Go Green Radio

Everywhere we turn, there is another news story about carbon emissions and efforts to reduce them. But for the average town, small business, school, home or individual, reducing carbon emissions is a bit of a mystery. How do we know how much carbon we are emitting? Where can we cut carbon from our operations? Is there a way to offset the carbon that we cannot reduce? Until recently, answering these questions was imprecise at best. But now there is a company with reliable and easy-to-use tools that can take the guesswork out of carbon reduction and offsetting. Our guest on Go Green Radio this week is Dr. Ron Dembo, founder of Zerofootprint and the Zerofootprint Foundation. His organization can provide any sized enterprise with carbon calculators that are tailor designed for everything from large-scale corporate applications to calculators that even elementary school children can use. For more information on his remarkable set of tools and services, visit his website at: http://www.zerofootprint.net/

Though tap water in the United States is much cleaner than in many other countries, it is not perfectly healthy. Recent studies have shown that rivers throughout the U.S. are contaminated with pharmaceuticals, and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that our children shouldn’t be drinking water with medicine in it. Many families have turned to bottled water, assuming it is safe, but in fact only one person at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has the responsibility to oversee the safety of our entire nation’s bottled water supply. On today’s episode of Go Green Radio, we’ll talk with the CEO of DrinkUp (www.drinkupwater.com) , Faber Dewar, about the risky choices we have when picking our water source, and the technology his company has developed to address consumer concerns. The public policy issues involved in our nation’s water supply are daunting, but unless we demand clean drinking water from our local, state and federal officials, our children and our planet will suffer. Tune in to learn more

Give them the tools, the training, and a mission – these Veterans have what it takes to help America transition to a green, clean economy. On today’s episode of Go Green Radio, we’ll talk with Garrett Reppenhagen, former sniper in the Army’s 1st Infantry Division stationed in Iraq, and now the head of the Veterans Green Corps, overseeing teams of Veterans who are working outdoors to clean up wetlands, conducting forest fire mitigation projects, building woodland trails, and preserving our national parks. The Veterans Green Jobs (http://veteransgreenjobs.org) is a national 501©3 organization that is training Veterans to work in the solar and wind energy fields, to conduct energy efficiency retrofits in low income housing, and to help lower the urban heat island effect by planting trees in densely populated areas. The Veterans involved in these green jobs are deeply committed to serving their country, and understand that preserving our natural resources and becoming energy independent are two critical undertaki

On this week’s Go Green Radio, Michael Kraft, Professor of Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin, will discuss his recent OpEd entitled, “Republicans must embrace clean energy for their future.” During the midterm elections, most political observers expect unemployment rates and the war to dominate the airwaves, but how is the electrification of American light transportation related to those topics? We will discuss the effects that federal subsidies for electric cars could have on our national security and global competitive edge for the technologies that will fuel the economy of the 21st century. What is at stake if the U.S. continues to trail China, Japan and Korea in developing lithium ion battery technology? If Republicans take control of Congress in the fall, what are the ramifications if they move to repeal subsidies for electric vehicles? Tune in to this week’s Go Green Radio to learn more!

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.

Trees for the Future (TFTF) –www.treesforthefuture.org- is a nonprofit organization that was around long before “going green” was cool. Since their inception in 1988, they have planted 65 million trees in strategic locations around the world. They train local farmers to plant, care for, and sustainably utilize trees. Among their many success stories, TFTF was responsible for the reforestation of an area in the Philippines that had been stripped by illegally logging and left barren for over 100 years…incredible! On this episode of Go Green Radio, we’ll talk with Gorav Seth, who heads up all the international programs for Trees for the Future. Gorav has been on the front lines, combating climate change through sustainable agroforestry in Africa, Honduras, India, Costa Rica, and (mega-tough duty station) the Bahamas!

According to this week’s Go Green Radio guest, more than half of the world’s population currently lives in an urban environment, and that number is expected to rise to 70% by the year 2050. In his most recent article for Fast Company, Trung Le writes, “These urban centers are supported by a diversity of interconnected systems and infrastructure that enhance the human condition (i.e. employment, culture, housing, education, transportation, public safety, healthcare, energy and technology)… But there is always a weak link, and in this instance, the weakest link in many of the leading urban economies is preK-12 education. Education is critical to a thriving urban center, so why are urban education systems in distress? Better yet: What can we do to change this fate? What does an urban preK-12 physical environment look like in the third millennium?” According to Le, creating sustainable schools that follow the International Living Building Institute guidelines is a critical component in answering these questions.

