Meliora: a podcast from the Sustainability & Resilience Institute

In this episode of the Meliora Podcast we are discussing Personal Carbon Budgets. Our host Professor Simon Kemp is joined by Alice Brock, Sustainable Development Goals Officer in the Sustainability & Resilience Institute, and PhD student in the School of Geography and Environmental Science at the University of Southampton where she is researching this complex area.

Throughout this episode we delve into the environmental, social, cultural and economic aspects of this newly emerging subject, from what is a Personal Carbon Budget, the controversies that surround this concept, and the findings from Alice’s research. 

Links to papers of interest from this episode:

Brock, A., Kemp, S. Williams, I.D. 2022. Personal Carbon Budgets: A Pestle Review. Sustainability. 14(15), 9238. https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/15/9238

Brock, A. Williams, I.D.,  Kemp, S. 2023.. “I'll take the easiest option please”. Carbon reduction preferences of the public. Journal of Cleaner Production. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652623035564

Fuso Nerini, F., Fawcett, T., Parag, Y. et al. 2021. Personal carbon allowances revisited. Nat Sustain 4, 1025–1031. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-021-00756-w

Carbon Trust. Personal Carbon Allowances White paper. https://www.carbontrust.com/our-work-and-impact/guides-reports-and-tools/personal-carbon-allowances-white-paper

Fawcett, T. 2010,Personal carbon trading: A policy ahead of its time?, Energy Policy, Volume 38, Issue 11. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421510005239 

Host: Prof Simon Kemp
Guest: Alice Brock
Editor: Lily Killner

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Food production, transportation, packaging, storage, cooking, consumption and disposal is referred to as one of the largest contributors to anthropogenic climate change and has a vast array of social and health impacts. In this episode, host Professor Simon Kemp is joined by PhD researcher Molly Simmons to explore the sustainability impacts associated with the entire food system.  

Sustainable diets can have lower environmental impacts, but also need to be culturally acceptable, accessible, economically fair and nutritionally adequate. In this episode, we discover the carbon emissions, freshwater withdrawal and biodiversity loss associated with a variety of food types, as well as understanding what steps need to be taken to achieve a truly sustainable diet. 

Key papers/websites mentioned in this episode: 

• Clark et al. (2020) Global food system emissions could preclude achieving the 1.5 and 2 degree C climate change targets. PubMed 370(6517):705-708 - Global food system emissions could preclude achieving the 1.5° and 2°C climate change targets - PubMed (nih.gov) 
• Crippa et al. (2021) Food systems are responsible for a third of global anthropogenic GHG emissions. Nature Food 198-209. - Food systems are responsible for a third of global anthropogenic GHG emissions | Nature Food 
• Trends in UK meat consumption: Trends in UK meat consumption: analysis of data from years 1–11 (2008–09 to 2018–19) of the National Diet and Nutrition Survey rolling programme - The Lancet Planetary Health 
• Willet et al. (2019) Food in the Anthropocene: the EAT-Lancet Commission on healthy diets from sustainable food systems. The Lancet 393(10170):447-492 - Food in the Anthropocene: the EAT–Lancet Commission on healthy diets from sustainable food systems - The Lancet 
• World Population Prospects (2022) wpp2022_summary_of_results.pdf (un.org) 

Host: Prof Simon Kemp  
Guest: Molly Simmons 
Editor: Sophie Green 

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In this episode of the Meliora Podcast we are exploring the sustainability impacts of  cryptocurrency. Our host Professor Simon Kemp is joined by Dr Larisa Yarovaya, Associate Professor of Finance at the University of Southampton. 

This eye-opening episode covers how cryptocurrency is generated, the environmental costs of cryptocurrency from energy demand to electronic waste, and the social consequences associated with this.  

Links to Dr Yarovaya's academic profile and key papers associated with this episode: 

• Dr Larisa Yarovaya profile: https://www.southampton.ac.uk/business-school/about/departments/banking-and-finance/staff/ly1c18.page 
• Corbet, S., Lucey, B., Yarovaya, L. 2021. Bitcoin-energy markets interrelationships - New evidence. Resources Policy, Volume 70, 2021, 101916, ISSN 0301-4207, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2020.101916. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301420720309478) 
• Wang, Y., Lucey, B., Vigne, S. A., Yarovaya. L,. 2021. An index of cryptocurrency environmental attention (ICEA). China Finance Review International. Vol. 12 No. 3, 2022. pp. 378-414  

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Host: Professor Simon Kemp 

Guest: Dr Larisa Yarovaya 

Editor: Lily Killner 

In this episode of the Meliora Podcast we focus on the new interdisciplinary Sustainability and Resilience Institute (SRI) at the University of Southampton.  The SRI formally launched on Wednesday 1st November, and to support this event host Professor Simon Kemp is joined by Professor Craig Hutton (Director) and Associate Professor Dr Lindsay-Marie Armstrong (Deputy-Director) to discuss all matters SRI.  

