Still holding the record for most popular guest ever, Dr Mike Joy returns to the podcast for round two. If you’re new to the force that is Mike Joy we suggest checking out our first conversation, Episode 12 on Season 1. Mike is a Senior Researcher at the Institute for Governance and Policy Studies at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.

In this episode, Mike gives us his reaction to the recent IPCC report and provides us with an important update regarding the ongoing concerns about the unsafe nitrate levels in New Zealand’s lakes and rivers. Mike is one of our most valued guests as he’s not one to sugarcoat, and here he delivers some hard truths regarding the actions required to properly address the climate emergency.

In this episode we discuss:
• Mike’s key takeaways from the recent IPCC report
• The connection between GDP and GHG emissions and the urgent need for the adoption of a ‘degrowth’ economy
• The problems associated with current net-zero and carbon-neutral strategies and measurements
• The current state of Aotearoa’s waterways and the impacts this has on both human and planetary health
• Mike’s recent ‘win’ regarding dodgy use of water statistics by government agencies
• Mike's essay Food for Healing in the book: The New Possible
• Mike’s work with the Environmental Law Initiative and Boomers for Real Climate Measures
• And a lot more – this one is an important conversation!

To read the papers recommended by Mike in this episode:
• Through the Eye of a Needle: An Eco-Heterodox Perspective on the Renewable Energy Transition
• Growth through contraction: Conceiving an eco-economy
• Additionally, Mike mentioned Geoff Reid’s current work, documenting the environmental harms from intensive farming practices. Read more about Geoff’s work and sign the petition here.

To view all the links to the websites and documents, make sure you visit the show notes on our website. Don't forget to subscribe to this podcast, leave us a review and share this episode with your friends and family.

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To view all the links to the websites and documents, visit the show notes on our website.

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Dr Sally Gillespie is a writer, workshop facilitator, lecturer and public speaker with a background in depth psychology and ecopsychology. Sally’s recently published book Climate Crisis and Consciousness: Reimagining Our World and Ourselves, explores the psychological experience of engaging with climate change and related ecological concerns. There is a growing awareness of the climate emergency within our community and more people are acknowledging that the next ten years must bring about radical changes to avoid potentially catastrophic tipping points.

This reality is confronting and can involve a wide range of emotions. Experiences of ecological anxiety and climate grief are burgeoning and coping with these feelings in the face of climate change is extremely important. The fight against climate change is not a sprint, it’s a marathon - one that we will be dealing with for the rest of our lives and here Sally discusses strategies for staying engaged with climate change without burning out or becoming overwhelmed or depressed.
Hot on the heels of the latest IPCC report this is a timely and extremely important conversation.

In this episode we discuss:
• Sally’s background in Jungian psychotherapy and her transition to climate psychology
• Why climate change is still such a taboo subject and how we can start fostering important conversations
• The Importance of peer education and use of language when dealing with climate deniers or down-players
• Strategies for tackling climate grief, feelings of helplessness and eco-anxiety
• Cultivating grounded hope and building psychological resilience in the face of climate uncertainty
• Nature deficit disorder and the importance of nature exposure and nature-based education for children
• The importance of indigenous knowledge and the need for indigenous-led climate action
• The work of Psychology for a Safe Climate

For further resources on climate psychology research and support visit the Psychology for a Safe Climate or the Climate Psychology Alliance websites.

If this story has raised concerns for you or someone you know, you can contact Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 in Australia or Lifeline Aotearoa on 0800 LIFELINE (0800 54 33 54) or free text HELP (4357) in New Zealand.

To view all the links to the websites and documents, make sure you visit the show notes on our website. Don't forget to subscribe to this podcast, leave us a review and share this episode with your friends and family.

Please support our work and enable us to deliver more content by buying us a coffee.

To view all the links to the websites and documents, visit the show notes on our website.

Please support our work and enable us to deliver more content by buying us a coffee or becoming a member of Athletes for Nature.
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Andrew Barnes is an innovator, entrepreneur, philanthropist and founder of 4 Day Week Global. Andrew has made a career of market-changing innovation and industry digitisation, most recently in 2018 in New Zealand, where he piloted the 4-day week concept in his own business, Perpetual Guardian. The astounding results made waves around the world and sparked a global movement. Andrew’s staff were happier, healthier, more engaged, more focused and more productive, despite seeing a 20% reduction in working hours.

Here we talk to Andrew about the modern-day work environment and the multiple and wide-reaching benefits associated with the adoption of the 4-day week concept.

In this episode we discuss:
• Andrew’s background and motivation for piloting the 4-day work week
• The history of the five-day work week and the concerning rise of the ‘gig economy’
• Our typical productivity levels over a full 40hrs working week
• Changing the dynamics of a workplace to maximise productivity
• The numerous benefits of the 4-day week; from improved productivity and employee wellbeing, to a reduction in economic inequalities and a smaller environmental footprint
• The importance of this being a staff-led initiative
• Other key steps to successful implementation; which are discussed in further detail in Andrew’s book, ‘The 4 Day Week’

Make sure you subscribe to this podcast, leave us a review and share this episode with your friends and family.

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To view all the links to the websites and documents, visit the show notes on our website.

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In this express episode, Ben and Emma share some exciting news about The Lentil Intervention and our expanded focus and direction for the future. We’re now a registered charity in New Zealand and have plans for more community outreach, so watch this space! We’ve also overhauled our website and added a bunch of new resources, so we’d love for you to check it all out.

We also check in with a few guests for some campaign updates:
• Eco activist Geoff Reid provides an update on his coverage of New Zealand’s intensive winter grazing practices and his ongoing call to end this practice. Read more about this and sign the petition here.
• Following on nicely from this, Claire Insley, the media spokesperson from the Vegan Society of Aotearoa NZ lets us know about the society’s current appeal; Incentivise NZ Farmers to Diversify for Longevity. This appeal calls for government direction, funding and support to encourage farmers to future proof and diversity their farming to include crop growing and/or rewilding.
• Finally, we receive an update from Grant Dixon from Evidence Based Eating NZ on the organisation’s work and their upcoming public lectures in Dunedin, Auckland and Wellington.

Make sure you subscribe to this podcast, leave us a review and share this episode with your friends and family.

Please support our work and enable us to deliver more content by buying us a coffee.

To view all the links to the websites and documents, visit the show notes on our website.

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Dr Mark Messina is the President of Nutrition Matters Inc, an adjunct associate professor at Loma Linda University and the Executive Director of the Soy Nutrition Institute. Mark is a former programme director with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in the United States, and while at the NCI he initiated a multi-million dollar research programme on the anticancer effects of soy.

Mark has spent the last 30 years researching the health effects of soy foods and is recognised internationally as a soy expert! Here he helps us sort fact from fiction by taking us on a deep dive into the science behind the safety, potential benefits and commonly touted concerns and misconceptions regarding soy food and human health.

In this episode we discuss:
• Mark’s background and how he came to specialise in soy nutrition research
• The history behind the soy food controversy
• Whether soy isoflavones are endocrine disruptors
• Soy foods and women’s health; breast cancer, menopause, puberty, osteoporosis
• Soy foods and men’s health; isoflavones, testosterone levels, muscle protein synthesis
• Soy and fertility
• Heart health and soy intake
• Whether the fat content of soy is a concern
• Soy intake and thyroid function
• Absorption of nutrients from soy foods

To learn more about the health effects of soy, visit The Soyfoods Council and Soy Connection websites.

In addition, here are some of the studies mentioned in this episode:
• No Difference Between the Effects of Supplementing With Soy Protein Versus Animal Protein on Gains in Muscle Mass and Strength in Response to Resistance Exercise
• Neither soy nor isoflavone intake affects male reproductive hormones: An expanded and updated meta-analysis of clinical studies
• Soybean oil lowers circulating cholesterol levels and coronary heart disease risk, and has no effect on markers of inflammation and oxidation
• Neither soyfoods nor isoflavones warrant classification as endocrine disruptors: a technical review of the observational and clinical data

Make sure you subscribe to this podcast, leave us a review and share this episode with your friends and family.

Please support our work and enable us to deliver more content by buying us a coffee.

To view all the links to the websites and documents, visit the show notes on our website.

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Jasmine Duthie and Anton Leach of Jagged Peak Films are two of the passionate team members behind Lion, Bones & Bullets, a powerful new feature documentary exposing an elaborate wildlife con, centred around the lion farming industry in South Africa.

Jasmine worked as Producer, Editor and Writer, and Anton worked as Director, Executive Producer and Director of Photography on this three-year project. The large-scale breeding of lions in captivity in South Africa is a contentious issue and this documentary covers the subject at all levels – from corruption to outright criminal activity, to potential health risks. We talk to Jasmine and Anton about the filming process and how the industrial farming of lions emerged.

In this episode we discuss:
• Jasmine and Anton’s respective backgrounds and what inspired the documentary
• The current lion farming situation in South Africa
• The lion bone trade and why the use of tiger products in Traditional Chinese Medicine is driving demand
• The potential large-scale human health risks from lion farming
• The animal cruelty involved in this unregulated industry
• Potential solutions to lower community demand for lion products and put a stop to this inhumane industry
• Upcoming educational and public screenings of Lion Bones and Bullets and how you can support this important campaign

Be sure to tag @TheLentilIntervention and help us reach more people by subscribing, reviewing, and sharing this episode with your friends and family.

Please support our work and enable us to deliver more content by buying us a coffee.

To view all the links to the websites and documents, visit the show notes on our website.

Please support our work and enable us to deliver more content by buying us a coffee or becoming a member of Athletes for Nature.
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Professor Ian Shaw is highly regarded as an international expert on food safety, with extensive expertise in food chemical residues and their impact on human health. Ian leads the Toxicology Research Group at the University of Canterbury and has over 20 years of experience in academia, industry and government, which includes presenting at two TEDx talks, chairing the UK Pesticide Residues Committee and working as the National Food Safety Programme Manager at the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR), based in Christchurch.

Join us for a fascinating discussion around chemical food contaminants, natural toxins, GMOs, organic produce and Ian’s work on endocrine-disrupting chemicals that can make their way into our food supply. Does any of this actually warrant concern? Tune in to find out!

In this episode we discuss:
• Ian’s background and research history
• Food chemicals; the regulatory process, maximum residue levels, where they are found in our modern food supply and if they are of concern for human health
• Whether to wash or not to wash our fresh produce
• The natural toxins found in food
• Ian’s entertaining TEDx talks and his work on endocrine-disrupting chemicals such as BPA, DDT, Phthalates and Genistein
• The potential effects of genetically modified foods on human and planetary health
• Food safety considerations in pregnancy
• The organic food debate – is it actually the better choice?
• The story of the happy banana
• The book titled Food Safety: The Science of Keeping Food Safe, 2nd Edition
• And so much more – this one is packed full of info, you might want to have a pen and paper at the ready!

Be sure to tag @TheLentilIntervention and help us reach more people by subscribing, reviewing, and sharing this episode with your friends and family.

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To view all the links to the websites and documents, visit the show notes on our website.

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Susan Scott and Bonné De Bod of Scott & De Bod Films are two passionate filmmakers based in South Africa. Susan and Bonné joined forces to bring to life their critically acclaimed documentary STROOP – journey into the rhino horn war. What started as a six-month project turned into a four-year filming odyssey as Susan and Bonné peeled back the complex layers of the rhino poaching trade, realising the scale and danger was far greater than they first imagined.

STROOP has since been officially selected for 40 film festivals, won 30 awards and has been broadcast and streamed in nearly 100 countries around the globe. We talk with Susan and Bonné about the blood, sweat and tears that went into bringing this powerful story to the world, learning the fascinating backstory behind the documentary. We touch on why rhino (and all wildlife) conservation should matter to everyone – in the words of these two incredible ladies; when we stand up, when we speak up, change can happen.

In this episode we discuss:
• Susan and Bonné’s respective backgrounds
• An overview of the concerning rhino poaching statistics in South Africa
• The multiple drivers of rhino poaching, following the trail from Africa to Asia
• The potential strategies and reforms that could lead to poaching reductions
• Dangers involved in documentary filmmaking – it’s more than meets the eye
• The importance of remaining independent as filmmakers and journalists
• Doing your homework to ensure financial support goes to credible organisations
• Susan and Bonné’s latest documentary Kingdoms of Fire, Ice & Fairy Tales, and future projects
• And so much more!

Be sure to tag @TheLentilIntervention and help us reach more people by subscribing, reviewing, and sharing this episode with your friends and family.

Please support our work and enable us to deliver more content by buying us a coffee.

To view all the links to the websites and documents, visit the show notes on our website.

Please support our work and enable us to deliver more content by buying us a coffee or becoming a member of Athletes for Nature.
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In this episode, we bring you the recording of Dr Rob Wilks’ Evidence Based Eating NZ lecture. Rob is a GP based in Motueka and here he discusses his experience of being a plant-based GP in a pro-meat world, touching on the challenges of discussing diet in general practice and treating gut health and common ailments with diet.

Over the coming months, Evidence Based Eating NZ is delivering a series of health-focused public lectures that highlight the power of plant-based whole foods to restore health to all New Zealanders.
The Christchurch event, held on 22 May 2021, was themed ‘Our GP Frontline’ and this recording is the third and final of the Christchurch lectures.
There are more events still to come, in Dunedin, Wellington and Auckland - please visit the Evidence Based Eating NZ website for more details and to register.

Be sure to tag @TheLentilIntervention and help us reach more people by subscribing, reviewing, and sharing this episode with your friends and family.

Please support our work and enable us to deliver more content by buying us a coffee.

To view all the links to the websites and documents, visit the show notes on our website.

Please support our work and enable us to deliver more content by buying us a coffee or becoming a member of Athletes for Nature.
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In this episode, we bring you the recording of Dr Wayne Hurlow's lecture, a GP based in Nelson. Here he discusses the turn-around success that is possible through the CHIP programme. Wayne details how Obesity, Diabetes and Heart Disease can be successfully treated through a whole foods plant-based diet.

Over the coming months, Evidence Based Eating NZ is delivering a series of health-focused public lectures that highlight the power of plant-based whole foods to restore health to all New Zealanders.
The Christchurch event, held on 22 May 2021, was themed ‘Our GP Frontline’ and this recording is part 2 of the 3 Christchurch lectures.
There are more events still to come, in Dunedin, Wellington and Auckland - please visit the Evidence Based Eating NZ website for more details and to register.

Be sure to tag @TheLentilIntervention and help us reach more people by subscribing, reviewing, and sharing this episode with your friends and family.

Please support our work and enable us to deliver more content by buying us a coffee.

To view all the links to the websites and documents, visit the show notes on our website.

Please support our work and enable us to deliver more content by buying us a coffee or becoming a member of Athletes for Nature.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Bluesky, subscribe to this podcast, and share this episode with your friends and family.