Social distancing! In this bonus episode, Kyla and Kristen each shout out three problems and three champions as the COVID-19 pandemic asserts itself in Canada. Kyla notices how pandemics change our lives and routines in unexpected ways. Kristen realizes she had no idea what a week’s worth of groceries looks like.
Read More“Don’t get rid of all your pants. You’ve gotta wear pants.” In this episode, Kristen and Kyla talk about what it means to have a conscious closet. Kristen’s hoodie becomes mattress stuffing. Kyla glues her shoes. Topics: escaping fast fashion; what is a conscious closet; fashion personality types; doing a wardrobe impact inventory; your clothing reuse plan; where clothing donations go; recycling clothes; clothing resale and rentals.
Read More“That’s like our whole show: ‘Better than nothing, I guess!’” In this episode, Kyla and Kristen talk about the environmental impact of clothing. Topics: the environmental impact of polyester, other synthetics, cotton, cellulosic fibres, wool, and bast fibres (best fibres!); pollution, water use, and emissions in the production of clothing; tools you can use to find sustainable clothing; the environmental impact of tossing clothes; Kyla and Kristen do an impact inventory of their wardrobes.
Read MoreIn this episode, Kristen and Kyla unravel the problems with fast fashion. Kyla learns that making clothes really is that hard. Kristen calls out Jay-Z and P-Diddy. Topics: what is fast fashion; we are buying (and throwing out) so many clothes; how the fashion supply chain works; offshoring; FDR, labour hero; sweatshops; garment industry disasters; forced labour; child labour; why is everything so shitty; is it getting better; what you can do.
Read MoreNot on my wash! In this episode, Kristen and Kyla air their dirty laundry. Kristen is appalled by her own wardrobe. Kyla is worried she doesn’t wash her clothes enough — although honestly, if it saves the planet... Listen in for practical tips on doing ethical laundry! Topics: water and energy use; how often should you wash your laundry (it’s a clothes call); waste-free detergents and softeners; Kyla’s (soap) nuts; plastic microfibre pollution; and microfibre capture devices. Clean jokes only, we promise.
Read More“I need to be able to fit my cellphone in my pants; this is a feminist crisis!” In this bonus episode, listen to more of Kristen and Kyla’s discussion with food, migration, and labour historian Alexandra (Lex) Sundarsingh. Topics: Lex misses stationary street food; Toronto’s racist health panic (the one about food trucks, not 2019-nCoV); Pad Thai robots!!; France’s kitchen brigade system; Canada is terrible at food diplomacy; sea lice is a thing, apparently; Lex’s new project on complaints filed by female Indian indentured labourers on British colonial sugar plantations.
Read MoreIn this episode, Kristen and Kyla are joined by food, migration, and labour historian Alexandra (Lex) Sundarsingh. Lex adds her knowledge about historical human rights abuses in sugar production — which, unfortunately, look a lot like present-day human rights abuses in sugar production. In their discussion, Lex, Kyla, and Kristen explain sugar production and why human rights practices are so fraught. They also discuss what you can do if you want to combat human rights abuses in sugar. Topics: indentured servitude in the British empire; sugarcane versus sugar beets; sugarcane is still a human rights hellscape; there’s some baggage in the history of Canadian sugar beet production; Stevia and biopiracy; Kyla goes through sugar withdrawal; Kristen struggles to find fair trade; Lex is giving out Sweetness and Power like it’s a car and she’s Oprah.
Read MoreVeganuary is over! How did Kristen and Kyla do?
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 MoreCheers to a new decade! In this special New Years episode, Kyla and Kristen sip their most ethical alcohol choices while talking about alcohol, and especially beer. Topics include: alcohol fun facts; the environmental impact of brewing/distilling alcohol; is it better to go with a big or small brewery; do cans or bottles have a lower environmental footprint; where does labour fit into all of this; and what about the alcohol industry’s complicity in substance abuse. Then Kristen and Kyla make New Year’s resolutions.
Read MoreIn this episode, Kristen and Kyla ruin Christmas — but, you know, in a fun and practical way. This episode covers online shopping, artificial versus real Christmas trees, and solutions to reduce waste at Christmas. Kyla and Kristen also gift each other ethical presents (carbon emissions from cross-country shipping not included, yikes). Tune in as Kristen tortures listeners with misophonia by eating the world’s crunchiest cookie.
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!)
Read MoreIn this episode, Kristen and Kyla sink their teeth into the ethics of dental hygiene — toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, and mouthwash. Topics: Kristen wants to feel the burn; what’s in toothpaste, anyway; toothbrushes and the environment; and why it is so hard to get a waste-free, fluoridated toothpaste. 2/2 podcasters agree that Kyla’s homemade toothpaste should not have been sweating.
Read MoreIn this episode, Kristen and Kyla tackle the question on every millennial’s mind: will I be sent to the Bad Place for drinking almond milk? TL;DL: no. Topics: alternative milks and their amazing rise; the alt-milk OGs; and which alt-milk is best for people, animals, and planet. We also provide amateur-tips on making your own alternative milk, so you can avoid our mistakes. No dogs were milked in the making of this episode.
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