Go Green Radio

Look at the U.S. Drought Monitor map, and you will see that the Western United States is in extreme drought conditions. During the California drought of 2012-2016, the state’s Climate Change Assessment report indicated that 2014 was the driest year in 1,200 years. Five years later, we are experiencing an even deeper drought that is impacting everything from food production to hydroelectric power. In 2016, we spoke with Jeff Kightlinger, the GM and CEO of the largest water utility in the country, Metropolitan Water District (MWD), and today he will join us to give us an update on the current state of our water supply and the solutions being considered- both in CA and throughout the West.

EcoMetrics is a methodology that captures the Full Value of a project’s environmental, social and economic impacts in a format that is fully documented, verified, and ready for audit. Originally developed by Restore the Earth Foundation to document the value created by their restoration initiatives, EcoMetrics, a cloud based technology and methodology, is now a stand-alone offering. It captures the Full Value of a project’s environmental, social and economic impacts, all fully documented, 3rd party verified, and ready for audit. EcoMetrics applied to a variety of project and activity types, and is a reporting framework that companies of all kinds can use. Tune in today as we speak with the President of EcoMetrics LLC, Edwin Piñero, about how today’s visionary corporations and communities understand that there’s a strong business case to be made that investments in nature based solutions as part of sustainability initiatives.

Nowadays, people are into the holistic approach of personal skincare. People want everything that is clean, natural, and sustainable. From vegan body lotion to organic shampoo, GlossWire is making its debut in the age of conscious beauty and consumers can now easily find brands from around the world that adhere to humane and eco-conscious standards. Tune in as we talk with beauty expert and founder, Kimberly Carney, to discuss how the beauty industry is changing and what ingredients you should look for in conscious beauty products.

Today we will be speaking with environmental attorney, Dave McCay, about some of the legal questions that are surfacing because of PFAS contamination in water supplies across the U.S. Some of the most pressing questions are: who will pay to remove PFAS from the public water supply - taxpayers?; if the water supply is contaminated and a town supplies bottled water to residents, who pays for that?; and can a resident sue their local government if their illness is connected to PFAS in the drinking water? Tune in and find out what your rights are if PFAS is found in your local water supply.

The LA chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council has an innovative program that helps early-stage companies with the technology to support a net positive future. Companies accepted into the Net Zero Accelerator work with industry experts to learn how to find their ideal customers and close deals. Some of the priority areas are building decarbonization, occupant wellness and sustainable infrastructure. Today we’ll talk with the Director of Net Zero Accelerator, Colin Mangham, and representatives from companies who have participated in the program.

He’s been called “the Elon Musk of Boats,” and today we’ll talk with Alex Mongeon about his quest to electrify the world’s waterways. His company, Vision Marine Technologies, Inc., is leading the way in reducing the carbon footprint of the boating world. Tune in as we talk with Alex about his technology, his journey, and his vision for the future of the next generation!

In April, Wendy’s released its 2020 Corporate Responsibility Report detailing the progress made across its three key focus areas of Food, People and Footprint. Within the report, Wendy's® shared the outcomes of its recent materiality assessment of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) topics, along with several new goals relevant to Wendy's Good Done Right platform and strategy. Today we’ll speak with Liliana M. Esposito, Wendy’s Chief Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Officer, about the company’s commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and its strategy to meet the highest standards of sustainable, safe and healthy food.

Though we live on a planet comprised primarily of water, the amount of freshwater available for human consumption and industrial purposes continues to dwindle due to pollution and freshwater runoff into the ocean. Water is embedded in every product we buy and the energy we use to power our lives. Water agencies in many parts of the United States struggle to find an adequate supply of clean water to meet the needs of the people and businesses they serve. Recycling water is becoming a necessity, and today we will talk with Patrick Sheilds, General Manager of the West Basin Water District in Southern CA, and Stephen Katz, Market Development Manager at SUEZ Water Technologies & Solutions, about the many varieties and applications of recycled water they are deploying to meet the needs of Los Angeles and neighboring communities like Malibu and Beverly Hills.

Join us as we speak with Michelle Sim, the Director of Sustainability at the Southern California Gas Company, about some of the projects that SoCalGas is undertaking to address climate change, resource conservation, and reducing the company’s environmental footprint. As the largest gas distribution utility in the United States, SoCalGas is in a unique position to innovate 21st century solutions as we transition to the fuels of the future!

On April 22, 2021 (Earth Day), Camden Mayor Frank Moran, the City of Camden, Cooper’s Ferry Partnership, and the Rutgers-Camden Center for the Arts will unveil A New View—Camden, an innovative, six-month-long exhibition featuring six, one-of-a-kind and family-friendly public art projects. Funded by a $1 million Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge grant, these large-scale, outdoor art installations designed by nationally recognized artists will attract visitors of all ages to Camden and call attention to illegal dumping and its impact on the community and environment. The creations were specifically designed to raise awareness about unlawful dumping of bulk waste in Camden, which costs taxpayers over $4 million annually. Tune in as we speak with one of the project leaders and two of the artists!

