In this episode, Kyla and Kristen are joined by Bianca Vong to talk about ethics and the outdoors! Topics: the seven principles of leave no trace; ten essential items for a safe and successful outdoor trip; strategies for finding ethical outdoor gear; accessibility and the outdoors.
Read MoreIn this episode, Kyla and Kristen talk about everyone’s favourite work drug: coffee. Topics: how coffee is made; coffee history; the coffee industry; working conditions on coffee farms; what is a fair price for coffee; the environment and coffee growing, brewing, packaging, and accompaniments; what you can do.
Read MoreIn this episode, Kristen and Kyla are joined by activist Robert Miller for a special May Day episode reflecting on the state of the labour movement. Topics: problems and challenges; successes and promising starts; the future of labour; and what you can do.
Read MoreKristen and Kyla are joined by vegan climate activist Robert Miller to discuss the controversial Netflix documentary Seaspiracy.
Read More"Whoa. I had not thought about that. Very Dystopian."
Kristen and Kyla stop to smell the roses, only to find the ones from the Netherlands don't smell like anything anymore. Listen in for a discussion on the cut flowers industry! Topics: Dutch flower auctions; worker's rights; greenhouses vs. airplanes; ethical certifications; bursting the tulip bulb trading bubble.
In this episode, Kristen talks plastic free periods with Jasmine Tribe, Campaign Manager of City to Sea’s Plastic Free Periods campaign. City to Sea is an environmental nonprofit working to stop plastic pollution. Topics: the Plastic Free Periods campaign, period products and plastic pollution, why you shouldn’t flush period products, reusable alternatives, the Rethink Periods program, period poverty, and access to free period products.
Looking to try something new? Reusable period product discount codes are available at the City to Sea website! Link here: https://www.citytosea.org.uk/campaign/plastic-free-periods/products/
Read More“I always feel so metal holding a chalice of my own blood.“ In this episode, Kyla and Kristen open up a discussion about menstruation, period stigma, and a range of reusable period products. Topics: period positivity, period poverty, the free bleeding movement, menstruation and the environment, plastic free period products (plastic free tampons, menstrual cups, reusable pads, period underwear).
Read MoreThis is a special episode on COVID-19’s impacts and the prospects for a just recovery, created in partnership with PhiLab, the Canadian Philanthropy Partnership Research Network. Kristen and Kyla are joined by Steven Ayer to discuss the Toronto Fallout Report. Steve is the President of Common Good Strategies. He is also the lead researcher and author of the Toronto Foundation’s Vital Signs Report and, most recently, the Fallout Report. The Fallout Report explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto. Listen in for a discussion covering topics from health inequality to food insecurity, mental health, economic challenges, housing, and the future of the nonprofit sector.
Read MoreWould you buy lab-grown meat if you could? Cell-cultured meat is now being sold in Singapore, and it is coming soon everywhere else. In this episode, Kyla and Kristen are joined by climate activist Robert Miller to discuss the promise and dilemmas of cell-cultured meat. Topics: how cultured meat works; the race to bring lab grown meat to market; justifications (animal welfare, climate change, hunger, antibiotic resistance); is cultured meat a good solution and can people get over the “weird” factor.
Read More“We call it an ugly fruit…the uglier it is on the outside, the more beautiful it’s going to taste on the inside.” In this episode, Kyla and Kristen are joined by Samantha Luc to talk about chocolate. Samantha is a former professional chocolate eater! She used to be the Head of Traceability and Tastings and Education at Soma Chocolatemaker. Now she is working with companies across a variety of industries to support their traceability efforts with Wherefour ERP. Topics: what is chocolate; the history of chocolate; chocolate and colonialism; poverty and the price of chocolate; child labour; deforestation and chocolate.
Read More"Our politicians aren't experts. I think that was quite evident when a man was made minister for women."
