the connection between climate change, the flu and COVID-19. Weather patterns and the spread of disease are intrinsically connected and the seasonal cycle of weather shifts as our climate changes.

Dr. Ahdoot further breaks down seasonal infections and diseases such as allergies, tick-borne diseases, etc. As our seasons shift our allergy seasons lengthen, and mosquito and heat borne illness persist later into the calendar year than previously. Climate change has disrupted the health care system overall. Dr. Ahdoot also calls attention to our most vulnerable populations and their susceptibility to climate borne illnesses.

Episode 52:  The Politics of Climate Change

Featuring Wallach, Ph.D. of the American Enterprise Institute and Howard A. Learner of the Environmental Law and Policy Center and Philip.

Dr. Wallach helps listeners understand how CO2 pollution, industrialization and our economy relate to one another. He also unpacks power, policy and wealth. Dr. Wallach speaks about the importance of reducing energy emissions and the breakthroughs we’ve seen during the pandemic. Although this should have been a result of the Paris Agreement rather than a national pandemic. Unfortunately, with the current administrations rollbacks in regulatory policies, and little indication of any desire to enact new policies it’s been left to local governments.

Mr. Learner explains that with the recent wildfires, hurricanes and natural disasters a new reality and understanding is unfolding for almost everyone across the political spectrum if they’re paying attention. A tipping point is being reached, as polling data reveals that climate change is becoming a voting issue, most importantly in our countries swing states. Mr. Learner hypothesizes the potential outcome of the upcoming presidential election and what may happen with each party and their future plans.

Episode 51

Featuring Dana Nuccitelli of Yale Climate Connections and Citizen Climate Lobby and Tianna Arrendondo of 350.org.

Dana reminds our listeners how climate change is caused and impacted by human behavior and moreover, how climate change impacts our planet. He shares insight into climate models and mapping and what we expect to see in the future as the planet continues to warm. Dana also speaks about the major climate disasters of 2020 and the extreme impact of these disasters in conjunction with the COVID pandemic. Dana closes by reminding listeners of the importance of supporting bills that protect our planet by reducing carbon pollution, as well as the Green New Deal and by voting in the November 2020 election.

Tianna explains the COP (conference of the parties) delegation and what it means in regard to climate change. Tianna also breaks down why the Paris Agreement was so important, as it protected every day people heal and preserve the planet we live on, and the detriment to our country caused when the USA withdrew from the agreement. Tianna speaks about greenwashing and reminds listeners of the biggest contributors to climate change in 2020, and the changes we can make move forward.

Episode 50

Featuring Molly Rauch from Mom’s Clean Air Force. and Dr. Afif El-Hasan from the American Lung Association.

Molly Rauch discusses why Mom’s Clean Air Force is such a powerful player in the clear air movement. She unpacks why our environment, childhood health, and air pollution are so intrinsically connected. Molly identifies some of the major sources of air pollution and places where are children face the greatest risk. Molly reminds listeners what is at stake if we don’t change: our children’s health and relationship with our planet.

Dr. El-Hasan explains the physical differences between adult & adolescent lungs and the impact of air pollution on pediatric development. Dr. El-Hasan offers solutions to boost our health and immunity to fight illness, such as wearing a mask during COVID and timing childhood outdoor play & sports when air pollution is low. Dr. El-Hasan reminds listeners that the air our children breathe not only impacts their lungs but also their genes, allergies and entire bodies. Dr. El-Hasan closes by connecting the dots between air pollution, COVID, the fires and the flu.

Episode 49

Michael Morris of North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) and Kay Shelton and Gordon Shattles of Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) join HLHP to speak about the environmental and health impacts of transportation on air quality, and alternative transit options to reduce your impact.

Michael Morris of NCTCOG speaks about Clean Air in Texas and breaks down what a clean-air non-attainment status means and how it can be remedied. Michael also shares insight into the connection between our air quality and electric vehicles. Bernie and Michael discuss the impact of COVID-19 on transportation in Dallas, and the impact on our environment and health. Michael closes by offering guidance and solutions for the future.

Kay Shelton and Gordon Shattles of DART explain the different types of mass transit, available around the world and also in the Dallas Metroplex. The two speak about the role public transit plays in our environment and our health. They discuss the COIVD-19 health regulations, keep transit goers safe and sound. They even delve into the clean transit initiatives DART is heading up and what to expect in the future.

Episode 48

Dr. Maria Neira of the World Health Organization and Evelyn Mayo of Downwinders join HLHP to speak about the extensive health impacts of industry on air quality. 

Evelyn addresses the impact of particulate matter on communities and the environment. She breaks down the different types of pollutants, their sources and their impacts. Evelyn uses the example of a cement plant and helps listeners truly understand the pollution process and the impact on our planet. She speaks about zoning and inequities in regard to legal and illegal industry. Evelyn closes by giving alternatives for listeners to move away from supporting highly pollutive industry, and into promoting safe and sustainable infrastructure. 

Dr. Neira explains the deep connection between the health of our bodies and the air we breathe. She notes that, in fact, almost 90% of  our population breathes air that is not considered up to healthy standards. Dr. Neira underlines that air pollution from industry and many other sources does not only impact the lungs, but rather our whole bodies. She delves into WHO’s involvement in policy, industry, health and the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Neira closes by offering solutions to mitigate the impact of poor air quality and our bodies, as well as ways to improve air quality for our planet and our health.

Episode 47

Featuring Surili Patel of APHA and Dr. Lea Hildebrandt Ruiz of University of Texas. Community Pulse segment featuring EarthX’s Michael Cain.

Dr. Hildebrandt Ruiz begins by speaking about air pollution and why we should "care about what's in air." Dr. Hildebrandt Ruiz breaks down the biggest polluters and the most common types of air pollution. In regard to our environment, carbon dioxide and methane are two of the most common types of pollutants emitted by human activity. On the other hand, the pollutants that cause longterm health impacts are different and include atmospheric particles or aerosols, PM or particulate matter, and ozone. Dr. Hildebrandt Ruiz gives listeners insight into how scientists predict ozone and air quality. While PM has a big impact on human health it also factors greatly into our environment and climate change. As a University of Texas professor, Dr. Hildebrandt Ruiz reminds listeners that PM is also one of the biggest air pollutants in the state of Texas. While, the EPA has clean air regulations, as well as existing standards for PM and Ozone, we must follow these guidelines & scientists must reevaluate them every couple of years. Dr. Ruiz Hildebrandt closes with the reminder, everyday people can implement the use of filters during combustible activities to stop PM before it enters the atmosphere.

Surili Patel unpacks ground-level ozone and it’s impact on human health conditions such as, chest pain, coughing, throat irritation, worsening bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma, as well as long term permanent lung damage. We may not always associate our medical conditions with ozone while on a bike ride, or even while in the garden, but they are very likely a result of air pollution, specifically ozone. Exposure to fine particulates starts as early as in the womb and is often associated with premature birth. Mental health is also impacted by air pollution, in the short term during natural disasters, but also slowly over time. For example, wildfires cause trauma, PTSD, anxiety, depression, and impact air quality. Additionally, indoor air quality has also been impacted by climate change, as a result of floodwaters contributing to increased mold. Climate change’s impact on air pollution does NOT stop at our doors. Surili reminds listeners that policy plays a huge role in air quality and it is our responsibility and great power to vote, not only federally, but also locally; and if you can't vote work with your community members to help them register and vote.

Michael Cain of EarthX joins the community pulse segment to speak about EarthX TV. Since 2011 when Trammell Crow founded EarthDay Dallas, (which led to EarthDay Texas) EarthX has been building toward the 2020 50th anniversary of earth day. During the COVID-19 EarthX pivoted and held a VIRTUAL conference, featuring Youth Panels, Women Leaders and more. This virtual conference led to EarthX TV, a platform for voices & people to come together in a shared mission, despite their differences, to learn from one another in order for everyone to make one change to save the environment and our planet. EarthX TV's launch is 9/21/2020, visit their website for more information at: https://earthx.org/earthxtv/.

Episode 46

Featuring Dr. Natastha DeJarnett of NEHA and Peg Willingham of FairTrade America.

Peg Willingham explains that FairTrade was founded when people saw injustices around the world and called for equity. FairTrades works in over 120 countries, by partnering with farmers to adopt better practices and promote better, more equitable pay and working conditions. FairTrade works with companies in the USA like Ben and Jerry’s, Starbucks, Wholefoods, and Trader Joes. Peg notes that consumers also have significant power. When consumers make more ethical choices, farmers are treated more ethically. Sadly, climate change is threatening our most popular crops, coffee, cocoa, and bananas. Moreover, the independent farmers who contribute least to the changing climate are being impacted the most by the impacts. Farmers who might grow luxury products for consumers in the USA only make a few dollars a day, and as a result, cannot afford to properly nourish themselves. FairTrade works with these farmers to make positive change and provide them with equitable solutions, such as planting more trees, digging trenches to direct water, and ethical planting. Peg and Bernice close by speaking about the impact of climate change around the world, immigration, and empathy.

