The Mercast | Plastic Free Mermaid talks Change Making

Kate Nelson the Plastic Free Mermaid hasn’t used disposable plastics for a decade. Through her life adventure she meets incredible scientists, activists, entrepreneurs, and pirates whose stories and opinions enrich our world views and inspire us to rise. If you feel called to the planet’s aid, listen in for fascinating conversations with change makers from around the world.

SOFT LAUNCHING: A New Podcast Unpacking the Truths and Myths of Climate Science 04/06/2025

48: The Truth Behind Shark Culling with Andre Borrell 11/17/2021

47: Our Soil Situation with Ryland Engelhart, producer of Netflix’s Kiss the Ground 11/10/2021

46: Claiming Your Aboriginality and Paying Homage to Your Ancestry with Ella Noah Bancroft 03/24/2021

45: Fighting Plastic and Light Pollution for our Turtles with Ranger Lauren Engledow 03/17/2021

44: Indigenous Solutions to Modern Period Problems with Michele Wilson 01/27/2021

43: A New Narrative of Progress with Helena Norberg-Hodge Part 5 of 5 01/20/2021

42: A New Narrative of Progress with Helena Norberg-Hodge Part 4 of 5 01/13/2021

41: A New Narrative of Progress with Helena Norberg-Hodge Part 3 of 5 01/06/2021

40: A New Narrative of Progress with Helena Norberg-Hodge Part 2 of 5 12/30/2020

39: A New Narrative of Progress with Helena Norberg-Hodge Part 1 of 5 12/23/2020

38: From Fishing Nets to Sustainable Skateboards with David Stover 12/16/2020

37: The Impacts of Chemicals on Hormones in Our Bodies with Dr. Leo Trasande MD, MPP 12/02/2020

37: The Impacts of Chemicals on Hormones in Our Bodies with Dr. Leo Trasande MD, MPP Plastics not only destroy our planet but also degrades our health. Harmful chemicals like endocrine disrupting-chemicals can be easily found in today’s products. To have a better understanding of these hazardous chemicals, Dr. Leo Trasande returns to talk about the impacts of chemicals on hormones in our bodies! Dr. Leo Trasande is a physician at NYU and the author of Sicker, Fatter, Poorer and an internationally renowned leader in environmental health. He is best known for a series of studies published in Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology and the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism Join me in this episode as we talk about how you can avoid these harmful chemicals, the regulations on these materials, it’s impact on children and adults, and what you can do to spread more awareness about this issue! In this Episode, We Discuss: The regulations related to toxic chemicals Why plastic is dangerous to our health The chemical structure of plastics that makes it harmful Dr. Leo explains the endocrine system and why you should be concerned about disrupting chemicals Natural vs. Synthetic The types of plastics Safe and simple steps you can take to avoid plastics and harmful chemicals The top 10 diseases linked to plastic exposure The problem with lack of transparency and regulation If plastic clothing is a concern or not How to be the change you seek Get to know Dr. Leo: Dr. Leo Trasande is an internationally renowned leader in environmental health. His research focuses on the impacts of chemicals on hormones in our bodies. He also led the way in documenting the economic costs for policymakers of failing to prevent diseases of environmental origin proactively. To know more about Dr. Leo and his works, you can go to his website --- Did you enjoy today’s episode? Thanks for listening! Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get notified immediately when a new episode comes out! If you enjoyed the Mercast, please to leave a review and share this episode with a friend! I hope you spend some time in nature today! I'll catch you next time. Subscribe to The Mercast ++ ++ ++ /episode/index/show/mercast/id/17010890

36: Resolving the Plastic Crisis: A discussion about the Recycling and Waste Reduction Bill 2020 with the Surfing Senator, Peter Whish Wilson 11/04/2020

