Go Green Radio

What happens when a landfill become land “full”? Answer…taxpayers foot the bill to build a new one. It’s expensive, and it’s a waste of land and other resources that could be used for better things that burying trash. What if I told you that your trash could be converted to clean energy? In fact, that may already be the case in your town. Communities across the U.S. have been using energy-from-waste (EFW) technology for decades. In fact, many states – including Florida and California – have included EFW under the legal definition of renewable energy. Covanta Energy is one of the world’s leading EFW companies, and today on Go Green Radio, we’ll hear from Meg Morris, a senior Covanta official and the former President of the National Recycling Coalition. Meg will help us understand how EFW works, and what the future may hold if less of our “waste” goes to waste!

Ever tasted an apple grown in the Big Apple? If not, talk to this week’s guest, Marcel Van Ooyen, the Executive Director of GrowNYC – formerly the Council on the Environment of New York City. The NYC Greenmarket is the largest and most successful open-air farmers markets program in the country. Since 1970, this organization has been improving New York City’s quality of life through environmental programs that transform communities block by block and empower all New Yorkers to secure a clean and healthy environment for future generations. GrowNYC rolls up its sleeves alongside NYC residents to provide access to healthy, fresh, local food for all New Yorkers; grow and maintain vibrant green spaces and community gardens; help New Yorkers recycle more and reduce waste; and create the next generation of environmental leaders through hands-on education programs. If a city of 10 million people can make a community garden and farmers market program work, so can yours! Check out their website at http://www.cenyc.org.

Confused about all the conflicting reports about whether or not to use hand sanitizer this flu season? Wondering how effective non-toxic, “green” cleaners are against the H1N1 virus? Worried about the kinds of cleansers your family and pets are exposed to? Me, too!!! As a mother of three kids in public schools, I am very concerned about making sure my children remain healthy, despite the fact that we haven’t had access to H1N1 vaccines yet. Fortunately, Mike Krall, CEO of PURE Bioscience, has the information we’re all looking for. Tune in to Go Green Radio this week, when I will ask Mike how his patented product, SDC, may very well be the most significant and environmentally safe answer to many of the public health threats of the 21st century…and most importantly…where we, the consumers, can get it! Helpful links: FDA information on fraudulent H1N1 Product Claims

Good parents advocate for their children, and try to keep them safe from harm. Suppose your children were being harmed by the air they breathe, by chemicals sprayed on their schoolyard, or by vaccinations recommended by your most trusted ally in keeping your child healthy – your pediatrician. If that were the case, you’d likely do all that you could to protect your child, but you’d soon find that as a lone parent it is very difficult to sway the large organizations and companies that control the environmental hazards around your child. And then…you’d do what this week’s Go Green Radio guests did…you’d band together with other concerned parents to make a difference. This week we are joined by the Executive Director of the National Autism Association, Rita Shreffler, and the editor-at-large for the Age of Autism, Mark Blaxill. Rita and Mark will discuss their experiences as parents of autistic children, and help us understand the environmental toxins that may be responsible for rising rates of autism in America

Most people know that when they throw things away, it doesn’t really go “away.” The trash goes somewhere, and a good deal of it doesn’t biodegrade. In fact, some of what goes into the trash could poison our drinking water, air, and the soil in which we grow food for many generations. Mercury and other heavy metals are found in a number of products readily available to consumers in supermarkets all over the country, and if those items aren’t carefully disposed of, they are known to be extremely hazardous to humans, especially children. Discarded medicines have already polluted fresh water sources in all 50 U.S. states, yet a nationwide solution to this problem is not even being discussed. Who can rectify these issues? Consumers? Retailers? Manufacturers? Government? Likely, a combination of all four stakeholder groups. Tune into Go Green Radio this week to hear Scott Cassel, Founder and Executive Director of the Product Stewardship Institute (http://www.productstewardship.us ), discuss how his organization is

According to EHDD Architecture’s website (www.ehdd.com), ‘our world is at a critical point in its evolution. With global population climbing towards seven billion and with rapidly increasing development, carbon emissions and degradation of ecosystems, our planet is being stressed beyond its capacity. Our challenge is to develop a new model for living and building within the earth’s capacity, while also creating a better life for all people.’ EHDD sees this challenge as their inspiration for design: for creating innovative, healthy, and pleasant environments that people enjoy living and working in, and to do so with the least impact on the earth’s ecosystems. EHDD is a national leader in the research and design of sustainable buildings, ready to meet the very real challenge that global climate change requires very real results: not just a few model projects but a fundamental change in how we design and build buildings. Tune in to Go Green Radio to hear EHDD principal, Scott Shell, discuss his unique work in ‘g

