The Grand Scheme of Things: Recent Episodes
Get/Yourself Studios
Ben and Joe collect perspectives on climate action in Australia because they're unimpressed by stamps, crystals and model trains. It's a podcast about making a podcast, as well. Healthy Choice - this program is packed full of 'ums' and 'likes' that help to support a strong attention span.
We mark the happy occasion of episode 50 by chatting to gun Climate Council researcher Simon Bradshaw. There's an election result to digest and new Labor policies to scrutinise. There are international forums to consider. And there's acknowledgement of a looming fear: will a more 'progressive' government encourage climate complacency among the huddled masses? Simon thinks not, FYI. A good episode to orient yourself after a bewildering change in Canberra.
And much like bears, chipmunks, snails and wood frogs, we'll be back after a short midwinter break!
Jeff Chee is an investment guru (the Global Head of Portfolio Strategy, to be clear) at leading risk management and advisory firm Willis Towers Watson. His work is significantly focused on climate and sustainability and, in this discussion, he gave sterling insight on topics that were previously uncharted in our series. Climate risk assessment, ethical fund management, greenwash, the role of government, and the limitations of divestment are all covered. We were bowled over by Jeff’s intelligent, wide-ranging perspectives!
Our last recorded discussion before the most important election in the history of democracy, so who better to unpack the big topics with than Craig 'Fozz' Foster?!
Craig was the 40th captain of the Socceroos and he’s a bona fide icon of Australian football. These days he's making waves in the space of human rights, multiculturalism and diversity. Craig is an articulate and passionate communicator, so don't be alarmed if you find yourself agreeing with everything he says! You’ll hear evaluations on Australia's treatment of refugees, the current business model of sports, and Craig’s biggest influences. As always, there’s also a dash of climate conversation.
Active listening will be rewarded. God bless and we’ll see you at the top!
We’re heading down Peninsula Link (or the scenic route) for this last edition of TGSOT before the federal election. Despi O’Connor is the independent Climate 200 candidate battling for the seat of Flinders, hoping to fill the vacuum left by Greg Hunt. She’s a significant figure in the local community - a former mayor, no less - and ‘name recognition’ might be her secret weapon. Here we’re chatting about the climate credentials of independents, local matters in Flinders, an eligibility hiccup, and the under-utilised French Island. Good luck, Despi!
The special skill Alex Currell brings to the Kooyong Climate Alliance is that he speaks fluent 'policy', and he's put this to good use in developing the Kooyong Climate Scorecard - a representation of candidates' approaches to key climate issues. Inspired by this scorecard, as well as Alex's turn standing-in for the Kooyong incumbent at a recent forum, we got chatting to him here. Tune in for an overview of the major parties' climate offerings, as well as those of Monique Ryan. There's also a brief detour into issues of 'integrity'. Sure it's a long-ish episode, but given the vast territory covered, it's actually quite condensed! Thanks to Alex for his heavy lifting!
FYI, the full scoring rationale for the scorecard can be found at this link and is worth casting an eye over: https://kooyongvotesclimate.com/federal-election/
Away from the media glare, Kooyong candidate Dr Peter Lynch is sticking his neck out for Labor in what's considered 'enemy' territory. He's a vastly experienced physician and he's got a track record of engagement in many of the social issues that really matter. Given he wasn't able to offer a skerrick of praise for Josh Frydenberg in the interview, it's perhaps unfair to pump up Peter's tyres any more in this description.
Discussion highlights include: Labor climate policy, refugees, opposing candidates, and a brazen attempt to get advice on Ben's broken collarbone without an appointment.
Remember to vote etc., etc.!
Exciting times in the AFL world, regardless of your opinions on Voss' Blues. Late last year, Jasper Pittard (former Port Adelaide and North Melbourne defender) and Tom Campbell (St Kilda ruckman) brought together over 260 current and former players to create 'AFL Players For Climate Action'. Here, Jasper joins us to explain their objectives. We also discuss the impacts of climate on community football, engaging with the AFL as a broader industry, and even the sports gambling dilemma. Jasper’s an impressive speaker - crack in!
