**Episode Summary:**
In this episode of ChangeHampton Presents, host Francesca Rheannon explores the "new land ethic" with Filipina Dahan, founder of HealthyYards.org, and Midge Iorio, Program Director of Bedford 2030. The discussion centers on transforming suburban landscapes to be more environmentally friendly, focusing on biodiversity, reducing emissions, and promoting sustainable practices. The guests share insights on community engagement, legislative efforts, and shifting perceptions around landscaping.
**Segment Summaries:**
* **(0:00-
0:02:31) Introduction to HealthyYards.org:** Filipina Dahan discusses her journey from landscaping to advocating for sustainable yards, highlighting the lack of life in typical American yards and the need to change conventional practices.
* **(0:02:31-
0:03:31) The Problem with Gasoline Leaf Blowers:** Filipina expresses her strong feelings against gasoline leaf blowers, emphasizing their environmental impact and the availability of alternatives. "I'm not even irritated by the noise so much, it's just what it stands for it stands for robbing the soil from its nutrients, it stands for creating emissions, these machines are very old and unregulated that means that there are really really dirty engines and we don't need them, we have alternatives."
* **(0:03:31-
0:07:22) Bedford 2030's Climate Action:** Midge Iorio shares her personal journey into climate activism and provides the foundation for Bedford 2030, emphasizing the importance of community partnership and action.
* **(0:07:22-
0:08:38) Local Action on Climate Change:** The conversation emphasizes the importance of local initiatives in moving climate action forward, particularly in the face of federal setbacks.
* **(0:08:38-
0:10:29) Healthy Yards' Focus Areas:** Filipina details the various environmental concerns addressed by Healthy Yards, including emissions, biodiversity, water usage, and invasive species.
* **(0:10:29-
0:12:31) Redefining Landscaping:** The discussion explores what it means to create restorative landscaping, contrasting American lawn care practices with the vocational landscaping profession in Europe.
* **(0:12:31-
0:14:04) Shifting Business Models:** Filipina acknowledges the challenges of changing business models based on harmful practices, emphasizing the need for education and new incentives.
* **(0:14:04-
0:15:30) Meeting People Where They Are:** Midge discusses the importance of connecting with people on shared interests and relevant issues, such as health and cost savings, when promoting sustainable practices.
* **(0:15:30-
0:16:18) Working with Municipal Government:** Filipina shares how a sensible policy helped them get a lot of things done with their town board.
* **(0:16:18-
0:17:24) Legislation:** They discuss gas powered leaf blowers and how it affected the town, which lead to a partial ban on gasoline leaf blowers.
* **(0:17:24-
0:18:47) The Importance of Leaves: The Love the Leaves campaign is discussed, which turns out to actually be called Leave Leaves Alone.
* **(0:18:48-
0:20:23) Mulching the leaves: Learn the importance of mulching the leaves, chopping them up in little pieces so they can feed the soil and they can protect the little grass roots from drying out.
* **(0:20:24-
0:22:58) Municipal Government Collaboration:** Midge shares Bedford 2030's collaborative relationship with their local government.
* **(0:22:58-
0:24:24) Communicating and Listening:** Communicating and listening is a key and super productive aspect,
* **(0:24:25-
0:25:08) Motivational Factors:** Concentrate on motivation, not on the things that people are doing wrong, but the things that we can do right.
* **(0:25:08-
0:26:15) Advice:** Advice to those who may want to create a 2030 initiative in their own town.
* **(0:26:15-
0:27:04) Follow up advice:** Set some kind of goals and come together and work towards a shared goal, I think, is really a good motivator.
* **(0:27:04-
0:29:25) Envisioning the Future:** An eye opening conversation on how urban and suburban landscapes would look in 20 years if every municipality adopted this approach.
* **(0:29:25-
0:30:34) Well-being:** Well being has another face, it doesn't look like a mansion with a lawn in the front.
* **(0:30:34-
0:31:33) Changing the aesthetic:** An effort to change the aesthetic of really reaching everybody.