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.
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Secretive regional fisheries management organizations need media coverage
12/23/2024
Secretive regional fisheries management organizations need media coverage
Seventeen (RFMOs) regulate commercially valuable fish species across the world's oceans. The members of these organizations do not publicize their meetings and bar journalists from attending, presenting a barrier for public awareness. On this episode of the Mongabay Newscast, Africa staff writer Malavika Vyawahare is joined by a fisheries expert, Grantly Galland, and an RFMO secretary, Darius Campbell, to explain how decisions are made in regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs), the consequences their decisions have on global fish populations, human rights and labor rights on the high seas, and how journalists can better cover these organizations. “Decisions are being made by RFMOs that impact billion-dollar fisheries and take effect next year [so] these stories deserve to be told,” says Grantly Galland, a project director at the Pew Charitable Trusts. Also joining the conversation is Darius Campbell, secretary of the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission, an RFMO. “The sea is [vast and it’s] very difficult to understand what's going on. Most of the [fish] stocks are very difficult to analyze and predict. And it's difficult to enforce [rules],” Campbell says. 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. Like our podcast? Please leave a review and share this episode with a friend. Image credit: Schools of fish at Cayman Islands, Caribbean. Image by Jason Washington / Ocean Image Bank. Timecodes (00:00:00) What is an RFMO? (00:07:37) Who are the key players? (00:13:18) Who holds the power? (00:20:32) Strategies for journalists covering RFMOs (00:29:47) Transparency and secrecy (00:38:59) Conservation and RFMO decision-making (00:48:10) Forced labor and human rights (00:53:29) What happens when an RFMO breaks the rules? (01:01:13) Common heritage vs high seas (01:07:13) BBNJ agreement (01:15:24) Citizen participation (01:19:09) Resources (01:21:39) Credits
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New tropical forest conservation fund has ‘great potential’
12/16/2024
New tropical forest conservation fund has ‘great potential’
A new forest finance fund known as the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) will work like an investment portfolio (unlike the familiar – and often ineffective – forest conservation loan or grant funds), and if enacted as intended, it will reward 70 tropical nations billions in annual funding for keeping their forests standing. Co-host Mike DiGirolamo speaks with three people who have analyzed the fund: Mongabay freelance reporter Justin Catanoso, Charlotte Streck – co-founder of Climate Focus – and Frédéric Hache, a lecturer in sustainable finance at the Paris Institute of Political Studies. They tackle the critical questions regarding what the proposed fund could – and would not – do. “I think that TFFF is an initiative that has great potential because it is put forward and supported by tropical rainforest countries. It is not [a] mechanism that has been defined by donors or by any experts. It is now pushed and promoted by the countries that harbor all this tropical forest,” says Streck. For additional background, find Catanoso’s report on the TFFF for Mongabay . View and hear our podcast team's picks of top 2024 episodes . Like this podcast? Please share it with a friend, and leave a review. 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 caption: Cecropia tree in Peru. Image by Rhett Butler for Mongabay. ---- Time stamps (00:00) A brief primer of the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) (03:10) Details from Justin Catanoso (10:24) Digging deeper with Charlotte Streck (25:17) Critiques and concerns from Frederic Hache (35:50) Credits
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Do we need a 'moral reckoning' on aquaculture's environmental impacts?
12/10/2024
Do we need a 'moral reckoning' on aquaculture's environmental impacts?
