PROTECT – Détails, épisodes et analyse

A warming and drying climate is connected to the increased frequency, severity and duration of extreme wildfire weather conditions in Australia. 

And in the months leading up to Summer, Australian’s are reminded of bushfire season and advised by government and community organisations to prepare.

Generally, the recommendations are for people who live in bushfire prone areas to prepare their homes and ensuring they have an evacuation plan. But I wanted to find out how our natural spaces are being prepared through appropriate land management.  

So, I reached out to the team at Firesticks, a national Indigenous network that works with communities and organisations to help restore the cultural wellbeing and identity of their country.

I had the pleasure of speaking to Thungutti, Bundjalung and Mualgal man and Lead Fire Practitioner Leeton Lee. Leeton works across Southeast Queensland and brings a wealth of traditional knowledge to this episode on the climate and community benefits of cultural land management.

We had a great conversation discussing Country of Fire, where timed burns are used to improve the health of the land plus how local land management plays a critical role to reduce the risk of bushfires, improve natural areas for endangered animals and when it comes to reforestation, why plant selection is so important.

It was also a personal reminder of the incredible value in Indigenous voices whose traditional knowledge can help us rethink current climate policies and adapt to what is truly suitable for our survival.

I hope you enjoy the episode.

You can learn more about Firesticks through their website, donate or follow them on their socials below:

Facebook

Instagram

This audio was edited by Peter Magill. 

The funeral industry is one that has remained largely unchanged with many people seeking sustainable alternatives to traditional burials or cremation.

Current end of life practices can have a significant effect on the environment from energy use to greenhouse gases and soil pollution.

So, one of the alternatives will be introduced by my guest today who is Katrina Spade, founder and CEO of the world’s first human composting company, Recompose.

Founded in 2017, Recompose describes the process of human composting as natural organic reduction. Human composting has a host of environmental benefits which supports a return to nature and a reduction in carbon and energy.

At the time of recording, Maine became the 12th state in the U.S. to legalise human composting however it is not yet available in Australia. 

But at the heart of today's conversation it's about more than a green solution, we’re exploring the opportunity for more choice with Recompose respectfully challenging the funeral industry and current practices. 

I hope you enjoy the episode.

You can learn more about Recompose on their website or follow them on Instagram for updates.

This audio was edited by Peter Magill.

Following a year of animal welfare campaigns, on the ground demonstrations, fundraisers, petitions and political briefings, World Animal Protection are celebrating some significant wins for 2023. 

Today, I welcome back Ben Pearson who is World Animal Protection’s Country Director Australia and New Zealand. Ben manages programmes for animals on farms and animals in the wild with a key campaign on wildlife tourism. He has more than 24 years experience advocating for the environment and animals.

Ben reveals some incredible wins for animal welfare here in Australia and we also get an update on what the team is working on from crocodiles to chickens in the year ahead. 

It’s an encouraging conversation on how much we can achieve when we advocate for the kind and ethical treatment of all animals. Whether we bring our voices, our signatures or just our kind selves, change happens. 

I hope you enjoy the episode. 

You can find out more, donate or get campaign updates at worldanimalprotection.org or follow their social pages.

Facebook

Instagram

YouTube

As mentioned on the episode today, if you're interested in my last conversation with ben on How To Be A Friendly Animal Traveller, you can listen here. 

Earlier this year, Southern Queensland and Northern New South Wales in Australia received more than a year's worth of rainfall in a week. One town, Gympie had its highest flood in over a century with over 1,000 properties completely submerged in water. 

The Insurance Council has reported that the actual claims costs from 197,000 claims across both states is estimated to have cost $3.35 billion in insured losses.

It is a devastating time for these communities and unfortunately we're dealing with this natural disaster as we always have.

Little to no government support and like for like building replacements which are costly, unsafe and ineffective for changing weather patterns. 

So what else can we do? 

Well I'm delighted to invite Brett Mckenzie, CEO of Sustainable back to the podcast with a very insightful look into what it takes to build and rebuild for resilience. 

Brett and his team are renowned for building with nature rather than against using a 25-year lifecycle model. Sustainable constructed a property during the 2020 pandemic called the "Hidden Gem" in Fingal Head, whose tailored build survived four floods. It stands as an example of what's possible but Brett delves a little deeper today into the opportunity for a restructure of local government, incentives for rebuilding for the future and redesigning and moving entire communities from disaster prone areas - it's certainly possible.  

I hope you find value in today's episode. 

Brett and I spoke last year on Building Sustainable Communities. You can listen to that episode here.

You can also visit Sustainable's website or connect with Brett on LinkedIn to learn more about their work.

In 2009, a documentary called The Cove was released to expose the not so secret annual capture and slaughter of dolphins in Taiji, Japan.

Today, 13 years on, animal activist groups continue to fight to close The Cove and its hellish hunt practice including Hannah Tait, CEO of Action for Dolphins who joins me on the podcast today.

Hannah and I discuss the controversial drive hunt method of dolphins that sees them cruelly slaughtered in what is excused as cultural tradition. For the dolphins that do survive after the traumatic event, they will find themselves separated from their families and transported to marine parks across the globe - alone, confined and subject to entertaining humans daily until their death. 

Sound horrific? It is...and while animal welfare is discussed today along with what actually happens over on the shores of Taiji, Hannah also reveals all of the incredible activism in progress to stop the hunt and how we can help. 

Dolphins live rich, social lives in the wild - let’s keep them there. 

