How can we create less waste?

Thursday night, the capital of the country music world is not Nashville, it's Frisco, Texas. That's because the biggest names in country music are here in North Texas for tonight's Academy of Country Music Awards at the Star in Frisco. Reba McEntire hosts and you can watch the event for free on Amazon Prime Video.

This is the second year in a row that Frisco gets to host the ACM's. Last year, it brought more than 31 million dollars to the economy of Frisco and all of North Texas.

On today's Ask The Expert, the mayor of the city of Frisco, Jeff Cheney joined us.

May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month.

TxDOT is launching its "Share the Road: Look Twice for Motorcycles" campaign and reminding drivers to remain alert and watch carefully for motorcycles on Texas roadways.

In 2023 in Texas, 599 motorcyclists were killed in motor vehicle crashes and 2,483 motorcyclists were seriously injured. The number of motorcyclists killed on Texas roads increased by 7% last year, and intersection fatal crashes in our state increased by 21%.

On today's Ask the Expert, we have Alice Rios, spokesperson with TXDOT.

How many of these accidents we see in North Texas include motorcyclists?

The general election is coming up in less than six months. And people are already feeling the stress of what's going to be an absolutely brutal campaign for Congress and the White House.

We've only scratched the surface of the anxiety that people are going to feel with the primary campaigns across the state and country.

We'll get inundated with all kinds of negativity with campaign commercials, the news, and the debates.

What can we do to stamp out the noise and lower our blood pressure?

On today's Ask The Expert, Dr. Ken Jones joined us. He's a Behavioral Health Clinical Officer at Texas Health Resources.

We are wrapping up Teacher Appreciation Week today. It is a special time to acknowledge the hardworking and dedicated teachers who strive to make a difference in the lives of young people every day.

Teach For America (TFA) Dallas/Fort Worth is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring every child receives an excellent education.

On Ask the Expert, their Executive Director, Bibi Yasmin Katsev joined the KRLD Afternoon News to share some ideas on how parents and students can express their appreciation for their hardworking and dedicated educators.

During the month of May, we take the last Monday of the month to remember those who gave their lives in service to this country on Memorial Day.
But, May is also National Military Appreciation Month, where everyone can take some time to give appreciation to everyone who served in America's Armed Forces.
It's also just as vital to show that same appreciation for the families of our military.
On today's Ask The Expert, retired Vice Admiral William French joined us. He is the CEO of the Armed Services YMCA

May is Mental Health Month. Our students' mental health is important for their success.

Communities In Schools of the Dallas Region is helping schools have access to mental health resources as well as training them to deal with children who need extra attention.

On Ask the Expert, Dr. Summer Rose joined the KRLD Afternoon News. She is their Chief Clinical Officer and breaks down how they are implementing their mission in schools.

May is Women’s Health Month. For women listening, it is imperative to prioritize your health and empower yourself by learning more about the resources available to you. Chief Medical Officer at Parkland Health, Dr. Joseph Chang, joined Ask the Expert on Monday. He is also a board-certified OBGYN.

They call it one of the seven deadly sins. It's rage. And it doesn't just hurt your spirit, it can actually be physically dangerous as well.
There's new research from the American Heart Association that says anger is a major risk factor for heart attacks and strokes. It's all very medical, but the bottom line is.. if you can't control your anger, you could be looking for real trouble. Your risk could go as high as five times normal

On today's Ask The Expert, Dr. Kenneth Saland joined us. He's a cardiologist at Texas Health Dallas.

The restaurant and food service business has hit a new milestone.
It's the biggest employer in the state of Texas. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says it just became the largest private employer, and took that top spot from the health care industry. 11 percent of the working people in Texas are working somewhere serving food.... that's mostly restaurants, but it also includes catering companies and bars.
Restaurants bring in more than 106 billion dollars. That's the first time that it's gone past 100 billion.

On today's Ask The Expert, Emily Williams Knight joined us. She's the President and CEO of the Texas Restaurant Association

Knowing how to swim isn't just out of fun for the summer, it's also important to recognize that not everyone has always had the opportunity to learn to swim. This is why it is so important to recognize, in order to save lives around the water-- swimming lessons should be available for everyone.

"Only 46% of Black and 47% of Latine children had swimming lessons, compared to 72% of white children," according to a parent survey (Northwestern/Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago). Studies show there is a generational influence, if the parent doesn't know how to swim, most likely, the child will not learn either.

To help break this cycle, the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas is stepping in with the goal to eliminate childhood drowning (CDC says drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1-4). The Y partners with apartment complexes across the metroplex to offer free Safety Around Water lessons (SAW) to children who otherwise wouldn't have access. Last year, the SAW program served 5,834 swimmers!

