The Grand Scheme of Things

Under the cloak of darkness, Joe and Ben slip across the climate frontline in order to meet with Extinction Rebellion luminary Jane Morton. In the episode that follows, she proves herself to be one of the friendlier rebel leaders going around. We chat about her activist experiences, XR’s dire predictions for the future and the many and varied problems of ‘the system’. 

Tone: Alarmed
Target audience: YOU!

Ben uses both talking and listening to conduct a conversation with emeritus professor Phillip Batterham. The discussion touches upon genetics, the plight of insects in the face of climate change as well as Phil's particularly thoughtful broader considerations on environmental, social and political matters.

Thanks Phil!

Hey!

Joe and Ben listen with INTENT as Tony Mellen,  a professional project manager specialising in really cool projects,  gives them the lowdown on rising sea-levels in the Marshall Islands, Australia's attitude to foreign aid and a fair bit more!

Pro Tip: 
Don't have an hour-and-twenty minutes to spare? 
Try breaking the episode down into bite-sized chunks for easier digestion. 

Yummy!

 

Joe and Ben relentlessly interrogate very nice person Russell Crellin.

Russell is a maths teacher, engineer / handy man and total BEAST! 
He has gone to the remarkable effort of consuming each and every one of our podcast episodes in their entirety. A feat that, we suspect, will one day be held in a similar regard to summiting Everest or slamming eleven hot dogs in one minute. Because of his super-fan status we now refer to Russell as “The Shareholder”.

Over the course of the discussion we seized the opportunity to discuss the direction of the podcast, as well as his reflections on climate change, passionate support of the Labor Party and plenty more. 

Get ready for podcasting with Russell!

Joe chats to Varsha Yajman, a young climate justice advocate who's been kicking goals in the space for several years. Varsha received considerable publicity as a key organiser of school strikes in Sydney and she continues to volunteer with the Australian Youth Climate Coalition and Stop Adani groups while studying at university. Additionally, she's currently working as a paralegal at Equity Generation Lawyers, an Australian firm specialising in climate-related legal action. 

As you can tell, it was a busy discussion agenda. Make some mental room - this is going to get thought-provoking!

Ben sits down with Tim Demeo, a Raywood-based farmer he's previously helped out (i.e. pretended to look busy while holding a broom in a shearing shed).  They talk about noticeable climate shifts and the state of play in certain regional farming communities. It's an honest, insightful conversation!

FYI: The Kamarooka Picnic (as mentioned in this episode) is held annually in October.  We commend it to you - particularly if you’ve been holding out for a competitive gumboot throw!

Parched after months of intensive research and interviews, Ben and Joe pause to rehydrate, reflect and take stock before the journey ahead. No gurus featured in this episode - think of this as bonus content. 

Joe speaks to the pesky climate activist who'd been at the epicentre of a recent mayoral controversy in Rockhampton - Chris ‘Pineapple’ Hooper. If his isn't a name that immediately captures your imagination, I'd suggest you don't have one. Pineapple's had some great adventures over the journey and we were able to chat about many of them here. More generally, he gives a fascinating account of local Rockhampton politics and environmental debates. As I think you'll find, Chris is extremely authentic - not the sort of pineapple that comes packaged in a can. All the same, crack open this episode and enjoy!

Insights galore in this week's edition, as Ben and Joe chat to consultant and climate action advocate Josh Gilbert. There's heaps to discuss: his research into Indigenous agriculture, his farming background, his trip to the Paris Climate Summit, his contribution to an Earth Hour cookbook.  

'Essential listening' gets bandied around a lot these days - in this case we definitely mean it!

Ben discusses climate security with Elizabeth Boulton, an academic in the field! This episode provides an insight into a new way of framing climate change - one that might just provide a clearer path to action. 

Note: There is no "Thanks Liz" at the end of the recording due to some editing limitations. I am still a great guy. 

Enjoy!