Go Green Radio

Healthy learning environments and high-quality school buildings are the keys to environmental equity and academic achievement. By leveraging sustainability strategies, these outcomes are possible. By improving indoor air and water quality, reducing solid waste, minimizing non-renewable energy usage, and providing nutritious food, urban schools can ensure environmental equity and close the opportunity gap for students. Today we will talk with the author of a new book, “Environmental Equity: Closing the Opportunity Gap in Urban Schools,” which demonstrates how school districts in even the most financially strapped regions can improve learning environments, lives, and achievement of every member of a school community. Wayles Wilson is currently an Education Consultant for Sustainable Schooling, supporting organizations like the Go Green Initiative, Mastery Schools, and Bloom Planning, where she provides project management and program implementation support. Her recent consulting projects have ranged from program feasibility and implementation for an online Learning Management System, student enrollment competitive analysis and implementation, grant writing, and strategic planning and operations to support schools with sustainability efforts. Wayles holds degrees in education non-profit administration from the Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania and is a certified School Business Administrator in New Jersey. She also holds Bachelor’s degrees from Washington College in business administration and international relations.

Tune in as we talk with Lisa Baril about her new book, The Age of Melt. Around the world, ice has preserved some of history’s most fascinating artifacts, such as the skeleton of an Iron Age horse, wooden arrows with bird-feather fletching, and even a baby mammoth. Yet, these incredible pieces of history were only discovered as the ice began to do what we all feared: melt. Science journalist Lisa Baril traveled all over the world studying ice and its effect on humans. In THE AGE OF MELT, she explores the shifting view that humans have long held of glaciers—from fear, to awe, to conquest. A unique form of science, ice-patch archeology, arose from the current climate crisis, as such discoveries could only be made at the cost of the world’s ice formations. It’s paradoxical, Baril notes, “The more the ice melts, the more we learn about the past...while melting ice compromises our future.” Yet Baril is hopeful, “Although we can’t rewind the clock to a time before human-caused climate change, we can use the knowledge gained from melting ice to help us respond more thoughtfully when considering the kind of future we want for ourselves and for the generations of humans yet to be born.”

With environmentally preferred purchasing policies in place in more than three-quarters of U.S. states and certified eco-conscious products required for new custodial contracts in federal buildings, demand for more environmentally friendly cleaners in public facilities continues to rise. Tune in as we speak with Kirsten Hochberg, Ph.D., Senior Specialist within CloroxPro’s Clinical and Scientific Affairs team, about their company’s solutions to protect health and the environment.

With environmentally preferred purchasing policies in place in more than three-quarters of U.S. states and certified eco-conscious products required for new custodial contracts in federal buildings, demand for more environmentally friendly cleaners in public facilities continues to rise. Tune in as we speak with Kirsten Hochberg, Ph.D., Senior Specialist within CloroxPro’s Clinical and Scientific Affairs team, about their company’s solutions to protect health and the environment.

As the Federal government invests heavily in clean energy projects, we have an opportunity to ensure that the communities impacted benefit from the influx of resources. Historically, communities in the immediate vicinity of utility-scale energy projects generally did not receive benefits from the project but bore the burdens of increased pollution and negative health effects. Today we’ll discuss a new white paper from the Initiative for Energy Justice that explores the critical role of Community Benefits Agreements (CBAs) and Community Benefits Plans (CBPs) in ensuring that underserved and overburdened communities benefit from recent federal investments in clean energy and climate infrastructure. Tune in as we speak with Dr. Marisa Sotolongo, Senior Policy Analyst with the Initiative for Energy Justice.

New York Times best selling author, David Lipsky, joins us to discuss his newest book, The Parrot and the Igloo, which explores how “anti-science” became so virulent in American life through a history of climate denial and its consequences. Tune in as David untangles a century and half of science, money and politics that will surely set the guardrails for the remainder of human history.

Tune in as we talk with Katie Cleary about her upcoming documentary Protectors of the Wild which focuses on the urgent need to save endangered wolves in North America. Katie Cleary’s remarkable journey has taken her from being a model and Hollywood actress to becoming one of the world's leading animal activists & documentary filmmakers. Recently, she directed the acclaimed animal documentary WHY ON EARTH, featuring Clint Eastwood, showcasing her dedication and passion for this critical cause.

Angeles Link could be the nation's largest clean, renewable hydrogen energy pipeline system, that could deliver clean, reliable, renewable energy to the Los Angeles region. As envisioned, the Angeles Link could support the integration of more renewable electricity resources like solar and wind and would significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from electric generation, industrial processes, heavy-duty trucks, and other hard-to-electrify sectors of the Southern California economy. Angeles Link could also significantly decrease demand for natural gas, diesel, and other fossil fuels in the LA Basin, helping accelerate California’s and the region's climate and clean air goals. Tune in as we speak with Shirley Arazi, Director of Angeles Link Regulatory and Policy, and Despina Niehaus, Director of Strategy and Sustainability about Angeles Link.

As the Federal government invests heavily in clean energy projects, we have an opportunity to ensure that the communities impacted benefit from the influx of resources. Historically, communities in the immediate vicinity of utility-scale energy projects generally did not receive benefits from the project but bore the burdens of increased pollution and negative health effects. Today we’ll discuss a new white paper from the Initiative for Energy Justice that explores the critical role of Community Benefits Agreements (CBAs) and Community Benefits Plans (CBPs) in ensuring that underserved and overburdened communities benefit from recent federal investments in clean energy and climate infrastructure. Tune in as we speak with Dr. Marisa Sotolongo, Senior Policy Analyst with the Initiative for Energy Justice.

New York Times best selling author, David Lipsky, joins us to discuss his newest book, The Parrot and the Igloo, which explores how “anti-science” became so virulent in American life through a history of climate denial and its consequences. Tune in as David untangles a century and half of science, money and politics that will surely set the guardrails for the remainder of human history.

