175 A Green Foot Forward: Overcoming the Roadblocks to Sustainable Living Part I Adventures in Sustainable Living

Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast
Episode 175
A Green Foot Forward: Overcoming the Roadblocks to Sustainable Living
If you happen to have in-depth training or knowledge in a particular area it is easy to forget that many others do not have that same expertise. For example, the knowledge I have about the care of animals is second nature to me. Sometimes I forget there are many people who just do not understand the basics. 

But the same holds true when it comes to sustainable living. Such a lifestyle is second nature to me. Yet I see so many people who are interested but do not take the first step. Why is that?  To answer that question I decided to focus the next few episodes on the barriers and roadblocks to leading a sustainable life and how to overcome them. So join me for E 175 The Barriers and Roadblocks to Sustainable Living Part One.

 

Welcome back everyone to the Adventures in Sustainable Living podcast. This is your host Patrick and this is E175 The Barriers and Roadblocks to Sustainable Living Part One. 

Sustainability Question of the Week

What is the one thing that prevents you from living a more sustainable life? 

Good News Story of the Week

This week’s good news story comes from Chile and involves discoveries made while mapping previously unexplored areas on the ocean floor. 

The California based non-profit organization, called the Schmidt Ocean Institute,  spent time mapping the Salas y Gomez ridge, which is 2900 kilometers long (1800 miles). It extends off the coast of Chile to Easter Island and is comprised of over 200 underwater mountains some of which tower up to 3,500 meters. 

The team used a remote controlled underwater robot to investigate the marine life on the sea floor at depths of up to 4,500 meters. 

What they discovered is that each mountain hosted a vast array of distinct ecosystems. They discovered more than 100 new species many of which looked rather alien. These discoveries included many never before seen species including corals, spongers, sea urchins, amphipods and lobsters. 

The purpose of their expedition was to map 20,000 square miles (52,777 sq. km) in order to identify vulnerable species and collect data to support a designated international high-seas marine protected area. The purpose of this protected area is to save it from mining companies looking for natural minerals. 

Full species identification is expected to take several years. The institute’s next project is to explore the waters off the coast of Peru. 

Being a scuba diver, It truly is one of my favorite things to read stories such as this about the ocean. It truly is a whole different world much of which few people ever see. So, this week’s round of applause goes to the Schmidt Ocean Institute for working to save our oceans. 

Now let’s move on to this weeks episode.  

You know, I have been fortunate enough to be able to pursue several interests in my life for long enough that I could perhaps be viewed as an expert. Although I do not perceive myself in that way, I do know enough about a couple of different fields that I spend time teaching others. 

But when it comes down to day-to-day life if you happen to have in-depth training or knowledge in a particular area it is easy to forget that many others do not have that same expertise. If you have ever tried to read a scientific article published by a PhD that is 15 years into the career you will get an appreciation for what I mean. Whenever I read such things I think to myself “English please, English.” 

But despite my in-depth knowledge of certain topics, there are things in my life that keep my feet on planet Earth. 

For example, I have spent my entire life working with animals. Then I chose to go to veterinary school and I have now been practicing for over 25 years. Even now it always surprises me when I meet clients who are in their 30s and 40s and have a dog for the first time in their life. And of course they have lots of q