Audiotocracy Shannon Perry

This is, as they say, a Very Personal Episode™. In April of 2022, I lost my life partner of 17 years. It was every kind of horrible, as such things are, and I was lucky to have a solid bulwark of family and friends.
Additionally, I'll always be grateful to Earth™ for their amazing service during this time. Richard hadn't committed his preferences to paper, but I knew what they were. He wanted to leave the earth gently, no coffin, no chemicals, so I contacted Earth, and they took it — and him — from there.
Science, technology, innovation, and compassion don't always line up as neatly as we'd like. This is one of those magical moments when they do. Please take a moment to hear from Earth co-founder & COO Carolyn Maezes. Check out their website, which even includes a glossary of terms to help us avoid confusion and misunderstanding.
Then, if you're like Richard and me and want your final goodbye to be a gentle one, consider signing up if you can or advocating for soil transformation in your state.
Earth phone number: 877-327-4109
Opening music by Danail Draganov from Storyblocks.

It's Earth Month, and Earth Day is just two days away, on April 22. Climate change is already affecting us all, but some are definitely more affected than others.
Access to healthy food and clean air and water isn't universal around the globe. While some live in food privilege, others definitely don't, and the global climate crisis is increasing that gap exponentially.
It's always an honor and a pleasure to talk with experts who know so much but are eager to learn more and share what they know with the rest of us.
Mary Purdy and Sofia Cavalleri are two such experts, and even though the topic is a rough one, they share expertise, enthusiasm, and most vitally, hope.
Please listen in on our conversation about food, equity, nutrition, sustainability, justice, conservation, and hope.
You can find more from Mary Purdy on her website, and please do, as she has a ton of wonderful resources. https://marypurdy.co/
You can find Sofia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sofia-cavalleri-740812145/ and you can learn more about SEI Asia on their website: https://www.sei.org/centres/asia/ 
As ever, if you think a podcast or other audio could support your business or organization, sign up for a free consult with us. We promise to share value; not (just) a sales pitch. https://audiotocracy.com/contact/ 

The cold, dark waters of the deep ocean are teeming with creatures that live without light or oxygen. How do they do it? 
On this episode, we sit down with deep-sea biologist Annie Lindgren, PhD, who is the Director of the Center for Life in Extreme Environments at Portland State University. She studies cephalopods off the coast of Oregon, who live half a mile below the ocean’s surface. Who are these fascinating animals? And what can they teach us humans about adaptation as our climate changes? 
Learn more about Dr. Lindgren and life in extreme environments at https://www.pdx.edu/extreme-environments/. 

January is National Blood Donor Month, a great time to start,  extend, or renew that blood/plasma/platelets-donation schedule!
Blood, says Bloodworks NW President  & CEO Curtis Bailey, is a part of our bodies we'll likely never be able to duplicate or recreate in a lab. And, he says, the act of donating blood, of literally giving away part of your body so someone else can live, is one of the most amazing, generous things humans do. 
Learn more about the process (what happens to your blood when it leaves your body?), what it's like on the BloodBus, and what it means to be an O or an A or B or some combination thereof, then go to the website and set up your appointment.
How awesome is it to start off 2022 by maybe saving a life?

As I'm typing this, my dog is awaiting her afternoon walk.
As anyone who's had the pleasure of sharing space with an animal knows, the bond between people and critters can be very special, very powerful, and very healing.
In this episode, Audiotocracy CEO Shannon Perry talks with Elisabeth Van Every of Pet Partners on how animals can help us lead happier, healthier lives, even if we can't have a critter in our home.
Have a listen, then visit PetPartners.org to learn more about the amazing work these therapy pairs do. 
Resources mentioned:
https://therapyanimalstandards.org/
Dr. Aubrey Fine:  http://www.aubreyhfine.com/
Andrea Beetz

From Rachel Miller-Howard, Creative Director at Audiotocracy Podcast Production, this is the Picnic Podcast, where we introduce delicious products that are made for each other.
In this episode, one of the best late-autumn pairings out there: whiskey and pecan pie. The smooth booze is brought to you by Jill Kuehler of Freeland Spirits. And the pie is made from scratch by Jessica Woods of Pie Spot.
Both of these all-star establishments are in the foodie’s paradise of Portland, Oregon.
Our theme music is composed and performed by Darren Hart Robinson. Many thanks for the intro to Wendy Sloneker, Caroline Giffon, and Tara Tran-Viray!