How can we live sustainably in an unsustainable world? Second Nature is a podcast by Commons exploring how our sustainable choices impact our lives and the plan...
The secondhand clothing market isn't equipped for textile recycling. So when your donated clothes don't sell, where do they end up?With the rise of overconsumption and fast fashion, clothes have piled up in thrift stores, landfills, and incinerators around the world. Countries like Ghana and Chile are dealing with fashion waste from countries like the U.S., UK, and China, and the impacts are vast. Mountains of clothes lead to fires, polluted waterways, dying ocean life, and lost livelihoods. So how do we stop the cycle? How can we donate with purpose and dignity, and get fashion brands to actually take accountability for the full lifecycle of their clothes?Listen to hear what our community does with their used clothes, how a new law could force companies to clean up their act, and how Los Angeles's Suay Sew Shop is dealing with the untenable amount of clothing donations from wildfire relief. ➡️ If you want to support Suay Sew Shop, you can browse their site here and contribute to their Textiles Aren't Trash fire relief campaign. By the way, you can earn rewards for Suay purchases and donations in the Commons app!🌎 See photos of our contributors and find further reading in the full show notes.📞 We'd love to hear from you! Season 3 submissions coming soon!📱 To join the Commons community, download the app.📷 Follow Second Nature on Instagram.Episode CreditsListener contributions: Holly Kane, Maya Roman, Nate Rauh-Bieri, NickEditing and engineer: Evan GoodchildHosting and production: Katelan Cunningham
(00:01) - Introduction
(02:45) - Mirrored catastrophes in Ghana and California amplify the clothing crisis
(06:43) - Community voices: What do you do with clothes you don't want anymore?
(10:00) - Direct vs indirect donations
(12:00) - An interview with Sumaq Alvarado del Aguila, one of the leaders at SUAY Sew Shop — an LA-based vertical sewing and production shop that's recycling millions of pieces of clothing
(30:17) - Sanchali shares progress for clothing company regulation and responsibility
(35:12) - Last looks and points to remember
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37:58
Can We Have Ethical Consumption Under Capitalism?
In a capitalist society, value is measured in dollars and cents. But the resources we take from planet Earth can't be repaid in any kind of financial currency, and we're already paying the price for the debt we owe. So the question on many people's minds is "Can we even have ethical consumption under capitalism?" In this episode, we find out that despite having differing opinions on the answer to that question, we often agree on the solutions for what comes next.Listen to hear how our community answers the title question, economist and sociologist Juliet Schor helps us plan for what comes next, and Commons founder and CEO Sanchali Seth Pal explains how modern and historical boycotts can be tools for collective action.➡️ If you want to vote with your dollar, join our April challenge in the Commons app (available in U.S. and Canada) This Earth Month, we're avoiding the brands spending millions to block climate progress. 🌎 See photos of our contributors and find further reading in the full show notes.📞 We'd love to hear from you! Season 3 submissions coming soon!📱 To join the Commons community, download the app.📷 Follow Second Nature on Instagram.Episode CreditsListener contributions: Shai, Nicole Wiegman, Tessa Maurer, Paulina Acosta, Haley Kline Murphy, Marina Savarese, Bhaskar, Haley, Maya Roman, Marta De PriscoEditing and engineer: Evan GoodchildHosting and production: Katelan Cunningham
(00:00) - Introduction
(04:58) - Community montage: "Can we have ethical consumption under capitalism?"
(08:36) - Earth Overshoot Day
(10:11) - Interview with Juliet Schor, economist and sociologist
(24:13) - Interview with Sanchali Seth Pal on the power of collective action and boycotts
(32:19) - Outro
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35:56
Here's What's Coming Up in Season 3!
Feeling bummed out by climate setbacks? Or maybe you're outright angry? We're here for you. With 40% of Americans starting to align their money with their views, it's clear that we're ready to push back on recent climate challenges.In season 3 of Second Nature, we're balancing hope and action — from company boycotts to community gardens. With the help of community voices from around the world, top-tier experts, and a dose of history and data, we'll give you all the motivation and inspiration you need to take climate action that matters. Subscribe so you don't miss an episode!
(00:00) - Trailer
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3:27
How to Grow a Little Food in the Big City
This episode originally aired on June 4, 2024. We're about to break ground on season three, the soil outside is warming up and we're ready to get our hands in the dirt. So we wanted to revisit this episode as we prep our gardens for spring.Stoops, balconies, and windowsills are ripe for growing food. Today, we're riding out the ripple effect that urban gardening can have on our lives and the planet.Second Nature is your community for practical, sustainable living. On this episode, we're getting inspiration and practical tips to start small, fruitful home gardens in urban spaces. We're also talking about the carbon footprint of home gardens and realizing the ripple effect that growing our own food can have on our lives and the environment.🌎 To see photos of our contributors and their gardens as well as citations, and further reading, check the full show notes.📞 We'd love to hear from you! Submit to the show.📱 To join the Commons community, download the app.📷 Follow Second Nature on Instagram.Second Nature is a podcast by Commons, the sustainable spending app that tens of thousands of people use to track their footprint. Earn rewards for climate-friendly purchases and find new, action-based content in the app every week. Download the app and join our June Collective Challenge: Sustainable Transit. Episode creditsListener contributions: Sameera Mokkarala, Lindsay Kerns, Daria Panova, Brian Stancheski, Tara Haug, RooeyFeaturing: Nelson ZêPequéno and Sanchali Seth PalEditing and engineer: Evan GoodchildHosting and production: Katelan Cunningham
(00:00) - Tempo: 120.0
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36:27
The Prime Effect: How Amazon Has Us Hooked on Convenience
This episode originally aired on July 9, 2024. As more and more people are boycotting big brands like Amazon, we thought it was the perfect time to bring back this episode about how ditching convenience culture can actually make us more sustainable citizens.Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, our use of Amazon has skyrockted, making the company the second biggest U.S. parcel carrier after the US Postal Service. Amazon has become the poster child for convenience culture, but the time we save for the sake of convenience is putting us in financial and carbon debt. In this episode, we're grappling with our fraught relationship with our Amazon Prime subscriptions and getting practical tips to break free from convenience culture and start shopping more sustainably. On this episode, you'll hear:Listeners share their complex, conflicted feelings about using Amazon. MIT research scientist Erez Yoeli shares how we can have a more sustainable relationship with Amazon and how to close the action vs intent gap.How Amazon gets you to buy so much stuff and how its fast-paced shipping comes at the cost of workers' health and pay.🌎 For resources, photos of our contributors citations, and further reading, check the full show notes.📞 We'd love to hear from you! Submit to the show.📱 To join the Commons community, download the app.📷 Follow Second Nature on Instagram.Episode creditsListener contributions: Daria Panova, Diana Holguin, Freya Dumasia, Karen Jean and Rachel Martinson, Katee Hui, Kimberly Foley, Lawrence Hott, Miriam Jornet, Nicole Collins, Rozalia Agioutanti Featuring: Erez Yoeli and Sanchali Seth Pal Editing and engineer: Evan Goodchild Hosting and production: Katelan Cunningham
(00:00) - Tempo: 120.0
How can we live sustainably in an unsustainable world? Second Nature is a podcast by Commons exploring how our sustainable choices impact our lives and the planet.
Every week hear how listeners are taking public transit, composting food waste, eating more plant-based meals and practicing deconsumption to create the kind of world they want to live in. We'll calculate the carbon impact of collective action and get expert answers to your burning climate questions.
Everyone’s sustainable life is unique. Tell us about yours. thecommons.earth/podcast
🌎 Join a community of tens of thousands of people using the Commons app to track their emissions and get rewarded for sustainable living:
https://www.thecommons.earth/get-the-app-second-nature
Follow us on Instagram to get behind-the-scenes footage and more stories from Commons' climate community:
https://instagram.com/secondnatureearth
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