Hey, Wowzer fams, Guy Raz and Mindy here, and before we start the show... Happy Earth Day to you!
Happy Earth Day to you!
Happy Earth Day, dear Wowzers!
Happy Earth Day to you!
Happy Earth Day to you!
If you're looking for ways to celebrate our Earth today and every day, visit Tinkercastcom slash Earth to find activities, episodes and videos that bring the wows of the world right to you.
And while you're at it, don't forget to show your gratitude to the Earth today.
It does a pretty good job of taking care of all of us.
So let's all remember to take care of it, too.
That's it.
Now, let's get back to the show.
Proceeded 3, 2, 1... so many discoveries that are jumping off the page Drink up, my little petunias.
Happy Earth Day to you.
I sure do love you.
You're red and you smell... That's it, boys!
Huh?
A dump truck?
Mindy?
Oh no, what is she doing now?
Thank you!
Okay, you guys, get the shovels.
We gotta bring all this inside.
Is that sand?
What does she need that much sand for?
And inside her house?
Hey, Mr. Rousey.
What is all that racket going on over at Mandy's house?
What?
I can't even hair myself slick.
Well, it looks like Mindy and Reggie are setting up for their big Earth Day party today.
Right.
I'm so excited for this Earth Day party.
Does everyone have their Earth Day presents ready and wrapped?
No.
Oh, wait.
Yes, mine's on its way.
I got mine.
Me too.
So...
When's this party starting?
Uh, I'm not sure.
I think Mindy and Reggie must be decorating.
They're shoveling sand into the gingerbread mansion right now.
Still?
Yesterday, they brought in a load of trees.
The day before that, they piped in a bunch of salt water.
And the day before that, they were squeezing a small mountain through the front door.
Now, Sand, when's this party going to be ready?
Ahem.
Hey, Mandy.
When is this party gonna start?
Reggie, are we all set up for the party?
Oh, great.
Uh, we're ready.
Come on over, everyone.
Yay!
All right, this is gonna be fun.
I hope my present gets here.
Okay, Mindy, we're all here.
Ahem.
Welcome, everyone, to Mindy's magical inside-out, or rather outside-in, Earth Day party.
I want to know who's older, the Earth or G-Force.
What?
Uh, well, we are celebrating an Earth that's 4.5 billion years old, so... Got it.
G-Force is over.
Hush, Fingerling.
I'm a teenager.
Now, if you will all kindly follow me inside.
Or is it outside?
Outside?
I don't get it.
Whoa.
Well, rope me up and call me doggy.
Are my eyeballs playing tricks on me, or is that a Grand Canyon right there in the middle of your entryway?
Well, technically, it's a baby Grand Canyon.
The actual one was a few inches too wide to get through the door.
What in the... Look, everyone!
It's the beach!
Wow, an indoor beach.
Now I've seen everything.
Yay!
Dark gingerbread mansion beach.
What's the sand made out of?
Crushed up graham crackers?
Let me taste and see.
Oh, Dennis, I wouldn't.
Ew, Mindy, the sand is made out of sand.
Mindy, you...
Brought in sand and ocean water from the beach to create a beach inside your gingerbread mansion?
Well, yeah.
I mean, it's an Earth Day party, and you know I love a good theme.
And I love this waterfall.
Look at that.
What were the shipping costs on this baby?
Is this what you mean by an inside-out party?
Well, I guess it's more of an outside-in party.
I mean, you can't have a party for Earth without inviting the Earth.
Yes, you can!
But Why would I want to?
Earth is the guest of honor and we are going to celebrate it until the sun comes up, which is over the kitchen counter over there.
What?
Oh, by golly, she brought the sun.
Whatever.
What an Earth Day this is turning out to be.
Actually, what is Earth Day anyway?
Oh, that's a great question, Dennis.
Earth Day is a day to celebrate this big...
Beautiful planet that we all call home.
