The Audiotocracy Podcast
There are so many individuals, businesses, and organizations out there doing fascinating & meaningful work.
So we made them talk with us.
Sustainability After Life: Human Composting with Recompose
Please note that this interview was recorded some time ago, so some of the information you’ll hear is out of date. That’s my fault, not theirs; it was accurate at the time of the recording. To update you as of August 2024, Recompose has composted 450 people, and 12 states, including California, have legalized the process.
Over a year ago, I had the idea to do a short series on how to have a legacy of sustainability. Dying is a messy business: we leave behind so much stuff, including a body. So the question I wanted to ask and hopefully answer was: Is there a way to leave life a bit more gently?
Turns out, there absolutely are ways. Sadly, we couldn’t find a sponsor for the series – which I wanted to title “Going Green” but was overruled by my team – and ultimately it didn’t get made. However, we did have a couple of amazing interviews along the way, one of which is this one.
Katrina Spade is one of those people whose LinkedIn profile makes you wonder what you’ve been doing with your time. She is the founder and CEO of Recompose, the first human-composting funeral home in the United States. To make Recompose possible, she also spearheaded the human composting movement, convincing legislators of the wisdom of a more natural, sustainable exit from Earth.
In getting human composting accepted in Washington state, Katrina worked with Washington State Senator Jaime Pedersen, and Washington became the first state to allow its citizens this option.
The interview you’re about to hear features Ross Reynolds as the interviewer, and he questions Katrina and Jaime on the process of getting human composting legalized, why it’s far and away the most sustainable choice, and how it works.
Find out more about Katrina Spade and Recompose on the Recompose website: https://recompose.life/
Learn more about Senator Jamie Pedersen at the Senate Democrats website: https://senatedemocrats.wa.gov/pedersen/.
Connect with the interview-master, golden-voiced Ross Reynolds on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossrey/.
Gentle Goodbyes with Earth™
This is, as they say, a Very Personal Episode™. In April of 2022, I lost my life partner of 17 years. It was every kind of horrible, as such things are, and I was lucky to have a solid bulwark of family and friends.
Additionally, I’ll always be grateful to Earth™ for their amazing service during this time. Richard hadn’t committed his preferences to paper, but I knew what they were. He wanted to leave the earth gently, no coffin, no chemicals, so I contacted Earth, and they took it — and him — from there.
Science, technology, innovation, and compassion don’t always line up as neatly as we’d like. This is one of those magical moments when they do. Please take a moment to hear from Earth co-founder & COO Carolyn Maezes. Check out their website, which even includes a glossary of terms to help us avoid confusion and misunderstanding.
Then, if you’re like Richard and me and want your final goodbye to be a gentle one, consider signing up if you can or advocating for soil transformation in your state.
Earth phone number: 877-327-4109
Opening music by Danail Draganov from Storyblocks.
To Everybody's Health: Food, Equity, Sustainability
It’s Earth Month, and Earth Day is just two days away, on April 22. Climate change is already affecting us all, but some are definitely more affected than others.
Access to healthy food and clean air and water isn’t universal around the globe. While some live in food privilege, others definitely don’t, and the global climate crisis is increasing that gap exponentially.
It’s always an honor and a pleasure to talk with experts who know so much but are eager to learn more and share what they know with the rest of us.
Mary Purdy and Sofia Cavalleri are two such experts, and even though the topic is a rough one, they share expertise, enthusiasm, and most vitally, hope.
Please listen in on our conversation about food, equity, nutrition, sustainability, justice, conservation, and hope.
https://marypurdy.co/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sofia-cavalleri-740812145/
https://www.sei.org/centres/asia/
Life in the Deep Ocean with Dr. Annie Lindgren
The cold, dark waters of the deep ocean are teeming with creatures that live without light or oxygen. How do they do it?
On this episode, we sit down with deep-sea biologist Annie Lindgren, PhD, who is the Director of the Center for Life in Extreme Environments at Portland State University. She studies cephalopods off the coast of Oregon, who live half a mile below the ocean’s surface. Who are these fascinating animals? And what can they teach us humans about adaptation as our climate changes?
Learn more about Dr. Lindgren and life in extreme environments at https://www.pdx.edu/extreme-environments/.
Blood Donor Awareness with Bloodworks NW
January is National Blood Donor Month, a great time to start, extend, or renew that blood/plasma/platelets-donation schedule!
Blood, says Bloodworks NW President & CEO Curtis Bailey, is a part of our bodies we’ll likely never be able to duplicate or recreate in a lab. And, he says, the act of donating blood, of literally giving away part of your body so someone else can live, is one of the most amazing, generous things humans do.
Learn more about the process (what happens to your blood when it leaves your body?), what it’s like on the BloodBus, and what it means to be an O or an A or B or some combination thereof, then go to the website and set up your appointment.
How awesome is it to start off 2022 by maybe saving a life?
Pet Partners and the human-animal bond
As I’m typing this, my dog is awaiting her afternoon walk.
As anyone who’s had the pleasure of sharing space with an animal knows, the bond between people and critters can be very special, very powerful, and very healing.
In this episode, Audiotocracy CEO Shannon Perry talks with Elisabeth Van Every of Pet Partners on how animals can help us lead happier, healthier lives, even if we can’t have a critter in our home.
Have a listen, then visit PetPartners.org to learn more about the amazing work these therapy pairs do.
Resources mentioned:
https://
Dr. Aubrey Fine: http://www.aubreyhfine.
Andrea Beetz
The Podcast Picnic: Pairings Part II
From Rachel Miller-Howard, Creative Director at Audiotocracy Podcast Production, this is the Picnic Podcast, where we introduce delicious products that are made for each other.
In this episode, one of the best late-autumn pairings out there: whiskey and pecan pie. The smooth booze is brought to you by Jill Kuehler of Freeland Spirits. And the pie is made from scratch by Jessica Woods of Pie Spot.
Both of these all-star establishments are in the foodie’s paradise of Portland, Oregon.
Our theme music is composed and performed by Darren Hart Robinson. Many thanks for the intro to Wendy Sloneker, Caroline Giffon, and Tara Tran-Viray!
The Podcast Picnic
The Audiotocracy Podcast Picnic introduces delicious local food products – and their makers! – that pair together like poetry.
On this episode: wine and cheese. We hear from cheese maker Lori Babcock of Tieton Farm and Creamery, and winemaker Kevin Mueller of Virtue Cellars.
Tune in, and then treat yourself to these delights. Enjoy them on a picnic blanket in a park, or on a cozy couch in front of a crackling fire. Your tastebuds will thank you.
Your host is Rachel Miller-Howard, Audiotocracy Creative Director. For more information about our guests, find them at:
https://www.tietonfarmandcreamery.com/
https://www.virtuecellars.com/
Food, sustainability, health, and positivity with Mary Purdy
What is an “eco-dietitian”? you ask. You’ll love this — it’s the intersection of nutrition, sustainability, food justice, and human and animal welfare.
And probably more things, but you’ll have to hear the podcast to get the deets.
Mary Purdy MS, RDN, and integrative eco-dietitian does it all: she speaks, writes, teaches, podcasts, and counsels clients on how we can all eat more healthfully and more thoughtfully. And here’s the good news — it’s not that hard, and it’s delicious.
Mary recommends:
Book: Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Podcast: Hidden Brain with Shankar Vedantam
Vegetable: collard greens (esp used as a wrap)
Practice: rest. Not necessarily sleep, but just resting.
Learn more about the Healthy Future Students and Earth Pilot Program Act. Our awesome theme music is by Darren Hart. Learn more at MagikMountainband.com
The Warrior Connection with Aaron Phillips
As I record this, it’s Memorial Day here in the US, a day dedicated to remembering those who lost their lives in military service. One way to honor fallen soldiers is by helping veterans who are dealing with post traumatic stress and military sexual trauma as a result of their time in service.
In vibrant health with Katy Grace Ball
Coffee & Conversation: Darnesha Weary of Black Coffee NW
Finding a safe space for difficult conversations is tough. But not impossible.
In Shoreline, Washington, one of those rare places is Black Coffee Northwest. Owned by Darnesha and Erwin Weary, it is a community hub where the discussions are as invigorating as the coffee.
The Wearys have deliberately made Black Coffee an open environment where respectful discussions and debates are welcome, collaboration is fostered, young adults get a grounding in business, Black culture is celebrated, and dancing may erupt at any time.
Black Coffee Northwest has its own roast, and the scones are legendary. It’s a wonderful place to sit, sip, and soak in the energy. Grab a cup and a seat and join us!
Northside Step Team!
Follow Black Coffee Northwest on Instagram
Developing a Zero Waste Mindset with Moji Igun
I don’t know about you, but sometimes hearing yet more bad news on climate change just makes me want to hide under the couch with a roll of cookie dough.
Fortunately, there are people in the world like Moji Igun, founder of Blue Daisi Consulting. Moji teaches businesses how to incorporate sustainable business practices and move toward Zero Waste.
Moji is a certified TRUE Zero Waste Advisor who breaks the overwhelm of fighting climate change down to actionable, impactful steps we can all take.
So please, check out her website, sign up for a consult, follow her on Instagram, download her free guide to zero waste, get tickets to one of her free Zero Waste Mindset classes, and learn how you can start now to make a difference!