Sustainable Asia: Recent Episodes
Sustainable Asia
Stories about Asia and the environment...that you probably haven’t heard yet. A new perspective on how different countries in Asia are tackling a changing planet.
The second meeting of the International Negotiations Committee (INC-2) had lofty ambitions. But the first three days of these Plastics Treaty negotiations were mired in political antics…making many representatives from Asia feel as though they were back to square one of just talk and no action on dealing with the plastic crisis.
And it seems that two camps have surfaced in these negotiations: Those that want the treaty to be voluntary commitments like the climate change Paris agreement, and those who want a treaty with more teeth and regulations. Any commitments under the global plastic treaty will eventually be adopted as national targets by the signatory countries, and then translated into National Action Plans to implement programs and strategies for meeting these targets. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) is planning on finalizing the treaty by 2024 over the next few INC meetings…and committed at INC-2 to make the first draft treaty to discuss at INC-3.
So to continue our focus on how reuse, reduce and refill will be highlighted in the treaty negotiations…. we wanted to bring back Marian Ledesma Zero Waste Campaigner with/ Greenpeace Southeast Asia in Manila. Marian attended the INC-22 meetings in Paris, and we wanted to get her thoughts on how that went. We also invited Christina Dixon, Oceans Campaign Leader from the Environmental Investigation Agency to talk in more detail about the action steps and types of language needed to get the treaty moving in the reuse, refill and repair direction.
To wrap up we talk about what you listeners can do to support their efforts at the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations….
Production credits:
Host: Marcy Trent Long
Producer: Carol Mang
Contributing Editor: Jill Baxter
Intro outro music: Alex Mauboussin
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We have partnered with Break Free From Plastic (BFFP), headquartered in Asia, to produce this series. BFFP has numerous resources on their website about the Global Plastics Treaty and the Reuse | Refill | Repair initiative:
https: www.breakfreefromplastic.org plastics-treaty
https: www.breakfreefromplastic.org 2023 04 28 youth-summit-2023-global-plastics-treaty
Video Credits:
UNEP: "A once in a planet opportunity" Inger Andersen, INC-2 | Paris, France
A bonus episode about the Global Plastics Treaty from one of my favorite podcasts called Plastisphere. It’s run by Anja Krieger in Berlin, and like Sustainable Asia, Plastisphere really looks at the science behind this plastic waste crisis. I thought listeners would appreciate this episode, as it gives a great background to the Global Plastics Treaty. In the past months, Anja asked scientists and experts to send her their thoughts and demands. In this episode, you’ll get to hear messages from Richard Thompson, Bethany Carney Almroth, Sonia Dias, Tridibesh Dey, Martin Wagner, Trisia Farrelly, Rebecca Altman and Lesley Henderson.
Plastisphere is a research and interview podcast by Anja Krieger, published in the spirit of the gift economy. Please rate and review the podcast and support the production costs via PayPal: plastisphere.earth support
Transcript with links to music and sources: anjakrieger.com plastisphere 2023…13-plastictreaty
Subscribe: www.plastisphere.earth
Theme song: Dorian Roy
Music: Blue Dot Sessions www.sessions.blue
UNEP video 1: www.youtube.com watch?v=28mNomsFsFY
UNEP video 2: www.youtube.com watch?v=N_GSIL0lLDs
Thanks for kind permission, additional audio and images to Miranda Grant, Ahmed Yusuf and the UNEP press team.
Cover art: Maren von Stockhausen
Thanks to: Baldeep Kaur
Follow regular updates on Mastodon: @plastisphere@podcasts.social
Follow occasional posts on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram: @PlastispherePod
Of the various challenges Asian countries face when tackling plastic waste…lack of funding is perhaps the one common thread. So how can more money get to needed programs here? Seeing the rising demand for PCR (post consumer recycled plastics), Doug Woodring and Maryam AlMansoori believe they have one solution: a global PCR commodity exchange. Meanwhile, Maggie Lee of VERRA talks about their expansion into plastic credits. Would this replica of carbon credits see similar results?
Guests:
Doug Woodring, Ocean Recovery Alliance, Hong Kong
Maryam AlMansoori , Rebound Plastics Exchange, UAE
Maggie Lee, VERRA, Washington DC
Subscribe for Sustainable Asia latest episodes and review us on listennotes!
Check out the Wilson Center’s plastic blogs and dialogues.
Production credits:
Executive Producer: Marcy Trent Long
Associate Producer and Sound Engineer: WuYuFei
Intro/outro music: Alex Mauboussin
Music from Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue):
Trek VX
Rose-Liza Eisma-Osorio, Legal and Policy Director at the NGO Oceana, is taking on the Philippine government. A decades-old solid waste management law has not been enforced, contributing to massive piles of plastic….where waste pickers make their livelihood. Will the courts require the government to start banning single use plastic? And can a UN plastic treaty reinforce southeast nation's waste management and data collection laws… to finally make a dent in the plastic waste crisis in Asia?
This new three episode season is co-produced by the China Environment Forum with support from The Japan Foundation’s Center for Global Partnership.
Guests:
Rose-Liza Eisma-Osorio, Legal and Policy Director, Oceana, The Philippines
Dr. Simachaya, President, Thailand Environment Institute
Subscribe for Sustainable Asia latest episodes and review us on listennotes!
Check out the Wilson Center’s plastic blogs and dialogues.
Also just published! Regional Research Inventory of marine plastics research in the seas of East Asia from National University of Singapore (NUS)
Production credits:
Executive Producer: Marcy Trent Long
Associate Producer: WuYuFei
Sound Engineer: Avery Choi
Intro/outro music: Alex Mauboussin
Music from Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue):
Dolly and Pad
Music from Free Music Archive:
scottholmesmusic.com, Blue Moon, Kai Engel -coelum
Sounds from FreeSound:
Suncord_Audiolab
Could it be true that countries from the UN Environment Assembly committed to negotiate a global plastic treaty over the next two years? And even if the treaty is signed…will it have enough teeth to make a difference to the plastic waste crisis that has persisted over the last decade here in Asia? In this episode, we speak with experts from Japan, New Zealand, and Indonesia about whether the UN can do for plastic what the Paris Agreement has done for climate change.
This new three episode season is co-produced by the China Environment Forum with support from The Japan Foundation’s Center for Global Partnership.
Guests:
Trisia Farelly, Massey University, New Zealand
Linda Yanti Sulistiawati, National University of Singapore, Singapore and Indonesia
Michikazu Kojima, Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia, Japan
Subscribe for Sustainable Asia latest episodes and review us on listennotes!
Check out the Wilson Center’s plastic blogs and dialogues.
Production credits:
Executive Producer: Marcy Trent Long
Associate Producer: WuYuFei
Sound Engineer: Avery Choi
Intro/outro music: Alex Mauboussin
Music from Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue):
VK Mendl, Dolly and Pad
Music from Free Music Archive:
Music by scottholmesmusic.com, Blue Moon, Kai Engel -coelum
Put on your headphones and get ready for two new seasons from the Sustainable Asia Podcast about the Global Plastic Treaty and Asia’s Air Pollution woes.
Guests:
Jennifer L. Turner, China Environment Forum of Wilson Center, Washington DC
And from Sustainable Asia:
WuYuFei, Fujian, China
Khoa Tran, Hong Kong, China
Chermaine Lee, Hong Kong, China
Marcy Trent Long, Hong Kong, China
Subscribe for Sustainable Asia latest episodes and review us on listennotes!