In May 2023, Washington State Department of Ecology Director Laura Watson signed new rules that, for the first time ever, ban toxic chemicals—including PFAS, phthalates, flame retardants, and bisphenols—put in plastic electronic casings, vinyl flooring, and beverage liners, among other products. These new rules conclude the first cycle of regulations as part of Safer Products for Washington, the nation’s strongest law regulating toxic chemicals in products—a major source of contamination in our homes, food, waterways, and bodies. Our guest today is Cheri Peele, Sr. Projects Manager with Toxic-Free Future, and she will help us understand how this groundbreaking piece of legislation could be the bellwether for greater consumer protection nationwide.

The toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS could be contaminating nearly 20 million acres of U.S. cropland, according to an Environmental Working Group (EWG) estimate. Using state data, EWG estimates 5 percent of all crop fields could be using sewage sludge, or biosolids, as a fertilizer, even though it’s often contaminated with PFAS. Once PFAS-contaminated sludge is applied as a fertilizer, the chemicals can build up in food crops, feed crops such as corn and hay, and the animals that eat these feed crops. Several farmers have been forced to euthanize their farm animals due to high levels of PFAS in farm products. PFAS can cause a broad range of health harms to humans, as well. Very low doses in drinking water have been linked to suppression of the immune system and are associated with an elevated risk of cancer and reproductive and developmental harms. Tune in as we talk about this issue with Dr. David Andrews, Senior Scientist at the Environmental Working Group.

California’s new Plastic Pollution Producer Responsibility Act (SB 54) may be the most consequential Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation in a generation. By 2032, the law requires a 25% reduction of single-use plastic packaging and foodservice products; all single-use packaging and foodware (including non-plastic items) be recyclable or compostable; and a 65% recycling rate for plastics. Today we’ll talk with one of a handful of people “in the room where it happened” about how plastic producers agreed to come to help enact this legislation. Heidi Sanborn is the founding Executive Director of the National Stewardship Action Council, and she will also discuss how EPR and managing waste are finally being considered important to addressing climate change.

The Lomakatsi Restoration Project in Alturas, California recently won the $20,000 Edge Prize — a new prize celebrating exceptional projects from Alaska to California which work towards creating resilient communities in the face of climate change. The Lomakatsi Restoration Project engages youth in learning how to build fire-adapted forests and communities. The model creates meaningful, living-wage work that provides a foundation for the next generation of workers in forest product and ecological restoration industries. Tune in as we talk with the organization’s Founder & Executive Director, Marko Bay, and the Tribal Partnerships Director, Belinda Brown!

Environmental justice (EJ) communities are on the frontlines of the adverse impacts of climate change and are disproportionately exposed to a wide range of polluting industries, including fossil fuel infrastructure like coal plants, natural gas plants, and pipelines. Will the use of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) mechanisms and hydrogen co-firing in the power sector will further harm EJ communities that are already overburdened? According to Dr. Nicky Sheats John S. Watson Institute for Urban Policy and Research at Kean University, “EPA’s proposed rule all but recognizes that CCS and hydrogen co-firing will add to toxic air pollution in communities living near power plants, and this is unacceptable when such communities already live with an unfair share of cumulative impacts from pollution.” Tune in as we examine the ramifications of allowing CCS and hydrogen co-firing for America’s most vulnerable populations.

There are grave environmental issues plaguing our world, from pollution to climate change. These global crises can often leave us feeling powerless, questioning: How can one person make a real impact? Drawing from his personal experiences of growing up in a town marred by toxic waste, and his professional journey in the plastic bag manufacturing industry, sustainability expert Trent Romer demystifies the concept of sustainability and how you can make choices that shape our planet’s future. Tune in for our conversation with Trent Romer!

After receiving praise from President Biden for working to address the indoor air quality crisis in Denver Public Schools, Attune deployed its IAQ monitoring systems in 45 school districts and 369 school buildings across the state of Colorado. This CDC- funded initiative aims to improve IAQ environments in Colorado school districts for students, teachers and administrators. Today we will talk with the Co-Founder and CEO of Attune, Dr. Serene Al-Momen, about her company’s technology and the results they expect to achieve with this groundbreaking partnership between school districts in Colorado, the Colorado Department of Health and Environment (CDPHE), and the University of Colorado Boulder.

Our guest today is Aneshai Smith, the founder and CEO of GO See The City (GSTC), a platform and app dedicated to combatting food waste and food insecurity across the United States. Aneshai's commitment to sustainability, coupled with her unique approach to addressing critical issues like food waste and hunger, have helped GSTC form a partnership with the City of Gainesville, Florida, and has recently cemented a partnership with Levy Restaurant Group, one of the largest concession managers for stadiums and arenas in the U.S. In just the first few weeks of the Levy partnership, GSTC was able to divert nearly 2,000 lbs. of unsold food from the waste stream and feed nearly 2,000 food insecure people. Tune in and learn how Aneshai uses her expertise and passion for leveraging technology to create a sustainable world!

Boston Public Schools (BPS) has a robust, comprehensive sustainability program that encompasses all aspects of a green, healthy school environment. Our guest today is Katherine Walsh, Sustainability, Energy, and Environment Program Director for BPS. She will discuss BPS’s approach to school sustainability and how other school districts can replicate their methodology.

SB 903 has been introduced to the California legislature and would provide a comprehensive approach to phasing out unnecessary uses of over 14,000 toxic, “forever” chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Today we’ll speak with Andria Ventura, CA Legislative and Policy Director, Clean Water Action, and Dr. Anna Reade, Director, PFAS Advocacy, Environmental Health, Natural Resources Defense Council, about the bill and why it is so important to public health.