36: Resolving the Plastic Crisis: A discussion about the Recycling and Waste Reduction Bill 2020 with the Surfing Senator, Peter Whish Wilson Plastic pollution is emerging as a top threat to ocean ecosystems and no one knows how much un-recycled plastic waste ends up in the ocean that is killing millions of marine life every year. To make sure Australia takes responsibility for its waste, the Recycling and Waste Reduction Bill was put into place! It's designed to ban the export of waste glass, plastics, tires, and paper. And this is a great opportunity for us to transform our waste and recycling ways into a resource! To better understand what this bill is all about and how it'll benefit the Australian economy and help our planet, I'm bringing in the stealthiest MermanSenator, Mr. Peter Whish Wilson who stands to fight for our planet and our future! Join me in this episode as we discuss The Recycling and Waste Reduction Bill 2020! We’re going to talk about the recycling crisis, as well as the plastics that are polluting our oceans. In this Episode, We Discuss: The Recycling and Waste Reduction Bill 2020 The government’s and producers responsibility, our responsibility as consumers Commercial composting facilities How we can support the amendments The danger of burning waste The circular economy and the ripple effect A low way to dispose of waste Support for different renewable energy sources Regrowing ecosystems Peter talks about being a surfer and his connection with nature Ways you can contribute to help our planet Connect with Peter --- Did you enjoy today’s episode? Thanks for listening! Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get notified immediately when a new episode comes out! If you enjoyed the Mercast, please to leave a review and share this episode with a friend! I hope you spend some time in nature today! I'll catch you next time. Subscribe to The Mercast ++ ++ ++ /episode/index/show/mercast/id/16678772

35: A Surfer Who’s Been Protesting this Shit for 30 Years with Hugo Tagholm 03/25/2020

34: The Great Pacific Patch with Captain Charles J. Moore 03/18/2020

34: The Great Pacific Patch with Captain Charles J. Moore Imagine you’re on a cruise ship enjoying the beautiful view of the majestic blue ocean until you see floating garbage of plastics and waste. Sucks right? Not only did it ruin your experience but also the ocean and the aquatic life in it. Sadly, there’s actually a huge plastic garbage out there in the ocean floating called the Great Pacific Patch. And this is continuously damaging ocean life since its discovery. Join me in this episode as we sail across the sea with Captain Charles Moore, as we talk about how he discovered the great pacific garbage patch and what is being done about it. He is the founder of the Algalita Marine Research Foundations. He captains the foundation’s research vessel, the Alguita, documenting the great expanse of the plastic waste that currently litters our beautiful sea. In this Episode, We Discuss: How Captain Moorer discovered the Great Pacific Patch Oxidation and the different kinds of degradation Why nature is not the key to human freedom The importance of cooperation Connect with Captain Charles Know more about the #fightforthebight campaign After several years of independent campaign work in Adelaide and with the communities surrounding the Great Australian Bight, a collection of local groups and environmental advocacy organisations came together to create the Great Australian Bight Alliance in January 2016. The founding members of the Alliance included: Mirning Traditional Owners, Clean Bight Alliance Australia (West Coast SA), Oil Free Seas - Australia, Sea Shepherd Australia, Sea Shepherd Adelaide Chapter, Surfrider Foundation Australia, and The Wilderness Society South Australia. Since then, the Alliance has continued to grow. Our vision for the Great Australian Bight is for a protected marine environment, where marine life is safe and healthy. Our unspoiled waters must be valued and celebrated. We cannot accept the risk of a catastrophic oil spill in our waters and along our coastline. Oil spills are irreversible. Together, we can save the Bight from these risks. You can learn more about their cause and how to become an ambassador ! --- Did you enjoy today’s episode? Thanks for listening! Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get notified immediately when a new episode comes out! If you enjoyed the Mercast, please to leave a review and share this episode with a friend! I hope you spend some time in nature today! I'll catch you next time. Subscribe to The Mercast ++ ++ ++ /episode/index/show/mercast/id/13594670

