Ken Cook Is Having Another Episode

The U.S. faces a growing measles outbreak. At the time of this recording, there are more than 800 confirmed cases and at least three deaths, including two young children who were unvaccinated. These tragic losses were almost certainly preventable with the MMR vaccine, which is safe, highly effective and widely available.  Measles is one of the most contagious diseases on earth, and it spreads quickly in communities with low vaccination rates. Once nearly eliminated in the U.S., a rise in vaccine hesitancy has opened the door for its return, fueled by misinformation, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic.  The danger isn’t just measles. Falling vaccination rates threaten to bring back other serious, preventable diseases once under control.  In today’s episode, Ken talks with two leading experts on why it’s critical that parents and caregivers stay informed and make sure children are fully vaccinated — not just for their own safety, but for the health of our communities. The first segment is with Dr. Mike Koster, Pediatric Infectious Disease Professor at Brown University. The second segment features Jessica Malaty Rivera, MS, an infectious disease epidemiologist and award-winning science communicator.  For a deeper dive into today’s discussion:Jessica Malaty Rivera, MSMichael P Koster, Professor of Pediatrics, Clinician EducatorKennedy, in His Own Words: Flu, Diabetes, Autism and More (NYTimes, January 2025) Thimerosal and Vaccines (FDA.gov) The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Vaccine Education CenterKen Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week. @kencookspodcast www.ewg.org @environmentalworkinggroup 

Unraveling decades of environmental progress, the Trump administration is systematically dismantling the Environmental Protection Agency. It’s dismantling critical statutes that have protected public health and the environment for years. In today’s episode, Ken is joined by his old boss and mentor, former EPA Administrator Bill Reilly, who served in various roles under four U.S. presidents — Richard Nixon, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama. As EPA chief from 1989 to 1993, Reilly championed landmark policies like the 1990 Clean Air Act amendments.  He also played a key role in responding to major environmental disasters, including the Exxon Valdez and BP Deepwater Horizon oil spills.The Trump administration claims to be defunding the EPA for “economic reasons.” Bill and Ken, however, highlight how environmental regulations have historically driven economic growth rather than hindered it as the agency’s critics claim.For a deeper dive into today’s discussion:Three Former E.P.A. Leaders: You’ll Miss It When It’s GoneAdministrator William K. Reilly, 1989-1993 (EPA Archives)The Cuyahoga River Caught Fire at Least a Dozen Times, but No One Cared Until 1969 (Smithsonian Magazine)Lee Zeldin "Power the Great American Comeback"Clean Air Act Revisions (C-SPAN)Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling (C-SPAN)Alaskan Oil Spill Update (C-SPAN)Ken Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.@kencookspodcastwww.ewg.org@environmentalworkinggroup

Ken is continuing his cook's tour of the who’s-who at public interest organizations. He’s joined by DJ Gerken, the president and executive director of the Southern Environmental Law Center.SELC is the largest environmental nonprofit organization in the southeastern United States. It fights daily to protect our right to clean water, clean air, and a liveable climate. Ken and DJ discuss the latest coming from Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency that has unleashed a wave of controversial moves, from deep budget and staff cuts, office closures and unprecedented rollbacks of critical environmental and public health protections. They debate the current playing field, and how both EWG and SELC are rising to protect American health.For a deeper dive into today’s discussion:Southern Environmental Law CenterE.P.A. Plans to Close All Environmental Justice OfficesLee Zeldin "Power the Great American Comeback"EPA shuts down 10 environmental justice offices, axes EJ divisionEPA eliminating environmental justice jobsKen Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.@kencookspodcastwww.ewg.org@environmentalworkinggroup

Ken’s having another episode, one that quite a lot of people are having lately, all about the federal job layoffs. This is a little bit tricky, as Ken and EWG have at times been critical of the very agencies that are in the Trump administration’s crosshairs. To help Ken unpack this, he’s joined by his friend and environmental hero, Peter Galvin. Peter is one of the founders and the director of programs for the Center for Biological Diversity. They talk about policy, strategies for the next four years, and how their organizations will rise to the occasion to ensure all Americans have a cleaner, safer, non-toxic future.For a deeper dive into today’s discussion:The Center for Biological DiversityFrequent Questions and Answers: Draft Sewage Sludge Risk Assessment for PFOA and PFOS (EPA)WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin to Unleash American Greatness as Head of EPAICYMI: Administrator Zeldin on Record-Breaking Response: How EPA Tackled California’s Wildfire CrisisPFAS in sludge spread on farmland poses health risks, EPA report saysOPM-OMB Memo Guidance on Agency RIF and Reorganization Plans Requested by Implementing The President’s “Department of Government Efficiency” Workforce Optimization Initiative 2-26-2025She Lobbied for a Carcinogen. Now She’s at the E.P.A., Approving New Chemicals (NYTimes)PFAS Rule WithdrawnKen Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.@kencookspodcastwww.ewg.org@environmentalworkinggroup

The meat industry has been consolidating rapidly for decades, concentrating its power in a way that creates problems not only for the environment but also for farming communities in the U.S. and around the world.In today’s episode, Ken is joined by Chloe Sorvino, a journalist at Forbes and author of the new book “Raw Deal: Hidden Corruption, Corporate Greed, and the Fight for the Future of Meat.” Chloe unravels a tangled web of bribery, deceit, and international corporate intrigue as she explores the dark side of the modern industrialized meat industry.For a deeper dive into today’s discussion:Chloe's websiteRaw Deal: Hidden Corruption, Corporate Greed, and the Fight for the Future of Meat.EWG Food Scores: MeatDecoding Meat And Dairy Product LabelsKen Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.@kencookspodcastwww.ewg.org@environmentalworkinggroup

