Mothering Earth Podcast

Do you have a favorite tree? Whether you do or not, almost all of us have enjoyed the shade of a tree or eaten fruit or nuts that came from a tree. Trees provide us with numerous “services” while just standing there, looking stately, for the most part. The Arbor Day Foundation is all about trees and the pretty amazing things they do. The foundation is also a great resource for anyone who’s trying to decide what kind of tree to plant.

Are milk, cheese and other dairy products really the best source of calcium in our food? You may be surprised to learn that plants are a better source of calcium and the many other nutrients we need for bone health. In this program, we take a hard look at the dairy industry with Mark Rifkin, a registered dietitian and sustainability specialist.

A recent survey commissioned by the Arbor Day Foundation found that ninety percent of Americans say time spent in green spaces makes them happier and less stressed. Practitioners of ecopsychology wouldn’t be surprised. Ecopsychology has long supported the notion that humans need to spend time communing with nature, and that both physical and mental health are improved as a result. That’s why Mothering Earth is featuring Dr. Moira Martin, a university professor who teaches a course on ecopsychology. Martin has found students receptive to the main tenets of ecopsychology, especially as they face a future where the natural world appears to be fighting back, after years of ill-treatment at the hands of us humans.

The extreme weather we've been experiencing lately has it roots in climate change according to most scientists. Intense heat, extreme storms that bring damaging winds and hail and that result in flooding, or raging wildfires all have human costs, but they also have powerful economic costs. Property losses have ripple effects. Who will bear the costs? More and more, insurance companies are reluctant to offer homeowner's insurance in vulnerable areas. What does that mean for the average homeowner? In this program, we delve into this complicated issue with Alice Hill, Senior Fellow for Energy and the Environment at the Council on Foreign Relations.Hill's work focuses on the risks and consequences of climate change.

Humans have created millions of miles of roads all over the planet. Roads are useful to move goods and people, but they are also intrusions into what were once wild places, where animals roamed free. The millions of vehicles that drive on roads spew polluting gases and assault our ears with noise. To animals big and small, who try to cross roads, cars and trucks bring death and destruction. In this edition of Mothering Earth, we hear why this matters with Ben Goldfarb, environmental journalist and author of the book Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet.