Hopefully Sustainable

Sustainable Wonder Woman | Laurene Hamilton

This week, Jaiko sits down with Laurene Hamilton, the Vice President of Programs for the Greening Youth Foundation. As VP of Programs, Laurene is working to engage underrepresented youth and young adults while connecting them to the outdoors and careers in conservation. Before taking this position, Laurene held a variety of roles such as Coordinator for the University of Georgia Extension Service, Coordinator for Georgia State University in their Office of Sustainability, and Recycling Analyst for Cox Enterprises. Throughout the episode, Laurene recounts her takeaways from her previous jobs and shares advice for anyone wanting to pursue a career in the sustainability field. Additionally, Jaiko and Laurene discuss the lack of equity and accessibility that exists in the outdoors and how Greening Youth Foundation is working to provide environmental and wellness education and pathways to green careers for youth and young adults from diverse backgrounds. Find more information about Greening Youth Foundation online at gyfoundation.org and on Instagram @greeningyouth. Look for more information about today’s episode on Instagram @hopefullysustainablepod. Music: https://www.purple-planet.com.

LastObject | Isabel Aagaard

Isabel Aagaard, co-founder of LastObject and located in Copenhagen, Denmark, is on a mission to reduce single-use items across the world. LastObject has begun revolutionizing the sustainable bathroom experience releasing LastSwab, a reusable q-tip, and LastTissue, a set of reusable tissues. They also recently started crowdfunding for their latest product, LastRound, which is a set of reusable cotton rounds. In this episode, Jaiko and Isabel discuss the mission of LastObject, the importance of reusable products, and how European countries are taking action to reduce the prevalence of single use items. Find out more information about LastObject online at www.lastobject.com and on Instagram @lastobject and @lastswab. Look for more information about today’s episode on Instagram @hopefullysustainablepod. Music: https://www.purple-planet.com.

Eco-Anxiety - You’re not Alone | Laura Durenberger

Laura Durenberger, the passionate human behind the Reduce, Reuse, Renew blog, is helping us break down the serious and far-reaching topic of eco-anxiety. In a recent poll, The American Psychological Association found that 56% of adults in the United States believe that climate change is the most important issue facing society today. With the negative effects of climate change becoming more evident, many people are experiencing eco-anxiety, or what the APA defines as “chronic fear of environmental doom.” Laura has managed her generalized anxiety and eco-anxiety for years learning many coping mechanisms along the way. In today’s episode, Jaiko and Laura discuss how today’s climate is impacting the mental health of many, strategies for living with eco-anxiety, and how no matter what, there is hope at the end of the day! Find more information about Laura and the topics discussed throughout the episode online at https://reducereuserenewblog.com/ and on Instagram @reducereuserenewblog. Look for more information about today’s episode on Instagram @hopefullysustainablepod. Music: https://www.purple-planet.com.

The Eco Incubator | Anne Alexis Bennett Alexander

Anne Alexis Bennett Alexander has traveled to 67 countries over the last 20 years discovering the connectivity that exists between all of us along the way. As she recently settled back in her home state of Georgia, she decided to take all that she has learned and found a nonprofit organization, The Eco Incubator. Along with building a 0% emissions community service space, The Eco Incubator focuses on teaching health, wellness, and sustainability practices to the community in the most interactive way possible. Anne Alexis is a critical member of the sustainability community whose passion and hope are evident throughout the entire episode! Follow along and support The Eco Incubator online at www.theecoincubator.org. Look for more information about today’s episode on Instagram @hopefullysustainablepod. Music: https://www.purple-planet.com.

The Farmlink Project | Mitzi Harris

Today we are shedding light on something positive that has come out of the pandemic - The Farmlink Project. Back in March, a group of college students saw an opportunity to serve their communities and they acted upon it. Now, students from Brown University, Stanford University, Cornell University and more have come together to reduce food waste and feed people in need. The Farmlink Project is a nonprofit organization that connects farms with food banks. To date, they have rescued 10,000,000 pounds of food which equates to over 7,000,000 meals. Jaiko had the honor of speaking with Mitzi Harris, the leader of the fundraising team. We talk about the origin of The Farmlink Project, their mission to reduce food waste and hunger, and how the organization has inspired the entire country during a time of hardship for so many. Learn more about The Farmlink Project online at https://thefarmlinkproject.org/. You can also find them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Look for more information about today’s episode on Instagram @hopefullysustainablepod. Music: https://www.purple-planet.com.

