Sustainability Matters Today

This is a special, end-of-year episode for the Sustainability Champions who have subscribed and supported the Sustainability Matters Today Podcast!  Thank you for listening to the show and learning from the Champions we feature who are taking steps every day to heal our planet. We look forward to speaking with you again in 2020 and greatly appreciate your continued support!I If you haven’t yet, please follows us on IG @sustainabilitymatterstoday, and subscribe to our FB page, Sustainability Matters Today!

Did you know reforesting about 2.2 billion acres could store 205 gigatonnes of carbon? That’s the equivalent of two-thirds of all the carbon humans have already released into the atmosphere! In this episode of Sustainability Matters Today, I interview Dr. Stephen Fitch, founder and CEO of Eden Reforestation Projects and #Champion of Reforestation and Ecological Restoration. Launched in Ethiopia in 2004, Eden Reforestation Projects restores healthy forests in Madagascar, Haiti, Nepal, Indonesia, Mozambique, and Kenya while reducing extreme poverty by employing thousands of local villagers to plant trees in deforested areas. Eden has been recognized as one of the most cost-effective reforestation projects in the world. Please make sure to subscribe to the Sustainability Matters Today podcast to learn more about other champions of sustainability like Steve. I hope you enjoy the episode! Resources: Eden Reforestation Projects Website: https://edenprojects.org Ecosia website: https://www.ecosia.org Aquifer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquifer Seed Balls: https://seed-balls.com/what-are-seed-balls Carbon Sequestration: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_sequestration

Did you know, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, a common cleansing agent found in shampoos and soaps, damages the natural protective barriers on your skin and lets in hormone-disrupting chemicals, which can be carcinogenic? In this episode of Sustainability Matters Today, I interview Dennes James-Kraan, the co-founder of Tabitha James Kraan (TJK) Organic Hairdressing and #Champion of Sustainable and Organic Hair Care. Founded in 1999, TJK is a pioneering, organic salon based in the Cotswolds, UK that runs 100% on energy from renewable sources. In 2015, they launched their own line of luxury organic hair products that deliver professional performance without compromising on the quality of ingredients. This organic hair care line recently won the Marie Claire Hair Awards in 2019 for being a game-changer in the cosmetic industry. Please make sure to subscribe to the Sustainability Matters Today podcast to learn more about other champions of sustainability like Dennes. I hope you enjoy the episode! Resources: Sassoon Academy: https://www.sassoon-academy.com/en/academy/uk National Vocational Qualification (NVQ): https://www.vocationaltraining.org.uk/nvq-overview Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_laureth_sulfate ewg.org website:https://www.ewg.org/ Soil Association UK: https://www.soilassociation.org/ TJK Website: https://www.tabithajameskraan.com/

Did you know smallholder farms provide up to 80 percent of the food supply in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa? In this episode of Sustainability Matters Today, I interview Jeff Abella, co-founder of Moka Origins, a bean-to-bar chocolate manufacturer and specialty coffee roaster and #Champion of Economic Development through Sustainable Agriculture. Founded in 2015, Moka Origins has been empowering rural African farming communities by providing smallholder farmers with technical training and sustainable marketing links, while supporting the local economy through their chocolate and coffee products. In April 2019, Moka Origins won the Bronze Prize in the Annual Fedex Small Business Grant Contest. They also received the Innovator of the Year award from the Wayne Economic Development Corporation in 2017. Please make sure to subscribe to the Sustainability Matters Today podcast to learn more about other champions of sustainability like Jeff. I hope you enjoy the episode! Resources: Himalayan Institute: https://www.himalayaninstitute.org Smallholder Farming: https://www.cropscience.bayer.com/en/crop-science/smallholder-farming Origin Trips (sample: Mexico Coffee Immersion):  https://mokaorigins.com/pages/mexico-origin-trip Moka Origins website: https://mokaorigins.com

Did you know palm oil is in around 50% of all products found on supermarket shelves? In this episode of Sustainability Matters Today, I interview Inke Van Der Sluijs, head of European operations at the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (aka the RSPO) and #Champion of Sustainable Palm Oil. Established in 2004, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil is the leading certifying body that demonstrates palm oil is produced with the environment and society in mind. The RSPO has more than 4,000 members worldwide who represent all links along the palm oil supply chain. They have committed to produce, source and/or use sustainable palm oil certified by the RSPO. Please make sure to subscribe to the Sustainability Matters Today podcast to learn more about other champions of sustainability like Inke. I hope you enjoy this episode! Resources: Assurance Services International (ASI): www.asi-assurance.org/s Jurisdiction approach to certification: rspo.org/news-and-events/announcements/public-consultation-jurisdictional-approach-for-rspo-certification Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO): en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-governmental_organization Peatland and Climate Change: iucn.org/resources/issues-briefs/peatlands-and-climate-change RSPO website: rspo.org Sustainable Palm Oil: eco-business.com/news/what-is-sustainable-palm-oil You can read the transcript of the episode here: http://bit.ly/Inke-Van-Der-Sluijs-SMT