Sustainability requires collaboration between society, policy-makers, business and universities. The SRI is providing an open door for all people, across all sectors, to get involved with this sustainability challenge, with a focus on the university as the venue for this interdisciplinary collaboration work. By addressing some of the greatest issues that pose an existential threat to the world, the SRI creates an opportunity to bring communities together. From decarbonization to the tools and methods required for sustainability, this episode explores the main research themes of the SRI, not only within the University, but also in the wider community.  Please note, this episode does not include the final, full SRI team as it was recorded before appointments were confirmed.

Get involved with the SRI: https://www.southampton.ac.uk/research/institutes-centres/sustainability-resilience-institute  

Follow us on instagram and X(twitter): @meliorapodcast

Host: Prof Simon Kemp 

Guests: Prof Craig Hutton and Dr Lindsay-Marie Armstrong 

Editor: Sophie Green 

In this Halloween themed episode, Professor Simon Kemp is joined by Sustainability & Resilience Institute 'Sustainable Development Goals Officer' and PhD researcher Alice Brock to explore the sustainability impacts of the spooky time of year!  

However, it is not all doom and gloom! This episode discusses a variety of tips to help everyone enjoy Halloween in a sustainable manner. Learn how to utilise your pumpkin to save it from landfill, as well as discovering how making a DIY costume can significantly decrease your environmental impact.  

After this episode we suggest listening to the following Halloween inspired music: 

• The Cure - A Forest 
• Bauhaus - Bela Lugosi's Dead 
• Joy Division - Atmosphere  
• Killing Joke - Love Like Blood 
• and despite Alice's protestations, Phoebe Bridgers 'Punisher' album as it's great

Alice’s Sustainable Halloween article, published in The Conversation: https://theconversation.com/five-tips-for-a-sustainable-halloween-215380 

Host: Professor Simon Kemp 
Guest: Alice Brock 
Editor: Lily Killner

Welcome to the first episode of the Meliora podcast from the Sustainability and Resilience Institute at the University of Southampton. In this episode, our host Professor Simon Kemp is joined by students and editors of the podcast Sophie Green and Lily Killner to discuss the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

Considered one of the most important globally strategic approaches to the challenge of tackling sustainability, this episode explains the function and importance of the SDGs, with a deep-dive into SDG 5 (gender equality), 12 (responsible resource consumption and production), 13 (climate action) and 14 (life below water). Each SDG discussion includes case studies highlighting what is being done to achieve these goals, and what challenges are being faced along the way. We will be exploring other SDGs in later seasons of the podcast, and completing our coverage of the SDGs with a special episode exploring how the SDGs can only really be achieved by addressing them in an integrated approach.  

Links: 

The UN Sustainable Development Goals - THE 17 GOALS | Sustainable Development (un.org) 

Sustainable development solutions network - Sustainable Development Solutions Network (unsdsn.org) 

ActionAid - https://www.actionaid.org.uk 

Presenters: Simon Kemp, Sophie Green and Lily Killner 

Editor: Lily Killner 

Welcome to the Meliora Podcast from the Sustainability and Resilience Institute at the University of Southampton! 
This podcast will explore the greatest and most wicked problem that is sustainability, whilst looking at how we are collectively addressing this critical global challenge. Sustainability needs to be addressed by understanding how the economy, society, culture, politics and environment intersect, and this will be the focus that informs each episode of the Meliora podcast.

In each episode, host Professor Simon Kemp will be joined by a variety of guests, including academics, students, staff, researchers, alumni, community groups and business leaders. The aim of the podcast is to shine a light on the vast range of topics surrounding sustainability and to allow listeners to learn about the critical challenges we face, as well as how they can be part of the solution. 

Host: Prof Simon Kemp

Editor: Sophie Green