A sustainability podcast for those with good intentions. A podcast about sustainability, the environment, politics and all the craziness that’s going on in the world. You’ll hear it all from the perspective of Bella, the marine ecologist and Heidi, the sustainability consultant. Whether you're working in the field or you have never heard of the term sustainability, welcome to Life on Planet A.
#75 Reforming the Deep Sea with Emily Tewes from Sustainable Ocean Alliance
Delve into the intriguing world of deep sea mining and the complex negotiations surrounding it, with our guest Emily Tewes, from Sustainable Ocean Alliance. Join Life on Planet A as we plunge beneath the waves to uncover the untold stories of the International Seabed Authority,(ISA) the international body overseeing deep sea mining regulations.In episode, we spotlight the compelling stories of nations that are championing a call for moratorium in deep sea mining. With climate change accelerating and concerns about environmental impacts mounting, countries are raising crucial questions about the sustainability of this nascent industry. Time Stamps:10:00 - SOA campaign to #DefendtheDeep and #StopDeepSeaMining12:28 - Background on ISA14:25 - Biases in ISA20:00 - Exploration licenses23:00 - Discussion on how ISA gives licenses to mine29:00 - Moratorium on DSM30:00 - Meetings in July46:00 - SOA at the ISA meetings54:00 - Meaning of Life to EmilySupport the show
8/16/2023 • 56 minutes, 26 seconds
#72: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Unicorn: the Future of Cultured Meat with Sam Rathbone
Imagine you could eat a marbled eye-fillet steak, with the omega 3 of a salmon fillet with the smoky taste of woolly mammoth... AND no animals were harmed in the process and the meat was 98% more carbon efficient than native meat, with no paddocks involved. Sounds like a dream right? This could very soon be an exciting reality thanks to the team at Vow. Vow is a Sydney-based start-up that is creating cultured meat with the aim to make sustainable food both irresistible and available to billions of people.We were joined by Vow expert and process development associate, Sam Rathbone for our first ever in-person interview! And we couldn't have found a better guest; we had so much fun and laughs recording this episode so we hope you have just as much learning and listening to it. Why cultured meat?Feed 10 billion: Our future population needs 50% more food than we’re able to produce today. We need reliable production methods that give us security and control.Preserve the earth: Today’s food system places a heavy burden on our environment and has led to increased deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions and land and water pollution and decreased biodiversity. We need an alternative.Human and animal welfare: humans need protein to survive but current methods of accessing protein are intensive on Earth's resources and have led to human and animal rights issues. Every year trillions of animals suffer to meet our protein demands and this will only increase as the global population rises. We need a more efficient means of accessing protein that does not harm animals or the environment.This is where Vow comes in. Vow is not only creating cultured meat, but revolutionising the way we think of meat. Just 4 species (0.02% of all species) make up almost all of our food. What are the odds there are better (tastier, healthier, etc.) animals out there? Removing the need to paddocks, fields and domestication means Vow is free to explore all kinds of meat options.What if we could eat unicorn: narwhal crossed with zebra?Vow scientists only need a handful of cells and 6 weeks to produce a delicious finished product which means no animals need to be bred and killed.Useful links:About VowVow Careers - they're hiring!Watch co-founder and CEO, George Peppou on TEDx TalksVow featured on Forbes Asia 100 to Watch 2022Listen to Vow co-founder and CEO, George Peppou on Ep 246 of Humans of Purpose podcast.Timestamps:2:00 - Background on Sam Rathbone10:00 - NeuraLink and becoming a robot12:00 Getting a job at Vow via hinge?!14:00 - Intro to Vow19:00 - How is Vow cultured meat created?25:00 - What does Vow taste like?29:00 - Vow co-existing with argiculture - how will this work?35:00 - Vow, the supply chain and carbon emissions 43:00 - Hybrid meats at Vow44:00 - Getting Vow to market - how long until we're eating cultured meat in Aus? And how can you help speed up the process?50:00 - The meaning of lifeSupport the show
9/14/2022 • 54 minutes, 38 seconds
#71: Zero Emission Puppers with Gabriel Guedes from Lyka
