Episode 21: Neighbors Build Climate Resilience in Their Watersheds

Episode 24: Listen Up: More Music as a Voice for Climate Action

We sit down with the two musicians behind Eco Soul Entertainment, which uses original soul, funk, and R&B songs to encourage adults and kids to take care of our precious planet. This Bay Area band has been in the trenches working with various local climate action groups. Their mantra? Make climate education and action fun and engaging. Take a listen to excerpts of 3 of their songs and see what they mean.  Guests and Titles: Will Hammond Jr., singer and Mike Roberts, songwriter/musician Great Guest Quote:  ”It's a way of edutaining the people, you know, you educate them on the, the facts and then you entertain them through the music. And so, that's really what we're about.” - Will Hammond Jr. Keywords:  #eco-music, #climate music, #Eco Soul Entertainment, #I’m Your Heat Pump, #Geothermal, #I Love Flowers, #edutainment, #eco-songs, #climate songs Host: Sean Mendelson Transcript [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1W9hZTodCDwOc9W1RfXLooVEEAkquhFkPd1E_2ngBAtY/edit?usp=sharing] Episode recap [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gg5szgTnXlmgHqPq9UIg7DMQ2ykRlQO6INbO5L59j-8/edit?usp=sharing] Did you know? We LOVE listener feedback! Share your thoughts and insights by taking this brief survey [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdWtyEkf8meN01BVOEgOJ_pWYxkha5EiV5Po2alSbvc_IzyEA/viewform]. Related Action Resources: Eco Soul Entertainment [https://www.hotmike.com/eco-soul.html]: Official website for the band.   Project InnerSpace [https://projectinnerspace.org/]: Eco Soul Entertainment's "Geothermal" was made in partnership with this group that advocates for awareness about geothermal  energy. Eco Soul Entertainment's ‘I Like Flowers’ video has four project partners currently: * Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour [https://bringingbackthenatives.net/]: Tours of native flowers. * Golden Gate Bird Alliance [https://goldengatebirdalliance.org/]: Promotes educations and conservation for birds. * The Watershed Nursery [https://www.watershednursery.com/]: California native plants and habitat enhancement services. * Nature in the City [https://natureinthecity.org/]: Habitat restoration, urban greening, community engagement. "I Like Flowers" Music Video Donation Site [https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/i-like-flowers-climate-action-music-video#/]: Donations [through June 18th, 2025] go towards the music video that raises awareness of the four above partners. The Switch Is On [https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/i-like-flowers-climate-action-music-video#/]: This organization helps educate and provide electric solutions. This  is where the idea for Eco Soul Entertainment and their song “I’m Your Heat Pump” blossomed. Rising Sun [https://risingsunopp.org/programs/climate-careers/] (where guest Will Hamond Jr. works): This group offers climate careers to young leaders who provide “Green House Calls”: energy and water efficiency services to households throughout the Bay Area. Music Declares Emergency [https://musicdeclares.net/]: Bringing artists, music professionals and music fans together to call for an immediate response from the government to respond to the climate change emergency to protect all life on Earth. Gabriella Smith, [https://www.gabriellasmith.com/about] a Bay Area native whose classical music compositions focus on our climate. Grist article [https://grist.org/arts-culture/how-musicians-and-concert-venues-are-upping-the-tempo-on-climate-action/] on how musicians and music venues across the country  are championing climate action.  Please share this podcast with a few friends, family, or colleagues.  Remember to follow this podcast to find out when new episodes get released! Contact Us: Do you know a Bay Area-based Everyday Climate Champion? We’d love to interview them!  Get in touch: info@everydayClimateChampions.org [info@everydayClimateChampions.org] Website: http://www.EverydayClimateChampions.org [http://www.everydayclimatechampions.org] Podcast Production Team: Executive Producer/Editor: Dalya Massachi; Sound Designer: Martin Sanchez; Co-Hosts/Researchers: Ellisa Feinstein, Isabella Genereaux, Sean Mendelson, Hasini Parepalli, Eli Staton. Logo Designer: Gabriela Vargas * This episode is dedicated to the memory of our Executive Producer's music-loving sister, Deborah Massachi. She passed away during this episode's production.

