Episodios
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We know which healthy choices we need to make to improve our diet and health but it can seem so daunting in the moment. In today’s episode Ken is joined by pharmacist turned wellness content creator, Mona Vand to tackle exactly that. Sometimes it doesn’t feel convenient to eat healthy or find healthy options when you need something quick but Mona helps reframe how to approach food prep and what to look for.
If you travel as frequently as Ken and Mona, eating healthy can be very tricky. Mona provides some great tips to improve your energy and how to eat healthy and move your body while on the road.
For a deeper dive into today’s discussion:
MonaVand.comMona's Instagram
EWG’s Dirty Dozen
EWG Verified
EWG’s Healthy Living App
Ken Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.@kencookspodcast
www.ewg.org
@environmentalworkinggroup
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No matter your politics, you want the food you and your family eat every day to be safe. So why do so many of the products on the grocery store shelves have worrisome food chemical additives that have been banned in other countries, including many linked to cancer and behavioral problems in children.
To help unravel this, Ken is joined by EWG’s Vice President of Government Affairs Melanie Benesh to do a deep dive into the world of food additives. They discuss how the failures by federal regulators at the FDA have allowed food companies to add troubling chemicals linked to serious health problems into countless foods, and how some states like California are taking a stand on behalf of consumers.
For a deeper dive into today’s discussion:EWG’s Dirty Dozen
EWG Verified
EWG’s Healthy Living App
What is Propyl Paraben?
Propyl Paraben: Are you eating an endocrine disruptor?
Common food additives in Cap’n Crunch and Apple Jacks cereal may harm human health
Thousands of children’s sweets STILL contain additive unsafe for human consumption
California agency acknowledges synthetic food dyes’ link to hyperactivity and behavioral problems in kids
Ken Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.@kencookspodcast
www.ewg.org
@environmentalworkinggroup
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Babies are our most vulnerable population when it comes to chemical exposure. And yet, many baby products contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals.
Entrepreneur, environmentalist, and trailblazer Shazi Visram wants to protect the next generation. Shazi’s mission isn’t just business, it’s personal, and the subject of neurological health is particularly close to her heart.
Shazi is the creator of the groundbreaking baby food company Happy Baby and has launched her newest venture - HealthyBaby. Her line of baby personal care products are all EWG Verified.
In today’s episode Ken and Shazi sit down after an EWG board meeting to talk about her journey, what inspires her, and why being EWG-verified is so important to her.
For a deeper dive into today’s discussion:
Shazi's website
Happy Family Organics
HealthyBaby
EWG Verified
EWG’s Healthy Living App
Ken Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.@kencookspodcast
www.ewg.org
@environmentalworkinggroup
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Do you need an election recovery tool kit? Well, you’ve come to the right place. In today’s episode, Ken is joined by activist, educator, author, and podcast host, Jenna Arnold. Her book, Raising Our Hands, dives deep into conversations with white women about their identity, role in the country, and how to become more engaged citizens to make the changes we desperately need.
As a Women’s March Organizer, Jenna is constantly asking questions about what went wrong, what can be done next and what we need to learn more about.
For a deeper dive into today’s discussion:
Jenna Arnold’s Website
Raising Our Hands How White Women Can Stop Avoiding Hard Conversations, Start Accepting Responsibility, And Find Our Place on the New Front Lines
Jenna’s Instagram @itsjenna
Jenna’s Podcast Let’s Begin
Ken Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.@kencookspodcast
www.ewg.org
@environmentalworkinggroup
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Everyone wants cleaner, cheaper energy. Well, almost everyone. Powerful utility companies like PG&E, Sempra, and Southern California Edison aren’t going down without a fight, and they fight dirty.
In today’s episode, Ken is joined by Bernadette Del Chiaro, the Executive Director of the California Solar & Storage Association, who was instrumental in passing the Million Solar Roofs Initiative into law with then-governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006.
