April 20, 2016 / Issue 212

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The Big Green Apple Experience

In the last newsletter I tried to capture and convey the magic of the first part of my big green trip to the East Coast. I have no earthly clue as to how I am going to report on the second part of it spend in New York City and do it justice but I will do my best because the magic just didn't stop.

On the Fashion Institute of Technology's 10th annual Sustainable & Design Conference in New York City. I can't do it justice. I can only say that I sat through every session learning about Ethics and Sustainable Design, Sustainable Fashion, (Listen to my interview with show guest Sass Brown) which knocked lots of socks off, and I hung on to every word spoken by featured speaker, Dr. Donald Lee, President, International Committee for October 17 (UN Day for the Eradication of Poverty). Did you know there was such a day let alone someone whose title is President? It's a day dedicated to the eradication of world poverty. Dr. Lee spoke about Global Goals for a Sustainable World. The United Nations actually has a set of 17 global goals that emphasize the balance and behavior needed for world economic, social and environmental development. Not surprisingly Dr. Lee said: "A key factor undermining these global goals is the threat of universal climate change. What is needed is transformative change to address the challenge of achieving sustainable development." I am not even coming close to doing his powerful presentation justice but Dr. Lee touched on a variety of global systemic issues, noting that the definition of extreme poverty in the world is existing on $1.90 a day. How do we get from here to a world that works for everyone? Or even mostly everyone?

I left the day filled with both sadness and hope. Sadness because of the millions of people living in extreme poverty and wondering how much I contribute to their plight every time I buy a piece of clothing that I KNOW was not sourced, sewn, packaged or shipped sustainably. It haunts me and I vow to do better - like thrifting, buying less and using lots of infinity scarves! I feel hopeful because of what the faculty and students are doing at F.I.T. to help create a fashion revolution. They are on it, they care and they are taking action. And I am going to keep on top of this revolution in every way possible.

On meeting with Marc Yaggi, Executive Director, Waterkeeper Alliance. How I wish I could just share with you the view from their office at 180 Maiden Lane facing the South Street Seaport. Breathtaking and beyond with views of the bustling port, the Brooklyn Bridge and just an overall beehive of water activity. Waterkeeper Alliance is the largest and fastest growing nonprofit focused solely on clean water - swimmable, drinkable and fishable water. You know - like how water used to be and is supposed to be? They are an international force with over 280 Waterkeeper organizations in 34 countries protecting waterways around the world - for you and for me and for our children and our grandchildren. Marc is as down to earth and as passionate as human beings can be and shared with me some amazing stories about the work they are doing.

Most noteworthy? BRACE YOURSELF!!! Waterkeeper Alliance and 55 Waterkeeper member organizations and affiliates across the country are urging President Obama to oppose an attempt by Congress to use toxic chemical safety reform legislation TO PROTECT MONSANTO, one of the world's largest and most profitable polluters, from liability for billions of dollars of damages caused by toxic polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Yup - a bill put forth by our very own US Congress protecting Monsanto! Protect Monsanto? Say what?

The quick back story: The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), passed in 1976, singled out Monsanto's PCBs for an explicit ban because of the human health dangers and massive damage PCBs had already caused across the country. Monsanto was, in essence, the SOLE U.S. manufacturer of PCBs, producing and distributing roughly 1.4 billion pounds between 1930 until 1977. The company continued production for roughly a decade after learning that these persistent, toxic chemicals were contaminating natural resources and harming people around the world.Marc's words of wisdom: "Monsanto's PCBs have contaminated more than 80,000 miles of streams and rivers and 2.9 million acres of lakes and reservoirs in the United States alone. Rather than be shielded by Congress, they must be held accountable for the damage inflicted on people and natural resources across the country." I cannot say enough good things about who Marc Yaggi is and about the global team he is leading to help protect our waterways. And I can't wait to interview him after he returns from a very big trip to visit with His Holiness The Gyalwang Drukpa, a Himalayan Buddhist Leader, who has joined the Waterkeeper Alliance to create a network of waterkeepers working out of his monasteries in Nepal, Bhutan and India. Oh the places we'll go.

