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Dealing with the Climate Crisis
Anthony Day helps you plan a sustainable future with expert guests and reports on green technologies from across a warming world.
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The climate crisis has created immense challenges, challenges which only governments and mega-corporations can solve. On the other hand there are things which all of us can do to make a difference, and consumer power when it's spread across millions of consumers, should never be underestimated. We're not going to solve the climate crisis on our own but we are able to contribute to keeping our earth a clean and safe place to live by making responsible choices when we shop.
For example, the laundry products we buy, the cleaning materials, the preparations for skin and health care, even baby wipes and toilet paper involve chemicals in production and ingredients that may come from halfway across the world. Not all brands are the same, of course, but how do we make the right choice and select the product with the smallest environmental impact?
Lizzie Horvitz, today’s guest, can help with that.
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Energy is in the news.
Energy is always in the news. It’s inextricably linked with emissions and the level or absence of emissions determines the outcome of the climate crisis. Nevertheless, it’s time to talk about something else as well. OK, I did promise to tell you about space energy, so we’ll look at that.
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There’s a new book out at the end of this month called Thriving, but before we start let’s welcome our latest patron, Tommy Wiedmann. Tommy tells me he worked at the University of York here in the UK for some years, but he’s now living near the Blue Mountains in Australia. Lots of rain, but fortunately he’s escaped the floods. Tommy, welcome.
My guest on today’s Wednesday Interview is Dr Wayne Visser.
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This week there’s sustainability news about food, fuel, forests and floods in China. I look again at the IEA report that Sarah Cullen mentioned in Wednesday’s interview. There’s a dark side to solar farms, a pressure group intent on depressurisation and more dangers for bees. Can we summon a wartime spirit to save our economy and save the planet, and is mega finance group Blackrock walking the green walk or just talking the green talk?
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The Wednesday Interview with Sarah Cullen.
Back in May last year we had a debate on the Sustainable Futures Report called The Nuclear Option. One of the panellists was Sarah Cullen and she has joined me again today, this time to talk about clean energy. We covered a number of controversial issues. For example, will Germany slow down the pace of decommissioning its nuclear plants in the face of a possible shortage of gas from Russia? We talked about citizens’ assemblies, and how they might empower politicians to adopt policies that they wouldn’t dare consider on their own. We spoke about the need to consider all energy options and to recognise that all have risks.
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This week’s episode is about the latest IPCC report. You're probably already aware that it's pretty pessimistic. Will the warning be heeded this time? I'll talk also about the effect of the conflict in Ukraine on global energy prices and I’ve followed up the question from Sophie Jarvis about infrared heating.
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Today I’m talking to Nick Spencer in Cambodia who is helping local people to survive and thrive while protecting wildlife and avoiding deforestation. Before I start, let me welcome Sophie Jarvis, our newest Silver Supporter who has just signed up on Patreon. Sophie tells me that she's heard that infrared heaters are a better solution than a heat pump. I'll have a look at that and comment on it on Friday. Friday’s big news will of course be the latest report from the IPCC. This document will report on the impacts of the climate crisis. It’s not expected to be reassuring reading.
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I wrote a lot about Ukraine and energy and sanctions to start this week’s episode, but I’ve deleted it all. This is not the place. Events are moving too fast and I am no political expert. So this week I’ll stick to sustainability news as usual, but let’s not forget the people of Ukraine. If they are driven from their homes I hope we will have the courage, the generosity and the humanity to welcome and support them. I hope that Western governments can take action to bring this conflict swiftly to an end.
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Russia is in the news and Russia is also a major player in the global commitment to achieve net zero. Can Russia truly be sustainable? How do we make sense of all this?
I spoke to an expert. I spoke to Louis Cox-Brusseau of Sibylline.
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This week I’m talking about energy - again. About fusion and fracking and batteries and banks. I'm talking about carbon. About capture, offsetting, inequalities and scrutinising net zero. Pollution is still an issue, increasingly so, it appears in the United Kingdom. And I look at the wider environment and the changes in the oceans, in the permafrost and in the record books.
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It's the Wednesday Interview from the Sustainable Futures Report.
Most of us are on some sort of sustainability journey and today I'm going to talk to someone who's been asking a lot of people, important people from across the world, about their sustainability journeys. Samuele Tini is Italian but he’s based in Kenya where he works as a sustainability and development expert. He is the Country Head of Associazione Mani Tese, an organisation which fights for social, economic and environmental justice.
We spoke about COP26, consumer power, the need to act and walk the talk and the political angle. And I thought it was about time someone asked him about his own sustainability journey. (See bio at the end of this article)
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Don't miss that film, if you haven't already seen it. This week there's more about domestic energy, including free socks and star jumps. The government publishes its Climate Change Risk Assessment and the Climate Change Committee says, "Could do better!" The Net Zero Scrutiny Group of MPs flexes its muscles. Greenwash is still alive and well. Find out what major corporations say they're doing and how it compares with what they're actually doing. "Could do better", says the New Climate Institute. The Port of Newcastle in Australia is going green. I reveal why that's my Irony of the Week. And Greta warns, "This is not a drill!"
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Welcome to the Wednesday Interview and a special type of plastic pollution. Those nappies we use to keep our babies clean seem to be part of a problem which starts at birth. Today's interview guest explains the stats. He shows how we can reduce the impact of disposable nappies by replacing them with a product which can be reused and recycled. Plastic pollution is not the only thing that can start from birth. The circular economy can start there too.
Nappies or Diapers?
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This episode is dedicated to energy in a week when the British government announced its revised energy price cap.
First indications are that energy prices in the UK will rise by 54%. I’m going to look in detail at what the energy price cap actually is, explore the reasons for the dramatic increase in energy costs and look at what governments can do to soften the blow for consumers.
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Sustainability is about protecting our world against the challenges of the climate crisis, but it’s also about making our world a sustainable and better place. The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) address all aspects of a sustainable future with a target for completion by 2030. UN-Habitat, a United Nations agency, focuses on sustainable cities and communities, working closely with GIS specialist Esri. In today’s interview we learn how this works.
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The Wednesday Interview. Today’s interview is about a radical new approach to funding conservation. Let’s get straight to it. Christian and Sean spoke to me from their base in the south of Spain.
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Welcome to the first Wednesday interview of 2022. Today we have a discussion with two patrons about the future of electric vehicles. Let me know what you think - and let me know what you would like to discuss.
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Let me start by telling you that the Wednesday Interview next week is a discussion on the future role of electric vehicles. Don’t miss it and do let me know what you think.
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In this Wednesday interview from the Sustainable Futures Report I talk to Alex McCallion, Director of Works and Precinct,
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About Anthony Day
A weekly podcast and blog brought to you by Anthony Day. A selection of stories and interviews aiming to be sustainable, topical and interesting.
And also, I do address conferences.