BLOOM | Ashton Zeller

In today’s episode, Jaiko is speaking with Ashton Zeller, Chief Scientist at Algix, a clean technology company finding creative answers to eco-questions. In 2016, BLOOM, an Algix brand, launched the world’s first algae-blended EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) to the footwear industry as a sustainable ingredient in flexible foams for applications such as shoes, sporting products, and accessories. Throughout the episode, Jaiko and Ashton discuss the overall impact of the footwear industry on climate change, how it was first discovered that algae could be used as a plastic alternative, and where BLOOM fits into the present and future of sustainable footwear. Learn more about BLOOM online at https://www.bloomtreadwell.com/. You can find more information about today’s episode on Instagram @hopefullysustainablepod. Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

The Magic of Composting | Nethra Rajendran

This week we are getting our hands dirty and talking compost with Nethra Rajendran, recent Management Information Systems and International Business Major from the University of Georgia. During her time as a student, Nethra served as the EcoReps Interns where she worked with UGA Housing to implement a composting program in the dorms. Throughout the episode, Nethra shares all her practical knowledge from the different types of composting to how compost is the ultimate solution to food waste. After this episode, you will truly believe that composting is for everyone so grab your bin, some leaves and newspaper, food scraps and let’s compost! Follow along with Nethra’s composting journey on Instagram @brownlivinggreen. The resources mentioned throughout the episode include this New York Times article (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/06/climate/new-york-coronavirus-composting.html), Drawdown by Paul Hawken, and the app, Sharewaste. You can find more information about today’s episode on Instagram @hopefullysustainablepod. Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Powerful Ladies of Sustainability | Mackenzie, Kat, Megan, Becca, & Nicole

Welcome to Episode 10 of Hopefully Sustainable! To celebrate the 10th episode, Jaiko is speaking with five of her greatest friends about everything from how the pandemic has affected their ability to be sustainable to how they are remaining hopeful during these times. Meet Mackenzie Light, Kat Schaich, Megan Reeves, Becca Wright, and Nicole Schlabach, five powerful ladies of sustainability who inspire Jaiko on a daily basis. You can find more information about today’s episode on Instagram @hopefullysustainablepod. Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

When you Think Vegan, Think Haile | Haile Thomas

Today we are graced by the presence of Haile Thomas, an international speaker, wellness & compassion activist, vegan food & lifestyle creator, Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, and the founder & CEO of the HAPPY Organization. Haile discusses her family’s journey to a vegan lifestyle, the importance of reflection, why racism isn’t vegan, and her experience as an activist. After this episode, when you think vegan, you will think HAILE THOMAS! Join Haile’s online community on Instagram @hailethomas and Twitter @hailevthomas. Order Haile’s cookbook, Living Lively, on her website hailevthomas.com and learn more about her nonprofit, The HAPPY Org at https://www.thehappyorg.org/. You can find more information about today’s episode on Instagram @hopefullysustainablepod. Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Starting a Sustainable Business | Callee Ackland

This week on Hopefully Sustainable, Jaiko speaks with Callee Ackland, founder of Bestowed Essentials and Hippie Haven Shop, a zero waste store and event space located in South Dakota. Callee is passionate about sustainable living and taking steps to reduce waste in our daily lives. Join us as we discuss all of Callee’s sustainable business endeavors and learn her take on the zero waste movement. You can find Bestowed Essentials and Hippie Haven Shop on Instagram @bestowedessentials and @hippiehavenshop. Listen to the Hippie Haven Podcast on all streaming platforms! You can find more information about today’s episode on Instagram @hopefullysustainablepod. Music: https://www.purple-planet.com