Dr. Natasha DeJarnett explains that Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) advocates for health around the world, and was founded on preventing nuclear war & proliferation, and works to protect the public from toxic chemicals, nuclear power, and climate change. At the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) Dr. DeJarnett works to truly connect public health and environmental health. Environmental health ensures that people have safe water to drink, safe food to eat, and safe environments to thrive in, free of disease-carrying bacterias and ticks. Dr. DeJarnett notes the top public health issues exasperated by environmental issues as, Climate change as a threat multiplier to already susceptible populations (elderly, children, people of color, undocumented residents, and LGBTQ+ populations), our aging infrastructure, and our emerging environmental health conditions. Dr. DeJarnett breaks down these threats, noting that climate change has been widely named our nation's biggest public health threat, and the disastrous effects of the aging infrastructure seen in Flint Michigan and Hurricane Katrina. Dr. DeJarnett reminds listeners that climate change costs us our environment, our health, and our economy, we can’t afford not to invest in climate solutions and climate equity!

Episode 45: Climate Change & Worker Health

Featuring Juanita Constible of the NRDC and Dr. Juley Fulcher of Public Citizen.

Dr. Fulcher and Juanita connect climate change, working conditions, rising heat, healthy work standards and workers rights. Dr. Fulcher reminds listeners that rising temperatures are often overlooked, but are in fact a greater cause of death than hurricanes and other natural disasters. Unfortunately, our essential workers are most deeply impacted by these dangerous working conditions and raising temperatures. Due to segregation in America, the majority of essential workers who are negatively impacted by climate change are black and brown folks.

Extreme heat is associated with heat stroke and heat exhaustion, but heat can actually kill you in 27 different ways. Heat is one of the biggest and most imminent health risks to worker and human health. Heat can also lead to irritable and dangerous behavior, tick-borne diseases, and cholera and waterborne illnesses.

Juanita and Dr. Fulcher unpack the workers who are most at risk, including: oil rig workers, farmers, construction workers, landscapers, sanitation workers, postal carriers, package delivers, first responders, and most recently, healthcare workers in full PPE.

Heat is not the only risk factor or extreme weather event for our essential workers, they are at risk of chemical spills, flooding, trauma, PTSD, and beyond.

COVID-19 also plays a big part in essential worker health, safety and social equity. Our essential workers, like our farm workers who are experiencing some of the highest rates of infection, are at great risk for serious COVID complications. Additionally, many of these vulnerable populations and essential workers live in multigenerational homes, raising the risk of exposure for elders.

Gender equity and LGBTQ+ rights also play a rolls in worker rights and safety. The wage gap is still present and widened by race. And at-home work generally continues to fall on women’s shoulders, so women are not only overworked and underpaid in the field, but also disproportionately effected at home. LGBTQ+ folks have less access to safe healthcare and thus are at greater risk.

Dr. Fulcher and Juanita close by speaking about the solutions and encourage listeners to come together in policy, community and action.

Episode 44: Ocean Justice: Where Social equity and Climate Fight intersect & Food & Water Justice

Emily Stengel of GreenWave and Dr. Miriam Goldstein of American Progress join HLHP Radio.

Emily begins by explaining ocean agriculture to the listener. Underwater farming is affordable, scalable, replicable, and sustainable. By painting a true picture of these underwater farms, listeners are able to envision these zero input farms (no fertilizer, pesticides, animals, feed). The stark contrast to land-based farming is quite incredible. This is particularly important because our waters have really seen the impact of climate change, from animal extinction to agal blooms and job loss. Moreover, these are restorative crops, soaking up carbon, and promoting biodiversity in the ocean. The model provides endless environmental benefits. The economic benefits are also more accessible to a wider group of people, with the goal of creating sustainable opportunities for more people. Emily also reminds listeners that this model is not limited, it can be modeled in cool Alaskan waters, Caribbean waters, and everywhere in between, as long as the ocean crops are native. Emily closes by reminding listeners that purchasing seafood sustainably is a big part of the equation. It is our responsibility to make sustainable choices. You can gain more information about making sustainable choices by purchasing All We Can Save, a book Emily contributed to. 

Dr. Goldstein reminds us that justice for people and justice for the planet are intertwined, and cannot and should not be addressed separately. Rather, it is essential to look at the interconnectedness while tackling these issues. With a great threat to our environmental policy, we are faced with the challenge of rebuilding a clean and livable earth with equitable opportunity. Dr. Goldstein notes that there are many struggling across our nation right now, and those in coastal communities face even greater adversity as a result of rising sea levels. Moreover, the existing inequities in our system are being highlighted. Due to our country's history of systematic racism, communities of color receive less disaster aid. Thus, when sea levels rise and flooding ensues or storms wreak havoc, there is further damage to these communities. Dr. Goldstein also connects our economy and our oceans and the importance of linking the two responsibly. Dr Goldstein points toward hope as our state and local governments work to protect our oceans and our people in the wake of rollbacks on environmental protection acts. Dr. Goldstein works hard every day to protect our planet and she lends encouragement to listeners to do the same by voting both federally and locally. 

Episode 43: Climate Justice & Environmental Equity - The Connection between Social and Environmental Justice, Part II

Tina Johnson begins by defining climate justice, which is used in the frame of global warming and ethical and political issues; whereas environmental justice is a term coined by black and brown folks to address environmental racism. Tina contextualizes this (in)justice as occurring not just in the natural environment, but also where we play, eat, work and worship. The intersection between the two types of justice emerges in the fact that we simply cannot have climate justice without environmental justice. Some of the biggest contributors to these injustices include toxic waste facilities, coal fire plants, high-risk chemical plants, oil refineries, and highways. Unfortunately, these plants and highways are all often built in communities that need to be uplifted rather than polluted. Tina also speaks about climate refugees and the importance of relocation projects to create just transitions. Tina closes by reminding listeners that there is no part of climate change that the everyday person can escape, from food extinction to air pollution, and beyond.

Juan Declet-Barreto, Ph.D. explains the history of the Union of Concerned Scientists and their incredible roll in assuring science is used to make sound policy decisions. Juan highlights the great need for policy to not only lessen the impact of emission pollution on vulnerable populations but also to track the impacts. Juan is an expert in mapping the vulnerabilities in populations. He maps climate change, extreme heat, and flooding. Juan notes that people of color, low income, and immigrant families are most impacted by climate-related extreme weather, as they live in non-temperature regulated spaces, work in the elements, and do not have access to key resources. In regard to the health impacts of climate change, Juan examines the disparities that have been magnified through the COVID pandemic. He warns, if we return to a pre-COVID state, we will return the vast inequities. Instead, there is a call for change and climate justice.

Episode 42 - How do Environmental Issues Disproportionately Affect Different parts of our Society? Why is this so? How does this Fact Negatively impact People and the Planet – Part I

Ms. Diana Lopez and Dr. John Balbus join Healthy Living Healthy Planet Radio.

Diana Lopez begins the conversation by defining Environmental Racism, Social Equity, and Environmental Justice. There is an inherent lack of consideration for vulnerable communities and people of color when implementing infrastructure, factories or military bases that pollute the environment and the people living nearby. In regard to equity and the disproportionate impacts of pollution on communities of color and low income populations, there is a vast difference not only in access to healthcare, but also in impact of air, water, soil, etc. pollution. Diana also speaks to the voices left out of the conversations about issues that impact them most, for reasons spanning from meetings held only in English, to lack of equitable transportation and beyond. Solving these social inequities, leads us to truly solving climate change. We must address the root of the problem with Climate Justice, to conquer Climate Change. 

Dr. Balbus reminds listeners about the importance of the climate justice movement including all voices, not just a select few. This is important because our country has had a long history of inequitable solutions and conversations about climate change. As a public health leader, Dr. Balbus shares the importance of looking at the downstream health effects, and the vast disparity in asthma, diabetes, & cancers in people of color and impoverished communities. While some claim these disparities may be caused by “lifestyle choices,” Dr. Balbus notes that this point of view incorrectly assumes there are equal and equitable choices and opportunities across the board. In regard to COVID-19, people who have pre-existing conditions caused by Climate Change Pollution, such as air pollution, are more susceptible. Disproportionate exposure, leads to disproportionate vulnerability and susceptibility. When disparities already exist, and a harmful event such as a virus, hurricane, or wildfire occurs, it is far more difficult for these communities to recover. As a result, communities of color and vulnerable communities face devastating losses, of their homes, traditions, and culture when they are displaced or unable to recover from climate disasters or health crisis as a result of lacking adaptive capacity due to inequitable systems.

The inequities and injustices are spanning. Tune in next week for Part II.

Episode 41 - Environmental Impact of Our Diet & Nutrition: Vegan, Plant-based & Food as Medicine

Ms. Palmer sheds light on the new and innovative field of culinary medicine, which is a holistic approach to health that links food and health. As a vegan herself, Ms. Palmer breaks down the difference between vegetarians, pescetarians, and vegans. She also expands on veganism and the traps people may fall into as they transition into a healthier lifestyle. Ms. Palmer notes that social media presents many of these traps and can make becoming vegan feel unattainable, expensive or exclusionary. On the other hand, she notes how incredibly important it is to use social media responsibility to promote health. Ms. Palmers closes by sharing that although the transition isn't without challenges, she has been surprisingly heard, met, and supported by the incredible vegan community, from Facebook groups to personal and professional connections and beyond. 