To learn more about Action for Dolphins please visit their website here and you can also sign the petition

You can watch The Cove documentary on Stan in Australia or see other platforms for streaming in your country. https://watchdocumentaries.com/the-cove/

As the destruction of natural resources and the carbon emissions generated from the fossil fuel industry continue to accelerate climate change, we are all at risk of losing our lives and our land with our indigenous and frontline communities at the most vulnerable.

Air pollution, temperature and sea level rise are wreaking havoc globally and in Australia, we unfortunately are moving at a poor pace to renewable energy despite being a country rich in natural resources to do so.

Today, my guest Jacynta Fa'amau is a Samoan Artivist based in Melbourne, Australia and is the Pacific Region Campaign Specialist with 350.org. She had been a part of the Pacific Climate Warriors network since the 2014 Canoe Blockade in Newcastle, NSW. In 2018 she joined the 350 Australia team as the National Organiser and Lead Trainer, and served as a member of the Council of Elders for the Pacific Climate Warriors Diaspora region.

Jacynta and I delve into the damaging industry that is fossil fuels and the sometimes-frustrating inaction of those accountable but also find refuge in the communities and countries who are responding to the fight with inspiring projects of climate resilience and ethical energy solutions.

Jacynta also reminds us of the power of storytelling in the fight against climate change and it’s never been so critical. I hope you enjoy and find value in today’s episode.

You can learn more at 350.org

Other useful sources Jacynta mentions are Marketforces and you can read about the Pacific’s Tokelau Nation that that runs 100% on renewable energy.

Losing rainforests continues to wreak havoc on our climate and world leaders (yet again) have pledged to end deforestation. But waiting for policy makers is never the solution and today I sought to speak to someone who is doing ground work on reforestation. 

I came across a brilliant charity, ReForest Now and am delighted to bring you my conversation with their CEO and Co-Founder, Maximo Bottaro. 

ReForest Now is a young and fast-growing charity in Byron Bay and as their name suggests, they are working tirelessly to rewild bare paddocks to much needed rainforest cover in Australia. 

Since 2018, the team has grown to 29 employees and they are on their way to achieve planting 250,000 trees by the end of 2021. The organisation is diversified into several categories of environmental work including rainforest nursery tree planting, bush regeneration, maintenance and partnership teams. 

Like many people, I knew the basics around rainforests - they absorb carbon, produce oxygen, cool the planet, house animals but today, Maximo delves into the fascinating science behind rainforests and their ability to truly stabilise the climate. 

Today Maximo takes us behind the scenes of ReForest Now and hot to design and protect a rainforest. We discuss the charity's incredible achievements in such a small amount of time and how they remain accountable to their donors. Maximo has a refreshing take on climate change activism as we discuss how we are all responsible to be of service to our environment. 

I hope you enjoy today's episode with Maximo. He brings so much value to the climate conversation today and I hope it might encourage a new respect and desire to protect our much needed rainforests.

You can find out more about ReForest Now through their website and even get involved with tree planting. 

You'll can also connect with them on Facebook or Instagram.

Aligning your your passion with meaningful change in the world is not an easy feat but it is definitely achievable as demonstrated by today’s guest, Holly Budge.

Holly is a working adventurer, an Everest summiteer (the first woman to skydive Everest) along with the founder and leader of international non profit, How Many Elephants and World Female Ranger Day to support female rangers in wildlife conservation.  

Holly has raised over £400,000 for environmental projects with her charity working to educate a worldwide audience about the devastating impacts of the African elephant ivory trade.

Today on the podcast, we discuss some confronting statistics around elephant poaching plus Holly’s on the ground experiences with all female ranger teams, Akashinga and The Black Mambas in Africa. 

Holly’s intuition, patience and drive has helped her to create a life where her work and her passion align with purpose and she hopes to encourage all of to think big and dream bigger. 

You can contact or invite Holly to speak at your event at hollybudge.com 

You can learn more or support her charity at How Many Elephants and find out how to get involved in World Female Ranger Day 2022. 

All social handles are below: 

How Many Elephants

Facebook 

Instagram

Twitter

World Female Ranger Day 

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Today I am delighted to invite back Dr Leonardo Guida, Marine Biologist and Senior Shark Campaigner at Australian Marine Conservation Society.

Leo discusses outdated culling technology and the recent whale net entanglements that have seen mainstream media provide coverage of this cruel and outdated "protection" system.

He also reveals the physical distress and sometimes death that a shark will endure when caught at no fault of their own - by just being a wild animal. We also discuss the likelihood of our interaction with a shark and what measures are out there to help.

We also get an update from Leo on current campaign success, discuss his contribution to documentary, Envoy - Shark Cull and we do a little dreaming about what ocean policies he would change tomorrow if he could. 

I hope you enjoy the episode. 

You can connect with Leo on Twitter and learn more and put your support behind sharks through Australian Marine Conservation Society and Shark Champions. 

If you haven't already, watch Envoy-Shark Cull and hear and see the research for yourself. 

Today I am delighted to invite back Lawrence Chlebeck, Marine Biologist and Senior Shark Campaigner at Humane Society International. 

Lawrence reveals the reasons why shark nets are so ineffective as we discuss recent life-endangering net entanglements involving migrating whales and other marine life. He breaks down the outdated technology currently used in Australian waters and what we can do instead.

We also get an update from Lawrence on current campaign success, discuss his contribution to documentary, Envoy - Shark Cull and we do a little dreaming about what ocean policies he would change tomorrow if he could. 

I hope you enjoy the episode. 

You can connect with Lawrence on Twitter and learn more and put your support behind sharks through Humane Society International and Shark Champions. 

If you haven't already, watch Envoy-Shark Cull and hear and see the research for yourself.