Check out the China Environment Forum and the Wilson Center for great research and webinars on plastic pollution.
Production credits:
Sound Engineer: Avery Choi
Intro/outro music: Alex Mauboussin
The Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin is protected at the highest level in China, but its numbers are dwindling fast. In Hong Kong, where the species is affectionately known as the Chinese white dolphin, only 37 individuals remain. Their struggle for survival pits them against massive development projects and fishing vessels because dolphins use sonar - not sight - for survival. How can we mitigate the cacophony in Asia’s oceans to help keep vulnerable species like the Chinese white dolphin safe from harm?
Guests:
Sarah Yip, Eco Cheung Chau
Doris Woo, WWF Hong Kong
Dr. Zheng Ruiqiang, ChinaBlue Sustainability Institute (formerly Shantou University)
Visit China Dialogue Ocean to learn more about our oceans in crisis.
Subscribe for Sustainable Asia latest episodes and review us on listennotes.
Production credits:
Hosts: Marcy Trent Long and Stella Chen
Producer: Bonnie Au
Associate producers: Stella Chen, WuYufei
Audio Editor: Avery Choi
Intro/outro music: Alex Mauboussin
Music from Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue):
True Blue Sky, Town Market and Taoudella
Soundscape credits:
Layered reef sound - credit Tim Gordon, University of Exeter
Dolphin soundscape: Mr. Paul Hodgson from Oceanway Corporation Ltd. and WWF HK
In this episode, we visit the Great Barrier Reef to discover the clamorous underwater world of marine life sounds. What can we learn from listening closely to the underwater soundscape? And are there ways we can use sounds to help, rather than harm, the animals in our ocean ecosystems?
Guests:
Timothy Gordon, University of Exeter
Visit China Dialogue Ocean to learn more about our oceans in crisis.
Subscribe for Sustainable Asia latest episodes and review us on listennotes.
Production credits:
Hosts: Marcy Trent Long and Stella Chen
Producer: Bonnie Au
Associate producers: Stella Chen, WuYufei
Audio Editor: Avery Choi
Intro/outro music: Alex Mauboussin
Music from Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue):
True Blue Sky, Palms Down and Basketliner
Soundscape and Video credits:
Degraded reef snapping shrimp sound- credit Tim Gordon, University of Exeter
Layered reef sound - credit Tim Gordon, University of Exeter
Fish sound - unknown from Great Barrier Reef - credit Tim Gordon, University of Exeter
Fish sound - unknown from Indonesia - credit Tim Gordon, University of Exeter
Fish sound - ambon damselfish whooping - credit Eric Parmentier
Fish sound - sergeant major - credit Steve Simpson, University of Exeter
Healthy reef snapping shrimp sound - credit Steve Simpson, University of Exeter
Fish sound - reef croaker - credit Discovery of Sound in the Sea (dosits.org)
Fish sound - clownfish - credit Discovery of Sound in the Sea (dosits.org)
Tim Gordon 'Helping Nemo Find Home' - 3 Minute Thesis 2017 Winner
It turns out, sound is the dominant sense for animals underwater. For anything further than 10 meters away, marine life uses sound rather than sight to gather information. So human produced noise pollution - whether it's construction or shipping vessels - alters ocean animal's ability to communicate, mate and even survive. In this season, we first describe the beauty of undersea animal acoustics and then dive into the impact of noise pollution on marine life in China’s southern ocean.
Guests:
Timothy Gordon, University of Exeter
Sarah Yip, Eco Cheung Chau
Visit chinadialogueocean to learn more about our oceans in crisis.
Subscribe for Sustainable Asia latest episodes and review us on listennotes.
Production credits:
Hosts: Marcy Trent Long and Stella Chen
Producer: Bonnie Au
Associate producers: Stella Chen, WuYufei
Audio Editor: Avery Choi
Intro/outro music: Alex Mauboussin
Music from Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue):
Palms Down, Basketliner and Taoudella
As ocean temperatures rise with global warming, tropical cyclones are hitting Asian nations like Japan and the Philippines like never before. So to end this season..we wanted to talk about climate change. We start with a story about a zero waste village created from the devastation of Super Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines. Then we weave together experts from earlier episodes to find out: What is the link between disposable plastic waste and climate change?
This new 5-episode season is based on The Asia Plastic Atlas from the Heinrich Boell Foundation with support from Break Free From Plastic Asia Pacific.
Guests:
Miko Alino, GAIA Asia Pacific, Philippines
Akira Sakano, Zero Waste Japan, Japan
Lakshmi Narayan, KKPKP, SWaCH and Break Free From Plastic, Pune, India
Angus Ho, Greeners’ Action, Hong Kong
Lili Fuhr, Heinrich Boell Foundation, Berlin
Mr. PremaKumara, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, Japan
Ashwin Subramaniam, GA Circular, Singapore
Von Hernandez, Break Free From Plastic, Philippines
Satyarupa Shekhar, Break Free From Plastic, India
Download The Asia Plastic Atlas from the Heinrich Boell Foundation
Subscribe for Sustainable Asia latest episodes and review us on listennotes!
Join the movement at Break Free From Plastic
Production credits:
Hosts: Marcy Trent Long and Bonnie Au
Associate producer: Jiaxing Li
Intro/outro music: Alex Mauboussin
Music from Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue):
Lerennis, Elainne Chapter, Secret Pocketbook, Trois Gnossiennes 2, Vik Fence Sahder
In this episode… we’ll traverse from Hong Kong to South Korea and onto Pune, India. We start with Hong Kong, where Sustainable Asia is based, because no new legislation on plastic waste has been introduced for over a decade. Then we peak through the curtain of the COVID pandemic to see how South Korea is reacting to their recent surge in plastic waste. Finally we turn to Pune, India where under appreciated workers form the backbone of their unregulated recycling systems.
This new 5-episode season is based on The Asia Plastic Atlas from the Heinrich Boell Foundation with support from Break Free From Plastic Asia Pacific.
Guests:
Angus Ho, Greeners’ Action, Hong Kong
Park Da-hyo, Korea Zero Waste Movement Network, South Korea
Doun Moon, GAIA - Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, Berkeley California
Lakshmi Narayan, KKPKP, SWaCH and Break Free From Plastic, Pune, India
Download The Asia Plastic Atlas from the Heinrich Boell Foundation
Subscribe for Sustainable Asia latest episodes and review us on listennotes!
Join the movement at Break Free From Plastic
Production credits:
Hosts: Marcy Trent Long and Bonnie Au
Associate producer: Jiaxing Li
Intro/outro music: Alex Mauboussin
Music from Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue):
Caveman, Chrome and Wax, Grumpalo, Checkered blue
Sparked by the zero waste movement, Asian countries are focusing on reducing..rather than recycling... plastic waste. We start our story on the wealthy island nation of Japan…where the rural village of Kamikatsu…can no longer afford the cost of incinerating disposable plastic and other types of waste. But the question remains, can poorer southeast asia neighbours also apply these zero waste principles to solve their plastic waste dilemma?
This new 5-episode season is based on The Asia Plastic Atlas from the Heinrich Boell Foundation with support from Break Free From Plastic Asia Pacific.
Guests:
Akira Sakano, Zero Waste Japan, Japan
Linda Ding, INOW Kamikatsu, Japan
Terumi Azuma, INOW Kamikatsu, Japan
Miko Alino, GAIA Asia Pacific, Philippines
Download The Asia Plastic Atlas from the Heinrich Boell Foundation
Subscribe for Sustainable Asia latest episodes and review us on listennotes!