Ms. Reyes speaks about the incredible power plant-based diets have to heal our bodies. In her own experience, she's experienced plant-based nutrition lift her out of body dysmorphia and disordered eating, and into a healthy relationship with food and her body. Ms. Reyes speaks about the idea of plant-focused eating, which steers folks away from the processed and less healthy vegan meals. As a chef, Ms. Reyes illuminates the best way to satisfy your meat cravings, from poultry seasonings, textures from mushrooms, alternative proteins & beyond. Ms. Reyes reminds listeners that going vegan is simply to: "love the earth, the same way you choose to be loved." Ms. Reyes closes by reflecting on COVID and the exciting shift during this time as we see large corporations move toward to plant-focuses food.

Dr. Katz breaks down both the science side and the common sense side of nutrition. Science is a very powerful way to answer questions, but science fails to ask the "instead of what" question when examining which foods are good for our bodies. Common sense guides how we apply science and leads us to the questions we truly need to ask about nutrition. Dr. Katz also breaks down the word diet. Dr. Katz reminds listeners, diet should be a noun and focus on a lifestyle, community, joy, bodily health & planetary health. Sadly, in our society food is often centered around fad diets and fast results. Dr. Katz's most recent book, co-authored with Mark Bittman, explores the importance of balance. Balance is not found in "the latest news about diets," it's instead rooted in our heritage & tradition. Dr. Katz leaves listeners with a reminder that making more plant-based choices leads to an incredible food revolution for our planet and our bodies. 

Episode 40 - Sociology & Psychology of Eating: How our Eating Habits Affect the Environment & How the Environment Affects our Eating Habits

Ms. Betty Murray and Dr. Susan Albers join Healthy Living Healthy Planet Radio.

Ms. Murray enlightens listeners about outside influences on our food behavior, from marketing, smells, science and beyond. Ms. Murray goes on to draw an insightful connection between the way animals in their natural environment eat (intuitive eating) vs how humans eat (factory farming, rainforest destruction, monoculture, additives, and fertilizers). Ms. Murray also notes that our food habits have changed over the years. This change was brought on largely when we made food into an industry. If we eat non-processed or non-industrialized foods in their natural forms we are better nourished, and the environment is better preserved. Ms. Murray speaks about food as an oppressor. Food disparity and food insecurity is a major crisis in our country. Dallas in particular has one of the largest food deserts in the country, with a three-hour bus ride to reach the nearest grocery store. Food is incredibly powerful, it has the ability to nourish and the ability to oppress. It is essential for us to pay attention to food in relation to our planet, bodies, and communities.

Dr. Albers introduces listeners to mindful eating, which is about eating with awareness and savoring our food, flavors, and food experiences. Rather than mindless eating, which often stems from comfort, habit, or boredom. Mindless eating can lead to a disconnection from food and health, shame, and weight gain. For instance, when we feel stressed our bodies are flooded with cortisol, and as a result, we crave sugar. Dr. Albers reminds us that our relationship with food in our adolescence and our family of origin’s relationship with food greatly impacts our habits as an adult. Dr. Albers shares the 5 tips of mindful eating. Additionally, Dr. Albers shares about the impacts of COVID on our eating habits, from the benefits of choosing immune-boosting and anti-inflammatory foods, to the pitfalls of stress-driven eating during quarantine, as a reaction to our outside coping mechanisms being inaccessible. Dr. Albers closes by diving into the all too relatable topic of hanger and shares tips to manage hanger with our audience.

Both Ms. Murray and Dr. Albers give listeners and intriguing and important look in the sociology and psychology of food.

Episode 39 - Food Systems: How They Affect the Health of the Planet and our Health

Dr. Michael Clark from Oxford University and Dr. David Wallinga from the NRDC join HLHP Radio to speak about Food Systems in America and beyond, and how they impact our health and our environment.

Dr. Clark begins by reminding listeners that it's essential to speak about food in regard to pollution because it's the single largest source of environmental damage globally. Our food production systems cause damage through fertilizer production, livestock farming runoff, energy use, land use, greenhouse gas emissions, and shipping. Dr. Clark also explores the sustainability of certain types of transport versus others, for instance, planes vs boats. Dr. Clark breaks down the difference between the processing and production of our food. Red meat, beef, sheep, and goat meat are the biggest pollution culprits in our food systems. Climate change is undoubtedly impacted by our food systems, however, climate change will also impact our food production. Over the last 40-50 years climate change has already negatively impacted crop yields. Dr. Clark explains that what and how much we're choosing to eat is the least sustainable part of our food system, as these choices drive how we produce food. An ideal sustainable food system would provide healthy food at economical prices with low environmental impacts. Dr. Clark reminds listeners that we play a roll by purchasing food responsibly, not only by reducing red meat consumption but by buying less and reducing our food waste.

Dr. Wallinga breaks down the connection between food systems, nutrition, and public health. Our food is industrially produced, with a lot of chemicals and mass yields. We've moved away from smart, hands-on farming approaches, and toward chemical practices that unfortunately impact our food supply negatively and impact our health as early as the developmental fetal stages. Dr. Wallinga also speaks about our broken food systems and the weaknesses COVID-19 has revealed. In an ever-changing world, a food-system that only functions during particular circumstances runs a large risk because we cannot rely on it. We've created a system where we speed up production and focus on mass shipping, however, this speeding up reduces the nutritional value of our food. Dr. Wallinga, an expert on antibiotics in food, speaks about the importance of antibiotics in our medical system. Our medical system relies on antibiotics for procedures like c-sections, bacterial infections, pneumonia, etc. However, because of antibiotic overuse in our food, more and more infections are becoming resistant. Put simply, this matters because it leaves our physicians with no way to treat our infections, and with untreatable infections, our health is in grave jeopardy.

Episode 38 - Our Food Diet & Environment: The Fundamental Connection

Dr. Paul Behrens of Leiden University and Sujatha Bergen of the NRDC join HLHP Radio to speak about the connection between our diets, our environment, and our health.  

Dr. Behrens breaks down the connection between our food and climate. Our food systems have a wide impact across many different facets of our environment, from energy use, soil degradation, algal blooms, and an overall 15% contribution to the world's climate change problem. The impact of our food systems is higher in areas that heavily farm livestock and dairy, as they release more greenhouse gases. There are ways to improve livestock farming, however, plant-based farming will always have a lower impact on our environment. Dr. Behrens speaks about the trends of our diet over the years, as well as our trends in nutrition and food equity. Over the last few decades, our meat consumption has increased greatly which has caused a decrease in biodiversity. If we're not careful this trend will continue. However, there has been a positive trend rising toward plant-based diets. Our world is calling for the great food revolution, a shift to plant-based nutrition, decreased food waste, and increased sustainable productivity. Dr. Behrens explains how we might do this, by using our land more mindfully and embracing exciting new nutritional innovation. Dr. Behrens closes by reminding listeners small changes make a big difference. 

Sujatha Bergen explains that there is a lot of confusion for Americans when they think about what they should eat for their health. Overtime nutritional guidelines have been released by the American Government and health leaders, which has helped to clear up some of the confusion. Unfortunately, however, the USA nutritional guidelines have not always been the healthiest guides. It is a known fact that there is a lot of money and industry influence in these dietary guidelines. For example, in the 2015 guidelines, red meat reduction was strongly recommended to reduce the risk of disease and climate change impacts. In turn, the red meat industry leaders went to congress and fought these dietary guidelines. As a result, this recommendation was buried and not published in the final guidelines in 2015. Sujatha explains that our nutrition is inevitably connected to our health, and while we often think of obesity first there is more to it. Including, drinking water pollution from overuse of fertilizer, antibiotic overuse and antibiotic resistance in humans, and diabetes and other health conditions as a result of high fructose corn syrup additives. Sujatha reminds listeners that if the average American cut the equivalent of one burger a week out of their diets it's equal to taking 10 million cars off the road. We have the power to change our diets, health and environment for the better.

Episode 37: Transportation Pollution and Human Health

Dr. Meredith McCormack and Professor Edward Avol join HLHP to talk about the health effects of transportation pollution.

Dr. McCormack begins by reminding listeners that when we think about our bodies exposure to the environment we think about the outside body. But when we breath in pollution our whole body is at risk for serious health problems. Dr. McCormack goes on to unpack asthma, COPD, and lung cancer. While COPD is caused in large by smoking and found in adults, it is exasperated by air pollution. On the other hand asthma is common in children and young lives are put at risk sitting in idling school buses. Of course, there is also a strong correlation between lung cancer and long term exposure to air pollutants from transportation. Short term and long term exposure result in different conditions. Treatment and management is also important for these chronic lung diseases and cancers, but there are many things that can be done beyond medications. Solutions include, reducing pollution, exercising, eating well, and avoiding vaping, e-cigs, smoking.  

Professor Avol explains the process of pollutants entering our bodies. When we breathe in air pollution it enters our lungs and then our bloodstream. Anywhere our blood goes the pollutants go. This means, pollutants can reach any and every organ and system in our body. Nanoparticles and gases are the infamous pollution combination. Focusing on the heart, heart disease does not occur in a vacuum and is impacted by our diets & environments. However, transportation pollution is a big contributor to heart disease and heart attacks. People with pre-existing conditions must be hyper-vigilant to reduce their exposure to transportation pollution. Dr. Avol also reminds listeners that air pollution impacts children even before birth & effects them forever. On the other side of life, elderly individuals expereinced accelerated decrease in mental capacity in more highly polluted areas. Dr. Avol reminds listeners that lifestyle choices like running, walking and consolidating car trips will reduce their exposure and risks.

