Mongabay Newscast

Mongabay's award-winning podcast features inspiring scientists, authors, journalists and activists discussing global environmental issues from climate change to biodiversity, rainforests, wildlife conservation, animal behavior, marine biology and more.

Don't call it the ‘high seas treaty’: New oceans agreement should center biodiversity, expert says 10/29/2024

Don't call it the ‘high seas treaty’: New oceans agreement should center biodiversity, expert says The new BBNJ (biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction) marine conservation agreement is impressive in scope but has since been rebranded by some as the “high seas treaty,” which risks biasing its interpretation by emphasizing the historical, but outdated, freedoms enjoyed by seafaring (and largely Western) nations. Elizabeth Mendenhall of the University of Rhode Island joins this episode to discuss the treaty with co-host Rachel Donald, detailing the fascinating and complicated nature of ocean governance beyond the jurisdiction of states. The BBNJ agreement was designed to resolve some of these governance issues, but the text contains ample gray area in how the principles of “common heritage,” the concept that something belongs to all of humanity, will apply to the protection and extraction of resources from the water column and seafloor. “The treaty design that we ended up with [from] my perspective is not really suited to achieve what it is we say we want to do, which is to create a big network of marine protected areas that's effective in terms of protecting biodiversity,” Mendenhall says. To learn more and find links to the treaty documents, see the commentary Mendenhall co-authored for Mongabay about the topic earlier this year, Like this podcast? Please share it with a friend and help spread the word about the Mongabay Newscast. Subscribe to or follow the Mongabay Newscast wherever you listen to podcasts, from to , and you can also listen to all episodes on the Mongabay website, or download our free app for and devices to gain instant access to our latest episodes and all of our previous ones. Image Credit: Baleen whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). Image by ArtTower via Pixabay (Public domain). --- Timecodes (00:00) Introduction (02:51) How biodiverse are oceans? (05:20) What's at stake? (07:47) How are the oceans governed? (10:47) How international ocean management organizations work (17:13) What is the treaty for? (21:21) Is it a marine protected area if you can still exploit it? (27:55) BBNJ vs. 'High Seas' (29:09) Principles of High Seas and Common Heritage (35:35) Post-show (40:13) Credits /episode/index/show/mongabay/id/33674487

Global Nature Positive Summit features Indigenous & conservation leaders but gets negative marks on government action 10/22/2024

Jane Goodall and Rhett Butler celebrate Mongabay’s 25th anniversary 10/15/2024

Community conservation, Indigenous rights, and phasing out fossil fuels at Climate Week NYC 10/08/2024

Community conservation, Indigenous rights, and phasing out fossil fuels at Climate Week NYC An array of top voices are interviewed or heard on this episode straight from Climate Week in New York, a global gathering of leaders and experts working in the climate and environmental sectors on proactive policies and practical initiatives. The podcast speaks with several individuals on topics ranging from a fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty that’s gaining steam currently to ways of improving the financing of Indigenous communities and conservation organizations working in Africa, and many others. Here’s who appears on the show: Allison Begalman, co-founder of the Hollywood Climate Summit Amitabh Behar, executive director of Oxfam International Tzeporah Berman, chair of the Luisa Castaneda, deputy director of Paul Chet Greene, member of the House of Representatives of Antigua and Barbuda Susana Muhamad, minister of environment and sustainable development of Colombia Mohamed Nasheed, former president of the Maldives Maria Neira, director of the Department of Public Health and Environment at the World Health Organization Sam Shaba, CEO of Like this podcast? Please share it with a friend and help spread the word about the Mongabay Newscast. Subscribe to or follow the Mongabay Newscast wherever you listen to podcasts, from to , and you can also listen to all episodes on the Mongabay website, or download our free app for and devices to gain instant access to our latest episodes and all of our previous ones. Image Credit: Indigenous activists during an End of the Fossil Fuels event during Climate Week 2023. Image courtesy of the Confederation of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin (COICA). --- Time Codes (00:00) Mongabay at Climate Week NYC (01:34) Mohamed Nasheed (04:35) Paul Chet Greene (05:52) Amitabh Behar (07:23) PLANETWALKER with Allison Begalman (12:15) Funding justice with Luisa Castaneda (18:19) Community-led conservation with Sam Shaba (24:44) The fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty (29:19) Juan Bay and the Waorani Nation endorsement (36:49) Maria Neira from the World Health Organization (38:39) Susana Muhamad on Colombia’s endorsement (44:07) Tzeporah Berman talks treaty (53:32) Rainforest reception and a song /episode/index/show/mongabay/id/33380862