Founded by Roger Silveira, We Need Fresh Air is an organization dedicated to improving student achievement one breath at a time. Replacing HEPA filters or installing new school ventilation systems is not enough. School districts must do more to ensure students are breathing fresh, clean air. Classrooms are some of the most densely populated spaces with an average of 30 students per 1,000 square feet, and CO2 build up can be detrimental. Tune in today as we talk with Roger about the techniques he uses to ensure high quality Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) for East Side Union High School District in San Jose, CA.

Renewable natural gas (RNG) produced from diverted landfill waste is now flowing into SoCalGas’ pipeline system from Anaergia’s Rialto Bioenergy Facility. A new one-mile pipeline connects the facility to an existing SoCalGas pipeline. Using Anaergia’s advanced anaerobic digestion technology and proprietary systems, the Facility will produce up to 985,000 MMBTU/year of RNG each year using up to 300,000 tons of waste diverted from local landfills. Creating this carbon-negative fuel from waste will reduce landfilling and decrease greenhouse gas emissions by up to 220,000 metric tons per year—an amount equal to removing 47,500 passenger cars from the road. Tune in and learn more about the technology that makes this possible!

Northern and central coast Community Choice Aggregators (CCAs) are joining forces by forming a new Joint Powers Authority (JPA) – California Community Power. The JPA allows the CCAs to combine their buying power to procure new, cost-effective clean energy and reliability resources to continue advancing local and state climate goals. Tune in as we talk with the CEO’s of Peninsula Clean Energy and Silicon Valley Clean Energy, the COO of East Bay Community Energy, and the Director of San Jose Clean Energy.

Even before the pandemic, chronic neglect of America’s public schools forced students and educators across the country to learn and work in outdated and hazardous school buildings. Now, the COVID19 pandemic is exacerbating the consequences of our failure to make necessary investments in school infrastructure. The Reopen and Rebuild America’s Schools Act (RRASA) of 2020 would invest $100 billion in grants and $30 billion in bond authority targeted at high-poverty schools with facilities that pose health and safety risks to students and staff. Tune in as we talk with Anisa Heming, Director of the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council, about this important piece of legislation, and learn how you can get involved.

Our guest is Justin Draplin, owner of several Tiny Home Communities in South Carolina. He is developing and manufacturing the first ever NET-POSITIVE tiny home set for national sales and distribution this year. Draplin's tiny home will generate far more energy than it consumes; providing consumers with the ability to live smaller, smarter and more sustainably. Tune in to learn more!

Most people have heard about Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods, start-up food companies working to bring plant-based foods from the fringe to the mainstream to create a more sustainable and healthier world. While these products are thriving in the marketplace, they are still more expensive than the cost of meat and were developed for the retail sector, making them inaccessible to many...until now. Our guest today is Christie Lagally, CEO and founder of Rebellyous Foods. A mechanical engineer who holds five patents, Lagally started the food technology and manufacturing company in an effort to end factory farming by creating delicious, widely available, and affordable plant-based chicken products.

Palm oil is included in a broad range of products that many of us purchase on a routine basis: food, cosmetics, paints, pills, and even hand sanitizer. With over 200 different names, palm oil is tough for the average consumer to spot in the ingredients lists of common consumer goods, but there is good reason to try. Palm oil has been linked to environmental devastation and human rights abuses. Tune in today as we talk with David Bass, co-founder of Peet Bros., about the problem with palm oil, and some steps you can take to ensure your purchases are not supporting the palm oil industry.

On today’s show we’ll be joined by Mike Van Brunt, Sr. Director of Sustainability for Covanta, a leading waste to energy company. We will discuss the air emissions, water use and greenhouse gas emissions of their operations, and I’ll ask tough questions about their impact on environmental justice (EJ) communities.

On today’s episode we’ll be joined by Josh Balk, VP of Farm Animal Protection at the Humane Society of the United States. Josh leads high-profile political campaigns to pass farm animal welfare laws, including the historic Prop 12 initiative in California which passed in 2018 with more than 60% of the vote. It became the strongest law for farm animals in the world, banning the confinement of egg-laying hens, mother pigs and veal calves in cages. He also pressures fast food corporations and grocers to eliminate meat and eggs that come from caged animals in their supply chains, such as getting McDonald’s — which buys two billion eggs a year — to go 100% cage-free. On the side, Josh co-founded JUST, now a billion-dollar company that revolutionized the egg by creating non-egg scrambled “egg.” It was recently named one of CNBC’s Top 50 Disruptors.

Schools are vital hubs to their local communities and are uniquely positioned to teach students waste reduction behaviors. Students can learn waste reduction at schools and bring that messaging home to their families, caregivers, and all those with whom they come in contact. Schools and universities generate about 562,442 tons of waste each year in California. Almost half of school waste is comprised of organic materials like paper, cardboard, and uneaten cafeteria food. Much of the waste generated in the California education system is recyclable. Many school districts have been successful in improving their economic and environmental performance through the implementation of waste reduction initiatives. Today we will speak with the leaders of the CalRecycle Schools Team who provide resources to help California schools reduce waste, and help educate students and adults about why this is so important to the state’s future.