Animal aquaculture, the farming of fish, has the amount of wild-caught fish by tens of millions of metric tons each year, bringing with it negative environmental impacts and enabling abuse, says Carl Safina, an ecologist and author. On this episode of Mongabay’s podcast, Safina speaks with co-host Rachel Donald about his recent Science Advances describing the “moral reckoning” that’s required for the industry, pointing to environmental laws in the United States, which put hard limits on pollution, as examples to follow. “In the 1970s in the U.S., we had this enormous burst of environmental legislation. We got the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Toxic Substances Control Act … all of these things were not because somebody invented something new. It's because we felt differently about what was important,” he says. The global fishing industry also contributes to forced labor and other worker abuses, as revealed by whistleblowers and media outlets, including Mongabay. Read our award-winning 2022 , which revealed systemic abuse of foreign workers by China’s offshore tuna fleet. Like this podcast? Share it with a friend, and please leave a review. 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 caption: An Atlantic salmon. In the U.S., the Washington state legislature banned farming of Atlantic salmon in 2018. A state official banned all commercial finfish aquaculture. Alaska and California have similar bans. Image by Hans-Petter Fjeld via (). --- Timecodes (00:00) Aquaculture and its impacts (15:32) How values shape environmental policy (32:56) The tragedy of the commons (35:52) Ecological empathy (45:07) Credits
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Conservation is key for planetary health & preventing pandemics
11/26/2024
Conservation is key for planetary health & preventing pandemics
Neil Vora MD is a former epidemic intelligence service officer with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with experience combating outbreaks of the deadly Ebola virus and running the New York City contact tracing program for COVID-19. He advocates supporting public health infrastructure to respond to diseases. He much prefers preventing outbreaks before they occur instead of rushing to respond to them, though, and the best way to do this, he says, is by investing in nature. On this episode of the Mongabay Newscast, Vora shares his knowledge of why the “spillover” of — when a pathogen jumps from wildlife to humans — is increasingly occurring due to and . He also says that despite science's importance in studying and combating viruses, art and philosophy are necessary tools to drive the global change needed to prevent further outbreaks. “If we want to see societal transformation, we're going to need people feeling inspired, and that's where art and philosophy come in,” Vora says. Listen to Mongabay’s previous Newscast episode covering the recent outbreak of avian influenza . Like this podcast? Share it with a friend, and please leave a review. 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: Rainbow over Jambi, Indonesia. Photo credit: Rhett Ayers Butler / Mongabay ----- Timecodes (00:00) Introduction (01:06) Medical doctor and conservationist: Neil Vora (04:27) The link between deforestation and disease (07:33) The 'One Health' movement (09:41) How disease 'spillover' happens (13:06) What's happening with marburg and 'bird flu'? (23:10) Why we need art & philosophy to protect nature (26:31) Apocalyptic horror films as scenario explorations (30:04) Solutions and 'radical listening' (35:09) A rejection of nihilism
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Grounded: This pilot quit flying to help the aviation industry change, for the better
11/12/2024
Grounded: This pilot quit flying to help the aviation industry change, for the better
Todd Smith wanted to be a pilot since the age of 5, but an epiphany spurred by seeing a retreating ice cap in Peru revealed that his love of flying conflicted with the planetary harm his industry was causing. “That was the first seed that was planted, and I was witnessing in that moment climate change and mass tourism firsthand,” he says. Today, Smith is co-founder of Safe Landing, an organization dedicated to advocating for sustainable aviation reform to adapt to the realities of climate change and ensure the future employment of airline workers. On the latest Mongabay Newscast, he details his journey to leave the industry, and shares what he thinks the airline industry needs to change to in order to adapt to our new climate-changed reality. 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: Private jet flights account for a small fraction of aviation’s overall emissions — around 4% — though the burden is up to 10 times more per passenger compared to a commercial flight, according to a recent report. Image by lillolillolillo via Pixabay (Public domain). --- Timecodes (00:00) Introduction: Todd Smith (02:10) From airline pilot to climate activist (12:10) The origins of Safe Landing (24:04) The future of aviation on a limited carbon budget (37:10) The inequities of flying (45:53) Credits
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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
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Global Nature Positive Summit features Indigenous & conservation leaders but gets negative marks on government action
10/22/2024
