Nonprofit organizations work tirelessly for the better good and they depend on donations from you and me to fund their programs. But giving is not equally distributed: in 2021, just 3% of all donation dollars went to environmental and animal welfare organizations (source).

While we do indeed have the power to use every dollar we earn for change, giving can be confusing. There’s a massive difference between a worthy cause and a solid nonprofit and so on today's show I'm giving you the tools you need to find a quality charity that speaks to your heart. I'm also suggesting 7 environmental charities worthy of our hard-earned donations.

Here's a preview:

[5:00] Stay away from these shell non-profits, PACs, and misinformation funnels

[7:45] It's a minefield out there! How to vet a nonprofit like a boss

[19:00] Environmental catch-all orgs do an awful lot. Here are two of the best

[21:00] Care about animals? I've got you! 

[24:00] Want to remove carbon from the atmosphere? 2 nonprofit recs

Resources mentioned:

• GuideStar
• BBB Wise Giving Alliance
• Charity Navigator
• Environmental Defense Fund
• Natural Resources Defense Council 
• World Wildlife Fund
• The National Audubon Society
• alliance.org/">Rainforest Alliance
• Clean Air Task Force
• Carbon180
• Episode #289: The Convenience Tax
• Episode #353: Are Carbon Offsets Worth It?

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In the name of convenience, manufacturers sold us the promise that their products make life easier. And while such gadgets, appliances, and electronics have indeed taken over much of the physical labor associated with living, they have also eliminated many of the core competencies that once grounded us, connected us, and made us whole.

It's no surprise that many of us feel like something's missing.

It's a time of unprecedented technology and ease, sure, but still: many of us find ourselves craving a simpler way. If you've ever wondered whether you're working far too hard at all the wrong endeavors, today's conversation with podcaster Jill Winger is here to help.

Here's a preview: 

[8:00] Uncovering our collective 'modern malaise'

[12:00] The good, bag, and ugly: 3 ways in which industrialization has impacted our quality of life

[18:00] Want to be very slightly more self-sufficient? Here are some suggestions for where to start

[25:00] 2 steps to adopting an old-fashioned mindset right where you are

Resources mentioned:

Jill on Instagram

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The enviro-news you need to know for Friday April 28, 2023:

[00:30] Allergies, pollen, and climate change

[3:00] Fellow wine lovers, unite! Benefits to lighter bottles

[5:00] Enviro-implications re: SpaceX's Starship launch

[11:00] Everything you didn't know you wanted to know about nuclear energy

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Low waste living sounds great in theory, but in practice? Thanks to life's obstacles, it's much harder to commit for the long-haul. Add children into the equation and intentionally creating less trash can feel like a daily, uphill slog.

On today's show I speak with blogger and life coach Rebekah Lara about recommitting to your low waste goals despite waning motivation.

Here's a preview:

[3:30] An excuse, or a legitimate barrier?

[10:30] Imperfection vs. perfection in the low-waste community

[17:30] Intermediate low-wasters unite! Why you should take a second (and third) look at the contents of your trashcan

[25:00] It's not about the mason jar filled with trash: How to re-center your efforts around the big picture

Resources mentioned:

• living-green-with-rebekah.ck.page/3b524bca0b">Going Green And Living Green Workbook

Want more episodes like this one? Check out the following:

•  #306: Low-Waste Lunchboxes
• #177: Becoming A Zero Waste Chef
• #093: How (Exactly) To Cook Zero Waste Meals

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We all have habits we’d like to banish, and often we believe our success or failure comes down to discipline and willpower. But discipline and willpower don't tell the whole story, and that's because the brain doesn’t make changes easily.

Breaking a bad habit CAN be done, and today's show is here to help.

Today's content is specifically framed around a listener's question re: buying on impulse, but please know the suggestions offered are rooted in neuroscience and can be applied to any (and every!) habit you’d like to break.

