Green Dreamer: Seeding change towards collective healing, sustainability, regeneration

What do we need to know about food waste, and what can we do as individuals to help our communities waste less food? Even though sometimes we may feel, as individuals, like just one person in this massive world, why is our sheer existence so important in helping to shape trends and society? Sharing his wisdom here is Max La Manna of Eating With Max. You'll hear about how we can inspire those around us to take positive actions for our planet; how we can create a less wasteful food industry; what to know about plant-based foods that can help us feel more connected to our earth; and more. Let's dive in!   HIGHLIGHTS [6:45] What inspired Max to become a pioneer as a chef focused on not wasting any food, tackling plastic waste from the food industry, and making plant-based recipes.[8:53] Max: "I think that's where a lot of creativity lives – in that space of the unknown and in that space of fear."[9:25] Max's advice on getting over the roadblock of fearing the unknown or fearing what other people think.[13:20] What Max has done to be able to connect deeply with his audience to inspire positive change.[15:00] What we need to know about food waste and how we can get our communities to waste less food.[20:05] Kaméa: "We've become very disconnected as a society from nature, especially as it has to with food... How can we inspire a deeper connection between humans and nature through food?" [22:40] At a time when our global meat consumption is still on the rise, what we can do to inspire people to try more plant-based protein and eat less meat.  Thanks for bringing your light! Find the full show notes with links and resources at www.greendreamer.com/106, subscribe to our newsletter to win monthly giveaways, and share your #1 takeaway from the episode tagging our featured guest and me @KameaChayne to spread the light and to let us know you're tuning in!

In addition to supporting the most established national or international environmental nonprofits, why do we also need to simultaneously support local, small, and community-based organizations? What's the importance of making sure that key decisions, policies, and solutions are made in the presence of people from a diversity of backgrounds? Sharing her wisdom with us here is Peggy Shepard, Co-founder and Executive Director of WE ACT For Environmental Justice. You'll hear about how grassroots initiatives can lead to meaningful change for citizens; how large environmental organizations differ in their measures of success and focus compared to community-based organizations; how we can support environmental justice as individuals; and more. Let's dive in!   HIGHLIGHTS[8:18] Peggy: "The environmental justice movement really coalesced around the fact that low-income communities and communities of color were being targeted for polluting facilities, but not receiving environmental benefits like parks and alternative energy options like solar and natural gas."[9:23] Peggy: "We believe that the voices of the affected residents are the ones that should take leadership on these issues."[12:11] Peggy talks about the prevalence of systemic environmental racism in the U.S. that is perpetuated by public policy and the history of inequality.[24:20] The differences in how large-scale, national nonprofits measure success compared to community-based organizations, and why we cannot overlook supporting the latter.[27:20] Peggy: "We've got to have a diversity of perspectives because it enriches all of our policies and it enriches our lives."  Thanks for bringing your light! Find the full show notes with links and resources at www.greendreamer.com/105, subscribe to our newsletter to win monthly giveaways, and share your #1 takeaway from the episode tagging our featured guest and me @KameaChayne to spread the light and to let us know you're tuning in!

How do aquaponics work and how can this be used to support a more sustainable future in agriculture? What are some environmental issues from the medical cannabis industry that we should know, and how can we best support it to move in a healthier direction? Sharing his wisdom here is Warren Bravo, the co-founder and CEO of Green Relief. You'll hear about how he pivoted from leading his family business to become the largest cement contracting company in Canada to co-establishing his licensed medical cannabis company; how he developed their aquaponic system to be able to scale sustainable production of the plant; how sterile systems like hydroponics compare to aquaponics and soil-based growth; and more. Let's dive in. HIGHLIGHTS:[7:00] How Warren got involved with the medical cannabis industry and sustainable agriculture.[11:55] Warren: "I learned a long time ago not to sweat over things I can't control."[12:41] What aquaponics are and how they work.[15:35] Kamea: "What do we know about the difference between plants or crops grown from sterile systems like hydroponics compared to ones with rich micro-biotic populations?"[19:05] Warren's biggest struggle in growing Green Relief.[24:22] Warren shares how to support the medical cannabis industry to be more sustainable and more generally, how to champion sustainable agriculture going forward.  Thanks for bringing your light! Find the full show notes with links and resources at www.greendreamer.com/104, subscribe to our newsletter to win monthly giveaways, and share your #1 takeaway from the episode tagging our featured guest and me @KameaChayne to spread the light and to let us know you're tuning in!