Episode 36: Cars, Trucks & Planes - The Worst Polluters

Aired 6/13/2020. Dr. Max Zhang of Cornell, and Dr. John Heywood of MIT join HLHP Radio to speak about transportation pollution, and our worst polluters, cars, trucks and planes, and the impact on our body and environment.

Dr. Heywood explains how and why cars, trucks and planes all pollute differently by breaking down their engines and fuel types. Regardless, all forms of transportation emit massive amounts of carbon pollution, causing a rise in greenhouse gases in our environment. Major pollutants are not only limited to carbon, they also include hydrocarbon, smog, and ozone. Dr. Heywood explains that smog attacks all living and non-living beings, from materials to plants and animals, and our human bodies. With congestion at the top of list for air pollution, Dr. Heywood states that while getting cars off the road is the best option, people may be more inclined to simply move to electric vehicles, which is indeed a step in the right direction. Dr. Heywood looks further into the future to talk about solutions on the horizon, and reminds our listeners to move out of COVID-19 with more consciousness and aim to never return to the driving frequency and congestion prior to this time.

Dr. Max Zhang unpacks emission pollution based on exposure. For example, if you live near and airport your personal exposure rates are higher. Additionally, in the climate community there is a major concern about contrail (condensation and trail) pollution from aircrafts, and these emissions dominate atmospheric pollution rates. 90% of aircraft solutions happen above ground level, whereas 10% of emissions are released at ground level. Dr. Zhang explains how cars, planes and trucks pollute, while much of the pollution is fuel, there is nanoparticle pollution from breaks, tires, oil and beyond. Portable Emission Management Systems are key for tracking pollution. However it doesn’t stop with research, Dr. Zhang looks to the solutions as well, such as, highway design, green infrastructure near highways and ends by reminding listeners, “the solution to pollution is dilution.”

Episode 35: Transportation Pollution

Aired 6/6/2020. Kaid Benfield of Placemakers, and Susan Polan of the American Public Health Association join HLHP Radio to speak about transportation pollution, mobility and the impact on our people and planet.

Kaid connects our driving habits and the impacts on our environment. The effect of cars on environmental pollution has, no doubt, grown over the past century. In fact, statistic show our traffic has grown 5 times more quickly than our population. Moreover, as Americans our most comfortable and convenient mode of mobility is private car. American’s trips are made by car 85% of the time, while Europeans use private vehicles to make their trips 50-60% of the time. Kaid explains that this vast difference in percentage may result from our city layouts. In short, more compact cities make for shorter drive times and distances, and thus less pollution. Kaid reminds the listeners that transportation accounts for 1/3 of greenhouse gas emissions in our environment, which leads to climate change. Kaid also speaks about the opportunity to arise from COVID-19 with a different approach to transportation and the environment. 

Susan unpacks the connection between transportation pollution and human health. While transportation releases greenhouse gases into our environment, these pollutants also impact our bodies. With transportation as the leader in pollution, we have seen increased problems with asthma, heart disease, obesity, malaria and even Lyme disease. We also miss out on health benefits when our cities are built around cars, such as biking, walking. Susan reminds the listeners that the communities who are most vulnerable and susceptible to these health conditions, are often those who contribute less to the transportation pollution, thus they are left with all the health consequences and without a voice. Susan closes by speaking about the impact of COVID-19 and the increased car crashes as a result of reckless driving, and cautions listeners to be careful on the roads. 

Episode 34: Sustainable Agriculture

Dr. Nigel Sizer of Rainforest Alliance, and Dr. Joe Masabni of Texas Agrilife join HLHP Radio.

Rainforest Alliance is deeply involved with sustainable agriculture and farming because the biggest threat to tropical rainforests and deforestation is non-sustainable agricultural practices. Rainforest Alliance has become an expert in the agricultural supply chain and are very involved in bananas, cocoa, coffee, tea and vegetable crops. They have certified these crops and aided in reducing water pollution, deforestation, irresponsible resource use, and increased the sustainability, equitable treatment and fair pay for agricultural workers. In regard to agriculture in general, Dr. Sizer reminds us we need to responsibly produce and use food as populations and consumption grows. Dr. Sizer also speaks about the connection between human health, planetary health and meat farming. Overall, it is far better for our bodies and the planet to conserve less red-meat if we are properly nourished. Dr. Sizer closes by defining AgroForestry and the incredible benefits. 

Dr. Joe Masabni speaks about the importance of vegetables in our diet, in order to live healthy lifestyles in healthy bodies. With this in mind, Dr. Masabni talks about striking the balance between feeding our people, and sustaining the health of our land and water. Farmer’s market and local vendors do their best to farm as organically as possible with cover crops for soil health, properly maintained soil, and a lack of chemical spraying. Dr. Masabni also explains the different sustainable options for urban agriculture, which is on the rise. Additionally, he speaks about gardening at home, especially during this pandemic and shares the secrets of home gardening, healthy soil tips, and local resources. Dr. Masabni reminds listeners: “your shadow is the key to success,” meaning commercial and hobbyists alike must be in the garden or crop all the time to monitor pests, disease and growth. 

Episode 33: Forests, Deforestation, Sustainable Forestry - the Existential influence on Health & the Environment

Airied 5/23/2020. Featuring, Patrick Shults of Washington State University Forestry Extension, Ian Leahy of American Forests, & Liz O'Brien PhD of Forest Research.

Ian Leahy discusses the 145 year history of American Forests, a rich history that began with a group of activists institutionalizing the conservation movement, John Muir founding the Sierra Club, and Gifford Pinchot spear heading the forest service. A history that no doubt, highlights the community support of our forests. However, there are also threats to our forest’s today including climate change, which is ironic because forests are the best nature-based solution to address climate change. Ian specializes in Urban Forests, defined forests near anywhere populations have settled in sizable numbers. One local example of this is the Trinity forest in Dallas. 

Patrick Shults provides insight into forest stewardship and the education he provides to small forest owners in WA State. Patrick notes that forest health is, and must be, the main goal of every forest landowner. While timber is a part of landowning, small forest landowners are in it for the lifestyle of living in the woods, providing wildlife habitat, and being stewards of the forest. Sustainable forest management is shifting with climate change, after a very hot 2018 summer Patrick saw tree’s wrought with drought, and the public noticed this damage too. Patrick’s role is to educate the public and landowners to turn this fear into action. Patrick reminds listeners that there is a symbiotic relationship between humans and forests. 

Liz O’Brien shares the importance of forest health in connection to the wellbeing of humans. Liz notes that forest health contributes to higher physical activity, improved mental well-being, addiction treatment, improved memory, and lung function and reduces blood pressure, pulse rate, muscle tension, cortisol levels, obesity, heart-disease and type two diabetes. Liz introduces her Active Forests research study. In this study she has found some incredible increases in residents visiting forests for physical activity, and in turn also experiencing incredible stress relief. Liz closes by reminding listeners than forests are a community space which facilitate healing, teamwork, and exploration for all who gather in them. 

Episode 32: Ecological & Carbon Footprints - How do they impact our health & planet?

Aired 5/16/2020. Experts Shyla Raghav of Conservation International and Maria Saxton, Ph.D. of Hill Studio and Tiny Home Industry Association join HLHP Radio to speak about our ecological footprint, what it is and how we reduce it.

Shyla speaks about climate change and how caring for our planet helps to facilitate natures powerful ability to heal under the right circumstances. In our daily lives we make a series of decisions, how we get to work, what we buy, what companies we support. These decisions all inform the size and impact of our ecological footprints. If we can better understand our decisions we can consciously reduce our footprints and help our planet to heal. As of 2020, we’ve experienced a peak in emissions, and the necessary policy to reduce this peak has not been enacted. However, there is a temporary opportunity in COVID-19 to make longer term systemic change as we rebuild our economy with green jobs. Shyla also shares insight from the communities she works with worldwide and details the differences between the ecological footprint in developing and developed nations.

Maria details her in depth research on reducing our ecological footprint by moving to tiny homes. She reminds us that while we may not be involved in her study, there are many footprint calculators available for people to understand the impact of their lifestyle. The primary finding of Maria’s study is the 45% reduction in tiny home dwellers ecological footprints. The people in Maria’s study grew more of their food, ate less animal based products, spent more time in nature, had improved fuel economy in their vehicles, and traveled less by airplane in a given year. In regard to improved health, many participants shared their financial freedom, decreased home upkeep and increased time to spend with family, pursue hobbies, and improved mental health. Maria also notes a strong sense of community within tiny home dwellers - in physical and virtual communities alike.

Calculate Your Footprints -

Carbon: https://www.conservation.org/carbon-footprint-calculator

Ecological: https://www.footprintcalculator.org/

Episode 31: Natural Areas - Threats To Them & How They Benefit Health

Aired 5/9/2020. Featuring, Ben Lawhon of Leave No Trace, John DeFillipo of the John Bunker Sands Wetland Center, & Diana Allen of the National Parks Service.