In this episode (43), we felt #blessed to be able to condense the various viewpoints of ALL Victorian farmers into a single conversation with the inimitable president of the Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF), Emma Germano!
In just one hour, we made serious headway on all kinds of topics - net-zero targets in the ag sector, political representation, ‘front of mind issues’ for those living on the land, and the best ways to consume the oft-maligned cauliflower plant.
Live, laugh, love and listen!
Great timing! With an election campaign upon us, it was a boon to chat to esteemed actor Tosh Greenslade, a regular in national lounge rooms through his many roles in 'Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell'. Tosh is also the author of 'The Scomo Diaries', a unique character study (or assassination) of our incumbent ruler. He thinks most people who aspire to federal political office are crackers. Do you agree? Keep your answers to yourself!
A star of Melbourne’s academic mean streets, Jeff Sparrow looms as a renowned journalist, writer, socialist and ‘ideas man’. Our chat here comes off the back of Jeff’s recent title ‘Crimes Against Nature’, a very timely defence of consumers amidst the climate challenge. We sought him out to discuss this, the viability of a market response, personal responsibility, and global turmoil. Go for it.
We love engaging with our fans, and they don’t come any more loyal than Sister Jess - a local Dominican who happens to also be our sibling. Sister shares her thoughts on the divisive ‘Don’t Look Up’, as well as some interesting summer reading. She also gives a very candid song recommendation. Fun as!
Lots more to cover on the Beetaloo fracking issue! For this bumper instalment, we were fortunate to hear from Rikki Dank, a Gudanji/Wakaja woman from Borroloola in the NT. To be clear, she's also currently based in Dubai and working as a gallery owner. Rikki has long been an activist concerned by the effects of fracking and she hails from a family of proud 'troublemakers'. Whilst this episode primarily gives a valuable picture of how Indigenous communities like Borroloola are impacted by resource extraction, we also get Rikki's perspective of travelling to Glasgow for the COP26 summit. Find out how she passed her time there and why she was feeling so fed-up that she looked to Hollywood for attention!
We reunite with Geoff Glue, a legendary politics and history teacher from our time at school, for a great chat about the Canberran 'state of play' - which, of course, has a big bearing on the CC issue. With Speers-like professionalism, Geoff helps with dissecting topics such as political 'talent', polling, the impact of media and the leadership style of the PM, all whilst keeping his own leanings a closely guarded secret. Appropriately, this is also one of the few episodes to come with its own bibliography:
Waleed Aly - https://www.smh.com.au/national/on-net-zero-the-nats-can-t-go-quietly-20211021-p591su.html
Peter Van Onselen - https://www.theaustralian.com.au/inquirer/our-political-record-on-climate-is-appalling/news-story/55ce14c6dc1155f4adbe58646a6bfa74
Paul Henderson - Parliament and Politics in Australia (1985)
Blessed to here get the thoughts of one Graeme Sawyer on the hugely controversial issue of hydraulic fracking in the NT’s Beetaloo Sub-basin. There are links to climate emissions, of course, but perhaps just as pertinently direct environmental impacts that might come to affect communities who rarely get hefty political representation. Graeme is no less than a former Lord Mayor of Darwin, a conservationist, and a member of Protect Country Alliance. He comes armed to the teeth with facts, reading and ideas - truly his recall on this topic is amazing. Please make the most of it!
Although not renowned for his sporting prowess, in this conversation former NSW premier and foreign minister Bob Carr brings his 'A game'. It was our great privilege to get his thoughts on all manner of subjects - Australia's international character, climate summits, the decisive global powers, the challenge of decarbonisation, electoral appetite for action in NSW and even the brilliance of Mozart. He's engaging, concise, classy. Goodness me, what a treat!