How healthy is pet food? What if you could give your pet food that was good for them AND good for the planet? Well... you can, thanks to the team at Lyka.This episode we'll stepping into the paws of our canine companions to learn about how we can improve their diet and the planet with Lyka. We'll be on this journey with this week's guest: Gabriel Guedes, COO and CFO at Lyka. About Lyka:Lyka is Australia's only carbon NEGATIVE dog food! All emissions are offset through Green Fleet, the first Aussie carbon offsetter. In 2018, founder Anna (Gabriels partner), went on a journey to improve her dog Lyka's health. Anna put diet on a homemade diet of fresh, wholefood ingredients and the results were fantastic."Lyka’s transformation was incredible and noticeable within weeks. Not only was Lyka more energetic, but her coat was also glossier, and her skin was also no longer itchy. Even her tooth decay reversed. As a bonus, Anna also noticed her poo didn’t smell anymore and Lyka’s frequent passing wind had ceased completely."Team Lyka is a group of ambitious and like-minded dog-lovers with a shared single goal: to serve you and your pupper with the best possible food on the planet (and give our office dogs endless belly rubs.)Useful links:Check out the Lyka websiteRead more about the Lyka storyLearn more about Lyka's carbon offsets with Green FleetCheck out Lyka's interactive breakdown of their scope 1, 2 and emissions hereCheck out a review of Lyka dog food with more info about the nutritional valueTime Stamps:0:00 - Introduction7:00 - Introduction to Gigi10:00 - The story of Lyka14:00 - What is pet food actually made of?17:00 - What s the most popular pet food?21:00 - Sustainability and Lyka28:00 Experimenting with meats34:00 Biodegradable versus Compostable? 40:00 Lyka packagingSupport the showSupport the show
8/18/2022 • 53 minutes, 48 seconds
#66 The Political Revolution with Blair Palese
AUSSIES, it’s TIME TO VOTE. But the big questions on everyone’s mind is: who to vote for? And why? This week Heidi spoke to Blair Palese, Managing Director & Global Climate Editor, Climate & Capital Media. You’ll learn:who are the teals and what is the independent movement in Australia? an update on Australia and its climate goalswhat happens if we dont reach those goals? which politicians are on track to help us meet our climate goals? Tune in before you have to vote on May 21st 2022, to learn more about the Australia parties and what they stand for.Support the show
5/16/2022 • 52 minutes, 27 seconds
#63: How to Burp Less Methane (A Guide for Cows) with Dr Javed Khan
Imagine you're Larry the cow and you're uncontrollably burping methane into the atmosphere each day. It's not your fault, its all the good bacteria in your microbiome just doing their thing. But what if eating just 50g of a little red seaweed could change all that? This week Heidi and Bella speak with Dr Javed Khan, the Aquaculture Manager for CH4 in New Zealand to learn all about Asparagopsis aramata, the little red seaweed making a big difference. CH4's goal is for agriculture to have zero methane emissions.You'll learn:What is Asparagopsis?How can it stop the production of methane in ruminant animals? What is a ruminant animal?More fun facts about sea cucumbers (Bella tries to talk about them every chance she gets)Thanks so much for joining us Javed, we can't wait to dive with you in NZ soon!Useful links:Learn more about CH4 GlobalLinks to many more articles on methane reduction using seaweedA video all about CH4's journey and missionLearn more about the global exploitation of sea cucumbersSupport the show
3/21/2022 • 46 minutes, 27 seconds
#60: Tropical Rainforests, Sugar-gliders, Muesli & Gin with Will Brook
For Ep2 of Regenerative Farming month Heidi and Bella are taking you on a virtual road-trip to Brookfarm in the hinterlands of Byron Bay - think birds tweeting, owls hooting and juicy macadamies falling softly to the ground. We're speaking with Will Brook, CEO of Brookfarm and member of the Book family, about how the family has restored the land to its native sub-tropical rainforest and made sustainable choices in every aspect of their journey.You'll learn:What is regenerative farming to Brookfarm?How can farms control pests without pesticides?What is Roll 'N' Recycle and why you should be excited for itCan I walk through the rainforest, learn about regenerative agriculture and sip GnT? (YES)Extra links:Visit the Cape Byron Distillery to sip gin and explore the rainforestBefore and after photos of Brookfarm (1980 to now)Buy Brookfarm products at your local Harris Farm, IGA or online.Learn more about Brookfarm's Roll 'N' Recycle initiativeSupport the show
2/19/2022 • 41 minutes, 1 second
Life on Planet A THEME SONG by Joseph Smallman
