Dr. Saleem Ali: The Heavy Price Of Aluminum and The Journey To Industrial Sustainability

SuperLife with Darin Olien

Darin Olien

Activism, Motivation, Environment, Education, Self-improvement, Fitness, Wellness, Health, Alternative Health, Health & Fitness

4.8 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 10 April 2024

⏱️ 86 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

When you’re done using a product and throw it in the trash or recycling - do you think about what happens to it?

Aluminum - this lightweight metal is embedded in countless products, from soda cans to jets. But even with aluminum's recyclability, inefficient practices mean we keep producing new aluminum instead of reusing what we've already produced. It's a vicious cycle.

In the latest episode of The Darin Olien Show, I sit down with Dr. Saleem Ali, Professor of Energy and the Environment, to provide an insightful examination of aluminum, highlighting its omnipresence in our lives and the complex relationship humanity has with this abundant metal. We examine the pros and cons of aluminum use, from its critical role in various industries to its alarming presence in our bodies, and consider the environmental implications of its widespread application and the need for improved recycling practices and alternative materials.

Dr. Ali also shares his insights on how science and environmental concerns are often overshadowed by politics and the concept of circularity, inspired by Barry Commoner's ecological laws, and how thinking in circles can apply to both personal consumption and business models.

Dr. Saleem Ali is is the Blue & Gold Distinguished Professor of Energy and the Environment at the University of Delaware, UN International Resource Panelist, National Geographic Explorer, and author exploring sustainable resource use through books like "Earthly Order” and his new book “Soil to Foil: Aluminum and the Quest for Industrial Sustainability”.

What we discuss…

(06:19) The truth about aluminum and sustainable use practices

(12:51) Transportation and sustainability in modern society

(24:51) Scientific cooperation in international relations and navigating crisis together

(44:07) Empowering sustainable lifestyle choices in a world of conveniences

(49:35) Nuclear energy and environmental myths

(54:26) The impacts of the sharing economy on our environment

(01:05:31) Nonprofit models for public knowledge and finding democratic solutions to challenges

(01:20:26) Hope for innovation in Africa

…and more!

Don’t forget:

You can order now by heading to darinolien.com/fatal-conveniences-book or order now on Amazon.

Thank you to our sponsors:

Bite: Go to trybite.com/DARIN20 or use code DARIN20 for 20% off your first order.

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Find more from Darin:

Website: https://darinolien.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Darinolien/

Book: https://darinolien.com/fatal-conveniences-book/

Down to Earth: https://darinolien.com/down-to-earth/

Find more from Dr. Saleem Ali:

Website: https://saleemali.net/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saleemhali/

Order the book: https://amzn.to/4csti3D

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	By 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish.
0:09.8	Over 500 toothpaste tubes have been thrown away since I've started this ad.
0:16.2	You don't think of these small little things, but they add up a lot over time,
0:21.0	and we can do something about it. That ends up to be over a billion plastic toothpaste tubes a year alone.
0:30.0	That ultimately end up in the ocean.
0:34.0	Do you want to add to this or do you want to do something different?
0:41.0	Plus, maybe that exposure to that plastic, getting the plasticizers and the
0:47.4	endocrine disruptors and then putting that toothpaste in your mouth also is not a good idea. There's some great solutions. You can
0:55.0	DIY stuff. I've got many of these in my fatal conveniences, but the easy ones
0:59.8	that I use every day and I'm about to travel a lot more and the traveling makes
1:05.3	them really easy I go to bite I bite down on a little tablet which is not
1:12.0	interacting with any plastics because it's in a glass bottle and it's
1:16.0	refillable and reusable and sustainable and there's no unwanted toxic fluoride's flow agents and solvents in my mouth.
1:28.0	So my favorite is this bite toothpaste.
1:32.2	100% home, compostable pouches, subscription models, you don't even have to think about it again.
1:38.7	You're helping you by putting clean products in your mouth and you're helping the environment because bite toothpaste is one of the best companies
1:46.8	as I've seen looking at all aspects of their supply chain and their refillable, reusable, sustainable, regenerative practices.
1:57.0	So, Byte is offering you all my listeners 20% off your first order.
2:01.3	Go to tryBite.
2:02.8	T-R-Y-B-I-T-E-S-D-N
2:07.0	or just use the promo code Darren 20, D-A-R-I-N,
2:11.2	and you can get 20% off your first order with a great new toothpaste without using the tube.
	...

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