Sustainable Minimalists – Details, episodes & analysis

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, January 5 2024:

[00:45] Is drinking toilet water in our future? (Answer: Yes.)

[3:45] Some flowers are evolving to pollinate themselves, and this is not good news

[7:15] Got climate trauma? Good luck finding professional support

[15:00] A lack of EPA oversight in Cancer Alley

• 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.

Over the holidays my family and I staycationed for 9 glorious days. During this time of introspection I re-learned these 4 universally applicable lessons which we are discussing today:

[2:45] Appearance is EVERYthing (when shopping, at least).

[10:00] Explanations are unnecessary.

[18:00] No ones need to eat like royalty *every* night.

[27:00] Habit forming? Remember dosage. Repetition too! 

Resources mentioned:

• Mailbird (Note: it's not free!)
• Episode #223: Reclaiming Movement Opportunities

• 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.

Whether you boast a small windowsill herb garden, a thriving hydroponic system or something in between, growing your own food is great for your well-being. And when you grow what you eat? You also reduce the environmental harm that's incurred by industrial agricultural methods; you eliminate food miles, too.

Kevin Espiritu built a modern homestead on a very modest urban lot; he also happens to help millions of home growers take their gardening efforts to the next level. On today's show Kevin outlines the ways in which each of us — even those who can't keep anything alive! — can grow big(ger) in 2024.

Here's a preview:

[4:00] Why grow stuff? Food miles, nutrition, and industrialized food 

[15:00] The more you grow, the better you grow: Remembering the gardener's lesson

[19:00] Are those fancy-shmancy hydroponic garden towers worth it? Could you build one yourself?

[22:00] Can't keep anything alive? Start with sprouts!

[27:00] The Number One question expert home growers ask themselves, and often

Resources mentioned:

• Epic Homesteading: Your Guide to Self-Sufficiency on a Modern, High-Tech Backyard Homestead
• Episode #139: Microgreens

• 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.

The holidays are all about overabundance. We buy too much, consume too much and despite our best efforts spend far too much money. But there is a solution, and it’s happening on January 1: A No Spend Reset. 

A practical first step toward adopting a lifestyle rooted in sustainable minimalism is to hop off the consumerist bandwagon, at least for a little while, and January is the perfect right time to tackle that project you've been meaning to get to in your home, explore the wonder of recreational activities that don’t cost a cent, and recenter yourself with gratitude for what you already have.

On today's re-air: Julie Winpisinger divulges the Why and How of a no spend/low spend month so you can confidently embark on intentionally NOT SPENDING for 31 days.

Resources mentioned: 

• Sustainable Minimalists Substack
• Join our closed Facebook group

• 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.

A New Year's resolution is a tool that helps us become the best possible versions of ourselves. And yet research finds most people abandon their resolutions by February. 

Many New Year's resolutions fail because they're too broad, too lofty, and not at all time-sensitive. On today's show we set ourselves up for resolution success by applying the 5 components of SMART goals to our 2024 aspirations.

Here's a preview: 

[2:00] What do the statistics say? Here's just how many resolutions fail, and when

[4:30] How to use the SMART acronym to improve your own 2024 resolution 

[7:30] Taking 4 of the most common new years resolutions and making them better

[12:00] Got a sustainability goal on your mind? Stephanie's best thoughts

[19:00] 6 research-backed tips for making your resolution stick

• 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.

The (only positive!) enviro-news you need to know for Friday, December 22 2023:

[3:30] Can microorganisms help in our plastics fight?

[6:00] Exactly how plants communicate with other plants (and why it's important in climate change conversations)

[9:00] 'Sustainable' Aviation Fuels: Is climate-friendly flying an oxymoron?

• 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.

We are taught from an early age that contentment is found in possessions. But lasting peace comes from within, and meditation is a powerful (and free!) way to find what so many of us seek. 

Yet thanks to All. The. Distractions, modern life has engineered out opportunities to go inward. And at the same time? Meditation has never been more needed or necessary.

On today's show, a conversation with Brett Koon about the #1 way to boost happiness, reduce stress, hop off the consumerist bandwagon for good and - most importantly - find out who you really are.

Here's a preview:

[7:00] Happiness isn't in stuff, and life isn't a scavenger hunt to amass 'things'

[10:30] Feelings are just thoughts with lag time (and they aren't the real YOU!)

[14:00] The separation of awareness and mind takes time. Enter modern distractions

[26:00] Is the solution to climate anxiety as simple as surrendering?

[33:00] Common meditation myths debunked, plus: quick wins for getting started

Resources mentioned:

• The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment (by Eckhart Tolle)
• A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose (by Eckhart Tolle)

• 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.

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, December 15 2023:

[00:30] COP28: The good, the bad, and the ugly

[9:15] Who gets the (limited) water in California?

[13:30] Extreme weather and the cost of sugar

• 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.

The human endocrine system is delicate and complex. While scientists first discovered endocrine disrupting chemicals in 1991, obesogens - a subset of endocrine disruptors in personal care products that cause weight gain - were discovered only within the last two decades.

Our cosmetics can cause us to develop more and bigger fat cells; they may also make it harder to stay at a healthy weight. On today's show: A conversation with Andrea Dahr about the endocrine disruptors, with special attention to the obesogens.

Here's a preview:

[4:45] Back to biology class: Breaking down the need-to-know info about your endocrine system

[7:45] Losing weight isn't as simple as burning more calories than you consume, and here's why

[12:00] Fascinating research about the impact of obesogen exposure on prenatal development and possible generational effects on our great-grandchildren

[15:00] What does "dermatologist approved" actually mean?

[18:00] Next level steps for intermediate product label readers, plus: Why simply shopping at "healthy" stores isn't enough 

Resources mentioned:

• Switch Natural app 
• The Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Database

• 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.

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, December 8 2023:

[00:30] An update on how companies are doing on their environmental "pledges"

[4:30] Lego-like bricks? A carbon capture breakthrough

[7:30] Would you pay a monthly fee to not see ads on Facebook and Instagram? 

[9:30] Quick check-ins from COP28 and Wednesday's Republican presidential debate

• 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.