We're back baby and with a brand NEW THEME song written by local creative genius, Joseph Smallman. Listen to it on replay and let us know what you think @lifeonplanetapodcast Joseph Smallman is a local musician and filmmaker who produces a variety of content for both commercial use and entertainment. With an idiosyncratic style and creative approach, Joseph creates unique original works with a smile and makes sure he is proud of every project he works on. Find Joe on Youtube @joesmallman Support the show
2/11/2022 • 1 minute, 13 seconds
#59: Farming to Save the Planet - Tim Wright at Lana Farm
Starting 2022 with a loud MOOOO, we'll be hearing from Tim Wright, holistic and regenerative farmer at Lana Farm in the northern Tablelands of NSW. Over 95% of Tim's farm is in constant recovery mode, meaning that the land has time to heal and regenerate. Despite being a cattle and sheep farm, Lana farm is carbon negative! How is this possible? Listen to find out... You'll learn:What is holistic farming (why don't we say wholistic?) How are oranges involved?What is natural capital accounting? How is this useful to farmers?What are carbon credits? What are biodiversity credits?Are these realistic and practical measurements?Extra links:Volunteer at Lana FarmFarm Online article feat. Tim, about natural capital accounting on farmsTED Talk from Alan Savoury, the father of holistic farmingThe Australian Gov's Carbon + Biodiversity PilotABC article about carbon credits and their role in Australia's emissions reduction planSupport the show
2/5/2022 • 42 minutes, 10 seconds
#46: Is Climate Change an Economic Risk?
Yes. According to many economists, climate change poses the biggest long-term threat to the global economy. This week Heidi and Bella strapped on their economist hats to review our month on economy and understand:what is economic risk?what risk does climate change pose to the economy?how do we calculate such risk? (hint: DICE)is the Paris climate agreement useful or redundant?what can governments do to halt climate change?This left us thinking, what is the solution? "I dont know any question to which the answer is so simple as what is the most efficient climate policy - it’s harmonised carbon prices around the world." - Professor William Nordhaus.Support the show
8/25/2021 • 34 minutes, 57 seconds
#43: Sustainable Investing, is it possible? with YIGC
Guest: Maddy and Sophie from the podcast You're in Good Company We're jumping into Economics month with a collab episode! We're joining by the lovely, intelligent, smart and wonderful girls from You're In Good Company Podcast, Maddy and Sophie! You'll learn:How do I even begin to invest?What should I know about a company before I invest? Where can I find information?How do I know if a company really is 'sustainable' or 'green'? You’re in Good Company is an investing podcast striving to disrupt the norms in the finance industry. Check out there podcast here and there Instagram is @yigcpodcast!Support the show
8/3/2021 • 54 minutes, 16 seconds
#28: Climate Change, Energy and Richie Merzian (prepare to be mindblown)
EPISODE #28: Climate and Energy Policy with Richard Merzian from the Australian Institute. Richie Merzian is the inaugural Climate & Energy Program Director at The Australia Institute. Richie is a former Australian Government representative to the UN climate change conference and worked at the Department of Climate Change and the Department of Foreign Affairs for almost a decade on both domestic and international climate and energy agendas.We speak with him about Australia’s attitudes towards climate change and energy, assessing the fairness of emissions targets, hydrogen, and coal. It was great to speak with him and listen to this podcast on Spotify or Apple podcasts. #climatepolicy #theaustralianinstitute #Energy #podcast #lifeonplaneta #hydrogen #sustainabilityOutline of Podcast:0:00 - Introduction10:41 - Intro to Richie13:06 - The fallacy of coal providing stable jobs16:42 - How to respond to people who claim coal is important for the economy17:41 - Jobs generated by Renewable Energy19:14 - Why are we not transitioning to Renewables quicker?21:11 - Hydrogen23:20 - Carbon Capture Storage31:15 - Individual ImpactSupport the show
1/30/2021 • 36 minutes, 18 seconds
#24: Wind power, Kilowatts & Cats with Shane (Part 2)
This is part 2 of our incredible conversation with Shane Quinnell about renewable energy and the future of energy in Australia. This week you'll learn about:What does the future of wind and solar look like in Aus?What are the roadblocks slowing down our renewable future?Do wind turbines injure as many cats as Trump claims?Enjoy and let us know what you think by tagging @lifeonplaneta and #lifeonplaneta. Email lifeonplanetapodcast@gmail.com if you have any questions or want to get into contact with Shane.Support the show