Episodes

  • The Parrot and the Igloo - Climate and the Science of Denial

    The Parrot and the Igloo - Climate and the Science of Denial
    Jul 26 2024
    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.
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    1 hr
  • Encore WA State Leads the Nation in Banning Toxic Chemicals

    Encore WA State Leads the Nation in Banning Toxic Chemicals
    Jul 19 2024
    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.
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    1 hr
  • Encore PFAS May Taint Nearly 20 Million Cropland Acres

    Encore PFAS May Taint Nearly 20 Million Cropland Acres
    Jul 12 2024
    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.
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    1 hr
  • Encore Disposable Single-Use Plastics are Done in a Decade in CA

    Encore Disposable Single-Use Plastics are Done in a Decade in CA
    Jul 5 2024
    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.
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    1 hr
  • Encore Lomakatsi Restoration Project Builds Climate-Resilient Regions

    Encore Lomakatsi Restoration Project Builds Climate-Resilient Regions
    Jun 28 2024
    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!
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    1 hr
  • Encore Is Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) Racist?

    Encore Is Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) Racist?
    Jun 21 2024
    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.
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    1 hr
  • Encore This is Our Home, a New Book by Trent Romer

    Encore This is Our Home, a New Book by Trent Romer
    Jun 14 2024
    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!
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    1 hr
  • Encore 45 Colorado Public School Districts to Monitor IAQ with Attune

    Encore 45 Colorado Public School Districts to Monitor IAQ with Attune
    Jun 7 2024
    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.
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    1 hr