Join the movement at Break Free From Plastic
Production credits:
Hosts: Marcy Trent Long and Bonnie Au
Associate producer: Jiaxing Li
Intro/outro music: Alex Mauboussin
Music from Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue):
Color Country, We Collect Shiny Things, Noodle Opus
Video credit:
Linda Ding
We first travel to a waste bank on the island of Lembeh, Indonesia to see how recycling works (or doesn’t work) in small villages. Then we take a look at PET plastic recycling in Asian urban centres...it’s feasible…but if local governments here shoulder the burden of collecting and sorting the plastic waste...is that really making the polluters pay?
This new 5-episode season is based on The Asia Plastic Atlas from the Heinrich Boell Foundation with support from Break Free From Plastic Asia Pacific.
Guests:
Helen Panangung, Lembeh Scuba Resort, Indonesia
Von Hernandez, Break Free From Plastic, Philippines
Miko Alino, GAIA Asia Pacific, Philippines
Ashwin Subramaniam, GA Circular, Singapore
Download The Asia Plastic Atlas from the Heinrich Boell Foundation
Subscribe for Sustainable Asia latest episodes and review us on listennotes!
Join the movement at Break Free From Plastic
Production credits:
Hosts: Marcy Trent Long and Bonnie Au
Associate producer: Jiaxing Li
Intro/outro music: Alex Mauboussin
Music from Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue):
Quarry Clouds, Gathering Stasis, Frank and Poet
Video credit:
BrandAudit2020 BFFP Reveals this Year's Top Plastic Polluters
https://www.breakfreefromplastic.org/globalbrandauditreport2020/
Break Free From Plastic Philippines Project
We start with Melati Wijsen’s story….a young Indonesian civic advocate who went on a hunger strike in an effort to ban plastic bags on Bali. With waste collection rates hovering around 44%, are Asian countries really to blame for the pollution crisis brought by disposable plastic packaging?
This new 5-episode season is based on The Asia Plastic Atlas from the Heinrich Boell Foundation with support from Break Free From Plastic Asia Pacific.
Guests:
Melati Wijsen, Bye Bye Plastic Bags, Indonesia
Mr. PremaKumara, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, Japan
Von Hernandez, Break Free From Plastic, Philippines
Satyarupa Shekhar, Break Free From Plastic, India
Download The Asia Plastic Atlas from the Heinrich Boell Foundation
Subscribe for Sustainable Asia latest episodes and review us on listennotes!
Join the movement at Break Free From Plastic
Production credits:
Hosts: Marcy Trent Long and Bonnie Au
Associate producer: Jiaxing Li
Intro/outro music: Alex Mauboussin
Music from Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue):
At Our Best Alone, Suzy Textile, Morning Glare, Aloscape 2, Pxl Cray
Video credits:
Bye Bye Plastic Bags, United Nations, Break Free From Plastic Philippines Project
The plastic waste crisis in Asia is real...and it doesn’t seem to be getting better.... It’s clear that we need a new approach to reducing disposable plastic waste and its impact on the communities of Asia. This new 5-episode season is based on The Asia Plastic Atlas from the Heinrich Boell Foundation with support from Break Free From Plastic Asia Pacific.
Guests:
Lili Fuhr, Heinrich Boell Foundation, Berlin
Kevin Li, Heinrich Boell Foundation, Hong Kong
Download The Asia Plastic Atlas from the Heinrich Boell Foundation
Join the movement at Break Free From Plastic
Subscribe for Sustainable Asia latest episodes and review us on listennotes!
Production credits:
Hosts: Marcy Trent Long and Bonnie Au
Associate producer: Jiaxing Li
Intro/outro music: Alex Mauboussin
Music from Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue):
Low Call, Rambling
Video credits:
https://www.aljazeera.com/videos/2019/6/24/the-philippiness-problem-with-plastic-that-wont-go-away
https://www.trtworld.com/video/featured/pollution-crisis-india-tackling-plastic-waste-problem/5da2dc826e2a1a00111d0290
https://www.france24.com/en/20190628-focus-japan-plastic-waste-bags-supermarkets-packaging-recycling-pollution-environment
With Fukushima’s horrific earthquake-induced nuclear disaster still haunting Japan nowadays, the East Asian nation is finding it increasingly difficult to rehash developing nuclear plants as renewable energy sources. In this episode, we also cover China’s funding pullout from overseas coal power plants, India’s water sources springing back to life, South Korea’s five year sustainable fishing plan, and Singapore’s innovative floating solar farm.
Production credits:
Hosts: Chermaine Lee and Bonnie Au
Associate producer: Jiaxing Li
Executive producer: Marcy Trent Long
Intro/outro music: Alex Mauboussin
Follow us on Twitter@SustainableAsia and Facebook@sustainableasiaco. Sign up for email updates on our website.
China is set to launch its most green-focused plan during two important annual meetings, giving more details on how it plans to eliminate carbon emissions by 2060. We also cover China’s crackdown on illegal wildlife trade, the unexpected silver linings of plastic waste dumps and how technology helps struggling fishermen.
Production credits:
Hosts: Chermaine Lee and Bonnie Au
Associate producer: Jiaxing Li
Executive producer: Marcy Trent Long
Intro/outro music: Alex Mauboussin
Follow us on Twitter@SustainableAsia and Facebook@sustainableasiaco. Sign up for email updates on our website.
As Asia’s financial hub just announced its new budget, Hong Kong is set to launch the largest amount of green bonds ever in Asia, aiming to raise billions for sustainable projects. In this episode: how China’s carbon neutrality will play into China’s upcoming annual meetings, Indonesia’s horrendous forest fires and Japan’s innovative packaging alternative to plastics.
Production credits:
Hosts: Chermaine Lee and Bonnie Au
Associate producer: Jiaxing Li
Executive producer: Marcy Trent Long
Intro/outro music: Alex Mauboussin
As K-pop bands like BTS and Blackpink have become global sensation, our young hosts talk about how their fans groups from all over the world are a strong new force for climate action. In this episode, we also cover China’s role in carbon-heavy Bitcoin mining, India’s crackdown on the Friday for Future founder and how cutting trees might benefit the earth. Pause your K-pop playlist and tune in to get a bite of this week’s green news!
Production credits:
Hosts: Chermaine Lee and Bonnie Au
Associate producer: Jiaxing Li
Executive producer: Marcy Trent Long
Intro/outro music: Alex Mauboussin
Follow us on Twitter@SustainableAsia and Facebook@sustainableasiaco. Sign up for email updates on our website.
While the Year of the Ox kicked off, our young hosts’ celebration was cut short. Nature’s Bite dampened Asia’s festive atmosphere - from an earthquake in Japan to an avalanche-induced flood in India. Our hosts uncover the culprit of Southeast Asia’s deforestation. And take a look at Hong Kong’s ambitious carbon neutral plan as well as the plight of the city’s indigenous cattle.
Production credits:
Hosts: Chermaine Lee and Bonnie Au
Associate producer: Jiaxing Li
Executive producer: Marcy Trent Long
Intro/outro music: Alex Mauboussin
Follow us on Twitter@SustainableAsia and Facebook@sustainableasiaco. Sign up for email updates on our website.
Is climate activism working? Our young hosts talk about how Japan, South Korea and Vietnam’s student activists rallied against building coal-fired plants. We also discuss China’s national carbon credit trading and backlashes from its dam water use. Feel the powerful bite of climate activism this week!
