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7 science/sustainability podcasts worth subscribing to today

November 14, 2017 by Leave a Comment

I am addicted to podcasts lately. I wake up in the morning and start listening to them immediately. After some in-depth research I think it’s worth sharing my top science/sustainability podcasts. Feel free to share your favorites as well! I do prefer to get entertained as I generally listen while writing, running, driving, or cooking. These are also mostly short in length (I think only one is around an hour) and all have charismatic hosts – the ones marked with a {   } are explicit but also very funny!

    1. Big Picture Science: One recent episode was all about how one animal’s poison might actually be a cure for another. The podcast isn’t dry and is all about storytelling is a modern fashion.
    2. Science … sort of: You’ll enjoy listening to the paleopals (!) as they attack sometimes awkward conversations on topics from The Tragedy of the Commons and author Abby Howard. I cannot wait to track down a copy of Dinosaur Empire! Journey through the Mesozoic Era.
    3. Zookeeper Stories: This one is perfect for the car ride with the kids. Lots of the zookeeper’s have entertaining stories that will keep you laughing and wishing you asked more questions your last time at the zoo.
    4. Sustainable World Radio – Permaculture and Ecology Podcast: Jill Cloutier has been interviewing experts – teachers, designers, environmentalists – from around the globe. She knows how to make each interview compelling and worth your time.
    5. A Sustainable Mind Podcast:   What I like about the approach from Marjorie Alexander is her ability to connect with anyone she is interviewing and create action project ideas that are realistic. She’s the most inspiring on my list and a good Monday morning listen!
    6. Infinite Earth Radio: This is another superb podcast for inspiring change. It’s more civic action than changing behaviors though so you’ll have to bring some of the ideas to your local Facebook group and get organized for town hall meeting.
    7. {Probably Science: All I can say is that there was a conversation on a recent episode about how great an oyster would be as a therapist. Please do not listen with the kids around.}

Do you have any favorites that are your go-to?  How about ones focused on gardening or education?

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Filed Under: Science Communication Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Share new environmentally friendly memes

November 9, 2017 by Leave a Comment

I recently started a course with the Cornell University Civic Ecology Lab on Environmental Education Outcomes. Much of the reading and discussion is centrally around some themes that I studied in graduate school over ten years ago. It’s fantastic to get a refresher and also see what’s new on the horizon. Easily one of the biggest changes on the landscape is social media. What’s not to love about the ability to inspire and affect change with new knowledge and meeting new people who also share the same passions? Small goals! Here are some fresh images for you to brighten up your own page this weekend.

Filed Under: Conservation, Environmental Education, Inspiration, Ocean Conservation Tagged With: , ,

Action Project Ideas: In the Kitchen (1 of 5)

November 5, 2017 by Leave a Comment

One idea I had when I started this website almost ten years ago was that I wanted to make science simple and accessible. I hope I have created a place where questions on anything from barnacles to whales can be answered in a knowledgeable no-nonsense or overly jargon tone. My secondary goal has also been to create awareness about ocean-related issues which would lead into actions. Maybe you like watching movies and visiting the shore and understand that there is concern for the ecosystem.

What I have now for the month of November is a series of posts on quick and useful actions you can take in the kitchen, bath, laundry, garage, during the holidays, and around your community to change behaviors and lessen your impact. Each one features products that are tried, true, and tested but I am not being paid. Please read, share, and feel free to comment if you have other strategies.

  1. Better Life mopping: My mom is coming next week so it’s time to get serious with the floors. This stuff is magic on hardwoods and even helped get rid of some scuffs from the move (when I switched furniture six or seven times) and my dog’s paw prints. The company is based in Missouri and founded by some folks that realized floors should be clean once they had kids. They’re so right. Even though my kids aren’t crawling I’m less miserable playing on the floor with them. Join their mailing list for good deals. It’s so worth it.
  2. Use glass instead of plastic: Food storage and drinks can easily be switched out to glass. Spend some time scoring second-hand stores and lot’s of glass containers are cheap. Honestly, it’s bloody difficult to be #plasticfree or #zerowaste. I like the approach by Kathryn Kellogg in that she’s Going Zero Waste since it’s virtually impossible to be waste free. Limiting plastic isn’t just a good idea to reduce marine debris in the ocean but it potentially cause a correlation with your endocrine system.
  3. Buy bulk: Along the same lines as the using glass it’s an easy transition to quite using the plastic bags for produce and buy bulk. I have not used the plastic bags for produce in years and usually have a kid or two in tow at the store so the stuff is all over the belt. The people are pretty used to it and I have never once heard a cashier say, “what’s wrong with you? Why didn’t you use the bags for these?” It’s one of those crazy things that we accept but we’d be fine without. Packaging makes up 30% of our waste.
  4. Make your own cleaning supplies.
  5. Switch to fair trade coffee. Start with one fair trade product and work through others by checking out these helpful resources.
  6. Skip the paper towel and try the cellulose clothes. Just try them if you see them. Lots of places sell them and you won’t be out of paper towels again. Cause … you’ll never need them. This is what we are currently moving on from in our house.
  7. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs. You’ll save money and it’s a huge reduction in energy use.
  8. Make sure your wood stove is up to date and clean. Did you know you can install a wood stove inside a fireplace?