High CO2 levels are greening the world’s drylands, is that good news? 10/01/2024

“What If We Get It Right?” marine biologist & climate action author Ayana Elizabeth Johnson asks 09/24/2024

Private profit from public lands: How a Cambodian elite with military ties claimed a community forest 09/17/2024

Private profit from public lands: How a Cambodian elite with military ties claimed a community forest The Phnom Chum Rok Sat community forest used to support local and Indigenous groups in Cambodia’s Stung Treng province, as well as a thriving local ecotourism venture, but that all changed this year when mining company Lin Vatey privately acquired roughly two-thirds of the land and began clearing the forest. Mongabay features writer Gerry Flynn how this happened with freelance reporter Nehru Pry, and speaks with co-host Mike DiGirolamo about how the 10 individuals behind the land grab, many of whom have connections to powerful Cambodian military officials and their families, managed this land grab. Local community members who have resisted currently face legal intimidation and arrests. While community forests, such as Phnon Chum Rok Sat, are supposed to belong to the public, this kind of corporate acquisition of land is commonplace in the nation, Flynn says. “As we see a lot in Cambodia, it’s public forests being turned into private fortunes.” Like this podcast? Please share it with a friend and help spread the word about the Mongabay Newscast. Subscribe to or follow the Mongabay Newscast wherever you listen to podcasts, from to , and you can also listen to all episodes on the Mongabay website, or download our free app for and devices to gain instant access to our latest episodes and all of our previous ones. Image Credit: Lin Vatey's original mining site inside Phnom Chum Rok Sat threatens to consume the entire forest according to documents seen by Mongabay. Image by Gerald Flynn/Mongabay. --- Timecodes (00:00) Introduction (02:56) A once vibrant community forest (06:04) Cordoned off from the land (08:48) Liv Vatey moves in (17:03) Letter number 1456 (26:24) Arrests and intimidation (30:06) Ecotourism efforts shut down (34:14) The 'mental gymnastics' of a government spokesperson (37:12) Credits /episode/index/show/mongabay/id/33097547

The rights of nature, legal personhood & other new ways laws can protect the planet 09/03/2024

The rights of nature, legal personhood & other new ways laws can protect the planet “Legal personhood” and laws regarding the “rights of nature” are being trialed in nations worldwide, but whether they lead to measurable conservation outcomes is yet to be seen, says environmental economist Viktoria Kahui. Still, she says on this episode of the Mongabay Newscast that she’s very hopeful about them. There’s a global debate surrounding these laws’ efficacy as a tool for conservation, and growing uneasiness about how they may impose a Western viewpoint upon something as inherently complex and extralegal as nature. Some critics argue that such a concept not only transcends the legal system but also cannot be subjected to it without harming the people and places these laws are intended to empower. Yet Kahui argues that there’s potential for rights-of-nature laws to develop in context-dependent scenarios, where humans can advocate on behalf of nature in places like Ecuador, which she says is a particularly powerful example. Read more about legal personhood and the rights of nature here: Like this podcast? Please share it with a friend and help spread the word about the Mongabay Newscast. Subscribe to or follow the Mongabay Newscast wherever you listen to podcasts, from to , and you can also listen to all episodes on the Mongabay website, or download our free app for and devices to gain instant access to our latest episodes and all of our previous ones. Image Credit: Blue water of the Quinault river, Olympic Rainforest. Image by Rhett Butler. Time Codes --- (00:00) Introduction (00:58) The global debate on rights of nature (03:52) Can these laws protect biodiversity? (07:58) Challenges for legal personhood (14:10) The advantage of using rights of nature (24:21) Philosophical qualms with anthropocentric laws (28:55) How laws can shape our relationships with nature (33:00) The 'big possibility' (40:56) There's no silver bullet (44:01) Credits /episode/index/show/mongabay/id/32884972

