Adventures in Sustainable Living Patrick Keith

Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast

Episode 180

Is Honey Really Bee Vomit?…and Other Funny Food Facts

 

In case you haven’t noticed, life has no standardized rules. How we are prepared to meet the world as adults depends mostly on how we are raised as kids and our family background. 

But at least we have certain basic skills such as how to drive, where to get food and how to find and pay for the various services needed to meet our daily needs. But what we are taught changes over time because societal norms change. What children are taught today is totally different from 50 years ago.

And one good example is where your food comes from and how it is produced. So, if you want to know some interesting and funny facts, then join me for E180 Is Honey Really Bee Vomit?..and Other Funny Food Facts. 

Welcome back everyone to the Adventures in Sustainable Living podcast. This is your host Patrick and this is E180 Is  Honey Really Bee Vomit?… and Other Interesting Food Facts. 

First on the agenda is the sustainability question of the week.

Sustainability question of the week

Can you list at least 6 common sustainability practices that you can start today? 

Good news story of the week

I think most people are aware of the impact on the environment of our meat production. And part of the impact is related to the grain that is fed to livestock. Nearly 40% of the grain produced globally is fed to livestock. The grain in the US alone that is fed to livestock is sufficient to feed 800 million people. But, one company in the UK may have found at least a partial solution to that. 

You have heard me talk before about the benefits of insect proteins either used as a replacement for meat, or used in protein bars or otherwise processed into snack foods. But, one UK start up has come up with a way to integrate insect proteins into feeding livestock. 

The company Entocycle uses bugs to replace corn, soy, and fishmeal as a high-quality animal feed to pigs and chickens. This works simply because they have a different digestive system relative to cows. And if foraging naturally, insects likely would have made up a good portion of their diet anyway. 

Entocycle’s London facility raises thousands of black soldier fly larvae that are turned into feed for pigs and chickens. This species of fly will eat almost any wasted food which is another bonus for environmental waste management. There is the potential to divert food scraps from going to the landfill and instead becoming food for the flies.

Additionally, several studies have proven that the supplementation of black soldier fly larvae to pigs improvement growth performance and meat quality. 

Fly larvae production is quick and cheap. Additional, black soldier flies are a non-disease, non-pest species found all over the world. 

So, a round of applause this week to Entocycle to making another sustainable step forward.  

Now let’s jump right into this weeks episode. 

When I first graduated veterinary school I truly had limited experience and exposure in this field because I had only worked in one hospital. A few years after graduation I realized I needed to broaden my perspective. I gave up full time employment and  I started doing locum work around Colorado, which meant taking shorter term jobs with different hospitals. Eventually that transitioned into working between multiple states and countries. 

At the height of trying to broaden my perspective, I was on a plane 57 times in one year. This was when I realized that getting on a plane had become akin to doing laundry. It was routine, mundane, and just another thing I had to do to get by in life. Making small talk while sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with a stranger was more annoying than not. And I got to the point where I never admitted what I did for a living. 

However, this boredom was occasionally punctuated by a very interesting person or just an entertaining experience. On one trip I sat next to an o

Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast 
Episode 179 
After Sustainable Habits, What’s Next?
 

Episode link

After Sustainable Habits, What’s Next?

20 minutes listen

Website:

adventuresinsustainableliving.com

 

My veterinary career has truly been quite varied. Upon entering veterinary school I only had experience in one hospital. Upon graduation, I was determine to broaden my focus. After years in practice I am happy that I’ve had the opportunity to live in work in multiple different countries. 

 

The result has been a much broader perspective on the world and a much greater appreciation for other cultures. Lessons learned abroad have been brought back home which in turn has shaped my habits and values. 

 

I believe that true progress only comes through  growth. But once our habits and values mature into something that is focused more outward, instead of only on ourselves, what is the next step? 

 

 

So join me for E179 After Sustainable Habits, What’s Next? 