Well, I actually call my home diaper house Cuz it's made out of diapers.
But Earth Day is also a day where we renew our commitment to take action to take care of it, Because when we take care of the earth, the earth takes care of us, And Earth could really use a little extra love and care right now.
As you've all probably noticed, there have been some pretty bunker balls weather events lately.
Wildfires, massive storms, hurricanes, droughts.
And a lot of this is caused by something called climate change.
Oh, I know her.
She's a real pill.
No, climate change is what happens when there's too much pollution and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
It causes the Earth's invisible blanket of heat-trapping gases to become thicker.
And when this happens, too much heat gets trapped and Earth gets hotter.
Wet gets wetter, and dry gets drier, and our planet gets kind of stressed out.
And begins to act out.
So a big old storm is just the Earth throwing a hissy fit?
Well, I guess that's one way to look at it.
Oh, I get it.
Earth Day is the day we go, yay Earth!
You're so big and beautiful.
And if we promise to be good to you, will you promise to chill out and stop sneak attacking us with storms and fires?
Well, sure.
I suppose that kind of sums it up.
So I was thinking, before we let Earth's tornado out of the closet to blow out all 45 billion candles on its Earth Day cake, maybe we should do presents.
Or take a whack at this big old...
Beehive-shaped pinata?
Wait, Grandma G-Force, that pinata is a beehive.
Mindy, why did you... Knock, knock.
There's only room for one queen bee at this party, and that's...
Hey, why you stinging me, bee?
Grandma G-Force, please step away from the beehive.
Okay, fine.
Thank you.
Now, do you have your Earth Day present to give to Earth?
Sure do.
Here, Bessie, Bessie, Bessie.
Come on, girl.
World Wide Web.
A cow?
Hi, cow.
Grandma G-Force, why would you bring a cow to an Earth Day party?
Because you told me to bring a present for Earth.
Now what's the Earth gonna be?
No offense, cow.
Well, Earth loves cows.
Just ask all Earth's plants that grew out of this cow's poop.
Manure.
The cow's manure.
Well, I guess cow poop or manure is a natural fertilizer for the Earth.
But I will say that the methane gas that's produced by cows is adding quite a bit of greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere and causing our Earth to get even hotter.
What is he talking about?
I believe he's talking about cow farts.
Well, not just farts, but cow burps as well.
Oh, nice one, Busy.
See as cows digest their food.
They produce a lot of farts and burps, and those burps alone release a lot of greenhouse gas into the atmosphere.
Oh, come on.
That don't seem like so much gas to me.
Well, maybe not from one cow, but there are over 1.5 billion cows on Earth.
Whoa.
And with those kinds of numbers, cows are now a significant contributor to global warming or those rising temperatures of the Earth.
Well, first of all, I already know that.
And second of all, that's why this cow, present for all Earth, is coming with a gas mask and a fart filter.
Here, Cal, put this on.
Stay still.
Stop wiggling.
Bobby, a burp-blocking gas mask for Cal.
What will they think of next?
Now, turn around, Cal.
Let me affix this to your backside.
Here we go.
Two trappin' undies.
We should put a pair on Tommy.
No way, dude.
Now stay put, Cal.
Gotta get this fart filter fixed to your rump.
This is ridiculous.
Yeah, but you know, Guy Raz, researchers have actually been exploring and even testing the concept of wearable devices for cows that capture the methane they produce before it's released into the atmosphere.
And my farmer friend, old McDonald, installed some cow fart filters in his barn.
What?
Oh, yeah, I've heard of these.
These systems use big fans and giant air filters to trap the methane gases that cows burp and fart out.
And then that gas can be converted into useful energy like biogas to power the farm.
And you know, now that you mention it, I recently read that researchers at the University of California Davis found that adding seaweed to a cow's diet helps to reduce the amount of methane emissions by almost 40.
Wow!
So there you go, Earth.
Enjoy your fartin' cow.