Production credits:
Hosts: Chermaine Lee and Bonnie Au
Associate producer: Jiaxing Li
Executive producer: Marcy Trent Long
Intro/outro music: Alex Mauboussin
Follow us on Twitter@SustainableAsia and Facebook@sustainableasiaco. Sign up for email updates on our website.
Reminiscing about good times in Japan, our tourism-hungry hosts talk about the creative but alarming graphics depicting the country at the end of this century if climate change continues at the current rate. We also talk about South Korea’s first step in its ambitious carbon neutral goal and Mongolia’s unexpected struggle as a climate change hotspot. Get a real bite of East Asia’s green news this week!
Production credits:
Hosts: Chermaine Lee and Bonnie Au
Associate producer: Jiaxing Li
Executive producer: Marcy Trent Long
Intro/outro music: Alex Mauboussin
Follow us on Twitter@SustainableAsia and Facebook@sustainableasiaco. Sign up for email updates on our website.
Masked up for over a year, our young hosts wonder and report on what is happening to all the disposable masks in Asia. We talk about the notorious plastic crisis in Hong Kong and China, bleaching of ocean corals in Taiwan and a shocking story in India that may change animal rights laws there. Sit tight, put on your reusable mask, and prepare yourself for a “bite” of news.
Production credits:
Hosts: Chermaine Lee and Bonnie Au
Associate producer: Jiaxing Li
Executive producer: Marcy Trent Long
Intro/outro music: Alex Mauboussin
Follow us on Twitter@SustainableAsia and Facebook@sustainableasiaco. Sign up for email updates on our website.
In beanies and thick jackets, our young hosts are surviving the coldest winter in East Asia while bringing you the latest updates on the region’s green news! We talk about why climate change is contributing to this chilly weather and what some Asian countries are doing to reduce their carbon output. Prepare yourself a cup of hot chocolate, and get a “bite” of our environmental news roundup!
Production credits:
Hosts: Chermaine Lee and Bonnie Au
Associate producer: Jiaxing Li
Executive Producer: Marcy Trent Long
Intro/outro music: Alex Mauboussin
Follow us on Twitter@SustainableAsia and Facebook@sustainableasiaco. Sign up for email updates on our website.
As we are all turning over a new leaf in 2021 we cherry-pick the most important updates of the environmental sector in Asia. In this brand new weekly series from now through March, young journalists Bonnie Au and Chermaine Lee deliver you green news in less than ten minutes. In this pilot episode, we will offer a review of climate-related Asia news in 2020!
Production credits:
Hosts: Chermaine Lee and Bonnie Au
Associate producer: Jiaxing Li
Intro/outro music: Alex Mauboussin
Follow us on Twitter@SustainableAsia and Facebook@sustainableasiaco. Sign up for email updates on our website.
We have some good news we can’t wait to share with you…. including a brand new series launching in January 2021 that differs from our previous shows. And it gives us the opportunity to wish you Seasons Greetings from the entire Sustainable Asia team!!
We are wrapping up Season 10 with highlights from our #AskSustainableAsia livestream event with guest speakers Jiliang Chen of Greenovation Hub and Zhou Wei Greenpeace East Asia. A lively discussion about the outcome of the recent CCAMLR meetings and what it means for China’s fishing interests in Antarctica waters.
Guests
Zhou Wei, Senior Oceans Campaigner of Greenpeace East Asia, Beijing
Jiliang Chen, Senior researcher, Greenovation Hub
Highlights:
04:07- 04:40 China’s motive on krill fishing (Zhou Wei)
05:02- 05:55 The profitability of krill fishery industry (Zhou Wei)
07:42- 08:22 The main reasons why China opposes MPA proposals (Jiliang Chen)
08:34-09:23 The political mismatch of China’s CCAMLR position (Jiliang Chen)
Further Reading and Listening
- Livestream: https://fb.watch/2hIE-cOx-l/
- Website:https://lewispugh.com/antarctic-protection/
- Reading:https://chinadialogueocean.net/5035-china-antarctica-ccamlr/
- Reading:https://chinadialogueocean.net/15723-un-decade-ocean-science/
- Webinar:https://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/webcast-protecting-antarctica-postponed-super-year-nature
- CCAMLR Meeting:
https://www.ccamlr.org/en/news/2020/meeting-antarctic-experts-comes-close
Production credits:
Producer and Host: Marcy Trent Long
Associate producer: Stella Chan
Intro/outro music: Alex Mauboussin
Follow us on Twitter@SustainableAsia and Facebook@sustainableasiaco. Sign up for email updates on our website.
Guest host Jennifer Turner, Director of the China Environment Forum for the Woodrow Wilson Center, talks with UN Patron of the Oceans Lewis Pugh and renowned freediver JesSea Lu about why they chose to plunge themselves into the frozen seas off Antarctica. How are they using this amazing feat as a platform with CCAMLR members China and Russia to advocate for preserving one of the last undisturbed regions on earth?
Guests
Jessea Lu, Female freediver
Lewis Pugh, UN Patron of Oceans
Highlights:
03:16 Jessea Lu walks through her Antarctica Diving Experience
06:36 Jessea Lu takes the experience back to China to promote Antarctica conservation
08:58 How Lewis Pugh decided to use athletic diplomacy to preserve Southern Ocean
12:10 Lewis Pugh harrowing experience swimming through ice tunnel in East Antarctica
13:36 Why marine protected areas are needed to protect the animals of Antarctica
Further Reading and Listening
- Webinar: Protecting Antarctica in the Postponed "Super Year of Nature" from The China Environment Forum of the Woodrow Wilson Institute
- Website: Protecting Antarctica’s Southern Ocean from The Pew Charitable Trusts
- Video: Lewis Pugh 2020 East Antarctica Swim
- Video: Jessea Lu Antarctica FreeDive
- Website: Jessea Lu’s diving adventures
- Website: Lewis Pugh’s diving and endurance swimming achievement
Production credits:
Producer and Host: Marcy Trent Long
Head Writer: Chermaine Lee
Associate producer: Stella Chan
Sound Engineer: Chris Wood
Intro/outro music: Alex Mauboussin
Jessea Lu video credit to HarborHouseLife and www.JesseaDiving.com
Lewis Pugh video credit Lewis Pugh Foundation
Follow us on Twitter@SustainableAsia and Facebook@sustainableasiaco. Sign up for email updates on our website.
Jennifer Turner, Director of the China Environment Forum for the Woodrow Wilson Center, talks with Dr. Liu Nengye and Julian Chen. How does China’s investment in new fishing vessels and icebreakers bound for Antarctica impact their decision to approve three new marine protected areas in the Southern Ocean?
Guests
Dr. Liu Nengye, Macquarie Law School
Julian Chen, Greenovation Hub
Highlights:
03:27 China’s history with Antarctica governing body CCAMLR
07:12 Why did China agree to the Ross Sea marine protected area proposal in 2016?
11:25 China’s marine research capability and challenges
15:40 Is it likely for China to want to protect more areas in Antarctica?
Further Reading and Listening
- Webinar: China's Role in Saving the Wild Southern Ocean from The China Environment Forum of the Woodrow Wilson Institute
- Website: Protecting Antarctica’s Southern Ocean from The Pew Charitable Trusts
Production credits:
Executive Producer: Marcy Trent Long
Associate producer: Chermaine Lee
Sound Engineer: Chris Wood
Intro/outro music: Alex Mauboussin
Follow us on Twitter@SustainableAsia and Facebook@sustainableasiaco. Sign up for email updates on our website.
