Description:

This podcast was birthed in a small carpeted office on the corner of Guy and Ste. Catherine Streets in Montreal, Canada. It came out of the desire to share some of the work being done by Future Earth members while participating in the 2017 annual meeting.

The main intent of this podcast series is to explore positive approaches to transitions in the age of climate change or, what is also called "the Great Acceleration". That is, this is a program about life in the Anthropocene, but it's not about the doom and gloom that you've come to expect from environmentalists. No - we assume you are already anxious about that and have consumed enough post-apocalyptic fiction to have an idea of what not to look forward to. We figure that some of you, (maybe most of you?) are interested in exploring the positive dimensions of the transition that is required of us in response to climate change. That in struggling to meet the challenge of climate change, we can develop better, more just, and healthier worlds - and not just in the global north, but all around the globe.

Over the series, we're going to explore this topic through an organization called Future Earth - which has provided us access to a network of researchers and organizations that are working on just such solutions. Future Earth is one of those major international bodies that you feel good knowing is around, even if you don't fully grasp who they are or what they do. And to be completely honest, we only got a clear understanding of what they do while prepping for this very introduction. So today's segment is about clarifying just what Future Earth is so that we can spend the rest of the series getting into the interesting research that is being done under it's ever-expanding umbrella.

Part 2 can be heard here.

Music featured in this episode:

• Intro "R U Well" by Best Fern
• Outro "Plans fall through" by Alexia Avina

The people interviewed in this episode are:

• Faten Bahar, PhD candidate at the University of Carthage, Polytechnic School of Tunisia. Early Career Researchers Network
• Chandra Bhushan, Deputy Director, Centre for Science and Environment and Member of Engagement Committee at Future Earth
• Christina Cook, Science Officer, Synthesis & Foresight, Montreal, Future Earth
• Charles Ebikeme, Science Officer at the International Council for Science and Member of Health Advisory Group at Future Earth & Member of Governing Council.
• Jo-Ting Huang-Lachmann, PhD Candidate at TU Dresden and Research Associate at Chair of Environmental Management and Accounting, Faculty of Business and Economics. Part of the Early Career Researchers Network.
• Hein Mallee, Professor at the Research Institute for Humanity and Nature in Kyoto, Japan and Coordinator at the Regional Centre for Future Earth in Asia.
• Gordon McBean, President of ICSU, Co-Chair of Governing Council at Future Earth.
• David Oram, Advancement & Coordination Officer, Montreal, Future Earth
• Jakob Rhyner, UNU Vice-Rector in Europe and Director of the UNU Institute for Environment and Human Security and Co-Chair of Governing Council at Future Earth.
• Alistair Scrutton, Global Communications Director at Future Earth
• More about your hosts can be found here.

A few of the points that came up in our live conversation:

• Are we in the Anthropocene? a 2016 article on the topic.
• On "The Great Acceleration" — check out these graphs featuring "hockey stick growth" (in this case, not the kind that is sought after)
• Cities and Climate Change Science Conference, IPCC (Edmonton, March 2018)

About Future Earth:

• The organization was founded in 2015, and is 10 year initiative.
• Mission: to advance Global Sustainability Science, build capacity in this rapidly expanding area of research and provide an international research agenda to guide natural and social scientists working around the world
• Closely engaged with Sustainable Development Goals, Convention of Biological Diversity, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change

Future Earth products and programs that may be of interest to you:

• Open Network organization — an on-line tool to promote global communications and networking on sustainability research
• Future Earth Media Lab: "We create digital products and experiences that drive new types of connections between people and planet. We do this to immerse people in the challenges of global sustainability and deepen their personal sense of involvement. This is our theory of change."
• Anthropocene Magazine: "We are a digital, print, and live magazine in which the world's most creative writers, designers, scientists, and entrepreneurs explore how we can create a sustainable human age we actually want to live in."
• Future Earth Blog: "This blog is intended to be a home for innovative new ideas and essential reading for everyone engaged in global sustainability. Right now we are a small team of writers and editors, but we hope to scale up by reaching out to a global network of bloggers and scientists to contribute high quality content and opinion. If you would like to contribute, please send a writing sample and your story idea to contact@futureearth.org."
• Transformations Webinar Series: "The Transformations Knowledge-Action Network launched a webinar series in 2016 to explore the body of research that exists on social transformations toward sustainability. This series is ongoing, so check back in regularly for updates."
• Newsletter: "Future Earth publishes regular newsletters to highlight news, events and opportunities in global sustainability." Sign-up here
• Publications are available for download here.