It’s Fashion Revolution Week! Kristen and Kyla are joined by special guest Erin Polowy, Partnerships and Programming Lead with Fashion Revolution; the founder and editor of My Green Closet, a YouTube channel, blog, and community for slow fashion; and the author of Quit Fast Fashion. Topics: what is Fashion Revolution; what are the problems within the fashion industry; what solutions are activists working on; how to engage with fashion activism.
Read MoreKristen and Kyla speak with Madison Maguire, Head of Operations for Ontario with Second Harvest, Canada’s largest food rescue charity. Topics: what does the work of a food rescue charity look like, who do they serve, who benefits from expanding work in this area, and how has the pandemic improved Second Harvest’s digital presence?
Read More“I do know somebody who in University lived in a tiny apartment and had a deep freeze in his bedroom… it seemed slightly murdery, but it was just because he liked to buy discount chicken.”
In this episode, Kristen and Kyla dive into the ethics of eating locally (it might be more complicated than you think!) Topics: what is the reasoning behind the Eat Local movement; explaining the Slow Food movement; how to eat local; Localism vs Cosmopolitanism; is eating local really better for the environment and for systemic inequality?
Read More“That’s typically what taxes are, Kyla. We just don’t apply them to a lot of big companies…”
Kristen and Kyla wrap up their discussion on electronics by exploring the complicated story of conflict minerals. Topics: what are conflict minerals; Democratic Republic of the Congo and conflict minerals; The Enough Project; what companies can do; what legislation can do; what you can do.
Read More"Anybody who can afford a Sphynx cat can also afford to pay somebody to wash their cat’s folds for them."
Kristen is on vacation, so Kyla takes the opportunity to talk about her new kittens (her favourite subject these days). But is it ethical to keep pets? Topics: mental health, breeding, the history of kitty litter, how to dispose of pet waste, vegan pet food, going waste free, alternatives to keeping pets.
Read MoreIn this episode, Kristen tells the story of Operation Breadbasket, one of the civil rights movement’s most successful boycott campaigns. Kristen and Kyla reflect on why Breadbasket worked and whether a similar campaign would be possible today.
Read MoreIn this episode, Kyla and Kristen are joined by climate activist Robert Miller to talk about carbon offsets. Robbie laughs when he learns that the Vatican tried to buy what he describes as climate indulgences. Kyla is shocked that Canadian forests have been net emitters since 2001. (Stupid pine beetles!) Topics: what are carbon offsets; principles of good carbon offsets programs; problems with carbon offsetting; certification schemes; should you use carbon offsets and, if so, how should you buy them.
Read More“So instead of being the Paper Bag Princess, we’re all kind of the plastic bag Princesses.” In this episode, Kyla and Kristen try out plastic-free July. Kyla discovers that coffee cups are plastic. Kristen joneses for chips. Topics: what even is plastic; the history of plastic; common types of plastic; plastic pollution; recycling plastics; and bioplastics.
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“I mean I just smell like vinegar. I don’t know if that’s better.” In this episode, Kyla and Kristen fail at the ultimate sustainability challenge: going zero waste. Kyla and Kristen are not ready for handkerchiefs or reusable toilet paper. Topics: what is zero waste; the disposable society; single-use plastics and our oceans; the zero waste movement; zero waste principles (reduce, reuse, recycle, compost); how to go zero waste(ish); waste-free shops; Kristen and Kyla try DIY zero waste recipes while #socialdistancing.
Read MoreVeganuary — it’s what’s for dinner! (And breakfast, and lunch…) In this episode, Kristen and Kyla talk about veganism. This episode looks at the history of veganism and vegan activism, as well as vegan eating. Topics: Veganuary at the Golden Globes; veganism is getting more woke (but it hasn’t always been); there’s secret meat in everything; meat substitutes; and cultured meat. Kyla and Kristen also discuss their Veganuary successes and failures.
Read More“Convert it into a wetland! — that should be the new ‘burn it down’.” In the second part of our two-parter on vegetarianism, Kyla and Kristen look at the environmental impact of animal- versus plant-based protein. They also discuss their challenges. Topics: the new Canada food guide; environmental gains from eating less meat (emissions, land use, water use, air pollution, ocean dead zones); Kristen’s excellent vegan wine adventure; Kyla just wants a cheeseburger.
Read MoreWhat do Pythagoras, Leonardo da Vinci, and Susan B Anthony have in common? They were all vegetarian! In the first part of our two-part episode on vegetarianism, Kristen and Kyla talk vegetarianism 101. Topics: the different kinds of vegetarian; birds everywhere! (a brief history of vegetarianism); animal rights versus animal welfare; and factory farming. The second part of this episode will be released on Thursday.
Read MoreHold onto your puppies and bunny-rabbits! In this episode, Kristen and Kyla talk about the cruelty-free movement, which addresses animal testing. Topics: what cruelty-free is (and what it isn’t); is animal testing necessary for household or personal care products (no); the cruelty-free labels; and cruelty-free apps. Kyla and Kristen take a challenge that was popular amongst beauty Youtubers in 2017. (Hello fellow kids!)
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