Edible Empire

Dr Lennart Bach is an ARC Future Fellow for Climate intervention at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, at the University of Tasmania. As a Marine Biogeochemist, Lennart has a special interest in marine plankton communities, the carbon cycle, and ocean-based solutions for the climate crisis.

Here Lennart provides a nuanced overview of the ocean-based climate intervention strategies currently being considered.

In this episode we discuss:
• Lennart’s background and his work as a biogeochemist
• Carbon basics in the context of climate change
• The marine carbon cycle, ocean acidification, calcification and what this all means for ocean life
• The complexity of the ocean’s food web and climate change impacts
• The current state of carbon sequestration science
• Climate change and ocean-based solution for removing CO2 – the pros and cons of various strategies
• Opportunity for Tasmanians to become citizen scientists to get involved in Lennart’s research on ocean alkalinity - Citizen Science Project
• The importance of bringing about systemic change to address the climate emergency

To view all the links to the websites and documents, make sure you visit the show notes on our website. Don't forget to subscribe to this podcast, leave us a review and share this episode with your friends and family.

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To view all the links to the websites and documents, visit the show notes on our website.

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Dr Carolyn Orr is a Neurologist and Clinician Researcher from Western Australia, specialising in degenerative brain diseases. A member of Doctors for the Environment Australia, Dr Orr is also a passionate environmental advocate, speaking out against fossil fuels in the interest of health.

Carolyn recently delivered a powerful TEDxUWA speech where she outlined the relationship between fossil fuels, climate change and human health. In this chat she expands on that, giving us a frighteningly long catalogue of health implications stemming from air pollution exposure.

This episode should serve as a wake-up call to all that listen - that we need transformative change now. We need to stop ignoring human suffering in the pursuit of profit.

In this episode we discuss:
• Carolyn’s background in Neurology and clinical research
• What piqued Carolyn’s interest in environmental issues and what drives her action now
• Environmental pollution and wide-ranging and alarming impacts on human health – from asthma to cancer to heart disease and more
• The major sources of air pollution
• Australia’s out-of-date air pollution regulatory system
• Findings from the latest IPCC report and why change needs to happen NOW
• How the fossil fuel industry has stymied climate action
• Climate actions everyone can implement to change our lives for the better

To view all the links to the websites and documents, make sure you visit the show notes on our website. Don't forget to subscribe to this podcast, leave us a review and share this episode with your friends and family.

Please support our work and enable us to deliver more content by buying us a coffee.

To view all the links to the websites and documents, visit the show notes on our website.

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Charlotte (Charlie) Turner is a Senior Associate of Climate Risk Governance at MinterEllison and the APAC co-lead at The Chancery Lane Project. Charlotte specialises in climate risk through a finance, corporate governance, and liability lens - so while the subject matter of this episode may be a little different to our usual offerings, this conversation will be of particular interest to listeners in the business and corporate world.

Charlotte takes us through the complexities of climate-related risks and the actions businesses should be undertaking. Charlie also discusses The Chancery Lane Project, a wonderful international initiative with a vision of a world where every contract enables solutions to climate change. An important reminder that climate-related litigation can be an important driver of change in this climate crisis!

In this episode we discuss:
• Charlotte’s background and her journey to climate risk governance
• Climate change and financial risk
• Government vs private business – where the liability and obligations lie
• The legal risks associated with greenwashing and emerging standards and scrutiny around ‘sustainable’ and ‘green’ language
• The need for a top-down, integrated approach to the management of business climate risks
• Minister Sussan Ley’s recent successful federal court appeal
• Force Majeure in the era of climate change
• The Chancery Lane Project and their Net Zero Toolkit

To view all the links to the websites and documents, make sure you visit the show notes on our website. Don't forget to subscribe to this podcast, leave us a review and share this episode with your friends and family.

Please support our work and enable us to deliver more content by buying us a coffee.

To view all the links to the websites and documents, visit the show notes on our website.