 

Welcome back everyone to the Adventures in Sustainable Living podcast. This is your host Patrick and this is E179 After Sustainable Habits, What’s Next? 

 

Sustainability question of the week 

 

What are non-renewable resources?

Good News Story of the Week

 

Okay, the good news story of the week is actually about bumble bees. But it is really more a story of interest because it actually fits right into this episode. 

 

As most of you know, bees are very social creatures. But as it turns out, they are capable of acquiring non-natural behaviors and teaching those skills to other bees. By doing so, the other bees learn behaviors that would be too complex for them to learn alone. This at least suggests that humans and bees share knowledge in exactly the same way. 

 

One of the most remarkable attributes of the human species is our ability to progressively improve our skills and technologies. Then we take that knowledge and build on it to produce new innovations. 

 

In this particular study, a bee was taught to solve a puzzle for a reward. It was a two step puzzle box in which the bee first had to move an obstacle to allow a rotating lid to open in order to access a sugary reward. 

 

In the second step of the study, members from three separate colonies were given 24 days to independently solve the same puzzle. Not a single one succeeded. The third step was to use the trained bees to demonstrate this skill to other bees. In which case, they quickly learned the new behavior. 

 

Interestingly enough this study provides evidence that bees can socially learn and pass on that learning on a level of complexity thought to be unique to humans and our ancestors. This suggest social learning and cultural transmission. 

 

 

Now, culture is a word that we hear a lot. Culture is loosely defined as “the way of life for an entire society.” So, culture includes our dress, language, religion, rituals, laws, morality, manners, systems of belief and our values. 

 

But at the root of our culture is the designation of a particular behavior that is socially learned and persists over time. And I think in that last statement lies the very reason that people find it difficult to change or perhaps never change. Many people never travel, are never exposed to new and different ideas, thoughts or values. Consequently they never realize that there just might be a different way to live. There might be different values and behaviors that are more socially productive.

 

This was exactly how I grew up. I was raised in a culturally narrow minded environment. We never traveled. We were never exposed to other cultures. In fact, I was taught that other cultures were insignificant and even lesser humans as compared to white people. It was not until I moved to Colorado that I realized just what I was taught was completely wrong and inappropriate. 

 

Now, when I go back and visit people in the part of the country where I

Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast

Episode 178

Sustainable Habits for a Sustainable Habitat

Episode Link;

 

Sustainable Habits for a Sustainable Habitat

 

29.5 minutes

 

Website

 

adventuresinsustainableliving.com

 

 

 

In the last few episodes I’ve talked a lot about the overcoming the barriers to living more sustainably. And while there is a long list of barriers to overcome, a big part of the challenge is our engrained values and habits. And the big question is how do we change that. 

 

Many of us tend to blame the condition of the world on our culture, or on big business and government. However, truly meaningful human change starts with the individual. Before we can expect global change, systemic change, or even change at the community level, we must first examine how we need to change. 

 

In many ways our values and habits are a reflection of our world view. So how do we change this to something more sustainable. 

 

So join me for E178 Sustainable Habits for a Sustainable Habitat. 

Welcome back everyone to the Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast. This is your host Patrick and this is E 178 Sustainable Habits for a Sustainable Habitat. 

 

First order of business is the sustainability question of the week.  

 

What is one simple concept or phrase that truly defines all of sustainability?

 

 

Good news story of the week

 

The Largest Environmental Restoration in History Continues to Restart the Heart of the Everglades 

 

Believe it or not, in 1949 the Army Corps of Engineers devised a plan to drain the Everglades. This project disconnected Lake Okeechobee from feeding the Everglades water system. This lake ecosystem is what fed the 300 mile wide area of sea grass which is what forms the Everglades. 

 

When this happen, water quality in the Everglades dropped dramatically. This loss of water flow also resulted in massive sea grass die offs, blue-green algae blooms, red tide incursions and even wildfires.  These conditions are further exacerbated by an east-west byway road that cuts off significant water flow to the southern Everglades. Additionally, contamination from southern Florida sugar plantations significantly affects the local ecosystem. 

