sustainability Archives

March 11, 2018 – Healthy Water, Soils, Lands and Laws

Horticulturist Melinda Myers previews her appearance at the Chicago Flower & Garden Show. Openlands president and CEO Jerry Adelmann explains how one our most important environmental laws is at risk and how you can protect it. David R. Montgomery has a plan to regenerate our soils and he will be speaking at the Good Food EXPO.

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March 4, 2018 – On the Road Again

March 4, 2018March 22, 2018 Mike Nowak Beth Vercolio-Osmund, Cam Davis, Congress, environment, gardening, Good Food EXPO, green living, Jim Slama, MWRD, sustainability, TerraCycle, The Mike Nowak Show, Tom Szaky

Mike and Peggy are on the road at the Greater Chicago Home + Remodeling Show in Schaumburg with show packed with guests–Jim Slama from the Good Food EXPO; Cam Davis, who is running as a write-in candidate for the MWRD; Kenneth Gallt of Foliage Design Systems of Chicago; genius recycler Tom Szaky from TerraCycle; and 16th Congressional District candidate Beth Vercolio-Osmund.

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February 25, 2018 – Celebrating Our One Earth

February 24, 2018February 28, 2018 Mike Nowak Chanda Chevannes, environment, gardening, indoor plants, Jim Nienhuis, Linda Booker, MCC Bioneers Series, One Earth Film Festival, plastic straws, Sandra Steingraber, sustainability, The Houseplant Guru, The Mike Nowak Show

Jim Nienhuis talks about the evolution of vegetables, his work helping women entrepreneurs in Central America, and his talk for the 2018 Great Lakes Bioneers McHenry County Speaker Series. Lisa Eldred Steinkopf has written House Plants: The Complete Guide. Mike and Peggy interview a couple of directors featured in the One Earth Film Festival, opening this week.

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February 18, 2018 – Being Christy

February 17, 2018February 24, 2018 Mike Nowak Adam Federman, Chicago Flower and Garden Show, Christy Webber, Department of the Interior, environment, fossil fuels, gardening, green living, immigration reform, landscaping, sustainability, The Mike Nowak Show

The inimitable Christy Webber returns to talk horticulture, business and the Chicago Flower & Garden Show. Adam Federman from The Nation Magazine returns to report on the latest threats to what we thought were protected U.S. natural lands.

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February 11, 2018 – Healing Agriculture, Healing Earth

February 11, 2018February 24, 2018 Mike Nowak agroecology, Bioneers, CAFOs, environment, gardening, green living, Healing Earth, John Ikerd, Loyola University Chicago, McHenry County College, Pope Francis, sustainability, The Mike Nowak Show

Dr. John Ikerd, former chicken raiser Craig Watts, and activist/farmer Karen Hudson preview the annual meeting of Illinois Citizens for Clean Air and Water and the many issues surrounding industrial agriculture. Dr. Michael Schuck and Dr. Nancy Tuchman from Loyola University Chicago explain their open source online textbook called Healing Earth.

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February 4, 2018 – Saving the Monarch, Round 2: Pessimists v. Optimists

February 3, 2018February 9, 2018 Mike Nowak environment, extinction, gardening, green living, habitat loss, Kylee Baumlee, milkweed, monarch butterfly, seed germination, sustainability, The Mike Nowak Show, The Seed Keeper Company

Kylee Baumlee, author of The Monarch: Saving Our Most-Loved Butterfly, visits the WCGO studios, along with Carol Niec and Kerrie Rosenthal from The Seed Keeper Company. On a snowy day, Pat Skach fills in for meteorologist Rick DiMaio.

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January 28, 2018 – Solar Speed Bump, Healthy Parks

January 27, 2018February 9, 2018 Mike Nowak Dig Right In Landscaping, environment, gardening, green living, Lisa Albrecht, Logic Lawn Care, pesticides, soil food web, solar energy, sustainability, The Mike Nowak Show

Solar energy expert Lisa Albrecht comments on the decision to slap a tariff on imported solar panels to the U.S. Steve Neumann of Logic Lawn Care and Jeff Swano of Dig Right In Landscaping explain how they promoting natural lawn care to Illinois park districts.

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January 21, 2018 – Soil Secrets, Flowertales

January 20, 2018February 9, 2018 Mike Nowak Chicago Flower and Garden Show, environment, gardening, green living, Loyola University Chicago, snow cover, soil science, SSSA, sustainability, The Mike Nowak Show, Tony Abruscato

Soil scientist Mary Tiedeman explains what’s happening in your soil beneath the snow (when there is any), and Zhenwei Zhu talks about how to get it tested at the new Loyola Environmental Testing Laboratory (LETL). Tony Abruscato previews the 2018 Chicago Flower & Garden Show.

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January 14, 2018 – The Threat to Organics

January 13, 2018February 9, 2018 Mike Nowak Charlie Nardozzi, Chicago Flower and Garden Show, container gardening, environment, Francis Thicke, fresh food, gardening, green living, Illinois Farmers Market Association, NOSB, organic standards, sustainability, The Mike Nowak Show

Janie Maxwell of the Illinois Farmers Market Association (ILFMA) talks winter farmers markets. Gardening expert Charlie Nardozzi talks containers, foodscapes and more. Former National Organic Standards Board member Francis Thicke explains why he thinks the organic label is at risk.

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January 7, 2018 – Happy Solar Energy and Food Justice!

January 6, 2018January 11, 2018 Mike Nowak Barack Obama, clean energy, environment, gardening, green living, Hyde Park, KAM Isaiah Israel, MREA, Robert Nevel, solar energy, sustainability, The Mike Nowak Show

The Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA) wants to teach you how to install solar energy systems. Find out how on today’s show, which also features Robert Nevel and Crystal Johnson from the 9th Annual MLK Food Justice and Sustainability Weekend at KAM Isaiah Israel Congregation in Hyde Park.