ECO SPEAKS CLE
Diane Bickett and Greg Rotuno
ECO SPEAKS CLE is where the eco-curious explore Northeast Ohio's unique and thriving environmental community. Each episode delivers thoughtful and informative interviews with local sustainability leaders and offers tips to help listeners connect, learn, and live with the community and planet in mind. ECO SPEAKS CLE is hosted by Diane Bickett and produced by her son-in-law, Greg Rotuno. Diane draws on experiences and relationships developed during her 31-year environmental career to showcase the impactful work shaping Cleveland's environmental future in a podcast that speaks to sustainability newcomers and masters alike.
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Top 10 ECO SPEAKS CLE Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best ECO SPEAKS CLE episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to ECO SPEAKS CLE for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite ECO SPEAKS CLE episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Creative Reuse at Upcycle Parts Shop
ECO SPEAKS CLE
08/16/22 • 40 min
Upcycle Parts Shop is a creative reuse center in Cleveland’s St. Clair Superior neighborhood. In this episode, we speak with Nicole McGee, the center's scrappy founder and executive director. Since 2014, the shop has diverted over 47 tons of material from landfills while providing the materials for creative inspiration to local artists and makers. Located in the historic National Slovenian Home on St Clair Avenue, Upcycle Parts Shop is one of several social enterprises in the neighborhood working to do good for people the planet, and the economy. Join us as we take a trip through this eclectic neighborhood and hear Nicole speak about how she became a reuse artist and entrepreneur and how her shop is provoking creativity and promoting community through reuse, resourcefulness, and relationships. She is someone you want to know.
Guest:
Nicole McGee, Founder and Executive Director of Upcycle Parts Shop
Resources:
Visit Upcycle Parts Shop
Material Donations
Resources for students and teachers
Other cool places in the St Clair Neighborhood - Kafela, Lucky's Charms, Diner on 55th, Goldhorn Brewery, Rebuilder's Exchange
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Cleveland Vegan Society Presents VegFest 2024
ECO SPEAKS CLE
05/21/24 • 28 min
In this episode, Sunny Simon, President of The Cleveland Vegan Society, joins us to talk about veganism and VegFest 2024, coming to Cleveland's Huntington Convention Center on Saturday, June 22. It's the largest Vegan festival in the Midwest, and it will be delicious, fun, and informative for vegans and non-vegans alike. The Cleveland Vegan Society created VegFest over 12 years ago to celebrate veganism and to encourage more plant-based eating. This year's festival features an impressive lineup of activities, speakers, cooking demos, a cruelty-free marketplace, a kids' activity area, yoga, and more.
Join us as Sunny shares about becoming a vegetarian and then a vegan thirty years ago and the environmental and humane reasons she advocates for the vegan lifestyle. She also clears up some misconceptions about vegans and offers tips for transitioning to a more plant-based diet. Everyone is welcome at VegFest, where over 13,000 people will gather to eat, have fun, and learn from speakers, including Sarina Farb, Christopher "Soul" Eubanks, Will Brooks, Dr. Keary O'Connor, and Gwenna Hunter. Cooking demos include chefs Chad Goodwin, Sonia Steele, and Anna Marie Harouvis. Whatever your dietary preferences, there will be something to satisfy everyone's tastes.
Guest :
Sunny Simon, President of the Cleveland Vegan Society and Cuyahoga County Council member
Resources:
Film - Peaceable Kingdom
The Cleveland Vegan Society
VegFest 2024
Top Vegan TV show
Bitchy Vegan Homo (vegan recipes)
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Cultivating Community with Re:Source Cleveland
ECO SPEAKS CLE
03/19/24 • 38 min
In this episode, we welcome returning guests Patrick Kearns with Re:Source Cleveland (formerly Refugee Response) and Michael Bartunek with Ohio City Farm to update us on the exciting developments at Ohio City Farm and with its operator, Re:Source Cleveland. Rachel Ramos, who manages CSA sales for the farm, also joins us to tell us about the diverse array of fresh produce available in the 2024 CSA program and the new tiered pricing structure.
