Episodes

We’re running low on clean water in the U.S., and that has a tremendous impact on our economy. Water-intensive industries like manufacturing and agriculture are feeling the pinch, but so is the energy industry. Permits for new coal plants in Texas are being protested by farmers whose crops are already parched with drought, because the farmers don’t want to compete for clean water with the energy plant. Downstream states are taking upstream states to court across the U.S. over water rights, and L...

Our guest this week is New York Times auto writer Jim Motavalli's with his new book HIGH VOLTAGE: The Fast Track to Plug in the Auto Industry, published by Rodale Books on Nov. 8, 2011. HIGH VOLTAGE is a behind-the-scenes look at the robustly competitive race to dominate the market for electric cars, the larger-than-life moguls behind them, and the changes that are transforming the auto industry. Jay Leno says of the book, “Electricity has always been the best way to power an automobile. At the ...

On this episode of Go Green Radio, we’ll be joined by the filmmakers of the award winning Sundance documentary “Fuel,” husband and wife directing team Josh and Rebecca Tickell. They will discuss Freedom, a powerful new documentary film that examines the destructive relationship between foreign oil, national security and our economy, and focuses on clean energy solutions to America’s oil addiction. Freedom showcases the potential of home-grown energy for our economy and features interviews with f...

A lot of people believe that no matter what humans do to the environment, the Earth has the capability to restore its equilibrium. After all, we know that the planet has survived through many previous ice ages, periods of global warming, and eras of intense CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere. We assume that just because the Earth has recovered from these naturally occurring events, it will do so again, even as humans contribute to the environmental changes we currently observe. However, Profes...

What can a bank do to create a more sustainable economy? How can a bank help reduce a community’s carbon footprint? Are green jobs created by lending practices that reward eco-sensitive enterprises? Today’s guest is Stephanie Rico, Vice President of Environmental Affairs for Wells Fargo. She will discuss some new concepts in sustainable financial lending, as well as internal measures to “green” the bank’s business operations. Ms. Rico will discuss the evolution of “green” banking practices acros...

Founded in 2009 by Brooklyn-based CEO David Luks after a battle with cancer lead him to learn about living a natural lifestyle, David discovered the extraordinary health benefits of honey and built his company based on the simple idea of offering consumers a flavorful and healthful drink that is derived from the land, not the lab. Honeydrop Beverages is proud to officially announce their “Buy a Bottle – Save a Bee” campaign. This initiative, established to help fight Colony Collapse Disorder (CC...

What’s on your grocery list this week? Milk, bread, eggs…how about sustainability? Today on Go Green Radio, we’re joined by the VP of Strategic Sourcing, and the Director of Supply Chain Sustainability for Safeway, Inc. They will give us some insights on how their grocery chain is “going green,” and how they are working with their suppliers to bring eco-friendly products and services to a market near you.

According to Richard Heinberg, author of the new book The End of Growth – Adapting to Our New Economic Reality, the answer is no. He makes the case that the world’s economic growth is inextricably tied to cheap energy, namely oil, and that as we enter a phase of more expensive extraction – like deep water, offshore drilling – our economy will level out…at best. He says that, “The human economy exists within and entirely depends upon Nature, and many natural resources have no realistic substitute...

Jill Krysinski and Betsie Weisse both hold Masters Degrees in Education, and firmly believe that all kids should be educated on environmental issues, starting in pre-school. Jill is a high school science teacher who has won awards from the Earth Day Network and the National Environmental Education Foundation. Her science club has established a bus tour – run on biodiesel the kids help create – in which high school students travel to various elementary and middle schools to teach younger kids abo...

A lot of people believe that no matter what humans do to the environment, the Earth has the capability to restore its equilibrium. After all, we know that the planet has survived through many previous ice ages, periods of global warming, and eras of intense CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere. We assume that just because the Earth has recovered from these naturally occurring events, it will do so again, even as humans contribute to the environmental changes we currently observe. However, Profes...

BPA seems to be the scapegoat for hundreds of other harmful chemicals found in plastic food and beverage containers. While plastic manufacturers are scrambling to produce materials that can be marketed to consumers as BPA and phthalates-free, a recent study shows that many of these products are still full of chemicals with estrogenic activity (EA), which disrupt the natural function of human hormones. Chemicals with EA have been linked to cancer, reproductive disorders, and a variety of behavior...

According to Richard Heinberg, author of the new book The End of Growth – Adapting to Our New Economic Reality, the answer is no. He makes the case that the world’s economic growth is inextricably tied to cheap energy, namely oil, and that as we enter a phase of more expensive extraction – like deep water, offshore drilling – our economy will level out…at best. He says that, “The human economy exists within and entirely depends upon Nature, and many natural resources have no realistic substitute...