Since then the solar industry in California has created over 70,000 jobs and has installed over 2 million solar rooftops. But thanks to the monopoly utility giants and the leadership of Governor Gavin Newsom—along with his handpicked regulators—the once-vibrant rooftop solar market has been decimated. Misinformation and deceptive tactics from the utility monopolies, threatened by solar's growth, are systematically dismantling the industry in a bid to protect their profits.
For a deeper dive into today’s discussion:
The California Solar & Storage AssociationCalifornia Public Utilities Commission
1 Million Solar Roofs InitiativeEnergy Cities & Regions (Climate Action Stories)
Milestones: A million solar roofs (Public Interest Network)
Edison Electric Institute
Ken Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.@kencookspodcast
www.ewg.org
@environmentalworkinggroup
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In today’s episode, Ken is deep-diving into the intersection of environmentalism and animal welfare.
First, Ken speaks with veterinarian Crystal Heath who has been bravely raising the alarm of how her profession enables and endorses animal abuse from veterinarian school to factory farms.
In the second part of today’s episode, Ken is joined by longtime friend and founder of Animal Wellness Action, president of the Center for a Humane Economy, and former CEO of the Humane Society, Wayne Pacelle. Wayne, like Crystal, is advocating for animal welfare across many industries.
Crystal and Wayne are great examples of individual integrity and commitment to a cause.
They are also great reminders that, as consumers, what we choose to invest in with our dollars makes a difference.
Want a deeper dive on today’s episode? Check out the links below:Our Honor (Crystal's organization)
Animal Wellness Action
Center for a Humane EconomyCrystal Heath wants veterinary medicine to live up to its values (Vox)
New Documents Reveal How the Animal Agriculture Industry Surveils and Punishes Critics (The Intercept)
What are gestation crates and are they legal in the U.S.? (Farm Forward)
Supreme Court Upholds California’s Prop 12, Protects Rights of States to Set Humane Treatment, Food Safety Rules (Animal Wellness Action)
The Bond Our Kinship with Animals, Our Call to Defend Them
The Humane Economy How Innovators and Enlightened Consumers Are Transforming the Lives of Animals
Ken Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.@kencookspodcast
www.ewg.org
@environmentalworkinggroup
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Hi, it's Ken Cook from EWG. I'm here in Washington and we're here to get ready to fight. It already feels like Trump's Washington. That feeling reminds us of what we went through during his first term where we saw a massive assault on environmental protection. We haven't always been happy with everything that happened over the last four years with the Biden administration.
And we have called that out. We will always do that.
We don't favor Democrats or Republicans. We favor environmental protection. We favor human health. We favor your health.
But I have to tell you, this is a very, very different situation that we're facing now. Different than we've ever faced before.We have every reason to think that appointees are, for the most part, here to tear down the ability of the government to do its job, starting with EPA. One of the first announcements was an EPA administrator, and he was instructed to deregulate Environmental protections. So we know that's coming.
And for whatever reason, you may have voted for President Trump. That's your right.
We're not here to suggest who you should vote for. But we will say that when you vote for someone, you get the whole package. There is no such thing as a single-issue politician.And so what we're seeing now is the consequences of someone coming to power, using that power in ways that we predicted would happen, to deregulate the economy, weaken environmental law, and weaken food safety.
Now, there's plenty that we can do as individuals. EWG has tens of millions of people who come to us every year, seeking information so you can protect your family yourself.
You can protect your health yourself, and that's vitally important to do. But there are some things we can't do for ourselves.There are some things we can't shop or behave our way out of. Those belong in the realm of policy and politics.
So we're here for the fight. We wake up every morning ready to fight. We have for 31 years.
We're fighting against companies that don't do the right thing when they make their products. We're fighting against polluters. We're fighting against them and won't ever stop.
But now we're facing a really serious challenge that's structural across the entire government at the federal level. We'll be pushing for advances at the state level to make up for what doesn't happen here in Washington.
We'll be giving you advice so you can protect yourself without having to depend on the government, as ever. That's who we are.
But I'll tell you, I'm very concerned about what we're seeing already with this Trump administration. We're not counting on any help with our agenda from the inside.If we're proven wrong, that would be great. But in the short term, we're preparing for the worst.
