Greening Up My Act – Details, episodes & analysis

Did you know there are over 400,000 eco-friendly hotels around the world? Join Tiff and Kat in exploring how to identify these hidden gems in the wild and what they're doing to combat overtourism.

We're going through a lot right now so we need to take a break until early 2025!

Sources:

• NatGeo - https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/what-sustainable-tourism-means
• Proven Partners - What Makes a Hotel Eco-Friendly? https://www.proven.partners/blog/eco-friendly-hotel
• The Conversation - Why Australia Might Be at Risk of Overtourism - https://theconversation.com/why-australia-might-be-at-risk-of-overtourism-99213
• NatGeo - https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/renewable-energy-how-hotels-make-a-difference
• UNSW Sydney - The carbon footprint of AirBnB is likely bigger than you think - https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2021/05/the-carbon-footprint-of-airbnb-is-likely-bigger-than-you-think
• CNN - https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/eco-friendly-hotels-greenwashing-cmd/index.html

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Rockefeller-founded brand Paravel claims to make the "world's first carbon-neutral suitcases." The company's mission is also to make the world a better place. Are either of these things realistic? Join marketing writers Tiff and Kat as they explore the highfalutin world of luxury sustainable travel in your favorite sustainability podcast.

Sources

• Paravel: https://tourparavel.com/collections/luggage 
• Nat Geo: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/what-sustainable-tourism-means 
• CNN: https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/reviews/paravel-travel-luggage 
• Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/2021/09/the-net-positive-manifesto 
• Travel & Leisure: https://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-tips/how-to-recycle-an-old-suitcase 
• Terracycle: https://shop.terracycle.com/en-US/products/luggage-and-travel-bag-boxes-zero-waste-boxes 

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We're starting off season 5 with a controversial chat about electric vehicles and whether they're worth the switch.

Subscribe to our new Patreon to get exclusive content and support the podcast! www.patreon.com/greeningupmyact

Sources: 

• NPR - EV Batteries Hurt the Environment, but Gas Cars are Still Worse - https://www.npr.org/2024/05/09/1250212212/ev-batteries-environmental-impact
• The Atlantic - The Best Hope for Electric Cars Could Be the GOP Districts Where They’re Made - https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2024/05/electric-cars-republicans-democrats-biden-infrastructure/678341/
• Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy - The U.S. National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization - https://www.energy.gov/eere/us-national-blueprint-transportation-decarbonization-joint-strategy-transform-transportation
• USA Facts - What are the main sources of greenhouse gas emissions? - https://usafacts.org/articles/what-are-the-main-sources-of-us-greenhouse-gas-emissions/
• CarMax - Electric Cars vs Gas Cars: What’s the Difference? - https://www.carmax.com/articles/electric-cars-vs-gas-cars
• CNBC - Poor resale values of EVs threaten adoption, warn some experts - https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/05/poor-resale-values-of-evs-are-a-problem-for-the-industry-warn-experts.html

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Hooray! Kat and Tiff are so excited to announce they launched a Patreon. If you're looking to support an independent podcast and you get value from their show, they'd love the support. The cost of one cup of coffee a month gives you a bonus episode every month (even between seasons)!

Head here to sign up: patreon.com/GreeningUpMyAct

Patreon: patreon.com/greeningupmyact
Instagram: @greeningupmyact
Facebook: Greening Up My Act
Email us with questions: greeningupmyact@gmail.com
YouTube: Greening Up My Act

In the final episode of season 4, Kat and Tiff may break your heart a little as we discuss the truth about large-scale tree planting programs. But don't worry -- there's some hope for the forests.

Season 5: Travel and Transportation starts June 4!

Sources:

• U.S. Forest Service Plant-a-Tree Program - https://plantatree.fs.usda.gov/
• Yale Environment 360 - Are Huge Tree Planting Programs More Hype Than a Solution? - https://e360.yale.edu/features/are-huge-tree-planting-projects-more-hype-than-solution
• Carbon Brief, Analysis:How some of the world’s largest companies rely on carbon offsets to ‘reach net-zero’ - https://interactive.carbonbrief.org/carbon-offsets-2023/companies.html
• U.S. Department of Agriculture - The Power of One Tree - The Very Air We Breathe - https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2015/03/17/power-one-tree-very-air-we-breathe
• EcoTree - How much CO2 does a tree absorb? - https://ecotree.green/en/how-much-co2-does-a-tree-absorb
• Science News - Why planting tons of trees isn’t enough to solve climate change - https://www.sciencenews.org/article/planting-trees-climate-change-carbon-capture-deforestation
• Deep Root - How Much Should You Water Your Tree? - https://www.deeproot.com/blog/blog-entries/how-much-should-you-water-your-tree/

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Where exactly do you put compost? If you're as lost as Tiffany and Kat were, learn 9 easy ways to use compost.  Whether you buy compost or make it, your favorite sustainability podcast is here to bring you all the tips on adding it to your indoor and outdoor plants.