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Professor Gretta Pecl is a marine ecologist, Director of the Centre for Marine Socioecology, chair of Redmap Australia and an ARC Future Fellow. If that’s not already impressive enough, Gretta was also a lead author of the recent IPCC sixth assessment report from working group II; Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability.

After noticing big changes in marine environments in the early 2000s, Professor Pecl became increasingly interested in climate change science and now focuses much of her research on the socio-ecological aspects of climate change and sustainable management of marine resources. More than ever, Gretta is focused on communicating the urgent and crucial science; the changing climate is causing big changes to the ecological fabric of our planet.

This latest IPCC assessment doesn’t paint a rosy picture of our potential future with continued inaction. Every region of the world will be impacted in some way. Every fraction of a degree matters. Every second counts. Gretta runs us through the significant findings.

In this episode we discuss:
• Gretta’s passion for effective science communication and community engagement
• Gretta’s involvement in various projects; Curious Climate, Future Seas and Redmap
• The immense scope and scale of the latest IPCC sixth assessment report
• The increased certainty of climate science findings
• The key takeaways from the latest IPCC report
• Relevant findings and adaptation limits for the Australasian region
• The need to focus on disaster resilience in addition to recovery
• The difference between mitigation and adaptation actions, and why we need both
• The importance of grounded hope and individual actions

To view all the links to the websites and documents, make sure you visit the show notes on our website. Don't forget to subscribe to this podcast, leave us a review and share this episode with your friends and family.

Please support our work and enable us to deliver more content by buying us a coffee.

To view all the links to the websites and documents, visit the show notes on our website.

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Anthony Dissen, MPH, MA, RDN, CPH, (he/him) is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Public Health Educator focusing on lifestyle medicine, health humanities, narrative-based medicine, and community and public health education. Anthony is currently a professor in the School of Health Sciences at Stockton University in the USA and is currently completing a Doctorate in Education.

In this episode, we have a frank discussion regarding the communication of nutrition science within the plant-based community - both the good and the bad. Anthony also chats about how to determine the quality of health information you might stumble across in the online world.

In this episode we discuss:
• Anthony’s background and passion for health science communication
• Approaches of the western scientific method vs traditional knowledge systems
• Pressure to publish within the scientific community and what this means for the quality of research
• Determining the quality of health information accessible online, including his recent paper on the subject
• Considering scientific methodology and the hierarchy of evidence when evaluating nutrition science
• How poor interpretation of science works against the plant-based movement
• The never-ending oil debate and other controversial issues within the whole food plant-based community, such as nuts and seeds, protein, and the use of supplements
• The importance of engaging and positive communication styles
• And a whole lot more!

To view all the links to the websites and documents, make sure you visit the show notes on our website. Don't forget to subscribe to this podcast, leave us a review and share this episode with your friends and family.

Please support our work and enable us to deliver more content by buying us a coffee.

To view all the links to the websites and documents, visit the show notes on our website.

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Dr Rochelle Ade describes herself as a disillusioned former advocate of green building and rating tools. Being engaged with the Green Building movement for over ten years, both in New Zealand and internationally, all was happy in Rochelle’s green building world until she commenced her PhD studies. During that time, Rochelle’s research led her to conclude that there was actually little proof that green buildings and green building rating tools were delivering buildings that would help save the world. So, what to do?

In this conversation, we delve into the details of how to build better homes – and folks, it’s a really hard question to answer! Following on from this, we talk more about Rochelle’s recent advocacy and educational work; sharing her knowledge for living better with less and touching on some no bullshit ways to save the world. This conversation covers a lot of ground – but it’s an honest appraisal of the state of the world and what we can all do to make the world a better place, each and every day.

In this episode we discuss:
• Rochelle’s background from engineering to green buildings to environmental advocacy
• Rochelle’s PhD studies and her surprise findings regarding green rating tools
• The flaws of current green rating tools and the need for better building standards
• The need to live better with less – is capitalism killing our planet?
• No bullshit ways to change the world – Rochelle’s key advice for minimising our planetary impact
• And a whole lot more!

To view all the links to the websites and documents, make sure you visit the show notes on our website. Don't forget to subscribe to this podcast, leave us a review and share this episode with your friends and family.