How coastal communities are adapting to rising seas naturally with Living Shorelines 08/27/2024

Experts warn bird flu poses ‘an existential threat’ to biodiversity, and a possible threat to humans 08/20/2024

Experts warn bird flu poses ‘an existential threat’ to biodiversity, and a possible threat to humans The current clade of H5N1 or bird flu is an "existential threat" to the world’s biodiversity, experts say. While it has infected more than 500 bird and mammal species on every continent except Australia, the number of human infections from the current clade (grouping) 2.3.4.4b is still comparatively small. U.S. dairy workers have recently become infected, and the virus could easily mutate to become more virulent, our guest says. Joining the Mongabay Newscast to talk about it is Apoorva Mandavilli, a global health reporter for The New York Times. Mandavilli details what virologists and experts know about the human health risks associated with this latest clade, what nations are doing (or not doing) to help contain its spread, and why. She also details how environmental degradation and industrial agriculture help create the conditions for outbreaks like this to occur. Read Sharon Guynup’s reporting on it . Like this podcast? Please share it with a friend and help spread the word about the Mongabay Newscast. Subscribe to or follow the Mongabay Newscast wherever you listen to podcasts, from to , and you can also listen to all episodes on the Mongabay website, or download our free app for and devices to gain instant access to our latest episodes and all of our previous ones. Image Credit: Highly pathogenic avian influenza killed thousands of black-browed albatross (Thalassarche melanophris) chicks in the Falkland Islands and Islas Malvinas, where two-thirds of the entire population lives. Image © Julia Emerit and Augustin Clessin. Time Codes --- (00:00) Introduction (02:44) The evolution of H5N1 (05:47) Clade 2.3.4.4b (08:21) Challenges in monitoring the spread (11:10) What are the human health risks? (16:34) A spotlight on industrialized animal agriculture (18:26) A vaccination strategy? (20:05) What lessons are we learning from other pandemics? (23:08) The degradation of nature and the frequency of disease outbreaks (25:57) Credits /episode/index/show/mongabay/id/32662672

Indigenous communities' traditional ecological knowledge is key to conservation: National Geographic photographer Kiliii Yüyan 08/13/2024

Indigenous communities' traditional ecological knowledge is key to conservation: National Geographic photographer Kiliii Yüyan Top National Geographic photographer Kiliii Yüyan joined the show to discuss traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and why Indigenous communities are the world’s most effective conservationists. Yüyan spoke about this with us in March 2023 and we're sharing the episode again after it recently won a 'Best coverage of Indigenous communities' prize from the Indigenous Media Awards. While the National Geographic version of "Guardians of Life" is now published, the collaboration between Gleb Raygorodetsky and Yüyan will be published in book form in 2025. Sign up at Raygorodetsky's to be notified when it’s out. Like this podcast? Please share it with a friend and help spread the word about the Mongabay Newscast. *Come celebrate Jane Goodall's 90th birthday, and Mongabay's 25th anniversary, during an event hosted by the Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco (or virtually) by purchasing tickets at. To get $10 off, use the promo code C1PARTNER. * Subscribe to or follow the Mongabay Newscast wherever you listen to podcasts, from to , and you can also listen to all episodes on the Mongabay website, or download our free app for and devices to gain instant access to our latest episodes and all of our previous ones. Image Credit: With a dip net, Karuk fisherman Ryan Reed searches for Chinook salmon under the watchful eye of his father, Ron, on California's Klamath River at Ishi Pishi Falls in October 2020. The Reeds caught no fish in stark contrast to earlier times. Before California became a state, the river saw about 500,000 salmon each fall, but last year just 53,954 mature Chinook swam up, a 90 percent decline. The nation now restricts salmon fishing to Ishi Pishi Falls, but with the slated removal of four dams, the Karuk hope the salmon will return. Image (c) Kiliii Yuyan. Time Codes --- (00:00) Indigenous peoples: the world's best conservationists (02:31) Who are the Guardians of Life? (07:30) Some of Kiliii's favorite memories (10:39) 'People are not separate from nature' (18:04) 'Two-eyed seeing': combining Western and Indigenous science (23:30) Advice from an Indigenous storyteller (27:26) The Impact of storytelling (30:52) A kayak is not a ship (34:02) The Guardians of Life book (39:50) Credits /episode/index/show/mongabay/id/32564647

