Commonwealth Podcast For Holistic Herbalism

This episode begins a series on herbalism & climate change. Heatwaves have struck the US and many places throughout the world, and all signs indicate this is going to be our “new normal”. Climate change affects everyone and requires us to recognize our interdependence. We need to cultivate community care as a social ethic & public good before and until it becomes necessary as a disaster response. Herbalism offers a great deal to us in this regard.Heat is dangerous. Heat with high humidity, even more so. Learning and sharing low-cost, low-energy methods for cooling your house, your body, and your pets is a great way to prepare and to help others near you. But herbs can help in particular ways, too:demulcents to improve hydration (especially with a bit of sweet added: honey, maple syrup, or – yep – even sugar)mineral-rich nutritive herbs for mineral repletion… more than just “electrolytes”, trace minerals toorelaxing & cooling diaphoretics to open the pores and allow release of heatrefrigerants to h