You know where babies come from, but do you know how to feed, clothe and provide a job for 7 billion of them? If not, you’re in good company. Some of the sharpest minds in the world are working on these solutions. The United Nations predicts that by Oct. 31, 2011, population will hit the 7 billion mark, and as famines rage, food prices rise, and droughts damage crops around the world, we must pause to consider our options. As a new generation reaches child bearing age, the choices they make in t...

There are only a handful of environmentalists who are household names, and Captain Jacques Cousteau ranks among the top. His groundbreaking work to bring the mysteries of the ocean to the television screen made millions of people around the world more thoughtful about their impact on the delicate balance of marine life. However, it was the man behind the camera who may ultimately be responsible for the greatest ripple effect of Jacques’ work – his son, Philippe Cousteau JR. In honor of their fat...

Jacquelyn Ottman is not just another face in the “green” crowd. She has been a pioneer in green marketing since 1989, and her new book, The New Rules of Green Marketing, has been named a top 40 Sustainability book by the University of Cambridge. Her clients include some of the biggest names in Fortune 500 companies, like: 3M, Bissell, Clairol, Johnson & Johnson, Kraft General Foods, and Nike. During this episode of Go Green Radio, Jacquelyn will discuss how important it is for companies to have ...

Are you snacking “sustainably”? Do you know how much water and electricity it takes to produce your favorite beverages, or if the corn in your favorite bag of chips was grown with the highest standards of sustainable farming? Does your favorite healthy snack travel to your local grocer in an emissions-free vehicle? There is a company working to ensure that their customers can answer all those questions with confidence – PepsiCo. In 2009, PepsiCo made a promise to deliver sustainable growth by in...

The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) has launched a program that will allow consumers to return their unwanted medications to their local pharmacist vs. flushing them down the toilet or putting them in the trash. According to the NCPA website, “a vast array of pharmaceuticals — including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones — have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans.” This is the result of improper disposal of th...

BPA seems to be the scapegoat for hundreds of other harmful chemicals found in plastic food and beverage containers. While plastic manufacturers are scrambling to produce materials that can be marketed to consumers as BPA and phthalates-free, a recent study shows that many of these products are still full of chemicals with estrogenic activity (EA), which disrupt the natural function of human hormones. Chemicals with EA have been linked to cancer, reproductive disorders, and a variety of behavior...

The new book, Changing Planet, Changing Health: How the Climate Crisis Threatens Our Health and What We Can Do about It, by Harvard health and disease expert Paul R. Epstein, MD, and award-winning science journalist Dan Ferber, reveals the complex links between global warming and cholera, malaria, Lyme disease, asthma, and other threats such as crumbling ecosystems and lost services. They also examine abrupt climate change, which could cause catastrophic droughts, crop failures, large-scale migr...

During Earth Week 2011, I visited the OSU campus, and toured the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) where the world’s fastest electric vehicle (top speed 320 mph) is housed. The only thing more impressive than getting to see the “Buckeye Bullet” in person was meeting the Director of CAR, Dr. Giorgio Rizzoni. While the Buckeye Bullet is fueled by lithium ion batteries, the world class research facility run by Dr. Rizzoni is fueled by his unparalleled brilliance and enthusiasm for advanced elect...

You don’t have control over your electricity service, and yet almost everything you do requires electricity. Even people whose homes or workplaces are run by self-generated wind or solar power are vulnerable, because every other system we rely upon runs on electricity: water, information technology, transportation, fuel delivery, manufacturing, telecom, banking, etc. Thirty years ago, people said that the U.S. had a “gold plated” electrical grid, now many of those same experts say it is “third w...

Electronic waste (e-waste) is a human health disaster in the making. According to www.greencitizen.com, e-waste affects nearly every system in the human body because they contain a plethora of toxic components including Mercury, Lead, Cadmium, Polybrominated Flame Retardants, Barium and Lithium. Even the plastic casings of electronics products contain Polyvinyl Chloride. The health effects of these toxins on humans include birth defects, brain, heart, liver, kidney and skeletal system damage. Th...

For anyone wondering what it takes to “go green” on a University campus, this episode of Go Green Radio is the definitive answer. Today we’re joined by John Dilliott, the Manager, Energy & Utilities at the University of California San Diego. He is responsible for campus utilities operations, including the 30MW Cogeneration and District Heating & Cooling Plant, commodity energy procurement, carbon management and has secured financing for three year, $73M in energy efficiency program. John also le...

For anyone wondering what it takes to “go green” on a University campus, this episode of Go Green Radio is the definitive answer. Today we’re joined by John Dilliott, the Manager, Energy & Utilities at the University of California San Diego. He is responsible for campus utilities operations, including the 30MW Cogeneration and District Heating & Cooling Plant, commodity energy procurement, carbon management and has secured financing for three year, $73M in energy efficiency program. John also le...