It's almost the end of spring bird migration here in Chicago! Remember that time in 2023 when the McCormick Place in Chicago was responsible for thousands of bird deaths in one night? We do!! In honor of the bird buds we lost in the fall of 2023, we're telling the story of why Chicago is known as the deadliest city for birds, and what the city is doing to fix it. As always, follow @whatawastepod, @luciawhalen, and @sohrabisbrown on Instagram.

Oh, weird...you're telling me that Donald Trump is making chaotic decisions that are harmful to people and the environment? Didn't see that coming!! This week we discuss how Trump's federal freezes and mass layoffs are affecting critical environmental work. On a lighter note, Lucia and Sohrab discuss Lucia's recent dream visitation by a ninja and introduce their aspirational sponsor, Back Market.

We're back! After a long hiatus, What a Waste Podcast is back to both bum you out and make you laugh. Lucia is joined by new co-host Sohrab Forouzesh to discuss this week's topic: bird flu! Find out why hundreds of ducks have washed up onto Lake Michigan's shoreline and why Lucia's purchase of a new used car has made her an enemy to everyone in her neighborhood.

On this ep, Lucia and Tyler go all memento mori on your a**. It's time to think about the inevitability of death (in a fun, healthy, positive way)! Lucia explains the history of cemeteries and why our current post-life land-use plans aren't sustainable. The first 20 minutes of this episode feel a lot like sitting on the floor of your dorm room after smoking weed for the first time. Lucia and Tyler talk about the big things, like, what happens after we die? Is there an afterlife? Do we puff out into blackness? Did Lucia's grandpa's ghost really appear to her in an iPhone video? They also talk about the sustainable alternatives to burial, which include things like aqua cremation and boiling your bones into a delicious broth to share with your friends and family.

In the name of recycling, we're reposting our famous fireworks episode from 2022!

Ahhhh it's that time of year again when we ignore the absolutely devastating ongoing political disappointments in the United States and gather to eat watermelon and watch toxic metallic compounds explode over our heads (this one was written by Lucia). On this episode of What a Waste, Lucia and Tyler get into the science behind fireworks and why it's actually sort of insane that we keep using them every year. You'll learn things like how many pollutants fireworks release into the air, how fireworks increase pollution more in environmental justice communities that are already overburdened by air quality issues, and how some places in Canada have chosen the most Canadian alternative to toxic fireworks. 

In honor of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour coming through Chicago and Lucia not getting tickets in time, this week's episode focuses on how the celebrity lifestyle is BAD for the environment (is often wasteful and carbon intensive). Lucia and Tyler discuss the Kardashians (now streaming on Hulu), Kevin Hart's addiction to water, influencer culture on social media, and the psychology that explains why celebrity endorsements make us want to buy more products and how advertising takes advantage of that science to manipulate us into buying things we don't really need (hint: we are cavemen terrified of being slain by our enemies). Capitalism!

On this very special episode, we are joined by Trash People of Logan Square founder Penny Gibbons! Penny is a UK native and Chicago transplant who used the isolation of quarantine and her desire for community as motivation to create what is now a popular, volunteer-driven sustainability community group (some would say movement!) that gets people outside and connected to their neighbors. Lucia, Tyler, and Penny talk about a range of topics, including litter, the need for hyper-local community, the importance of taking action on your creative ideas, and why we need more hot cool people starting community groups. We also learn about why court-mandated trash pickup is one of the most effective ways to get teenagers interested in the environment. Get involved with one of Trash People's many events by following @trashpeopleoflogansquare on Instagram and at trashpeople.org.

Did you know that some people believe that the switch to petroleum saved the whales? On this week's episode, Lucia and Tyler discuss the Whale Oil myth, the history of whaling, and how understanding the shift away from using whale oil can give us hope a renewable energy future. Lucia also does a live reading of an XXX rated passage about whalers from Herman Melville's Moby Dick.