Episode 23: Women Climate Innovators Band Together

In this episode, we speak with a co-founder of The Greenhouse, an online community of women climate innovators turning their business ideas into reality. Along with two members of this online community, we discover the inner workings of how these women entrepreneurs are overcoming many obstacles by offering each other practical and emotional support. Guests and Titles:  Anya Lamb, co-founder of The Greenhouse; Caroline Buck, member and co-founder of sustainable dog food company; Barb Chang, member working on a waste reduction company Great Guest Quote:  “ We spent a lot of time talking about the real fears and doubts that come up when you want to start your own business. I mean, there were tears sometimes and people were talking about their struggles and we were supporting each other along the way.”  - Barb Chang, member of The Greenhouse Keywords:  #thegreenhouse, #womenentrepreneurs, #climateinnovators,  #sustainablebusinesses, #petaluma #reclaiminggoods #onlinecommunity #womensupportingwomen #dogfood Host: Sean Mendelson Transcript [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uzm-hE-IZ1h1DDwetc1uTTGccP6R-mbGUlor3BKT8k8/edit?tab=t.0] Episode recap [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oN2KRqiasUfp-7_Rp-unpicWem1MuDWqvu0gHc6gDVc/edit?usp=sharing] Did you know? We LOVE listener feedback! Share your thoughts and insights by taking this brief survey [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdWtyEkf8meN01BVOEgOJ_pWYxkha5EiV5Po2alSbvc_IzyEA/viewform]. Related Action Resources: The Greenhouse: Official website for The Greenhouse, online female climate innovator community: https://www.greenhousewomen.com [https://www.greenhousewomen.com]   Petaluma: Official website for Caroline Buck’s sustainable pet-food company: https://www.feedpetaluma.com [https://www.feedpetaluma.com]  UCLA website:  Research about meat consumption by dogs and cats. Evidence to support Caroline Buck’s assertion about pets eating one quarter of the US meat production: https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/the-truth-about-cats-and-dogs-environmental-impact [https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/the-truth-about-cats-and-dogs-environmental-impact] Trellis article: Studies on climate tech venture capital finding that only 7-10% goes to female founders: https://trellis.net/article/only-7-us-climate-tech-venture-capital-funding-went-female-founders-2023/ [https://trellis.net/article/only-7-us-climate-tech-venture-capital-funding-went-female-founders-2023/] Please share this podcast with a few friends, family, or colleagues.  Remember to follow this podcast to find out when new episodes get released! Contact Us: Do you know a Bay Area-based Everyday Climate Champion? We’d love to interview them!  Get in touch: EverydayClimateChampions@gmail.com [EverydayClimateChampions@gmail.com] Website: https://www.EverydayClimateChampions.org [http://www.everydayclimatechampions.org] Podcast Production Team: Executive Producer/Editor: Dalya Massachi; Sound Designer: Martin Sanchez; Co-Hosts/Researchers: Ellisa Feinstein, Isabella Genereaux, Sean Mendelson, Hasini Parepalli, Eli Staton. Logo Designer: Gabriela Vargas

Episode 22: Cycling and Walking: Emissions- and Guilt-Free Transportation Solutions

In this episode, we sit down with two Bay Area bicycle advocates to discuss how to make cycling and walking part of our everyday lives. We learn how our guests have made that shift, in part, to curb their contributions to the climate crisis. And they share information about how a number of cities are creating infrastructure to make it easier to get around by biking and walking. Guests and Titles:  Emma-Louise Anderson, Executive Director, The Seed Fund Tim Oey, owner, Bicycle Solutions and founder of ZeroW.org  Great Guest Quote: “I switched out of high tech to dedicate myself to helping others get to the point of being able to bike more. “ – Tim Oey, owner, Bicycle Solutions and founder of ZeroW.org  Keywords:  #bicycling, #cycling, #climateride,  #saferoutes, #calbikes, #sfbike, #climateaction,#climatecrisis, #paris Host: Ellisa Feinstein Transcript here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cgiFA0BnZF-qfOlZEF7A_uwX_IlIhXoZQkT-z5gdlzU/edit?usp=sharing [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cgiFA0BnZF-qfOlZEF7A_uwX_IlIhXoZQkT-z5gdlzU/edit?usp=sharing] This episode’s recap blog post: coming soon Did you know? We LOVE listener feedback! Share your thoughts and insights by taking this brief survey: https://forms.gle/y8q6AD4yu1yqN5Yn8 [https://forms.gle/y8q6AD4yu1yqN5Yn8] Related Action Resources: Safe Routes to School: Bicycle program for schools: https://www.saferoutestoschools.org/ [https://www.saferoutestoschools.org/]  ZeroW.org: Helps people learn how to save Earth's life support system by pursuing zero waste: https://www.zerow.org/ [https://www.zerow.org/]  Bicycle Solutions: Expert coaching for kids and adults wanting to learn how to bicycle: https://www.bicyclesolutions.com/ [https://www.bicyclesolutions.com/] Wheel Kids: An adventure and exploration destination for kids: https://wheelkids.com/ [https://wheelkids.com/]  Free cycle: Marketplace to find free items, including bicycles and parts: https://freecycle.org/ [https://freecycle.org/]  Minnesota Walk! Bike! Fun! Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Curriculum: A two-part curriculum designed specifically for Minnesota’s schools and youth education programs: https://mnsaferoutestoschool.org/resources/training/walk-bike-fun-and-bike-fleets/ [https://mnsaferoutestoschool.org/resources/training/walk-bike-fun-and-bike-fleets/]    Climate Ride: Fundraiser for climate-focused organizations, via cycling and hiking: https://www.climateride.org/ [https://www.climateride.org/]  California Bicycle Association: organization advocating for better bicycle laws: https://www.calbike.org/ [https://www.calbike.org/] Complete Streets Bill (SB 960): Recent California bill passed to make walking and bike riding safer for all: https://www.calbike.org/governor-newsom-signs-sb-960-the-complete-streets-bill/ [https://www.calbike.org/governor-newsom-signs-sb-960-the-complete-streets-bill/] California’s Active Transportation Program: This program was created to encourage increased use of active modes of transportation, such as walking and biking. https://catc.ca.gov/programs/active-transportation-program [https://catc.ca.gov/programs/active-transportation-program] Fast Facts on Transportation Greenhouse Gas Emissions (US EPA): https://www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/fast-facts-transportation-greenhouse-gas-emissions [https://www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/fast-facts-transportation-greenhouse-gas-emissions]  Article: “Cycling is now more popular than driving in the centre of Paris, study finds”:  https://www.euronews.com/green/2024/04/12/cycling-is-now-more-popular-than-driving-in-the-centre-of-paris-study-finds [https://www.euronews.com/green/2024/04/12/cycling-is-now-more-popular-than-driving-in-the-centre-of-paris-study-finds] Please share this podcast with a few friends, family, or colleagues.  Remember to follow this podcast to find out when new episodes get released! Contact Us: Do you know an Everyday Climate Champion based in the San Francisco Bay Area? We’d love to interview them!  Get in touch: crba.eccpodcast@gmail.com Website: www.climaterealitybayarea.org/eccpodcast [http://www.climaterealitybayarea.org/eccpodcast] Podcast Production Team: Executive Producer/Editor: Dalya Massachi; Sound Designer: Martin Sanchez; Co-Hosts/Researchers: Ellisa Feinstein, Isabella Genereaux, Sean Mendelson, Hasini Parepalli, Eli Staton. Logo Designer: Gabriela Vargas

