Plastics Archives

The Hidden Dangers of Artificial Turf

May 7, 2022May 8, 2022 Mike Nowak Bob Dolgan, dangers to student athletes, Dim the Lights for Birds at Night, environment, Go Real Go Grass, Monty and Rose, Peggy Malecki, PFAS in artificial turf, recycling artificial turf, The Mike Nowak Show, This Week in Birding, World Migratory Bird Day

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:01:36 — 58.8MB)

Thousands of artificial turf fields have popped up across the country in the past few decades. The argument is that they’re cheaper, easy to maintain and perfectly safe. Really? We talk to a group of concerned Lake Forest, IL citizens from Go Real Go Grass, who reveal the dark side of artificial turf. Meanwhile, Ryan Anderson explains how you can grow real turf without using pesticides. He also announces a new certification program for healthy turf. Bob Dolgan from This Week in Birding talks about the latest chapter in the Monty and Rose saga and reports on World Migratory Bird Day.

Biology Clean water Climate change Composting Environment Gardening Native plants Plastics Recycling soil health

Can Backyard Composting Change the World?

February 5, 2022February 7, 2022 Mike Nowak backyard composting, climate change, environment, food waste, gardening, greenhouse gasses, Illinois Food Scrap Coalition, Peggy Malecki, soil health, sustainability, The Mike Nowak Show, University of Illinois Extension, zero waste

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:01:23 — 57.4MB)

We don’t know if backyard composting can change the world, but it’s a heck of a good start. Composting experts Amy Bartucci and Kate Caldwell walk you through how to set up your pile, bin or tumbler and explain why composting is such a good idea for everyone.

Climate change Environment Natural sciences Plastics Recycling

Puppets Pick Apart Plastic Myths

January 15, 2022January 18, 2022 Mike Nowak Blair Thomas, Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, climate change, environment, Illinois Recycling Foundation, Marta Keane, Natural Awakenings Chicago Magazine, Peggy Malecki, plastic myths, Robin Frohardt, The Mike Nowak Show, The Plastic Bag Store

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:08:38 — 115.1MB)

The 2020 Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival is coming to Chicago this week. We talk to its founder, Blair Thomas, and to artist Robin Frohardt, who has created an installation called The Plastic Bag Store. It is stocked with food-like items that are handcrafted from discarded, single-use NYC plastic trash. Marta Keane from the Illinois Recycling Foundation joins the conversation to talk about how we deal with what is a world-wide plastic crisis. Meteorologist Rick DiMaio reports on snowstorms in America and exploding volcanoes in the Pacific Ocean.

Beekeeping Gardening Plastics Podcast Recycling

Plastics Mess on Aisle 2 in the Green Industry

March 6, 2021May 19, 2021 Mike Nowak Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD), Beth Botts, Bike a Bee, Illinois General Assembly, Institute for Justice, Marie Chieppo, Nicole Virgil, Peggy Malecki, plastic pots, Qae-Dah Muhammad, recycling plastics, Right to Garden law, The Mike Nowak Show

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:01:17 — 56.8MB)

Landscape designer Marie Chieppo examines why can’t we figure out what to do with horticultural plastic. Jana Kinsman from Bike a Bee and Qae-Dah Muhammad of Arthur Ashe Beach Park Advisory Council talk about raising honey bees in Chicago. Nicole Virgil returns to talk about the Right to Garden bill. She’s joined by Ari Bargil from the Institute for Justice, which is supporting her effort to grow food in her Elmhurst hoop house.

Composting Environment Environmental justice Plastics Podcast Recycling

Ten Years of Environmental Good

February 20, 2021May 19, 2021 Mike Nowak Collective Resource Compost, compost buckets, composting food scraps, eco-influencer, Juliana v. United States, Neighbor Totes, One Earth Collective, One Earth Film Festival, Our Children's Trust, Peggy Malecki, Plastic Crisis, The Mike Nowak Show, Youth v Gov

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:55:02 — 55.1MB)

The One Earth Film Festival celebrates “10 Years of Inspiring Change” with a fully virtual event. Mike and Peggy welcome filmmakers Christi Cooper and Shannon Germaine. On the heels of her company’s own 10th anniversary celebration, Erlene Howard from Collective Resource Compost hopes for an uptick in food scrap collection in 2021.