Global Nature Positive Summit features Indigenous & conservation leaders but gets negative marks on government action
Just prior to the latest world biodiversity summit (COP 16 in Colombia), a similarly-themed event was hosted by the Australian Government in Sydney: the Global ‘Nature Positive’ Summit featured Indigenous leaders, scientists and conservationists, but political leaders in attendance provided little insight into when key reforms to the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act would take place, which experts, lawyers, and activists have been for. For this episode, Mongabay speaks with delegates to the summit including Barry Hunter, a descendent of the Djabugay people and the CEO of (NAILSMA), Éliane Ubalijoro, the CEO of , and also Ben Pitcher, a behavioral biologist with the . These guests share their expertise on the state of biodiversity, what kind of action they want to see from leaders, and what can be done to safeguard species while ensuring First Nations rights. Image Credit: Barry Hunter on his Country (Djabugay Country) at Mona Mona. Image by Seth Seden. ---- Timecodes (00:00) Introduction (02:05) A lack of government action (04:04) Interview with Barry Hunter (15:31) Interview with Eliane Ubalijoro (20:24) Interview with Ben Pitcher (28:16) Credits
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Jane Goodall and Rhett Butler celebrate Mongabay’s 25th anniversary
10/15/2024
Jane Goodall and Rhett Butler celebrate Mongabay’s 25th anniversary
The Mongabay Newscast recently traveled to San Francisco to join an event hosted by the popular radio show and podcast, , reflecting on both Mongabay’s 25th anniversary and Jane Goodall’s 90th birthday, for a live audience of 1,700. First, Mongabay founder and CEO Rhett Ayers Butler discusses the news outlet’s biggest successes and impact over a quarter of a century, and then Climate One founder and host Greg Dalton engages Butler and Goodall in conversation about the state of environmental news, the biggest issues they’re working on, their inspirations, and what Goodall wants more people to think about during what she calls a crucial election year. Here's additional discussion of Mongabay’s 25th anniversary, This is our previous episode where Goodall shares additional thinking on these issues: 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: Rhett Ayers Butler and Jane Goodall in conversation in San Francisco. Image by Alejandro Prescott-Cornejo/Mongabay. --- Time Codes (00:00:00) Introduction (00:00:59) Rhett’s reflections on 25 years of Mongabay (00:02:27) What makes for a successful newsroom? (00:07:50) Looking to the future (00:17:47) Jane Goodall and Rhett Butler in conversation with Climate One (01:17:30) Credits
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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
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High CO2 levels are greening the world’s drylands, is that good news?
10/01/2024
High CO2 levels are greening the world’s drylands, is that good news?
Drylands are vast and home to a wide array of biodiversity, while also hosting a large portion of the world’s farmland, but they face continued desertification, despite many of them recently experiencing increased vegetation levels. Five million hectares (12 million acres) of drylands, an area half the size of South Korea, have been desertified due to climate change since 1980, but elevated CO2 levels are also driving a regreening of some areas, which some argue is a positive effect of pumping CO2 into the atmosphere. However, our guest on this episode says this isn’t necessarily good news: remote-sensing researcher Arden Burrell describes how the CO2 fertilization effect is greening some dryland ecosystems, and why this worries scientists who say it may mask land overuse and decreased water resources. Read the study 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: Green areas saw a growth in foliage from 2000 to 2017, while brown areas represent a reduction. Image courtesy of Joshua Stevens/NASA Earth Observatory. Time Codes --- (00:00) Introduction (02:50) Drylands and desertification (04:19) Impacts of climate change on drylands (09:33) The CO2 fertilization effect (23:34) Digging into the models (30:16) Implications for land overuse (35:54) Post-show (41:42) Credits
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“What If We Get It Right?” marine biologist & climate action author Ayana Elizabeth Johnson asks
09/24/2024
“What If We Get It Right?” marine biologist & climate action author Ayana Elizabeth Johnson asks
Marine biologist and climate policy advocate Ayana Elizabeth Johnson joins this episode to discuss her latest book, , a compilation of essays and interviews with experts and authors in the climate and environmental fields. Her book sensitively probes the problems human society faces and potential pathways to address environmental injustice, from the unsustainable industrialization of our food systems to the inequity (or lack) of climate policy in many places. Co-host Mike DiGirolamo speaks with Johnson about key insights from her book’s array of interviews, plus lessons learned from fighting for climate policy herself in the form of a “Blue New Deal.” 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: Ayana Elizabeth Johnson holding a copy of her book “What If We Get It Right? Visions of Climate Futures.” Image courtesy of Ayana Elizabeth Johnson. --- Timecodes (00:00) Introduction (01:06) What If We Get It Right? A brief review (05:10) The barriers to change (09:20) What is 'biophilia'? (10:42) Agriculture doesn't have to be this way (12:52) Unsung advice (16:12) It's all about heat pumps (18:36) The role of media in covering protests (21:50) An ocean policy odyssey (25:43) Credits