Why are plastic pieces so problematic when they end up in our oceans? How can focusing on preventative solutions to tackling plastic and micro-plastic pollution help us to more effectively address this global issue? Sharing his wisdom here is Dr. Marcus Eriksen, Co-founder and Research Director of 5 Gyres Institute. In this episode, you’ll hear about his research on microplastic pollution leading to the passing of our federal Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015; why he thinks we need to focus more on stopping plastic from entering our waterways in the first place instead of on cleaning up plastics already in our oceans; and more. Let’s dive in. HIGHLIGHTS[4:21] Marcus discusses his active deployment in the Gulf War and how seeing the ecological impact of war affected him.[5:30] Marcus: "I've got to preserve and conserve the world around me. That's my duty; that's what's worth fighting for."[8:16] How the 5 Gyres Institute fought for (and won) the Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015. [14:07] Marcus speaks on the linear waste system and how that system needs to change into a circular system.[25:45] How the burden of pollution has changed from resting on the consumers' shoulders alone to consumers sharing the load with corporations.[27:19] Kamea: "It's important for us all to also know that we all have to work together. It's consumers; it's businesses; it's governments. We have to all collaborate with each other." Thanks for bringing your light! Find the full show notes with links and resources at www.greendreamer.com/103, subscribe to our newsletter to win monthly giveaways, and share your #1 takeaway from the episode tagging our featured guest and me @KameaChayne to spread the light and to let us know you're tuning in!

How can we better convey the science behind sustainability to the general public so that people will be more interested and motivated to take action? How do insects tie into this picture of sustainability, and why is their presence so vital to our sustainable future? Sharing his wisdom here is Phil Torres, a biologist with an appetite for adventure. Known for his fieldwork in the Amazon rainforest, he documents his research on his YouTube channel, The Jungle Diaries, and is also the host of United Airlines' Big Metal Bird, and The CW's Ready Set Pet. He's also appeared on Animal Planet and Discovery Channel, and has published in Wired, BBC, National Geographic, Wall Street Journal, and more. Let's dive in. HIGHLIGHTS[8:40] Phil explains how the decisions we make locally have global effects.[12:58] Kaméa: "What led you to become a science communicator?"[19:14] Why it's important to take the time to notice and acknowledge the nature and living creatures around us.[20:26] Kaméa: "What do you think is the most challenging part of getting people to care?"[24:42] Phil shares an experience that really shocked him during his work as a TV host.[28:42] The role of insects in sustainability.[33:40] How insect populations may be indicative of the health of our planet. Thanks for bringing your light! Find the full show notes with links and resources at www.greendreamer.com/102, subscribe to our newsletter to win monthly giveaways, and share your #1 takeaway from the episode tagging our featured guest and me @KameaChayne to spread the light and to let us know you're tuning in!

What are some ways in which non-profits can really shine and accomplish things that even purpose-driven businesses may not be able to? Why is it so important for sustainability to be inclusive of everybody, no matter our backgrounds, abilities, differences in beliefs, or accessibility? Sharing her wisdom here is Kate Williams, CEO of 1% For the Planet, which is a global movement inspiring businesses and individuals to support environmental nonprofit solutions through annual membership and everyday actions. In addition to bringing experiences from her past leadership along, she believes strongly in the power of collective action. Let's dive in. HIGHLIGHTS[4:55] Kate: "It's about protecting places, but it's also about engaging a broad group of people all over the world—and how do we most effectively do that?"[17:27] Kaméa: "What do you think has been key to getting so many companies and people on board?"[19:46] Kate discusses the importance of inclusivity and accessibility within the sustainability movement.[20:01] Kate: "No matter where you live or how much money you have, you are a human on this planet that we share—so we need to take that into account."[23:53] Kate discusses the power of the nonprofit sector and its ability to go where for-profit businesses cannot.[30:56] Kate: "There's always something you can do, and among those things, I think it's really important that people choose because you're going to stay committed to the thing that's right for you." Thanks for bringing your light! Find the full show notes with links and resources at www.greendreamer.com/101, subscribe to our newsletter to win monthly giveaways, and share your #1 takeaway from the episode tagging our featured guest and me @KameaChayne to spread the light and to let us know you're tuning in!