Ken Cook is having another episode, and this one is all about two R’s: Red Dye 3 and RFK Jr. Ken is joined by his fellow public interest leader Dr. Peter Lurie, the  president and executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, or CSPI. He has a storied career in public health, including a stint as the Food and Drug Administration’s associate commissioner for public health strategy and analysis during the Obama administration.Thanks to a petition CSPI filed with the FDA in 2022 FDA petition, Red Dye 3 is now banned from use in food products in the U.S.In today’s episode, Ken and Dr. Lurie celebrate that victory and discuss how CSPI, EWG, and other public interest groups are rising to meet this challenging political moment for public health.For a deeper dive into today’s discussion: www.cspinet.org EWG Food Scores: Red Dye 3What is GRAS? Thank you to our live-stream guests Day One: Dr. Rob Davidson, Executive Director of The Committee to Protect Health Care Dr. Georges Benjamin, Executive Director of American Public Health Association  Day Two: Tom Philpott, Senior Research Analyst at Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future Executive Director Northe Saunders and Advocacy Director Jen Herricks at SAFE Communities Coalition Action Fund Max Goldberg, founder of the newsletter Organic Insider Darya Minovi, Senior Analyst at The Center for Science and Democracy at The Union of Concerned Scientists Author and entrepreneur, Robyn O’BrienKen Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week. @kencookspodcast www.ewg.org @environmentalworkinggroup 

Our skin is our largest organ, and applying some personal care products may let harmful chemicals sink into the body. That’s why Ken feels so strongly about the importance of non-toxic beauty alternatives.In today’s episode, he’s joined by Hillary Peterson, the founder of True Botanicals, a skincare company offering products without problematic ingredients. Hillary is a cancer survivor who was motivated to start her company after listening to Ken speak on NPR about how chemicals in personal care products end up in the umbilical cord blood in pregnant people. Every True Botanicals product is EWG Verified® and sourced with organic regenerative farm and wild harvest ingredients. Now entering their tenth year, True Botanicals is dedicated to reimagining what responsible, ethical beauty looks like. Ken and Hillary discuss her journey, influences, and what’s next in the world of better beauty.For a deeper dive into today’s discussion:True Botanicals WebsiteFood Forest NetworkSkin DeepEWG’s Tap Water Database Body Burden: The Pollution in Newborns (EWG)Ken Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week. @kencookspodcast www.ewg.org @environmentalworkinggroup 

Chemicals in our food, water, and air are risk factors contributing to the rise of Parkinson’s disease. It’s  the fastest-growing brain disease in the world, creating urgency to address not just treatment for Parkinson’s but also its causes.Today’s guest is Dr. Ray Dorsey, a neurologist who co-authored the book, “Ending Parkinson’s Disease: A Prescription for Action.” He explains why Parkinson’s is a man-made disease and how eliminating harmful chemicals in food, water, and air could help get rid of it. EWG is on a mission to ban harmful pesticides like paraquat that have links to Parkinson’s disease. We’re thrilled to have Ray as an ally and leader in the fight. Head on over to BanParaquat.org to join the effort. For a deeper dive into today’s discussion:Paraquat PapersBanParaquat.orgShopper’s Guide to PesticidesKen Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week. @kencookspodcastwww.ewg.org@environmentalworkinggroup

At EWG we believe everyone should have access to safe products, clean drinking water, healthy food, and clean air. We believe in that so much that we’ve spent decades fighting for you. Ken sits down with his colleagues Scott Faber and Jocelyn Lyle to discuss EWG’s impact in 2024 and what’s to come in 2025. From a potential Red dye-3 ban to pesticides in produce to PFAS in your drinking water, EWG has made incredible progress.We’ll have our challenges in 2025 but we’re ready to face them head-on, but not before we celebrate this year’s successes with you, our listeners. Thank you for your support and we’re excited to do it again with you next year.For a deeper dive into today’s discussion:EWG’s Dirty DozenEWG VerifiedEWG’s Healthy Living AppAlaska Community Action on ToxicsBreast Cancer Prevention PartnersCenter for Environmental HealthClean Water ActionNatural Resources Defense CouncilSierra ClubIllinois Environmental Council Defend Our HealthMaryland PIRGAlliance for a Healthier TomorrowResilient Sisterhood ProjectEcology CenterWomen’s Voices for the EarthClean + HealthyEarthjusticeClean Cape FearNorth Carolina Conservation NetworkOregon Environmental CouncilVermont Conservation VotersVermont Natural Resources CouncilVermont Public Interest Research GroupToxic-Free FutureZero Waste WashingtonAlliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments Break Free From PlasticCenter for Environmental HealthClean Production ActionCommonwealConsumer ReportsEnvironmental Defense FundInternational Pollutants Elimination NetworkLearning Disabilities Association of AmericaNational Caucus of Environmental LegislatorsSilent Spring InstituteToxic-Free FutureUnion of Concerned ScientistsKen Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.@kencookspodcastwww.ewg.org@environmentalworkinggroup

We know which healthy choices we need to make to improve our diet and health but it can seem so daunting in the moment. In today’s episode Ken is joined by pharmacist turned wellness content creator, Mona Vand to tackle exactly that. Sometimes it doesn’t feel convenient to eat healthy or find healthy options when you need something quick but Mona helps reframe how to approach food prep and what to look for. If you travel as frequently as Ken and Mona, eating healthy can be very tricky. Mona provides some great tips to improve your energy and how to eat healthy and move your body while on the road.For a deeper dive into today’s discussion:MonaVand.comMona's Instagram EWG’s Dirty DozenEWG VerifiedEWG’s Healthy Living AppKen Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.@kencookspodcastwww.ewg.org@environmentalworkinggroup