Okay, uh, who's up next?
Thomas Fingerling, did you bring an Earth Day present for Earth?
Why, yes, Mandy, I did.
Behold... the Smog Sucker!
Tommy, that's just an old vacuum cleaner that you've turned upside down.
Yeah, what's your point?
Now behold as the smog sucker sucks up all the cow farts in this room.
Ooh!
Okay, I think that's enough.
What?
You say something, Mr. Ozzie?
I said I think that's enough.
You can turn off the vacuum cleaner now.
I can't hear you.
This here smog sucker is too loud.
That's it.
What the?
Gee, Forrest, did you unplug the power cable?
No, I couldn't.
Oh.
With my teeth.
Wait a minute.
A vacuum cleaner that sucks up all the pollution in the air?
This is actually a great new idea.
Oh, I thank you, Mandy.
I thought of it all by myself.
Actually, while this is not a super well-known idea, it's hardly a new one.
It's not?
Well, a vacuum for air pollution is a technology that's been around for over 20 years, but it's taking a while to really take off.
Somebody's already invented the smog sucker?
Well, yeah, kind of.
It's something known as direct air capture.
Oh, well, I think smog sucker sounds better.
Yeah!
And, Guy Raz, is direct air capture an upside-down vacuum that sucks up air pollution?
Well...
Yeah, sort of.
Direct air capture is kind of like a giant vacuum cleaner for the sky.
It uses special machines to suck up carbon dioxide, trap it, and then it either stores it safely underground.
Or it turns it into something useful, like fuel for airplanes.
Oh, I want to fly an airplane powered by recycled air pollution.
Me too!
Well, then we better fix the smog, sucker, and make some airplane fuel.
Fancy!
Not now, cow.
Okay, uh, who's next?
Dennis, did you bring an Earth Day present for Earth?
Dennis?
Where'd Dennis go?
He was just here.
Uh, Dennis, where are you?
You're up.
Everyone look out!
No!
These are fragile.
And heavy.
Francis!
What in the... Why is he covered in mirrors?
Dennis, stop!
You're reflecting the light from the sun directly into our eyes!
I'm melting!
Dennis, what are you doing?
Why are you covered in mirrors?
I'm not Dennis!
I'm Super Space Mirror Man! and I'm the greatest gift to Earth.
What?
I don't get it.
With the power of my super sun repelling mirror suit, I can reflect the sun's powerful rays away from the Earth and make the world cooler.
Hi-yah!
Wiggling boy, I'm trying to apply my lipstick and you keep moving.
Oh, sorry.
You know, Super Space Mirror Man is kind of on to something.
Yeah, I'm here.
He is?
He is.
What he's modeling with this suit of mirrors is something called solar radiation management.
You don't say have been exploring the idea of placing giant mirrors or reflective surfaces in space to reflect sunlight away from Earth, with the idea that this could help cool our warming planet?
Ah, so it's kind of like giving the Earth a little sunshade to keep it from overheating?
Well, yeah, sort of.
And scientists have been coming up with all sorts of ideas to reflect some of the sun's heat back into space.
Like what?
Well, like spraying teeny tiny shiny particles into the sky to reflect the sun away from the Earth.
Or by spraying saltwater particles into clouds to make them brighter and more reflective.
Or we can all dress in super sun-repelling mirror suits like me, Super Space Mirror Man.
Well, like Dennis' mirror suit, these ideas are all far from perfect, and some of them could actually cause other problems.
Aw.
But they're a start and innovation requires lots of ideas, both good and bad, before we can get to the really wow ones.
Well, I'm still giving myself to the Earth.
Here, Earth!
Okay.
And what about you, Guy Raz?
Do you have an Earth Day present for Earth?
Well, I do, but it's actually next door in my driveway.
You bought the Earth a car?
This planet gets a car, and all I get to ride in is a shopping buggy pushed down a hill by...
Fingerling.