What happens when a landfill become land “full”? Answer…taxpayers foot the bill to build a new one. It’s expensive, and it’s a waste of land and other resources that could be used for better things that burying trash. What if I told you that your trash could be converted to clean energy? In fact, that may already be the case in your town. Communities across the U.S. have been using energy-from-waste (EFW) technology for decades. In fact, many states – including Florida and California – have included EFW under the legal definition of renewable energy. Covanta Energy is one of the world’s leading EFW companies, and today on Go Green Radio, we’ll hear from Meg Morris, a senior Covanta official and the former President of the National Recycling Coalition. Meg will help us understand how EFW works, and what the future may hold if less of our “waste” goes to waste!

Brita Belli, editor of E / The Environmental Magazine- the largest independent magazine dedicated to green issues- joins us on Go Green Radio to discuss her recent piece called, “The Search for Autism’s Missing Piece…Autism Research Slowly Turns Its Focus to Environmental Toxicity.” The debate over the connection between vaccinations—particularly those preserved with mercury-containing thimerosal—and autism has been widely publicized, and is still the subject of controversy. But the large majority of autism research is focused on genetics, despite the fact that there are known environmental factors that impact the likelihood of the disorder. Sudhir Gupta, M.D., Ph.D., Chief of the Division of Basic and Clinical Immunology at the University of California, Irvine, once famously remarked in regards to autism: “Genes load the gun and environment pulls the trigger.” Tune in to Go Green Radio to learn more, and visit http://www.emagazine.com/view/?4984 to read Brita’s groundbreaking article.

‘Green is gorgeous’, and no one would know that better than Tamara Henry, nationally recognized eco TV host, and designer of the Miss America Pageant’s first environmental component to the competition. Tamara, a.k.a. “Green T”, has interviewed all 53 contestants about what “being green” means to them. Tamara will share some of their answers, and give us the inside scoop on the pageant, eco-fashion, and her fabulous expert perspective on what she has branded ‘Eco Conscious Entertainment.’ Check out Tamara’s website (www.GreenTwithTamara.TV), where you can watch each Miss America contestant’s video interview, and cast your vote for the one that you believe best embodies the theme, “Green is Gorgeous.” More than 20,000 people have already voted online! If you live in the L.A. area, you can also vote in person at the Go-Green Expo Jan. 22-24.

Can you imagine spending your entire adult life as a United States Marine or Sailor, protecting the shipping lanes for foreign oil that Americans crave? Or how about trying to run a company like FedEx with ever-fluctuating gasoline prices? What if these people came together to ensure that future American military members would never have to fight for the energy we need to fuel our economy, and American businesses would forever have clean, reliable, affordable, domestic energy with which to run their companies? Good news…they have come together, and Robbie Diamond joins us on Go Green Radio to explain. Robbie is the President & CEO of Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE) – www.secureenergy.org - , and the Electrification Coalition – www.electrificationcoalition.org -, both nonpartisan, not-for-profit groups of business and four star military leaders committed to promoting policies and actions that facilitate the deployment of electric vehicles on a mass scale in order to combat the economic, environment

According to Laurie Mazur’s new book, “A Pivotal Moment”… “3 billion people -- nearly half the world’s population – are under the age of 25. The reproductive choices made by these 3 billion young women and men will effectively decide whether total world population is 8 billion or 10.5 billion in the year 2050. The difference of 2.5 billion people is profound for many reasons. Population growth rates remain high where poverty and gender inequality are most intractable. Where women are denied education, secure livelihoods, property ownership and the full legal and social rights of citizenship, they are forced to rely on childbearing for survival, status, and security. Our planet is already signaling human-induced ecological impoverishment and collapse, and while slowing population growth down sufficiently to achieve the lower number of people (8 billion) by 2050 is not a complete panacea for easing pressure on the environment, it will make the challenge easier.”

