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We need to support social impact work now more than ever. For the sake of our environment, for our health and wellbeing, we need people working to make a difference. Unfortunately, work for the good of others isn't always work that pays. How can we sustain social and environmental work in the long term? In this episode, we speak with Kerryn Krige, a specialist in social entrepreneurship, about new economic models for social impact and solidarity.

How can we see beyond our current state of oppression, polarization, and extraction to build a better future? We asked  Anne Snick to share insights from her brilliant Young Persons’ Guide to the Future.

Do you have the feeling that life is getting harder than ever? Not only do we grapple with big issues like climate change, but every day tasks sometimes seem increasingly complex. But what if a simple shift in perspective could change everything? In this episode, we're speaking with Jon Jandai, who not only thinks life is easy, but he can prove it too.

We need consensus to tackle the looming problems of climate change and economic inequality. Digital tokens and blockchain technology could help us do just that. In this episode, we speak with Andrea Baronchelli, an Associate Professor of Mathematics at City, University of London. We ask him about his research on the token economy and how decentralized digital platforms will shape our future. 

Eating less meat is one thing we can all do to reduce our contribution to the climate crisis, but making changes to our diets isn't always easy. In this episode, we speak with Chef Alejandra Schrader about her Low-Carbon Cookbook and Action Plan to get some tips for eating a more plant-based diet and reducing food waste. 

In 1934, Simon Kuznets developed the modern concept of a gross domestic product to measure the market value of all goods and services produced by a country. Nearly 90 years later, our measures of economic growth remain blind to the extreme inequality and  environmental degradation produced by “business as usual”.  We need a new tool that help guide us on a path to greater wellbeing for people and planet. In this episode, we’re speaking with Michael Green, CEO of the Social Progress Imperative. We talk to Michael about his new measure, the Social Progress Index, and how it could change the way we think about economic success for the better. 

In this episode, we speak with Emma Heiling, one of the co-founders of ClimaTalk and a masters student in environmental policy at Sciences Po. Through her work, she's demystifying climate policy and giving people the information they need to act fast on the climate crisis.

Is there an inherent conflict of interest in 'sustainable finance'? In this episode, we speak with Theodor Cojoianu, an associate professor at the University of Edinburgh who works at the intersection of sustainability, data science, and finance. We ask him to explain the world of sustainable finance and help us understand what needs to change to make our planet’s health the bottom line for businesses.

An explosion of remote work opportunities has given people the freedom to build all new kinds of lives in all different kinds of places. But how will this growing movement impact our environment? In this episode, we speak with J Mendes (the No Footprint Nomad) about cultivating a nomadic lifestyle that's ALSO sustainable. 

Our food system is broken, producing massive amounts of waste in some places and leaving people starving in others. (Not to mention the damage our agricultural practices are doing to the environment.) In this episode, we speak with Lujain Alqodmani from EAT about what needs to happen so all people can eat food that's both healthy and sustainable.

The industrial production of beef comes at a major cost to the environment, degrading soil quality and emitting extreme amounts of greenhouse gas into the atmosphere. But what if there was a better way? In this episode, we speak with Langdon Hill, who's turned about 20,000 acres of Arizona desert into a ranch laboratory to see if it's possible to raise cattle in a way that nourishes the environment instead of breaking it down.

Imagine if the science taught in schools put the health of our planet front and center. In this episode, we speak with Eugene Cordero, a professor at San Jose State University who's created the Green Ninja science curriculum to foster the next generation of environmental stewards.

Advancements in modern medicine have made us healthier and improved our quality of life. But at what cost? In the pursuit of science, many of us have lost touch with indigenous modes of healing. We spoke with Olatokunboh Obasi, an herbalist and teacher in Puerto Rico, about the wisdom of indigenous teachings that can bring us in better balance within ourselves and with nature.

There are over 2.69 billion active online gamers in the world. Most of them just want to have some fun in a digital reality. But what if we could mobilize those masses to make a difference in the real world? In this episode, we speak with Kayla Anderson, a gamer, streamer, and content creator, about the transforming the gaming community into a force for climate action.

Ever feel intense anxiety over the deteriorating state of our planet? Good news: you're not alone.  Even better news: there's help. In this episode, we speak with climate psychologists Megan Kennedy-Woodard and Patrick Kennedy-Williams who have made it their mission to help people turn climate anxiety into climate action.

Making a difference in the fight against climate change doesn't have to be complicated. Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best. In this episode, we speak with Selva co-founder Harry Hely-Hutchinson about how people can easily offset their carbon footprints by funding the planting of trees.

What can we learn from recollections of the Ice Age about climate change today? Veli Albert Kallio is an ethnoclimatologist who uses history from indigenous peoples to evaluate our current climate crisis. Through this lens, we can see the ghosts that may come back to haunt us--hopefully in time to do something about it.

Why can't we stop degrading our ecosystems? It's not our failure to recycle, so much as a matter of systemic inertia. Continuously prioritizing corporate profit has led us to our current climate crisis, while also exacerbating racial and economic injustices. In this episode, we discuss  the importance of centering anti-racist and feminist leadership to disrupt this status quo in the fight for our planet with Jennie Stephens, author of Diversifying Power.

In this episode, we speak with Donna Reitano and Ajay Mehta, two of the founders of em4. Through their work, they help social impact organizations in the Global South build capacity to increase their reach and efficacy. We ask their advice for others trying to do the same. The post Do Good Better | Donna Reitano and Ajay Mehta appeared first on Pod of Gold.

We have a massive waste problem, with hundreds of millions of tons of garbage going into landfills every year. In this episode we talk to Richard Perl, CAO of TerraCycle, about the economics driving this massive waste issue and what we can do to recycle better and phase out single use packaging.  The post The Waste is Over | Richard Perl appeared first on Pod of Gold.