Adventures in Sustainable Living PodcastEpisode 194A Sustainable Life May Make You Live LongerDid you know that globally we spend about $170 billion dollars a year on dietary supplements. The cosmetic surgery market is now worth $63 billion annually. We spend nearly $3,000 per year on entertainment. On average we spend 2 to 2 1/2 hours per day on social media. We also eat a diet that is high in calories, fat, added sugars, and low in essential nutrients. Sadly nearly 20% of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes is attributed to poor diet. The incidence of multiple chronic diseases among adults is now 27.2 percent with 51.8% now having at least one chronic disease. What this means is that ultimately many people live shorter lives than what they could. So join me for episode 194 A Sustainable Life May Make You Live Longer.

Most people think our technology driven world is so much better than how things were in the past. If you have been around long enough to see substantial changes in our society and culture, it truly seems that even 40 years ago we were living in the dark ages. And honestly,  many of the things I do these days would not be possible if it were not for modern technology. But the challenge is that technological advancements and all of these time-saving products and gadgets have produced a life of ease and convenience that has actually robbed us of some very important skills. Most of us no longer have core skills that used to be considered basic everyday knowledge. Furthermore we have no concept of sustainability. What I want to examine in this episode is the integration of core life skills with sustainable living.

Scientists and other experts with ExxonMobile knew about the long-term detrimental affects of burning fossil fuels back in the 1970s. Their predictions of climate change were astonishingly accuracy. Yet we were led to believe there was nothing to worry about. As we continue to see on-going changes in our world directly related to human behavior, we are now told that we should be more conscious about what we eat, what we wear, what and how much we drive, and to even learn to be a minimalist. Such things fall under this big umbrella of conscious consumerism. But some experts say that conscious consumerism is just another lie to distract us from what really needs to be done to produce meaningful change. So, join me for E191 where I examine whether or not conscious consumerism is just a lie.

Despite the fact that we live in the age of information the average person is still confused about how to start living sustainably. This is somewhat understandable because there is so much information available. Furthermore, it is not helpful that much of the time we are given conflicting views on what to do and the potential value of any action at all.  There is of course a long list of ways to start living a more sustainable life. All you have to do is pick one thing and focus on that until it is a part of your daily life. But if I were to sum things up into one simple concept it would be “become a conscious consumer.” So join me for episode 191 where I am going to discuss how to become a conscious consumer. Welcome back everyone to the Adventures in Sustainable Living podcast. This is your host Patrick and this is E191 Twelve Tips to Becoming a Conscious Consumer.

Someone once said to me that the only problem with going plastic free is going plastic free. But the same could be said for having a sustainable lifestyle. It is a process, a choice, a journey instead of an end all be all. But I also think it is the same with going zero waste. We constantly hear talk about a sustainable circular economy but is it all just a dream?  Is going zero waste even achievable for an individual much less an entire society and culture? What I want to examine in this episode is whether or not this is an achievable goal or is zero waste just a myth. So join me for episode 189 Dispelling the Myth of Zero Waste.

Adventures in Sustainable Living PodcastEpisode 188Not in My Backyard: A Critical Review of Environmental RacismSurveys of community needs from around the world show that almost everyone wants the same thing. We all want a safe place to live and even raise a family. We want a healthy, natural environment, access to education, healthy food, housing, clean water, and fair use of land and local resources.How would you feel if you lived in a community where such things did not exist? You lived in the midst of heavy air pollution, environmental contamination, and lack of basic services. And yet these situations are more frequent than most of us recognize. The underlying cause is environmental racism. So join me for episode 188 where we are going to discuss a critical review of environmental racism, what that is, why it exist, and what we can do about it. Welcome back everyone to the Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast. This is your host Patrick and this is E188 which is called Not in My Backyard: A Critical Review of Environmental Racism

Adventures in Sustainable Living PodcastEpisode 187How to Eat Healthy on a BudgetInflation is taking a toll on just about everyone. But one of the most common areas where we feel the pinch is in the price of food. Food prices have consistently risen over the last 5 years and are expected to go up by several percentage points in 2024. Not only that, if you want to eat healthy and organic, you are going to pay even more at the checkout. To top it off, junk food is manufactured in bulk and full of preservatives to make it shelf stable. Consequently, and on a per-calorie basis, it is typically less expensive than something that is packed with nutrients. So how do we reach for something that is sustainable and strike a balance between budget and eating healthy? So join me for E187 How to Eat Healthy on a Budget.