With 750 partners, on state and federal levels, Leave No Trace, promotes the LNT principals in all outdoor activities. They work to educate communities in schools, tourism, non-profits and beyond reaching nearly 15 million people. LNT also collects metrics to understand how their education positively impacts nature health, as well as people’s attitude toward stewardship. Ben details some of the biggest threats to our public lands including, human waste, campfires leading to wildfires, and litter. All of these polluters also impact human health - mental and physical. LNT advocates for giving back, volunteering in parks and protected areas to truly understand how these shared spaces work and become part of the solution. LNT also provides key information surrounding the trends & shifts we should expect in outdoor recreation during and post COVID-19.

John Bunker Sands Wetlands is one of the Dallas Metroplex premiere nature areas, with an incredible impact on local wildlife and ecosystems. JBS Wetlands is in partnership with North Texas Municipal Water District and provides clean drinking water, and an incredible opportunity for education for students and parents about water conservation and filtration. JBS Wetlands also manages invasive plant species, to preserve habitat for the wildlife. The need for wetlands is high, not only to protect local wildlife, but to provide water for humans during the frequent droughts in Texas. John DeFillipo advises listeners to make a positive impact by gaining conservation literacy - truly understanding where their water comes from and how the water supplies can be used.

Natural spaces, most pointedly our National Parks, are the cornerstones of our health and wellbeing. The NPS has a longstanding mission of protecting and promoting human health. National Parks were established to provide all people access to outdoor recreation, clean water and clean air. Not only does the NPS ensure health for its' visitors, but also for its' employees and the land. The Healthy Parks Healthy People Program is working partnership with doctors to prescribe time in parks as medicine. Diana reminds our listeners that the people who are most vulnerable to COVID-19, those suffering from underlying health conditions, are those who would benefit most from this prescription of recreating responsibly in nearby nature spaces to manage conditions like pre-diabetes and beyond.

Episode 30: Sustainable Communities

Aired May 2nd 2020. Jason Babbie & Amanda Eaken of the NRDC, & Manal Aboelata from the Prevention Institute join HLHP Radio to speak about healthy, sustainable communities & the opportunity we have to build stronger & more resilient communities during this time.

Amanda and Jason speak about the many opportunities we have to increase sustainability within our communities - from food security, water safety, building development and affordable housing, to transportation walkability within our urban and suburban communities. The NRDC is promoting a special project: The American Cities Climate Challenge; it is in 25 American cities, aimed toward our US cities being better models of livable, walkable communities. We have a unique opportunity within this pandemic to evolve. During the pandemic we have safer streets, less car accidents, and less air pollution. Looking toward the future we have the opportunity to implement slow streets, promoting more physical activity and local business growth, as well as equitable and accessible communities. 

Manal joins the show with incredible insight from firsthand work with marginalized and under-resourced communities around the world, including Columbian cities where Manal worked to make policy change to create safe, sustainable and healthy communities. In regard to US communities within the pandemic, particularly our low-income communities, our policy makers eye’s have been opened. There has been a change in policy to change eviction laws during COVID-19 that has highlighted the changes that can be made to support and create sustainability in our communities as a whole. When we focus on human health in our communities, the Prevention Institute has worked at the federal level to advocate behind the scenes for millions of dollars to go into programs that support communities directly to implement healthy school foods, increase green space and playgrounds in neighborhoods. We have a great opportunity moving forward to focus on connected and healthy communities and physically distance, rather than socially distance. 

Thank you to our guests who can be found at: The Prevention Institute and Healthy People Thriving Communities - NRDC.

Thank you to our sponsors who can be found at: nadallas.com and earthx.org

Episode 29: The Built Environment – Wildlife and Pets

Aired April 25th 2020. Join Bernice Butler, and expert guests, Nikhil Advani from the World Wildlife Fund, and Dr. Shawn Messonnier from Paws and Claws Animal Hospital to make the connection between the health of our pets and wildlife, the health of our planet and the health of our own bodies. 

Nikhil explains how natural ecosystem services, such as fresh water, pollination, soil health, etc., are essential for human health. Thus, it is imperative for us to protect nature and wildlife. Wildlife is an vital part of our natural ecosystems. For instance, without bee’s we wouldn’t have the same crops  to provide nutrition to our bodies - a fact that is often overlooked, but absolutely dependent on our wildlife. There are very few animal species untouched by human impact, of the 5 major threats to wildlife human’s play a roll in all 5 of them. In regard to the built environment, there is a huge impact on wildlife around the world. In developing countries, cities are growing and connecting by roads and this drives wildlife out, interrupts their migration and their health as a whole. To care for a wildlife, we must reduce our consumption and be more responsible in our development.

Dr. Shawn, speaks about the impacts of the built environment on our beloved pets. Everything from where we walk our pets, the beds they sleep on, the food we feed them, and the medicines and vaccinations we give them play a part in polluting their built environments and body and lead to serious health issues such as cancer, asthma and allergies. Moreover, the exact same toxins (mold, chemicals leached into soil and grass) that our pets are exposed to can be spread to our bodies and vise versa. Dr. Shawn offers safe and natural alternatives to care for your pets, such as, doing blood tests before vaccines, CBD oil, being involved and observant pet parents, herbal and homeopathic detoxification, and general supplements for pet health.

Thank you to our guests who can be found at: WWF Climate Crowd, and https://pawsandclawsanimalhospital.com 

Thank you to our sponsors who can be found at: nadallas.com and earthx.org

Episode 28: Earth Day 2020 - Climate Activism

Aired April 18th 2020, welcoming expert guests: Lana Weidgenant of Zero Hour & National Children's Campaign, Aaryaman Singhal of Sunrise Movement, and Brittany Wells of the City of Dallas .

Lana explains the spanning network that is Zero Hour, with 20 national branches and 30 more internationally, all with a goal of climate justice around the world. Zero hour focuses on holding big business accountable for climate change and enacting change. Lana focuses on food justice and the connection to climate change, and the need for equitable food and plant based diets. Lana also connects the climate crisis with systems of oppressions such as: colonialism, racism and patriarchy. Lana shares the 2 day Earth Day live broadcast and climate-friendly food campaign for the UN Climate Conference:  http://tiny.cc/foodcop26  and https://www.earthdaylive2020.org/.

Aaryaman shares his personal experience with climate change and his incredible passion that led him to a move from a full-time paid position at Groundwork Dallas to spearheading The Sunrise Movement Dallas branch, as a volunteer. He goes on to speak about a world where we can walk to buy local produce, take an electric bus to work, and see families outdoors together; bringing this type of life to people around the country is Sunrise Movements goal. Sunrise Movement’s goal is not only to create this world, but create millions of jobs along the day through policy like the Green-Stimulus Deal. Aaryaman also connects COVID-19 and the climate crisis in a profound and insightful way. Learn more at Sunrisedallas.org or Sunrise Movement Dallas on social media.

Brittany, explains the importance of the Climate Council in Dallas. The Climate Council shows a positive and exciting shift in a focus on climate action efforts in the City of Dallas - debunking the myth that “Texans Don’t Care of Climate Change.” Moreover, the City of Dallas has been focusing for about a year on the CECAP in Dallas - initiated by resident conversations and requests for plans to reverse climate change impacts in their city and suburbs. The purpose of CECAP is to be a comprehensive plan to not only mitigate emissions, but moreover adapt infrastructure by electrifying transportation fleets, and improve quality of life with access to healthy food and nearby parks and outdoor space. Find the CECAP plan schedule on 4/22/2020 on www.dallasclimateaction.com

Episode 27: Green and Healthy Homes

Aired April 11th 2020.

Dr. Stephanie McCarter, M.D. and Dr. Tang Gim Lee, Ph.D., architect and professor, join Bernice Butler for a very relevant episode about healthy homes and architecture. At a time of sheltering in place we all want to ensure the healthiest homes with the cleanest possible air and most peaceful environments. Learn how to make small changes today and big changes in the future to live your healthiest life, in a healthier home, on a healthier planet.

Dr. McCarter shares insight about her safe haven home. From mold issues, paint, carpet, varnishes, cleaning products, pesticides and scented candles, the air quality in your home matters and is impacted by multiple factors -- a new home is not always the best option. Dr. McCarter recommends using the app Plume to track the particulate matter in the air around you to ensure your environment is safe. She also cautions that air filters in your home are essential, especially in highly populated and urbanized neighborhoods. 

Dr. Lee speaks about clean and green building strategies. Dr. Lee dives deep into the way we outfit our homes, meaning, carpeting, wood flooring, and the glue that is used to hold everything together. Dr. Lee also discusses the best kinds of vacuum cleaners to use in your homes. Moreover, Dr. Lee reminds us that we are all unique individuals, healthy homes look different from one person to another, we must build with materials that make our own unique bodies feel good. Last but not least, Dr. Lee reminds our listeners to get fresh air, eliminate the dust in your environment, and remove off-gassing objects for a healthier home today!

Finally, Dr. Shawn of Paws and Claws Veterinary Clinic joins our community pulse segment to educate listeners about the impact of COVID-19 on the pets in your homes.

Episode 26: The Built Environment - Workspaces and Beyond

Aired April 4th 2020. Dr. Karen Wang from the Collaborative for Health and The Environment and Because Health, and Amy King from GoodWork US, join HLHP Radio.