The ‘Wild Frequencies’ of Indian wildlife revealed by bioacoustics 08/06/2024

How a multi-nation effort has protected North American amphibians from a deadly disease outbreak 07/30/2024

Sacrificing U.S. forests for solar energy "misses the plot" on climate action 07/23/2024

Sacrificing U.S. forests for solar energy "misses the plot" on climate action U.S. states such as Vermont and Massachusetts are cutting thousands of acres of forest for solar power projects, despite the fact that this harms biodiversity and degrades ecosystems' carbon sequestration capacity. Journalist and author Judith Schwartz joins the Mongabay Newscast to speak with co-host Mike DiGirolamo about the seeming irony of cutting forests for renewable energy, and why she says states like hers are 'missing the plot' on climate action: she lives near a forest in southwestern Vermont where a company has proposed an 85-acre project that would export its electricity 100 miles south, to customers in Connecticut. A recent report found that such deforestation in nearby Massachusetts is unnecessary to meet that state's clean energy commitments, and would be better achieved by using already developed land like rooftops and parking lots, instead of farms or forests. Yet the acreage lost to solar energy projects in Massachusetts since 2010 has already released the equivalent of the annual emissions of more than 100,000 cars. Read Judith Schwartz's commentary for Mongabay about this situation . *Come celebrate Jane Goodall’s 90th birthday and Mongabay’s 25th anniversary during an event hosted by the Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco (or virtually) by purchasing tickets at . To get $10 off, use promo code C1PARTNER. * Listen to the entire conversation on the Mongabay Newscast wherever you get your podcasts from. If you want to support the podcast, please visit to pledge a dollar or more to keep the show growing. Mongabay is a nonprofit media outlet, and all support helps! See all our latest news from nature's frontline at Mongabay's homepage, , or follow Mongabay on any of the social media platforms for updates. Please send your ideas and feedback to . Image: An array of ground mounted solar panels. Image by Derek Sutton via --- Timecodes (00:00) Introduction (03:09) The Irony of Clearing Forests for Renewable Energy (10:19) AI and Data Centers Increasingly Demand More Energy (16:24) Forests and Heat Mitigation (25:46) Community Awareness and Action (35:10) Credits /episode/index/show/mongabay/id/32265992

Natural forest regeneration is ‘a restoration of hope’ for farmers & forests worldwide 07/16/2024