I'm asking you for your feedback, for your help, as we do that. Because my feeling is, we're in for a long battle.
On this show, we're going to be your eyes and ears on Trump's Washington. And we're going to be reporting from the front lines of the fight.So, please keep tuning in.
Ken Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.@kencookspodcast
www.ewg.org
@environmentalworkinggroup
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We are interrupting our regular programming for Election Day to encourage you to vote. Make your voice heard at the ballot box and if you have any last-minute questions on how or where to vote head on over to VOTE.ORG.
Who knows what episode I’ll be having after the results are in but tune in to find out.
Happy Election Day.
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If you’ve followed the world of pesticides for as long as Ken has, it can be hard to be shocked. But journalist Carey Gillam (The New Lede) has dug up a story that has rattled even Ken.
In her newest piece “Defend or be damned’ - How a US company uses government funds to suppress pesticide opposition around the world” (The New Lede, The Guardian, Le Monde) Carey exposes a government-funded (pssst, that means funded by your taxes) covert social network that has worldwide tentacles.
Carey and Ken discuss secret dossiers on pesticide critics, including sensitive personal information of journalists and public health advocates, agendas to attack pesticide and GMO opponents, and private social networks used by pesticide industry lobbyists and government officials worldwide to conceal their collusion from public scrutiny.Want a deeper dive on today’s episode? Check out the links below:
“Defend or be damned” – How a US company uses government funds to suppress pesticide opposition around the world (The New Lede)
Carey Gillam’s website ([email protected])Revealed: the US government-funded ‘private social network’ attacking pesticide critics (The Guardian)
Poison PR Media Library (The New Lede)
The Monsanto Papers: Deadly Secrets, Corporate Corruption, and One Man's Search for Justice (Carey Gillam)
Lighthouse Reports
VFluence
AcademicsReview
Academics Review Form 990 2014
Bonus Eventus
The Monsanto Papers: Poisoning the Scientific Well (National Library of Medicine)
Farm to Fork strategy (EU Commission)
Secret files suggest chemical giant feared weedkiller’s link to Parkinson’s disease (The Guardian)
OIG Reports (Sept 2024)
Ken Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.@kencookspodcast
www.ewg.org
@environmentalworkinggroup
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Endocrine disruptors are chemical compounds that interfere with our hormones. For years, it was seen as a fringe theory. Today, it’s embraced by The Endocrine Society and Endocrinologists worldwide. A new study by our guest today shows that chemical exposure to young brains impacts their hormones, which can result in early-onset puberty.
In his latest episode, Ken is joined by Dr. Natalie Shaw, a pediatric endocrinologist and clinical investigator, to discuss her team’s findings and the dangers of early-onset puberty. EWG has been following this topic for quite some time. Join us as we jump back to 2010 when Ken interviews Dr. Louise Greenspan and Dr. Juliana Deardorf about their book, The New Puberty.
We’ll explore the unfolding of this story over the past decade, which leaves us to wonder - what are we doing to our girls, and why?
Want a deeper dive on today’s episode? Check out the links below:
Identification of Environmental Compounds That May Trigger Early Female Puberty by Activating Human GnRHR and KISS1R (Endocrinology, Volume 165, Issue 10, October 2024, bqae103)
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Hormones And Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals What You Need To Know (The Endocrine Society)
Exposure and potential risks of thirteen endocrine- disrupting chemicals in pharmaceuticals and personal care products for breastfed infants in China (Environment International)
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals: Threats To Human Health Pesticides, Plastics, Forever Chemicals, And Beyond (The Endocrine Society)
The New Puberty, How to Navigate Early Development in Today's Girls (Louise Greenspan, M.D., Julianna Deardorff, Ph.D.)
Ken Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.@kencookspodcast
www.ewg.org
@environmentalworkinggroup
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People come to environmental work in many different ways. Our first guest today, Kari Rhinehart, came to environmentalism after experiencing a parent’s worst nightmare, the loss of a child, due to a rare brain tumor. When other children in her community of Franklin, IN started getting sick, parents in the community began asking questions and putting data on a map. What they found shocked them. Contaminated drinking water.