As we shelter in place and spend even more time indoors Dr. Wang explains that the average person spends nearly 90% of their time indoors on a regular basis. In our current state, it’s nearly 100% for many. Not only do we spend our time indoors, we bring our comforts inside as well, from furniture, to toys and electronics. Our buildings, furnishings and entertainment materials impact our built environment and contribute to serious pollution and toxic leaching. From flame retardant furniture to lead paint, the list goes on. Dr. Wang shares her personal experience making her home healthy and the journey of researching to truly find out what is in our products and building materials. While we may not all be able to build our homes from scratch, we can make better choices in our products, choose better pots and pans, glass and stainless steal food storage, and body safe cleaning products (beware of fragranced cleaning products).

Amy King speaks about healthy workplaces. Co-working spaces are shared work places for entrepreneurs. GoodWork is a green building co-working space, rehabilitated from a vacant 1950’s two floor warehouse. Recycling buildings is not often done, especially in Texas, but Amy and her business partner saw the potential and revitalized their co-working building with WELL and LEED building. GoodWork’s rehabilitation has helped to inspire the rest of the built environment in the neighborhood to come back to life. Amy explains “sick building syndrome” and her experience working in a sick building - marked by old mechanical systems, old air filters, toxic carpets and un-opening windows, resulting in the well-known 3 PM headache. But there is hope, businesses and their employees can make change, by advocating for their health, and pursuing local green building rating systems to access their workspaces and make change.

Visit https://www.becausehealth.org to tap into great cleaning products and tips to make your produce last while sheltering in place.

Visit https://goodcoworking.co/blog-press for ideas about how to make your home workspace greener and cleaner.

Episode 25: Groundwater Pollution & Conservation

Aired 3/28/2020.

In this episode expert Karen Kinsella from The National Groundwater Association and GZA GeoEnvironmental will speak to listeners about groundwater pollution; and experts Denise Hickey and David Cowan from North Texas Municipal Water District will explore water conservation.

Groundwater is one of our most valuable resources, and while we may not see if everyday, we can’t forget about, it’s always there, beneath the surface, giving us and our earth life. Groundwater is polluted by incorrectly used fertilizers and pesticides, septic pollution, chemical spills, & even polluted surface water. The most common groundwater pollutant is Perchloroethylene which can cause anything from skin irritation, all the way to cancer. To personally reduce pollution, make sure you have licensed professionals install your septic and dispose of your waste properly.

Water conservation is Texas, and of course around the world is essential. In Texas, surface water belongs to the state, while groundwater belongs to individual landowners, and so the municipal water district and individuals must come together to preserve and protect the finite resource of water. To conserve water, garden and water your land properly, make sure your swimming pools don’t have leaks, shorten your showers and start talking about water with your children and community.

Visit https://www.ntmwd.com/ for updates on clean and safe drinking water in Texas, during a time where water is so essential. Make sure you’re staying hydrated and washing your hands. 

Visit https://www.ngwa.org/publications-and-news/covid-19-news-and-resources for their incredible response and resources to stay during COVID-19. 

Visit https://earthx.org/ to be a part of their virtual expo April 22nd-27th - stay home, protect your health and your planet all at once.

Visit https://nadallas.com for resources to boost your immune system and stay healthy.

Episode 24: Human Health and Our Waterways

Aired 3/21/2020/

How exactly are we impacting our own health, and the health of our future generations when we neglect the care of our oceans and waterways? Dr. John Stegemen Director of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute for Oceans and Human Health (a branch of WHOI), and Dr. Scott Meschke, Associate Chair in the Department of Environment and Occupational Health Sciences at the University of Washington, will break it all down for you in the special health focused episode.

Join these special experts, as they unpack waterborne illnesses, pathogens, unsafe drinking and recreation water, chemical pollution, red tide, and beyond.

There is a deep connection between oceans and human health. This connection is seen in many ways, but largely through the seafood we delight in eating. Dr. Stegemen explores the risks of eating contaminated seafood on our bodies, minds and lives.

Our daily activities, the very activities that should help contribute to our #bluemind and benefit our health, unfortunately hold great risk when we don’t care for our waterways, drinking water and water sanitation. Dr. Meschke educates us about the different waterborne pathogens, and viruses present in our shower's water vapor, drinking water and even food rinse-water.

Episode 23: Urban Waters

Aired 3/14/2020, featuring Waterkeepers: Jill Jedlicka, Fred Tutman, and co-host Garrett Boone, of the Boone Family Foundation.

Waterkeepers and the Boone Family Foundation both take a special interest in keeping the Urban Waters of their homelands clean, healthy, and advocated for.

Fred Tutman speaks about the cycle of clean up on the Patuxent River, from restoration, to re-pollution and back again. With a water rating of a D-. In parts of the river there are flesh-eating bacterias running rampant in the summer. Even with these health risks in mind, the state has no clear plan in place to maintain river health. These potential human health risks are very real, and Fred knows that if we care about our bodies, we MUST care about over rivers. This is non-negotiable.

Garrett Boone, speaks about his connection to the Trinity River System, the garbage build up from the suburbs, homeless encampments and freeway traffic pollution. Garrett has partnered with Groundwork to lead Kayak pick ups, ecoli-testing, and river management.

Jill’s waterways in the Buffalo-Niagra region as polluted by industrial and radioactive waste. Jill Jedlicka reminds us that Urban rivers and waterways can have a bad reputation for pollution, but we must reflect on ourselves and what we do to contribute to this pollution.

Listen to the incredible conversation that unfolds between these three, passionate, involved and knowledgable experts.

Episode 22: Oceans

Aired 3/7/2020, featuring Greenpeace experts, Kate Melges and Arlo Hemphill; and Dr. J Nichlos of #BlueMind.

Greenpeace fights for policy change in our waterways, from plastic pollution to ocean sanctuaries they dive in and enact change at the highest level.

Kate Melges speaks to the devastating plastic pollution in our oceans, impacting our ecosystem health, our marine life health and the health of our own bodies. From hormone disruption to bellies littered with plastic, she covers it all.

Arlo Hemphill, is actively working on enacting serious change at the UN conference coming up this month, where he is fighting for ocean protection in the form of ocean sanctuaries. International waters currently have no way of being protected, and new legislation would allow for protection, marine life healing, ecosystem rehabilitation and overall renewed ocean, and in turn, human health.

Dr. J Wallace, the author of Blue Mind, speaks about our bodies inherent connection to water, the healing impacts spending time around water, or listening to water sounds, has on our immune systems. nervous systems and whole body healthy. J reminds our listeners that healthy waterways = healthy humans.

Episode 21: Wind Energy, Allergies and Asthma

Join experts Matt Saldãna from the TTU National Wind Institute, Carol Dollard from Colorado State University, and Jenna Riemenschneider from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.

Matt Saldãna speaks about West Texas’s leadership in Wind Energy, financing wind energy, cost efficiency, accessibility and education.

Carol Dollard addresses the engineering of Wind Turbines, the importance of renewable green energy, and reducing our carbon footprint in big business and large universities like STARS platinum ranked CO State University.

Jenna Riemenschneider connections human health wind energy; from the amount of allergy and asthma related deaths increasing in recent years, to the disproportionate impact of asthma and allergies on minority and lower income groups, and the true public health crisis of climate change.

Listen to this special episode, featuring three incredible experts, and take another step towards renewable energy, a healthier planet and a healthier YOU.

Episode 20: Katharine Hayhoe - The Clean Energy Imperative

Bernice Butler and Co-Host Tony Keane from EarthX, welcome expert Katharine Hayhoe. In this special episode Hayhoe addresses climate-deniers, clean energy, and faith.

Hayhoe dives into energy production, where 75% of our pollution comes from fossil fuels, and the easiest and most impactful way to combat this is clean energy.

However, the richest corporations in the world are currently being subsidized by the tax payer to keep the cost of fossil fuels low. This is a fact that most people don’t realize. Many people think that clean energy is being subsidized because of the rebates we receive when we purchase electric vehicles. In reality, these rebates are 10% of the subsidy that are given to the fossil fuel industry (the International Monetary fund breaks this all down). It all breaks down to fact that big industry is profiting from taxpayer’s money to continue our reliance on an outdated, and frankly dirty way, of producing energy that we have since outgrown.

The bad news about our current energy sectors, 200,000 people day in the USA alone from air pollution, chemicals and dangerous pollutants leach into our streams and waterways and soil every day from the fossil fuel industry causes endless health risks.

The good news, we’re making progress, United airline is running biofuel flights out of LAX. Energy and fuel are straightforward ways to implement clean energy. Other spheres are more complicated, but with a mix of new clean energy technology we can tackle all our energy sectors.

Further, Hayhoe reminds our listeners that the only “type of person” you have to be to care about climate change is a human. We don’t need to move climate change up to the top of our list, because climate change impacts everything on our list already. We must come together on what we already care about, may it be our faith, our jobs or our health, to connect the dots to climate action. For the number one most important thing we can do about climate change is…TALK ABOUT IT.

Hayhoe references her incredible Youtube series Global Weirding, watch her series on nadallas.com, healthylivinghealthyplanetradio.com and of course on her youtube channel.

Community Pulse: General Honoré joins HLHP to speak about climate change, leadership and mobilizing action.

Episode 19: Solar Energy

Unpack the shift to solar, how to do it, why it matters, and what it can do for our environment and health with Jonathan Buonocore from Harvard University, and Karl Rábago from Rábago Energy.