Natural forest regeneration is ‘a restoration of hope’ for farmers & forests worldwide Australian agronomist Tony Rinaudo's reforestation project in Niger was failing – with 80% of his planted saplings dying – until he stumbled upon a simple solution in plain sight: stumps of previously cut trees trying to regrow in the dry, deforested landscape. The degraded land contained numerous such stumps with intact root systems, plus millions of tree seeds hidden in the soil, which farmers could encourage to grow and reforest the landscape, something he refers to as 'an invisible forest in plain view.' Today, the technique known as Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) is responsible for reforesting six million hectares in Niger alone. Rinaudo speaks with Rachel Donald on Mongabay's podcast about his journey implementing this technique and its massive potential to help tackle biodiversity loss and food insecurity through resilient agroforestry systems. Read more about FMNR at Mongabay, *Come celebrate Jane Goodall's 90th birthday, and Mongabay's 25th anniversary, during an event hosted by the Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco (or virtually) by purchasing tickets at . To get $10 off, use promo code C1PARTNER. * Love our podcasts? Please share them with a friend! If you want to support the podcast, please visit to pledge a dollar or more to keep the show growing. Mongabay is a nonprofit media outlet, and all support helps! See all our latest news from nature's frontline at Mongabay's homepage, , or follow Mongabay on any of the social media platforms for updates. Please send your ideas and feedback to . Image: Results of Farmer Natural Regeneration in Luhundwa, Tanzania, from 2019 – 2022. Photo courtesy of LEAD Foundation. --- Timecodes (00:00) Introduction (02:43) The Concept of FMNR (04:42) Underground Forests & Hidden Potential (07:33) Roadblocks and Revelations in Niger (14:00) The Social and Environmental Benefits of FMNR (20:28) Regenerating Earth's Degraded Land (25:11) "We don't have centuries to make a change." (30:59) The Power of a Social Movement (42:41) Undeployed Solutions (47:55) Credits /episode/index/show/mongabay/id/32167462

Indigenous communities left in the dark on Borneo hydropower plan advocate for their river 07/09/2024

'Seeking solutions,' Mongabay's new Africa bureau reports the big issues and conservation wins 06/25/2024

'Biotic pump’ theory could explain how forests affect weather, wind and climate 06/18/2024

Unmasking the illusion of renewable biomass energy with Justin Catanoso 06/11/2024

Unmasking the illusion of renewable biomass energy with Justin Catanoso Burning wood to generate electricity – ‘biomass energy’ – is increasingly used as a renewable replacement for burning coal in nations like the UK, Japan, and South Korea, even though its emissions are not carbon neutral. On this episode of the Mongabay Newscast, reporter Justin Catanoso details how years of investigation helped him uncover a complicated web of public relations messaging used by industry giants that obscures the fact that replanting trees after cutting them down and burning them is not carbon neutral or renewable and severely harms global biodiversity, and forests. Catanoso lives near biomass industry giant Enviva in North Carolina and has on their practices extensively, including the claim that they only use sustainable wood waste in their product, which his investigation . Though it filed for Chapter 11 this year, it remains the single largest producer of wood pellets globally. “When those trees get ripped out, that carbon gets released. And that comes before we process this wood and ship it…then we burn it and don't count those emissions. This is just [an] imponderable policy,” he says in this episode. Read of the UK biomass firm Drax and their attempt to open two large wood pellet plants in California to ship 1 million tons annually to Japan and South Korea, where they will be burned in converted coal plants. If you enjoy the Mongabay Newscast, please visit to pledge a dollar or more to keep the show growing. Mongabay is a nonprofit media outlet, and all support helps! See all our latest news from nature's frontline at Mongabay's homepage, , or follow Mongabay on any of the social media platforms for updates. Please send your ideas and feedback to . Image: Wood pellets for biomass energy. Image courtesy of Dogwood Alliance. --- Timecodes (00:00:00) Introduction to Biomass and Carbon Emissions (00:03:08) Understanding the problems with biomass fuel (00:08:18) Clear-Cutting in North Carolina and British Columbia (00:12:48) Physics Doesn't Fall for Accounting Tricks (00:19:55) Understanding the Arguments from the Industry (00:25:30) Picking Apart the Logic (00:28:26) Why We Don't Have Long-term Solutions (00:34:27) Overcoming an Impossible Situation (00:39:55) Post-chat (00:49:28) Credits /episode/index/show/mongabay/id/31704697

Indigenous economics offers alternative to Wall Street's financialization of nature 06/05/2024