Healthy Child Healthy World exists because more than 125 million Americans, especially children, now face an historically unprecedented rise in chronic disease and illness such as cancer, autism, asthma, birth defects, ADD / ADHD, and learning and developmental disabilities. Credible scientific evidence increasingly points to environmental hazards and household chemicals as causing and contributing to many of these diseases. For the past two decades Healthy Child Healthy World has been the nation's leading organization of its kind. We help millions of parents, educators, health professionals, and the general public take action to create healthy environments and embrace green, non-toxic steps. Healthy Child Healthy World is leading a movement that educates parents, supports protective policies, and engages communities to make responsible decisions, simple everyday choices, and well-informed lifestyle improvements to create healthy environments where children and families can flourish.

The National Environmental Education Foundation, in partnership with The Weather Channel, has launched Classroom Earth, a program designed to enhance and strengthen environmental education in high school classrooms nationwide. Planet Connect, a program of Classroom Earth, targets high school youth in an effort to increase student engagement in environmental learning, stimulate interest in environmental careers, and learn how to protect the environment. Planet Connect was developed with input from a diverse group of students from around the country who have helped to design the Planet Connect Web site, www.planetconnect.org and the Planet Connect High School Grants. This week on Go Green Radio, we’ll be talking with David Lanham who just finished a highly successful student video contest for Planet Connect. The winning videos can be found on the Go Green Initiative YouTube Channel: http://tinyurl.com/2fhtq2h.

Everywhere we turn, there is another news story about carbon emissions and efforts to reduce them. But for the average town, small business, school, home or individual, reducing carbon emissions is a bit of a mystery. How do we know how much carbon we are emitting? Where can we cut carbon from our operations? Is there a way to offset the carbon that we cannot reduce? Until recently, answering these questions was imprecise at best. But now there is a company with reliable and easy-to-use tools that can take the guesswork out of carbon reduction and offsetting. Our guest on Go Green Radio this week is Dr. Ron Dembo, founder of Zerofootprint and the Zerofootprint Foundation. His organization can provide any sized enterprise with carbon calculators that are tailor designed for everything from large-scale corporate applications to calculators that even elementary school children can use. For more information on his remarkable set of tools and services, visit his website at: http://www.zerofootprint.net/

Every generation needs leaders, and not all of them will come from affluent, private schools. Many of the next generation’s leaders will come from public schools, and one woman and her colleagues are on a mission to ensure that their public school delivers citizen-leaders who are prepared for the challenges they will face in the 21st century. This week on Go Green Radio, we will talk with Sarah Elizabeth Ippel, who is the founder of the Academy of Global Citizenship. This brand new public school is located on the south side of Chicago, and most of its students are from low income households. Listen in to learn how Sarah Elizabeth has been able to engage parents, community leaders and generous donors to create a new template for public education that integrates multicultural awareness and environmental stewardship. For more information, check out the website at: http://www.agcchicago.org/.

We’ve all used battery powered devices, so the concept of storing energy isn’t new. But what IS new is the concept of storing energy in amounts that could power cars, homes, and entire communities. While wind and solar plants soak up the headlines on today’s energy news front, just below the surface of that news is a technology that makes wind and solar viable: energy storage capacity. On today’s show, we’ll talk with the Chief Operating Officer of Ioxus, Chad Hall, who will explain the function and advantage of the ultracapacitor technology that his company utilizes. For those of you who may concerned that this episode will be a bit too “techy” for you…don’t worry, I’ll be bringing the discussion back to the same point we always do at Go Green Radio – how does this technology impact the daily lives of every American? We’ll talk about how energy storage will affect our environment, our economy and our national security. For more information on Ioxus, visit http://www.ioxus.com/.

According to our guest, Jason Makansi, Executive Director of the Energy Storage Council, the reason storage is so essential to renewables is the renewables are intermittent -- the sun doesn't always shine and the wind doesn't always blow, and they are often located in areas far from population centers. Because the price of wholesale electricity varies throughout the day, when electricity is sold is just as important as how much electricity is sold. But if you can store the energy generated on a sunny or windy day and then inject that energy into the grid at periods of high demand ... well, then you've got yourself a market. You've got both physical and economic control over your resource and the leverage with which to build increasing demand for your product.

