In The Sustainable Hour no 346 on 23 December 2020, we depart from our usual format, as all of our guests come from the one overseas country. They are all very involved in environmental and climate campaigns in Malaysia.

Khoo Shama is a long time social justice and environmental campaigner based in Penang. She writes and publishes environmental books.  We hear what campaigns she is currently working on – this mainly revolves around land reclamation projects in Penang. These will destroy the fishing grounds of hundreds of traditional fishers in that area. This, so more residential units can be built – units the average Malaysian can’t afford. You can find out more about Khoo’s work at: Climate Change Solutions | JEDI Network for Ecology and Climate.

Indigenous Malaysian artist and activist Shaq Korok is a passionate defender of his people’s rights – his whole life is dedicated to improving the way his people are treated. He is a trainer in a South-Pacific Indigenour group called Savage Club. We learn how he feels that his education has given him a responsibility to do this important work. Shaq has a strong connection with Climate Action Malaysia – KAMY.

Nadiah Dzulfakar is KAMY’s co-founder. Their planned activities have been restricted by Covid-19, but like many other determined youth groups working the world over for a better world, they have persisted and consequently grown in numbers. They have also connected with youth climate groups from all over South East Asia – these are becoming a force to be reckoned with both within their countries and collectively. You can find out more about KAMY at www.klimaactionmalaysia.org

Thary Gazi Goh is a nature educator and urban naturalist. His current interests are the novel ecosystems that humans create, how to make urban areas more liveable for Malaysians and discover wildlife in the city. You can find out more about his work at Urban Biodiversity Initiative (UBI).

Colin Mockett‘s Global Outlook starts with very concerning news which has just come out of the Wiseman Institute in Israel – It compares  what humans have made to nature’s creations and the consequences of this.For the rest of today’s outlook he takes us to places that he highlighted during the year for environmental destruction/accidents and gives their current status. We revisit the  disastrous diesel oil spill at Norilsk in Russia, the devastating fires in the United States & the oil spill from a Japanese ship that ran aground in Mauritius.

A very different Sustainable Hour for our second-last podcast of the year. If you found this interesting, please let us know. In these days of ‘Zoom enlightenment’, it is so much easier to organise international content for future shows. Let us know if this is something you’d like us to pursue in the future.

2020 became the year where we transitioned from a local radio show to a national and international podcast via the magic of Zoom. We wish everyone a very sustainable Christmas where you tread as lightly as possible on our more and more fragile existence. Until next Wednesday, we hope that you enjoy our podcast as much as we enjoyed bringing it to you. As always, Live the difference.