Jennifer Turner, Director of the China Environment Forum for the Woodrow Wilson Center talks with two Chinese experts about rising ocean conservation awareness in China and why protecting the pristine southern ocean ecosystem of Antarctica is good for the planet...and good for China.
Guests
Dr. Bin Bin Li, Duke Kunshan University
Dr. Julia Xue, Shanghai Jiaotong University
Highlights
08:20 Why are marine protected areas important?
15:37 China’s goal to protect 5% of its territorial waters by 2020
11:45 Rising ocean awareness in China and pressure on policy makers to protect it
14:30 China’s commitment under Biodiversity Convention to protect 10% world’s ocean
16:35 Right to fish may be important now to China. But China's leadership on the environmental movement is important for the next generation.
Further Reading and Listening
- Webinar: China's Role in Saving the Wild Southern Ocean from The China Environment Forum of the Woodrow Wilson Institute
- Website: Protecting Antarctica’s Southern Ocean from The Pew Charitable Trusts
Production credits:
Executive Producer: Marcy Trent Long
Associate producer: Chermaine Lee
Sound Engineer: Chris Wood
Intro/outro music: Alex Mauboussin
Follow us on Twitter@SustainableAsia and Facebook@sustainableasiaco. Sign up for email updates on our website.
Over this season, we’ve explored how the problem of the Plastic First Mile is being tackled in countries across Asia. In the final episode of the season, we explore the bigger picture. We speak to Doug Woodring of Ocean Recovery Alliance and Brenda Haitema of First Mile about the state of plastic recycling in Asia, the challenges of financing small and large waste infrastructure, and the future of material recovery in the region.
Guests:
- Doug Woodring - Founder/Managing Director at Ocean Recovery Alliance
- Brenda Haitema - Head of Operations at First Mile
Production credits:
Producer and Host: Marcy Trent Long
Associate producer and Sound Engineer: YuFei Wu
Intro/outro music: Alex Mauboussin
Follow us on Twitter@SustainableAsia and Facebook@sustainableasiaco. Sign up for email updates on our website.
The way Chinese cities are handling plastic waste is changing dramatically - with new household waste separation rules starting in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen. There are interesting projects, along with updated waste management laws, designed to encourage increased recycling and better waste separation. But, will this be enough to tackle the insurmountable disposable plastic waste crisis?
Guests:
- Chris Cui - Director at Closed Loop Partners
- Hu Xichao - CEO of Tianqiang
- Ressella Wang - Beijing Resident
Production credits:
Producer and Host: Marcy Trent Long
Associate producer and Co-Host: YuFei Wu
Shanghai Tianqiang on the ground reporting: Sarah Li
Sound Engineer: Chris Wood
Intro/outro music: Alex Mauboussin
Follow us on Twitter@SustainableAsia and Facebook@sustainableasiaco. Sign up for email updates on our website.
Indonesia has more than 3 million tons of plastic leaking into the ocean every year. Its government announced a plan to cut marine plastic waste by 70% by 2025, so they reached out to the World Economic Forum’s plastic waste initiative for help. But who are the women driving this process and how are they going to put Indonesia on a roadmap to solve their plastic waste dilemma?
Guests:
- Helen Pananggung - Restaurant Captain at Lembeh Resort, Green Guru in the village for Lembeh Foundation
- Kirana Agustina - Policy Specialist for Global Plastic Action Partnership at World Resources Institute
- Nani Hendiarti - Director for Maritime science and Technology in the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime and Investment Affairs
- Kristin Hughes - Director of Global Plastic Action Partnership at the World Economic Forum
- Tiza Mafira, Associate Director at Climate Policy Initiative, co-founder and Executive Director of the Indonesia Plastic Bag Diet Movement
Further Reading:
NPAP Report: Radically Reducing Plastic Pollution in Indonesia: A Multi Stakeholder Action Plan
GPAP Indonesia
NPAP WRI Indonesia
www.LembehFoundation.org Donations support projects in nearby towns like Helen Pananggung’s village.
Production credits:
Producer and Host: Marcy Trent Long
Associate producer: YuFei Wu
Sound Engineer: Chris Wood
Intro/outro music: Alex Mauboussin
Follow us on Twitter@SustainableAsia and Facebook@sustainableasiaco. Sign up for email updates on our website.
Bali’s natural beauty attracts many tourists from around the world, but with that comes plastic waste...a lot of it! We speak with people at McKinsey.org to understand how they developed a plastic bottle recycling pilot program in Bali… that may change the course of waste collection and recycling across all of Indonesia.
Guests:
- Shannon Bouton - Global Executive Director for Sustainable Communities, McKinsey.org
- Ella Flaye - Regional Director for Asia, McKinsey.org
- Abieta Billy - Fellow, McKinsey.org
- Dhia Fani - Fellow, McKinsey.org
Production credits:
Producer and Host: Marcy Trent Long
Associate producer: YuFei Wu
Sound Engineer: Chris Wood
Intro/outro music: Alex Mauboussin
Follow us on Twitter@SustainableAsia and Facebook@sustainableasiaco. Sign up for email updates on our website.
Hong Kong’s tall buildings, narrow streets and small retailers present a challenge for plastic beverage bottle collection and recycling. In this episode, we continue the story of Hong Kong’s Drink without Waste consortium - a group of over 40 organisations in Hong Kong involved in beverage production and distribution. After a great deal of research, this group has narrowed down on the best solutions to the city’s currently lacking plastic recycling system.
Guests:
- Paul Zimmerman, Drink Without Waste
- Nigel Mattravers, ALBA Integrated Waste Solutions
- Ho Ki Keung, Wong Tai Sin Community Recycling Centre
- Helga Vanthournout, Wealth of Flows Consulting
- Dana Winograd, Plastic Free Seas
Further Reading:
Drink Without Waste Website
Drink Without Waste Report
Hong Kong Community Recycling Centers
Hong Kong Environment and Conservation Fund
Plastic Free Seas Website
Production credits:
- Producer and Host: Marcy Trent Long
- Associate producer: YuFei Wu
- Sound Engineer: Chris Wood
- Intro/outro music: Alex Mauboussin
Follow us on Twitter@SustainableAsia and Facebook@sustainableasiaco. Sign up for email updates on our website.
When it comes to plastic recycling, Hong Kong is falling behind. In the face of government inaction, local organisations are stepping in to fill the gaps.
In this episode, we look at the alliance Drink without Waste - a group of over 40 organisations in Hong Kong involved in plastic beverage waste. Without regulation tackling the issues of plastic waste, this consortium is coming up with interesting solutions to the plastic bottle crisis.
Thanks to our guests:
- Paul Zimmerman, Drink Without Waste
- Dana Winograd, Plastic Free Seas
- William Davis, Swire Coca Cola
Further Reading:
- Drink Without Waste Website - https://drinkwithoutwaste.org/
- Plastic Free Seas Website - https://v1.plasticfreeseas.org/
Production credits:
- Producer and Host: Marcy Trent Long
- Associate producer: YuFei Wu
- Sound Engineer: Chris Wood
- Intro/outro music: Alex Mauboussin
Follow us on Twitter @SustainableAsia and Facebook. Sign up for our email updates at sustainableasia.co.
Taiwan went from being nicknamed “Trash Island” to becoming the world’s premier supplier of PET recycled plastic. What did it take to get there? We walk through Taiwan’s unique approach to getting plastic beverage bottles from the hands of consumers and to plastic recycling plants - with a bit of education, love for the environment, and a few key government incentives.