32: The #fightforthebight campaign with Sean Doherty 12/20/2019

32: The #fightforthebight campaign with Sean Doherty In today’s episode, Sean Doherty joins us to further talk about The Fight for the Bight campaign. He is a Surf Journalist and has written for the Sydney Morning Herald, and for the Surfer and Surfing magazines in the United States. He talks about the #fightforthebight campaign and explains the climate change performance index. He also shares his opinion on the issues that currently surround Australiaparticularly around the topic of oil, coal, and gas. We also touch the importance of activism, raising awareness and educating others to make a difference and make change happen. In this Episode, We Discuss: The climate change performance index The importance of raising awareness and educating others to create change What the #fightforthebight campaign is all about How we can transition away from our dependency with coal, oil, and gas How activism can make a difference What’s next move for the #fightforthebight campaign Connect with Sean Doherty Know more about the #fightforthebight campaign After several years of independent campaign work in Adelaide and with the communities surrounding the Great Australian Bight, a collection of local groups and environmental advocacy organisations came together to create the Great Australian Bight Alliance in January 2016. The founding members of the Alliance included: Mirning Traditional Owners, Clean Bight Alliance Australia (West Coast SA), Oil Free Seas - Australia, Sea Shepherd Australia, Sea Shepherd Adelaide Chapter, Surfrider Foundation Australia, and The Wilderness Society South Australia. Since then, the Alliance has continued to grow. Our vision for the Great Australian Bight is for a protected marine environment, where marine life is safe and healthy. Our unspoiled waters must be valued and celebrated. We cannot accept the risk of a catastrophic oil spill in our waters and along our coastline. Oil spills are irreversible. Together, we can save the Bight from these risks. You can learn more about their cause and how to become an ambassador ! --- Did you enjoy today’s episode? Thanks for listening! Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get notified immediately when a new episode comes out! If you enjoyed the Mercast, please to leave a review and share this episode with a friend! I hope you spend some time in nature today! I'll catch you next time. Subscribe to The Mercast ++ ++ ++ /episode/index/show/mercast/id/12477488

31: Restoring the Reefs with Azri Separwan 12/18/2019

30: How to Prevent Plastic Pollution? Keep Oil in the Ground. Fight for the Bight Anti Oil Activist and Surfer Heath Joske 12/16/2019

30: How to Prevent Plastic Pollution? Keep Oil in the Ground. Fight for the Bight Anti Oil Activist and Surfer Heath Joske One of the most unspoiled marine environments in the world is the great Australian Bight. And we all know that an oil spill would ruin the pristine coastline and threaten coastal homes and livelihood. Unfortunately, the Australian government is trying its best to sell the rights to drill more oil to just any foreign bidder. BP and Chevron has already pulled out, but Norwegian company Equinor remains. In this episode, Patagonia Surf Ambassador & BIG OIL Activist, Heath Joske, joins us to talk about these issues and what we can do to support and get involved with the campaign for protecting the Australian bight. Since he learned of Equinor’s plan to turn the bight into a dangerous, deepwater oil field, he has been campaigning against it and spreading awareness and educating others to fight together with him. In this Episode, We Discuss: Fighting for the Great Australian bight Equinor’s plan of drilling more oil from the sea What we can do to prevent the Norwegian oil company’s plan How to get involved and what you can contribute to the #fightforthebight campaign Connect with Heath Joske Know more about the #fightforthebight campaign After several years of independent campaign work in Adelaide and with the communities surrounding the Great Australian Bight, a collection of local groups and environmental advocacy organisations came together to create the Great Australian Bight Alliance in January 2016. The founding members of the Alliance included: Mirning Traditional Owners, Clean Bight Alliance Australia (West Coast SA), Oil Free Seas - Australia, Sea Shepherd Australia, Sea Shepherd Adelaide Chapter, Surfrider Foundation Australia, and The Wilderness Society South Australia. Since then, the Alliance has continued to grow. Our vision for the Great Australian Bight is for a protected marine environment, where marine life is safe and healthy. Our unspoiled waters must be valued and celebrated. We cannot accept the risk of a catastrophic oil spill in our waters and along our coastline. Oil spills are irreversible. Together, we can save the Bight from these risks. You can learn more about their cause and how to become an ambassador ! Mentioned in this episode: --- Did you enjoy today’s episode? Thanks for listening! Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get notified immediately when a new episode comes out! If you enjoyed the Mercast, please to leave a review and share this episode with a friend! I hope you spend some time in nature today! I'll catch you next time. Subscribe to The Mercast ++ ++ ++ /episode/index/show/mercast/id/12415259

