Earth Ideas

Jon Bowermaster is a documentary filmmaker, environmental activist and National Geographic Explorer. He's made environmental films on all 7 continents & the oceans, and his most recent 'Ghost Fleet' looks at human trafficking in the fishing industry, and is just absolutely beautifully captured, shockingly told and memorable.    

We talked about the issues Jon's work (namely, Hudson River Stories & Oceans8) focuses on - threats facing the oceans & waterways, and what people are doing about it. We then spoke about Jon's career path and the different mediums he has worked in, before looking to the future for documentaries & activism.  

0:00 Intro to Jon & his work 

3:04 Choosing a medium for a story 

6:20 4bn people live near the ocean 

09:35 Ocean Acidification 

11:18 Water does not clean itself 

17:43 Sea level rise & coastal cities 

22:08 Dams 

25:42 The changes to come 

28:55 Aquaculture 

32:14 Sourcing locally 

34:18 Jon's new film on Hudson farming 

36:46 Biodiversity is crucial 

38:44 Lessons from a filmmaker 

44:23 From print to film 

47:57 Our films in production

This is a series of in-depth conversations with fascinating people, with loads to say about the current state of the world, everything that came before us, and everything that could be still to come.   

You can also WATCH this episode on Youtube at: https://youtu.be/GE9_0ncXbCw

We hope you enjoy.  

Leave us a comment :)  

SHARE SUBSCRIBE! 

And come back next week for more.  

If you found this episode valuable, please support me with caffeine to keep them coming https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lauramahler :)

Jon's Links: https://www.oceans8films.com 

https://www.instagram.com/jonbowermaster  

Ghost Fleet:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cSUYlY_dhg  

My Socials: 

https://twitter.com/ideas_earth  

https://www.instagram.com/earthideaspodcast

https://www.instagram.com/laura.mahler 

https://www.instagram.com/filmthechange

If you found this episode valuable, please support me with caffeine to keep them coming https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lauramahler :)

Beth Gardiner is a journalist and author of Choked: Life and Breath in the Age of Air Pollution.  It was a real eye opener to talk to Beth given the way COVID-19 has affected our output of air pollution globally, and also how air pollution is affecting our ability to fight the disease. Air pollution is another killer that hangs ferociously in the air for us to breathe in - this time of 7 million people every single year.  

This is part of a series of in-depth conversations with fascinating people, with loads to say about the current state of the world, everything that came before us, and everything that could be still to come.   

You can also WATCH this episode on Youtube here: https://youtu.be/M-iqIK19CQc

We hope you enjoy.  

Leave us a comment :)  

SHARE SUBSCRIBE! 

And come back next week for more.   

Beth's Work: https://www.bethgardiner.com 

Beth's Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Choked-Pollution-Fight-Cleaner-Future/dp/1846276454  

My Socials: https://www.instagram.com/laura.mahler 

https://www.instagram.com/filmthechange

If you found this episode valuable, please support me with caffeine to keep them coming https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lauramahler :)

Alan Weisman is an environmental journalist and best-selling author of The World Without Us - and imaginative thought-experiment of what would happen to planet earth if we humans were to all disappear - and Countdown - telling the tale of quite the opposite: at what point will there be just too many of us for the earth to sustain?   It was absolutely brilliant to have Alan as my first guest, especially relating to the current pandemic (recorded before the murder of George Floyd, so it was a little Covid-leaning.)  

A series of in-depth conversations with fascinating people, with loads to say about the current state of the world, everything that came before us, and everything that could be still to come.  

You can WATCH this episode on Youtube too: https://youtu.be/y2vrk1QX1ws

We hope you enjoy.  

Leave us a comment :)  

Subscribe! 

And come back next week for more.   

Alan's Work: https://tinyurl.com/y9pmx92t  

My Socials: https://www.instagram.com/laura.mahler 

https://www.instagram.com/filmthechange