Episodes

This week, we’re talking all about how to amplify your impact with Carbon Almanac contributing writer Paige NeJame. Have you ever wondered whether your efforts to recycle, compost, and eat a plant-based diet make a real difference for the planet? While individual action is good, Paige provides tangible, creative - and most importantly, doable - ways to take our action steps to the next level and create actual, systems-level change. The best part? Paige is living proof that regular people can ma...

We firmly believe that this time of year should be all about slowing down, enjoying quality time with friends and family, and of course enjoying some time outdoors (weather permitting). So, as the holiday season approaches, we’re back with another roundup of biophilic books to curl up with on those cold, cozy nights or give as gifts to the nature lovers in your life. Themes include brain health, climate change, fungi, and even the intersection of botany and booze. Show Notes The Awakened Brain: ...

Mary Davidge has spent her career at the forefront of biophilic design. Between 2014 and 2021, Mary served as Google’s Director of Global Design, where she worked closely with biophilic leaders like Bill Browning and Judi Heerwagen to implement design solutions across Google’s campuses that prioritize health, happiness, and the environment. Prior to that, she ran her own firm, where her groundbreaking work in biophilic design and green building helped lay the foundation for certifications like L...

The world is losing its biodiversity at a rapid rate, due in large part to habitat loss caused by climate change. These dual threats pose serious risks to human health and wellbeing, particularly if global leaders fail to take meaningful and quick action. Our guest today is Brian O’Donnell, Director of the Campaign for Nature, an organization whose goal is to protect at least 30% of the world’s land and oceans by 2030. The Campaign for Nature works with scientists, environmentalists, and policym...

One of our most effective tools for improving planetary health is the food we choose to eat. In environmental terms, a vegetarian diet is great and a vegan diet is even better. However, imagining that the bulk of the population will willingly shift to a vegan diet over the next few years seems pretty unlikely (to put it mildly). So, where does that leave us? In today’s episode, we’re joined by Eat the Change co-founder Seth Goldman to advocate for a plant-based approach to food and diet. In a pl...

Natural places, untouched by man made noise pollution, are practically nonexistent in the modern world. Unfortunately, the lack of quiet in today’s world doesn’t bode well for our health; noise pollution is tied to an array of health problems like cardiovascular disease, anxiety, depression, and attention disorders. Our guest today, Matt Mikkelsen, is a sound engineer, audio recordist, and documentary filmmaker who also serves as the Executive Director of Wilderness Parks at Quiet Parks Internat...

Picture this: you’re at the office and you’re having a terrible day. We’ve all been there at one time or another. So … where do you go to cry? That is the question that designer Oliver Heath poses to all of his prospective clients. More often than not, the response he gets back is the bathroom. From Oliver’s perspective, this answer reflects a larger issue in the built environment, especially in the workplace: a lack of spaces specifically designed with restoration and wellbeing in mind. Oliver ...

This week we’re diving into environmental economics, specifically how global economies can start valuing nature and shift to a model that is greener, more inclusive, and more democratic. Have you ever wondered why many environmentally damaging industries receive government subsidies while natural raw materials are treated like inexhaustible resources? What about businesses who maintain the status quo even though their bottom line would benefit from incorporating more sustainable practices? We’re...

Is it important to know the cultural context of a place? How do landscape architects help connect us to nature? This week we’re talking all about Native American ethnobotany, environmental ethics, and finding the right balance between wildness and order with Dr. Alfred “Alfie” Vick, the Georgia Power Professor of Environmental Ethics at the University of Georgia and Director of the Environmental Ethics Certificate Program. With Alfie as our guide, we explore the cross-section of landscape archit...

This week, we’re exploring the rise of the single-family home and its many pitfalls, including the isolation brought on by large homes on expansive plots of land, exclusionary zoning that exacerbates social issues, and environmental factors like resource-intensive turf grass, massive energy usage for few people, and the necessity of cars. Luckily, however, new trends in housing are reshaping the way we live - from co-living spaces with shared utilities, resources, and perks to chic tiny homes to...

What is the deepest silence you’ve ever known? That’s the key question posed by Leigh Marz and Justin Zorn in their new book, Golden: The Power of Silence in a World of Noise. For Justin and Leigh, silence means many things beyond the literal absence of noise. Silence can be found in moments of calm, moments of awe, and self-transcendent experiences like witnessing a birth or death. When we venture out into nature, we hear nature’s sounds all around us but the feeling of calm and tranquility giv...

This week on Biophilic Solutions, we’re talking all things highway transportation. Transportation infrastructure is one of the most damaging systems on the planet, both in terms of human safety and environmental impact. What solutions could we possibly employ to transform highways, making them safer, more efficient, and carbon neutral? It may seem like a pipe dream, but many solutions are right at our fingertips. Our guest is Allie Kelly, Executive Director of The Ray, a stretch of highway in so...

This week, Monica and Jennifer are sharing their top picks for the ultimate biophilic summer reading list! Whether you’re just starting out on your biophilic journey or are a seasoned pro looking to expand your knowledge, there is something for everyone to enjoy (ideally poolside, beachside, or on your favorite park bench). Themes include connecting to nature through mindful walking (no surprise there!), working to combat the climate crisis through thoughtful action, and tips for simply slowing ...

What does it mean to be an engaged citizen or an effective activist? How can we shift from anger to hope and then create meaningful change? We’re back this week with a special bonus episode, an off-the-cuff conversation with David Orr, renowned scholar of political and environmental science and co-editor of Democracy Unchained: How to Rebuild Government for the People . We chat about finding the right balance between anger and optimism, recognizing and overcoming the flaws baked into our system ...

This week, we’re diving deep into the intersection of democracy and the environmental movement, why it’s imperative that all lawmakers agree to the rules of the game, and how biophilia might act as a bridge to the equitable, green future we want. We also weigh the merits of a circular economy and discuss what it means to be responsible citizens and stewards for future generations. Our guest is renowned scholar of environmental and political studies at Oberlin College David Orr, author of eight b...

How do we connect human emotion to the built environment? Is it possible to design spaces that produce serenity and wellbeing? Can we harness technology as a force for good rather than division? We’re diving into all of this and more with renowned architect, artist, and self-professed “serene-ist” Suchi Reddy, founder of Reddymade. Throughout her career, Suchi has strived to put human emotion at the center of everything she creates, from a biophilic, LEED Platinum Google flagship store to an int...

This week we’re exploring the neuroscience behind our relationship to beauty. Are we culturally conditioned to prefer certain landscapes, works of art, and types of buildings or are those preferences universal? Why do some people embrace nature while others are fearful? Is there a way to measure biophilic design’s effect on neurodivergent individuals? We investigate all of those questions and more with our guest Dr. Anjan Chatterjee, a renowned professor of Neurology at the University of Pennsyl...

What if we told you that a global commercial flooring company has achieved carbon neutrality and is well on their way to net negative emissions? This week, we’re joined by Kari Pei, the Vice President of Product Design at Interface, to discuss the inspiration she finds in nature, the sustainable materials and manufacturing techniques that have made Interface a standard-bearer for environmentally friendly corporate practices, and the importance of awe. We also touch on some overlooked aspects of ...

This week, we’re diving into the psychology of biophilic design - why we find it so appealing, the evolutionary basis for preferring certain landscapes to others, and the reasons we fear certain natural elements like snakes and spiders. We also chat about the social experiences we find in nature, like camping with friends and sharing stories around a fire, and the ways in which climate change complicates our relationship with the natural world. Our guest is Dr. Judith Heerwagen, a psychologist...

This week, we’re chatting with Dr. Elizabeth Trattner, a renowned acupuncturist and practitioner of Chinese Integrative Medicine, who works with clients on everything from autoimmune support to holistic beauty. Elizabeth has received widespread acclaim for her work and has been featured in publications like Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, and Allure. Elizabeth’s journey to holistic medicine began early in life, but her own experience battling chronic illness led to a very personal interest in green, nont...

This week, we’re speaking with Jared Hanely, the CEO and founder of NatureQuant, a company whose mission is to leverage technology to promote a greater connection to nature. The idea for NatureQuant came out of a multi-day ski trip with Jared’s co-founders Christopher Minson and Christopher Bailey, when they realized that the power of metrics and trackable data could encourage people to get outside and reap the benefits of time spent in nature. NatureQuant’s applications include NatureScore, whi...

Have you ever felt instantly calm upon arriving at the ocean or a rural lake? Or even felt the need to dip into a hot bath after a tough day? This week on Biophilic Solutions, we’re chatting with Dr. Wallace J. Nichols, scientist, activist, and author of Blue Mind , about why we are so innately drawn to water and the neuroscience behind water’s healing properties. We’ll dive (pun intended) into the ways we might reconnect with our favorite bodies of water, the innate spiritual properties that wa...

This week, we’re chatting with urban designer and author Hannah S. Palmer about the second longest river in Georgia, the Flint River - a river that few Atlantans have even heard of because it’s headwaters run underneath Hartsfield Jackson, the world’s busiest airport. Hannah is the Project Coordinator for Finding the Flint, a partnership between The Conservation Fund, American Rivers, and the Atlanta Regional Commission, whose mission is to bring this forgotten river to light, opening up spaces...

“Biophilia is the connection that human beings innately seek with the natural world.” - E.O. Wilson This week on Biophilic Solutions, Monica and Jennifer speak with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Richard Rhodes about his latest work, Scientist: E.O. Wilson: A Life in Nature . Recorded in early December, a few weeks before Wilson passed away at the age of 92, this interview delves into Wilson’s extraordinary life and contributions to the field of biology, Richard’s interest in him as a subject, an...