This week we speak to motivational speaker and renewable energy Jedi, Shane Quinnell from Akuo Energy! You'll learn about:
- life advice on how to be resilient and bounce back from hard situations 
- solar and the different forms (residential, utility solar, industrial, concentrated)  
- the state of renewable energy in Australia 
Let us know what you think by tagging @lifeonplaneta on your socials!

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This is the final segment of our interview with the incredible Stephen Hinchliffe. We will be discussing and learning about hydrogen energy, the uptake of EVs and how they compare to hydrogen, hot sediment aquifers (what are those!?), and the potential of geothermal energy in Australia.

As always, let us know what you think or if you have any questions by getting in touch on our socials!

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Part 2 of our series on Energy with Stephen Hinchcliffe. We discussed the extra expenses involved with manufacturing wind and solar which are come from more grid infrastructure and power storage being put in place.

In the future, renewable energy will be a mix and Stephen thinks nuclear should be considered as a part of the energy mix. 

Benefits of Nuclear:

• The new nuclear reactors have less waste than the first nuclear reactor.
• Nuclear also has zero carbon emissions (besides the manufacturing of the plant).
• The new nuclear reactors are modular reactors and are pre-constructed and sent to sites; therefore cheaper.
• Floating nuclear power stations.
• Blockchain technology is being used to track where the fuel rods go and then reprocess them.

Stephen suggests reading the report Managing System Strength during the transition to renewables.

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Part 1 of our chat with Stephen Hinchcliffe. About Stephen: Stephen is a Chartered Engineer (UK), a Fellow of the Institute of Engineering and Technology (UK), has a Ph.D. in power inverter technologies, Masters’ degrees in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Business Administration and in Commercial Law with more than twenty-five years' energy sector working on projects in the UK, Europe, Northern Africa, Indonesia, Chile, PNG, Australia, and New Zealand. Impressed yet?

We learned:

• What is system strength? In short, a measure of the network’s ability to maintain voltage levels during fault conditions
• What will the transition to renewables look like?
• As Australia’s power system transitions toward renewable forms of power generation, system strength has emerged as a prominent issue and has led to difficulties in developing and operating renewable generation projects.

Further reading: Stephen suggests reading the report Managing System Strength during the transition to renewables.

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This week we interviewed our friend Regina who works with her family in creating pineapple shoes. The pineapple shoe company is called Westrive. The companies mission is to minimize waste by creating vegan, biodegradable, ethical shoes from plant-based materials. Designed in Australia, sustainably handmade in Hungary, Europe.

There are issues with traditional shoes but Westrive is trying to resolve these issues by making shoes from Pi±atex®, a material made from pineapple leaves, which usually go into landfills after harvest.

The sole is natural and made from virgin rubber milk, the natural milk of the lactate hevea tree. No deforestation takes place to harvest the milk - this is the fruit of sustainable forestry.
 
Then they ship directly from the factory to you, meaning that you don't have to pay for a middle man to ship your shoes. If you fancy a trip to rural Hungary or happen to be in the area - you are welcome to pick your shoes up in person! Peter is happy to give you a tour of the factory, he is a nice guy.

 It was great to speak with Regina this week and if you want to donate to this great shoe company go to their Kickstarter page below and check out their Facebook!
 
 On this episode we also learn about starfish - you do not want to miss out on all of the fun facts!

Facebook page
Kickstarter page

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This week Heidi and Bella talk about something we all know (and probably love): something that gets you up on the early, frosty mornings, something that gets you through the uni all-nighters and 8 am lectures...coffee, of course! This week we spoke with David Siegel, the Head of the Sustainability Scale at Tripod Coffee. What you'll learn:

• Tripod Coffee is an Aussie brand creating certified compostable, Nespresso compatible, deliciously sustainable coffee pods.
• These pods are made from plant-based materials making them 100% compostable
• The pods are broken down into methane and fertilizer - some of which are used at a local NSW succulent farm!

Thanks for joining us David and we hope you guys enjoy it! Let us know what you think by tagging @lifeonplaneta and #lifeonplaneta

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Here's Part 2 of our talk with Kel and Em from FolkTribe Clothing! In Part 2 we talk about:

• why use hemp fabric? what are the benefits?
• Heidi's obsession with robots
• What can individuals do to be fashionable and sustainable?

Thank you Kel and Em for joining us, we had so much fun talking to you! 

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This week we're continuing with our theme on consumerism, by looking at what sustainable fashion can look like in practice. Heidi and Bella spoke to Kel and Em, two sisters sustainably leading the way. Kel and Em founded Folktribe Clothing​ - a clothing brand that makes beautiful, timeless, and 100% biodegradable dresses. Every part of their design is thought of from the fibers to the dye, to the buttons. Take a listen and hear how one small business has paved the way for a fashionably sustainable future. 

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Part 2 of our chat with Jo Cramer! This week we look at Dr. Jo Cramer’s fascinating solution to fast fashion - extending the garment-USE phase. This week we talk about:

• what is the ‘living wardrobe’?
• how to extend your garment lifetime
• how important are consumers and influencers in promoting slow fashion?
• what can you do as an individual to be fashionably sustainable?

Find Jo's website 'The Living Wardrobe' here, where she has created beautiful, timeless, and innovative garments. For each piece, she has included instructions on how you can repair and modify the garment to prolong its lifetime. 

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EPISODE #14: What is fast fashion and what are our other options? This week we spoke with Dr. Jo Cramer from RMIT about fast fashion and her thesis "Outfit From the Living Wardrobe".

This week we learn about:

• What is Fast Fashion?
• What is Slow fashion?
• How does fast fashion affect the environment?

Stay tuned next week for Part 2 where we learn the solutions Jo is proposing (hint: she focuses on the garment use phase). See you then!

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