On Ask the Expert, Jen Pewitt joined the KRLD Afternoon News. She is the Vice President of the YMCA Metropolitan Dallas.

If you're going to have a discussion, be positive about it. Don't tear people down for trying. - Lauren Singer
Have you ever thought about how much trash you create in a day?
My juice comes in plastic bottles, my prepared meals come in plastic containers, my favorite to go meal from my favorite restaurant comes in a plastic bowl in a plastic bag.
It's not just food either, it's everything. When you order something online it comes in a box full of packing products.
It all adds up pretty quick, and once I started to notice how much trash I was creating, I started to wonder about a different solution.
I'm not the only one noticing this problem, and you may even feel the same way. The zero waste lifestyle is a growing trend, and on the forefront of that is my friend Lauren Singer.
Some of you may know Lauren from her popular blog Trash is for Tossers, or even from her giant social media following. Lauren was an environmental science major in college when she came to the discovery that she was creating just as much waste as everyone else.
She decided to make an impact on the world by changing her personal actions and believed that her love for the planet would inspire others to do the same. Today she has been featured on several major news outlets, has a massive social media impact, owns a package free shop in Brooklyn, and is considered a leader in the zero-waste movement.
On this episode, Lauren gave some amazing insights on how to live a waste free life. If you're worried that cutting down on your waste is expensive or impossible based on where you live, get ready to see this lifestyle in a new light.
Learn all about the impact your actions have on our planet and how to improve them on Episode 605.
Some questions I ask:
What is zero waste and why did you get into it? (1:26)
Is it easier for anyone to buy things without plastic? (6:04)
Where can you go for non-packaged food? (10:09)
When you want a smoothie do you bring your own container? (13:20)
What if you were dating someone who had plastic everywhere? (16:42)
Have you inspired others to be completely zero waste? (19:03)
In an ideal world, what would happen with products in general? (23:50)
Where do you need to grow the most? (26:55)
Do you feel like you were more giving to everyone else as opposed to yourself? (29:07)
Who do you reach out to when you're going through problems? (30:36)
In this episode you will learn:
What hydrofracking is (2:06)
Why recycling isn't enough (7:24)
If Lauren gives in to temptation of items that come in packaging (11:57)
Where and how Lauren buys her clothes (14:22)
How many people she's influenced to be waste free (15:26)
How her life became simplified (17:56)
How to get rid of plastic in the most efficient way (19:45)
How she deals with all the haters (21:14)
What she's working on the most right now (25:30)
When Lauren reached her breaking point (28:04)
Advice for female entrepreneurs in their 20s (29:30)
What Lauren is going to do to get to the next level this year (31:30)

In episode 174, Kestrel welcomes Rachel Faller, the founder of Tonlé, as well as Sreyoun, the General Manager of Tonlé’s production operations in Cambodia, to the show. A zero waste, ethical fashion brand, Tonlé is on a big mission, to reduce waste generated by larger factories and change the way business is done in the fashion industry.

“Lots of people define zero waste in different ways, and for us, it’s basically about reducing the waste that’s already being created in the fashion industry, and using every piece of our own waste.”
- Rachel Faller, Founder of Tonlé

On this week’s show, Rachel shares more on her journey, and how a Fulbright fellowship to Cambodia helped plant the seeds for her to build Tonlé.

Also, we explore more in depth what zero waste means to the brand, and how for Tonlé, it naturally overlaps with their approach to manufacturing, and addressing social issues.

Sreyoun, the General Manager of Tonlé’s production operations in Cambodia, also shares how she started working with Tonlé, originally as an accountant. She had the opportunity to move into other positions, learn a lot about the business and sustainable fashion, and now has moved into the General Manager role.

The below thoughts, ideas + organizations were brought up in this chat:

• “Zero waste” at Tonlé

• Production practices at Tonlé

• Srey Oun Sweater, one of Rachel’s favorite styles

Sara Rickards has a Permaculture Design Certification, Bachelors in Biomedical Science, a Masters in Environmental Engineering and she's also a street wizard. Sara has an uncanny ability to see patterns that other people can't. She attributes this superpower to her dyslexia that, despite her multiple degrees, made school work more difficult for her.

But in real life, she uses the non-linear thought patterns to disrupt systems including the education sector, construction and soon the economy. Sara is a real human full of sparkle. She has the same enthusiasm as JVN (from Queer Eye, DUH) and the same life purpose as Oprah- to unlock human potential. In short, Sara teaches what she lives- the simple art of giving a fuck.