Biophilic Solutions: Nature Has the Answers

Today, we’re diving into one of the most urgent and complex challenges of our time: how to truly and equitably mitigate climate change, starting in the heart of the Amazon rainforest. This conversation spans a web of critical themes: climate finance, cutting-edge technologies, and most importantly, putting Indigenous communities at the forefront of protecting and restoring the planet’s most vital ecosystems. Joining us is the brilliant Dr. Tracey Osborne, a professor at UC Merced and the Founding Director of the UC Center for Climate Justice. Tracey is also the visionary behind the Climate Justice Standard, a bold new framework that ensures climate solutions aren’t just environmentally sound, but also socially just and community-led. Together, we unpack the Amazon’s pivotal role in global climate stability, explore the promises and pitfalls of carbon markets, and hear how Tracey’s firsthand work in the rainforest has reshaped her understanding of justice, resilience, and what it really means to live in balance with nature. Show Notes * The Climate Justice Standard [https://cjstandard.com/] * UC Center for Climate Justice [https://centerclimatejustice.universityofcalifornia.edu/] * About the Kawsay Nampi Project  [https://cjstandard.com/project/kichwa-peoples-of-sarayaku/] * About Dr. Tracey Osborne [https://cjstandard.com/about-us/] * Tragedy of the commons [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragedy_of_the_commons] * Dr. Elinor Ostrom [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elinor_Ostrom] Keywords: climate change, indigenous communities, carbon markets, climate justice, Amazon rainforest, deforestation, environmental integrity, community-led projects, technology in climate solutions, youth engagement Biophilic Solutions is available wherever you get podcasts. Please listen, follow, and give us a five-star review. Follow us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/biophilicsolutions/] and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/biophilic-solutions-nature-has-the-answers/] and learn more on our website [https://www.biophilicsolutions.com/]. #NatureHasTheAnswers

Time and again, we've examined how the challenges we face – poverty, inequality, environmental degradation, and more – are deeply intertwined. Understandably, it can start to feel pretty overwhelming. But here’s the encouraging part: the solutions are just as interconnected.  In this episode of Biophilic Solutions, we speak with Helena Norberg-Hodge, founder and director of Local Futures, a nonprofit dedicated to restoring ecological and social well-being by revitalizing local communities and economies. Helena envisions a world where food is grown by nearby farmers, money circulates within communities, local businesses thrive, and meaningful work is accessible to all. She argues that many of today’s crises stem from an overly globalized economic system and that the path forward lies in a broad shift toward localization. Helena advocates for a more informed and intentional public that values local economies and deeper connections with nature. In our conversation, we explore the power of local food systems, the importance of community and ecological bonds, and the role vulnerability plays in healing. Drawing on lessons from indigenous cultures, Helena makes a compelling case for localization as a path toward greater social cohesion and environmental resilience. Show Notes * About Helena [https://www.helenanorberghodge.com/] * Planet Local Summit | September 3-7 | Ladakh [https://www.localfutures.org/events/planet-local-summit-ladakh-2025/] * Local Futures [https://www.localfutures.org/] * Ancient Futures: Learning From Ladakh by Helena Norberg Hodge [https://www.localfutures.org/publications/ancient-futures-book-helena-norberg-hodge/] * Local Is Our Future: Steps to an Economics of Happiness by Helena Norberg Hodge [https://www.localfutures.org/publications/local-is-our-future-book-helena-norberg-hodge/] * To Heal the Planet We Must First Heal Ourselves (Urth Magazine) [https://magazine.urth.co/articles/heal-the-planet-helena-norberg-hodge] Key Words: local, localism, economy, economics, local economy, community, indigenous community, indigenous wisdom, Local Futures, farmers market, global economy, globalism, capitalism, nature, nature based solutions, biophilia, biophilic design, Helena Norberg-Hodge Biophilic Solutions is available wherever you get podcasts. Please listen, follow, and give us a five-star review. Follow us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/biophilicsolutions/] and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/biophilic-solutions-nature-has-the-answers/] and learn more on our website [https://www.biophilicsolutions.com/]. #NatureHasTheAnswers

Let’s face it. Our waste habits are, well, pretty wasteful. Every single day, more than 27,000 trees are cut down just to make toilet paper. Meanwhile, the average disposable diaper takes over 500 years to decompose in a landfill, all while leaching harmful plastics and chemicals into the environment. And that’s not even counting other single-use sanitary products like tampons, pads, and wipes. Put simply, our throwaway culture is a serious environmental problem. Enter today’s guest: Miki Agrawal. A bold entrepreneur and creative disruptor, Miki has built a career out of challenging the status quo. She’s the founder of groundbreaking companies like Thinx (revolutionary period underwear), TUSHY (modern bidets), and her latest venture, Hiro Diapers, a game-changing product designed to break down in landfills using fungi-powered decomposition technology. Hiro represents a major step forward in the battle against plastic waste, starting with a natural end-of-life solution for one of the most essential (and wasteful) products in parenting. In this conversation, we explore the hidden environmental costs of traditional diapers, the importance of slowing down to meet the moment, and why nature (hello, mushrooms!) holds the key to designing smarter, bolder everyday essentials. Show Notes * Hiro Diapers [https://hirodiapers.com/] * TUSHY Bidets [https://hellotushy.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoodvSoxxXf5zflRxs5m63ijRXw-iZcAfl3gi-iAxkt-ej63EYT3] * About Miki Agrawal [https://mikiagrawal.com/about/] * Four Sigmatic [https://us.foursigmatic.com/?srsltid=AfmBOooW5462iS8F2SJ7FXnWKufpjzyjY9452Wj9Amn2KQMmtK4a6fnu] * Pacha’s Pajamas: A Story Written By Nature [https://www.amazon.com/Pachas-Pajamas-Written-Nature-Morgan/dp/1630477044] * Do Cool Shit: Quit Your Day Job, Start Your Own Business, and Live Happily Ever After by Miki Agrawal [https://bookshop.org/lists/author-interviews-biophilic-solutions] * Disrupt-Her: A Manifesto for the Modern Woman by Miki Agrawal [https://bookshop.org/lists/author-interviews-biophilic-solutions] Biophilic Solutions is available wherever you get podcasts. Please listen, follow, and give us a five-star review. Follow us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/biophilicsolutions/] and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/biophilic-solutions-nature-has-the-answers/] and learn more on our website [https://www.biophilicsolutions.com/]. #NatureHasTheAnswers