We can't see the smog of electro-pollution – but it is affecting us – according to the scientific evidence in the award-winning book Wireless Radiation Rescue – safeguarding your family from the risks of electro-pollution by Kerry Crofton, Ph.D. (Global Wellbeing Books, Revised Edition, July 2010). The issue of cell phone radiation is making national headlines, yet consumers remain uncertain about the risks involved and how to protect themselves. Dr. Crofton, a health educator, collaborated with the world’s most respected scientists, physicians, and environmental health experts, and compiled data from the latest research studies. In Wireless Radiation Rescue she presents an overview of the evidence along with recommendations for safer solutions. Wireless Radiation Rescue is the first consumer guide to reducing levels of electro-magnetic radiation in our homes, offices and schools. Aimed at the general public including parents, teachers and health care professionals, the book is divided into four sections: Kno

Global Broadcasting for Kids (GB4K) is the brain child of actor/director/producer Scott McGinnis, and it just might change the world. While politicians and environmental activists work to clean up the mess left by older generations, GB4K reaches out to the ones who will inherit the mess – today’s teenagers. The message couldn’t be more perfectly on point; it’s “Green News…from One Kid to Another.” Each week, teen journalists, Marley and her brother Elijah, report on environmental issues, and finish each story with a “so what?” segment that helps explain the story in a way that makes sense to kids. McGinnis has a long track record of producing great quality shows that kids love, like “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” the TV show, “Angel”, and more. Under his direction, Marley and Elijah are a refreshingly optimistic and entertaining pair, destined to engage a worldwide audience of kids that are looking for eco-information that matters to them. Scott’s teen reporters will be covering the red carpet for the Earth Day p

Healthy Child Healthy World exists because more than 125 million Americans, especially children, now face an historically unprecedented rise in chronic disease and illness such as cancer, autism, asthma, birth defects, ADD / ADHD, and learning and developmental disabilities. Credible scientific evidence increasingly points to environmental hazards and household chemicals as causing and contributing to many of these diseases. For the past two decades Healthy Child Healthy World has been the nation's leading organization of its kind. We help millions of parents, educators, health professionals, and the general public take action to create healthy environments and embrace green, non-toxic steps. Healthy Child Healthy World is leading a movement that educates parents, supports protective policies, and engages communities to make responsible decisions, simple everyday choices, and well-informed lifestyle improvements to create healthy environments where children and families can flourish.

Nestled in the Rockies near the Big Sky Ski Resort, the student body at Montana State University has one of the most breathtaking vistas of any college campus I’ve ever seen. The daily reminder of the beauty and majesty of nature inspired students to take matters into their own hands to protect the environment in January 2009 when they voted to create a student-financed sustainability center. One year later, the sustainability center is responsible for diverting over 109 tons of recyclable materials from the campus waste stream, and they are only getting warmed up. Beth Schiesing is a sophomore in architecture at MSU, and serves as the President of the Network of Environmentally Conscious Organizations (NECO). She joins us on Go Green Radio to discuss the process by which students at MSU have started a green revolution on campus, and how they plan to shape the future even beyond their college experience. You can check out their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/Bozeman-MT/ASMSU-Sustai

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.”

Global Broadcasting for Kids (GB4K) is the brain child of actor/director/producer Scott McGinnis, and it just might change the world. While politicians and environmental activists work to clean up the mess left by older generations, GB4K reaches out to the ones who will inherit the mess – today’s teenagers. The message couldn’t be more perfectly on point; it’s “Green News…from One Kid to Another.” Each week, teen journalists, Marley and her brother Elijah, report on environmental issues, and finish each story with a “so what?” segment that helps explain the story in a way that makes sense to kids. McGinnis has a long track record of producing great quality shows that kids love, like “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” the TV show, “Angel”, and more. Under his direction, Marley and Elijah are a refreshingly optimistic and entertaining pair, destined to engage a worldwide audience of kids that are looking for eco-information that matters to them. Scott’s teen reporters will be covering the red carpet for the Earth Day p

Everyone is talking about climate change. In LIFE IN THE HOTHOUSE, Melanie Lenart, PhD, award-winning journalist and climate researcher, offers an alternative view of the issues at hand— explaining in fascinating, user-friendly terms how the Earth’s natural systems help deal with climate change and what we can do to support that process. Lenart explains how our planet responds to different climates, past and present. Stronger hurricanes, rising seas, bigger floods – warming temperatures spur these on. Do these imply a planet taking revenge for human-caused greenhouse gas heating? No, Lenart argues, they merely demonstrate some survival techniques of a living system doing what it takes to stay alive. Does that mean humans can leave it to the planet to take care of the extra heat-trapping greenhouse gases filling the air? No. The planet can survive with ice-free poles, higher sea levels, and intense hurricanes that would potentially be off the charts by today’s standards. But clearly under such conditions our s