Earth Matters

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is committed to protecting the world's wildlife. With a goal to conserve the world's largest wild places in 15 priority regions, home to more than 50% of the planet's biodiversity, they are facing no easy task.

We find out more about the society's work from Merdeka Award winner Dr. Elizabeth Bennett, the Vice President of Species Conservation at WCS and Whitley Award for Conservation-winner Dr. Melvin Gumal, the Director of the Malaysia Programme at WCS.

Click here to find out ways you can help with wildlife conservation.

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Malaysian botanist Dr Francis Ng's research areas cover tropical plants, forests, landscapes and gardens. He has worked across the globe, including in Rome for the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) as Chief of Forest Research, Education and Training. We talk to him about his life's work in the areas of forestry, horticulture and agriculture.

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It's estimated that the world's population might hit 11 billion by 2050, and understandably with that will come an increase in the demand for food as well. But in a world where resources will steadily become scarce and volatile, how do we increase the world’s food supply without clearing the world’s remaining forests? We discuss the need to strike a balance between food security and natural resources with Dr. Pierpaolo Duce, from the Institute of Biometeorology, National Research Council, Italy.

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Exactly a week from now, on the 30th of November, countries will gather in Paris for the much anticipated COP21 negotiations. Over the past three weeks we have covered a series of the talk’s dimensions. We discussed the science of climate change and importance of the conference, and covered two pivotal issues surrounding COP21: the developed world and the developing world along with the means of implementation. Now it’s time to combine all these factors.

In fourth episode of COP21, we summarize the series by exploring what to expect out of Paris, and what we should be preparing for next. 

In this episode you will hear from His Excellency Christophe Penot, the Ambassador of France to Malaysia, Lavanya Rama Iyer, the Head of Policy and Climate Change at WWF, Sivan Kartha of the Stockholm Environmental Institute and Dr. Matthew Ashfold, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus.

We also provide clips from interviews with Elliot Diringer, Executive Vice President at the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, Joseph Aldy, Associate Professor of Public Policy at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and Simon Upton, the Environmental Director at The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

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In order to make the necessary shifts and implement greener policies, developing countries require sufficient funding, technologies and institutional capacity and developed countries need to accept their responsibilities and help. In the third episode of COP21, we explore another pivotal issue for the COP21 negotiations in Paris, implementation. 

We speak to Sivan Kartha, a senior scientist at the Stockholm Environmental Institute and Meena Raman from the Third World Network and we also provide clips from interviews with Hela Cheikhrouhou, Executive Director of the Green Climate Fund and Kumi Naidoo, the Executive Director of Greenpeace International.

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The notion of development must take a turn away from fossil fuels, but to achieve this, both developed and developing countries have to pull their respective weights and uphold a “common but differentiated responsibility”. But what does this really mean? In the second episode of COP21, we discuss the conflicting interests of the developed and the developing world, particularly with regard to this year’s talks. Joining us for this debate are Professor Gurdial Singh Nijar, Malaysian Negotiator for the Paris talks and lead spokesman for Like Minded Developing Countries (LMDC) and His Excellency Christophe Penot, Ambassador of France to Malaysia.

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Climate change is expected to cost the world trillions of dollars in economic damage aside from the irreparable environmental impact some communities are facing even now. Considering the urgency, are our world leaders doing enough in the fight against climate change? On the 30th of November, COP21, also known as the 2015 Paris Climate Conference, will gather global stakeholders to what will be one of the largest climate conferences ever organised.

In the first episode of this four part series, we speak to Dr. Matthew Ashfold, atmospheric scientist at the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, Pierre Randane, expert in energy policy and former president of ADEME, Hilary Chiew from the Third World Network and Lavanya Rama Iyer, Head of Policy and Climate Change at WWF to find out what the talks are about, the issues being addressed and the science behind it all. 

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By now a frequent topic of daily conversation and a pest we can’t seem to get rid of. Every year, Malaysians become more and more familiar with the haze. However, until and if we address the root of the problem, this problem won’t go away. What is this root? Dr. S. Paramananthan claims it is simply the burning of peatlands, and as long as this doesn’t change, neither will our air conditions. He joins us today to speak to us about the management of our peatlands and potential solutions to the haze.

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A bill to adopt nuclear energy to generate power may be tabled soon, in the next parliamentary sitting which starts in October. But Malaysia’s anti-nuclear lobby has already voiced concerns over its safety, and the lack of public consultation. So what exactly are the government’s plans for nuclear power, and how will it be carried out? Joining us to discuss this are DAP’s Charles Santiago Klang MP, and Yin Shao Loong, Executive Director, Institut Rakyat.

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Faith plays a prominent role in the lives of many, and as the issue of climate change becomes more pressing by the day, alternative, innovative measures are being taken to address it. The interfaith dialogue on climate change works to advocate for climate change at communal and individual levels by appealing to different representations of faith and the importance that the environment, and its protection, plays in their philosophies. On the 11th of October 2015, the Malaysian Climate Change Group is hosting an interfaith dialogue on climate change which will explore religious and moral teachings in Malaysia to facilitate behavioural changes amongst Malaysians. Here to speak to us about this dialogue is Lavanya Rama Iyer, Head of Policy and Climate Change at WWF Malaysia and Coordinator of the Malaysian Climate Change Group (MCCG) and Anthony Tan, Executive Director of Centre for Environment, Technology and Development (CETDM) and Past Coordinator of MCCG.

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