52 Hertz: The Lonely Whale Podcast

Zanagee Artis co-founded Zero Hour when he was just 17 years old. The youth-led climate justice organization has since expanded to 24 sister chapters across the United States with many more internationally. Zero Hour creates entry points, training, and resources for new young activists (and adults who support their vision) wanting to take concrete action around climate change.

Zanagee has been recognized by national publications including the New York Times and recently by Teen Vogue as one of the magazine’s “9 Climate Activists of Color You Should Know.”

52 Hertz host Petrice Jones and Zanagee talk about the ability of young leaders to galvanize change, how Zero Hour goes against the current by centering the voices of diverse youth, and why the environment should be a top priority when Americans cast their ballots in the November 3 presidential election.

Melati Wijsen is a world-renowned activist, environmentalist, and youth leader from Indonesia, who has gone against the current every day since she was 12 years old when she co-founded Bye Bye Plastic Bags. Now at 19, she is a co-founder of three organizations: Bye Bye Plastic Bags, Mountains Mamas, and Youthtopia. 52 Hertz host Petrice Jones and Melati discuss youth empowerment, ways traditional education has failed students, and if she’s sacrificed a ‘normal’ childhood.

Stefan Berggren is Sr. Product Compliance at Trek and Jesse Garrison is Senior Mechanical Engineer at Trek. In America where throwaway culture is status quo, Trek Bikes goes against the current by building quality products that last. Their bikes and cycling gear are recognized around the world. As a partner in NextWave Plastics, an initiative convened by Lonely Whale where companies commit to keeping plastics in the economy and out of the ocean, Trek developed the Bat Cage, a water bottle holder made out of material from recycled fishing nets. 52 Hertz host Petrice Jones, Stefan and Jesse discuss embracing sustainability, the importance of connecting with nature, and the surprising ways the cycling industry can help save our oceans.

Adam Gardner is the guitarist for Guster and co-founder of Reverb. Tanner Watt is the Director of Partnerships at Reverb, a nonprofit using the power of music to inspire individuals to take action for people and the planet. Reverb disrupts typical practices in the music industry by collaborating with musicians, venues, and festivals to create green concert events and shift attitudes toward waste. Through these collaborations, they engage fans and inspire them to take environmental and social action. 52 Hertz host Petrice Jones, Adam, and Tanner discuss the power that music has to bring people together, issues of accessibility in the music industry and environmentalism, and the challenges sustainable music events face in the wake of COVID-19.

Jane Abernethy is Chief of Sustainability at Humanscale and Gabe Wing is Director of Sustainability at Herman Miller, two iconic office furniture brands known for design innovation. Both organizations have gone against the current and put competition aside to collaborate as partners in NextWave Plastics, an initiative convened by Lonely Whale. NextWave member companies commit to keeping plastics in the economy and out of the ocean by incorporating recycled ocean-bound plastics into their product supply chains. In this episode, 52 Hertz host Petrice Jones talks to them about design as a tool for combating environmental problems, the difference between good and bad materials, and the virtues of radical collaboration.

Kelsey Halling is Head of Partnerships at First Mile, an organization that disrupts the recycling industry by bringing transparency to the “first mile” of the recycling supply chain. In this episode, 52 Hertz host Petrice Jones and Kelsey discuss why recycling is a human rights issue and how First Mile’s work goes against the current, creating recycling micro-economies and dignified job opportunities for people in Haiti, Honduras and Taiwan who are among some of the most affected by the plastic crisis.

Julie Christeas is a producer, director, activist, mother, and CEO of Tandem Pictures, the first conscious indie film studio. Their mission disrupts the film industry’s often wasteful practices by focusing on zero waste and net-zero CO2 emissions. In this episode, 52 Hertz host Petrice Jones and Julie break down myths about cost and sustainability in film production, describe what exactly a green film set looks like, and share how going against the current to weave sustainability into their model has shaped community and culture at Tandem Pictures.

Dyson Chee is an 18-year-old youth activist from Oahu who was a vocal advocate for the implementation of Bill 40 ⁠— one of the most stringent single-use plastic bans in the United States. In this episode, Project O.C.E.A.N. Hawai’i founder Dyson Chee reveals how attending Ocean Heroes Bootcamp, challenging his own perceived limitations, and going against the current to #beatplasticpollution helped him realize his place in the world. 52 Hertz host Petrice Jones and Dyson talk Bill 40, the power of youth activism, politics, and personal transformation.

Steff McDermott is a 19-year-old environmental advocate from the Cayman Islands and a founding member of Sail for Climate Action; a project pioneered by youth from Latin America and Europe. In this episode, Steff discusses how she goes against the current, working to elevate the often-ignored voices in the Global South and to strengthen bonds across the Atlantic Ocean.

52 Hertz host Petrice Jones and Steff talk sailing through the Bermuda Triangle, leadership, and what that journey taught her about culture, race, and history in the context of environmental activism.

Adrian Grenier is an environmentalist, actor, musician, and producer. In our first episode, Adrian discusses how he went against the current by leveraging his stardom to benefit the environment, co-founding Lonely Whale, and embarking on his journey to usher in a new era of compassion and consciousness for the environment. 

52 Hertz host Petrice Jones and Adrian talk eco-anxiety, the plastic crisis overwhelming our ocean, and how building community is the first step to healing ourselves and our Earth.