Why We Care – Details, episodes & analysis

In today’s episode I’m speaking with Joi Lee, the Head of Editorial and an Executive Producer at Earthrise Studio. I’m sure you’ve heard of Earthrise – they’re one of the leading media platforms reporting on climate change, launched in 2020 by Alice Aedy and Jack Harries. Over the past few years, their social media channels have become one of my go-to sources of climate related news – and I know I’m not the only one! So Joi and I spoke about how the climate crisis is being portrayed in the media, and why she thinks stories are so integral to how we communicate.

She then told me about POWER, their latest series digging into the energy crisis, and how they collaborated with their community to define how they would tell that story. We also discussed the many elections coming up this year all around the world, and what you can do as an individual to ensure the fossil fuel industry loses some of its power.

Want to dive deeper?

• Watch POWER on the Earthrise YouTube channel — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXUj6a59Wb4&ab_channel=Earthrise
• Follow Earthrise on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/earthrise.studio/

Come say hi!

• Joi on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/joixlee
• Why We Care on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/whywecarepodcast/
• Tiphaine on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/tiphainemarie_/

If you enjoyed the episode and want to help the podcast, I would be super grateful if you could leave a little review or share it with a friend who might like it. Thank you so much for caring and sending you lots of love!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode I’m speaking with Heïdi Sevestre, an amazing French glaciologist. She called me all the way from Svalbard, an archipelago in the Arctic ocean, between mainland Norway and the North Pole. 10 years ago, as Heidi was hiking from Chamonix to Zermatt, a mountain guide told her that it is possible to spend your life studying glaciers, and become a glaciologist. So she’s never looked back and has since studied glaciers all around the world, from the French Alps to Greenland, from the Arctic to Antarctica.

We spoke about why are glaciers important and their role in regards to regulating the climate, but also what exactly is happening to them and whether or not it is too late to save them. She also told me about a climbing expedition in Greenland she recently went on called Arctic Ascent, which was filmed and is currently being released on National Geographic TV.

Want to dive deeper?

• Heïdi’s book, “Sentinelle du Climat” (in French) — https://www.harpercollins.fr/collections/automated-collection/products/sentinelle-du-climat
• Heïdi’s website — https://www.heidisevestre.com/
• Ice & Life — https://www.iceandlife.com/index.php/en/
• Calculate your carbon footprint — https://footprint.wwf.org.uk/
• Watch Arctic Ascent — https://www.nationalgeographic.com/tv/shows/arctic-ascent-with-alex-honnold

Come say hi!

• Heïdi on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/heidisevestre
• Why We Care on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whywecarepodcast/
• Tiphaine on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tiphainemarie_/

If you enjoyed the episode and want to help the podcast, I would be super grateful if you could leave a little review or share it with a friend who might like it. Thank you so much for caring and sending you lots of love!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode I’m chatting with Cel Spellman, an actor, radio presenter and WWF ambassador. He’s also the host of the WWF podcast, Call of the Wild, which is one of the first environmental podcasts I started listening to a few years ago. Cel is one of those people who can talk about his love of the natural world for hours, and I felt like this conversation with him would be perfect to open this new season of Why We Care, as we dive deep into why nature is so central to our wellbeing, and how important it is to spend time connecting with it in our everyday lives. He also shared some of his most important learnings from his years as a host of the WWF podcast, and how he takes care of his mental health.

Want to dive deeper?

• Listen to WWF’s Call of the Wild podcast - https://www.wwf.org.uk/podcast
• Visit the WWF website - https://www.wwf.org.uk/
• Make My Money Matter - https://makemymoneymatter.co.uk/

Come say hi!

• Cel on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/celspellman/
• WWF UK on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/wwf_uk/
• Why We Care on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whywecarepodcast/
• Tiphaine on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tiphainemarie_/

If you enjoyed the episode and want to help the podcast, I would be super grateful if you could leave a little review or share it with a friend who might like it. Thank you so much for caring and sending you lots of love!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Biodiversity is the web of life we all depend on – life on Earth in all its forms from pollinators and fungi to entire ecosystems, from rainforests to deserts and oceans. Human activity is destroying nature all around us and over the past few years I’ve come to realise and understand that the reason why we care and feel such deep hurt when we see a forest being cut down or a whale being killed is because nature is where we come from. It’s our home and it’s who we are – and it is so central to our balance and wellbeing. Yet we’ve become so disconnected from it, most of us in the Western world living in concrete buildings, walking on concrete roads, living our lives away from the trees, rivers and wildlife we so crucially need to survive. For the health of the planet as well as our own, I really do believe we need to restore that connection with the natural world – now more than ever.