Our second guest, Kari’s attorney, Chris Nidel, is a former chemical engineer turned environmental lawyer. People like Kari and her daughter, Emma Grace, are why Chris does the work that he does (and we wish there were more people like him!) Both Kari and Chris are incredible examples of how one person can have an enormous impact and affect change.
Want a deeper dive on today’s episode? Check out the links below:
If It Was Your Child
Nidel & Nace, P.L.L.C.
Emma Grace Creative Arts Scholarship
TCE Interactive Map (EWG)EWG Tap Water Database
Tap water of more than 19 million Americans polluted by ‘Civil Action’ carcinogen that EPA is poised to ban (EWG)Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) Health Consultation (EPA)
What is Vapor Intrusion? (EPA)
Search for Superfund Sites Where You Live (EPA)
Health Consultation and Analysis, Franklin, IN (ATSDR, HHS, CDC)
Ken Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.@kencookspodcast
www.ewg.org
@environmentalworkinggroup
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First things first, the onus shouldn’t be on us to find food options without chemicals and additives. If it’s in a store, it should be safe to eat. Right? Unfortunately, that’s not the world we live in. In today’s episode, Ken is joined by noted nutritionist Courtney Swan. Courtney is on a mission to empower people to understand what healthy eating is and how to go about it within our broken food system. She is also on a mission to empower people to make their own food and dispel the myth that healthy doesn’t taste good. Ken and Courtney encourage people to trust their gut (in multiple ways) when making food choices and they believe everyone deserves access to healthy and affordable food.
Want a deeper dive on today’s episode? Check out the links below:
Realfoodology
Courtney’s Instagram
EWG's Food Scores
EWG, “Monsanto Emails: ‘Let’s Beat the S*** Out of’ Moms Worried About Cancer-Linked Weedkiller”
Seed Oil Scout
United States District Court, Northern District of California, Case 3:16-md-02741-VC Document 246-2
New York Times, "A Florida Professor Works with the Biotech Industry"
New York Times, "Food Industry Enlisted Academics in G.M.O. Lobbying War, Emails Show"
Oxfam, "These 10 companies make a lot of the food we buy. Here’s how we made them better."
Ken Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.
@kencookspodcast
www.ewg.org
@environmentalworkinggroup
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Astounding advancements have been made in clean energy technology, and rooftop and community solar initiatives have been shown to drive consumer costs down and help us reach carbon emission reduction goals. So why are solar projects hitting a regulatory brick wall? (hint: it’s about corporate greed and value for monopoly utility shareholders). In today’s episode, we’re joined by the co-director of the Institute for Local Self Reliance, John Farrell, to unravel the ins and outs of why rooftop and community solar and other clean energy advancements are being stoned-walled, and what we can do about it.
Want a deeper dive on today’s episode? Check out the links below:Institute for Local Self-Reliance
Local Energy Rules PodcastEWG's guide to solar energy
Fight to save rooftop solar in California heads to state Supreme Court (EWG)Upcharge: Hidden Costs of Electric Utility Monopoly Power (ILSR)
What the Monopoly Utility Model Really Costs Us (ILSR)
The Free Delivery Farce in Solar
KIUC 2023 Annual Report
PG&E to pay $55 million for two massive California wildfires (PBS News)
Project 2025's "Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise" (The Heritage Foundation, made public by NPR)
Ken Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.@kencookspodcast
www.ewg.org
@environmentalworkinggroup
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A cleaner, greener, and brighter future is within our reach. But often the path we have to walk is littered with discriminatory hurdles put up by the male-dominated financial sector. From subsidies that suppress organic farming to everyday biases preventing the funding of new startups and innovative ideas from women and people of color, Wall Street often stands in the way of progress.
No one can speak to this better than our guest today, Robyn O’Brien. Robyn is a bestselling author, speaker, entrepreneur and investor. After earning her MBA from Rice University, Robyn went on to work as an equity analyst on Wall Street where she covered the food and tech industry. After falling down the convoluted rabbit hole of contaminated food and personal care products, she now sits at the intersection of environmentalism, equality and finance.
