339 episodes
Sustainable Minimalists Stephanie Seferian
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- Leisure
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5.0 • 4 Ratings
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Creating eco-minimalist, non-toxic homes (without the extra work).
Although minimalism has experienced a rebirth in recent years, the "less is more" movement has been around for centuries. Yet today's minimalist influencers have resurrected minimalism with a decidedly consumerist spin, as modern minimalism is nearly synonymous with decluttering. While there's a lot of chatter about tidying, it's radio silence and crickets when it comes to sustainability.
The result? Aspiring minimalists find themselves on an endless hamster wheel of buying, decluttering, buying more, and purging again. Overemphasizing decluttering and underemphasizing the reasons why we overbuy in the first place is thoroughly inconsistent with slow living as a movement; consumption without intention is terrible for the planet, too.
Your host, Stephanie Seferian, is a stay-at-home/podcast-from-home mom and author who believes that minimalism, eco-friendliness, and non-toxic living are intrinsically intertwined. She's here to explore the topics of conscious consumerism, sustainability, and environmentally-friendly parenting practices with like-minded women; she's here, too, to show you how to curate eco-friendly, decluttered homes (without the extra work).
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HEADLINES 3/17/23: Lab-To-Table, Bumpy Flights & Alt. Jet Fuel
The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, March 17, 2023:
[00:30] Lab-to-table dairy
[4:00] Norfolk Southern's dioxin problem
[7:45] A failed levee and aging infrastructure
[12:00] Bumpy flights and climate change
[14:30] Cooking oil jet fuel?
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Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube.
Email me and say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.
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Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy -
Are Carbon Offsets Worth It?
Should you pay a bit more for carbon-neutral shipping? (Answer: It's complicated.) How do you best offset your next flight? (Answer: Pay much more than you think.) On today's show we break down all-things carbon offsets.
Here's a preview:
[4:00] Are carbon offsets a greenwashing gimmick?
[6:00] How to calculate the equity weighted social cost of carbon of your next flight
[15:30] Guilt-free shopping? Here's what carbon neutral shipping really means
[19:30] Breaking down the Climate Neutral Certified logo
Resources mentioned/Further reading:
Revealed: more than 90% of rainforest carbon offsets by biggest certifier are worthless, analysis shows (via The Guardian)
Calculate your flight emissions with MyClimate
Join our (free!) community here.
Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube.
Email me and say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.
Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy -
Growing Joy With Plants
The answer to a happier, more connected life may be as simple as connecting with nature. Enter houseplants, a.k.a. an easy and accessible way to bring the outside in. Although caring for plants has been shown to reduce stress, increase joy, and cultivate connections with ourselves, others and the earth, many of us are epic plant killers. What then?
On today's show author and podcaster Maria Failla teaches a crash course on houseplant care for novice and intermediate listeners so that we (fingers crossed!) never kill a houseplant again.
Here's a preview:
[4:30] Why do plants make us feel so good? Here's what science says
[10:45] How to create your plant collection for under $20
[19:00] How to successfully grow houseplants in cold, dark, and drafty homes
[23:00] Exactly when and how to "pot up"
[28:00] Brown leaves, yellow leaves, plants with "legs", pests, orchids that won't re-bloom, and other common plant woes
Resources mentioned:
Maria's Plant Parent Personality Test
Espoma Organic
Hand Me Up
Young Planet
Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content
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Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy -
HEADLINES 3/10/23: #StopWillow, Zombie Forests & Poland Springs
The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, March 10, 2023:
[2:00] #StopWillow
[4:30] 'Zombie' forests
[7:30] The UN's (historic) High Seas Treaty
[11:30] Poland Spring's unquenchable thirst
Further learning:
Episode #137: 5 Facts About The Global Water Crisis
Join our (free!) community here.
Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube.
Email me and say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.
Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy -
The Scarcity Mindset
Corporations make money when consumers perseverate over what they don't have. And personal development? If you want to grow into the best person you can be, Step One is to abandon a mindset that's focused on scarcity.
On this episode: how to radically transform your cognitive patterns from ruminating on what you lack to appreciating what you have in under 5 minutes a day.
Here's a preview:
[3:30] Do you suffer from a scarcity mindset? Find out in this quick, 6-question quiz
[8:00] Exactly how a scarcity mindset impacts your brain and behavior, according to psychology
[20:00] The multitudinous benefits associated with an abundance mindset, plus 3 steps to get you there
Resources mentioned:
Episode #343: The Distorted Mirror
Episode #299: Future-Conscious Thinking
Join our (free!) community here
Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube
Email me and say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com
Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy -
The Impact-Effort Tradeoff
When it comes to sustainable action, we tend to label behaviors as either/or: Either we're acting in a way that's "eco-friendly" or ..., well, not. But some lifestyle tweaks are greener than others: When time, energy, and funds are finite, where's the best place to focus our efforts?
On today's show: A conversation with Sam Schreiner about the 4 categories of sustainable action - with a hefty dose of data-driven analysis to boot.
Here's a preview:
[7:00] 0.1 versus 1.0 makes a big difference! 5 examples of high impact efforts
[20:00] The privilege problem: Why are high impact behaviors also often high cost?
[27:00] Let's chat about low impact efforts. Do they matter?
[31:00] Gateway drugs and ripple effects: Here's why its impossible to quantify a lifetime's-worth of intention
Resources mentioned:
University of California Berkeley CoolClimate Calculator
Project Sunroof
Episode #330: The Big Fix
Episode #253: Everything Eco-Minimalist Birthdays
Ecosia
Join our (free!) community here
Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube
Email me and say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com
Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists/exclusive-content
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy