Eco Chic

We are talking climate anxiety, trauma, and validating our feelings with Dr. Renée Lertzman, a renowned psychologist, author and sustainability strategist who uses psychological insights to change our approach to the environmental crisis. Applying her training as a psychosocial researcher specializing in deep human insights, Dr. Lertzman uses frameworks and methods that empower people to take action (which she shares with us!). Renée is the founder of Project InsideOut, a unique resource hub launching this week that brings together activists with clinical psychologists to drive sustainable behavior change for our planet. Her TED Talk, ‘How To Turn Climate Anxiety into Action,’ completely shifted my own feelings and validated my sometimes-overwhelming sense of eco-guilt. Dr. Lertzman works with companies, nonprofits and governments looking to strengthen climate and sustainability initiatives, develop more effective campaigns, and harness the creativity and innovation needed to solve big problems. Her persp

We’re talking with about our cultures, our upbringings, and what sustainability looks like in our families – things that are not the beautiful minimalistic images we’re seeing on Instagram. Five community members join us today to share stories and cultural values, plus how those practices have influenced their adult, grown-up choices. Sustainability is personal, because it’s a lifestyle, and it’s not fair to say that sustainability needs to look a certain way to be done “correctly.” I am thankful to be joined today by: * Sabina – she is Australian; we discuss the home her family built and her low-key hippie parents (so fun!) * Eyra – she is Salvadorian; we talk about immigrating to the U.S., poverty and the financial necessity behind some so-called sustainability practices* Ashley – she is Mexican-American;we talk about food, family traditions, how some cultural practices (like capsule wardrobes) weren’t trendy before they were marketed as sustainability* Michelle – she is Salvadorian, and first generation

Julia Jackson joins us to discuss the interdisciplinary solutions that could save us *today* from the climate crisis! Julia Jackson is the founder of Grounded.org, and is committed to bringing together the brightest minds and leading solutionists to foster greater collaboration, drive mass awareness and scale game-changing solutions to urgently address the climate crisis. As a second generation proprietor of Jackson Family Wines, Julia shares the value of land stewardship and strategic philanthropic giving. Through Grounded, Julia has dedicated herself to positively impacting our planet’s trajectory and has worked to forge strategic partnerships between leading climate-focused organizations such as One Earth, Sea Legacy, Amazon Frontlines, and many others. Julia and I discuss her background and the founding of Grounded; the value of interdisciplinary collaboration; regenerative agriculture, ecocide, and the importance of indigenous knowledge; carbon sinks; today’s fires on the West Coast of the us… Julia i

I am deeply honored today to be joined by the one, the only, Erin Brockovich. Erin Brockovich is consumer advocate, environmental activist, and legal clerk who, despite her lack of education in the law, was instrumental in building a case against the Pacific Gas and Electric Company of California in 1993. Perhaps you’ve heard of this case before… because the case inspired the 2000 film, Erin Brockovich, in which Erin is portrayed by Julia Roberts. It’s a fabulous film and true story – the Hinkley settlement, at $333 million, is the largest class action lawsuit in US history. Erin and I today are speaking about her new book, Superman’s Not Coming: Our National Water Crisis and What We The People Can Do About It. We speak about the film’s influence on her career, the worldwide response about communities concerned about their own drinking water, and what we should be watching out for today (spoiler: chemicals like PFOS and PFOA, the largest emerging contaminants in our water!). We additionally discuss the EP

“We don’t need a few perfect vegans, we need millions of people actively reducing their consumption of animal products.” We’re breaking down why the perfectionist stigma around veganism isn’t helpful: I discuss greenhouse gas emissions savings from encouraging plant-rich diets, plus touch on health implications of cutting back on animal products. We also discuss privilege around certain kinds of veganism, considering the financial barriers, access barriers, and we even define food apartheid. We also discuss how everyone makes mistakes on their ‘vegan journey’ – I even share a personal slip-up story! Shaming occasional omnivores, or putting perfect vegans on some sort of weird moral pedestal only pushes people farther away from the movement… if we’re serious about decarbonization and supporting *everyone* in our environmental movement, veganism must be inclusive and accessible. Let’s hang out! Instagram is @ecochicpodcast / @lauraediez, + I am now on Twitter, @lauraediez. Follow us on social media! @ec

We’re speaking with three listeners about their experiences and perspectives intersecting religion and climate conversations. Lizzi speaks on approaching conversations with denialists, and why caring for the planet is definitely linked to Christian values; Anne speaks about leading with values like empathy and compassion in your decisions (and even ties it all to fast fashion!); and Olivia speaks about institutional support from the Catholic church for climate action. Each speaker touches on similar topics but shares very different, thoughtful insights on how they more closely align their values in faith-based environmentalism. Let’s connect! Instagram is @ecochicpodcast / @lauraediez, + I am now on Twitter, @lauraediez. Follow us on social media! @ecochicpodcast / @lauraediez, on Facebook, ECO CHIC Podcast. Email me at laura@lauraediez.com. You can sign up for our newsletter + support our shop at totallyecochic.com (code ECOCHIC gets you 10% off!).

Elizabeth Tran is the first pageant contestant to compete in evening gown with a dress she made completely out of garbage. Is that not the definition of ‘eco chic’? We’re talking sustainability couture: trash fashion, using her pageant platform to promote sustainability, and how we’d like to see the fashion industry evolve. Plus, we talk about her nonprofit work and constantly growing within a passion project. Elizabeth started her non-profit, Teens Go Green, when she was just 12 years old (13 years ago!) encouraging minimal waste practices. Elizabeth also participates in Model4Miracles, the largest charity modeling event in Florida, and with her mother has raised over $130,000 for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Elizabeth has participated in some wild opportunities, like showcasing trash fashion at New York Fashion Week 2.0 and Disney’s Friends for Change, where she worked with icons like Zendaya and Jane Goodall (which she gives us the whole scoop on!). Find Elizabeth on Instagram here @misselizab

We’re continuing our conversation from Tuesday with Wawa! Wanjiku “Wawa” Gatheru ia a brilliant environmental justice scholar passionate about empowering BIPOC communities. This portion of our conversation centers around the idea of Self-Love as Environmental Education. Wawa shares her experience as a Black woman, growing to know and love her natural hair, and we discuss how natural hair education has evolved in recent years through means like YouTube. We talk about inclusivity in cosmetics, through means like shade ranges and simply ‘cleaner’ products. We discuss environmental racism and community-level environmental hazards that the sustainability movement is advocating justice for. We end on a very positive note: we’re all beautiful. Take care of yourself, take care of your temple, take care of the planet. Let’s connect! Instagram is @ecochicpodcast / @lauraediez, + I am now on Twitter, @lauraediez. Follow us on social media! @ecochicpodcast / @lauraediez, on Facebook, ECO CHIC Podcast. Email me at

We’re joined by Wanjiku “Wawa” Gatheru, a brilliant environmental justice scholar passionate about empowering BIPOC communities! Wawa is a recent alumnus of the University of Connecticut, and a Rhodes scholar set to attend Oxford in the Fall to continue her intersectional environmental studies. She has had two recently published pieces shake the Internet: her piece in Vice titled “It’s Time for Environmental Studies to Own Up to Erasing Black People,” and in Glamour, “Want to be an Environmentalist? Start with Antiracism.” Our conversation today covers a lot of ground, primarily stemming from this ideal of white environmentalism: we discuss racism + social justice in the conservation movement, and also in how BIPOC communities experience outdoor recreation; the whitewashing of environmental studies and histories; unpaid internships +  tokenism, especially when it comes to making big nature-focused organizations into more diversity. Wawa speaks honestly about generational trauma and violence against Black f

Excited to share this value-packed conversation with Stu Landesberg, Co-Founder and CEO of Grove Collaborative. Grove Collaborative is an online retailer of natural cleaning and personal care products (actually, the only plastic-neutral online retailer in the world!) and has recently vowed to go 100% plastic-free by 2025 – a promise that encompasses all the third party brands they carry as well, such as Method, Mrs. Meyers, Seventh Generation and more. Stu and I discuss his entrepreneurship journey, especially in the context of making sustainable products mainstream when they were not as plainly prevalent. We circle to the idea that businesses can do good – it’s not just about doing “less bad,” but actually contributing in a meaningful way to the conservation of natural resources and promoting more thoughtful, nontoxic homes. We also discuss why plastic is so bountiful in the consumer product space, plus some of the issues with recycling. We lastly support the community around mission-driven brands; Stu detai

The secondhand clothing economy is growing, and we’re speaking today about a new solution for those more frequent demands: children’s clothing trading market model. Jen Zuklie, founder of The Swoondle Society, brings us through her entrepreneurship journey, the issues with the children’s clothing industry, and the value of using your network. We speak also about fashion waste, and how major retailers could support consumer loyalty through similar trade-in models. Use ECOCHIC50 for 50% off your first month’s membership at swoondlesociety.com Keep in touch! Instagram is @ecochicpodcast / @lauraediez, + I am now on Twitter, @lauraediez. Follow us on social media! @ecochicpodcast / @lauraediez, on Facebook, ECO CHIC Podcast. Email me at laura@lauraediez.com. You can sign up for our newsletter + support our shop at totallyecochic.com (code ECOCHIC gets you 10% off!).

Natural personal care products are sometimes hard to pick out at the store – how can you tell you’re not a victim of greenwashing, and are those chemical buzzwords really that bad? We’re talking today primarily about sulfates and parabens, two ingredients gaining more consumer awareness in personal care aisles, among shampoos, soaps, and even toothpastes. We define some of those scary chemical words, discuss the health risks, and help you figure out if your personal care products contain these toxic chemicals. Additional episode resources: * 93: What is Greenwashing? How to Spot Misleading Environmental Claims* 96: Regulating The Cosmetics Industry; Influencing Better Beauty Policy | Lindsay Dahl, Beautycounter* 87: Why We Should Eat Lower in the Food Chain: Bioaccumulation + Biomagnification Keep in touch! Instagram is @ecochicpodcast / @lauraediez, + I am now on Twitter, @lauraediez. Follow us on social media! @ecochicpodcast / @lauraediez, on Facebook, ECO CHIC Podcast. Email me at laura@lauraed

If you’re new to the climate conversation, welcome! This episode will break down the basics: what is climate change, why are we more certain about climate models than weather forecasts, and what all the elusive terms like carbon pricing and budgets really mean. This episode will direct you to additional episodes on ECO CHIC that will dive deeper into topics mentioned, so there is always more to learn right here. Episodes mentioned: * 89: How Climate Change Affects Natural Disasters, Why The Australian Fires Are So Bad, Hurricanes Impacting Bahamian Islands* 82: How To Talk About Climate Change with Deniers, Conservatives | Sarah Ott, Citizens Climate Lobby, National Center for Science Education* 108: Climate Change Today, Solutions, Footprints + Communicating Climate | Dr. Katharine Hayhoe* 81: Political Prep: Carbon Pricing, Net Zero, + The Paris Climate Accord* 69: What is the Carbon Budget?* 92: Sustainable Investing, Smarter Savings, Breaking Down ESG | Charity Driggs, Morningstar Additional St

Conscious consumption can be tricky right now, during these quarantimes – if you’re not someone who typically spends freely, perhaps you’re feeling pressure to support local businesses in capacities you don’t normally, or maybe you’re just itching to make a frivolous purchase because you’re seeing more advertisements on social media. Whatever your struggle, we are putting conscious consumption into context: how should you be spending during and post-pandemic? We are breaking down unique ways to support business and brands that align with your values, and we’re also sharing some ideas to support organizations you like without spending dollars. Topics include equity, shopping small and/or local, building community online, equity and social issues, + more. Keep in touch! Instagram is @ecochicpodcast / @lauraediez, + I am now on Twitter, @lauraediez. Follow us on social media! @ecochicpodcast / @lauraediez, on Facebook, ECO CHIC Podcast. Email me at laura@lauraediez.com. You can sign up for our newsletter + s

We’re talking all about plants today with author + herbalist Rosalee de la Foret! Rosalee co-authored the recently released book Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine. She’s encouraging us to think deeper about our gardens, backyards, and ‘regular’ natural interactions. We’re discussing culinary herbs you may already have in your kitchen, like basil, rosemary, and thyme, and how to deepen those relationships. We also discuss natural medicine and some quick treatments you can craft without a trip to the pharmacy. Plus, we discuss phytonutrients, the value of variety in your diet, and attempt to answer the age-old question of how to eat more plants. Shop here for: Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine Find Rosalee de la Foret online + on Instagram Keep in touch! Instagram is @ecochicpodcast / @lauraediez, + I am now on Twitter, @lauraediez. Follow us on social media! @ecochicpodcast / @lauraediez, on Facebook, ECO CHIC Podc

We’re speaking with Leah Thomas, of GreenGirlLeah. Perhaps you’ve seen her viral Instagram post with the title slide of ‘Environmentalists for Black Lives Matter.’ We’re speaking today on Intersectional Environmentalism – defining it, relating it to feminism a bit, and talking broadly about how different cultures experience nature and those human-environment relationships historically. We also touch on climate racism, and why black, POC, and marginalized communities are experiencing the most severe public health risks from environmental degradation. Additionally,  we talk about the cognitive dissonance around why we may be experiencing disconnect from natural disasters and environmental degradation. Leah Thomas is an intersectional environmental activist and eco-communicator based in Southern California. She’s passionate about advocating for and exploring the relationship between social justice and environmentalism. Her work has been featured on The Good Trade, Buzzfeed, Vogue… her ideas of ‘intersect

We’re joined by Julia Pyper: one of my very favorite journalists, podcast hosts, and all-around incredible women in energy! Julia and I discuss the energy industry as a whole, and the impacts of coronavirus on sectors like oil and gas (and even talk about the policy proposals for a domestic oil sector). We discuss energy polic and how a clean energy economy could be more supported. Switching gears, we discuss inclusivity in energy and environmental spheres, and the injustices surrounding climate change, health, and minority communities. Julia is a contributing editor at Greentech Media where she covers the global clean energy transition, with a focus on renewable energy, electric mobility, grid edge technologies, and energy policy making. She is a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, as well as the host and producer of Political Climate, a bipartisan podcast on energy and environmental issues in America and around the world, presented by the University of Southern California Schwarzenegge

Today we are joined by the brilliant Suzy Amis Cameron and Samata of Red Carpet Green Dress (RCGD), the women-led global change-making organization bringing sustainable design to the forefront of conversation and action within the fashion industry. The goal of Red Carpet Green Dress is to draw attention to the importance of more sustainable practices in fashion and be part of bringing those solutions to the global market; RCGD recently launched an eco-couture textile range in partnership with TENCEL™ Luxe, bringing innovative biodegradable solutions to the fashion industry. We talk about this brilliant new partnership and its adjacent design contest, plus favorite previous red carpet designs, celebrity talent, and the response of iconic fashion houses to the challenge of creating beautiful, sustainable couture. Learn more about Suzy Amis Cameron, Samata, RCGD + OMD: * www.rcgdglobal.com* www.suzyamiscameron.com* www.omdfortheplanet.org Keep in touch! Instagram is @ecochicpodcast / @lauraediez, + I a

We’re speaking with the incredible Dr. Katharine Hayhoe! Dr. Hayhoe is widely regarded as one of the most influential voices in the climate conversation (and one of my personal inspirations). Dr. Katharine Hayhoe is an atmospheric scientist her research focuses on developing and applying high-resolution climate projections to understand what climate change means for people and the natural environment. She is a professor and director of the Climate Science Center at Texas Tech University, and has authored 125+ peer-reviewed publications. Plus, Dr. Hayhoe served as a lead author for the Second, Third, and Fourth U.S. National Climate Assessment. Among her many honors and awards for climate communication, environmental leadership, and her influence on this crisis, Katharine Hayhoe was named one of the United Nations Champions of the Earth, the UN’s highest environmental honor. Today, we’re speaking about what climate change looks like today, the wide array of climate solutions available, and how to communicate c

We’re speaking with Marci Zaroff, a true pioneer in the environmental-consumer movement! Marci coined and trademarked the term “ecofashion” in 1995 – she’s been leading the way for a more sustainable society for almost three decades, through food, wellness, fashion, and social justice. We discuss at length the term ECORenaissance: the title of her first book serves as a very comprehensive term to describe her life’s work and where consumerism is moving. We talk about the organic agriculture business case, why fashion is a crucial means for delivering the sustainability conversation, and how pop culture’s understanding of sustainability has shifted in the last thirty years. Follow us on social media! @ecochicpodcast / @lauraediez, sign up for our newsletter + support our shop at totallyecochic.com + find us on Facebook, ECO CHIC Podcast. Email me at laura@lauraediez.com. Find on Amazon: “ECOrenaissance: Co-Creating A Stylish, Sexy and Sustainable World”