We first spoke with Patrick and Michael in episode 3 two years ago. Since then, The Refugee Response has relocated, rebranded, expanded, and begun a major new initiative at Ohio City Farm: the Roundstone Pavilion. Groundbreaking for the 4,000-square-foot building will take place this year. This next-level investment will bring food to the community year-round by housing a commercial kitchen, a wash and pack station, workers' facilities, a retail hall, and more.
Last year, Refugee Response rebranded to Re:Source Cleveland, honoring the organization's past 14 years of providing resources to resettled families and supporting them in becoming engaged, self-sufficient, and contributing community members. The farm is central to that mission, growing local food, community connections, and providing meaningful employement. These developments enhance other investments in the area, like the West Side market and the new Metropark taking shape just below the farm along the Cuyahoga River at Irishtown Bend.
Join us as our guests update you on what's happening on the farm, in the neighborhood, and at our community table.
Guests
Patrick Kearns: Executive Director, Re:Source Cleveland
Michael Bartunek: Senior Farm Manager, Ohio City Farm
Rachel Ramos: Farm Sales and Marketing Coordinator, Ohio City Farm
Resources
About Re:Source Cleveland rebranding
Ohio City 2024 CSA
Support Ohio City Farm
Support Re:Source Cleveland
About the Roundstone Pavilion
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03/15/22 • 49 min
Meet Erin Huber Rosen, the Founder and Executive Director of Drink Local. Drink Tap., Inc.TM Since 2010, Erin has been inspiring people to "Be the Drop" to recognize and solve our local and global water issues. What started as a campaign to encourage people to ditch bottled water and conduct beach cleanups to protect Lake Erie, grew into a global campaign to increase access to clean water and sanitation in rural Uganda. Imagine being a kid and walking 4 miles every day just to get water. Erin is changing that by digging wells in remote villages. She just returned to Cleveland after completing her 100th Drink Local. Drink Tap project and joined Eco Speaks CLE to talk about her work as a filmmaker, writer, educator, organizer, fundraiser, hydrologist, and above all, humanitarian. You will never take water for granted after hearing her speak. Erin inspired Greg and me to create the Eco Speaks CLE team to raise money for Drink Local. Drink Tap through its annual fundraiser - 4 miles 4 water. The event will be in Cleveland on June 11th. We invite all Eco Speaks listeners to participate on our team. Our goal is to raise $6,000. That is enough to fund the drilling of one well in Uganda. Find a link below.
Guest:
Erin Huber Rosen, Founder and Executive Director of Drink Local. Drink Tap
Resources:
About ErinJoin the Eco Speaks CLE team at the 4 Miles 4 Water fundraiser on June 11.
Learn about World Water Day - March 22
DLDT Wavemaker Curriculum
Buy the book Make Waves 4 Change
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03/21/23 • 44 min
In this episode, we learn how BRITE Energy Innovators is helping power the future of energy across Ohio by speaking with Jing Lyon, BRITE's Entrepreneur Programs Director, and Joe Rohan, BRITE's Accelerator Program Manager. BRITE Energy Innovators empowers founders to launch energy technology solutions and operates Ohio's only energy technology incubator in Warren, located in Ohio's "Voltage Valley." Over the past decade, BRITE has helped nearly 600 new energy tech startups and created more than 1,100 jobs. Join us to get to know Joe and Jing as we talk about rock n roll, entrepreneurship, advanced energy solutions for EVs, energy storage, and mobility. In Ohio, our future is BRITE!
Guests:
Jing Lyon, Entrepreneur Programs Director, BRITE Energy Innovators
Joe Rohan, Accelerator Program Manager, BRITE Energy Innovators
Resources:
About BRITE Energy Innovators
About BRITE's Founder, Rick Stockbridge
About BRITE's Startups
About BRITE's Energy Tech Incubator
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Organic Connects and the Power of the Outdoors
ECO SPEAKS CLE
09/19/23 • 35 min
Whitnye Long Jones is a nature enthusiast, community engagement specialist, and environmental justice advocate. She channels these passions and skills into the non-profit she founded in 2017 called Organic Connects. Whitnye runs Organic Connects with her husband, Jefferson Jones, a lifelong outdoor educator, and outdoorsman. Together, they provide environmental education, outdoor recreation, and nature-based opportunities primarily for urban youth and families with limited access to nature.
In this episode, we speak with Whitnye and Jefferson in Jimmy's Treehouse, the outdoor learning classroom at the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes. We talk about the power of nature to teach, restore, transform, heal, inspire, connect, and prepare our future environmental leaders. Whether it be kayaking, camping in Allegheny National Forest, or building a campfire, the practical skills one acquires outdoors benefit each of us throughout our lives, and as Jefferson puts it, "everybody, whether they're white or black or brown, needs more of the outdoors." Join us to hear how these two black environmental leaders provide these experiences and connect people organically to the outdoors, each other, and the community. It's a reminder of how these organic connections can create ripple effects, fostering an environment where everyone, regardless of their background, can connect with nature in a meaningful way.
Guests:
Whitnye Long-Jones, Founder and Executive Director, Organic Connects
email: [email protected]
Jefferson Jones, Senior Director of Operations, Organic Connects
email: [email protected]
Resources:
Environmental education and outdoor recreation programs Organic Connects Events
Partners and Funders
Cleveland Metroparks Youth Outdoors
Conveniently Vegan restaurant
Camp Journey
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Nature Inspired Innovation with Great Lakes Biomimicry
ECO SPEAKS CLE
09/06/22 • 46 min
How does nature move liquids? How does nature manage structural forces? How does nature sense motion and temperature? These are some of the questions that the practice of Biomimicry asks when faced with a design challenge. Our guests, Trisha Brown and Carol Thaler are two Biomimicry practitioners that are helping accelerate innovation based on solutions already tried and tested through nature. They are the Co-Directors of Great Lakes Biomimicry. Since 2010, this organization has worked alongside academia, corporations, and business leaders to solve complex design and engineering challenges by asking "how would nature design it"? As Biomimicry 3.8 certified specialists, Thaler and Brown help us understand that in nature, there are 3.8 billion years of R&D and 30 million species to learn from. Recently, Great Lakes Biomimicry became a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Ohio Aerospace Institute and is working to make the great lakes region a leader in biomimicry innovation in aerospace and beyond. Join us as speak about how nature can inspire and guide all of us as we work to live more gently on this planet.
Guests:
Trisha Brown Co-Director, Great Lakes Biomimicry
Carol Thaler Co-Director, Great Lakes Biomimicry
Resources:
About Great Lakes Biomimicry
What is Biomimicry?
Janine Benyus TED Talk
The Biomimicry Institute
University of Akron Biomimicry Research and Innovation Center
ECO MEET CLE event on September 20, 2022
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04/02/24 • 30 min
Getting involved with a green team is a great way to channel your environmental concerns into fun and impactful actions. It's also a great way to meet like-minded people in your community. Join us as we hear how this green team was founded, how to get involved with other green teams in Cuyahoga County or start one of your own, and ways to celebrate Earth Month throughout the Land. Check the links below for calendars of events and other helpful information.
Guests:
Catalina Wagers, Co-Founder, Cleveland Heights Green Team
Suzanne Zilber, Member, Cleveland Heights Green Team
Resources:
CH Green Team Website
About the Cleveland Heights Green Team
Earth Month in the Heights - Calendar
Cleveland Heights Green Team Events - ways to get involved
Sustainable Cleveland Earth Month
Other green teams in Cuyahoga County - get involved with your local green team
Laurel School Youth Climate Summit (April 14th)
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Hiking Together since 1919 - The Cleveland Hiking Club
ECO SPEAKS CLE
07/16/24 • 26 min
For this episode, I hit the trails with The Cleveland Hiking Club to discover what drives this all-volunteer-run organization with over 1,200 members. The answer? Cool people who are passionate about encouraging and promoting outdoor recreation and making it accessible to anyone who wants to join in. In my interview with the club's Community Engagement Coordinator, Kara Girvin, and David Schiraldi of the Pathfinder Committee, we speak about finding adventure and friendship on the trails and how hiking and spending time outdoors benefits us mentally and physically. Club members lead hikes year-round every day for all levels of hikers. You will find them in the Metroparks, in cities, in our national park, and even in other countries. I recently joined a club excursion to the New River Gorge National Park with 50 other hikers. There were ten hikes over a three-day weekend, and towards the end of this episode, you will hear from some of the members I met on the trail. Join us, experience a hike or two, and check out this welcoming, vibrant community. Anyone 18 and older can hike with the Cleveland Hiking Club. To qualify as a member, one must complete six hikes a year and pay a small fee. Once a member, all miles are logged, and milestones are celebrated. Some members have hiked over 50,000 miles with the club, demonstrating the enduring power of walking together in nature.
Resources:
About the Cleveland Hiking Club
Join the Cleveland Hiking Club
Hiking Schedule
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Our 2 Year Anniversary Special
ECO SPEAKS CLE
01/02/24 • 24 min
On December 21, 2021, Greg and I launched the first episode of Eco Speaks CLE to elevate and connect the greater Cleveland environmental community by speaking with those doing inspiring and impactful work. Forty-seven episodes later, as we celebrate two years of Eco Speaks CLE, we are grateful to each guest and each listener. You have become our friends. We hope this first episode of 2024 and its compilation of clips from the past two years will help you find new ways to stay connected, stay positive, and stay active.
Featuring:
Eddie Olshanski/Trash Fish Cleveland
Tristan Rader/Solar United Neighbors
Britta Latz/Medwish International
Tim Jasinski/Lights Out Cleveland
Steven Love/Cleveland Plogs
Chelsea Shuran/Hunger Network
Jacob VanSickel/Bike Cleveland
Semia Bray/Black Environmental Leaders
Jim Sheehan/Ohio City Bicycle Co-op
Elissa Yoder/Ohio Sierra Club
Mike Sandoval/Evergreen Recycling
Ren Brumfield/Cleveland Recycling
Nina Savastano/Brooklyn Recycling Program
Nathan Rutz/Tilth Soil
Denzil St Clair/Greater Cleveland Beekeepers Association
Emily Peck/Frayed Knot Farm
Patrick Kearns/Ohio City Farm
Jess Boeke/Rust Belt Fibershed
Dan Brown/Rust Belt Riders
Nicole MgGee/Upcycle Parts Shop
Jessica Davis/Rebuilders Exchange
Debbie Eastburn/Humble Design Cleveland
Matt Walters /Cuyahoga Recycles
Kathleen Colan
Jill Bartolatta/Ohio Sea Grant
Erin Huber Rosen/Drink Local, Drink Tap
Alex Margevicius/Cleveland Water
Max Herzog/Cleveland Water Alliance
Rachel Regula/Little Spark Refill Shop
Pat Conway/Great Lakes Brewing Company
Alec McClennan/Good Nature Organic Lawn Care
Aaron Jacobson/Faanware
Joe Rohan, Jing Lyon/BRITE Energy Innovators
Jefferson Jones/Organic Connects
Amy Roskilly/Cuyahoga Soil and Water Conservation District
Carol Thaler/Great Lakes Biomimicry
Marci Lininger/Ohio Pollinator Habitat Initiative
Deb Yandala/
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FAQ
How many episodes does ECO SPEAKS CLE have?
ECO SPEAKS CLE currently has 68 episodes available.
What topics does ECO SPEAKS CLE cover?
The podcast is about Society & Culture, Entrepreneurship, Cleveland, Environment, Podcasts, Entrepreneurs, Business, Green Energy and Sustainability.
What is the most popular episode on ECO SPEAKS CLE?
The episode title 'Creative Reuse at Upcycle Parts Shop' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on ECO SPEAKS CLE?
The average episode length on ECO SPEAKS CLE is 37 minutes.
How often are episodes of ECO SPEAKS CLE released?
Episodes of ECO SPEAKS CLE are typically released every 14 days.
When was the first episode of ECO SPEAKS CLE?
The first episode of ECO SPEAKS CLE was released on Nov 26, 2021.
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