 

The restoration plan is now in full affect and the purpose is to undo the Army Corps of Engineers “Drain the Everglades” project. There are over 60 infrastructure projects with a cost of $20 billion USD. The state of Florida 2024 budgets included $740 million in funds to continue the project. 

 

The aim of the project is to reconnect Lake Okeechobee, raised the east-west byway road to reconnect water flow, and build the world’s largest man-made wetland (63,000 acres) to capture the runoff from the sugar plantations. 

 

The construction of these projects was paid for up-front by the state. However, the biggest polluters are paying for the financing in the form of pollution tax, which hits the sugar plantations particularly hard. Some of the larger projects have an estimated completion date of 2036. After restoration is complete it is thought that it will take 15 years to repair the landscape. 

 

So, the largest environmental restoration project in history is on path to restore an enormous wetland ecosystem that has no comparison in size or complexity in the entire world. 

 

So, the round of applause this week goes to the environmental restoration of the Everglades and the State of Florida for making the biggest polluters pay for a lot of the cost. And those are the kinds of stories a love to hear about. 

 

That said, let’s move on to this weeks episode. 

 

Truly I think that one of the biggest challenges to living a more sustainable life is our engrained habits and values. That being said, there are some 

universal human values that we all expect more or less. Things such as respect, compassion, tolerance, truth, integrity, equity, as well as many others. But I often won

Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast
Episode 177 
A Green Foot Forward: Overcoming the Roadblocks to Sustainable Living Part III
Episode link:

https://www.offgridlivingnews.com/podcasts/adventures-in-sustainable-living/episodes/2148574613

33 minutes

Website:

adventuresinsustainableliving.com

 

 

Studies and surveys show that the vast majority of people do care about the environment and what happens to our planet. Yet many of those same people struggle when it comes to making greener choices in their lives. 

 

One thing is certain. The future of humanity has not yet been decided. But I truly believe we are past the point of easy. We need to change the way we think and live. One other thing is also certain. We can see amazing results by putting one green foot in front of the other and pressing forward with the changes we can implement both individually and collectively. 

 

In this episode I am going to continue that discussion. So join me for E177 Overcoming the Roadblocks to Sustainable Living Part III. 

 

 

Welcome back everyone to the Adventures in Sustainable Living podcast. This is your host Patrick and this is E177 Overcoming the Barriers to Sustainable Living Part III.

 

Sustainability question of the week

 

What is sustainable transportation and why is it important? 

 

Good News Story of the Week 

 

UK Restaurant is Letting People Pay-as-They-Can While Rescuing Tons of Food 

 

There is a restaurant in in Gloucestershire, England called Long Tables that allows customer to eat and pay-as-they go. This is in response to a 25% increase in the cost of food and the fact that 10 million Brits, Scots, and N. Irish are malnourished. 

This level of undernourishment further underscores the fact that 6.4 million pounds of food goes to waste every year in Great Britain. 

According to the general manager Will North, the restaurant operates on the premise of “What if everyone in our community had access to great food and people to eat it with?” 

The restaurant employs 22 part and full-time staff. The weekly menu varies according to what the managers are able to rescue from their suppliers. According to North, their suppliers prioritize the planet over everything else. Consequently, they serve great delicious meals. 

This week’s round of applause goes to Long Tables restaurant in the UK for feeding people for free. I do have a direct link to that article in the transcript. It can be found at goodnewsnetwork.org

 

Now let’s move on to this weeks episode. 

 

This is now part three of overcoming the barriers to sustainable living. I decided to focus a few episodes on this topic because the vast majority of people really do care about the planet but I also know that a lot of people are struggling with making some greener choices.

 

In the two previous episodes I discussed 5 different barriers and gave specific ways to overcome them. In this episode I am going to continue to break down those barriers by giving you actionable steps to live more sustainably or by planting some ideas in your head to simply change the way you think.

