Addressing Climate Change Skepticism in Online Communities
Release Date: 07/24/2024
Whose Dinner Becomes Fish Feed?
How To Protect The Ocean
On a May morning in 2017, the people of Gunjur in The Gambia woke to find their lagoon had turned red, with dead fish on the surface. Investigators traced the pollution to a fishmeal plant up the road. In this episode, Andrew Lewin follows the feed from West African beaches to farmed salmon fillets in Europe and North America, building on The Outlaw Ocean Project’s five-year investigation into the fishmeal industry. Small, oily fish like sardinella and bonga are everyday protein in Senegal and The Gambia. Fishmeal plants buy them in unlimited volumes, outbid the women who have smoked and...
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The Fish That Feed Your Fish: What Farmed Salmon Really Eat
How To Protect The Ocean
The family behind the world’s largest salmon farming company built a global industry. Now one of its members is asking how it can be sustainable to grind up fish from poorer countries, ship them across the world, and feed them to salmon sold to wealthier shoppers. In episode 2048, Andrew Lewin follows farmed fish from your plate back to the fishmeal boat to answer him. More than half the seafood eaten worldwide now comes from farms, and most of it is fed. Andrew breaks down what fishmeal and fish oil are made of, why roughly a fifth of the global wild catch ends up as feed, and how forage...
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What Your Farmed Salmon Ate: Inside a Five-Year Fishmeal Investigation
How To Protect The Ocean
More than half the seafood eaten on Earth now comes from fish farms, and most of those farmed fish are raised on fishmeal made from wild-caught fish. Maya Martin, deputy editor at The Outlaw Ocean Project, joins Andrew Lewin to unpack Food for Feed, a five-year investigation that traced fishmeal from the ships that catch it, through the plants that grind it, to the farmed fish on your plate. Maya explains how forage fish like sardinella and anchoveta are pulled from waters off West Africa, Peru and Southeast Asia, often from stocks that are already overexploited and from communities that...
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How to Read the Seafood Counter Like a Marine Biologist
How To Protect The Ocean
Picture a big sign over the seafood counter promising sustainable fishing, with a fish every independent guide says to avoid sitting on ice right below it. In most countries nobody broke a rule, because the word "sustainable" on seafood has no legal definition. In this final episode of our sustainable seafood week, Andrew Lewin walks you through how to see past that sign and choose seafood you can feel good about. You'll learn how to use the eco-labels and seafood guides that have already done the research for you, including the Marine Stewardship Council's blue tick for wild seafood, the...
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Is Bottom Trawling Always Bad? It Depends Where
How To Protect The Ocean
Off the south coast of England, about 100 kilometres out, sits Haig Fras, a granite reef covered in jewel anemones and cup corals. For years it was protected on paper, yet heavy fishing gear could still drag across it. In March 2024, that finally changed. In this episode, Andrew Lewin explains why where we fish matters as much as how much we fish, and what it takes to turn a line on a map into real protection. Andrew breaks down the difference between midwater and bottom trawls and puts the damage shown in the recent Ocean documentary into context. Bottom trawling lands about a quarter of the...
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The Trapdoor That Saves Sea Turtles From Shrimp Nets
How To Protect The Ocean
A Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, the most endangered sea turtle on Earth, gets swept into a shrimp trawl. It hits a metal grid, slides out through a flap in the net, and swims away. That small trapdoor, the turtle excluder device, is one of the biggest success stories in fisheries management, and in late August 2026 a US federal appeals court upheld the rule extending it to skimmer trawl boats 40 feet and longer. In this episode, marine biologist Andrew Lewin walks through the bycatch fixes that are working and the fights still underway. You’ll hear why North Atlantic right whales get tangled...
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The Cod Came Back: What a Fishery Collapse Teaches Us About Overfishing
How To Protect The Ocean
Five centuries ago, explorers off Newfoundland described cod so plentiful that a weighted basket lowered into the sea came back full. By July 2, 1992, so few remained that Canada shut the northern cod fishery overnight. About 30,000 people lost their work in what became the largest single layoff in Canadian history. In this first episode of a week-long sustainable seafood series, Andrew tells the story of how the collapse happened and how slowly the cod came back. Andrew then breaks down the words that cause the most confusion in fisheries headlines: overfishing, overfished, depleted, and...
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How to Choose Sustainable Seafood
How To Protect The Ocean
You want to eat seafood the right way. Then you hit the seafood counter and face a wall of labels, a sign promising “sustainable practices,” and an employee who has no idea where the tuna came from. Add documentaries like Seaspiracy telling you to quit fish entirely, and it’s tempting to give up and buy whatever looks good. Unsustainable fishing is the biggest threat to marine biodiversity, so those choices carry real weight. In this episode, Andrew’s good friend Dr. David Shiffman joins the show to talk about his new book, Why Sustainable Seafood Matters. David spent two years on the...