29: The Nutritious Weed Burger with Mark Kulsdom 12/13/2019

29: The Nutritious Weed Burger with Mark Kulsdom Today’s episode will surely make you crave for food as we talk about the best burger for our health and planet, the weed burgers! Join me in this conversation about healthy foods with Mark Kulsdom, the co-founder and CEO of The Dutch Weed Burger! Today we’re going to try the famous “Dutch Weed Burger”, which is one of the healthiest hamburgers in the world! It’s packed with proteins, more than in meat and contains more calcium than with milk! Okay before you click play, maybe you’re thinking, it’s a weed, so there’s basically marijuana in it? If you want to find out, make sure you listen till the end of this episode, as Mark shares the story behind The Dutch Weed Burger and why it’s so successful! In this Episode, We Discuss: The story behind the Dutch Weed Burger How much protein is in a burger? Why you should try weed burger The reason why The Dutch Weed Burger is so successful Mark’s secret on being a successful vegan Topics about veganism, the climate emergency, how to take a stand, and many more! Know more about the Dutch Weed Burger The Dutch Weed Burger is a 100% plant-based super fast-food burger that everyone can eat! From the bun on which it is served to the organic toppings and the sauce that adds up to that juicy bite, everything breathes sustainability and makes this healthy fast food snack ready to feed and meet the future! You can learn more about The Dutch Burger ! Connect with Mark Kulsdom through his LinkedIn . Social Media: Korte Papaverweg 2M 1032 KB Amsterdam +31 (0) 6 24 85 76 39 | Mentioned in this episode: --- Did you enjoy today’s episode? Thanks for listening! Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get notified immediately when a new episode comes out! If you enjoyed the Mercast, please to leave a review and share this episode with a friend! I hope you spend some time in nature today! I'll catch you next time. Subscribe to The Mercast ++ ++ ++ /episode/index/show/mercast/id/12386387

28: Extinction Rebellion: A rebel for the planet and humanity with Linda Moreland 12/11/2019

28: Extinction Rebellion: A rebel for the planet and humanity with Linda Moreland We’re all experiencing the stress and effects of climate change. But how we communicate this emergency is critical in motivating collective action. If we manage to come together to mitigate the crisis that we’re in, then we’ll surely achieve our goals. Our guest for today is Linda Moreland, she works in corporate finance and she’s also a very active rebel within the Extinction Rebellion, a global movement that uses non-violent civil disobedience in an attempt to halt mass extinction and minimize the risk of social collapse. In this episode, Linda shares how she got involved with Extinction Rebellion and what made her participate in all their causes and endeavors. Extinction Rebellion demands that people in power need to take action and work together with other institutions to help spread the message calling for things to change. She talks about policy change and the need to change the current system if we want to save all life on earth. Moreover, we also touch the issue of free-market economics, the corporate impact of flying and many more! In this Episode, We Discuss: How Linda got involved with Extinction Rebellion What is the Extinction Rebellion is all about Decolonizing our history and changing the current system How free-market economics is enslaving most of the population The most serious threat of the 21st century The corporate impact of flying The importance of community and collective action Rebellion Extinction Story: On 31st October 2018, British activists assembled on Parliament Square in London to announce a Declaration of Rebellion against the UK Government. The next few weeks were a whirlwind. Six thousand rebels converged on London to peacefully block five major bridges across the Thames. Trees were planted in the middle of Parliament Square, and hole was dug there to bury a coffin representing our future. Rebels super-glued themselves to the gates of Buckingham Palace as they read a letter to the Queen. Extinction Rebellion was born. The call to rebel swiftly became global, with branches popping up the following week in Europe, the US, and soon after the world over. Leaderless and truly global, each new branch makes the movement stronger, bringing in new perspectives, wisdom, expertise, energy, and inspiration. You can check the Extinction Rebellion’s website to learn more about their activities and what’s next ! To learn more about regenerative farming check my old episodes! --- Did you enjoy today’s episode? Thanks for listening! Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get notified immediately when a new episode comes out! If you enjoyed the Mercast, please to leave a review and share this episode with a friend! I hope you spend some time in nature today! I'll catch you next time. Subscribe to The Mercast ++ ++ ++ /episode/index/show/mercast/id/12360083