 

In this episode I am going to discuss three specific barriers: 

 

-Many people doubt the effectiveness of sustainable actions. Can we really make a difference.

 

-Many people are confused on what to do. 

 

-A lot of people think in order to be sustainable they have to be vegetarian or vegan.

 

Whether that’s cutting down on meat, using less plastic, or driving electric vehicles, we can all find ways to adapt our everyday lifestyles.

 

Can one person make a difference?

 

The first barrier to tackle is whether or not we can make a difference. Many, many people doubt the effectiveness of sustainable actions simply because they feel as if they cannot make a difference. Now, there are a several reasons for that so let’s dive right in. 

 

Part of the reason most people feel as if their singular action cannot make a d

Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast
Episode 176 
Overcoming the Roadblocks to Sustainable Living Part II
adventuresinsustainableliving.com

 

During the time that humans have existed on this planet, we have gone through multiple transitions. Each of those transitions have changed the course of humanity and ultimately improved our standard of living. It has also made our lives just a little bit easier. 

 

In our modern culture, we no longer have to provide for ourselves. You can have anything you want with one click. In fact, ease and convenience is top of the list for most people, not the impact they are having on the planet. 

 

But when it comes to a sustainable lifestyle convenience is not the king. It is our addiction to  convenience that is one of the common roadblocks to sustainable living. 

 

So join me for episode 176 where I continue to discuss how to overcome some of the common roadblocks to a sustainable lifestyle.  

 

Welcome back everyone to the Adventures in Sustainable Living podcast. This is your host Patrick and this is E176 which is called Overcoming the Common Roadblocks to Sustainable Living Part II.  

 

Sustainability question of the week

 

How much of the water that enters our homes actually goes down the drain? 

 

The average person wastes as much as 30 gallons of water per day. The average household uses 300 gallons of water per day most of which is used for flushing toilets and taking showers. Bottom line, 95% of the fresh water entering our homes goes down the drain. 

 

Good news story of the week 

 

African Forest Farming Initiative Making a Difference for Thousands with Tree-Planting and Micro-Lending 

 

And this story comes from Africa. I think by now most of us know that our current agricultural practices are truly the bane of our existence. And the United Nations estimates that bye the year 2050 we are going to have to increase our food production by 60% in order to feed the growing world population. 

 

Furthermore, the challenge in developing countries is that farming is how people feed their families and  provide some economic support. But one particular NGO may have found an answer to that challenge. Instead of just another tree-planting initiative, Trees for the Future is teaching local farmers simple agro-forests techniques. 

 

One area in particular consists of 41,000 hectares, which is an area 7 times larger than the island of Manhattan. Forest farms consists of native trees that serve as an anchor for a mixture of subsistence and cash crops. This in turn promotes local biodiversity.

 

Trees for the Future works with farmers for four years to produce viable farm lands that typically produce a surplus. There are now pilot projects in 9 countries involving 17,000 smallholder farms. The basis of these farms is that fruit and nut trees provide shade which retains moisture in the soil. Shade tolerant vegetables and shrubs are grown between the trees. Other sun-loving veggies are grown in clearings. Farmers can then introduce livestock if they wish. 

 

Farming projects also establish a small scale Village Savings and Loan Association. Farmers work together to save money, lend each other money at a low interest rate, and share the profits. 

 

The end game of this project is massive environmental restoration using regenerative agriculture. This is truly an important step in the right direction. Obviously us big shots in developed can once again learn something from the little guys. If you want to check out the complete article I have provided a link in the transcripts or you can go to goodnewsnetwork.org

 

This weeks round of applause goes to Trees for the Future and their sustainable regenerative agriculture projects around the world. 

 

So, let’s move on to this weeks episode. 

 

In the last episode I introduced the topic of overcoming some of the common roadblocks to sustainable living. In that episode I discusse

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