All of the Action Project Ideas:

If you’re already a regular subscriber – thank you! If not, please take the time to add your email address to the subscribe option at the top of the right hand column. Don’t forget to follow on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.

Filed Under: Conservation, Environmental Education, Inspiration, Marine Debris, Ocean Conservation Tagged With: , , , , , ,

13 apps for your day at the beach

August 17, 2011 by 2 Comments

It’s time to get the most out of that last trip to the beach!

Whether you’re ready for a day out on the boat, lounging, beachcombing, catching some waves, or preparing a feast there is an app to get you more involved in your marine environment. Apps are not only a great way to learn something new on the fly but can be a useful tool for engaging one another in settings where you may not have common ground. (OK, at the very least apps settle many ‘discussions’.)

Here is a list of useful and rather attractive apps that can connect you to your inner marine biologist.

AUDUBON FIELD GUIDES: Audubon Fishes of the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico and Audubon Fishes – A Guide to North American Fishes include photos, geographic ranges, and concise yet detailed descriptions of appearances. Coming soon is the field guide for the Mid-Atlantic shoreline. ($9.99)

OCEANOGRAPHY STUDY GUIDE: If you are into fun oceanography trivia and want to learn more about the geography of the sea than download this app. It isn’t an endless list of “did you know?” facts but rather a large range of topics with well written articles for the serious beach chair scientist. ($4.99)

OFFICIAL APP OF ISSF: The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) was founded in 2008 when leaders of industry, scientists and environmental champions voiced concern over the future of tuna fisheries. This app provides a glossary of terms, videos, and a list of the status of stocks. (Free)

SEA TURTLE APP: This app was created by the Sea Turtle Conservancy and allows you to follow read the latest on sea turtle news but much more exciting you can track the global migration of different sea turtles with interactive satellite tracking maps! (Free)

Enough sitting around – it’s time to get out there and do something:

MOBILE APP FOR IGFA: The International Game Fishing Association created an app for weigh station locations, angler rules and regulations, customizable quests, and advice for trip planning. What more does a sport fisherman need?

MARINE DEBRIS TRACKER APP: This collaboration is brought to you by the Southeast Atlantic Marine Debris Initiative. The reporting of where you find marine debris can help to focus and prioritize federal efforts. The app uses GPS and allows you minimal work of sorting through lists of common marine debris. (Free)

CRAB APP: This app is an offshoot from the marine wild lab and allows you to collect horseshoe crab species data that will be used in scientific research. Horseshoe crabs are of enormous importance to 1) the drug industry due to their blood, 2) to fisheries for bait, and 3) to migratory shorebirds for its eggs.  (Free)

TIDE GRAPH: I found out that there are many, many apps out there to help you monitor the tides. Tide Graph will work for both coasts in the US and provides graphs to help you see how the tide changes over the day and the month. ($1.99)

If you are preparing a feast or gorging on some dockside seafood:

SEAFOOD WATCH: For years the Monterey Bay Aquarium has produced adorable pocket-sized regional cheat sheets so you can get a quick overview of what species are considered over fished or not in your neck of the woods. They continue to produce this application for your iPhone and use GPS tracking to discover where you are so you can get the most relevant information. (Free)

PROJECT FISHMAP: Monterey Bay Aquarium also gets you more involved by asking you to submit information when you find a restaurant or market that advocates sustainable seafood. As the map grows you can see what spots you’ve not uncovered in your neighborhood. (Free)

FISHPHONE APP: With one quick text (example: “fish salmon”) to 30644 Blue Ocean Institute will fed you intel on your species of choice. For instance, they’ll rank the sustainability and toxicity levels and send an overview of its conservation status. (Free)

SAFE SEAFOOD: This app takes information from ten different seafood rankings (including Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Environmental Defense Fund) to create its list. The app outlines choices in an easy to review “best to worst” list. I particularly like that fish with multiple different market names are listed by each of common name too. ($0.99, but 10% of the proceeds go to EDF)

I am certain I missed many wonderful apps. Please do not hesitate to email at info@beachchairscientist.com to share!

Added October 27, 2011: An app for water quality and to get the most up-to-date grade for your beach presented by Heal the Bay in California.

Filed Under: Fish, Ocean, People, Places, Random Fun!, Sea Turtles, Test Your Knowledge Tagged With: , , , , , ,