As the flag-bearer for News Corp’s ‘Mission Zero’, it was somewhat inevitable that journalist Joe Hildebrand be required to explain himself on this leading climate action perspectives/big questions/society & culture podcast. A seasoned pro and smiling assassin, Joe here gave his two cents frequently enough that the grand total came out at something like $3.26. Listen up for his thoughts on our close friends The Greens, economics vs environment in messaging, recent technological breakthroughs, the process of developing ‘Mission Zero’, and what it’s like to come under the microscope of one Paul Barry. Hit the arrow - you’ve reached playtime!
Could be some serious boot quaking at Liberal Party HQ after this episode...
Here we managed to get a hold of Piers Mitchem, The Greens’ ANSWER to Josh Frydenberg in the seat of Kooyong. Piers, a proud owner of a winning mindset, meticulously laid out how he plans to dethrone the current King of Kooyong, spoke on the matter of nuclear power in Australia and even indulged us with a few thoughts on climate change.
Who knows? If Piers successfully pulls off the coup, this episode may serve as a valuable 'before and after'. His genuine friendliness and idealism would no doubt make for interesting comparison once he’s inevitably been corrupted by the political machine!
https://www.instagram.com/piersmitchem/
Healesville artist and activist Ali Griffin is sharing some of her own journey in this instalment of TGSOT.
Like Jo Dodds before her, Ali is a member of Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action. She speaks on her own painful experience of Black Saturday, the recovery that followed, the fresh perspectives enabled by art, and the vexed issue of making links between climate change and bushfires. Bonus topic: Is it possible that artists are more empathetic than your average Ben?
https://www.aligriffinart.com/
We’re lucky to here speak with Jo Dodds, whose personal experience of disaster pushed her involvement in ‘Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action’. To say the least, the group take umbrage at the idea recent fire conditions could have been part of an ‘ordinary’ Australian landscape, and they’re presently riding high after a successful legal skirmish with the NSW EPA. As well as those topics, we’re talking community impacts and bushfire politicisation. Get listening pronto!
https://www.bushfiresurvivors.org/
This time around, we're welcoming aboard one of YouTube's most rugged bushmen. Famous for kayaking several days to get to work, running across the Australian Alps, sleeping in trees, eating his body weight in beans etc., Beau Miles recently took on the challenge of a conversation with TGSOT.
How did he handle it?
Spoiler: Quite well!
https://www.youtube.com/c/BeauMiles
Behyad Jafari, CEO of Australia’s Electric Vehicle Council and star communicator, joins the podcast for a milestone episode. We cast a collective eye to an exciting automotive future, while keeping the other firmly trained on some of the political hindrances of the present (bit of a ‘lazy eye’ situation).
There’s a mixture of FAQs and NSFAQs. Anyone who’s intrigued by EVs will get something out of it. Don’t lie, that includes you. Many thanks to Behyad, and to our listeners, and to our parents.
Talk to your doctor...about climate change.
And never let accuracy get in the way of a good intro line. Dr Simon Judkins is an emergency physician, rather than a GP. He’s seen various pictures of environmental change in the course of a distinguished career (he’s a past president of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine, for instance) and we were lucky enough to hear his thoughts on such topics as climate-related health impacts, emissions in the health sector, and the rise of ‘solastalgia’. It’s fresh territory! Thanks for listening!
Links:
‘Real-time Air Quality Index Data’ - https://waqi.info/
In this case, TGSOT travels (in a way) to the Latrobe Valley to hear from local advocate Wendy Farmer. Most of all, the chat circles around the concept of ‘just transitions’ for mining communities and a possible pivot to renewable energy. Wendy’s got a great story and has been a significant voice on issues in ‘the Valley’ since the time of the Hazelwood mine fire. We hope the episode proves interesting for those with/without connections to the area. Get listening to both this conversation...
...and a new playlist of song recommendations from the project so far.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/28yFqlTdIabHrXZirTA2Zb?si=Mm6Zc1axRtqz_WvLnrZfdg&dl_branch=1
As an eager-to-please uncle might say to arrivals at a family barbecue, "Here's trouble!"