Here's a preview:

[4:30] How to use the Feedback Loop to ask yourself the right whys 

[15:00] The importance of removing and/or inserting visual cues when breaking a bad habit

[27:00] Reign in your expectations! Here's why it takes lots of time to rewire your brain

[33:00] Everything you need to know about compulsive shopping disorder

Resources mentioned:

• Episode #362: Living On Purpose
• 5 Ways to Break Your Bad Habit Now (via Psychology Today)
• Compulsive Shopping: A Guide to Causes and Treatment (via Psychology Today)

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* Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube.

* Email me and say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

Welcome to Living On Purpose week!

Living on purpose isn't about changing who you are; it's about rising up and becoming the best version of you. But amidst the chaotic rush of our days it's easy to get caught up in the “doing”. And when we hyper-focus on doing, we often neglect the important and intentional act of reflection.

Today best-selling author Tanya Dalton brings us both cutting-edge research and practical inspiration to help you find the unhurried purpose that's hidden in your days.

Stay tuned for Thursday's related episode in which we discuss how to break a bad habit, for good.

Here's a preview:

[4:00] Why we absolutely must look backwards for clues before planning ahead

[18:00] We tend to choose instant gratification over pursuing our long-term goals. Here's why, according to neuroscience

[20:00] How to use Cathedral Thinking to visualize your purpose

[32:00] It's not 'unstuck'! The real opposite of being stuck, plus tangible ways to get out of a rut

[37:00] Exactly why discipline and willpower are overrated

[41:00] Habit stacking beats multitasking Every. Darn. Time. (with practical ways to try your hand at stacking good habits)

Resources mentioned:

• The Joy Of Missing Out
• On Purpose: The Busy Woman's Guide to an Extraordinary Life of Meaning & Success
• Want more episodes like this one? Check out #354: Edit Your Life

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The enviro-news you need to know for Friday April 14, 2023:

[00:30] From 7% to 67%: The EPA's proposed new EV standards

[3:30] The dirty electricity turning point is here

[5:30] Buh-bye, lithium? The rise of sodium batteries

[12:00] 22K gallons for your swimming pool

Resources mentioned:

• Episode #260: The White Gold Rush
• Episode #131: 5 Fact About The Global Water Crisis

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Email me and say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

We Americans are notorious for making our unwanted stuff someone else's problem. Part of the reason has to do with our desire to be altruistic: We tell ourselves we're helping the less fortunate when we pass on our perfectly decent items.

But the reality is much bleaker: Both our recently-decluttered donations and our down-and-dirty trash create problems for the people and places that get stuck with our stuff.

Here's a preview of what we're discussing today:

[3:00] The literal mountain of clothes in West Africa

[7:00] Swirling, soupy, and more than one: Here's what you likely didn't know about the Pacific trash vortex

[14:00] Alabama's recent landfill fire

[18:00] What's the reality re: America's plastic recyclables?

[22:00] You - yes you! - can help. Here's how

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Our culture's messaging angles household labor as unimportant and uninspiring. And while work within the home is largely undervalued, the sad reality is that the chores, cooking, laundry, and everything else simply must get done. 

Here's something that's not often discussed: there's a quiet joy to be found in tending to the home. Today I speak with podcaster and homemaker extraordinaire Lisa Bass about the underappreciated value an excellent homemaker brings to their family. 

Here's a preview:

[6:00] Societal messaging around homemaking versus the importance of learning by doing

[15:00] How to find the time and motivation to cook in a culture that glorifies convenience

[25:00] Conducting a ruthless self-assessment of your cooking skills (and how to improve!)

[30:00] The essential mindset shift re: all-things homemaking

[35:00] Using "the sauce of hunger" as a tool for managing picky eaters

Resources mentioned:

• Episode Episode #357: Recycling The Unrecyclable
• Simple Farmhouse Life podcast
• Lisa on Instagram

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The enviro-news you need to know for Friday April 7, 2023:

[00:30] Changing tornados and tornado seasons

[4:00] Amazon.com and the problem with climate "pledges"

[5:30] Paris's electric scooters problem

[10:00] Big Oil in the Niger Delta

Join our (free!) community here.

Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube.

Email me and say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.