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Slow Down for Whales: How Global Shipping Learned to Share the Ocean
How To Protect The Ocean
Blue whales can’t dodge ships. When scientists tracked blue whales alongside cargo ships off Southern California, the whales responded in just over half the encounters, and every response was the same: a slow, shallow dive. Not once did a whale move sideways out of the ship’s path. Models suggest ships kill around 18 blue whales a year off the U.S. West Coast, nearly eight times what the population can lose and still recover. The good news is in the data. Most blue whale strike deaths happen in a small slice of ocean, and that’s where ports, air quality agencies, marine sanctuaries, and...
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When Whale Food Moves: Climate Change, Crab Traps, and Pop-Up Gear
How To Protect The Ocean
In 2014, a patch of unusually warm water nicknamed "the blob" settled off the west coast of North America. The cold, food-rich water that normally stretches far offshore shrank into a narrow strip along the coast, and hungry humpback whales followed their food straight into the waters where Dungeness crabbers had set thousands of traps, each tied to a vertical rope. Entanglements jumped from about 10 a year to 53 in 2015 and 55 in 2016. In this episode, Andrew traces the line from warmer water to a specific whale in a specific rope. You'll learn why lunge-feeding whales depend on dense patches...
info_outlineAndrew Lewin discusses the community's response to vulnerabilities exposed by climate change. He delves into the reactions on social media, ranging from extreme political comments to calls for help. Andrew shares his own responses to these comments, despite anticipating blowback.
Tune in to explore the dynamics of community engagement and adaptation in the face of environmental challenges.
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Engaging in discussions on social media platforms can be a powerful tool for informing and educating others about important topics such as climate change and ocean conservation. In a podcast episode, the host emphasized the importance of using social media as a platform to provide information and educate others, rather than engaging in aggressive arguments or trying to change someone's mind.
The host shared his approach of commenting on social media posts not to change the mind of the person he is debating with, but to provide information for the benefit of other readers who may be seeking different perspectives. By focusing on informing and educating, individuals can contribute to a more constructive dialogue on important issues like climate change and ocean conservation.
Furthermore, the episode highlighted the significance of maintaining a respectful and informative tone during online discussions. By avoiding aggression and personal attacks, individuals can create a more conducive environment for sharing knowledge and engaging in meaningful conversations. This approach can help foster understanding and awareness among a wider audience, ultimately contributing to a more informed and educated community.
Overall, the episode underscored the value of engaging in discussions on social media with the intention of informing and educating others. By adopting a respectful and informative approach, individuals can play a crucial role in raising awareness about pressing environmental issues and promoting positive change within online communities.
Comments on social media can have a significant impact on public opinion and potentially influence political decisions. In the podcast episode, the host discussed how engaging in discussions on social media platforms, such as Facebook, can shape the narrative around important issues like climate change. The host emphasized the importance of providing accurate information and alternative perspectives in these discussions to inform and educate others who may be reading the comments.
The host shared their approach to commenting on social media posts that deny climate change or spread misinformation. Instead of engaging in aggressive arguments or trying to change the minds of those posting inaccurate information, the host focused on providing factual information and alternative viewpoints for the benefit of other readers. By presenting well-researched facts and offering a different perspective, the host aimed to inform and educate individuals who may be on the fence or unaware of the full picture.
The episode highlighted the role of comments on social media in shaping public perception and influencing political decisions. Politicians and policymakers often take into account public opinion, and if a particular narrative gains traction on social media, it can impact the priorities and actions of elected officials. Therefore, it is crucial to engage in constructive and informative discussions on social media platforms to ensure that accurate information is shared and alternative perspectives are considered.
Overall, the episode underscored the importance of providing accurate information and alternative viewpoints in social media comments to contribute to a more informed public discourse, potentially influencing public opinion and political decisions.
Calm and Informative Approach in Responding to Controversial Topics
In the podcast episode, Andrew Lewin discusses the importance of using a calm and informative approach when responding to controversial topics like climate change. He emphasizes the need to focus on informing people rather than trying to change their minds or engage in aggressive arguments. By adopting a calm and informative tone, individuals can reach a wider audience and promote understanding on complex issues such as climate change.
Lewin shares his personal experience of engaging with individuals who deny climate change on social media platforms. Instead of resorting to insults or aggressive language, he chooses to provide factual information and engage in constructive dialogue. By doing so, he aims to educate not only the person he is directly interacting with but also the broader audience who may be reading the conversation.
The podcast highlights the power of using facts, statistics, and logical reasoning to present a compelling case for climate change awareness. By staying composed and focusing on sharing knowledge, individuals can effectively convey the urgency of addressing climate change without alienating those who hold different views.
Furthermore, Lewin's approach demonstrates that by remaining calm and informative, individuals can inspire critical thinking and encourage others to consider alternative perspectives. This method of communication fosters a more open and respectful dialogue, leading to a greater understanding of complex issues like climate change.
Overall, the podcast episode underscores the significance of adopting a calm and informative approach when discussing controversial topics. By prioritizing education and understanding, individuals can contribute to a more informed and engaged society, ultimately leading to positive change in addressing pressing environmental challenges.