Please support our work and enable us to deliver more content by buying us a coffee.

To view all the links to the websites and documents, visit the show notes on our website.

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Ryan Andrews, MS, MA, RD, RYT, CSCS, is a man who wears many hats; he is a registered dietitian, author, yoga teacher, certified movement and exercise coach and a sustainable food systems advocate. Ryan believes it’s possible to create a more equitably, sustainable, healthful and human food system – and he wants to help build it! Recently publishing his latest book titled ‘Swole Planet: Building a better body and a better earth’, this excellent resource will help you build a body that is functional and fit, while at the same time building a planet that is more sustainable and equitable – considering biceps and abs alongside greenhouse gas emissions and farmworker welfare. Ryan is a perfect guest to set the tone for season three, being an ardent proponent of personal and planetary health.

In this episode we discuss:
• Ryan’s background and nutrition evolution – from focusing purely on macros and big biceps to thinking about the many food system factors that benefit both people and the planet
• Ryan’s inspiration for writing Swole Planet and the purpose he hopes it will serve
• Our planet’s current trajectory and the food system’s contribution to ecological overshoot
• The five dietary adjustments that can benefit both you and the planet
• Meal planning strategies including how Ryan plans his own day
• Other lifestyle factors important for good health
• And a lot more!

Swole Planet is an excellent book for anyone interested in learning more about both health improvement strategies and how food impacts our earth. Packed full of helpful resources and strategies, everyone will take something of value away – whether you’re vegan, paleo, omnivore or somewhere in-between. Ryan is generously donating part of the proceeds to worthy causes and also offering our podcast listeners a 15% discount by using the promo code LENTIL15 during checkout. A fantastic addition to any ebook library!

To view all the links to the websites and documents, make sure you visit the show notes on our website. Don't forget to subscribe to this podcast, leave us a review and share this episode with your friends and family.

Please support our work and enable us to deliver more content by buying us a coffee.

To view all the links to the websites and documents, visit the show notes on our website.

Please support our work and enable us to deliver more content by buying us a coffee or becoming a member of Athletes for Nature.
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We’ve been honoured to share some incredible wisdom and science with you this year, courtesy of our phenomenal guests. Last season we recapped with a look back at the year that was, but this season we thought we’d finish by bringing you the stories behind the science of climate change and humanity’s unsteady relationship with the natural world.

The climate emergency is complex and emotive, but in certain ways, it’s also intangible and removed from our day-to-day lives. Whether we acknowledge it or not, this issue will touch us all. So how do we address the government, institutional and individual inertia currently stymieing change? Meaningful stories matter – now more than ever, and they can help shift the narrative.

In this year’s final episode, we are sharing 19 personal climate stories – stories of eco-anxiety, powerlessness, anger, despair…stories shining a light on the uneasy reality of living in this climate-changed world. However, these stories also highlight an alternative narrative often forgotten. Sometimes from the ashes, hope will rise. There is a common thread in these stories - of individual and collective action, of communities being strengthened, of enacting change, of grounded hope…of people finding common ground and coming together to carve a path forward. If these stories resonate with you, please share them. Keep this important conversation going.

Many of these storytellers have been previous guests of the show, so we also urge you to peruse our back catalogue and catch up on their full episodes.

