Earth Matters

Two weeks of climate negotiations in Bonn have just wrapped up, and the road to COP30 in Brazil this November is looking anything but smooth. From delays in climate pledges to ongoing finance disputes and rising geopolitical tensions, the Bonn talks revealed more gaps than gains. To unpack what this means for developing countries and the prospects of limiting global warming to 1.5°C, we speak with Meenakshi Raman, the President of Sahabat Alam Malaysia and the Head of Programmes at the Third World Network, who attended the talks.

Image Credit: UN Climate Change - Lara Murillo / Flickr

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There’s something magical about seeing fireflies, those tiny flashes of light that feel like nature’s own fairy lights. But behind that glow is a much bigger story about healthy ecosystems, disappearing habitats, and what we stand to lose. World Firefly Day is just around the corner, and this year's theme is: Help Us Keep The Sparkles Alive! With a special focus on fireflies found right here in the city in Bukit Kiara, we explore these bioluminescent beetles and what they can teach us with three guests who work across education, science, and conservation -  Dr Wan Faridah Akmal Jusoh (Co-Chair, IUCN Species Survival Commission – Firefly Specialist Group), Dr Nadiah Ahmad (lecturer, School of Pathways and Immersion, Monash University Malaysia) and Tan Boon Hua (Vice President, Friends of Bukit Kiara).

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Macaranga Wrap-Up is our monthly segment where we take a step back and look at the top environmental news stories making headlines across Malaysia, with the help of environmental journalists and co-founders of Macaranga, Law Yao Hua and Wong Siew Lyn. June has been an interesting month, from a landmark global recognition for a forest reserve in Sabah, to a rare win for wildlife conservation in Sarawak involving a critically endangered langur, and also renewed efforts to clamp down on illegal e-waste in Malaysia. Yao Hua and Siew Lyn join us to unpack what these developments mean.

Image Credit: Dr Ahmad Bin Ampeng / Mazidi Abd Ghani / WWF-Malaysia / Shutterstock

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It's time for Nature Reads, a show where we explore the stories behind books that bring us closer to nature and the world around us. Every month, we team up with the good folks at Sunda Shelves, an independent bookstore and café with a passion for wild places and thoughtful reads. Together with co-host, Surin Suksuwan, (co-founder of Sunda Shelves) we are joined by Perpetua George, who has had a long career in conservation and sustainability, spanning work in forest conservation, sustainable production consulting, the FMCG industry, and oil palm plantations. She shares more about some literary works that have inspired her in her work.

Books discussed during this episode:

1. Rainforest Politics - Philip Hurst

2. The Birds of Borneo - BE Smythies (revised by GWH Davison)

3. A Dictionary of Malaysian Timbers - TM Wong

4. The Orchid Thief - Susan Orlean

5. Women & Plants: Gender Relations in Biodiversity Management & Conservation - Patricia L Howard (ed)

6. Tescopoly - Andrew Simms

7. A Field Guide to the Mammals of Borneo - Junaidi Payne and Charles M Francis

8. Common Commercial Timbers of Peninsular Malaysia - K.S. Gan and S.C. Lim

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It’s a historic moment for gibbon conservation, and for Malaysia. For the first time ever, a North Bornean Gibbon has been born in a rehabilitation center, in Sabah. The baby, lovingly named Nabalu, is more than just a milestone, he’s a symbol of resilience, recovery, and hope for a species that’s long been overlooked. Joining us to share more about the years of work that made it possible is Mariani Ramli, the president and founder of the Gibbon Conservation Society.

Image Credit: Gibbon Conservation Society

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When we talk about climate solutions, we often focus on numbers, technologies, and laws. But what about stories, emotions, and imagination? Today on the show, we’re talking about art and activism - or artivism - a creative, collaborative approach to reimagining our environmental future. Joining us to shed more light on this are Dr Thomas Smith, Dr Felicia Liu, and Jakob van Klang - academics, artists, and organisers behind a Malaysia-based initiative exploring how art can open hearts, minds, and maybe even doors to real-world change.

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Malaysia has seen its fair share of disasters - from flash floods to landslides and even the pipeline explosion in Shah Alam. These events are a stark reminder of how important disaster preparedness is, not just at the national level, but right down to the communities most affected. With the climate crisis increasing the risk of more frequent disasters, we’re asking: what are Malaysians doing to prepare? We speak to three guests involved in building disaster resilience, from government coordination to community empowerment - Datin Azura Ibrahim, Tuan Mohd Faizal Bin Abd Hamid and Gabriel Hii -  to understand what’s being done, and what still needs to happen.

Image Credit: Shutterstock

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Malaysia has made big promises on climate — from net-zero by 2050 to supporting clean energy. But are we walking the talk? A just-released report from  environmental think-tank RimbaWatch and independent research organisation the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) suggests otherwise, revealing that our fossil fuel plans could lock in emissions equivalent to those of India in a single year. We speak to Adam Farhan, the Director of RimbaWatch and a co-author of the report, about the contradictions in our energy strategy, and what policy change might look like.

Image Credit: Shutterstock

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When it comes to protecting Malaysia’s natural heritage, sometimes it’s the smallest creatures that spark the biggest movements. In Sungai Sepetang, fireflies are uniting communities, scientists, and storytellers alike. This was captured in Macaranga's latest publication, titled: It Takes a Village to Keep Fireflies Flashing. We chat with the article's writer Liani MK, and Sonny Wong, a member of the IUCN Firefly Specialist Group, who is also currently the Honorary Secretary of the Fireflyers International Network, about the fight to save these glowing wonders, and why local voices matter more than ever.

Image Credit: Dr Wan FA Jusoh/ Macaranga

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As urban areas expand and forests shrink, humans and macaques are increasingly crossing paths - but not always peacefully. What can we do to reduce negative interactions, and promote harmony with our wild neighbours? Dr Nadine Ruppert (Vice-President of the Malaysian Primatological Society, and an associate professor at the School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia), Dr Sharmini Julita Paramasivam (veterinarian, Associate Professor at the University Of Surrey, and the Founder & Project Lead of  The Animal Neighbours Project) and Dr Jo Leen Yap (wildlife researcher and Environmental Educator at Langur Project Penang) are all leading important work on the ground to foster co-existence, shift public perception, and protect both people and primates. They join us to share solutions and how we can co-exist with macaques, and why instead of fearing or fighting them, we must learn to live alongside them peacefully.

Image Credit: Langur Project Penang

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