This time around, we're chatting with presenter, popular comedian and Triple J icon Tom Ballard (despite our timid criticisms of the JJJs in the past). As many will know, Tom's got a penchant for political comedy, often incorporating climate messages into his work, and so we figured his perspective would represent a valuable piece of the puzzle. There's good stuff on public outrage, left-wing comedy, social movements, youth in politics, and the big 'ism' that seems to be a bugbear of several recent guests. Think it's fair to say that Tom wouldn't be one of those comedians who fills the 5th chair on ‘Q&A’ without having much to talk about.
Hope you like it, TYVM.
Deepening suspicions that Ben and Joe are merely agents of the Australian Greens, this edition of TGSOT features former rockstar federal senator Scott Ludlam. Having left parliament in frustrating circumstances, Scott remains committed to the environmental cause and we’d been especially keen to speak with him after reading his recent book, 'Full Circle'.
A few technical difficulties here as a result of a flaky Zoom connection, but you’ll be unfazed if you just imagine we're speaking to a war correspondent shouting back at us from the climate frontline! Let's go!
How’s this for a logical argument?
P1: Simon Longstaff, executive director of The Ethics Centre in Sydney, is wise and articulate.
P2: Wise and articulate guests lead to worthwhile content.
P3: Episode 25 of ‘The Grand Scheme of Things’ features Simon Longstaff.
C: Episode 25 of ‘TGSOT’ is well worth your while! Get listening!
(Conversation takes-in such topics as environmental stewardship, religion, the role of philosophy, and the health of Aus democracy)
Charlie Tauro is addicted to books. If she doesn’t get a certain number of pages read per day, she’s anxious and fidgety. It’s a condition that’s all the fault of prolific, greedy authors like Dr Karl Kruszelnicki. In this episode of TGSOT, Charlie comes face to face with a titan of the book industry, arming herself with a range of questions that she carefully aims at her adversary’s suspected weak spots. Unfortunately, in this case, the Death Star holds up.
In all seriousness, it was our great privilege this week to feature Dr Karl. For decades, he's delighted curious Australians with honest, no-nonsense explanations to some of the universe's great questions. He’s a beloved media personality and science communicator, and he’s rightly received many awards for his efforts.
If you enjoy this episode, please forward to one friend and/or Grant Denyer.
…and just for the record: https://www.kqed.org/quest/1219/a-long-and-winding-dna
This time around, we enter the bewildering jungle of economics. Topics such as carbon taxes, jobs transitions, GDP and UBI may have got the better of us, were it not for the expertise of our tour guide - decorated economist and renowned communicator Nicki Hutley!
It’s the turn of Ellen Sandell (State Member for Melbourne and deputy leader of the Victorian Greens) to contribute some of her grand ideas about climate action and politics. Ellen’s got a wealth of experience, having been involved in student activism and the public service before her rise to one of Melbourne’s highest offices. Listen up!
Do stick around for the reflection, as well, where Ben discusses his daring smack-down of the 44km Great Ocean Rd ultra-marathon*.
*https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultramarathon
Generation Alpha finally get their turn on TGSOT through spokesgirl Charlie Tauro!
Charlie may only be 8 years old, but she’s got a social conscience and a pretty good idea of the Earth she’d like to inherit. As her recall of the digits of pi makes obvious, these Alphas are already a force to be reckoned with!
Charlie's Song Recommendation: Space Oddity - David Bowie
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!
Successful peace-talks lead to Joe and Ben's first combined interview in yonks. Their guest is Chris Middleton, a Jesuit priest who is also the rector of Xavier College. Chris explains his idea of a pragmatic approach to climate change, in particular the roles that could be played by the Church and the market. It also seemed a good opportunity to get his take on a few pesky existential questions.
For the first time, we're including some 'recommended reading'. As background to this bumper episode, check out Chris' articles related to climate change that have been published in Eureka Street and sections of Pope Francis' 'Laudato Si' (2015).