Episode 21: Neighbors Build Climate Resilience in Their Watersheds

In this double-length episode, we speak with two guests from the Watershed Project, a Bay Area organization that protects and restores our landscapes that drain into waterways: creeks, rivers, and ultimately the San Francisco Bay. We'll find out how they work with thousands of neighbors to envision, build, and celebrate “green infrastructure” and clean water projects that use nature-based solutions, such as trees and native plants. Teachers and young people benefit from their education and internship programs. Guests: The Watershed Project’s Juliana Gonzalez, Executive Director, and Natalie Matias, Community Engagement Manager Host: Dalya Massachi Great Guest Quote: “With climate change being at the forefront of so many of the problems that we're going to face, investing in those under-resourced, frontline communities to make them more resilient to the changing climate is such an important thing.” - Juliana Gonzalez, Executive Director, The Watershed Project Keywords: #climatecrisis,#climateaction,#climatejustice,#climateresilience,#nature-basedsolutions,#raingardens,#bioswales,#participatoryprocess,#greeninfrastructure,#watersheds,#urbannature,#greencareers           Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/105BCRcHtsSht36fYzEAveKUC2yxPU-nuqqaln1_mtQI/edit?usp=sharing [https://docs.google.com/document/d/105BCRcHtsSht36fYzEAveKUC2yxPU-nuqqaln1_mtQI/edit?usp=sharing] This episode’s recap blog post: coming soon Did you know? We LOVE listener feedback! Share your thoughts and insights by taking this brief survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdWtyEkf8meN01BVOEgOJ_pWYxkha5EiV5Po2alSbvc_IzyEA/viewform [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdWtyEkf8meN01BVOEgOJ_pWYxkha5EiV5Po2alSbvc_IzyEA/viewform] Related Action Resources:  * The Watershed Project: The featured organization in this episode: https://thewatershedproject.org/ [https://thewatershedproject.org/] * The Urban Nature Loop: A self-guided walking tour of North Richmond that’s produced by the Watershed Project and connects to other community and environmental projects in the area: https://thewatershedproject.org/introducing-urban-nature-loop-a-self-guided-walking-tour-of-north-richmond/ [https://thewatershedproject.org/introducing-urban-nature-loop-a-self-guided-walking-tour-of-north-richmond/] * San Francisco Bay Area Creek & Watershed Finder: This tool from the Oakland Museum of California will help you find creeks and watersheds throughout the Bay Area, including those in your own backyard: ⁠https://explore.museumca.org/creeks/wb-resc.html⁠ [https://explore.museumca.org/creeks/wb-resc.html] *** Please share this podcast with a few friends, family, or colleagues.  Remember to follow this podcast to find out when new episodes get released! Contact Us: Do you know a Bay Area-based Everyday Climate Champion? We’d love to interview them! Get in touch: crba.eccpodcast@gmail.com  Website: www.climaterealitybayarea.org/eccpodcast  Podcast Production Team: Executive Producer/Editor: Dalya Massachi; Sound Designers/Engineer: Martin Sanchez; Co-Hosts/Researchers: Ellisa Feinstein, Isabella Genereaux, Sean Mendelson, Hasini Parepalli, Logo Designer: Gabriela Vargas