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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
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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
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How coastal communities are adapting to rising seas naturally with Living Shorelines
08/27/2024
How coastal communities are adapting to rising seas naturally with Living Shorelines
Homeowners and towns along the U.S. East Coast are increasingly building “living shorelines” to adapt to sea level rise and boost wildlife habitat in a more economical and less carbon-intensive way than concrete seawalls. These projects protect shorelines using a clever mix of native plants, driftwood, holiday trees, and other organic materials. Peter Slovinsky, a coastal geologist with the Maine Geological Survey, joins the Mongabay Newscast to discuss the benefits of living shorelines, how they are implemented in his state, and what other techniques coastal communities should consider in a world with a warming climate and rising seas. Read Erik Hoffner’s original reporting on living shorelines . 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: Salt tolerant plants are part of a ‘living shorelines’ project on the Blue Hill Peninsula in Maine. Image by Erik Hoffner for Mongabay. Time Codes --- (00:00) Introduction (02:19) What is a “living shoreline?” (04:55) Green over gray (13:06) How to make a “living shoreline” (18:59) Case studies and urban applications (24:50) Adaptation methods that deserve more consideration (31:13) Reconsidering retreat (32:48) The geologist’s greatest fears and biggest hopes (39:35) Credits
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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
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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
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The ‘Wild Frequencies’ of Indian wildlife revealed by bioacoustics
08/06/2024
The ‘Wild Frequencies’ of Indian wildlife revealed by bioacoustics
Mongabay newswire editor Shreya Dasgupta joins the Mongabay Newscast to detail her new three-part miniseries, Wild Frequencies, produced in collaboration with the Mongabay India bureau. Dasgupta details her journey with Mongabay-India senior digital editor Kartik Chandramouli. They travel the country speaking with researchers, listening and studying to the sounds produced by bats, Asian elephants, sarus cranes, wolves and many other animals. The emerging field for which this study is named, bioacoustics, is helping researchers lay foundational knowledge crucial for conservation measures. Listen to the miniseries on the ‘Everything Environment’ podcast or by clicking the links below: 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 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: An Indian flying fox (Pteropus giganteus). Image by sunnyjosef via () Time Codes --- (00:00) Enter: Bioacoustics (02:51) What Is the New 'Newswire' Service at Mongabay? (05:50) What is Wild Frequencies? (08:45) Going a Little Batty (17:59) The Complicated Lives of Sarus Cranes (21:44) Animal 'Societies' We Don't Normally Hear In Cities (30:07) Credits
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How a multi-nation effort has protected North American amphibians from a deadly disease outbreak
07/30/2024
How a multi-nation effort has protected North American amphibians from a deadly disease outbreak
Scientists described Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) over 10 years ago, a pathogen that causes the deadly disease chytridiomycosis which is currently devastating salamanders and frogs around the world, contributing to a global amphibian decline. But thanks to a successful cross border (U.S., Mexico & Canada) effort to keep it out, it has yet to arrive in North America: the Bsal Task Force is made up of scientists from each nation using education, outreach, science and policy to keep the disease from reaching the continent. Founding task force co-chair Deanna Olson of the U.S. Forest Service joins the podcast to discuss its successes, lessons learned that can help managers prevent other wildlife disease outbreaks, and the challenges that lie ahead. To learn more about Bsal and the task force, please see Mongabay's six-part podcast series, published in 2020 on Mongabay Explores: 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 under "Podcasts" or download our free app for and devices to gain instant access to our latest episodes and all of our previous ones. Search "Mongabay Newscast." Image: A fire salamander in Normandy, France. Image by William Warby via. --- Timecodes (00:00) Introduction (03:05) What is Bsal? (05:57) The Bsal Task Force Assembles (08:02) On the Hunt for a Silent Killer (17:49) The Team Behind the Scene (21:36) Lessons Learned and Broader Implications (25:30) Community Involvement and Cultural Significance (29:08) Policy Gaps and Biosecurity Challenges (40:56) Scientific Innovations and Experimental Approaches (48:14) Not "If" But "When" (50:58) Credits
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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
