A moonlit push up Mount Hood lit a lifelong fire—and it didn’t stop at the summit. Arlene Blum opens up about how a strict, postwar childhood, overprotective grandparents, and one ecstatic first climb shaped her habit of choosing new routes when the obvious path was closed to women. From organizing the first all-women ascent of Denali and leading a death-defying rescue, to launching a 15‑month “Endless Winter” of high altitude ascents, she shares how grief, sexism, and logistics became fuel rather than walls.

Arlene explains how the death of her friend Bruce Carson motivated her to focus on children’s pajamas contaminated with carcinogenic flame retardants, and how one scientific paper—paired with national media—sparked sweeping change within months. Then came tougher terrain: outdated furniture and vehicle flammability standards that pushed toxic chemicals into couches and car seats with little fire safety benefit.

As founder of the Green Science Policy Institute, Arlene breaks down the playbook that works: rigorous research, clear recommendations, unlikely alliances with firefighters and consumer advocates, and a focus on safer design that stops fires before foam ignites.

You’ll come away with a mountaineer’s approach to public health: define the summit, build a resilient team, pace for the long haul, and know when to change tactics. Arlene offers practical steps to cut exposure today—think fresh air in the car instead of recirculating—and offers several resources (listed below) for smarter choices and up-to-date science. It’s a conversation about optimism as a survival skill and how extraordinary persistence can out climb entrenched systems. If the episode resonated, subscribe, share it with a friend who loves mountains or public health, and leave a review to help more listeners find these stories.

Links to more resources:
www.ArleneBlum.com : Arlene's personal website with a photo library of her expeditions as well as links to her resources and talks related to both mountaineering and science
www.SixClasses.org : four-minute videos that explain the six classes of chemicals of concern and how to avoid their use
www.GreenSciencePolicy.org : facilitates safer use of chemicals to protect human and ecological health
PFAScentral.org : all things PFAS chemicals, including a list of PFAS-free products

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Episode hosted by Broad Beta co-founder Jeannie Wall and Cat Coe

Episode produced and edited by Cat Coe

Music by Holizna Radio (intro) and Kirk Osomayo (conclusion). Music sourced from www.freemusicarchive.org.

www. broadbeta.com

Amity Warme joined a short list of climbers when she free climbed the PreMuir Wall (33 pitches, 5.13c/d) on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park this November. She joins us as a follow up to her full length interview and tells us all about it. Check out her full bio in the show notes of her interview. In summary, she's a badass!

Congratulations, Amity!

www. broadbeta.com

Does anyone know how to give'r more than Amity Warme? For a lesson in try-hard, search Book of Hate, Amity Warme on Youtube...right after you listen to this inspiring interview. Amity oozes with love for climbing and love for her fellow climbers, and if you see her at the crag, she wants you to come talk to her. And we can guarantee that if you do, she won't disappoint, she won't intimidate, and she will be psyched that you're outside, sharing in her boundless love for trying hard on rock. In this episode, Amity talks about climbing as a mirror for how we deal with hard things in life, being a role model for others as a sponsored climber, and drops some much-appreciated wisdom about nutrition for athletes.

Amity grew up in Colorado and began climbing in college in Texas. She has since free climbed mega routes like Freerider (5.13a, 31 pitches), El Nino (5.13c, 25 pitches), Golden Gate (5.13a, 33 pitches), and the list goes on. With multiple 5.13+ and 5.14a sends on trad gear, she is easily one of the most impressive climbers on the planet.

Speaking of impressive feats, just last month Amity joined a short list of climbers who have freed the PreMuir Wall on El Cap: a 33 pitch 5.13c/d. Check out our short bonus episode where she tells us all about the unexpected ups and downs.

When Amity isn't absolutely crushing hard trad routes, she is helping others do so as a Registered Dietician with a Master's in Sports Nutrition. Contact her via her website if you're interested in fueling to send like Amity!

AmityWarme.com - athlete and dietician website

Book of Hate video - don't miss this incredible short film of Amity sending Book of Hate (5.13d) (we refer to it several times in the interview)

Cover photo courtesy of Ian Dzilenski @iandzilenski

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Episode hosted by Broad Beta co-founder Jeannie Wall and Cat Coe

Episode produced and edited by Cat Coe

Music by Holizna Radio (intro) and Kirk Osomayo (conclusion). Music sourced from www.freemusicarchive.org.

www. broadbeta.com