Meliora: a podcast from the Sustainability & Resilience Institute

In this student takeover episode of the Meliora Podcast from the Sustainability & Resilience Institute at the University of Southampton we explore Artificial intelligence (AI) and its sustainability. Host Hannah facilitates a debate among four colleagues. Louise and Lavin express concerns about AI's negative environmental impacts including high energy consumption, emissions, and contribution to e-waste. Conversely, Travis and Gabriella advocate for AI's potential in reaching the Sustainable Development Goals through efficient energy management, ability to predict extreme weather, and optimising production and consumption. They discuss AI's impact on transportation addressing concerns about job displacement alongside its benefits for traffic optimization and vehicle maintenance. Both parties acknowledge the importance of monitoring AI’s sustainability impact by establishing transparency in AI development and emissions generated. This transparency allows for more accurate comparisons between the pollution generated by AI and the pollution resulting from humans performing the same actions. The episode concludes by recognising AI's complex role in sustainability, emphasising the need for ongoing research and more comprehensive data to better understand its benefits and drawbacks.

Episode team: Louise Brun, Hannah Feibusch, Gabriella Randall, Travis Arthur, Lavin-Ryan Naidu.

This episode is part of the Student Takeover Season on the Meliora Podcast, and is a group project from the University of Southampton 'Global Sustainability Challenges' module.

This episode of the Meliora Podcast from the Sustainability & Resilience Institute at the University of Southampton is hosted by Oliwia and colleagues Chloe, Eleanor, Hannah, Lajeema and Louisa. The episode explores the transparency of the fast fashion industry in relation to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12, responsible consumption and production. 

The production and consumption of garments make the fashion industry one of the most damaging to the environment [Boström and Micheletti, 2016]. With clothes being an integral part of our personal identities it is crucial to make this sector sustainable and align with the SDGs. Therefore, the conversation covers a range of topics including discussing the exploitation of human and natural resources, exploring a case study of the fast-fashion brand Shein and looking into social media micro-trends. Sprinkled throughout the episode are recommended policies, which aim to encourage and promote sustainability across the fashion industry. 

Want to read more about the sustainability of the fashion industry? We recommend the following papers:

• Analysis of the sustainability aspects of fashion: A literature review - https://doi.org/10.1177/00405175221124971
• Circular Economy and sustainability of the clothing and textile industry - https://doi.org/10.1007/s42824-021-00026-2

If you are interested in engaging with more sustainability-related material take a look at both Instagram and X: @meliorapodcast

Episode host: Oliwia Suchwalko
Episode guests: Eleanor Demaio,  Chloe Hailes, Louisa Hereward, Lajeema Lawoti, Hannah Parish

In this student takeover episode of the Meliora Podcast from the Sustainability & Resilience Institute at the University of Southampton we delve into how celebrities and brand endorsements affect consumer behaviours. We place celebrities such as social media influencer Molly Mae, and the Kardashian family under the spotlight and assess their own contributions to sustainable lifestyles and fashion. We explore brand partnerships in detail, especially focusing on those within the fast fashion sector. Analysing sustainability aims of each company and discussing whether these aims are met, and linking back to both SDG 8, and SDG 12. From this, we evaluate who is truly responsible for these fashion behaviours, celebrities, or us. Then, we expand on potential avenues to explore to try and buy fashion products more sustainably.

Please note, the terminology and tone used in this episode is intended to reflect everyday conversations between young people.  There is no intention to offend anyone.

Episode team: Madison Blundell, Ella Camp, Isla Hamilton, Jeena Kahai, Inaara Rattansi, Sarah Wilson

This episode is part of the Student Takeover Season on the Meliora Podcast, and is a group project from the University of Southampton 'Global Sustainability Challenges' module.

In this student takeover episode  of the Meliora Podcast from the Sustainability & Resilience Institute at the University of Southampton  we delve into the Olympic Games' environmental, economic, and social impacts, exploring its alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

We begin with an overview of the Olympics' global significance and the governance by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). This highlights the challenges faced by host cities in meeting sustainability objectives, with a focus on the 2016 Rio Games and its environmental shortcomings. Despite these challenges, examples of positive environmental impacts from past Games, such as the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, are also discussed. The economic perspective examines the short-term economic benefits and long-term challenges associated with hosting the Olympics, touching upon gentrification and social polarization. Social impacts, including housing-related problems and discrimination, are further explored, emphasizing the need for the Olympics to address social inequalities and promote inclusivity. Furthermore, the episode examines upcoming Games such as Paris 2024, which have committed to prioritizing sustainability and inclusivity, aiming to establish a new benchmark for Olympic events.

For further reading on this topic, we’d recommend the most recent 2021 IOC Sustainability Report as it outlines future sustainability objectives and their links to the SDGs. We’d also suggest the research paper ‘An Evaluation of the Sustainability of the Olympic Games’ which is listed below. It is a thought-provoking resource that weighs up the positives and negatives of the games from a sustainability perspective, great for those who want to explore the topic in depth.

Recommended Readings/ Resources:

An evaluation of the sustainability of the Olympic Games | Nature Sustainability

IOC sustainability report 2021 / International Olympic Committee - Olympic World Library (olympics.com)

Episode host: Isabella Hunnisett
Episode guests: Daniel Atherton-Palmer, Amaya Brown, Ethan Dean-Roberts, Scott Griffin, Anastasia Maragos

This episode is part of the Student Takeover Season on the Meliora Podcast, and is a group project from the University of Southampton 'Global Sustainability Challenges' module.

For more episodes like this, follow @meliorapodcast on Instagram and X to stay up to date with the latest conversation on sustainability.

This episode is part of the Student Takeover Season on the Meliora Podcast, and is a group project from the University of Southampton 'Global Sustainability Challenges' module.

The Glastonbury festival is famous due to its great scale and popularity, with thousands of attendees, an impactful social media presence, and an extensive venue. However, there are many sustainability factors surrounding the event that are worth drawing attention to and this episode sheds light on travel, social, food and waste aspects of the festival and what actions are being implemented to improve it.

Episode host: Alana Smallcombe
Episode guests: Alisha Ram, William Ryan, Charlie O'Dea, Theo Melis
Episode editor: Frances Spicer 

This episode is part of the Student Takeover Season on the Meliora Podcast, and is a group project from the University of Southampton 'Global Sustainability Challenges' module.

Episode guests: Ayushi Lanke, Jack Davis, Lucas Blackwell, Lucie Langridge and Olivia Tooley
Episode host: Carmella Codeniera
Episode editor: Jack Davis

This episode is part of the Student Takeover Season on the Meliora Podcast, and is a group project from the University of Southampton 'Global Sustainability Challenges' module.

In this student takeover episode  of the Meliora Podcast from the Sustainability & Resilience Institute at the University of Southampton  we discuss the harm alcohol causes on the environment and society, and explore the links to the Sustainable Development Goals through alcohol's manufacturing, packaging and marketing.

Please note, this episode does not in any way support or condone excessive consumption of alcohol.  The episode seeks only to inform from the perspective of undergraduate students.

Episode host: Somerset Fell
Guests: Lucy Hastings, Chiara Batten, Kaylei Callaghan and Zeb Knowland
Editor: Katie Allen 

This episode is part of the Student Takeover Season on the Meliora Podcast, and is a group project from the University of Southampton 'Global Sustainability Challenges' module.