Episode 9 – Recycling

Amy and Nate explore how and why recycling reduces global greenhouse gas emissions. Before they get into that, they make some homemade recycled paper, and of course tell a few jokes. Here are some visuals to go along with the paper making activity we did on this episode. First, the frame and deckle that I made from two cheap picture frames, some cloth and thumb tacks. Second, a video showing the...

Episode 8 – Coastal wetlands

In this episode, Amy and Nate talk with Scott Warren - Nate's grandfather and a retired professor of botany at Connecticut College about coastal wetlands and their role in the climate crisis. We learned what coastal wetlands are, the main threats to them and the things that we can do as individuals to protect them. We also talked about some of the cool things you can see in coastal wetlands -...

Episode 7- The water energy nexus

In this episode, Amy and Nate explored how and why conserving water also saves energy (and reduces greenhouse gas emissions as a result). We had a great interview and site visit with Mike Evans at the Class of 1966 Environmental Center at Williams College to talk about water conservation and especially the composting toilets in the building. Parents, be warned - we do talk about poop. You can...

Episode 6: Solar panels

In this episode, Nate and Amy chat about solar panels: what they are, how they work, and why they're important. This is the final episode of our first season - we'll be back after the new year with more ideas for how kids and their grownups can address the climate crisis. Resources for this episode: https://youtu.be/se8OwEFA_es An animated explanation of how solar panels work Finding a solar...

Episode 5: Electric vehicles

Nate and Amy talk to seven electric vehicle owners about why they bought an electric vehicle, what they like about it, and whether they have any good stories about almost running out of charge.  The people they talked to owned a range of vehicles: all electric vehicles like Teslas, Volts and Leafs, and plug-in electric hybrids as well.  Keep listening to the end for a few jokes. 

Episode 3: Eating less meat

In this episode, Amy and Nate talk to Dorrie Nang from the Humane Society's "Forward Food" project about why eating less meat and animal products is important for addressing climate change. We talk about the impact of the methane that cows produce, the resources it takes to grow meat, and some ideas for non-meat dishes that we can try. Resources for this episode: Smokey TempehAdapted heavily...

Episode 2: Trees and the climate crisis

This week, Amy and Nate are talking about the role that trees play in addressing the climate crisis. After some chatting, Amy and Nate interview two guests. First they talked to Blake Lawrence from Cool Effect about how trees remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and whether some trees remove more carbon dioxide than other trees. Then they talked to Julie Coop, the Urban and Community...

Episode 1: Introduction and energy efficiency

On the first ever episode of "A small acorn" Nate and Amy talk about why they're starting a podcast and then launch into a discussion of energy efficiency and efficient lightbulbs. They both try out an electricity-generating stationary bike and may tell a joke or two. Resources for this episode Project Drawdown - a website and a book by Paul Hawken that gives a comprehensive prioritized list of...