Meliora: a podcast from the Sustainability & Resilience Institute

From discussions surrounding food packaging waste to food waste itself, this student takeover episode of the Meliora podcast explores the notion of “who is really responsible” for these issues in sustainable food systems. Is there a lack of action on individual and household levels, or is it more corporate and systemic faults? Listen to this episode and find out more about what guest speakers Leah and Jessica have to say for each side of the argument.

Episode host – Kathryn Rhodes

Episode guests – Jessica Morgan, Leah Norman

Episode editor – Kathryn Rhodes

Episode researchers and scriptwriters – Kyra-loana O’Connor, Ella Millard

This episode is part of the student takeover season and is a group project from the University of Southampton “Global Sustainability Challenges” module.

This student takeover episode of the Meliora Podcast is hosted by Sandeep and colleagues David, Evelyn, and Dalma. The episode explores some of the major human pressures the coastlines face and how that impacts sustainability, along with potential solutions. 

Coastlines are important in a range of contexts from social to economic to environmental making it essential to improve its sustainability to protect people livelihoods (Neumann et al., 2015). Coastlines are home to ~ three quarters of the global population and 12 of the 15 largest cities. The ocean economy contributes ~$1.5 trillion annually supporting diverse cultures. It is also one of the largest carbon sinks, taking up 25% of anthropogenic emissions and it holds so much of the earth’s biodiversity. Major threats to the coastline include tourism, coastal management (erosion), aquaculture, sea level rise, pollution and many more. This episode will discuss the impacts and potential solutions for tourism, coastal management, and aquaculture. 

Want to read more about the issues and solutions for sustainability at the coastlines? We recommend the following papers: 

·      Noor, N.M. and Abdul Maulud, K.N. (2022). Coastal Vulnerability: A Brief Review on Integrated Assessment in Southeast Asia. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, [online] 10(5), p.595. doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse10050595.

·      Phillips, M.R. and Jones, A.L. (2006). Erosion and tourism infrastructure in the coastal zone: Problems, consequences, and management. Tourism Management, 27(3), pp.517–524. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2005.10.019. 

·      Klinger, D. and Naylor, R. (2012). Searching for Solutions in Aquaculture: Charting a Sustainable Course. Annual Review of Environment and Resources, [online] 37(1), pp.247–276. doi: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-environ-021111-161531.

Episode Host: Sandeep Kour

Episode Guests: Evelyn O’Connor, David Ramm, Dalma Peller

Editor: Ethan Stubbs

This episode is part of the student takeover season and is a group project from the University of Southampton “Global Sustainability Challenges” module.

In this episode of the Meliora Podcast Student Takeover Season, we discuss sustainability in sports comparing the 2022 Qatar and 2026 United States, Canada, and Mexico FIFA World Cups. We discuss similarities and differences in consumption, infrastructure, resources, transport and energy use evaluating their sustainability in relation to the sustainable development goals.

Episode host – Mackenzie Norris

Episode guest – Raphael Matti

Episode editor – Rapheal Matti

Episode researchers and script-writers – Kira Owen and Samuel Paget

This episode is part of the Student Takeover Season on the Meliora Podcast and is a group project from the University of Southampton UOSM2043 Global Sustainability Challenges module.

In this episode of the Meliora Podcast Student Takeover Season, we address sustainability in our oceans, specifically focusing on how the environmental, economic and social impacts of fishing shape our futures. We discuss mangrove deforestation for fishing and most vulnerable communities affected, overfishing causing population decrease and the impacts of people's diets on fishing and the environment, and how fishing pollutes the oceans, while linking to Sustainable development goals 3, 12, 13 and 14.

Episode host - Cassie Chapman 

Episode guests - Jessica Cullinane and Millie Clarke 

Episode editors - Rebecca Keen and Scarlett Whitfield

Episode researchers and script writers - Cassie Chapman, Jessica Cullinane, Millie Clarke, Rebecca Keen, Scarlett Whitfield 

This episode is part of the Student Takeover Season on the Meliora Podcast and is a group project from the University of Southampton UOSM2043 Global Sustainability Challenges module.

In this episode of the Meliora Podcast Student Takeover Season, we ask 'Is our continued use of AI a sustainability problem solver, or is it just creating new issues'? This episode explores both sides of the debate, investigating the modern-day uses of AI, including its role in education, and the subsequent impacts on sustainability. We discuss AI’s potential to support and sustain climate ac-on and sustainable innovation, alongside its growing environmental carbon footprint and governance challenges. This podcast links findings to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (United Nations, 2025), and stirs a key conservation: is AI ultimately accelerating or hindering sustainable development?