Our contributors and timestamps:
• 0:08:53 Megan Grant - PhD Candidate (Previously S2 Ep36)
• 0:17:19 Dr. Mike Joy - Freshwater Ecologist (Previously S1 Ep12 and S2 Ep28)
• 0:21:41 Lillian Stewart - PhD Candidate (Previously S2 Ep43)
• 0:26:20 Dr. Jenn Lavers - Lead Researcher at Adrift Lab
• 0:33:42 Professor Corey Bradshaw - Matthew Flinders Fellow in Global Ecology (Previously S2 Ep10)
• 0:46:50 Sue Meltzer - Principal at Kadimah School
• 0:56:03 Matthew Day - IT Support, Health Sector
• 1:01:01 Cecilia Rodriguez-Gomez - PhD Candidate
• 1:05:46 Jez Francis - Music Therapist
• 1:15:19  Saskia Verraes - Sustainable Futures Advisor at The Mind Lab
• 1:27:57 Andre Borell - Director of Envoy: Shark Cull (Previously S2 Ep35)
• 1:33:22 Brad Dalrymple - Principal Environmental Engineer at Ocean Protect (Previously S1 Ep7)
• 1:39:11 Jan  Saunders - Owner of The Beet Retreat, vegan B&B
• 1:49:13 Dr Sally Gillespie - Author of Climate Crisis and Consciousness: Reimagining our world and ourselves (Previously S2 Ep27)
• 2:04:57 Ryan Alexander - Co-founder and managing director of No Meat May (Previously S2 Ep15)
• 2:09:03 Associate Professor Ian Tibbetts - Biological Sciences researcher (Previously S2 Ep3)
• 2:14:58 Dr Luke Wilson - GP and a Board Director at Doctors For Nutrition (Previously S1 Ep2, S1 Ep3, and S1 Ep28)
• 2:20:54 Brad Dixon - Everfit Physiotherapist and Coach (Previously S1 Ep13)
• 2:37:52 Dr Kate Wylie - GP and Doctors For The Environment Member (Previously S1 Ep22)

A heartfelt thank you to our contributors for sharing their stories and to our listeners for going on this journey with us in 2021.

Subscribe to this podcast, share this episode with your friends and family and visit our website for all the links. Please support our work and enable us to deliver more content by buying us a coffee.

To view all the links to the websites and documents, visit the show notes on our website.

Please support our work and enable us to deliver more content by buying us a coffee or becoming a member of Athletes for Nature.
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This episode is a dedicated Q&A show, following on from Ben and Emma’s presentation at the Doctors For The Environment (DEA) 2021 conference, where they discussed food solutions for planetary health.

If you haven’t already done so, it makes sense to listen to Season 2 Episode 44 before diving into this one, as there you will be able to listen to the presentation recording in full. We had some fantastic questions on the day, with a few more sent in from our wonderful listeners, and we cover them as best we can here!

We discuss the following topics:
• Food waste and where this mostly occurs along the paddock to pantry journey
• Regenerative agriculture vs plant-based diets
• Fantastic fungi!...The health and environmental benefits of mushrooms
• How to transition to plant-based diets if you have health issues
• Key actions individuals can take to enhance planetary health
• The 9 most commonly consumed plant foods
• Sources of B12 on a plant-based diet
• Sources of Iron on a plant-based diet
• Tips for approaching a FODMAP diet as a plant-based eater – more information can be found in this article
• And the big question – if we can stay within planetary boundaries by changing our food systems

To view all the links to the websites and documents, make sure you visit the show notes on our website. Don't forget to subscribe to this podcast, leave us a review and share this episode with your friends and family.

Please support our work and enable us to deliver more content by buying us a coffee.

To view all the links to the websites and documents, visit the show notes on our website.

Please support our work and enable us to deliver more content by buying us a coffee or becoming a member of Athletes for Nature.
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In this episode, we bring you the third and final recording from the recent Evidence Based Eating NZ Wellington/online event. In this episode Dr Luke Wilson discusses the need to change nutrition guidelines, pivoting away from animal products and processed foods, towards plants.

Luke is a Wellington GP and is Board Certified by the International Board of Lifestyle Medicine. Dr Wilson is a previous guest of our podcast (our first ever!), so to find out more about his background and work listen to Season 1 Episode 2 & Episode 3 and Season 1 Episode 28.

You can view all previous episodes on our website. Don't forget to subscribe to this podcast, leave us a review and share this episode with your friends and family.

Please support our work and enable us to deliver more content by buying us a coffee.

To view all the links to the websites and documents, visit the show notes on our website.

Please support our work and enable us to deliver more content by buying us a coffee or becoming a member of Athletes for Nature.
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook, subscribe to this podcast, and share this episode with your friends and family.