Indigenous economics offers alternative to Wall Street's financialization of nature Putting a dollar amount on a single species, or entire ecosystems, is a contentious idea, but in 2023, the New York Stock Exchange proposed a new nature-based asset class which put a price tag on global nature of 5,000 trillion U.S. dollars. This financialization of nature comes with perverse incentives and fails to recognize the intrinsic value contained in biodiversity and all the benefits it provides for humans, argues Indigenous economist Rebecca Adamson, on this episode. Instead, she suggests basing economies on principles contained in Indigenous economics. "The most simple thing would be to fit your economy into a living, breathing, natural physics law framework. And if you look at Indigenous economies, they really talk about balance and harmony, and those aren't quaint customs. Those are design principles," she says. Hear a related Mongabay podcast interview on the connection between nature and financial systems . We also recently spoke with National Geographic photographer Kiliii Yuyan about what Indigenous knowledge has to offer conservation, . If you enjoy the Mongabay Newscast, please visit to pledge a dollar or more to keep the show growing. Mongabay is a nonprofit media outlet, and all support helps! See all our latest news from nature's frontline at Mongabay's homepage, , or follow Mongabay on any of the social media platforms for updates. Please send your ideas and feedback to . Image: The doll orchid. Image courtesy of Bhathiya Gopallawa. --- (00:00:00) Introduction (00:01:30) The Financialization of Nature (00:07:35) Indigenous Economic Principles (00:14:04) Can Putting a Price on Nature Save it? (00:27:15) Redistribution and Reciprocity (00:33:15) The Ubiquity of Violence (00:38:37) The Wealth Gap and Its Implications (00:41:31) The Power of Shareholder Activism (00:44:36) Indigenous Economic Systems and Modern Applications (00:51:57) A Critical Analysis of the Financialization of Nature (01:00:27) Religious Perspectives on Environmental Awareness (01:04:24) Credits /episode/index/show/mongabay/id/31607572

Koala conservation delayed while government pursues faulty offset schemes 05/28/2024

Koala conservation delayed while government pursues faulty offset schemes Two experts join the Mongabay Newscast to discuss the decline in koala populations in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW), even as city councils and the government green light development projects on koala habitats that aren't being replaced by , ecologist Yung En Chee of the University of Melbourne, explains. Meanwhile, the promised Great Koala National Park has been delayed by NSW Premier Chris Minns, even as his state of koala habitat within the park borders while he tries to set up a carbon credit scheme to monetize the protected area, says journalist Stephen Long with Australia Institute. “I'm not sure how long this failure has to persist before we decide that we really ought to change course,” says Chee of the biodiversity credit schemes, which seem to be based on outdated data, and don’t come close to satisfying their ‘no net loss’ of biodiversity goals. See related coverage: How a conservation NGO uses drones and artificial intelligence to detect koalas that survive bushfires, . If you want to read more on biodiversity offsetting and 'no net loss,' please read from the IUCN. If you enjoy the Mongabay Newscast, please visit to pledge a dollar or more to keep the show growing. Mongabay is a nonprofit media outlet, and all support helps! See all our latest news from nature's frontline at Mongabay's homepage, , or follow Mongabay on any of the social media platforms for updates. Please send your ideas and feedback to [email protected]. Image: Gumbaynggirr Country is home to the dunggiirr, the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus), one of the totem animals for the Gumbaynggirr people. Koalas numbers are estimated to be in the tens of thousands in the state of New South Wales. Image by Steve Franklin via Unsplash (Public domain). -- Timecodes (00:00) Introduction (01:34) The Koala Crisis in New South Wales (04:33) Where is the Great Koala National Park? (06:39) Logging Activities and Government Delays (09:53) The Problem with Carbon Credits (16:46) Interview with Yung En Chee (18:38) Biodiversity Offsets: Concept and Criticism (20:15) Failures in Biodiversity Offset Implementation (31:23) Double Dipping and Offset Market Issues (35:22) Conclusion /episode/index/show/mongabay/id/31504562