Jonathan explains the health risks of our current energy production sources, resulting from air pollution (ozone & PM 2.5). These include: asthma, pre-mature birth, stroke, cardiovascular, Alzheimer's, Aspergers, etc.

Additionally breaks down the problematic nature and negative health impacts of natural gas (named by some as a clean energy). However, Jonathan explains how this naming doesn’t factor in the whole lifecycle of natural gas (pipelines, hydraulic fracturing, facilities pollution, etc.).

Jonathan closes with a lighter topic of the benefit of switching to solar. There are greater health benefits in areas already high in pollution and population; this is where we must focus first to make the greatest impact.

In segment 2 Karl promotes solar as a huge opportunity. Solar is now more accessible, falling in price rapidly. Using solar energy on a renewable cycle, on a daily basis through photo-voltaic panels, and converting sunlight into electricity is where the shift happens. You can even size your solar panels and setup for your households energy needs. 

There are many avenues for solar, including pollinator and wildlife safe solar farms, solar on top of landfills, community solar projects and group cooperatives.

With abundant opportunity, lowering cost and rising availability, solar should only become for viable for lower income populations who can benefit from the consistent and fixed bill every month and the lowered risk of climate related health issues, which they are impacted by at higher rates.

To promote the switch to clean energy individuals can: join a group of activists, contact utility customer service and advocate for solar, speak up at community meetings, talk to officials and make informed votes.

Episode 18: Wildfires

Listen as we dive into Australia as a stark example of what is to come for our world if don’t better our fire management systems, hold big businesses accountable, and take actionable steps to reduce climate change and drought.

Experts Justin Kenardy, Philip Stewart and Christine Hosking from Queensland University in Brisbane all share their unique knowledge about the impact on flora and fauna, fire prevention and the aftercare of trauma inducing events such as wildfire on children, adults and communities as a whole.

Dr. Hosking highlights the massive loss of habitat for Australian wildlife as a result of development and agriculture, now further amplified by the fires in New South Whales has led to mass extinction. Additionally she speaks to the decrease of biodiversity - a biodiversity that human health relies upon, as it balances our planet (fresh air, crops, fresh water).

Professor Stewart speaks about the build up of fuel in our environment and eco-systems, made more severe by climate change, which has led to these massive and uncontrolled burns. His goal is to control fires through management, & acknowledge that we will only see greater intensity fires if we don’t have a paradigm shift.

Professor Kenardy speaks about the short term and long term impact of the trauma of wildfires and natural disasters. He considers the immediate impact of disaster on people who experience PTSD and amplified anxiety, and the later long term effects on those who do not fully recover, of depressions, poor self-care, and even changes in cardiovascular health. He also considers the separate issue of eco-anxiety. Finally, we look into a strong sense of community and resilience that can emerge when communities come together to heal.

Episode 17: Storms and Flooding

Sharon Beard of NIEHS speaks about the risk factors of hurricanes and storms, and addresses the communities at the greatest risk. The DERT program provides training to workers who respond to disaster relief to decrease those risk factors. The environmental career worker training program is specialized to train workers who live and work in communities with high environmental risk, natural disasters and pollution. The immediate risk factors on the ground are, entering unsafe and structurally damaged homes, mold contamination, electrical issues and water pollution.

Dr. Patrick Harris of The University of Queensland speaks specifically about the significant health impacts of storms and flooding. Great influx of melioidosis disease spikes after rainfall in tropical climates such as Australia, Thailand, and Vietnam. The presenting factors of melioidosis are septic shock, brain and liver abscesses, bone and joint problems, skin abscesses.

The direct impacts of floods according to Dr. Harris are drowning, debris injury, carbon monoxide poisoning. Infectious complications roll in a week to two weeks later, such as soft tissue infections, many of which are antibiotic resistant (opportunistic pathogens). There are huge spikes in gastroenteritis from contaminated drinking water. Last but not least, floods greatly impact mental health, prescriptions for antidepressants shoot up. 

Episode 16: Drought

Join experts Brad Pugh of NOAA and Dr. Bruce McCarl of TAMU on this extreme weather episode about drought. 

The economic, social, health and environmental impacts of drought are spanning. From mental health to asthma, and food security to clean drinking water and even job security, drought impacts us in all facets of our lives.

Brad Pugh tells us more about NOAA, the agency in charge of monitoring and reporting the US weather to aid citizens in preparing for climate impacts. Monitoring the current drought situation is essential because it sneaks up on people, it’s not like a tornado or hurricane, it’s a slow and steady build to a serious environmental and health problem. Each month, NOAA does a monthly climate call for the local and national media to spread essential awareness about extreme weather and drought. The public can access a snap shot of current drought condition using NOAA’s drought monitor online. When drought arises there is a significant impact to our mental health. To counteract drought, stay informed, minimize your water use and utilize drought trackers.

Dr. Bruce McCarl of Texas A&M explores droughts and the swinging pendulum of weather specifically in Texas. The greenhouse effect is causing our temperatures to increase, our rainfall to change and our drought to increase. In fact, last year was the 2nd warmest year on record. These climate changes cause the standing drought to worsen. In the 2011 drought, one hundred million trees died in Texas — the socioeconomic and environmental impacts were massive, in multiple billions of dollars. As drought increases we see cropland convert into grassland and the income earning potential drop 70% for rural areas. To combat drought in Texas Dr. McCarl suggests taking more public transit, using more efficient cooking and heating systems, better sustainable care of the land and trees, and reducing intake of beef. 

Episode 15: Extreme Heat

In the first episode of our extreme weather segment, we focus on extreme heat. Extreme heat adversely impacts our health, from increased respiratory and heart diseases, to heat stroke and heat stress.

Dr. Nielsen-Gammon of TAMU speaks about the extreme heat in Texas; and the interrelation of all extreme weather events. While extreme heat is prevalent around the world heat waves are qualified differently depending on where you live. In cities extreme heat is becoming a major issue, as the population raises and the concrete jungles expand the heat risks multiply.

Dr. John Balbus of NIEHS introduces the bodies natural air conditioner of sweat. Regardless of our bodies acclimation to heat, during extreme heat our body is over stressed and can’t cool us properly. When we move more blood to our skin to sweat our heart and lungs are further stressed causing serious health risk. Moreover, our mental health is negatively impacted during extreme heat, from aggravated mental health conditions, to elevated crime during heat waves the human body cannot handle extreme heat waves, just as the planet cannot either.

Episode 14: Bonus Episode - Zero Waste Part II: Solutions

Join Turn Compost’s Lauren Clarke and Wes Fitch, and Step Tire’s Blake Bassett for an amazing Bonus Episode.

Four Episodes simply weren’t enough to cover the environmental and health impacts of waste and waste disposal in the world. In this Bonus episode, two local Dallas companies come together to give the audience incredible information, education and resources to live less wasteful lives.

Listen to Lauren and Wes speak about the process of composting, layering your greens and browns, and the health benefits of turning your waste into compost. Learn the do’s and don’ts of composting from these experts.

And don’t miss Blake Bassett from Step Tire. Giving Hope Traction is their mission and they are doing a fantastic job. Creating shoes from old tires, they do an excellent service to reusing, and repurposing material that would otherwise go straight to the landfill and cause hazardous waste.

Enjoy this bonus episode and move one step closer to zero waste.

Episode 13: Zero Waste - Ditch the Landfills to Better Your Health

Safe Landfills are a fairy tale, let us tell you why…

Landfills deeply impact our health and wellness. Landfills are places on land where we put our garbage and other toxic chemicals to keep them out of our environment, but not surprisingly they find their way back into our environment and our bodies. Waste in landfills does not always, in fact often, decompose and as a result produces a huge amount of methane emissions. The USA has the highest methane emissions from landfills. So needless to say, this is not a small problem.

Landfills negatively impact our health: asthma, eye, throat and lung irritation, nausea, headaches and toxic chemical inhalation and may impact cancer, diabetes, and even autism. 

Listen in with expert Kirstie Pecci to unpack what it truly happening in our landfills: plastic barriers breaking down, lacking regulations, the dangerous orderless methane gasses, and leachate and contaminated groundwater.

Episode 12: Hazardous and RX Prescription Waste

Join Dr. William Suk and Dr. Elizabeth Seymour for this impactful episode about toxic and hazardous waste (RX prescriptions, electronics, batteries, factory waste, mercury, lead etc.) in our landfills, food, water and air.

Dr. Suk, from NIH, expert in environmental exposures, explores the numerous chemicals we are exposed to throughout our lifetime. One of these chemicals is arsenic, which tests in high quantities in the human body. Exposure to arsenic is most common near mines or in mining towns, but also occurs naturally in the earth and can be found in ground water (well water in Maine and Vermont). Arsenic is also found in our daily products, such as our food (particularly our rice in the USA) and in lightening and whitening beauty products. Arsenic exposure has serious cardiovascular repercussions, can cause diabetes, and birth defects in fetuses exposed before birth.

Dr. Emily Seymour, from the Environmental Health Center of Dallas reminds us that there are many tests to dig deeper under the surface of your symptoms. Simply because you enter a doctors office with fatigue does not mean you are anemic, you may have toxin exposures you aren't aware of, and you can take control of your health and connect with environmental health doctors like Dr. Seymour to treat your whole body, not just your symptoms. Much of our exposure is unsurprisingly pesticide exposure, as well as heavy metal, RX prescription toxin exposure in our drinking water. While you may not immediately show symptoms of toxic exposure the effects are longterm and catastrophic. Dr. Seymour offers some important alternatives to stay away from pesticide, RX prescription and other toxic exposure.