Want a deeper dive on today’s episode? Check out the links below:
Robyn's website
Ted X - "Real Food Evangelism"
Ted X - “Patriotism on a Plate”
Seeding Innovation: The Path to Profit and Purpose in the 21st Century
The Unhealthy Truth: One Mother's Shocking Investigation into the Dangers of America's Food Supply-- and What Every Family Can Do to Protect ItselfDetox Development -The World Bank
Lifting financial performance by investing in women, Long-term capitalism at BlackRock (Nov. 2023)Reforming federal cosmetics law: What is the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act? (EWG)
EWG welcomes cosmetics law reforms in end-of-year spending bill
MontCalm
HR5050
Ken Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.@kencookspodcast
www.ewg.org
@environmentalworkinggroup
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Many people find EWG while seeking information about pesticides. In today’s episode Ken is joined by our in-house Senior Toxicologist, Dr. Alexis Temkin whose research establishes safety guidelines to help people (including children) minimize their exposure to toxic crop chemicals. In the second half of today’s episode, Ken is joined by renowned pediatrician Dr. Phillip Landrigan whose decades of research and advocacy is integral for understanding the effects of pesticides on children. We see this episode as Pesticides 101, to help give our audience agency over how they (and their families) are exposed to pesticides. Our government isn’t doing enough to protect us from harmful chemical residues often found in healthy foods like fruits and vegetables. Until that changes, we’re grateful for the work of Dr. Temkin and Dr. Landrigan which has helped people, including parents and caregivers, better understand how they can take steps to reduce their exposure to pesticides while eating plenty of healthy fruits and veggies.
Want a deeper dive on today’s episode? Check out the links below:
EWG’s 2024 Dirty DozenEWG’s 2024 Clean 15
EWG’s Dirty Dozen Guide to Food Chemicals: The top 12 to avoid
EWG’s YouTube
Alexis Temkin, Ph.D.
EPA warns farmworkers about risks of Dacthal
60 Minutes (CBS; 2/26/1989)
National Research Council (US) Committee on Pesticides in the Diets of Infants and ChildrenFood Quality Protection Act Signing
Safe Drinking Water Act Signing
Children and Environmental Toxins: What Everyone Needs to Know®
Project 2025's "Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise (contributed by NPR)
Ken Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.@kencookspodcast
www.ewg.org
@environmentalworkinggroup
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Oil companies have known about their enormous and “catastrophic” contribution to climate change since the 1950s. They lied about it for as long as they could and are now lying about their newfound commitment to solving the problem they created. Who will hold them accountable? Melissa “Missy” Sims, a lawyer from Illinois, is currently representing 52 Puerto Rican municipalities against Big Oil for hurricane-related damages caused by the climate crisis. Richard Wiles is the president of the Center for Climate Integrity, which helps state and local elected leaders, including state attorneys generals hold Big Oil companies accountable for climate damages through litigation.
In today’s episode, Ken, Missy and Richard talk about how they got to the front lines of protecting our planet by working together on a mission to sue Big Oil and what their hope for the future looks like.
Want a deeper dive on today’s episode? Check out the links below:She’s on a Mission From: God Suing Big Oil Companies for Damages
Center for Climate Integrity
The Global Climate Science Communications Action Plan “The Victory Memo”
T.I.N.A. Group Sceanarios 1998
Exxon’s 1978 report “The Greenhouse Effect”
Exxon’s 1979 report “Controlling Atmospheric CO2”
Exxon's 2019 Corporate Strategic Planning memorandum
Shell’s 2020 “Let’s Talk Energy Transition” emails and deck
House Oversight documents reveal Big Oil’s “greenwashing” climate claims to hide investments in fossil fuels
Ken Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.@kencookspodcast
www.ewg.org
@environmentalworkinggroup
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Local businesses and local farms are being lost in this era of monopolizing America’s food system, but the food industry didn’t become corrupt overnight. In today’s episode, Ken is joined by Austin Frerick, expert on agricultural and antitrust policy.