Yeah, we want cars.
No, no, no.
I did not buy the Earth a car.
I built the Earth a solar-powered driveway.
Ooh.
But why?
Because, by using solar power to power my electric car, I don't need to use other forms of electricity that come from burning coal or oil or natural gas.
Ah.
And by using the free, clean power directly from the sun, my car isn't putting any harmful pollution into the atmosphere.
And this reminds me, Guy Raz places like China and Sweden, and even the US, have all been experimenting with not just solar-powered driveways, but solar-powered roads.
It's true.
Roads that use solar energy from the sun to power electric vehicles while they're driving.
And here in the US, scientists have been testing solar road panels with built-in heaters to melt snow and ice caused by winter storms.
Whoa, can your driveway do that, Mr. Ozzie?
Well, not yet, but I certainly am inspired by this innovation.
And now, what about you, Mindy?
Well, what about me?
Did you bring a present for planet Earth?
Oh, yeah.
Well, I've been working on a few handmade gifts inventions, if you will but they're all going to need a little work.
What do you mean?
Well, let's see here.
First I tried building this giant hand fan that brushes all the litter and pollution and sends it off into space.
But
Yes?
But I forgot to account for gravity, and it all came raining back down.
And then I came up with this can of instant glacier spray.
You know, spray on glacier to rebuild all of the melting icebergs.
Yes?
But I'm gonna need a lot more cans.
Turns out icebergs are pretty huge.
And finally, I invented these giant...
Planet-sized sunglasses!
But when I went to put them on Earth, I remembered that Earth has no ears or nose to hold them up, and they just kept slipping off.
Well, you know what they say, Mindy.
It's the thought that counts.
And looking around at this party and the way you've welcomed Earth inside your home... Literally.
I'd say you give a lot of love and thought to this planet.
Yeah.
And I just got back from the toilet and there's a giant volcano in there.
Wait.
I didn't put a volcano in the toilet.
I did.
Well, I think we better wrap up this party and get the Earth back to where it belongs, before that volcano erupts.
Oh, good idea.
But before we do, we've got to help the Earth.
Blow out all 45 billion candles on its Earth Day cake.
What?
Reggie, bring out the Earth Day cake.
OK, now everyone sing with me.
Happy birthday to you.
You're so big and blue.
We'll all stop looting and cow tooting too.
Uh, Mindy?
Yeah, Guy Razzi?
Uh, how is the Earth gonna blow out all 4.5 billion candles on its birthday cake?
Yeah, you bring any wind to this inside-out Earth Day party?
Oh, you know I did.
Reggie?
Bring out the tornado!
Boop!
What was that?
Did it get all the candles?
Uh, nope.
Looks like there's still one lit.
Someone blow it out.
Bessie, get over here, cow.
Go get them, girl.
Oh, boy.
That's a good girl.
Wow in the World will be right back.
Grownups, this message is for you.
Greetings, Earthlings.
I am called Flip.
And you can call me Mosey.
And we are extraterrestrials, what you may call space aliens.
Flip, you can't just blurt it out like that.
The humans will get freaked out, think we're weird.
Regardless, our star cruiser broke down and we've got to wait 3 000 years for the repair ship to show up.
So while we're waiting, we decided to make a podcast all about exploring your planet.
We particularly enjoy interacting with many of the earthlings you call Animals, like giraffes, pandas and penguins.
On our podcast feed we transmit different kinds of episodes back to our home planet and to all of you.
You can hear musical episodes, travel pod interviews, and our newest addition to the feed are mini pods.
We are calling Postcards from Earth.
Experience life on Earth in a whole new way.
Check out Flip and Mosey wherever you get your podcasts.
Experience life on Earth in a whole new way with your favorite travel blogging aliens.
Subscribe to Flip and Mosey wherever you get your podcasts and listen to their postcards from Earth every other Thursday in the Flip and Mosey podcast feed.
