Meliora: a podcast from the Sustainability & Resilience Institute

In this episode of the Meliora Podcast from the Sustainability & Resilience Institute at the University of Southampton we are joined by the brilliant Laurence Cannings for a fascinating discussion around his PhD research titled: "Contrasting Subjective and Objective Wellbeing in the Context of Spatial Environmental Characteristics and Climatic Risk: A comparative case study on the Volta Delta, Ghana".

We discuss how Laurence became interested in sustainability, his initial career path post graduation, how he became a PhD student, and then the majority of the episode exploring his research work in Ghana. Laurence defines the differences between subjective and objective wellbeing, whilst also exploring the contrasts in wellbeing in different parts of the globe.

Read more about Laurence's work here: https://southcoastdtp.ac.uk/does-money-equal-happiness-in-volta-delta/
Laurence's research is funded by the South Coast Doctoral Training Partnership.

Episode host: Prof Simon Kemp
Episode guest: Laurence Cannings
Episode editor: Sophie Green

Engage with us on instagram and X: @meliorapodcast

In this episode of the Meliora podcast we are joined by Dr Emma Palmer-Cooper from the School of Psychology at the University of Southampton to discuss the Crafting Heritage for Well-being in Iraq (CHeWI) project. 

The British Academy funded CHeWI project explores the nexus of crafting, heritage and well-being for survivors of conflict in Iraq, which has one psychiatric hospital for 38 million people. The project brings together a team with interdisciplinary expertise in arts, heritage and psychology in the UK and Iraq to provide a unique sustainability lens to an important project. The CHeWI project is co-produced, driven by the team and local participants in collaboration, to ensure the outcomes are relevant and beneficial to Iraq and reflect Iraq’s complex, often intersectional, societal needs. A key aim is to create a robust evidence-base for arts and crafts in improving personal and social well-being. The project team aim to demonstrate to Iraqi stakeholders and policy makers that such reflective practices play a critical role in fragile post-conflict contexts, determining specific ways that engaging with heritage through craft has potential to rebuild the personal and social well-being and dignity that are key to underpinning sustainable, inclusive peace in Iraq.

Episode host: Prof Simon Kemp
Episode guest: Dr Emma Palmer-Cooper
Episode editor: Lily Killner

Engage with on Instagram & X: @meliorapodcast

In this episode of the Meliora podcast our host Professor Simon Kemp is joined by Professor Tom Irvine, the Head of Music at the University of Southampton who has a growing interest in all aspects of sustainability in music.

During this conversation we address all the sustainability dimensions of the music industry - cultural, social, economic, and environmental. We discuss the topics of the  environmental costs of streaming, what music students think of sustainability and music, financial inequalities between artists and whether Taylor Swift is more environmentally damaging than concrete! Don't worry Swifties, there is a robust defence of your favourite artist provided by our Editor and Third Year Environmental Science student Lily Killner!

Devine, K. (2019). Decomposed. The Political Ecology of Music. https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262537780/

Prior, H. M. (2022). How Can Music Help Us to Address the Climate Crisis? Music & Science, 5. https://doi.org/10.1177/20592043221075725. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20592043221075725

Spotify Sustainability statement: https://www.lifeatspotify.com/diversity-equity-impact/climate-action

Host: Professor Simon Kemp 

Guest: Professor Tom Irvine 

Editor: Lily Killner 

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In this special episode of the Meliora podcast from the Sustainability & Resilience Institute (SRI) at the University of Southampton we are looking at some of the main outcomes from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP)28. Recorded on the afternoon the gavel came down on COP28, we are joined by Grace Compton SRI Specialist Policy Officer and Public Policy Southampton, Professor Craig Hutton Director of the SRI, Lily Killner BSc Environmental Science student and Podcast Editor, and Sophie Green, BSc Geography student and Podcast Editor to give their immediate impressions as the conference closed. 

Through this episode we are looking to provide a balanced analysis of COP28, discussing the positives and the negatives. We look at the path into COP28, Loss and Damage, Climate Finance, Gender Equality, the Global Stocktake, and the ‘Transition away from Fossil Fuels’.  

Grace takes on the role of ‘Good COP’ to provide the optimistic analysis, whilst Craig opted to take the role of ‘Bad COP’ considering the more problematic outcomes.  To conclude, Sophie and Lily provide the voices of the younger generation and judge as to whether they believe COP28 offers them hope for the future.   

This is the closing episode of Season 1 of the podcast.  We hope you have enjoyed the episodes and that you will join us for Season 2 when we return in January 2024.  

Host: Prof Simon Kemp 
Guests: Grace Compton, Sophie Green, Prof Craig Hutton, Lily Killner 
Editor: Sophie Green 

Engage with us on instagram or X: @meliorapodcast  

In this episode of the Meliora podcast from the Sustainability & Resilience Centre (SRI) at the University of Southampton we are looking at some of the outcomes, discussions, and concerns at the halfway point of COP28.

Our host Professor Simon Kemp is joined by Alice Brock, Sustainable Development Goals Project Officer in the SRI to discuss the latest climate science news releases, loss and damage, the COP28 presidency, phase-down or phase-out, academic responses,  the UK's role at the conference, and hopes for the final oucomes.

Apologies for the sound quality being a little different. We recorded this on Teams with headphone microphones and released it pretty much immediately (with no editing or background music added) on Wednesday 6th December to keep it as up to date as possible.