In Why We Care, activists, scientists, creatives, and changemakers are invited to share the story of their relationship with nature, and how they are helping protect biodiversity on our beautiful planet, both through the careers they chose and in their personal lives. For season 2, we’ll also dig deeper into figuring out how we can restore that connection – recognising that we can increase our health and wellbeing if we live in harmony with our environment and the other species we share the planet with.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode I’m chatting with Zandi Ndhlovu – an ocean explorer, South Africa’s first Black woman free diving instructor and the founder of the Black Mermaid Foundation. Zandi discovered free diving when she was 28, and fell in love with this beautiful practice and the underwater world. Ever since she’s been using her voice to advocate for more diversity and access in the ocean space and change the narrative that black people don’t belong in the ocean.

Through the Black Mermaid Foundation she started in 2020 in Cape Town, she teaches local kids how to swim and helps them discover the wonders of the ocean through snorkeling. She told me how she realised that working with kids had a much broader impact on the community, as they come home from a snorkeling adventure and tell their parents all about what they have learned and discovered that day. She also said that kids are the leaders and decision makers of tomorrow, and so by getting them to understand the ocean, they will learn to love it and want to protect it. She told me how they’re usually terrified of getting into the water but once they do, they gradually learn to love it and marvel at the beauty of what they see.

Want to dive deeper?

• The Black Mermaid Foundation - https://www.blackmermaid.co.za/home-1
• To get in touch with the foundation directly - blackmermaidinfo@gmail.com
• Watch WaterBear’s documentary about Zandi - https://www.waterbear.com/watch/the-black-mermaid

Come say hi!

• Zandi on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/zandithemermaid/
• The Black Mermaid Foundation on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theblackmermaid_foundation
• Why We Care on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whywecarepodcast/
• Tiphaine on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tiphainemarie_/
• Discover Earth on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/discoverearth/

If you enjoyed the episode and want to help the podcast, I would be super grateful if you could leave a little review or share it with a friend who might like it. A big thank you as well to Discover Earth for partnering with Why We Care and helping raise awareness of the importance of ocean conservation.

Thank you for caring and sending you lots of love!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode I’m chatting with Emy Kane, the managing director of Lonely Whale - a nonprofit organisation working to prevent plastic waste from entering the ocean. She told me how we know more about the universe and space than we do about the depths of the ocean, even though that’s what is sustaining life on Earth. I actually found out recently that more people have been to the moon than have explored the deepest part of the ocean - which is really crazy when you think about it.

Emy also explained how the health of our oceans ultimately impacts our own health and daily lives. She shared how Lonely Whale is using the power of radical collaboration to support innovation in the fight against plastic pollution through the Tom Ford Plastic Innovation Prize, which you might remember hearing about in episode 4 with Julia Marsh on seaweed as an alternative to plastic.

She also shared the cutest story on how she finds hope by restoring her backyard garden with a friend’s daughter who is almost 3 years old and marvels at how seeds grow and falls in love with nature for the very first time.

Want to dive deeper?

• Lonely whale - https://www.lonelywhale.org/
• For a strawless ocean campaign - https://www.strawlessocean.lonelywhale.org/
• Tom Ford Plastic Innovation Prize - https://plasticprize.org/
• Sway - https://swaythefuture.com/
• Julia’s episode - https://open.spotify.com/episode/15uTbWj6Z9NQpd7OJD1p7p
• Billion Oyster Project - https://www.billionoysterproject.org/
• 30x30 Only One petition - https://only.one/30x30

Come say hi!

• Lonely Whale on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/lonelywhale/
• Why We Care on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whywecarepodcast/
• Tiphaine on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tiphainemarie_/
• Discover Earth on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/discoverearth/

If you enjoyed the episode and want to help the podcast, I would be super grateful if you could leave a little review or share it with a friend who might like it. A big thank you as well to Discover Earth for partnering with Why We Care and helping raise awareness of the importance of ocean conservation.

Thank you for caring and sending you lots of love!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode I’m chatting with Isaias Hernandez, an environmental educator aka Queer Brown Vegan - the social media platform where he helps people understand the climate crisis. Isaias is so good at explaining some of the worlds most pressing issues in a super simple and engaging way - highly recommend following him on Instagram to learn more about sustainability, research, and what he calls ‘evidence-based hope’.

We spoke about the link between the environmental crisis and social inequalities, how he believes the climate crisis is an educational crisis and how he perceives the tension between the need for systemic change and individual action. He told me the story of how and why he went vegan, and shared his perspective on ocean wildlife. We also discussed how to avoid climate doomism, and where to find hope - with the amazing example of the recovery of Monterey Bay, where ocean biodiversity is now thriving.

Isaias is such a joy to speak with and I had a great time recording this conversation - hope you’ll enjoy it as well!

Want to dive deeper?

• Watch the episode about Monterey Bay on Isaias’ YouTube channel – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13XomK_ASXs&t=650s&ab_channel=QueerBrownVegan

Come say hi!