On my visit to the United Nations to hear Emmanuel Dagher speak. This one was up close and personal and lots of tears were shed. First of all, I was IN the United Nations with my daughter Emily and her husband Ben. How many people in the world actually get to go in the UN? And then we heard Emmanuel speak about living for 7 years, the only boy, in a convent in Lebanon from the time he was three years old during the Lebanese Civil War. He briefly shared how that experience - living in a small room with a concrete floor and one single blanket, no running hot water and very little electricity, and being fed a diet of pita bread and water because that's all there was - not surprisingly shaped his life forever. And here he was talking to us about hope, about peace on earth, about looking beyond the faces of people we might think we hate to try to see who they really are and about being the space holders for a world that we all want to live in. To be honest, I don't even remember everything he said. What I DO remember is feeling inspired, like I want to be a person who is slower to judge, a person who really does want to work for peace on earth and social justice, and a person who isn't afraid to take a stand for the things I believe will help make our world a better, stronger, safer and sustainable one.

On spending time with amazing people like Jane Mahoney (F.I.T), Denise Scotto and Carey Davidson (Tournesol) and guests on the MGW show. Stay tuned for more stories about these incredible human beings and big green dot connectors and about their impact on MGW and on me. There were more amazing experiences and meetings in New York City, a city I truly love, that fed my mind, body and spirit. But those stories and experiences will have to wait so as to keep this newsletter from becoming a short book!

p.s. On spending an entire week in NYC with my new son-in-law, Ben, and daughter, Emily - the biggest blessings of all. And some of the happiest memories in my whole entire life. My thanks to them for who they are and for the joy and laughter they bring to all those whose lives they touch. Food for my soul indeed.

There's ANOTHER App for That!

My sincere, heartfelt thanks to Christina Boyd for bringing Soundcloud to my attention. It's an App that you can easily download to your phone and listen to great podcasts - including Mrs. Green's World and many interviews with one of my heroes - Seth Godin. We want to make listening to our shows easy and accessible. Check it out.

The MGW Movement Continues to Roll...

We happily continue to introduce new partners who are committed to supporting our important mission and vision. For this edition of the MGW newsletter, we welcome V.I.P Mortgage: Team Argueta! Jamie and Ronda Argueta contacted me about becoming a part of Mrs. Green's World several months ago - because they believe in our mission and vision, because they believe in being good stewards of the community and the planet and because they believe in giving back. But what is their company, V.I.P Mortgage, all about? V.I.P. Mortgage, Inc. is a mid-size, full-service mortgage banker and broker committed to restoring the reputation of the mortgage industry. From my research and asking lots of people in the mortgage industry to share their thoughts, I ascertained that principals offer a 'hands-on' approach cultivating a family culture enveloped in entrepreneurial spirit. I learned that this company prides itself on building a workplace environment that not only encourages employees' optimism, but also exhibits spirited fun and family fellowship. By truly putting people first, both in-house and in its customer base, V.I.P. Mortgage continues to grow and thrive organically through referrals and partnerships, creating lifelong, loyal customers. So do you think I welcomed Jamie and Ronda with open arms? I did indeed. Welcome Jamie and Ronda - we can't wait to hear about the Argueta Way!

Did You Know

Did you know that City of Tucson Water's Water Quality and Operations Division staff work together to monitor safety at over 400 wells, reservoirs, sampling stations, and homes throughout the Tucson metro area and surrounding communities? And that they test for 150 different chemicals and microbes and report the information to the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and to their customers? And did you know that Tucson drinking water meets ALL federal National Primary Drinking Water standards? Wahoo!

Did you know that the City of Tucson's Department of Environmental Services (DES) does all kinds of cool things? Like that they JUST launched a FoodCycle Program that's all about food scrap collection and compost service? And that they have a fun, informative Facebook page called Do More Blue?