Confused about all the conflicting reports about whether or not to use hand sanitizer this flu season? Wondering how effective non-toxic, “green” cleaners are against the H1N1 virus? Worried about the kinds of cleansers your family and pets are exposed to? Me, too!!! As a mother of three kids in public schools, I am very concerned about making sure my children remain healthy, despite the fact that we haven’t had access to H1N1 vaccines yet. Fortunately, Mike Krall, CEO of PURE Bioscience, has the information we’re all looking for. Tune in to Go Green Radio this week, when I will ask Mike how his patented product, SDC, may very well be the most significant and environmentally safe answer to many of the public health threats of the 21st century…and most importantly…where we, the consumers, can get it! Helpful links: FDA information on fraudulent H1N1 Product Claims (includes a widget for your blog): http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/PublicHealthFocus/ucm150305.htm#protection CDC information on Swine Flu: http://www

Julie Nauman has the kind of initiative I would love to see in every government agency and business in America! She is the Executive Director of the California Victim Compensation & Government Claims Board, the California State agency that administers the missing child reward program, compensation to victims of violent crime, such as domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault, and much more. Ms. Nauman’s work is leading an effort to ensure that her agency and its 300 employees operate in a green and sustainable manner. She recognizes that regardless of the work product, every workplace can, and should, be environmentally responsible.

Leah Lamb is the online producer for the Green Channel for Current TV (www.current.com/green/). Founded by former Vice President Al Gore, Current is the only 24/7 cable and satellite television network and Internet site produced and programmed in collaboration with its audience. Current connects young adults with what is going on in their world, from their perspective, in their own voices. Current’s Green Channel features compelling, innovative, inspiring, and breaking news about the sustainability green scene. Leah’s latest features on the Copenhagen Climate talks are truly cutting edge, particularly among U.S. media outlets. Tune in as we talk with Leah about the future of the sustainability, and green media.

Leah Lamb is the online producer for the Green Channel for Current TV (www.current.com/green/). Founded by former Vice President Al Gore, Current is the only 24/7 cable and satellite television network and Internet site produced and programmed in collaboration with its audience. Current connects young adults with what is going on in their world, from their perspective, in their own voices. Current’s Green Channel features compelling, innovative, inspiring, and breaking news about the sustainability green scene. Leah’s latest features on the Copenhagen Climate talks are truly cutting edge, particularly among U.S. media outlets. Tune in as we talk with Leah about the future of the sustainability, and green media.

Even in this economy, there are perfectly legitimate reasons to buy a new cell phone (like awesome new apps!!!), and you don’t need to feel guilty about it if you “re-purpose” your old phone with Flipswap. This innovative company has all the right answers for an eco-friendly cell phone exchange. And the best part? You can make money while doing the right thing with your old phone! Tune into today’s episode of Go Green Radio, and find out how you can “Flipswap” your cell experience! www.flipswap.com

Don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t have it all! If you want to be your own boss, work when you feel like it, and own a green business with health care benefits…you can! Thanks to Shop To Earth, anyone can have a green job! Today’s episode of Go Green Radio explores one of the most innovative private sector initiatives in the ‘greening’ of consumer goods. Shop To Earth lets consumers put their money where their mouth is, and buy green products at a discount. Their motto is, “Live Green. Earn Green. Save Green.” Join us on Go Green Radio as we talk with Hilary Martin, a true eco-enthusiast, as she walks us through the steps of becoming a successful green business owner!

Throughout the United States, a movement of educators, parents and students is remaking K-12 education to prepare students for the future environmental challenges. What would a green school or an eco-schooling curriculum look like? Smart by Nature: Schooling for Sustainability offers firsthand accounts and strategies for greening campuses, rethinking school food, and transforming schools into model sustainable communities. On today’s episode of Go Green Radio, we are joined by Michael Stone, author of Smart by Nature, and we’ll explore this movement through inspiring success stories from public and independent schools across the country.

Americans spend nearly $50 billion (yes, Billion) per year on pet products, and not all of them are good for our pets…or the environment. Dominique De Vito, author of “Green Dog, Good Dog,” joins us to discuss everything from ‘greening’ your dog’s diet, to eco-friendly dog supplies, how to travel ‘green’ with your dog, and much more! This episode is not only for Sierra Club members with dogs…this show is for all dog lovers who want to create a healthy, safe, and clean lifestyle for their furry friends.

Small and medium sized businesses have borne the brunt of the economic downturn, and according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, about 80% of American jobs come from small/medium companies. In order to lower the current unemployment rate, small businesses need to be able to put as much of their money into salaries as possible, and put Americans back to work. Today’s guest on Go Green Radio is Pratik Roychoudhury, and his company www.MyLatch.com has created an innovative hiring solution for small businesses that is both cost-effective AND “green!” Tune in to find out how MyLatch.com is the 21st century matchmaker for smart small businesses and eco-friendly job seekers!