RadioNatura

In this episode, we speak with Tomoko Arakawa, the Director of the Asian Rural Institute (ARI), a community based school in Japan that provides a transformative learning experience that helps rural leaders create actions and values. Their participants are empowered to develop the mindset and resources to solve the many challenges of their rural communities. This institute is influenced by traditional Japanese values and zen traditions. In this episode, she also discusses her own personal transformation within the principles of servant leadership and food life.
Interviewer: Aria Ikehata & Elizabeth Gamarra 

Interviewee: Tomoko Arakawa, Director of ARI

Plastic waste problems and waste disposal problems are factors accelerating environmental degradation today. 

During these difficult times,  Mr. Rikihiro Aoyama, the representative director of the company Locomotive Co., Ltd., has engaged in several recycling projects. His motto is to help the world effectively utilize pre-existing resources for a sustainable future. Hence, this episode discusses Mr. Aoyama’s journey and his motivation for engaging in such efforts. If you are interested in careers within the environmental sector or are interested in creative recycling projects, listen to this episode. 

Created by Keitoku Ikegami 
Artwork by Marsa Arbab 

In this episode, we sit down and speak with Pax Natura Co-Founder, Randall Tolpinrud. In it, Randall tells us about how Pax was started, his journey into environmentalism, and the power of networking! He gives us powerful insight into the many ways environmentalism can be done, and shares his wisdom garnered from a lifetime of experience in fostering peace with nature.

This episode takes you through the journey of Resa Boenard, an environmental and humanitarian activist, who shares her story behind starting "The Seeds of Bantar Gebang" (BGBJ). Her school in West Java, Indonesia, located inside South-East Asia's largest landfill, provides education and hope to the children of trash heroes who work the trash fields. BGBJ also has a social enterprise through a hostel that allows people to experience living at a dumping site, volunteering for the community, or doing research. In this discussion, she covers her life's work, what it was like growing up in Bantar Gebang, and her vision for starting and maintaining BGBJ alive. All efforts combined have shaped a larger environmental movement around love, mindfulness, and humanitarianism. To learn more about her story, please visit bgbj.org's  campaign.

This episode dives into the world of coastal ecosystem restoration. During the conversation, Tjisse van der Heide, professor of Coastal Ecology, explains the innovative system he and his colleagues have been working on as part of their research. To support and help visualize his story, he brought along a part of the existing system to demonstrate it to us.  Are you curious about how this system is being applied? And why it can be a potential solution to restoring coastal vegetation such as mangroves and coral reefs? Then tune in to Radio Natura and hear it for yourself. 

In the episode two of The Philosophical Gap we are joined by Dr Robert Glasser (of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute / Former UN Assistant Secretary General for Disaster Risk reduction) to contextualise environmental philosophy with his practical experience in climate change policy. In this interdisciplinary discussion, Dr Phemister and Dr Glasser further explore the global, practical importance of strengthening one’s personal relationship with the natural world.  

We know we should be making dramatic lifestyle changes, but why do we not always make those changes?   In this episode we interview Dr. Pauline Phemister of the university of Edinburgh on how philosophy can help us developed our emotional connection to our environment, and  motivate the personal, radical action we need in order to address the environmental crisis.

This episode will take you to a multidisciplinary discussion between RadioNatura team member Kevin Cheung and Yuan Pan, a conservation scientist and Studio Ghibli enthusiast. For her, the Japanese animation house Studio Ghibli is a dynamic way to expose the greater public to the existing complex environmental issues considering the studio can accurately portray conservation-based issues while still retaining appeal to mainstream audiences.

Our relationship with nature can be complex, and a part of natural conservation is about changing our current relationship with nature. Animated movies with meaningful storylines can be a powerful tool to transform audiences and altogether change our opinions about nature. 

Hayao Miyazaki, co-founder of Studio Ghibli is acknowledged for his environmentalist movies. His stories transcend cultural and age barriers - providing stories that can question our morality and transform people at their core. As we seek ways to fight climate change, it is essential to remember what Miyazaki has taught us: nature is not just a nice place. Nature can fight back and it's not always tame.

We hope you enjoy!

For the first episode of this two part presentation, we’ll be taking you to a conversation between Jordan Anderson and Pax Natura board member and former Director of Indian Affairs for the State of Utah, Forrest Cuch. Forrest is a member of the Ute Tribe of Northeastern Utah and a dedicated conservationist.

In this episode, he gives us some insight into a broad range of issues that affect indigenous communities in the US today and the still-present effects and unfinished business of the first meeting between Christopher Columbus and the Tanos People. Forrest also shares some of his thoughts on how we can build a more just, equitable, and healthy world for us all.

Discussion also includes insights from the books My Grandmother’s Hands by Resma Menakem, and The Book of Destiny by Carlos Barios.

We hope you enjoy.

Welcome to the second half of our 2 part presentation, where we finish the conversation held between Jordan Anderson and Pax Natura board member and former Director of Indian Affairs for the State of Utah, Forrest Cuch.

In this episode we continue discussing indigenous issues in the US and Forrest gives us some insight into indigenous prophecy, Ute spirituality, his thoughts on education, and the tools we have at our disposal for building a more equitable world.

We hope you enjoy.