Upcoming Shows

April 23

Shaping A New World

Greg Watson, Schumacher Center's Director for Policy and Systems Design; Cuba-U.S. Agroecology Network

Simply put, Greg Watson is a thought leader, a change agent and a stand for public voices. He introduces new programs while linking together the various educational and applied community economics programs of the Schumacher Center. He is a public voice for sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, new monetary systems, equitable land tenure arrangements, neighborhood planning through democratic processes, government policies that support human-scale development, cooperative structure, import replacement through citizen financing of new enterprises, and more. Heard enough to whet your appetite? I hope so. I met this man and he left his footprint - big time. I cannot wait to spend some time with Greg learning more about an incredible human being. This show is mad possible due to the generous support of the Chapman Automotive Group.

April 30

BEST OF SHOW: Planting the Seed for Urban Farming

Will Allen, Farmer, Founder and CEO of Growing Power

On the credential side of things, Will is recognized as a preeminent practitioner of urban agriculture in America and throughout the world. He grew up on a small farm in Maryland, the second-youngest of six children of a sharecropper. His father had a strict rule about no sports until all farm chores were done. It served Will well as he went on to become a standout basketball player and the first African-American athlete at the University of Miami. Impressive right? And that was only the beginning of his incredible journey. Will has been an innovator in methods of composting, vermicomposting (using worms to refine and fertilize compost) and aquaponics (growing fish and food plants in a closed system). Fast forward to today. Growing Power is involved in more than 70 projects and outreach programs in Milwaukee, across the United States and throughout the world. Another great show guest ready to share his incredible, important and relevant journey. This show made possible due to the generous support of The Fairfax Companies.

May 7

Campaigns for Change

Danna Moore Pfahl, California Representative, Pew Charitable Trusts, Director of Advocacy, Catalytik

This is going to be one excellent adventure for Mrs. Green as this organization and this guest are on the cutting edge of ideas and a stand for advancing human progress as well as building sustainable solutions to major societal issues. I met Danna at the Bioneers conference last October and was blown away by her presentation and her out of the box thinking. Here's a little bit about Danna. She has ten years' experience advancing environment campaigns at the federal, state and local level. She is adept at grassroots coalition building from her work at Oxfam America, Global Exchange and Amnesty International. At Catalytik, Danna now progresses campaigns on overfishing, land conservation and clean energy. Translation? We will have lots to talk about and Danna will have some great, exciting information to share. This show made possible due to the generous support of Habitat for Humanity.

May 14

First-order Concerns in Earth Sciences

Joaquin Ruiz, Dean, University of Arizona College of Science

Dr. Ruiz wears many hats besides Dean of the College of Science including Vice President of Innovation and Strategy; Executive Dean, Colleges of Letters, Arts and Science; and Professor of Geosciences. As a scientist with equal abilities in chemistry and in geology, Dr. Ruiz is able to address many first-order problems in the Earth Sciences, such as the development of new isotope systems for studying ore deposits and the tectonic processes involved in the growth and evolution of Mexico. In addition, he leads a research team that addresses problems ranging from the origins of life to present-day climate change. He is a thought leader, innovator and visionary. I will have lots of questions about his views about a myriad of topics and Joaquin will have the answers. This show made possible due to the generous support of The University of Arizona.

May 21

Creating a Culture of Peace Worldwide

Leslie Meehan, PhD Co-Founder and Council Member Gaiafield Project

Leslie is a social architect and activist committed to community healing and transformation. How are we learning to get along so that we and our great-great-grandchildren of all species can thrive? How will Leslie's life-long quest for healthy communities, taking her from roaming the outdoors in her rural hometown, through a Stanford MSEE and engineering management career, around the world backpacking (twice!), deep into the realm of motherhood and volunteering, and along an eclectic spiritual path provide us with insights as to how to create a Global Culture of Peace? What are we to learn from Gaiafield Project and why is it so important that we do? I cannot wait to interview this amazing human being. I hope you will join me. This show made possible due to the generous support of the Chapman Automotive Group.