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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
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Indigenous communities left in the dark on Borneo hydropower plan advocate for their river
07/09/2024
Indigenous communities left in the dark on Borneo hydropower plan advocate for their river
The premier of the Malaysian state of Sarawak recently announced new dam projects on three rivers in Borneo without the informed consent of local people. The managing director of the Sarawak-based NGO , Celine Lim, joins the podcast to discuss with co-host Rachel Donald how these potential dam projects could impact rivers and human communities in Borneo. She also reflects on lessons learned from a recent visit with Indigenous communities in California, who successfully argued for the removal of dams on the Klamath River and are now restoring its floodplain. She says her community relies on the Tutoh River for food and transport, so the announcement “definitely threw the community into a frenzy because no one knew of this plan before the announcement.” Read the from Danielle Keeton-Olsen and view footage of the guest's trip to California with the Borneo Project at Instagram. Love this conversation? Please share it with a friend! 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 Credit: A man steers his motorboat near Long Moh village on August 26, 2023. The village is located along the Baram River. Image by Danielle Keeton-Olsen for Mongabay. --- Timecodes (00:00) Introduction (02:36) A lack of consultation (10:05) Legal rights and UNDRIP (13:42) Impact of hydropower projects on Sarawak (20:39) A relationship with the river (27:58) Solidarity and solace on the Klamath River (33:10) Breaking down the cognitive dissonance (43:16) Credits
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'Seeking solutions,' Mongabay's new Africa bureau reports the big issues and conservation wins
06/25/2024
'Seeking solutions,' Mongabay's new Africa bureau reports the big issues and conservation wins
Last year, Mongabay launched a brand-new bureau dedicated to covering the African continent daily in French and English. The team is led by veteran Cameroonian journalist David Akana, who chats with co-host Mike DiGirolamo about the importance of covering the African continent and why news that happens there is of keen interest to audiences worldwide. Akana details his team's coverage priorities, including solutions-oriented stories, which he says are vital to delivering a fair picture of the continent. "The bottom line here is that whatever happens – whether it's in the business of forests [or] biodiversity or climate change in the Congo Basin [it] has linkages to anywhere else in the world," he says. View all of Mongabay Africa’s coverage at its website, . Read a related Q&A with David Akana . Love this conversation? Please share it with a friend! 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: David Akana giving an interview at COP 28 in Dubai, UAE. Image courtesy of David Akana. --- Timecodes (00:00:00) Introduction (00:02:18) David's Journey to Mongabay (00:06:28) Focus Areas of Mongabay Africa (00:10:46) Challenges in African Media Coverage (00:12:09) A Multilingual Reporting Strategy (00:15:27) Engaging With African Audiences (00:18:46) Making An Impact in the Congo Basin (00:22:40) Importance of Congo Basin Coverage (00:26:16) Future Vision for Mongabay Africa (00:29:40) Why Everyone Should Be Reading African News (00:33:23) David's Favorite Spot In Nature
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'Biotic pump’ theory could explain how forests affect weather, wind and climate
06/18/2024
'Biotic pump’ theory could explain how forests affect weather, wind and climate
The has been controversial in the climate science community ever since Anastassia Makarieva and Victor Gorshkov published their paper about it to the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics in 2010. If true, the theory sheds light on how the interior forests of vast continents influence wind and the water cycles that supply whole nations, flipping traditional hydrological and atmospheric science on its head. Anastassia Makarieva joins this episode to discuss the theory and its implications for future climate modeling with co-host Rachel Donald. Want more? Read a related Amazon-specific interview with Makarieva and Antonio Nobre . Love this conversation? Please share it with a friend! And if you really 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: Physicist Anastassia Makarieva co-developed the biotic pump theory of how forests direct the movement of moisture. Image ZED/Grifa Filmes. --- Timecodes (00:00:00) Introduction (00:02:41) Understanding the Biotic Pump Theory (00:09:38) Tipping Points (00:15:31) The Climate Regulating Function of Ecosystems (00:25:51) Lagging Behind the Data (00:33:20) Building a Different Climate Model (00:41:04) Addressing the Controversy (00:45:41) Territory, Boundaries and Water (00:52:13) Credits
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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
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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
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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
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Can the 'Right to Roam' boost nature connection and restoration?