What does it mean that a lot of our current efforts to 'go green' could just be facades or short term solutions that might create another set of unintended problems? How do we deal with the loneliness and rage that might come from having woken up to a lot of our systemic issues which a lot of people around us might still not see? Our guest on this episode is Ayana Young, a lover and protector of wild nature and the host of For the Wild podcast. Today, she teaches empowered earth stewardship, leads biodiversity enhancement workshops, and facilitates panels across North America with her team. Let's dive in. HIGHLIGHTS[5:12] Ayana: "I think the word 'sustainability' is thrown around way too much. It's become a marketing tool."[8:30] Ayana: "When you think about 9 billion people all with iPhones, cars, being able to fly airplanes anytime... it really doesn't matter if you plug that into a solar panel or not."[13:30] Kaméa: "Is this a matter of questioning what progress really means? Because we're headed in a direction that is called growth, but equates with a lot of destruction today."[14:53] Ayana: "I really believe that creativity is the antidote to destruction."[27:00] Ayana on how everyone we need everybody on board, and how everyone has a part to play.[37:18] How Ayana deals with her rage and frustration, knowing she sees things so clearly while most people and especially decision makers may not. Thanks for bringing your light! Find the full show notes with links and resources at www.greendreamer.com/100, subscribe to our newsletter to win monthly giveaways, and share your #1 takeaway from the episode tagging our featured guest and me @KameaChayne to spread the light and to let us know you're tuning in!

As we're wrapping up 2018, I wanted to take this opportunity to have Abigail Davidson, Green Dreamer's Creative Partnerships Manager and the one who's been creating all of our show notes, lead us in reflecting upon our first 100 episodes. Abigail is also a holistic wellness blogger and coach at The School of Wellbeing who helps individuals learn to listen to their bodies and minds and develop a thriving lifestyle specific to them. Find the full show notes with references linked at www.GreenDreamer.com/99, subscribe to our weekly newsletter to win monthly giveaways, and share your biggest takeaways with me on Instagram @KameaChayne to let me know you're tuning in. Thanks for bringing your light! x

Even when we may not feel so hopeful about our ability to turn things around for a sustainable future, what can we hold onto to inspire us to keep going? How does our global industrialized food system aggravate social and environmental issues, and how can we begin to tackle this? Sharing his expertise here is Rob Greenfield, a world-renowned adventurer and activist who just embarked on his big project called Food Freedom, where he'll be growing and foraging 100 percent of his own food for an entire year in Orlando, Florida. Some of his other past projects include cycling three times across the United States on a bamboo bike for sustainability, dumpster diving in thousands of grocery store dumpsters to raise awareness about food waste and hunger, and wearing 30 days worth of trash out in public to create a visual of just how much trash one average American creates.  Let's dive in. HIGHLIGHTS[6:32] Rob on how we may be able to break free from "mono-cropped" perspectives from being in places surrounded by people who live and think in the exact same ways.[10:03] Kaméa: "What is the ideation process like for you when you come up with your projects?"[6:04] Kaméa: "How do you deal with people calling you out for the few things you aren't doing perfectly?"[20:44] Rob: "None of us will ever fix all the problems, and none of us have the responsibility to fix all the problems that were created in the world. But we all can take accountability for ourselves and do our best to have a positive impact around us." [28:46] The sustainability and future of our global industrialized food systems.[30:02] How Rob can feel doubtful about our abilities to realize a sustainable future, yet still have so much enthusiasm for conscious living and activism. Thanks for bringing your light! Find the full show notes with links and resources at www.greendreamer.com/98, subscribe to our newsletter to win monthly giveaways, and share your #1 takeaway from the episode tagging our featured guest and me @KameaChayne to spread the light and to let us know you're tuning in!

We've been talking so much about plastic pollution, but how exactly is plastic even made to begin with, and what can we learn from that process to better understand its impact on our health? How can we deal with having friends or family members who may not personally support the work we do or believe it can really make a difference? Sharing her wisdom with us here is Christine Liu, author of the blog and YouTube channel on living more simply and sustainably, Snapshots of Simplicity. She has a degree in industrial and packaging technology from California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo and currently works at Cisco as a sustainable packaging program manager, where she also co-founded its internal employee organization called the Green Team Network. Let's dive in. HIGHLIGHTS  [6:32] Christina explains how plastic is actually made.[10:53] Christina's advice for someone working for a company that's not focused on sustainability but wants to be an "intrapraneur" and work as a change maker from within.[11:47] Kaméa: "What do you think is most effective when it comes to influencing the key decision makers in a large company like Cisco?"[15:35] How Christine deals with push back from friends and family members.[17:19] Christine: "Being an over-achiever or perfectionist, it's really easy to overlook rest and to not give yourself enough credit for what you do."[18:15] Christine shares about her anxiety, her decision to take some time off from work, and how it has impacted her overall outlook and values.  Thanks for bringing your light! Find the full show notes with links and resources at www.greendreamer.com/97, subscribe to our newsletter to win monthly giveaways, and share your #1 takeaway from the episode tagging our featured guest and me @KameaChayne to spread the light and to let us know you're tuning in!