May 28

Scaling Equitable Climate Policy

David W. Orr - Paul Sears Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies and Politics and senior adviser to the president of Oberlin College

The Oberlin Project started as a joint effort of the City of Oberlin, Oberlin College, and private and institutional partners to improve the resilience, prosperity and sustainability of their community. Their aim has been to revitalize the local economy, eliminate carbon emissions, restore local agriculture, food supply and forestry and create a new, sustainable base for economic and community development. So how are they doing? What goals have they met? What obstacles have they overcome and what challenges do they still face? Join us for a great conversation with David Orr who is the vision behind this full spectrum of sustainability. He is a visionary, a thought leader, and has strong opinions about any number of important issues impacting our planet. This show made possible due to the generous support of The Fairfax Companies.

June 4

Bioneers: Revolution from the Heart of Nature

Nina Simons, Founder and Founder Director of Women's Leadership Initiatives

Since 1990, Bioneers has acted as a fertile hub of social and scientific innovators with practical and visionary solutions for the world's most pressing environmental and social challenges. A celebration of the genius of nature and human ingenuity, Bioneers connects people with breakthrough solutions and each other. But how do they do it? And why are they so successful at gathering scientific and social innovators who have demonstrated visionary and practical models for restoring the Earth and communities each and every year? Of special interest to me is Nina's book: Moonrise - The Power of Women Leading from the Heart, a book meant to speak to and strengthen the "feminine" within us all, regardless of where we may see ourselves situated on a wide spectrum of gender possibilities. Lots to cover? Yes indeed. Please join us. This show made possible due to the generous support of Habitat for Humanity.

June 11

Loomio: The Internet's Missing Link

Ben Knight, Co-Founder

So what the heck is Loomio? Ready? Here's their story. Loomio marketing is an online tool for collaborative decision-making, built by a team of technologists, activists and social entrepreneurs in New Zealand. Loomio emerged from the need for a scalable way to make inclusive group decisions during the Occupy movement in 2011. The founders experienced the transformative potential of collaborative decision-making, as well as its severe limitations: if people have to be in the same place at the same time to participate, it can never scale. They set out to build a solution to this problem: using the Internet to give people an easy way to make good decisions together, wherever they are. It's called Loomio, like a loom for weaving diverse perspectives together. I think (and hope) we all will after we spend a fun, informative hour with Ben Knight. This show made possible due to the generous support of the Chapman Automotive Group.

June 18

Greenbiz: The Big Green Buzz

Joel Makower, chairman and executive editor of GreenBiz Group Inc., producer of GreenBiz.com, and lead author of the annual State of Green Business report

GreenBiz is arguably one of the most recognized and well-respected organizations providing thought leadership on environmental issues in the world. From the inception of Mrs. Green's World, I have turned to them as the "go to place" that provides intelligent, focused content on business, technology and sustainability from every industry and discipline. They know how to align environmental responsibility with profitable business practices and they have had Joel Makower steering this very big ship from day one. Upon reflection, I could not have interviewed Joel in the early years of MGW and done him justice because I didn't know then what I know now. Hopefully, we will get to be among the first to interview Joel about his soon-to-be-released book: The New Grand Strategy - Restoring America's Prosperity, Security and Sustainability. He is a thought leader and it's a great honor to have him as our guest. This show made possible due to the generous support of The Fairfax Companies.

June 25

Change Your Story, Change Your Life

Carl Greer, PhD, PsyD AND Jungian Analyst, Shamanic Practitioner, Clinical Psychologist, Author and Philanthropist

Sensitivity to nature's healing energy can help you in your quest to achieve well-being. Research shows that time in nature lowers boosts immunity, decreases blood pressure and calms activity in areas of the brain associated with stress. Dr. Greer writes this about his book: "It's not enough to intend to change your story. Using Jungian and shamanic techniques, you can encounter information and energies that let you write and bring to life a new, more satisfying story." In Change Your Story, Change Your Life: Using Shamanic and Jungian Tools to Achieve Personal Transformation, Dr. Greer has written a practical guide for transformation using the overlooked tool of the unconscious mind. I call this kind of interview "sustainable food for the soul" and I am very much looking forward to hearing Dr. Greer share his wisdom and vast experiences with us. This show made possible due to the generous support of Habitat for Humanity.

Mrs. Green's World

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Great Updates

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