Guests:
Brenda Haitema, Head of Operations at First Mile
Tina Hong, Asia Sales and Operation Manager at Fuze Biotech
Gaby Liu, Impact Manager of First Mile
Further Listening and Reading:
99% Invisible: Separation Anxiety (Episode 213) (podcast episode)
Waste Not, Why Not: How Taiwan solved waste (podcast season)
Plastisphere by Anja Krieger (podcast)
How Taiwan Has Achieved One of the Highest Recycling Rates in the World: Smithsonian Magazine
Production credits:
Producer and Host: Marcy Trent Long
Associate producer: YuFei Wu
Sound Engineer: Chris Wood
Intro/outro music: Alex Mauboussin
We speak with HKUMed Dr. Tommy Lam to learn the science behind how the coronavirus emerged from animal populations and can’t be man-made, why the pangolin could be an intermediary host, and whether we can be sure that the virus originated in Wuhan China.
Guests:
Dr. Tommy Lam, School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong
Further Listening and Reading:
Fight COVID19 with HKU website
Dr. Lam Research
Dr. Lam Research linking pangolins to coronavirus
Channelnewsasia Video on How Coronavirus Started
Scripps Research That COVID19 From Nature
CNN article Scientists Debate Origin Theories
Vanity Fair article on how man-made origins of COVID19 spread
Vox video on how wildlife trade creates a coronavirus
Production credits:
Hosts: Marcy Trent Long and Bonnie Au
Associate producer: YuFei Wu
Intro/outro music: Alex Mauboussin
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, we are spending a lot of time at home. While some see this as an opportunity for quality time with their loved ones, it can also pose more chances for arguments and quarrels. So we reached out to Dr. George Lee, a clinical psychologist who focuses on families and couples...who is also getting his PhD at HKU’s Buddhist Studies Program.
Guests:
Dr. George Lee, Lecturer, Center of Buddhist Studies, The University of Hong Kong
Further Listening and Reading:
Fight COVID19 with HKU website
Dr. George Lee Research
Production credits:
Hosts: Marcy Trent Long and Bonnie Au
Associate producer: YuFei Wu
Intro/outro music: Alex Mauboussin
Music from free music archive by Chad Crouch and Jani Hirvonen
Hong Kong’s economy is contracting for the first time since the 2009 financial crisis. We talk to economist Dr. Heiwai Tang from HKU about how the Hong Kong government can support small businesses and low income citizens during COVID19… and is it time for Hong Kong to start reopening the economy now that new cases are dropping?
Guests:
Professor Heiwai Tang, Faculty of Business and Economics, The University of Hong Kong
Further Listening and Reading:
Fight COVID19 with HKU website
Dr. Tang Research
Production credits:
Producer and Host: Marcy Trent Long
Associate producer: Crystal Wu
Contributing Editor: Bonnie Au
Intro/outro music: Alex Mauboussin
Music from free music archive
A story about how our behaviour during COVID19 ...is affecting ocean wildlife. Luxury seafood tourism in Hong Kong and China has halted under lockdown. While good for endangered reef fish in Indonesia in the short-term, we may be losing a leading sustainable fishing company for the long-term. Dr. Yvonne Sadovy of HKU tells the story.
Guests:
Dr. Yvonne Sadovy, honorary professor of Biology, The University of Hong Kong
Further Listening and Reading:
Fight COVID19 with HKU website
RTHK TV Series Fishy Business Ep2: Where do our Fish Come From?
Sustainable Asia Season 3: Trade in Endangered Marine Species
Yvonne Sadovy Live Fish Trade Research I
Yvonne Sadovy Live Fish Trade Research II
Yvonne Sadovy Live Fish Trade Research III
Production credits:
Producer and Host: Marcy Trent Long
Associate producer: Yufei Wu
Contributing Editor: Bonnie Au
Intro/outro music: Alex Mauboussin
Music from free music archive Chad Crouch
RTHK audio from Fishy Business tv series directed by Jerry Tai.
Elderly people are getting the short end of the stick during this coronavirus pandemic. Because they have a higher risk of complications under COVID-19, they are being asked to socially isolate for up to months on end. While this may be saving their lives it also could be risking their mental wellbeing...
Guests:
Dr. Tatia Lee, Head of the Department of Psychology and Professor of Neuropsychology, The University of Hong Kong.
Further Listening and Reading:
Fight COVID19 with HKU website
Dr. Tatia Lee research
CDC video COVID-19 risk in elderly
Production credits:
Producer and Host: Marcy Trent Long
Associate producer: Crystal Wu
Associate producer: Yufei Wu
Contributing Editor: Bonnie Au
Intro/outro music: Alex Mauboussin
Music from free music archive
Life online during coronavirus social distancing…has lost its luster. So why not learn something new during this COVID19 pandemic...We talk to Ruby Yang who teaches documentary filmmaking at HKU. We laugh and learn about how famous directors approach a documentary, where you can take a course online to make your first ever documentary…and how maybe...this might help with your online teaching and conference calls!
Guests:
Ruby Yang, Hung Leung Hau Ling Distinguished Fellow in Humanities at the Journalism and Media Studies Centre, The University of Hong Kong
Further Listening and Reading:
Fight COVID19 with HKU website
Free online art and culture online resources
Hong Kong Documentary Film Initiative
Ruby Yang Documentaries
Production credits:
Producer and Host: Marcy Trent Long
Assistant producer: Crystal Wu
Contributing Editor: Bonnie Au
Intro/outro music: Alex Mauboussin
Music from free music archive Dee Yan Key
Clinical Professor John Nicholls from the Department of Pathology at HKU Medicine responds to questions from #askHKUMed with the latest coronavirus research:
-Can people that test positive for COVID-19 become reinfected?
-What parts of the body are affected by the coronavirus?
-What antiviral drugs have had the best clinical effects?
The #askHKUMed initiative from LKS Faculty of Medicine at The University of Hong Kong takes questions from around the world.
Guests:
Professor John Nicholls, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong
Further Listening and Reading:
Fight COVID19 with HKU website
Latest Videos from #askHKUMed
Production credits:
Producer and Host: Marcy Trent Long
Assistant producer: YuFei Wu
Contributing Editor: Bonnie Au
Intro/outro music: Alex Mauboussin
Music from free music archive Unbroken by Uncan
Pangolins do not survive well in captivity. In fact, when seized by border authorities, their rescue often turns into a death sentence. But when a local NGO in China tried to save a handful of these seized pangolins by releasing them back into the wild, it stirred up a storm of controversy. Why is saving the pangolins such a thorny issue? Will the Chinese government’s recent ban on the trade and consumption of wildlife meat – a response to the coronavirus outbreak – do more to help these embattled, scaly mammals? What else can we do to stop their rapid disappearance?
Guests:
Kunda Dixit, Nepali Times
Wahyu Dhyatmika, Tempo.co
Elroi Yee, R.AGE Malaysia
Sophia Zhang, China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation
Xu Jiaming, the Pangolin Reports
Dr Tim Bonebrake, The University of Hong Kong
Astrid Andersson, The University of Hong Kong
Wander Meijer, Globescan
Production credits:
Executive producer and host: Marcy Trent Long
Producer and host: Bonnie Au
Assistant producer: Amber Hou
Sound engineer: Chris Wood
Intro/outro music: Alex Mauboussin
Teaching Guide for Educators here
Subscribe for the latest episodes and review us on listennotes!