Kyla and Kristen are joined by Peter Harris, post-doctoral research fellow for the Centre for Agricultural Engineering in Australia, working on the bioenergy and bio-resource recovery team. He works on projects involving a process called anaerobic digestion, which can be used to turn biowaste into energy, while recovering useful elements. Pete discusses: the history of anaerobic digestion, what is biogas, can cow-farts be turned into energy, the potential for biogas as a sustainable energy source, barriers to biogas adoption, and how can we best utilize this technology?
“I’ve just googled, and a Canada goose can live to be 24 years old so. There ya go.”
”Ah. It’s further proof that meanness makes you live longer.”
Kristen and Kyla examine winter boots and jackets in an attempt to answer the question: is it even possible to buy ethical winter gear? Topics: synthetic vs animal products, winter boots vs snow boots, how long do ducks live.
Read More"So if you combine the estimated wealth of those 2153 billionaires, it exceeds the wealth of how many other people on the planet?"
In this episode, Kyla and Kristen say goodbye to 2020 with a wrap-up quiz, featuring previous guests Brianna Botchwey, Fariya Mohiuddin, and Alexandra Sundarsingh. The group looks back at ethical consumption trends and issues from throughout the year.
“The Ghost of Christmas Present’s call to action is… yikes.”
In this special Christmas Carol-themed holiday episode, Kyla and Kristen are joined by Robert Miller to discuss ethical consumption’s past, present, and future. Kristen shares the story of Florence Kelley and the anti-sweatshop White Label Campaign; Kyla canvasses 2020 for good news (yikes); and Robert imagines alternative futures.
What do banks do with your money and how can you make it more ethical? In this episode, Kyla and Kristen talk about ethical money. Topics: ethical problems in banking and finance; environment, social, and governance campaigns targeted at banks; what is ethical finance; tips for approaching banking and finance ethically.
Read More"And when I say 'generational wealth' this is a Duke, right? This dude has been inheriting wealth since, as far as we know, Camelot."
Kyla and Kristen are joined this week by Fariya Mohiuddin to talk about tax justice. Fariya has a masters degree in Global Affairs and works as the Senior Program Officer for the International Budget Partnership's Tax Equity Initiative. Topics: What is tax evasion and tax avoidance? Why is tax avoidance a problem? How big is the problem? How would a wealth tax work? How do we support businesses that pay their fair share, and what other solutions exist?
Read MoreIn this episode, Kyla and Kristen are joined by Brianna Scrimshaw Botchwey to talk about exclusion, privilege, and ethical consumption. Brianna is an aspiring zero waster and Ph.D. candidate at the University of Toronto. Her research focuses on sustainable development and foreign aid. Kristen, Kyla, and Brianna talk about the different ways that ethical fashion companies exclude people and what you can do about it. Topics: barriers to participating in sustainable fashion; big brands and ex/inclusive sizing; sustainable fashion brands and ex/inclusive sizing; thrift shopping; ethical fashion and affordability; and solutions.
Read More"Pumpkin pie is so good, I didn't have it until like... I think the first time I ate pumpkin pie was like two years ago? Game changer, I could not believe what I had been missing for so many years."
In this episode, Kyla and Kristen take on the spookiest day of the year by challenging themselves to find ethical Halloween solutions. Topics: costumes and cultural appropriation; sustainable costumes; ethical candy; and ethical decorations.
“Does that include the people who think both of them are a hoax?” In this episode, Kyla and Kristen are joined by climate activist Robert Miller. Following another Global Climate Strike, they reflect on the California wildfires and climate activism in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Topics: West Coast wildfires; the climate movement in 2020; impact of the pandemic on climate activism; racial justice and climate activism; will governments choose a green recovery?
Read MoreIn this episode Kyla and Kristen spill the tea on tea production. Kristen tries to make chai and vows to leave future attempts to the experts. Kyla disses George Orwell’s formula for the perfect cup of tea. Topics: what is tea; how tea is produced; the tea supply chain; tea and the environment; tea and human rights; what to do about it.
Read More