Episode 20: Cultivating Their Own Sustainable Food Systems: Indigenous and Black Communities (SF Bay Area and Detroit, MI)

In this double-length episode, we speak with folks doing similar work in both the San Francisco Bay Area and Detroit, Michigan. Our two guests – Joshua Hoyt from the Cultural Conservancy’s Native Foodways Program and Shakara Tyler from the  Detroit Black Community Food Sovereignty Network – are reclaiming the right to feed themselves and own their communities' ecologically sustainable food systems. They are nourishing their communities by restoring cultural and spiritual ties with the Earth, building their local economies, and healing historical traumas. We all learned a lot about how their work is taking shape in different cultural contexts, with strong overlap. Great Guest Quote: “If we don't actually address the ways that we relate to the environment and our place in it, then we will just continue to make the same mistakes over and over again.” - Joshua Hoyt, Native Foodways Program Guests: Joshua Hoyt, from the Cultural Conservancy's Native Foodways program (San Francisco Bay Area’s Sonoma County); Shakara Tyler from the Detroit Black Community Food Sovereignty Network Keywords: #climatecrisis,#climateaction,#climatejustice,#foodsovereignty;#nativeamericanjustice,#blackfarmers;#indigenousfarmers;#nativefood                         Co-Hosts: Dalya Massachi and Kevin McClendon (Proximate media platform: https://www.proximate.press) Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/15BYaXimbGtwxg-Os86fqYBoEgijXMmDJ1656l-vs9rQ/edit?usp=sharing [https://docs.google.com/document/d/15BYaXimbGtwxg-Os86fqYBoEgijXMmDJ1656l-vs9rQ/edit?usp=sharing] This episode’s recap blog post: coming soon Related Action Resources:  Cultural Conservancy’s Native Foodways Program: https://www.nativeland.org/native-foodways [https://www.nativeland.org/native-foodways] and their podcast, the Native Seed Pod: https://www.nativeseedpod.org [https://www.nativeseedpod.org/] National Library of Medicine article on Native American food insecurity and poor health outcomes: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5422031/ [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5422031/]   Detroit Black Community Food Sovereignty Network: https://www.dbcfsn.org/ [https://www.dbcfsn.org/] Story of the Detroit Black Farmer Land Fund: Decolonization and Abolition in Practice (video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5IrZcWklWM [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5IrZcWklWM] Twin Cities Public TV: Article on a new generation of Black farmers and faith leaders cultivating the future of food sovereignty: https://www.tptoriginals.org/whats-happening-on-the-front-lines-of-food-justice/ [https://www.tptoriginals.org/whats-happening-on-the-front-lines-of-food-justice/] Related Everyday Climate Champions Episodes : * “The Black Church’s Inspiring Work in Environmental Justice”: https://www.climaterealitybayarea.org/blog/7vwv3x97qjk8aomcy4gvwb7rz2erjmhttps://open.spotify.com/episode/1L0RBmzhUUCFWYyYtvTcQt [https://open.spotify.com/episode/1L0RBmzhUUCFWYyYtvTcQt] * "Indigenous-Led Climate Justice": https://open.spotify.com/episode/4EhJRVjxQL5fcFSkivSGT1?si=uBwMSn-VSFe796PBDkE25Q Please share this podcast with a few friends, family, or colleagues.  Remember to follow this podcast to find out when new episodes get released! Did you know? We LOVE listener feedback! Share your thoughts and insights by taking this brief survey: ⁠https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdWtyEkf8meN01BVOEgOJ_pWYxkha5EiV5Po2alSbvc_IzyEA/viewform⁠ [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdWtyEkf8meN01BVOEgOJ_pWYxkha5EiV5Po2alSbvc_IzyEA/viewform] Contact Us: Do you know a Bay Area-based Everyday Climate Champion? We’d love to interview them!  Get in touch: crba.eccpodcast@gmail.com  Website: www.climaterealitybayarea.org/eccpodcast  Podcast Production Team: Executive Producer/Editor: Dalya Massachi; Sound Designers/Engineer: Martin Sanchez; Co-Hosts/Researchers: Ellisa Feinstein, Isabella Genereaux, Sean Mendelson, Hasini Parepalli, Logo Designer: Gabriela Vargas