Go Green Radio

What do you do with expired medicine in your medicine cabinet? How do you dispose of pharmaceuticals you no longer need? If you’re like most Americans, you’ve been told to flush them, wash them down the sink, or throw them in the trash. But recent studies show that our unwanted drugs are ending up in our fresh water supplies, and it doesn’t take a doctor or scientist to know that it isn’t healthy for us to ingest medicine that isn’t meant for us. It’s a health risk and an environmental hazard to wildlife. Today we will talk with the Vice President of Environmental Science and Community Affairs for Covanta Energy about his company’s solution to this problem, and Paul Ritter, a high school science teacher who lead his students to create a model community program for safely disposing of unwanted pharmaceuticals that is gaining national attention. If your community does not have a drug take-back program, listen to Go Green Radio to learn how to change that!

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!

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/

Keep Texas Beautiful (KTB) is not messing around when they ask people not to litter in the Lone Star state! In 2010, more than 840 litter cleanup events were held across the state, featuring more than 74,100 volunteers. All told, 6,219 miles of highway were cleared of litter and debris, totaling a little more than eight million pounds of trash! But that’s only one of many outstanding programs run by KTB, and today, we’ll talk with their Executive Director, Cathie Gail. We’ll discuss their education and training opportunities; their impressive affiliate network; and even their clay shoot fundraiser with the Texas Legislative Sportsman’s Caucus.

A lot of products we use everyday come in containers made of #5 plastic – margarine, sour cream, yogurt, cottage cheese, etc. The problem is that many communities don’t collect #5 plastic for recycling, because they lack a purchaser who will buy that material for another use. Too many of these containers are ending up in landfills, but there IS a solution! A company called Preserve makes products out of #5 plastics, and they have partnered with Stonyfield Farms to create a nationwide recycling program that anyone, anywhere can participate in. You never have to send your yogurt cups to your local landfill again! Tune in as we talk with Eric Hudson, CEO of Preserve, to learn how you can get involved in the “Gimme 5” program.

Today we are joined by New York City’s “Guru” of urban gardening, Gerard Lordahl, who serves as the Director of the Open Space Greening Program for GrowNYC (www.grownyc.org). GrowNYC is a nonprofit organization that has existed in partnership with the Mayor’s office for four decades, and improves 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. For 40 years, GrowNYC has been rolling 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. • Create the next generation of environmental leaders through hands-on education programs. Tune in to learn more about how urban gardening is reshaping the urban landscape in an unprecedented time of urban growth.

The generation of Americans that will soon be called upon to address some of humanity’s greatest environmental challenges—those currently in our schools—have a limited understanding of environmental issues, our civic system and/or how to develop and implement balanced solutions to natural resource challenges. The problem is not a shortage of environmental information. There is plenty of information with media saturation of environmental stories at an all time high. The problem is that we have not fostered young people’s ability to critically assess that information and use it to make sound choices. Now is the time to foster a scientifically capable and civically engaged populace. Through Earth Force young people get hands-on, real-world opportunities to practice civic skills, acquire and understand environmental knowledge, and develop the skills and motivation to become life-long leaders in addressing environmental issues.

You can call California a bellwether state for environmental policies, or you can be accurate… and call it the rock star state for bold environmental movements. In 2006, Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed AB32 into law, which aimed to curb greenhouse gas emissions and move toward a clean energy economy. It gained worldwide attention as one of the first large economic forces in the world putting “green” on the front burner. But as he prepares to term out of office, an initiative backed by big oil companies from outside the state will appear on the November ballot. Today, we are joined by Steve Maviglio, who had a front row seat to the inner dealings around the original piece of legislation, and who currently heads the campaign going up against the crude industry in order to preserve California’s landmark climate change bill.

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 suff

Recon Recycling is a disabled veteran owned small business located in the Barrio Logan community of San Diego. Recon believes in applying the principles of sustainability, economic development, and social equity to their business practices. Richard McCaskill started the company three years ago with no capital, learning the basics of recycling from the homeless and utilizing guerrilla military tactics learned in the Marine Corps special forces. Currently the company provides waste reduction and recycling services for clients throughout San Diego County. In 2009, Recon collected and diverted more than one million pounds of materials. In 2010, Recon became an Environmental Consultant for the Unified Port of San Diego.

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/