Transcripts in Mandarin and English at chinadialogue and chinadialogueocean.
The novel coronavirus has spread faster than any epidemic in recent memory. It’s called the “stealth virus” for a reason: patients are infectious even before they have symptoms. That means fully eradicating COVID19 could hinge on the development of a vaccine - which may be more than a year away. Today, we are going to talk about why a vaccine could be a long term solution, what types of vaccines are under development, and the progress The University of Hong Kong is making to create a novel coronavirus vaccine.
Guests:
Professor Malik Peiris, Chair of Virology at HKU School of Public Health
Professor Leo Poon, Head of Public Health Laboratory Sciences at HKU School of Public Health
Further Listening and Reading:
Fight COVID19 with HKU website
Joint JMSC and School of Public Health Workshop for Journalists on COVID19
If you have some questions you’d like us to answer, record a voice memo and send it to us by email to fightCOVID-19withHKU@gmail.com. Your questions might be answered on one of our upcoming episodes.
Production credits:
Producer and Host: Marcy Trent Long
Assistant producer: YuFei Wu
Contributing Editor: Bonnie Au
Intro/outro music: Alex Mauboussin
Music from free music archive- Effemeah Weeps
There is a lot of discussion these days about how the novel coronavirus is dividing out between the sexes. Men are dying from the virus at a much higher rate. Yet women represent 70% of global health workers, and are at greater risk of contracting this disease while working on the front lines. How are we as a society managing these gender differences during this COVID19 crisis? Is the burden of elderly and childcare being shared equally between men and women? And what is the impact on the domestic workers here in Hong Kong?
Dr. Karin Grepin, The School of Public Health,The University of Hong Kong
Further Listening and Reading:
Fight COVID19 with HKU website
Dr. Grepin Research on the Ebola Crisis
Interview with Johns Hopkins Professor about why men dying higher rate than women
Feminism and Women’s Rights in the Atlantic Monthly
If you have some questions you’d like us to answer, record a voice memo and send it to us by email to fightCOVID-19withHKU@gmail.com. Your questions might be answered on one of our upcoming episodes.
Production credits:
Producer and Host: Marcy Trent Long
Assistant producer: Crystal Wu
Intro/outro music: Alex Mauboussin
The novel coronavirus has hit the world like a bombshell. Many of us are quarantined and frankly pretty nervous....But one of our best strategies to deal with this pandemic is to try to understand why COVID-19 happened..and maybe how we can prevent it in the future. In this episode, we speak with Professor Thomas Abraham who helps teach the MOOC "Epidemics 1 & 2" at the University of Hong Kong, about viruses and infectious diseases.
Guests: Thomas Abraham, The University of Hong Kong
Further Listening and Reading:
Twenty First Century Plague: the Story of SARS, Thomas Abraham
Polio: The Odyssey of Eradication, Thomas Abraham
History of Epidemics I & II MOOC Video and Online Registration
Fight COVID19 with HKU website
If you have some questions you’d like us to answer, record a voice memo and send it to us by email to fightCOVID-19withHKU@gmail.com. Your questions might be aired an one of our upcoming episodes. Stay safe, stay healthy.
Production credits:
Producer and Host: Marcy Trent Long
Associate Producer: YuFei Wu
Contributing Producer: Bonnie Au
Intro/outro music: Alex Mauboussin
Subscribe for the latest episodes and review us on listennotes!
The novel coronavirus COVID19 pandemic has hit the world like a bombshell. But it's not the first coronavirus to hit Asia. In 2003, the SARS coronavirus brought Hong Kong to a standstill, but medical and research centers like The University of Hong Kong (HKU) led the efforts to bring the deadly epidemic to an end. Now they are leading the charge to fight COVID19. Ten episodes walk you through the leading research coming out of HKU to make sense of this global pandemic.
Music: San Diego Sunday by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue)
Vietnam is the world’s second largest destination for the illegal trade in pangolins after China. The Southeast Asian country is also a major transit hub for trafficking of the endangered mammal into China. And yet, there is very little awareness of this issue within Vietnam, and despite numerous seizures of pangolins and pangolin parts, there are few prosecutions. In Malaysia too, loopholes in wildlife protection laws have allowed a thriving online marketplace in exotic pets to develop – it’s not hard to find someone who’ll sell you a pangolin should you want one for your Instagram feed. But there’s an even more serious problem facing the pangolins, which used to be common in Malaysia’s forests – and habitat destruction isn’t just a problem for pangolins – it’s a problem for all of us.
Guests:
Trang Bui, The Pangolin Reports
Xu Jiaming, The Pangolin Reports
Elroi Yee, R.AGE
Dr Xavier Jayakumar, Malaysian Ministry of Water, Land and Natural Resources
Further Listening and Reading:
Pangolin trading routes in Vietnam and across the globe: The Pangolin Reports
R.AGE reporting on wildlife and pangolins in Malaysia (audio used in podcast):
R.AGE video on Malaysia illegal wildlife trade
R.AGE video interview with Dr. XavierJayakumar
Interactive storybook on Pangolins
The Pangolin Reports: https://globalstory.pangolinreports.com/
Production credits:
Executive producer: Marcy Trent Long
Producer: Bonnie Au
Assistant producer: Amber Hou
Sound engineer: Chris Wood
Intro/outro music: Alex Mauboussin
Teaching Guide for Educators here
Subscribe for the latest episodes and review us on listennotes!
Transcripts in Mandarin and English at chinadialogue and chinadialogueocean.
Before releasing the final two episodes of The Pangolin Reports, Marcy and Bonnie take a brief look at China's coronavirus outbreak that kicked off just as we started releasing this podcast series - an epidemic that has completely changed the face of China's wildlife trade.
Hosts: Marcy Trent Long and Bonnie Au
INTRO/OUTRO Music: Alex Mauboussin
Send us a note on twitter @SustainableAsia or email us sustainableasia.co@gmail.com
How illegal pangolin trafficking is encouraging criminal activity in Asia
Pangolins have been around for over 80 million years. Yet China’s demand is pushing them to the edge of extinction…How are these pangolins being trafficked from their natural habitats in Africa and Asia into China? We interview journalists from Myanmar, Nepal, and Indonesia: they explain why this trafficking is damaging the social fabric of their countries.
Guests:
Jiaming Xu, Chinese Investigative Journalist
Tin Htet Paing, Myanmar Now
Kunda Dixit, Nepali Times
Sonia Awale, Nepali Times
Wahyu Dhyatmika, Tempo Jakarta
Credits:
Executive Producer and Host: Marcy Trent Long
Producer: Bonnie Au
Assistant Producer: Amber Hou
Sound Engineer: Chris Wood
INTRO/OUTRO Music: Alex Mauboussin
Teaching Guide for Educators here
Subscribe for the latest episodes and review us on listennotes!
Transcripts in Mandarin and English at chinadialogue and chinadialogueocean.
Why are pangolins so sought after in China?
Pangolins are the most trafficked mammal in the world, in large part due to demand from Chinese consumers. Scientists are pointing to these peculiar creatures as a possible source of the coronavirus outbreak in China, where a temporary ban on all wildlife trade is now in force. Could this mean fresh hope for pangolins? Why are they so sought-after? And why, despite laws preventing their trade, have they been hunted to the point of extinction?
