The High Cost of Toxic Fashion - with Alden Wicker

Synthetic fabric clothing is not only contaminating our world with microplastics, but it’s also impacting our ability to reproduce. 

This week on Green Street, Patti and Doug talk about the environmental legacy of war, state efforts to ban artificial food dyes, and what kinds of chemicals are often found in baby mattresses. Then investigative reporter and author Alden Wicker talks about fast fashion, synthetic fabrics, and how our throw-away relationship with cheap clothing is not only exacerbating the worldwide plastic crisis impacting but our own health in ways we never expected. 

The High Cost of Toxic Fashion - with Alden WickerGreen Street with Patti & Doug Wood

29:00

Links from the Interview

• Alden Wicker's book "To Dye For": https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/705645/to-dye-for-by-alden-wicker/

• To Dye For - the documentary film: https://www.todyeforthedocumentary.com/watch

Links from the News

• The environmental legacy of war: https://costsofwar.watson.brown.edu/costs/environmental

• West Virginia bans food dyes: https://westvirginiawatch.com/2026/03/25/west-virginias-artificial-food-dye-ban-still-blocked-by-judge-bill-to-address-it-died-in-senate/

• Chemicals in baby mattresses: https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news/2025/06/two-new-studies-find-harmful-chemicals-childrens-bedrooms-and-mattresses

Journalist and author Alden Wicker

OFF February!

Social media is taking a huge toll on our families, our communities and our nation. This February, it’s time to push back. 

In the news this week, Patti and Doug talk about the proliferation of plastic particles in agriculture and what it means for the world, and the growing interest in community geothermal systems to reduce the need for fossil fuels and cut energy costs. Then Diego Hidalgo, founder of the “OFF” movement, explains his vision of a worldwide campaign to regain our time and attention by removing social media apps from our phones for 28 days in February. Learn more about the campaign on our program website, GreenStreetNews.org 

OFF February - with Diego HidalgoGreen Street with Patti & Doug Wood

29:00

Links from the Interview

• More information about the OFF February campaign and how you can get involved: https://www.americansforresponsibletech.org/off-february

• Diego Hidalgo's bio: https://www.diegohidalgo.net/bio-en

• More information about the OFF Movement: https://www.offm.org/en

Links from the News

• Plastic in agriculture: https://bioengineer.org/study-reveals-first-evidence-of-plastic-nanoparticles-accumulating-in-edible-parts-of-vegetables/

• More information about plastic in fruit (study from 2020) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013935120305703

Geothermal project in New Haven: https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/geothermal/connecticut-union-station-network-underway

Diego Hidalgo, founder of the OFF Movement

Sperm Trouble - with Dr. Shanna Swan

What's responsible for the worldwide decline in sperm that is making things difficult for those trying to have a baby?

A worldwide decline in sperm is making things difficult for those trying to have a baby. This week in the news, Patti and Doug talk about the link between RF radiation and autism,  A Pew Foundation report on plastic pollution, and how chemicals in food are making us sick. The Dr. Shanna Swan, author of "Countdown – How Our Modern World Is Threatening Sperm Counts, Altering Male and Female Reproductive Development, and Imperiling the Future of the Human Race" – talks about her work and how endocrine-disrupting chemicals may be interfering with our ability to reproduce. 

Links from the Interview

Dr. Swan's page about her book "Countdown" https://www.shannaswan.com/countdown

Dr. Swan's page at Mount Sinai: https://profiles.icahn.mssm.edu/shanna-h-swan

Links from the News

Doctors and scientists wan about plastic in our food system: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/dec/10/synthetic-chemicals-food-system-health-burden-report

How plastic is harming your health (Breaking the Plasti Wave) https://www.pew.org/en/research-and-analysis/reports/2025/12/breaking-the-plastic-wave-2025

Study looking at links between RF (wireless) radiation and autism: https://www.ehn.org/wireless-radiation-autism-related-genes

Our website for high school kids to get involved with the plastic crisis: www.KidsCanFixTheWorld.org

Dr. Shanna Swan