That's it.
Back to the show.
Hi, thanks for calling Wow in the World.
After the beep, get ready to record.
Hey, Mindy, it's I, Woz.
My name is Elliot from New York City, and my wow in the world is that some people can hear their eyeballs moving.
That's crazy.
Say hi to Reggie for me.
And Dennis.
Ahoy there.
And Grandma Jesus.
Oh, yeah.
And Thomas Fingaling.
Shut up.
Goodbye.
Hi, my name is Ali, and I live in Ontario, Canada.
And my wow in the world is that there are 13 letters in the Hawaiian alphabet.
Bye.
Hi, Mindy and Guy Ross.
My name's Griffin, and I'm nine years old, and I live in San Francisco, California.
And my wow in the world is that scorpions glow in the dark if you shine a black light on them.
Isn't that bonkers?
Hi, Mindy and Guy Ross.
My name is Felicity.
I live in New York City.
My wow in the world is that, just like some humans are allergic to cats, some cats are actually allergic to humans.
Isn't that bonker bomb?
Hi, I'm Jacob from Heston Kansas, and my wow in the world is that the Hubble Space Telescope can kind of see back in time.
Hi, Dennis.
Hi there.
Hi, Mindy.
Hi, Guy Ross.
My name is Shaina.
I live in San Francisco, California.
My wow in the world is that a hummingbird can flap its wings 80 times in one second.
Say hi to Dennis and Reggie for me.
Hi.
Bye.
I love your show.
Hi, I'm Indian Guy Raz.
My name is Rama, and I'm 11 years old.
I live in Alachua Florida, and my wow in the world is that if you drop a watermelon, an egg, from really high up, they'll both land at the exact same time.
Thanks.
Love your show.
End of messages.
Thanks for listening to this episode of Wow in the World.
If you're a kid with a big wow to share with us, call our wow hotline at 1-888-7-WOW-WOW for a chance to be featured at the end of the show or an upcoming episode of Two.
What's in a Wow?
And while you're at it, why don't you head over to Apple Podcasts and tell us what wows you about our show by leaving a review?
You just might hear your reviewsy read by Dennis on WeWow on the weekend.
Oh, and don't forget to visit us at Tinkercastcom and become a member of the World Organization of Wowzers.
With that, you'll get year-round mailings, weekly activities, birthday cards and more.
On Tinkercastcom.
You can also shop our Wow Shop, get tickets for upcoming live events, find our books and learn about all the other amazing podcasts from Tinkercast.
Once again, that's Tinkercast.com.
Wow in the World is written by Mindy Thomas and Tom Van Kelken with contributions from me, Guy Raz.
Original sound design and music editing is done by Tyler Thole, with help from our senior production director, Jed Anderson.
You can also hear Jed Anderson in the voices of Dennis Thomas Fingerling, Reggie and many of the other silly characters you hear on our show.
Jessica Bode keeps our facts straight as our fact checker and Meredith Halpern-Ranzer powers the wow at Tinkercast.
Our theme song was composed and performed by three-time Grammy nominees, the Pop-Ups.
Find them at thepopups.com.
Special thanks to our team, including Kit Ballinger, Rebecca Caban, Dr Natasha Crandall, Kenny Curtis, Kristen Yang, Thuy Mac, Erica Medina, Henry Moskal, Jodi Nussbaum, Ali Paksima, Linda Rothenberg, Steph Sosa, Anna Zagorski and all of the other tinkerers at Tinkercast HQ.
Grownups, you can follow Wow in the World on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at Wow in the World.
And our email address is hello at Tinkercast.com.
Thanks for listening.
Find episodes of Wow in the World every Monday, Two What's in a Wow every Friday, and We Wow on the Weekends with Dennis every Saturday and Sunday, right here in the Wow in the World podcast feed.
Until then, keep on wowing!
Wow in the World was made by Tinkercast and sent to you by Wondery.