Did you know, investing the money in your savings into sustainable funds can have a 27 times bigger positive impact on your carbon footprint than eating less meat, taking public transportation, reducing your water use, and flying less, combined? In this episode of Sustainability Matters Today, I interview JP Dallmann, Sustainable & Impact Investment Advisor and host of the “Impact Leaders” podcast. The Impact Leaders podcast features individuals who focus on Impact Investment and Performance with Purpose. JP is the CEO of ILA & Partners, helping Investment Managers and Companies that want to transition into Sustainable & Impact Investing. In 2017,  JP started Impact Founders - a community of impact-driven entrepreneurs who use profit and technology as a force for good. He is also the co-founder of Realchangers, a platform that matches mission-driven talent with impact-driven companies that are solving the most pressing global issues of today. And he is a contributor to Forbes.com, where he promotes impact investing, the SDGs and change in our systems. Please make sure to subscribe to the Sustainability Matters Today podcast to learn more about other champions of sustainability like JP. Enjoy the episode! Resources: Impact Investing: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/i/impact-investing.asp Sustainable Development Goals: https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/envision2030.html Impact Leaders Podcast: https://audioboom.com/channels/4974335 Impact Investing Article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jpdallmann/2018/12/31/impact-investing-just-a-trend-or-the-best-strategy-to-help-save-our-world/#7d87d3b475d1 Negative/Exclusionary Screening: https://thoughtfulfinance.com/2018/07/24/definitions-negative-exclusionary-screening Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI): https://www.unpri.org John Elkington Books: https://johnelkington.com/publications/books Ray Dalio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Dalio JP Dallmann website: http://jpdallmann.com You can read the transcript of the episode here: sustainabilitym.at/JPDallmann

Did you know, used coffee grounds can reduce deforestation because they contain many of the same properties as palm oil? In this episode of the Sustainability Matters Today podcast, I interview Fergus Moore, Co-Founder of Revive Eco and #Champion of Diverting Coffee Grounds from Landfill. Revive Eco collects and recycles used coffee grounds to produce a range of eco-friendly products. Recently, they were chosen as a Solve - MIT Global Finalist for their proposal of converting coffee grounds into high value, natural oils. For their innovation, Revive-Eco received the LiveWIRE Smarter Future Award in 2016, a Green Champion Award from the Glasgow Business Awards in 2017, a grant from Zero Waste Scotland’s Circular Economy Investment Fund in 2018, and recently they were semi-finalists in the Chivas Venture Final in 2019, for which they received $20,000 in prize money. Please subscribe to the Sustainability Matters Today podcast to learn about other champions of sustainability like Fergus. I hope you enjoy this episode! Resources Palm Oil: wwf.org.uk/updates/8-things-know-about-palm-oil Palmitic Acid: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palmitic_acid Linoleic Acid: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linoleic_acid Oleic Acid: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oleic_acid Stearic Acid: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stearic_acid Circular Economy: ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/circular-economy/concept Ellen Macarthur Foundation: ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/ Iceland palm oil advert: youtube.com/watch?v=oA10-oZi4Xc Gabe Brown’s SMT Episode: bit.ly/gabe-brown-SMT May Al Karooni’s SMT Episode: bit.ly/MayAlKarooniSMT You can read the transcript of this episode here: http://bit.ly/Fergus_Moore_SMT

Did you know, in 2018, almost 480 billion of plastic bottles were sold? That's almost 1 million every minute. In this episode of the Sustainability Matters Today podcast, I interviewed Scott Edwards, founder and CEO of Drop Water and #Champion of Compostable Water Bottles. Drop Water is making bottled water more sustainable with their unique packaging and manufacturing methods.  For their innovation, Scott and his team won the silver prize for the 2018 FedEx Small Business Grant Contest beating 7,800 other applicants.  You can get Drop Water beverages from Drop Kiosks currently found in both terminals at the San Jose Airport and a Kiosk was recently added into the San Francisco Airport.  Please make sure to subscribe to the Sustainability Matters Today podcast to learn about other champions of sustainability.  I hope you enjoy the episode!  Resources: Polyethylene Water Bottles: https://www.thomasnet.com/articles/materials-handling/plastic-bottle-manufacturing/ Polymers: https://www.osborneindustries.com/news/polymers-vs-plastics/ Adaptogens: https://time.com/5025278/adaptogens-herbs-stress-anxiety/ Drop Stations by Drop Water: https://bcmechanicaldesign.com/portfolio-item/drop-station-by-drop-water/ Thinking and Systems by Donella Meadows (2008): https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Systems-Donella-H-Meadows-ebook/dp/B005VSRFEA You can read the transcript of this episode here: http://bit.ly/Scott_Edwards_SMT