Second Nature

Your workout leggings, your morning commute, and the fertilizer to grow your food — what do they have in common? They're all fossil fuel legacies of war. In this episode, we connect the dots between the military and the climate crisis, tracing how wartime decisions made decades ago still shape and pollute our everyday lives.
We sit down with Neta C. Crawford, professor of international relations at the University of St. Andrews and author of The Pentagon, Climate Change, and War, to unpack a staggering blind spot in our global emissions picture: the military. We also follow the money with Commons co-founder Sanchali Pal to understand how fossil fuel lobbyists helped gut the Kyoto Protocol, and what that means for climate targets today. And we hear how our community feels about using their money to avoid funding wars they don't support. Plus: what your vote and your spending have to do with all of it.
Episode rundown:

(00:22) - The US military is the world's single largest institutional fossil fuel consumer.

(01:31) - War's Industrial Afterlife: Nylon, fertilizer, and freeways.

(05:55) - Community action: from campus divestment campaigns to rethinking their everyday spending.

(09:02) - A deep dive into military emissions, hidden history, and the case for diplomacy.

(38:07) - Following the Money: How Big Oil lobbied to keep military emissions off the global books

(44:18) - Your vote and your wallet are more powerful climate tools than you think.

(46:10) - Community Classified: Citizens’ Climate Lobby

📱 Want to make your money count? Download the Commons app .
🌎 Find citations and further reading in the full show notes.
📞 Want to submit to the show? We'd love to hear from you!
📷 Follow Second Nature on Instagram.

Episode Credits
Listener contributions: Braden Marazzo-Nowicki, Diana Holguin, Drew, Julia Nolasco, Fionaa Bhatia, Nicole Collins
Research: Makenna McBrierty
Editing and engineering: Evan Goodchild‍
Hosting and production: Katelan Cunningham

[This episode originally aired June 19, 2024] Composting is one of the easiest, most rewarding climate actions. You get to repurpose food waste, save money on fertilizer, and give back to the soil. Plus, there are so many ways to do it! On this episode, you'll get a straightforward explanation of how composting works and all the inspiration and guidance you need to start composting — no matter where you live. Listen in to hear:
Our community's firsthand advice for composting in any living situation
Your composting questions answered by Dr. Sheridan Ross of Compton Community Garden
The carbon impact of composting our food waste
📱 Want to make your money count? Download the Commons app .
🌎 Find citations and further reading in the full show notes.
📞 Want to submit to the show? We'd love to hear from you!
📷 Follow Second Nature on Instagram.

Episode credits
Listener contributions: Nicole Collins, Joëlle Provost , Lindsay Kerns, Bo Meisl, Sameera Mokkarala, Melissa Athina, Yolanda Gonzalez, Gracon Ladd, and Daniel Goh‍
Featured guests: Dr. Sheridan Ross and Sanchali Seth Pal‍
Editing and engineer: Evan Goodchild‍
Hosting and production: Katelan Cunningham

In a world that tries to get us to shop fast, slowing down our shopping is an act of resistance. In this community episode, our listeners share how slowing down their shopping habits saved them money, cut down on waste, and made them appreciate their stuff any more.
 
Episode rundown:

(00:00) - Why is slow shopping important?

(03:07) - Slow shopping tips from our community

(11:25) - Reflections on slow shopping

📱 Want to make your money count? Download the Commons app .
🌎 Find citations and further reading in the full show notes.
📞 Want to submit to the show? We'd love to hear from you!
📷 Follow Second Nature on Instagram.

Episode Credits
Listener contributions: Grace Kinney-Broderick, Grace Hebert, Molly Barton, Sophia Anderson, Keionna Spalding, Gaby Beaudoin
Research: Makenna McBrierty
Editing and engineering: Evan Goodchild‍
Hosting and production: Katelan Cunningham

The aviation industry has gotten twice as fuel-efficient since 1990, and emissions have still quadrupled. In this episode, we reckon with the guilt of flying, tracing it from economy class all the way up to private jets, where a handful of ultra-wealthy passengers emit up to 500 times more carbon than the average person annually. Plus, we dig into sustainable aviation fuel with Alyssa Norris from Aether Fuels and what it would actually take to make flying something we don't have to feel guilty about.
Episode rundown:

(00:35) - Should we feel guilty about flying?

(03:12) - Our flying footprint

(05:17) - Reckoning with guilty consciences

(09:52) - What is SAF and why aren’t all planes using it?

(27:19) - Following the money from private jets to economy

(37:08) - Individual actions for systemic change

📱 Want to make your money count? Download the Commons app .
🌎 Find citations and further reading in the full show notes.
📞 Want to submit to the show? We'd love to hear from you!
📷 Follow Second Nature on Instagram.

Episode Credits
Listener contributions: Lorena, Morgan Gallagher, Bruno Olmedo Quiroga, Darice  Chang, Jessica Tucker, Kayla Joy , Lena, Dom Altomari
Research: Makenna McBrierty
Editing and engineering: Evan Goodchild‍
Hosting and production: Katelan Cunningham

Lawns cover more American soil than any other irrigated crop — but who decided they should look this way, and at what cost? In this episode, we trace the centuries-old aristocratic tradition behind the modern lawn, expose the billion-dollar industry profiting from invasive grasses and toxic chemicals, and with the help of nature educator Jason Wise (aka Journeyman), we’ll explore how your patch of green could become something far more prosperous. If you've ever questioned the monoculture outside your front door, this one's for you.
Episode rundown:

(00:00) - Chapter 1

(00:49) - Why are lawns a climate issue?

(02:38) - How did lawns become popular?

(06:05) - How is our community adapting their lawns?

(12:34) - Tips to rewind your lawn from Jason Wise (aka Journeyman)

(34:02) - Who’s profiting off the lawn industry?

(43:07) - Imagining a lawn-free future

📱 Want to make your money count? Download the Commons app .
🌎 Find citations and further reading in the full show notes.
📞 Want to submit to the show? We'd love to hear from you!
📷 Follow Second Nature on Instagram.

Episode Credits
Listener contributions: Craig Brown, Nick Blocha, Lena, Grace Kinney-Broderick, Haley Murphy
Research: Makenna McBrierty
Editing and engineering: Evan Goodchild‍
Hosting and production: Katelan Cunningham