- https://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article/a-guide-to-pragmatic-climate-action
- https://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article/climate-action-requires-unity-not-division
- http://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html
(Episode prepared Dec 2020)
In this finale of the 'Mayor Series', Ben sits down with Andrew Munroe, the Mayor of Whitehorse. They were so occupied by climate issues that there wasn't a chance to address the recent closure of Darkzone Box Hill and the subsequent dearth of laser-tag in the community.
Anyway, the discussion provides another valuable insight into how a council might perceive its role surrounding climate change. Enjoy!
(Episode prepared Dec 2020)
Kicking off a two-part series featuring local government leaders, Joe chats to Jennifer Alden, the recently instated Mayor of Bendigo. Jennifer has long shown an interest in environmental matters and certainly proves this with her words here.
When in Bendigo, Joe chooses to stay at:
- Nan & Grandad's
Eats at:
- Nan & Grandad's
- Baker's Delight Strath Village ($)
- Condon St Fish & Chippery ($)
- Clogs Pizza ($$$)
(Episode prepared Dec 2020)
Joe books a coveted podcaster-teacher interview with Mr Chris Mullarvey. Their chat traverses such topics as high school climate engagement, social media impacts and PlayStation escapism. Chris is a seriously good operator!
(Episode prepared mid Nov 2020)
Could your great-great-great-grandparents have ever imagined that in the 2020s it would be possible for a bumbling interviewer (Joe) to video call an Australian writer and renewables expert based in Norway (Ketan Joshi) and later to package their conversation (somewhat about moving away from coal etc.) as a product that interested strangers could listen to on a whim? I highly doubt it!
Check out Ketan's first book 'Windfall' (published September 2020) after listening to this miraculous episode!
(Episode prepared November 2020)
Continuing his purple patch, Ben conducts an extended interview with Lesley Hughes, a climate scientist and a significant figure on Australia's Climate Council. They talk, in part, about how to best communicate environmental issues to the wider public.
Reviews for this episode:
"Non-stop mayhem. Objectively awesome" - Margaret Pomegranate
"A tour de force. Unputdownable" - Jabba from Sunrise
(Episode prepared October 2020)
Deepening suspicions that the relationship between the brothers has soured, Ben embarks on a solo quest to interview stockbroker and underrated polymath Paul Vergano! Paul was generous enough to sit down and have a ROBUST CHAT(TM) about the social, political and environmental issue that is climate change. It was a fun discussion!
(Episode prepared October 2020)
Joe gives meek reasons for interviewing politics aficionado Judith Brett on his own and cynical listeners are led to suspect a brotherly spat. Fortunately, this sideshow is quickly submerged by Judith's insights into the Australian economy and the success of the mining lobby. Do check out her Quarterly Essay 'The Coal Curse' (published in June 2020) if you're a fan of the discussion and like books that say their piece in <80 pages!
(Episode prepared October 2020)
In this episode, we chat with Jennifer Marohasy. Jennifer is a scientist, author and speaker. She's also a senior fellow at the Institute of Public Affairs and edited their recent title, 'Climate Change: The Facts 2020'. It's fair to say that she isn't one to shy away from controversial opinions on climate science. Enjoy! (Conversation recorded early Oct 2020)
Things are getting serious. New equipment has arrived and Professor David Karoly, a prominent CSIRO atmospheric scientist, joins the podcast to discuss the effects of climate change and how he became an expert in the field. (Conversation recorded early Oct 2020)
The podcast continues to develop. Ben & Joe seek the advice of Alex, their sister. As controversial thinker Peter Jordanson would agree, there's no better place to discuss a heavy social and environmental issue than Ben's untidy bedroom.
A podcast idea erupts in deep space. Within seconds, an early planning episode is formed using the Voice Memos app. Climate change and the Stefanovics are put on notice. (Planning conversation recorded September 2020)