Insight into ecological subjects and concerns opens outlooks and solutions
“This podcast is for anybody and everybody,”said Louise Houghton, a local environmentalist, about her podcast “Be Curious.” The thought-provoking series dedicated to exploring the vast spectrum of human curiosity gives a platform to inquisitive minds delving into a wide range of topics, from science, ecology, technology and beyond. Each episode invites experts, thinkers, and enthusiasts to discuss ideas and discoveries that inspire curiosity and wonder.
“A lot of people in Malibu and California are environmentally conscious, and working sustainably, especially with smaller organizations, to reduce, reuse, and recycle,” commented Houghton. “The object of the podcast is really to champion solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges.”
Topics may include carbon emissions, the crisis of clothing waste, farming, and packaging.
“We feature different thought leaders, entrepreneurs, scientists, and business people who are taking action to help create a brighter, more sustainable tomorrow,” Houghton added.
In Episode 6, Amber Sparks, co-founder of the marine conservation nonprofit Blue Latitudes Foundation speaks about the innovative program Rigs to Reef that takes old oil rigs off the coast of California and turns them into artificial reefs for sea life.
One of the most recent episodes of “Be Curious” covers packaging “which is very interesting because 50 percent of our plastic waste actually comes from packaging,” Houghton said. “There’s a company called Atlantic Packaging, an 80-year-old company, that’s talking about alternative materials that can mimic packing using seaweed, for example, to mimic plastic. It works in the same way. We talk about paper, recycling paper, and how important it is to use our green and blue trash bins.”
Another “Be Curious” episode focuses on the trending topic of electric car charging and electric mobility and “solving the infrastructure problem” and range anxiety, “the problem of not being able to charge,” according to Houghton. She described what she called an “Airbnb” of charging stations “where you could drive up to San Francisco, look on a map and say, ‘oh, there’s a house that’s got a charger’ and rent that charger and charge at someone’s house without having to go to a gas station or a Tesla center in order to charge your car.”
An interesting company discussed on another episode is Tainr, a company that touts “plastic-free shopping made easy.”The innovative company, Houghton says, “solves an in-store packaging problem where they are bringing back the bulk aisle in grocery stores, but in a much more sustainable, electronic,and technical way.”
Instead of a regular bulk aisle with scoops that are handled by random customers, this new company lets customers electronically punch in the weight of the bulk item they want to buy and then a machine dispenses the items in home containers. Even if you already have items in a container “you can just top off your container of rice or nuts or whatever and it will calculate the weight of whatever you added,” Houghton said. “This is a really great initiative they’veintroduced.” There is word the company may be coming soon to a giant grocery chain in the U.S. “That will be appearinghopefully in stores very soon,” Houghton added.
Two “Be Curious” episodes that are the most popular are about clothes and food. Episode 1’s guest runs Commune Closets, which hosts events around Los Angeles where people can shop each other’s closets.
“We don’t need to constantly be buying more and more because our clothes are being more and more produced out of plastics so they don’t biodegrade,” Houghton said. “They end up in our landfills. They don’t even get sent to people who might need them elsewhere in the world.” Houghton advocates for buying “vintage or at second-hand stores and find the gems available.”
Another guest, Oliver English, speaks about the initiative Feeding Tomorrow and regenerative farming. “It’s about understanding why the health of our soil is important for the health of our bodies because it’s especially important in improving the nutrients in the food that we’re eating,” Houghton said.
Originally from the United Kingdom, Houghton is now a Santa Monica resident also works as a host for live and televised events. She recently hosted the Green Awards in New York at the Greentech Festival for people and companies “doing something extraordinary” in redefining the sustainability industry and is working on the Impact Awards in Los Angeles this October, both featuring environmental issues and sustainability. She’s covered satellite launches from Vandenberg Air Force (now Space Force) Base and has worked with the European Space Agency on projects.
“I want to help make a difference with the skills and tools that I have,” she said.