Episode 11: Electronic Waste - Siri, Remind Me to Dispose of My Electronics Safely

Learn about E-Waste, one of the most overlooked epidemics in our society today. Every year 50-million tons of electronic waste is created. With computers, cell-phones and tablets being created, purchased and promptly thrown into landfills, it is the number one fastest growing waste form in our society.

By recycling our electronic products we can create recycled energy, eliminate toxic e-waste that is currently polluting our soil, air, water and in turn our bodies.

Hear from Professor Lucy McAllister, a specialist in e-waste research. She knows we all love our cell-phones and live in a world that is now based around technology, however, she has incredible insight on how to shift our relationship with electronics and e-waste. We are upgrading our electronics at unsustainable rates, with 1000 of chemicals going into production causing serious harm to our bodies and the environment.

Also hear from Dr. Chen about the hazardous impacts of e-waste on our bodies; from exposure for workers (inhalation, and skin exposure), to exposure for residents who live in E-Waste recycling zones (air, food, and water). Furthermore, on a daily basis American citizens are exposed to e-waste toxins through air exposure and contamination in our food. There are adverse health impacts on the body, birth defects, pre-mature birth, cognitive dysfunction, DNA damage. Cancer-risk, respiratory and cardio vascular studies are all suspected and require further long term studies.

Episode 10: From Over Consumption to Sustainability - Small Actions Make A Big Difference

Join incredible guests, Chris MacDonald, British scientist, author, filmmaker and environmentalist; and Ina Petersen Founder of Inner Voice Artists and co-founder of the leading Sustainability Festival: YouthMundus.

Overconsumption is escalating in our world, particularly in the USA. Hear from Chris about the disconnect we have as humans between our products, the environment and our health. Learn about the massive waste produced by the fashion industry and sustainable alternative choices we can make instead.

Additionally, hear some hard hitting examples to understand just how we are over-consuming our earth each day. From Overshoot Day, to Plastic Island and beyond, Chris has insight into this issue you can’t miss.

Ina Petersen speaks with host Bernice Butler in the second segment of the episode. Hear from her about a new spin on festivals.

In a world where waste is accelerating, music and art festivals are a huge leader in waste. Research shows that Coachella and StageCoach generate 100 tons of waste PER DAY. YouthMundus has flipped this on it’s head, choosing sustainable options, partnering ecological brands and environmental leaders, and creating a panel of youth activists.

Learn from Ina how important sustainable festivals and events are in a world being consumed by waste every day.

Episode 9: Plastic Pollution Coalition: Plastic - A Substance the World & Your Body Can’t Digest

Aired 11/30/19 on KXFR AM, now available to listen to here, on Spotify, SoundCloud and Google Play.

Join in on this special episode by listening to host Bernice Butler, speak with Dianna Cohen and Emily DiFrisco of Plastic Pollution Coalition (PPC).

In the world of plastic pollution all roads really do lead to the PPC, they are a global organization with partners in healthcare, education, science, activism and even art. They are beautiful of example of coming together to understand and eliminate single-use plastic.

Better understand the way that plastic breaks down in our world and our bodies and the adverse effect is has during its long-lasting lifecycle (longer than a human lifecycle).

Moreover, understand what is at stake for ourselves, our children and our unborn babies. We come into constant contact with plastic everyday and this is exposure is directly related to breast cancer, brain cancer, prostate cancer, infertility, low sex-drive, diabetes, and obesity.

While there are some things we cannot control, plastic pollution is a very controllable issue. Learn how Dianna and Emily implore our listeners to make small changes on a daily basis to eliminate single use plastic.

Learn More about PPC and make change by clicking the links below:

• Link to join Plastic Pollution Coalition

• Link to our Global Plastic Reduction Legislative Toolkit

• Link to sign our petition to Amazon.com

• Link to Plastic Entanglements Art Exhibit

Also here from Anna Clark Anna, founder of EarthPeople Media and the co-founder of the Inclusive Economy Consortium. Anna is a multi-stakeholder initiative created in partnership with the Hunt Institute for Engineering & Humanity at SMU.

Please learn more about Impact Nights, hosted by Inclusive Economy Consortium by visiting the link here: https://inclusive-economy.org/impactnights

Episode 8: Plastic Accumulation - Unhealthy Effects on Our Bodies, Our Oceans & Our land

Aired 11/23/19 on KXFR 1190 AM, now available on Spotify, Soundcloud, Google Play and here!

Did you know plastic accumulation builds up in your body and causes serious ailments and illnesses?

Have you ever heard from a health expert about the ways to eliminate your contact with plastic and heal your body?

Did you know plastic pollution doesn’t start and end with proper recycling and reuse?

Have you ever spoken with an expert who has seen the lifecycle of plastic firsthand, from the beginning stages, to visiting the end of the line countries plastic accumulates in?

Listen this special episode featuring Michael Doshi of Algalita, and Joseph Spada, LPN, adult family home owner and professor, to learn about all of the above and MORE! 

Episode 7: Forming The Future -Youth Activism

Featuring two incredible youth activists Lilly Platt and Danny Eisawy.

Lilly founded ‘Lilly’s Plastic Pickup’ at the age of 7.  is a Youth Ambassador for Plastic Pollution Coalition, HOW Global, The Ship of Tolerance London 2019 & YouthMundus. Lilly was recently awarded Young Activist of the Year Award 2019. And last but certainly not least Lilly was recently featured on  her first TedX talk. Lilly sheds light on plastic pollution and unique strategies to combat it and bring together a network through social media.

Danny, founded Litter Kickers at the age of 9, was part of a 2018 campaign that successfully managed to save a local tree from being felled, leads climate strikes at his school, and has started a growing network of litter pick ups. Together with his brother Jojo, Danny was named Environmental Champion for Tonbridge and Malling in 2019 for his litter picking activities & community clean-up initiative. Danny speaks about his global litter-picking initiatives, protest leadership and wildlife protection.

The two come together powerfully to bring us some serious inspiration and motivation to a can’t miss episode, and remind us that little acts make a HUGE DIFFERENCE.

Episode 6: Eliminate Plastic To Find The Balance - Hormone Health & Ocean Preservation.

Aired Live on 11/09/2019: Shelby O’Neil, environmental activist, Jr. Ocean Guardians founder, #NoStrawNovember creator, and 18 year old student at UC Berkley, speaks about educating our population, especially our youth, on plastic pollution through her work. Moreover, Shelby explains the negative impacts of plastic pollution and the importance of getting involved in changing policy in regard to pollution and climate change. Shelby proves that one voice can make huge waves, she has eliminated over 32 million single use plastic straws per year, on Delta Airlines, Alaska Airlines and many others. 

Dr. Lynn Lafferty, Pharm D, master herbalist, naturopath, educator and chef, grants us insight into a topic that matters to each and every one of us: OUR HEALTH. Moreover, Dr. Lafferty explains the impacts of plastics on our hormones. Learn about the hidden micro-plastics in our daily products (detergents, products, food supply). Better understand the tricks behind the phrase “BPA Free,” the common use of these materials in dentists offices, and the cancer causing and hormone hazardous impacts of plastic.

Episode 5: Plastic Pollution: Advocacy & the Unhealthy Lifecycle of Plastics

Aired Live on 11/02/2019: Featuring Jeffrey Jacoby, Deputy Director for the Texas Campaign for the Environment; and Katy Launius sustainability coordinator and Dean of Students Success and Wellness at Eastfield College.

Jeffrey speaks about changing the habits of texans one door, and one person at a time. They are a ground up organization who work to pass state wide legislation on climate change and pollution, enact curb side recycling and composting, and eliminate single-use bag banning, to name a few.

Learn about Jeffrey’s national presentation from “The Drill To The Dump”, and “We Can’t Recycle Our Way Out Of This.” Jeffrey will shed light on the life cycle of plastic, with the true beginning being at the drilling of oil (especially in West Texas).

Also learn about the negative health impacts of the build up of micro-plastics in our environment.

Finally, hear from Katy, about how the the communities of Texas are being educated in environmental sustainability through Eastfield College’s programs on each of their campuses.

Episode 4: Climate Change - Your Job, Your Health & Your Wallet

Aired Live October 26th 2019: Dr. Kim Knowlton and Juanita Constible from the NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council)join host Bernice Butler to speak about how rising temperatures and extreme weather conditions in our world impact our job, our health and our wallets.

Our world's temperatures are predicted to raise 10-15 degrees over the coming decades. Heat is intrinsically related to health. Learn about the motion Juanita and Kim have worked on to advocate for workers rights related to heat.

Better understand the economic burden of raising temperatures for workers who do not have PTO and cannot access their jobs because of heat related natural disasters, and the high cost of emergency health care and services for heat related natural disaster.

Also hear from earthXfilm president and co-creator Michael Cain about the incredible movement through film to sensitive, educate and change people's hearts and minds about the importance of climate change and the environment. Through earthXfilm Dallas is slowly becoming greener and more environmentally aware and active.