Links to the news articles discussed in the episode:

Climate Action Tracker 2023 update: https://climateactiontracker.org/publications/no-change-to-warming-as-fossil-fuel-endgame-brings-focus-onto-false-solutions/

Global Tipping Points Report news article: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/dec/06/earth-on-verge-of-five-catastrophic-tipping-points-scientists-warn

Host: Prof Simon Kemp
Guest: Alice Brock

Engage with us on instagram and X: @meliorapodcast

In this episode, host Professor Simon Kemp is joined by two PhD students at the University of Southampton, Alice Brock and Molly Simmons, to explore the world of PhDs. Alice Brock’s PhD focuses on personal carbon budgets, while Molly Simmons’ PhD focuses on sustainable diets.  

Whether you are a student considering a PhD, a fellow researcher, or simply curious about the world of academic research, this episode allows you to discover the dynamic world of doctoral research. The episode answers a plethora of questions: what a PhD is; how you get them; what they mean; your future after a PhD; and the day-to-day life of a PhD student. 

South Coast Doctoral Training Programme: https://southcoastdtp.ac.uk/ (the programme both Alice & Molly are registered on)
Doctoral Training Centres & Partnerships at the University of Southampton: https://www.southampton.ac.uk/research/centres/doctoral-training-centre.page
Find a PhD: https://www.findaphd.com/

Host: Professor Simon Kemp 

Guests: Alice Brock and Molly Simmons 

Editor: Sophie Green 

Engage with us on instagram & X: @meliorapodcast

In this episode of the Meliora Podcast from the Sustainability & Resilience Institute (SRI) at the University of Southampton we are discussing everyone's favourite annual global summit, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)  Conference of the Parties (COP), specifically COP28.

Our host Professor Simon Kemp is joined by Professor Craig Hutton, Director of the SRI and Grace Compton, Specialist Policy Officer for the SRI and Public Policy Southampton to explore COP28 which is starting the day this episode is published (30th November 2023) and running until Tuesday 12th December 2023.

We explain what the Conference of the Parties is about, what it is like to attend a COP, what it means from a policy perspective, and whether it is problematic for it be hosted in the United Arab Emirates and the position of the President.  Finally, we briefly discuss our hopes for COP28.  We will be evaluating the outcomes and whether the broad hopes of the sustainability community have been met in our next special episode after COP28 has closed.

COP28 UNFCCC site where you can watch the event and access resources: https://www.cop28.com/en/
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change: https://unfccc.int/
Climate Action Tracker: https://climateactiontracker.org/

Podcast host: Simon Kemp
Podcast guests: Grace Compton and Craig Hutton
Podcast episode editor: Sophie Green

Engage with us on instagram and X: @meliorapodcast

In this ‘Meliora shorts episode’, Professor Simon Kemp is joined by Vicky Howat and Lea Francastel, from Climate Fresk. The episode highlights the work of Climate Fresk, and how they are running workshops globally to enhance climate change knowledge. Within just 3 hours, the workshop takes you through a journey of the science behind climate change and empowers individuals to take action.

This is a fantastic programme, and you can (and should) learn more at the Climate Fresk Website: https://climatefresk.org/
Also, the biggest Climate Fresk to take place in the UK was recently held at the University of Bath. Read about it here: https://www.bath.ac.uk/announcements/biggest-ever-uk-climate-fresk-workshops-take-place-at-university-of-bath/

Host: Professor Simon Kemp 

Guests: Vicky Howat and Lea Francastel 

Editor: Lily Killner 

In this episode of the Meliora podcast we reflect on our experiences at the EAUC annual conference in Bath in June 2023. Our host Professor Simon Kemp is joined by the editors of the podcast and undergraduate students Sophie Green and Lily Killner as well as PhD student Molly Simmons who all attended the conference, along with Jasmine Morgan who was unfortunately unavailable at the time of this recording.

We discuss what it is like attending a conference from an academic and student perspective, and delve into our personal highlights of the event. Be sure to listen to our previous episode at the EAUC conference for full coverage of this always excellent annual sustainability in higher education conference. 

To find out more about the EAUC 'The Alliance for Sustainability Leadership in Education' visit: https://www.eauc.org.uk/home 

Host: Professor Simon Kemp 

Guests: Sophie Green, Lily Killner, Molly Simmons 

Editor: Lily Killner 

Follow us on Instagram and X(Twitter): @meliorapodcast

Back in June 2023 the Meliora Podcast team attended the EAUC annual conference at the University of Bath. The conference focus was  ‘Conversations on Climate Solutions’ which aimed to bring together the UK’s best Higher and Further Education academics, leaders, students and professionals to address the climate and ecological emergency.  

In this episode, the team provide an overview of the 2 days spent at the conference, whilst sharing their experiences and outcomes from a variety of conversations and presentations we attended. Furthermore, Professor Simon Kemp is joined by Professor Jim Longhurst, Former Chair of the EAUC, to give an insight into his role at the EAUC.  

Apologies for the delayed release of this episode in terms of proximity to the conference.  This is because we launched the podcast during the university academic year rather than the summer, but we still feel this and the supporting 'Reflections' episode provide an interesting and useful contribution to this podcast series addressing all elements of sustainability in higher education.

To find out more about the EAUC 'The Alliance for Sustainability Leadership in Education' visit: https://www.eauc.org.uk/home 

Host: Professor Simon Kemp 

Guests: Professor Jim Longhurst, Sophie Green, Lily Killner, Jasmine Morgan, Molly Simmons. 

Editor: Sophie Green 

Follow us on Instagram and X(Twitter): @meliorapodcast