His debut book, “Barons: Money, Power, and the Corruption of America’s Food Industry” profiles a series of powerful magnates to illustrate the concentration of power in the food system. Policy language used effectively by the food industry is designed to wall people off, Austin’s book let’s people in.During the 2020 presidential campaign, Austin advised candidates Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Pete Buttigieg on agricultural policy before ultimately serving as Co-Chair of the Biden campaign’s Agriculture Antitrust Policy Committee. He now works at Yale University, collaborating on research related to competition policy and antitrust enforcement.
Want a deeper dive on today’s episode? Check out the links below:“Barons: Money, Power, and the Corruption of America's Food Industry”
EWG's Meat And Dairy Product Labels Decoder
EWG’s quick tips for reducing your diet's climate footprintEWG’s Meat Eater’s Guide to Climate & Health
Ken Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.@kencookspodcast
www.ewg.org
@environmentalworkinggroup
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In a recent New Yorker article, investigative reporter Sharon Lerner writes about former 3M scientist Kris Hansen who conducted a study in the 90s where she found PFAs forever chemicals in the general public's blood. 3M executives told her PFAS chemicals weren't harmful, she believed them. Decades later she would learn the truth about the serious risks of PFAS exposure, and why she decided to speak out against the company she worked at for decades.
We are aware of the harmful effects of PFAs because of Professor Philippe Grandjean, a Danish Toxicologist. In the first part of today’s episode, Ken is joined by Sharon Lerner and talks about the human experience 3m scientist Kris Hansen has gone through since finding out her employer lied to her and the general public for decades. Sharon Lerner refers to Professor Philippe Grandjean’s groundbreaking work in her article and in the second part of today’s episode, Ken is joined by Professor Grandjean to speak about one of his own articles that explores the vested interest in keeping facts about chemical exposure a secret from the public.
Want a deeper dive on today’s episode? Check out the links below:How 3M Discovered, Then Concealed, the Dangers of Forever Chemicals (The New Yorker)
Sharon Lerner's work at ProPublicaIs Pollution Value-Maximizing? The Dupont Case (National Bureau Of Economic Research)
Paracelsus Revisited: The Dose Concept in a Complex World
EWG’s PFAS resources
Lead: Celebrate its ban, but don't cross it off your list (EWG)
Ken Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.@kencookspodcast
www.ewg.org
@environmentalworkinggroup
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Climate change, air pollution, jobs! These are buzzwords that have helped the nuclear energy industry stay in power. In today’s episode, Ken is joined by author and environmental engineering professor, Mark Jacobson and former Chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and author, Greg Jaczko to discuss why we continue to waste so much money in nuclear power, what the new clean energy alternatives are and why we are still using both.
Want a deeper dive on today’s episode? Check out the links below:Mark Jacobson’s Book, No Miracles Needed
Greg Jaczko’s Book, Confessions of a Rogue Nuclear Regulator
EWG’s Green Energy GuideThe Economic Viability of Nuclear Power Is Only Going Down
Why Small Modular Nuclear Reactors Won’t Help Counter the Climate Crisis
Ken Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.@kencookspodcast
www.ewg.org
@environmentalworkinggroup
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Almost 100% of Americans have toxic substances in our bodies and it negatively affects our health in numerous ways. In today’s episode, Ken is joined by functional medicine pioneer and EWG board member, Dr. Mark Hyman. Functional medicine is a complete approach to your whole interconnected biological system. Dr. Hyman came to functional medicine after being diagnosed with mercury poisoning and after using functional medicine to detoxify his body, he became determined to help as many people as possible.
Ken and Dr. Hyman discuss why we are exposed to so many toxic substances, where we are exposed to them, and what you can do to help yourself reduce exposure and increase detoxification.
Want a deeper dive on today’s episode? Check out the links below:functionhealth.com/mark
Mark's InstagramDr. Mark Hyman’s Website
EWG's Dirty Dozen: Cancer Prevention Edition
EWG's 2024 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce™
Ken Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.
@kencookspodcast
www.ewg.org
@environmentalworkinggroup
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