Can the 'Right to Roam' boost nature connection and restoration? 05/21/2024

What's unique about Canada's environment? 'The Narwhal' brings top news and views 05/07/2024

How a grassroots legal effort defeated a giant Australian coal mine 04/29/2024

Energy transition minerals: questions, consent and costs are key 04/23/2024

Energy transition minerals: questions, consent and costs are key Indigenous rights advocate and executive director of , Galina Angarova, and environmental journalist/author of the Substack newsletter , Ian Morse, join us to detail the key social and environmental concerns, impacts, and questions we should be asking about the mining of elements used in everything from the global renewable energy transition to the device in your hand. Research indicates that 54% of all transition minerals occur on or near Indigenous land. Despite this fact, no nation anywhere has properly enforced Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) protocols in line with standards in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Further, local communities too seldom benefit from their extraction, while suffering their consequences in the form of reduced air and/or water quality. This conversation was originally broadcast on to a live audience of journalists but the conversation contains detailed insight and analysis on a vital topic listeners of the Newscast will appreciate. Those interested in participating in Mongabay's webinar series are encouraged to subscribe to the YouTube Channel or sign up for Mongagabay's Webinar Newsletter . If you enjoy the Newscast, please visit to pledge a dollar or more to keep the show growing, Mongabay is a nonprofit media outlet and all support helps! See all our latest news from nature's frontline at Mongabay's homepage, , or follow Mongabay on any of the social media platforms for updates. Image credit: A symbol for a renewable charging station. (Photo courtesy of Nicola Sznajder/) --- Timecodes (00:00) Introduction (02:57) Why are they called 'transition minerals?' (07:04) Geopolitical tensions and complications (16:04) Realities of mining windfalls (26:30) Cartelization concerns (32:50) Environmental and human rights impacts (39:46) Reporting on Free Prior and Informed Consent (46:49) Recycling (54:45) Additional Indigenous rights concerns (57:04) Certification schemes and community-led mining initiatives (01:03:22) Deep-sea mining (01:09:21) Credits /episode/index/show/mongabay/id/30958573

The high costs of resource-based conflicts for people & planet 04/16/2024

How young activists navigate a hostile climate with honest conversations 04/09/2024

Jane Goodall on turning 90 and building empathy for nature 04/02/2024

Jane Goodall on turning 90 and building empathy for nature On today's episode of the Newscast, world-renowned primatologist and conservation advocate Dr. Jane Goodall sits down with Mongabay founder and editor-in-chief, Rhett Butler. Goodall is celebrating her 90th birthday this week and reflects upon her long (and continuing) career, sharing reflections, lessons, stories and inspirations that guide her philosophy toward protecting the natural world. Widely recognized for her pioneering work on animal behavior, she explains the importance of having empathy for animals and why it is crucial for meeting conservation goals now and into the future. The iconic conservationist also shares why she thinks that, despite 'doom & gloom' news, humanity can overcome the adversity of its many environmental challenges. "I've come to think of humanity as being at the mouth of a very long very dark tunnel and right at the end there’s a little star shining. And that's hope. But it's no good sitting, wondering when that star will come to us...We must gird our loins, roll up our sleeves, and navigate around all obstacles that lie between us and the star." View a print version of this interview at the Mongabay website: Editor's Note: Jane Goodall is a member of Mongabay's advisory council. Subscribe to the Mongabay Newscast wherever you get podcasts, and if you enjoy the show, please visit to pledge a dollar or more to keep the show growing, Mongabay is a nonprofit media outlet and all support helps! See all our latest news from nature's frontline at Mongabay's homepage, , or follow Mongabay on any of the social media platforms for updates. Feedback? Send a message to [email protected]. Image credit: Photo of Jane Goodall by Rhett Butler/Mongabay. --- Timecodes (00:00) Introduction (04:09) Reflections on conservation and changes (05:04) How do you keep hopeful? (06:40) How can individuals make a positive impact? (08:36) How can people make their voices heard? (09:34) Ways to rally around nature (11:53) Why do you think people connect with your work? (20:08) Overlooked conservation solutions (22:29) The importance of empathy (27:44) Collaboration and hope in conservation (32:22) Choosing the impact we make /episode/index/show/mongabay/id/30651453

