Sustainable Minimalists – Details, episodes & analysis

We humans are evolutionarily primed to live in concert with the natural world, but these days Americans spend over 92% of time either indoors or inside a vehicle. The result? Stress, inflammation and — for some of us — a pervasive sense of malaise.  American culture is designed to keep us indoors because capitalist engines make money when we are distracted, and yet cutting-edge science supports the reality that life on this planet is radically interconnected. On today's show author Lyanda Lynn Haupt introduces the concept of rooted living to benefit of both humans and nature.   Here's a preview: [11:00] Nature provides connection, and yet 21st century life vilifies the outdoors [16:00] Exactly why our capitalist engines benefit when we live indoors lives  [22:00] Musings on our collected extractive mindset, plus: how roots are the antidote [28:00] Lyanda's Number One tip for re-rooting yourself and your children (It's a good one!)   Resources mentioned: Rooted: Life At The Crossroads Of Science, Nature, and Spirit Lyanda on Instagram Episode #384: Forest Bathing 101 This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We talk an awful lot about "climate science" and "what climate scientists predict" on this podcast. Today, I'm talking to one of them.  What exactly are the next 100 years likely going to look like for humans? What needs to happen for the US to mobilize for real? On today's show: A conversation with Michael Barnard about climate solutions, with an emphasis on that pesky air conditioning problem.    Here's a preview: [9:00] When it comes to cooling the planet, here's why my guest is "cautiously optimistic" despite the impending "ugly process" [14:00] Why climate change must first become impossible to ignore [20:00] The hotter it gets, the cooler we need our homes to be. And yet cooling our homes demands energy, which heats the planet more [27:00] Do we need to worry about mass electric grid failures in summer months? [32:00] Exactly why heat pumps are our collective heating and cooling future   Resources mentioned: The New Climate War: The Fight To Take Back Our Planet (by Michael E. Mann) Proven Climate Solutions: Leading Voices on How to Accelerate Change   This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Thanks to E-Cloth for being the feature sponsor of this episode! Use code "Minimalists15" for 15% off sitewide: https://us.e-cloth.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, November 3 2023: [00:30] French cheese, meet climate change [4:00] This is why olive oil is so expensive right now [6:30] Why many scientists are now saying climate change is an all-out 'emergency' [11:00] Cities are notoriously hot. Here are some cutting edge cooling solutions    This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some environmentalists call Christmas the world’s greatest annual environmental disaster, and for good reason: All that cheap, ultra-trendy decor adds up. On today's show: getting intentional about our holiday decorations once and for all.   Here's a preview: [3:00] Let's talk numbers: How much do Americans spend each year on holiday decor? [10:00] 3 ways in which 'Christmas Creep' encourages us to spend more than we intended on decorations [13:00] The origins of those inflatable lawn thingys: Where did they come from and when will they disappear? [22:00] Don't go out and buy another decoration until you've displayed the decorations you already own, and here are 4 reasons why [32:00] Want to make your child smile? Don't buy a cheap piece of holiday decor; do this instead   Resources mentioned: Big Mouth Billy Bass Episode #323: O Christmas Tree Episode #101: 5 Spaces To Declutter Before Christmas Episode #051: How To Handle Holiday Clutter (with Joshua Becker) Episode #327: Holiday Boundaries Episode #326: Gift Boundaries This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many of us shy away from the word 'activist' because the term brings to mind a very specific type of person. But if you're regularly taking action to make the world a better place? Guess what my friend, you're already an activist (yes, really!). What matters is not the size of the action, nor how vigorous the action is. It's all about consistency. On today's show author Omkari Williams helps us find the kind of social justice engagement that feels both empowering *and* sustainable. Here's a preview: [4:00] Activism isn't just marching and picketing: Here's what micro activism looks like in the day to day  [10:30] Are you a headliner, an organizer, a producer, or an indispensable? How to determine your unique activist archetype [22:00] The status quo isn't working for the vast majority of us. So where's the passion for change? [30:00] How to know whether your efforts constitute shallow work or deep work   Resources mentioned: Micro Activism: How You Can Make a Difference in the World without a Bullhorn Take Omkari's Activist Archetype Quiz Seafoodwatch.org consumer guides   This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, October 27 2023: [00:30] The West Antarctic ice sheet appears to be headed for an eventual “collapse” [3:00] The oil giants are feeling pretty darn good about their futures, apparently [6:30] Why on earth is the US government funding enhanced oil recovery? [13:00] This potential climate warrior may be gearing up for a White House run    Resources mentioned: Companies capture a lot of CO2. Most of it is going into new oil. (via WaPo) This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's sad but true: Americans are some of the most chronically stressed people on the planet. On today's show: how to incorporate Japanese lifestyle philosophies into our lives for reduced stress, greater well-being, and a longer life. Here's a preview: [3:00] The physiology of stress: What *actually* goes on in our bodies when we encounter a stressor? [11:00] 5 reasons why Americans are among the most stressed in the world [20:00] The secret to a great life isn't the accumulation of $$, it's this [27:00] How being in a hurry is inversely proportional to your quality of life   Resources mentioned: Americans Are Some of the Most Stressed-Out People in the World, a New Global Survey Says (via Time) Stressed in the U.S.: 12 Tools to Tackle Anxiety, Loneliness, Tech Addiction, and More by Meg Van Deusen Episode #384: Forest Bathing 101  Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life   This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Whether you’re dining at a restaurant or ordering takeout, eating out leaves a footprint. On today's show: asking the right questions, minimizing food waste, and reading through All. The. Greenwashing the next time you head to a restaurant. Here's a preview: [6:30] The food waste issue at fine dine, quick serve, and fast casual [12:00] Farm-to-table? How to find restaurants that actually care about environmental sustainability [22:30] The best way to *gently* suggest a change in a restaurant's policy [27:00] Our lives may be go go go, but our food doesn't have to be!   Resources mentioned: Michelin Green Star restaurants Episode #093: How (Exactly) To Cook Zero-Waste Meals Episode #270: Desperation Dinners Episode #038: What's For Dinner? This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, October 20 2023: [00:30] These are the places that could become ‘unlivable’ as the Earth warms [3:00] Engineer the ocean to curb climate change? Hmm ... [6:30] Ozone-destroying gasses are largely banned. So why are they still being emitted into the atmosphere? [13:00] Climate rules are coming for corporate America [15:00] The enviro-implications of that Taylor Swift tweet Resources mentioned: This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are often told that if we accomplish as much as possible in a day’s time we’ll feel fulfilled come day’s end. Enter to-do lists, which provide focus, direction, and purpose. But action doesn't always equal progress; it's no surprise, then, that so many of us feel drained and dissatisfied once the sun goes down. On today's show: how to find freedom in your to-do list and (finally!) make room for peace, connection, and fulfillment.   Here's a preview: [4:00] Your daily to-do list should have 7 items or less, and here's why [8:30] Exactly how to focus less on efficiency and more on intentionality [15:00] Time Boxing, Post-Its, and more: 4 research-backed ways to make your to-do list work for you [29:00] The Number One way to ensure you're spending your precious finite resource (ahem ... your TIME) on the right things    Resources mentioned: 18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done (by Peter Bregnan) Fat And The Moon deodorant This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices