Skaana with Mark Leiren-Young | Oceans, Eco-Ethics & The Environment

Talking Trump vs. science, facts and the planet with Dr. Andrew Rosenberg.  The former director of the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists and former director of NOAA on Project 2025, popping social media bubbles and why it is so friggin’ important that Americans vote… And not for Trump. “Whatever your issue is, should you be concerned? Yes! …This is not a time to sit it out.” On Project 2025: “It’s worse than you think it is. No matter how bad you think it is, it’s worse.”

4:11 Andrew Rosenberg explains what the Union of Concerned Scientists is concerned about and how the focus shifted from weapons to using science to spin for politicians.

7:00 “Everyone will ask what are you concerned about… until Mr. Trump was elected and then nobody needed to ask that question anymore because it was pretty obvious what we were concerned about.”

8:00 Trump’s wasn’t the first administration to distort facts. “Everything that was talked about the facts became whatever Mr. Trump said they were at any given moment and that was not the same thing from one moment to the next. And in our current presidential campaign that’d gotten even worse.”

8:52 The futility of fact-checking when “everybody’s in their little bubbles in the social media age.”

11:06 Why the Trump administration kept losing their challenges in court and how Project 2025 will stop the courts from ignoring laws.

11:51 “We also leaned into the ideas that scientists can and should be much more active in the political process.” And the resistance to that…

16:45 How to challenge lies. What works, what doesn’t and why. “We’re not going to turn everybody into scientists.”

22:07 The impact of COVID and isolation on fact based reality.

23:10 “Anybody can say anything on social media.”

28:45 On Project 2025: “It’s worse than you think it is. No matter how bad you think it is, it’s worse.”

33:41 “President Trump was frustrated that people didn’t just do what he wanted.” ‘cause laws and consciences…

35:20 “It’s 900 pages long and covers every agency.” The end of NOAA… the end of science and research… and privatizing the weather service and…. yeah it’s worse…

37:00 Everybody becomes a political appointee…  You’re fired! “You would choose people based on their loyalty, not their expertise.”

39:15 Sharpiegate! How Trump moved a hurricane – so he could send money to a state he liked.

43:25 You can imagine what it will be like if he’s back in office. It will be worse… things will get a lot worse.”

44:00 “There’s no tethering to facts at all… it’s just whatever he happens to think about it at a given time.

48:04 BC water moving to California?

49:00 “I don’t believe he understands the sovereignty of other nations. Or cares.”

55:00 What you can do…

51:25 “Whatever your issue is, should you be concerned? Yes!”

51:52 “This is not a time to sit it out.”

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Andrew Lewin – host of the How to Protect the Ocean podcast – on teaching the world about oceans, myth-busting fake facts and falling for the oceans from his home in Ontario. “This is what people should be talking about.”

3:25 How Andrew Lewin fell for the oceans and marine biology.

5:18 The first time Andrew saw a whale.

6:47 Finding Flipper and falling for dolphins. “You have this sense of awe when you look at dolphins.” Can dolphins be, um, jerks?

8:45 Talking orcas – including the orcas who eat great white sharks.

11:20 The origin of How to Protect the Oceans podcast and the mission to educate.

17:20  “My why is just change somebody’s life.”

18:52 The challenge of fighting fake facts and junk science. “The goal is to inform.”

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Sixteen-year-old Hawaiian environmental activist Rylee Brooke hasn’t just been fighting for the environment – and the rights of keiki (young people) – since the age of eight, she’s teaching other young people and adults how to make change and make laws. Adventures in changing things locally and globally, making the case for Vote 16 and proving that young people can do pretty much anything – including inspiring law-makers to do better.

3:30 Meet Rylee Brooke. “I kind of grew up doing community service.”

7:12 Starting “The Plastics Project” and sparking youth-run beach clean-ups at age eight.

8:20 How 15 kids clean up 500 pounds of plastic. In one day!

10:20 The power of social media. And the local grapevine.

12:45 Learning to create law – and teaching young people how to create laws. “I got into writing my own bills…”

15:40 “I was asked to be part of the first youth-led conservation case… I was one of the thirteen plaintiffs on that.”

20:00  Vote 16 and the fight to lower the voting age in Hawaii and throughout the US.

22:08 Shark diving with Ocean Ramsey.

23:23  “I think just a kid coming in to speak is really powerful.” On getting comfortable talking to politicians and crowds.

28:24 Advice for other young people and, really, everyone. “It’s really figuring out what you’re passionate about.”

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Sy Montgomery (author: Soul of an Octopus) and Warren Carlyle (founder of OctoNation) on friendly octopuses, the Mayor of Octopus City, and their top octopus secrets from their new book Secrets of the Octopus that accompanies the National Geographic TV series. Second of a two-part interview about the wild world of octopuses! “We’re in the age of octopus,” Sy Montgomery.

2:28  How the books Secrets of the Octopus and Soul of the Octopus informed the TV series and vice versa.

4:10 How OctoNation raised the profile of octopus photographers and vice versa.

7:02 Favourite octopus secrets – more social than anyone imagines. “They certainly are not all solitary”.

8:30 Octopolis & Octlantis and the Mayor of Octopus City.

9:02 Octopus hunting with other species.

11:15 “I’m taking my vitamins because I want to be on this planet to learn more secrets of the octopus.” Sy Montgomery.

11:25 The tiny hairy octopus aka the Chewboctopus!

12:49  Hanging out with a hippo. “I always felt that animals were my people… I’ve always felt more at home with animals than with people.” Sy Montgomery.

14:54 Meeting an octopus at age 7 – Warren.

16:00 “We’re just a blip on the radar of life compared to the octopus.” Warren Carlyle.

17:54 The first time Sy saw an octopus.

18:25 “This is someone. It’s not someTHING. It’s someONE. And they are as curious about you as you are about them.” Sy Montgomery.

21:15 Sy Montgomery on meeting Athena the octopus.

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Sy Montgomery (Soul of an Octopus) and Warren Carlyle (founder of OctoNation) on octopuses taking over the media, the origins of OctoNation, why octopuses needed a publicist and some of the secrets of octopus from their new book Secrets of the Octopus that accompanies the National Geographic TV series. First of a two-part interview about all things octopus!

0:01 Meet author Sy Montgomery.

0:13 Meet Warren Carlyle “the PR agent for the octopus.”

3:50 How Sy met Warren.

4:25 Warren’s journey from high fashion to the deep ocean.

5:32 The origins of OctoNation: “When the Beyonce of octopus people tells you to do something, you just do it.” – Warren Carlyle

6:41 Octopus used to be monsters!

10:06 “It’s the golden age for octopus appreciation. For octopus research. And I think this is a great opportunity for the ocean in general. What better ambassador can you imagine than somebody who’s got the equivalent of nine brains and eight arms.” – Sy Montgomery.

13:00 Octopuses can give themselves manicures… we kind of laid the red carpet for “My Octopus Teacher.”

14:57 The impact of OctoNation. “Appreciation for the octopus has just exploded.”

16:00 Sy: “They are not some slimy gross monster. They are super smart. They are superheroes with superpowers. And yet they are enough like us that you can be friends with an octopus.”

18:45 Sy: “We’re in the age of octopus.”

18:50 Warren: “The way that I view Sy… Sy has this insatiable desire to hang out with animals all the time… All OctoNation is is really a reflection of Sy’s light.”

23:47 The blanket octopus!

28:08 Connecting with National Geographic.

32:10 Octopus have their own hunting fish the way humans have hunting dogs!

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NOAA scientists Kim Parsons & Tom Jefferson on orca species, orca survival, orca scat, really old whales, the return of harbour porpoises, the fight for vaquitas and so much more in the second part of a special two-part episode on the two soon-to-be official species of orcas who call the Salish Sea home.

2:29 The challenge of naming new animals… scientific names, the names we use and the politics of naming. Yes, we’re sticking with Residents & Bigg’s.

5:15 How many orca species are there? The challenges of collecting data.

7:01 The genetic challenges facing the southern resident orcas.

10:09 Not enough J-pod baby-daddies.

12:32 “I think we need some optimism here…” a happy story about harbour porpoises. “There may be hope for this species after all. We know what the problems are… if we can make enough compromises in our own behaviour to reduce those threats, I think there’s good reason for being optimistic that the future of southern resident killer whales can still look quite bright.”

14:50 Biological and chronological ages.

19:30 The latest on the vanishing vaquitas – the most endangered marine mammal in the world. Are there only 10 left? “As long as there’s one male and one female left in the population there’s a chance for them to survive.”

23:20 Talking poop about orcas. And orca poop. “I spent a lot of time working with killer whale poop… I’ve collected a lot of poop in my time.”

24:55 Is there another orca species in Alaska? Probably! How many species are there? “We may be looking at six or maybe eight species… maybe more.”

26:58 Improvements in understanding orca health and their environments.

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NOAA scientists Kim Parsons & Tom Jefferson on killer whale science, killer whales versus orcas, orcas versus dolphins, how science becomes official, the challenges of translating science to civilians and so much more in the first of a special two-part episode on the two soon to be official species of orcas who call the Salish Sea home.

3:45 Meet marine mammal biologist, Tom Jefferson.

4:21 Meet molecular geneticist, Kim Parsons.

5:10 Orcas or killer whales? And how to pronounce orcinus orca.

6:35 Orcas vs. whales/dolphins vs. Delphinidae and confusion over “common names.”

10:35 Talking taxonomy: splitting orca populations into two species.

12:55 Exploring orca genetics.

17:38 What’s in a name? Taxonomists reviewing splitting up species. And making the species designation official. Ish.

20:10 How to tell the difference between types of orcas.

24:31 Early observations of killer whales and how and why they got their names.

26:16 Naming the two orcas – the scientific names and the names we’ll all use…

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Eco-pirate Paul Watson talks about taking on whalers in Iceland and Japan, splitting with the Sea Shepherd, launching an eco-church and what the hell just happened in his world with Skaana host Mark Leiren-Young (author of Sharks Forever & Orcas Everywhere). “We’re ecologically ignorant. And unless we learn to educate ourselves, we’re not going to survive.”

4:45 Paul Watson on how he landed in Paris and why he’s only working with Sea Shepherd France & Brazil.

5:40  “They said I was too controversial. Too confrontational.”

9:20 On being an international fugitive. And the disappearance of his Interpol Red Notice.

19:00 “We’ll rebuild it.” On the split with Sea Shepherd Global, his new boat and the dangers of sponsors.

21:40 On radically retiring Sea Shepherd vessels.

22:18 “The three most valuable things – courage and imagination and passion.”

22:30 What’s in a name? Neptune’s Pirates, Neptune’s Navy and The Captain Paul Watson Foundation

23:43 Taking action in Iceland and saving whales by taking on “modern Ahab” Kristján Loftsson. “I’m not really concerned about getting arrested.” Why he’d like to be arrested in Iceland.

28:14 Chasing super-trawlers and the importance of saving krill.

30:30 The return of Japanese whalers – with a new factory ship. And preparing to take on a faster ship.

33:45 Shifting baselines and rebranding fish like pollock becoming artificial crab. “Who wants to buy a toothfish… It all comes down to marketing.”

35:10 “We’re overfishing the ocean.” The need for a 75 year moratorium on mechanized fishing.

35:40 The fight for phytoplankton. “If phytoplankton disappear from the ocean, we die… The ocean dies, we die.”

37:15 “We’re ecologically ignorant. And unless we learn to educate ourselves, we’re not going to survive.”

38:20 Founding the Church of Biocentrism and the dangers of anthropocentrism.

45:30 “We can’t have a viewpoint that it was all created for us and we’re the only species that matters.”

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Author, broadcaster and activist Melody Horrill (The Dolphin Who Saved Me) talks about saving the Port River dolphins and how a dolphin named Jock saved her with Skaana host Mark Leiren-Young (author of Sharks Forever & Orcas Everywhere). “Dolphins do have a special place in our hearts… They help us connect to the water and the natural world.”

5:10 Meet the Port River dolphins. And find out why they’re in trouble.

10:20 “I made it my single-minded mission to let everyone know in South Australia that these dolphins existed. They’re here.”

11:10 “They do have a special place in our hearts… They help us connect I think to the water and the natural world.”

11:50 On the Port River becoming a dolphin sanctuary and how her documentary helped change minds and laws.

15:23 Is the sanctuary really dolphin-friendly?

15:46 The first time she saw a dolphin.

16:51 Meeting Jock.

19:35 “Little did I know at that time that Jock would end up being my best friend. And lead me out of a place that I didn’t think was possible. Immediately I just felt this connection to this solitary dolphin. He was by himself… he just seemed adrift and alone. So from my perspective it was this instant recognition of another being that I felt compassion for and a connection with.”

22:20 “He accepted me in a way that I’d never been accepted in my life before.”

24:20 “He taught me a lot about forgiveness.”

25:07 “He forced me to live in the moment… we’re not feeding him, we’re not enticing him. There’s no other reason for him to hang out with me other than he just wants to. How mind-blowing is that?… It made me realize love was possible.”

26:00 Helping Jock meet and interact with other dolphins. “He taught me about courage.”

29:59 “We really tried to keep his friendliness quiet.” Jock following her boat.

32:34 Connecting with Jane Goodall and the Jane Goodall Institute.

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Author and marine conservation biologist David Shiffman (Why Sharks Matter) talks about Sharkweek, Sharknados, megalodon myths, Jaws and junk science with Skaana host Mark Leiren-Young (author of Sharks Forever & Big Sharks, Small World). “More people are bitten by other people on the New York city subway system every year than are bitten by sharks in the whole world… but whenever any shark gives someone side eye anywhere in the world, it’s headline news everywhere in the world.”

4:10 “Jaws has had a really transformative impact. For sharks mostly bad.” How Jaws changed everything for sharks and meeting Richard Dreyfuss. “The movie is just so good.”

5:05 “It’s really changed the world. Before Jaws came out most people really didn’t think about sharks at all.”

5:56 “Spielberg has a lot to answer for here.”

6:23 The Jaws Effect. “It refers to how fictional portrayals of a real world issue can affect how people really think about that issue. In reality.”

7:36 Watching The Shark is Broken – the Jaws play – on Broadway!

10:14 On the impact of Sharknado! “I love those goofy, bad shark movies… there are two kinds of shark movies – there are bad shark movies and there’s Jaws.” And how Sharknado funded his PhD work.

13:18 “It’s just frigging weird how much this goofy Saturday night basic cable movie has escaped its cage and entered the cultural zeitgeist.”

13:44 “Here’s a crazy story for you…” How Sharknado may have launched Donald Trump’s political career.

16:04 On being Sharkweek’s number one critic “I’m very critical of the dumpster fire of nonsense and lies that they show every year.”

17:33 “I could rant about how bad Sharkweek is… forever.” And how Sharkweek does nothing to help sharks. “Sharkweek and I are not besties.”

17:48 There are more dudes named Mike on Sharkweek than there are women… even though in real life 60% of shark experts are women.

19:37 Great white sharks are mentioned in 40% of newspaper stories about endangered sharks – even though they’re not one of the most endangered species… All anyone wants to talk or write about… great white sharks.

21:00 Getting people to care about the bigger picture…”One thing that does change people’s minds is “yes, and…””

25:44 Talking 24 and sharks. “All of the species of sharks in the world combined have killed a lot fewer people than Jack Bauer has killed on-screen. Not even counting his off-screen exploits.”

26:34 “More people are bitten by other people on the New York city subway system every year than are bitten by sharks in the whole world… but whenever any shark gives someone side eye anywhere in the world, it’s headline news everywhere in the world.”

27:46 “Seeing a shark swimming close to the beach is not news. That’s where they’re supposed to be.”

28:00 A toy story – myth busting a fake goblin shark.

31:18 The megalodon conspiracy! “They were very cool – but they’ve been extinct for millions of years.”

33:38 The importance of public science engagement.

34:54 A new treaty that may help save sharks – and other species.

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