Roles:

Episode host: Maisie Kemp

Episode guests: Oliver S-les and Jacob Kopparambil

Episode Editor: Oliver King

Episode Researchers and script writers: Lewis Kerekgyarto and Lily Silvester-Wheeler

This episode is part of the Student Takeover Season on the Meliora Podcast and is a group project from the University of Southampton UOSM2043 Global Sustainability Challenges module.

In this episode of the Meliora Podcast Student Takeover Season, we explore the sustainability of remote working and whether it is truly a long-term solution or comes with hidden costs. We discuss its social, economic, and environmental impacts, linking to key Sustainable Development Goals including health and wellbeing, decent work, reduced inequalities, and life on land. Through this, we consider whether working from home supports or challenges a more sustainable future. 

Host: Mia 

Guests: Emily and Johnny

This episode is part of the Student Takeover Season on the Meliora Podcast and is a group project from the University of Southampton UOSM2043 Global Sustainability Challenges module.

Why do people say they care about sustainability but struggle to act on it? 

In this student takeover episode of the Meliora Podcast we explore the ‘sustainable behaviour gap’- the disconnect between environmental values and everyday actions. Drawing on academic research and real-world examples, the discussion unpacks why awareness alone doesn’t lead to change and how factors like habits, social norms, cost and accessibility shape our decisions. 

This episode goes beyond individual responsibility, examining how structural barriers, corporate practices and policy limitations can make sustainable choices difficult or even impossible. From consumer behaviour to greenwashing and energy systems, the conversation highlights how deeply embedded this gap is within our society. 

Linking to key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities, SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production and SDG 13 Climate Action, the episode considers what meaningful change could look like. Can small interventions like “nudges” shift behaviour? Or do we need larger systemic transformations? 

Ultimately, this episode asks a critical question: "Is the problem really that individuals aren’t doing enough or that we haven’t created a world where sustainable behaviour is genuinely possible?" What do you think?

Host: Hannah Alidina

Guests : Olivia Thompson-Richards, Jack Austin, John Craig Santiano and Alice Burr 

Editor: Hannah Alidina

This episode is part of the Student Takeover Season on the Meliora Podcast and is a group project from the University of Southampton UOSM2043 Global Sustainability Challenges module.

We know that the COVID-19 pandemic caused an urgent global focus on public health, however what were the costs to our planet? This episode aims to uncover the masked environmental costs of the COVID-19 pandemic, delving into the overlooked costs and the surge in medical plastic pollution. This podcast looks into how these single-use plastics, such as PPE, impacted our environment. The risks of future pandemics and what is being currently underway to improve sustainability in healthcare.  

Host: Charlotte Harris 

Guests: Guy Gillott and Zephan Griggs 

Editor: Emily Highett  

Researchers and Script Writers: Emily Highett, Guy Gillot, Charlotte Harris, Zephan Griggs, Songyu Jinang  

This episode is part of the Student Takeover Season on the Meliora Podcast and is a group project from the University of Southampton UOSM2043 Global Sustainability Challenges module.

In this episode of the Meliora podcast Student Takeover Season, we explore UN Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, through the lens of one of the world’s most consumed commodities…coffee. 

With an estimated 2.25 billion cups consumed globally every day, coffee plays a significant role in modern lifestyles, cultures, and tourism worldwide. But behind every cup lies a complex global coffee market chain. From ethical sourcing and production to distribution, consumer behaviour, and post-consumption waste, this episode investigates the sustainability challenges surrounding coffee and asks whether this global commodity can truly be produced and consumed responsibly, bean to cup.

Episode host: Aaron Bhandari

Episode guests: Maryam Cheema, Holly Barros, and Bethany Bailey 

Episode editor: Maryam Cheema

This episode is part of the Student Takeover Season on the Meliora Podcast and is a group project from the University of Southampton UOSM2043 Global Sustainability Challenges module.

In this student takeover episode of the Meliora Podcast we discuss whether Brazil’s environmental capital Curitiba is a blueprint for sustainable city design, or just too good to be true.  

We address the planning and development of Curitiba which has created the city’s sustainability reputation. The episode continues as we discuss how everything may not be as it seems, including flaws in Curitiba’s sustainability design and why the discourse surrounding the city does not match the reality. 

Episode Host: Joeseph Bly 

Episode Guests: Imogen Entwistle and Megan Durham 

Research and Production: Izzy Donovan-Conway and Bryan Udo 

This episode is part of the Student Takeover Season on the Meliora Podcast and is a group project from the University of Southampton UOSM2043 Global Sustainability Challenges module.