This week Environmental Health News editor Peter Dykstra joins host Jenni Doering to talk about a chemical factory fire in Rockton, Illinois that was put out with flame retardants containing PFAS "forever chemicals". Next they dive into companies like Logitech and Panera Bread that are putting carbon labels on their products. Finally they look back on when Senator Jim Inhofe, a well-known climate denier in Congress, fell seriously ill after swimming in a lake full of blue green algae from record heat levels.

Growing up as a queer person, photographer Wyn Wiley was often told: The great outdoors is for everybody, but only if you look and act a certain way. Now, he works to break down this barrier. His drag queen alter-ego, Pattie Gonia, hikes in 6-inch heels and a full face of makeup, preaching on Instagram that enjoying the outdoors transcends gender identity and sexual orientation. Wyn Wiley speaks with Bobby Bascomb as Pattie to discuss her journey as a queer environmental activist and the solace she finds in nature.

The Keystone XL pipeline has been finally cancelled, and activists are now ramping up actions against the Line 3 pipeline, which, like Keystone, would bring carbon heavy tar sands oil from Canada into the United States. Host Jenni Doering is joined by Frank Bibeau, a tribal attorney representing the White Earth Band of Ojibwe.

One of President Biden’s key campaign promises was to wean the country off of fossil fuels and move towards sustainable energy sources. He’s attempting to achieve this in part by halting the sale of new oil and gas leases on public lands, including at the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, but these efforts have been challenged in the courts. Vermont Law School Professor Pat Parenteau joins host Jenni Doering to discuss the legal issues of pausing oil and gas development.

The world is literally awash in plastic waste, with 8 million metric tons of plastic flowing into our oceans every year. Much of that waste is take-away packaging, and a recent study found that only 20 companies are responsible for most of this waste. Host Bobby Bascomb talks with Judith Enck, founder of Beyond Plastics, about why fossil fuel companies are moving towards more plastic production, as well as what alternatives and next steps we can take to avoid using single-use plastics.

Enbridge’s Line 3 pipeline, which would carry tar sands oil from Alberta, Canada to Wisconsin if completed, is facing strong opposition from Native American tribes and environmental activists. Rural development economist and Ojibwe water protector Winona LaDuke speaks with Host Bobby Bascomb about the risk of spills from the pipeline and other concerns.