Mothering Earth Podcast Dr. Salwa Khan

Humans have created millions of miles of roads all over the planet. Roads are useful to move goods and people, but they are also intrusions into what were once wild places, where animals roamed free. The millions of vehicles that drive on roads spew polluting gases and assault our ears with noise. To animals big and small, who try to cross roads, cars and trucks bring death and destruction.

In this edition of Mothering Earth, we hear why this matters with Ben Goldfarb, environmental journalist and author of the book Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet.

Insects have superpowers and unique ways of communicating with each other, without the use of cell phones. They have ways of settling disputes, no United Nations required. If you don’t believe this, listen as Dr. Scott Solomon, provides the details in this edition of Mothering Earth.

Dr. Solomon is a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Rice University, and author of one The Great Courses offerings, on insects.

Insects, bugs, pests, whatever you may call them, and whether you love or hate them, they are vital to our planet and by extension to us humans. They provide important ecosystem services by recycling dead things, by pollinating our food crops, by planting seeds, and even just by being food for other creatures, like birds.

In this program, we take a deep dive into the remarkable world of insects, to learn about their history, what they do and the pretty amazing ways in which they do it. Our guest is Dr. Scott Solomon, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Rice University.

In our second show with Amy Ziff of MADE SAFE®, a nonprofit organization that provides certification for nontoxic products, we examine the process companies must go through in order to have their products certified as safe.

Ziff also provides practical advice on eliminating as many toxins as possible from your everyday life. We find out what might be hiding behind the term fragrance, why microfiber isn’t good for you or the environment and ways of avoiding preservatives.

Amy Ziff is the founder and Executive Director of MADE SAFE®.

The numbers vary, but we can safely say that there are at least forty-thousand chemicals used in consumer products in the United States. They are found in everything from food and water to furniture, household and personal care products, clothing, appliances, cars, houses, pretty much in everything! An article in the Guardian online, states that fewer than one percent of those chemicals have been tested for safety, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

At the same time, various cancers, autoimmune diseases, and allergies afflict many people. It seems wise to be alarmed, or at least, cautious.

In this edition of Mothering Earth, guest Amy Ziff talks about the nonprofit organization, MADE SAFE®, which she founded, and which has catalogued reliable scientific studies on multiple chemicals that are commonly found in our everyday lives. Many of these chemicals are toxic, yet companies continue to use them. MADE SAFE® works with companies that want to make products that don’t contain toxins. Their website provides valuable information to consumers on the toxins, and you can find a variety of products that have been certified as free from toxic chemicals.

Billions of pounds of food go to waste every year in the United States and in other parts of the world. It is an astounding number, especially when you consider all the precious resources, like water, that goes into producing that food. Then there are all the greenhouse gases going up into our air, from farm machinery, and from vehicles used to transport the food to factories and stores. And all the time and effort of countless farmers and other workers. Processed food has an even larger carbon footprint, because of the fuels used to power factories to produce those potato chips that you left on your plate at the restaurant.

It's a gigantic problem that requires solutions, and that’s what a team of researchers is working on. Their work is funded by the National Science Foundation and in this program, we’ll find out what they are doing.