27: How the bacteria that's in our body benefit us with Ara Katz 12/09/2019

26: How The Food We Eat Impacts Our Health With Linda Birnbaum 12/06/2019

26: How The Food We Eat Impacts Our Health With Linda Birnbaum You might think buying and eating organic food is good for you, which it is. But, what happens then if that organic product is put in a plastic container? In today's episode, we are joined by Linda Birnbaum, the recently retired director of NIEHS, an institute dedicated to learning more about how the environment affects our health. In our conversation, Linda explains how the environment affects the food that we eat in various ways. She explains how fish has mercury from their food, or how organic food will affect us when placed in plastic containers. In this Episode, We Discuss: A Summary of Linda Birnbaum’s Presentation from the UNWRAPPED Conference How our Environment affects the food that we eat BPA, BPS, BPAF Contamination in the environment Do we really need these chemicals or not Get to know Linda Birnbaum: Linda is the first board-certified toxicologist and the first woman to serve as Director of the NIEHS, which has a unique research mission to discover how the environment affects people’s health in order to promote healthier lives. Under Linda’s leadership, the NIEHS became a world leader in toxicology and environmental health research, with NIEHS science inspiring health policy and safety standards in the United States and abroad. Scientific reports generated by the NTP, such as the bi-annual Report on Carcinogens, serve as major presentations of scientific analyses of substances in our environment that may cause cancer. The NIEHS also established a national network of exposure assessment laboratories with an innovative grant program called Children’s Health Exposure Analysis Resource. Research conducted by the NIEHS Children’s Centers cosponsored with the EPA, and related work with environmental justice communities has led to policy changes to protect the health of children through improvements in their environments. To know more about the Unwrapped conference, please visit their website --- Did you enjoy today’s episode? Thanks for listening! Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get notified immediately when a new episode comes out! If you enjoyed the Mercast, please to leave a review and share this episode with a friend! I hope you spend some time in nature today! I'll catch you next time. Subscribe to The Mercast ++ ++ ++ /episode/index/show/mercast/id/12301523

025: The Chemicals We Eat through Food Packaging with Maricel Maffini 12/04/2019

025: The Chemicals We Eat through Food Packaging with Maricel Maffini Don’t you just enjoy the popping sound of popcorn as it sits inside the microwave, ready for your relaxing movie night? But what might be scarier than your horror movie (if you're watching one), is knowing that there are chemicals from the packaging of your microwaveable popcorn transferred into your movie snack which you already ingested. Today we are joined by Researcher, Maricel Maffini. She discusses with us a summary of her presentation from the UNWRAPPED about the chemicals in packaging that transfer to our food and the ways in which the chemicals come out of the packaging into your food. In this Episode, We Discuss: A summary of Maricel Maffini’s presentation on the UNWRAPPED Conference Chemicals added to make the plastic more flexible Ways in which chemicals come out from the packaging Microwave safe vs Health safe Lipophilic plastics, PFAS, and PVCs Supporting companies that have a safety product policy Get to know Maricel Maffini: Dr. Maricel V. Maffini is an Independent Consultant. She holds a doctorate degree in Biological Sciences. She has more than 25 years of research experience in the fields of carcinogenesis, reproductive biology, and endocrine disruption. For the past nine years, Dr. Maffini has conducted research and published on the U.S. food additive regulatory program, conflicts of interest and regulatory science. Her current work focuses on environmental health issues related to chemical safety with special emphasis on food chemicals, risk assessment, and science policy. She has authored numerous peer-reviewed journal articles, reviews, and book chapters. Before becoming a consultant, she was a senior scientist with the Natural Resources Defense Council, a senior science officer at The Pew Charitable Trust, and a Research Assistant Professor at Tufts University School of Medicine. To know more about the Unwrapped conference you may check their website --- Did you enjoy today’s episode? Thanks for listening! Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get notified immediately when a new episode comes out! If you enjoyed the Mercast, please to leave a review and share this episode with a friend! I hope you spend some time in nature today! I'll catch you next time. Subscribe to The Mercast ++ ++ ++ /episode/index/show/mercast/id/12273701