• Isaias on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/queerbrownvegan/
• Why We Care on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whywecarepodcast/
• Tiphaine on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tiphainemarie_/
• Discover Earth on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/discoverearth/

If you enjoyed the episode and want to help the podcast, I would be super grateful if you could leave a little review or share it with a friend who might like it. A big thank you as well to Discover Earth for partnering with Why We Care and helping raise awareness of the importance of ocean conservation.

Thank you for caring and sending you lots of love!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode I’m chatting with Charlie Young – a marine biologist and wildlife presenter also known as Ocean Magpie on social media, where she shares the behind the scenes of her life at sea. Yes you read that well, Charlie lives on a boat!! So we spoke about what her life is like, and how she and her partner renovated their boat in a super sustainable way. I asked her about her most magical wildlife encounter, which she spoke about in such a beautiful and moving way it brought tears to my eyes.

She also shared her perspective on human impact on the oceans and gave tips on what you can start doing in your everyday life to both feel more connected with the ocean and also help protect it – whether you live near it or not. Make sure you listen until the end as she also shared career advice for anyone who might be interested in working in ocean conservation or becoming a marine biologist.

Want to dive deeper?

• Whale shark diving picture she mentioned - https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm_85neKBfz/
• My Octopus Teacher - https://www.netflix.com/title/81045007
• Understand the impact of your money with Make My Money Matter - https://makemymoneymatter.co.uk/
• Seagrass citizen science project - https://www.projectseagrass.org/

Come say hi!

• Charlie on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ocean_magpie/
• Why We Care on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whywecarepodcast/
• Tiphaine on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tiphainemarie_/
• Discover Earth on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/discoverearth/

If you enjoyed the episode and want to help the podcast, I would be super grateful if you could leave a little review or share it with a friend who might like it. A big thank you as well to Discover Earth for partnering with Why We Care and helping raise awareness of the importance of ocean conservation.

Thank you for caring and sending you lots of love!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode I’m chatting with Melati Wijsen, a 22 year old change maker and movement builder. When she was 12 she started a campaign called Bye Bye Plastic Bags with her sister Isabel to tackle the plastic pollution problem in Bali, where they are from. She went on to become a global spokesperson for not only plastic pollution but also the role young people can play in tackling the climate crisis. She spoke on international stages including TED and the UN headquarters in New York and was listed on Forbes 30 under 30.

10 years later she is now spearheading a new initiative called Youthtopia, which is all about youth empowerment through short and meaningful peer to peer programs. I really enjoyed speaking with Melati about the early days of Bye Bye Plastic Bags and how she managed to channel her youthful energy into creating a global movement for change. Her joy and determination are contagious and I definitely felt inspired and ready to make change happen around me after our conversation!

Want to dive deeper?

• Youthtopia - https://www.youthtopia.world/
• Bye Bye Plastic Bags - https://byebyeplasticbags.org/
• Mountain Mamas - https://byebyeplasticbags.org/mountain-mamas/

Come say hi!

• Melati on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/melatiwijsen/
• Why We Care on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whywecarepodcast/
• Tiphaine on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tiphainemarie_/
• Discover Earth on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/discoverearth/

If you enjoyed the episode and want to help the podcast, I would be super grateful if you could leave a little review or share it with a friend who might like it. A big thank you as well to Discover Earth for partnering with Why We Care and helping raise awareness of the importance of ocean conservation.

Thank you for caring and sending you lots of love!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week’s episode I’m chatting with Dr. Amanda Parkes, the Chief Innovation Officer at PANGAIA and a materials engineering lecturer at Harvard. Amanda is really difficult to introduce in a few sentences as she has experience across such a wide range of sectors, from computer science, mechanical engineering, and biotech, all the way to fashion and material innovation. I met her when I was working on the Impact team at PANGAIA, and one of my favourite memories from that time was the science sessions she would run on Friday afternoons to introduce us to all the amazing science behind the material innovations we were working with. I have to admit that growing up I did have a bit of a love-hate relationship with science, and Amanda was one of the people who made me rediscover and love that space!

We spoke about how we can rethink our approach to waste and how by looking at places of abundance in nature we can find “new” materials to work with – through a process she refers to as high-tech naturalism. An example of this is FLWRDWN, an alternative to animal and synthetic down made using waste wildflowers. She also explained how microplastics are shed when we wash some synthetic materials, how these end up polluting our rivers, lakes and oceans - and what you can do to avoid this.

Want to dive deeper?

• Learn more about PANGAIA’s innovations on pangaia.com
• FLWRDWN https://eu.pangaia.com/pages/flowerdown
• Picture A Scientist documentary - https://www.pictureascientist.com/
• Fashion rental platforms: By Rotation, Hurr, Rotaro, Rent The Runway

Little links

• Amanda on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/amandaparkes/
• Why We Care on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whywecarepodcast/
• Tiphaine on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tiphainemarie_/

If you enjoyed the episode and want to help the podcast, I would be super grateful if you could leave a little review or share it with a friend who might like it.

Thank you for caring and sending you lots of love!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.