Sources

• NYC Compost Project: https://earthmatter.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/tip-sheet-how-to-use-compost-cpts-htuc-f.pdf
• Oregon State Uni. Extension: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pub/em-9308-how-use-compost-gardens-landscapes 
• Better Homes and Gardens: https://www.bhg.com/how-to-use-compost-7372129 

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Xeriscaping literally means "dry-scaping", and it's been popular in desert towns in the U.S. since the 80s and 90s. But it's got a lot of promise for fixing the issues you may have with making an eco-friendly lawn even if cactus isn't your aesthetic. Get some tips for xeriscaping on a budget in this episode of your favorite greenliving podcast.

BONUS CONTENT: A bit about rain barrels!

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• PBS Newshour - What is xeriscaping? How you can turn your lawn into a sustainable oasis - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/how-xeriscaping-offers-a-water-efficient-environmentally-friendly-alternative-to-lawns
• Budget Dumpster - How to Xeriscape on a Budget for an Eco-Friendly Yard - https://www.budgetdumpster.com/blog/how-to-xeriscape-your-yard/
• EcoWatch - Xeriscaping: Everything You Need to Know - https://www.ecowatch.com/xeriscaping-facts-ecowatch.html
• Deseret - Xeriscaping Drawbacks (from 1990!) https://www.deseret.com/1990/8/1/18874220/xeriscaping-drawbacks/
• Today’s Homeowner - States Where It Is Illegal to Collect Rainwater - https://todayshomeowner.com/gutters/guides/states-where-it-is-illegal-to-collect-rainwater/
• FCMP Outdoor RC4000-BRN 50-Gallon BPA Free Flat Back Home Rain Catcher Water Storage Collection Barrel for Watering Outdoor Plants & Gardens, Brown - https://amzn.to/3QbsqHg

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This week on your favorite sustainability podcast, Tiffany teaches Kat about bee hotels and whether they're really saving the right bees. Watch out for tarantula hawks and the Wasp Surprise!

Sources:

• UC Davis on ‘beewashing’: https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=30929
• Scientific journal PLOS One study on bee hotels: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0122126 
• Xerces Society: We should focus on habitat, not honey bees: https://www.xerces.org/blog/want-to-save-bees-focus-on-habitat-not-honey-bees 
• “Honey bees are not in peril. These bees are”: https://www.vox.com/down-to-earth/2023/1/19/23552518/honey-bees-native-bees-decline 
• University of Minnesota Extension: Wasps are passive pollinators: https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-news/wasps-are-gardeners-friend 
• Songbird Essentials Bee Hotel: https://nature-niche.com/products/bee-insect-hotel

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What do you do when you've grown too many tomatoes? Other than pawning them off on coworkers, you can try canning. But is this home method something anyone can do? Or is it just the realm of doomsday preppers and stay-at-home trad wives? Explore the eco-friendliness of home canning with Kat and Tiff in the latest episode of your favorite sustainability podcast. Bonus: count how many times Kat mentions asparagus.

Sources:

• Clemson College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences - Canning Foods at Home - https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/canning-foods-at-home/
• All Recipes - I Was Legitimately Terrified to Can My Own Food, but I Just Learned How — And You Can Too - https://www.allrecipes.com/article/how-to-can-food/
• Jar Store How To - Why You Should Try Canning Your Own Vegetables at Home! - https://jarstore.com/blog/?p=why-you-should-try-canning-your-own-vegetables-at-home
• Green Living Detective - How Green Is It to Can Food at Home? - https://www.greenlivingdetective.com/how-green-is-it-to-can-food-at-home/
• Melissa K Norris - Is Home Canning Really Worth It? - https://melissaknorris.com/podcast/is-home-canning-really-worth-it-does-it-save-money-to-can-at-home
• CDC - Home Canning and Botulism - https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/communication/home-canning-and-botulism.html
• USDA - How long can you keep canned foods? - https://ask.usda.gov/s/article/How-long-can-you-keep-canned-goods

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Are biodegradable flower pots full of greenwashing? It depends. Listen as hosts Tiff and Kat jump over the moon for CowPots (and trip and fall over others). Find out what biodegradable plant pots are made of, how they work, and which ones studies say work best in this episode of your favorite sustainability podcast.

Sources

• CowPots website: https://cowpots.com/
• Biodegradable pot trial: https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/b802d35a-acf9-4af8-ac90-86d48343570f/downloads/2016%20Poster%20from%20MSU.pdf?ver=1705439455031
• EPA review of CowPots: https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-09/documents/profile-freunds-farm-september2017_0.pdf 
• University of Guelph on manure: https://ses.uoguelph.ca/what-does-manure-have-do-climate-change 
• Farmer’s Almanac: DIY pots https://www.almanac.com/10-biodegradable-planting-pots-and-how-make-your-own

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