On today’s episode, we’re delving into the growing epidemic of loneliness, examining its root causes, far-reaching impacts, and what it will take to rebuild our social fabric. For this important and timely conversation, we were thrilled to be joined by Radha Agrawal, author of the bestselling book Belong: Find Your People, Create Community & Live a More Connected Life. Radha is also the Co-founder, CEO, and Chief Community Architect of Daybreaker, a global wellness movement that brings nearly half a million people together globally through early-morning, sober dance parties. In addition, Radha leads the Belong Institute and the Belong Center, two groundbreaking initiatives dedicated to addressing loneliness through community-building and laying the foundation for a wider culture of belonging. Throughout this conversation, we explore the essential human need for connection, the dangers of hyper-individualism, and how modern life, including our increasing disconnection from nature, has contributed to widespread feelings of alienation. Radha shares powerful insights on how rebuilding community and reestablishing our relationship with the natural world can help us reclaim joy, purpose, and a true sense of belonging. This is a conversation filled with practical tools and deep inspiration for anyone seeking to reconnect: with others, with nature, and with themselves. Shownotes * Belong: Find Your People, Create Community & Live a More Connected Life by Radha Agrawal [https://bookshop.org/lists/author-interviews-biophilic-solutions] * Radha Agrawal Website [https://radhaagrawal.com/] * Daybreaker | Wake Up & Dance [https://www.daybreaker.com/] * Belong Center [https://www.belongcenter.org/] * Belong Institute [http://v] * Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad [https://www.julianneholtlunstad.com/] * The Power of Belonging: How Ending Loneliness Will Save Our Planet (SXSW) [https://schedule.sxsw.com/2024/events/PP1143781] * Biophilic Solutions Website [https://www.biophilicsolutions.com/] * Biophilic Solutions on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/biophilicsolutions/] Keywords: loneliness, loneliness epidemic, community, connection, community building, Radha Agrawal, nature, biophilia, biophilic, disconnection, climate, climate change, Daybreaker, belonging Biophilic Solutions is available wherever you get podcasts. Please listen, follow, and give us a five-star review. Follow us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/biophilicsolutions/] and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/biophilic-solutions-nature-has-the-answers/] and learn more on our website [https://www.biophilicsolutions.com/]. #NatureHasTheAnswers

For many people, work simply isn’t working anymore. Wages have stagnated while the cost of living continues to rise. Endless hours in front of a screen leave us burnt out. More often than not, the labor we do feels disconnected from any real purpose. But what if there was another way? Imagine a future where small communities live in harmony with the land, and the work we do is rooted in care for each other, for the earth, and for ourselves. It may sound idealistic and overly simplistic, but isn’t there something undeniably appealing about that vision? Today, we’re thrilled to be speaking with Megan Leatherman, founder of A Wild New Work, a career development agency with a refreshing twist. Megan helps her clients uncover their passions and craft more fulfilling professional lives, while also guiding them to reconnect with nature, align with the rhythms of the seasons, and trust their own inner wisdom. In this conversation, we explore what’s broken about our current work culture, how we arrived here, and how we might begin to cultivate meaningful, grounded lives in a world shaped by capitalism and social media. Show Notes * A Wild New Work [https://awildnewwork.com/] * A Wild New Work: The Podcast [https://awildnewwork.com/podcast] * Follow A Wild New Work on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/awildnewwork/] * Caliban and the Witch: Women, The Body, and Primitive Accumulation [https://bookshop.org/p/books/caliban-and-the-witch-women-the-body-and-primitive-accumulation-silvia-federici/628767?ean=9781570270598&next=t] by Silvia Federici * Composting Capitalism [https://awildnewwork.com/composting-capitalism] * Rise Up Rooted [https://awildnewwork.com/rise-up-rooted] * Biophilic Solutions  [https://www.biophilicsolutions.com/] * We’d love to hear from you! [https://www.biophilicsolutions.com/contact/] Keywords: work, capitalism, history, nature, ancestors, modern work, change, feudalism, community, sustainability, organized labor, socialism, community, adulthood, land connection, cultural shifts, personal growth, nature, aliveness, uncertainty Biophilic Solutions is available wherever you get podcasts. Please listen, follow, and give us a five-star review. Follow us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/biophilicsolutions/] and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/biophilic-solutions-nature-has-the-answers/] and learn more on our website [https://www.biophilicsolutions.com/]. #NatureHasTheAnswers