05/21/2024
Can the 'Right to Roam' boost nature connection and restoration?
On this episode of Mongabay’s podcast, Rachel Donald speaks with campaigner and activist Jon Moses about the ‘’ movement in England which seeks to reclaim common rights to use private and public land to reconnect with nature and repair the damage done from centuries of exclusionary land ownership. In this discussion and the new book he's co-edited with Nick Hayes, Moses recounts the history of land ownership change in England ('enclosure') and why re-establishing a common ‘freedom to roam’—a right observed in other nations such as the Czech Republic or Norway—is needed. English citizens currently only have access to 8% of their land, for example. “There needs to be a kind of rethinking really of [what] people's place is in the landscape and how that intersects with a kind of [new] relationship between people and nature as well,” he says on this episode. 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. Image credit: Participants of the 'Love Your River' event on the River Derwent. Image courtesy of Jon Moses. --- Timecodes (00:00) Introduction (02:19) The 'Right to Roam' (06:06) The historical context of 'enclosure' (13:42) The modern struggle to reclaim access to nature (27:49) Cross cultural perspectives, and breaking the barriers (38:32) Post-chat (50:19) Credits
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What's unique about Canada's environment? 'The Narwhal' brings top news and views
05/07/2024
What's unique about Canada's environment? 'The Narwhal' brings top news and views
On this episode of Mongabay’s podcast, we speak with a co-founder of the award-winning Canadian nonprofit news outlet ‘,’ Emma Gilchrist. She reflects on Canada’s unique natural legacy, her organization's successes, the state of environmental reporting in the nature-rich nation, how she sees ‘The Narwhal’ filling the gaps in historically neglected stories and viewpoints, and why something as universally appreciated as nature can still be a polarizing topic. She also details her organization is involved in that could have significant implications for press freedom in Canada. 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: Bow Lake in Banff, Canada. Photo credit: Rhett A. Butler. --- Timecodes (00:00) Introduction (02:30) The mission and impact of 'The Narwhal' (05:16) The Canadian environmental paradox (24:40) Fighting for press freedom (29:31) An uncertain political landscape (34:50) Post-chat: independent outlets make waves (45:58) Credits
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How a grassroots legal effort defeated a giant Australian coal mine
04/29/2024
How a grassroots legal effort defeated a giant Australian coal mine
In recognition of her leadership and advocacy, Indigenous Wirdi woman Murrawah Maroochy Johnson has been awarded the 2024 Goldman Environmental Prize. She joins the Mongabay Newscast to discuss a landmark victory for First Nations rights in Australia, led by her organization Youth Verdict against Waratah Coal, which resulted in the Land Court of Queensland recommending a rejection of a mining lease in the Galilee Basin that would have added 1.58 billion tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere over its lifespan. The court case set multiple precedents in Australia, including being the first successful case to link the impacts of climate change with human rights, and the first to include on-Country evidence from First Nations witnesses. 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: 2024 Goldman Prize winner Murrawah Maroochy Johnson. Photo courtesy of Goldman Environmental Prize. --- Timecodes (00:00) Introduction (02:51) An unprecedented victory (05:33) Including on-Country evidence (16:17) Future legal implications (20:34) Challenges of navigating the legal system (26:14) Looking to the future (28:16) Credits
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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
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