024: Dangers of Plastic Food Packaging with Dr. Jane Muncke 12/02/2019

024: Dangers of Plastic Food Packaging with Dr. Jane Muncke Plastic food packaging indeed protects our food but it can also be the source of chemical food contamination and increased risk in health. We don’t know every material used in making these packaging and this knowledge gap can actually hurt us. Join me in this episode as we unfold the different packaging materials and chemicals that touch our food with Dr. Jane Muncke, the Managing Director and Chief Scientific Officer of the Food Packaging Forum. In this conversation, she talks about the different packaging materials that are used to package food. She also explains the chemical migration in our food packaging, how plastic is made, what materials are considered safe that could pass the toxicology tests, and many more! In this Episode, We Discuss: Different materials used in food packaging The known unknowns The chemical migration in our food packaging Single-use and reusables Plastic materials that could pass the toxicology test Get to know Jane Muncke: Dr. Jane holds a doctorate degree in environmental toxicology and an MSc in environmental science from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich. She currently works as a Managing Director at the Food Packaging Forum, a science communication organization that provides independent and balanced information on issues related to food packaging and health. She is a full scientific member of the Society of Toxicology, the American Chemical Society, the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, and the Endocrine Society. You can learn more about Dr. Jane’s work and achievements . References from this episode: and stay up to date with the Food Packaging Forum’s newsletter and read about the latest news and scientific research! --- Did you enjoy today’s episode? Thanks for listening! Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get notified immediately when a new episode comes out! If you enjoyed the Mercast, please to leave a review and share this episode with a friend! I hope you spend some time in nature today! I'll catch you next time. Subscribe to The Mercast ++ ++ ++ /episode/index/show/mercast/id/12217655

023: #BreakFreeFromPlastic through Corporate Accountability with Shilpi Chhotray 11/29/2019

022: What we know about Plastic with Dr. Martin Wagner 11/27/2019

21: Plastic Redesign: It’s time for a new 3Rs with Pete Myers, PhD 11/25/2019

20: Fatter, Sicker, Poorer because of Plastics with Dr. Leo Trasande MD, MPP [PART 2] 11/18/2019

19: Fatter, Sicker, Poorer because of Plastics with Dr. Leo Trasande MD, MPP [PART 1] 11/11/2019

19: Fatter, Sicker, Poorer because of Plastics with Dr. Leo Trasande MD, MPP [PART 1] Did you know that you can become fatter, sicker, and poorer because of plastics? In this episode, we interview Dr. Leo from the UNWRAPPED Conference as he exposes the chemicals that break our hormonal systems and harm our health in ways where it’s difficult to recover. Dr. Leo Trasande is a physician at NYU and the author of Sicker, Fatter, Poorer, a book that reveals the alarming truth about how toxic chemicals have the ability to disrupt your hormones and what can we do to fight back and protect ourselves. He talks about how manufacturing practices can be a major driver in limiting our exposure to toxic chemicals. He also pointed out the increasing obesity epidemic in the US is not only caused by poor diet and exercise but an exposure to chemicals that shifts and hacks the way our hormones normally work. Make healthier and better choices as Dr. Leo shares practical and helpful tips to avoid exposure from hormone-disrupting chemicals and protect yourself, children, and family’s health. In this Episode, We Discuss: The brief summary of Dr. Leo’s presentation from the UNWRAPPED Conference Chemicals that negatively impacts human health Dangerous plastics that you should stop using Get to know Dr. Leo: Dr. Leo Trasande is an internationally renowned leader in environmental health. His research focuses on the impacts of chemicals on hormones in our bodies. He also led the way in documenting the economic costs for policymakers of failing to prevent diseases of environmental origin proactively. To know more about Dr. Leo and his works, you can go to his website --- Did you enjoy today’s episode? Thanks for listening! Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get notified immediately when a new episode comes out! If you enjoyed the Mercast, please to leave a review and share this episode with a friend! I hope you spend some time in nature today! I'll catch you next time. Subscribe to The Mercast ++ ++ ++ /episode/index/show/mercast/id/11984366

The Mercast | Plastic Free Mermaid talks Change Making

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