How would you feel if your neighbor came to your mailbox everyday and opened your mail? How would you feel if someone was always looking over your shoulder to monitor everything you did on the internet? I think most people would say "NO!" And they would say no because such things are an invasion of our privacy. We now live in a very connected world. More and more we depend on the internet for personal services, business purposes, data storage, communication and entertainment. But what most people do not realize is that there is very little privacy in the online world and most of what you do is monitored by someone.  Between hackers, scammers, big tech and big brother, someone is always collecting data on your personal online habits. That data is used to generate an online profile of who you are, what you do, where you go and maybe even if you can be trusted. Additionally that data is  sold and shared and used to make hundreds of billions of dollars a year all without your permission. Maybe you think this is a paranoid way of thinking. But this episode is an interview with privacy expert Glenn Meder. It will open the door for you to a very different world in which there is absolutely no privacy. However, Glenn is going to give us some great tips on how to opt out of this privacy invasion simply because what we do, who we communication with and where we go really should be our personal business. I hope you will join me for this eye-opening episode.

More and more frequently these days people are looking to live off the grid. Possibly this is because people are growing weary of the perpetual rat race and just want some peace and quiet. Hopefully people are looking to be off grid because they seek sustainability or simplicity or to otherwise have something that lacks any sort of complexity. If off-grid is what you want there are several realistic ways to make that happen. It truly depends on personal preference and of course your budget. Bottom line is that these days such a lifestyle is not at all unrealistic. But everyone has different reasons as to why they want to give it a try. So, if you want to learn about the best reasons to live off grid then stick around for E186.

Kate Raworth, an English economist with Oxford University, wrote that “Reversing consumerism’s financial and cultural dominance in public and private life is set to be one of the twenty-first century’s most gripping psychological dramas.” What is obvious is that economic growth is directly tied to resource consumption. Both are hand in hand with environmental degradation and climate change. Despite this obvious trend consumerism continues to be deeply ingrained.  Even though there are communities of people that live simply and offer inspiration for social innovation, the question is whether or not this is possible on a global scale. In this episode I want to examine whether or not we can decouple economic growth from resource consumption. So join me for E 185 which is called “Can We Prosper Without Growth?”

Whether you like it or not there is a lot of psychological research that goes into the marketing of products. The majority of this research is used to manipulate consumers and get you spend more money. Additionally, convincing consumers to purchase an ever-increasing variety of products, only to discard them after a short period of time, is a fantastic way to stimulate commerce.  From disposable products to planned obsolescence, our wasteful practices have an ever devastating affect on the environment and on our personal financial well being. Virtually all of the disposable products we use can be replaced with something that you buy only once. So join me for episode 184 which is called Buy It Once, Buy It For Life.

There are so many warning signs about the fate of our planet yet the average person is happy to live in comfortable ignorance. Have you ever stopped to ask why people are so complacent about something that truly affects our future? Furthermore, because of this complacency we are loosing some very important life skills. But are we really to blame? Or is this the end result of our modern culture? Are we now so comfortable that we feel as if certain life skills don’t even apply any more? Besides, we can always look it up on the internet. We are numbly happy to live in our comfort zone yet stepping outside those boundaries is exactly what is needed if we are going to build a sustainable future. And that is the focus of this episode183 Danger: Comfort Zone.

When I get up in the morning I typically sit quietly by the wood stove for about an hour and start my day with some good coffee. I don’t worry about a lot of things during my quiet time but I do put some thought into planning my day.If I think of something I need at the homestead, if I have time I may browse the internet for the best product and the best price. After all online shopping is a modern convenience that I enjoy just as much as everyone else. It is simply a part of our culture now.  However, in the face of building a sustainable future we do have to strike a balance between consumption and ethics. This week I want to dive into a critical few of Amazon Ethics.

Top of the list for most consumers is price and convenience. However, in our pursuit of such convenience we often sacrifice our money, our physical health, our mental health, the environment as well as the rights of all the workers upstream from where our purchase actually occurs. One of the challenges is that due to our current market place, there is an over abundance of choices. Consequently, most consumers tend to purchase from a huge conglomerate because we can easily find everything we need all in one place and it saves us time and money.  But when it comes to best practices for sustainability, what about the little guy, the small business that cannot possibly compete with an international company? In our rush for convenience are we really making ethical choices? In this episode I am going to focus on one company, and that is Walmart.

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.

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

Adventures in Sustainable Living PodcastEpisode 178Sustainable Habits for a Sustainable HabitatEpisode Link;Sustainable Habits for a Sustainable Habitat29.5 minutesWebsiteadventuresinsustainableliving.comIn 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.

Adventures in Sustainable Living PodcastEpisode 177A Green Foot Forward: Overcoming the Roadblocks to Sustainable Living Part IIIEpisode link:https://www.offgridlivingnews.com/podcasts/adventures-in-sustainable-living/episodes/214857461333 minutesWebsite:adventuresinsustainableliving.comStudies 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.

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.  Patrick

Adventures in Sustainable Living PodcastEpisode 175A Green Foot Forward: Overcoming the Roadblocks to Sustainable LivingIf 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.