Forest elephants, the endangered "gardeners" of the Congo Rainforest 03/26/2024

Forest elephants, the endangered "gardeners" of the Congo Rainforest African forest elephants play a crucial role in shaping the Congo rainforest ecosystem, two experts explain on this episode. As seed dispersers and maintainers of forest corridors and clearings, they are sometimes referred to as "gardeners of the forest." Their small and highly threatened population needs additional study and conservation prioritization, since the loss of this species would fundamentally change the shape and structure of the world's second-largest rainforest. Guest Fiona "Boo" Maisels is a conservation scientist at the Wildlife Conservation Society, while Andrew Davies is assistant professor of organismic and evolutionary biology at Harvard University, and they speak with host Mike DiGirolamo about these charismatic mammals. Please invite your friends to subscribe to the Mongabay Newscast wherever they get podcasts, from Apple to Spotify, or download our free app in the Apple App Store or in the Google Store to get access to our latest episodes at your fingertips. If you enjoy the Newscast, please visit to pledge a dollar or more to keep the show growing, Mongabay is a nonprofit media outlet and all support helps! See all our latest news from nature's frontline at Mongabay's homepage, , or follow Mongabay on any of the social media platforms for updates. Image credit: A calf attempts to sneak its trunk into a mineral pit that mom is drinking from. Protest calls are often heard from calves in this behavioral context, as mom sometimes pushes them away and they in turn express their displeasure with a little yell. Photo Ana Verahrami, Elephant Listening Project. --- Timecodes (00:00) Introduction (02:00) There are two African elephant species? (06:06) Can the "value" of an elephant be quantified? (19:30) The value of forest bais (27:25) Impacts of climate change (30:30) The future of forest elephants in the Congo Basin (38:44) Credits /episode/index/show/mongabay/id/30555078

Show us the money: Are giant pledges by major conservation funders effective? 03/19/2024

Show us the money: Are giant pledges by major conservation funders effective? Billionaires, foundations, and philanthropists often make massive, headline-grabbing pledges for biodiversity conservation or climate change mitigation, but how effective are these donations? How do these huge sums get used, and how do we know? These questions are among the considerations that conservationists and environmental reporters should keep in mind, two guest experts on this episode say. On this edition of the Mongabay Newscast, Holly Jonas, global coordinator of the ICCA Consortium, and Michael Kavate, staff writer at Inside Philanthropy, break down some of the more overlooked issues these giant gifts raise, and story angles that reporters should consider when covering philanthropy for the environment. "I think what the public really needs is more critical and in-depth coverage of the ideologies and the approaches behind their kinds of philanthropy, the billionaire pledges and so on, how they're being rolled out in practice, where the funding's actually going," says Jonas. Please invite your friends to subscribe to the Mongabay Newscast wherever they get podcasts, from Apple to Spotify, or download our free app in the Apple App Store or in the Google Store to get access to our latest episodes at your fingertips. If you enjoy the Newscast, please visit to pledge a dollar or more to keep the show growing, Mongabay is a nonprofit media outlet and all support helps! See all our latest news from nature's frontline at Mongabay's homepage, , or follow Mongabay on any of the social media platforms for updates. Image credit: Great Green Macaw in Las Balsas reserve. Photo credit: José León. --- Timecodes (00:00) Introduction (01:55) Biggest trends in environmental philanthropy (07:23) Follow the money, follow the power (20:23) Tools and techniques for reporters (24:09) Localization & accountability (37:37) Funding transparency (53:25) Project finance for permanence (01:06:14) Western influence in philanthropy (01:13:37) Credits /episode/index/show/mongabay/id/30445983

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