Guests:
Jiaming Xu, The Pangolin Reports
Tin Htet Paing, Myanmar Now
Wander Meijer, Globescan
Dr Lao Lixing, University of Hong Kong (retired)
Credits:
Sound Engineer: Chris Wood
INTRO/OUTRO Music: Alex Mauboussin
Teaching Guide for Educators here
Subscribe for the latest episodes and review us on listennotes!
Transcripts in Mandarin and English at chinadialogue and chinadialogueocean.
Last year, China published its Arctic Policy white paper, positioning itself as a stakeholder in Arctic governance and making waves internationally as countries tried to understand China’s intentions. Why is China so interested in the Arctic region? And how do the impact of warmer temperatures and climate change shift China’s priorities in the North Pole? From Belt and Road initiatives to bans on fishing, China performs a delicate balancing act working with the sovereign nations of the Arctic.
Guests:
Dr Zhao Huiyu, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Dr Marc Lanteigne, Arctic University of Norway
Dr Anne-Marie Brady, University of Canterbury
Dr Liu Nengye, University of Adelaide
Dr Henry Huntington, Ocean Conservancy
Dr Shi Yubing, Xiamen University
Dr Mia Bennett, University of Hong Kong
Dr Peter Winsor, World Wide Fund
Marc-Andre Dubois, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society
Dr Timo Koivurova, University of Lapland
Credits:
Producer and Host: Marcy Trent Long
Producer: Sam Colombie
Sound Engineer: Chris Wood
INTRO/OUTRO Music: Alex Mauboussin
Teaching Guide for Educators here
The Antarctic landscape has been changing drastically with warming temperatures, and with the changing geopolitical tensions in the world, China has become a big player on discussions about the use of Antarctica's resources. Why is China so interested in this icy expanse in the South? And how is China positioning itself on conservation issues in Antarctica in the face of climate change?
Guests:
Dr Liu Nengye, University of Adelaide
Dr Cassandra Brooks, University of Colorado Boulder
Dr David Bowden, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research
Zhou Wei, Greenpeace
Julian Chen, Greenovation Hub
Frida Bengtsson, Greenpeace
Dr Matt Pinkerton, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research
Credits:
Producer and Host: Marcy Trent Long
Producer: Sam Colombie
Sound Engineer: Chris Wood
INTRO/OUTRO Music: Alex Mauboussin
Teaching Guide for Educators here
Not just anyone can dig up the ocean floor, you would first have to make an agreement with the International Seabed Authority. As it turns out, 21 countries have contracts now and are preparing to mine the seabed. But is the world ready for that? Is the ISA up to the task? Now that we know what deep sea mining is and what risks are involved, we decide why deep sea mining should or should not go ahead in 2020.
Guests:
Gerard Barron, DeepGreen
Dr Gregory Stone, DeepGreen
Dr David Santillo, Greenpeace
Matthew Gianni, Deep Sea Conservation Coalition
Duncan Currie, Deep Sea Conservation Coalition
Dr Helen Rosenbaum, Deep Sea Mining Campaign
Dr Richard Steiner, University of Alaska
Credits:
Producer and Host: Marcy Trent Long
Producer: Sam Colombie
Sound Engineer: Chris Wood
INTRO/OUTRO Music: Alex Mauboussin
Teaching Guide for Educators here
Why are companies so eager to start harvesting metal rich nodules from the ocean floor? In Episode 3 we are following Deep Green, a company founded by former Nautilus management. This company is eager to start harvesting nodules in the Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ) in the Pacific. Could this be a more sustainable way of getting minerals?
Guests:
Gerard Barron, Deep Green
Dr Gregory Stone, Deep Green
Dr David Santillo, Greenpeace
Matthew Gianni, Deep Sea Conservation Coalition
Dr Chong Chen, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology
Dr Julia Sigwart, Queen’s University, Belfast
Duncan Currie, Deep Sea Conservation Coalition
Credits:
Producer and Host: Marcy Trent Long
Producer: Sam Colombie
Sound Engineer: Chris Wood
INTRO/OUTRO Music: Alex Mauboussin
Teaching Guide for Educators here
In Papua New Guinea, mining company Nautilus was hoping to start deep seabed mining by 2018. Things were looking good, but the company had to fold over grassroots resistance and financial trouble. Why were these Pacific Islanders so opposed to deep sea mining? How bad could it really be?
Guests:
Dr David Santillo, Greenpeace
Dr Helen Rosenbaum, Deep Sea Mining Campaign
Dr Richard Steiner, University of Alaska
Dr Stephen Simpson, Exeter University
Gerard Barron, DeepGreen
Credits:
Producer and Host: Marcy Trent Long
Producer: Sam Colombie
Sound Engineer: Chris Wood
INTRO/OUTRO Music: Alex Mauboussin
Teaching Guide for Educators here
The concept of deep seabed mining has been around for decades, but our growing demand for renewable energy is making this far fetched idea... a reality. Renewable energy resources are perceived to be the solution to the world’s climate change problem. But, their production requires a lot of rare minerals which often come from questionable sources. What do we have to gain and lose from Mining the Deep?
Guests:
Dr David Santillo, Greenpeace
Dr William Brazelton, University of Utah
Dr Julia Sigwart, Queen’s University, Belfast
Dr Chong Chen, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology
Matthew Gianni, Deep Sea Conservation Coalition
Credits:
Producer and Host: Marcy Trent Long
Producer: Sam Colombie
Sound Engineer: Chris Wood
INTRO/OUTRO Music: Alex Mauboussin
Teaching Guide for Educators here
We've been nominated for Asia's best podcast by the Asia podcast awards. So it's time to get out the vote. If you like what you hear, please go to Asia podcast awards, and cast your vote for the sustainable Asia podcast. Our next season coming out in November is about seabed mining in the deep oceans. Again, we're partnering with China dialogue, the best news available on China and the environment. Their website is bilingual By the way, it's both Chinese and English. Speaking of bilingual, we've started producing sustainable Asia actually in Mandarin. So an in depth Podcast Series just like the English sustainable Asia but in Mandarin. Finally, if you're passing through Hong Kong, look up sustainable Asia live radio on Facebook events. We try to have monthly meetups when we launch our podcast seasons, to highlight some of the key issues that we're discussing, and more importantly, have a cocktail. In fact, if you're passing through Hong Kong at all, give us a shout or reach out to us on our website, sustainable Asia co or through social media. We'd love to hear your thoughts on new subjects you think we ought to cover. That's it for now. See you November.
Why is the protected totoaba fish maw on sale in Hong Kong dried seafood markets? Enforcing international trade agreements on endangered marine species is a challenge everywhere. But in Hong Kong the punishment doesn’t befit the crime when it comes to trading in endangered marine species. And research has shown that some of the same traffickers in endangered wildlife are also trafficking in illegal drugs. What can we do to get control over this trade that is driving some marine species to extinction?
Guests:
Sophie le Clue, ADM Capital Foundation
Joyce Wu, Traffic (formerly)
Yvonne Sadovy, University of Hong Kong
Bonnie Tang, Greenpeace
Gary Stokes, Oceans Asia
Stan Shea, Bloom Association
Credits:
Producer and Host: Marcy Trent Long
Writer and Editor: Sam Colombie
Sound Engineer: Chris Wood
Teaching Guide for Educators here
Marine species are often regarded as food first, and wildlife second. For conservationists seeking to protect these creatures, controlling international trade routes are key. A global agreement that came into force in the 1970s, CITES – the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species - is considered a cornerstone of international conservation. But does it make any difference on the ground in trading hubs like Hong Kong?
Sound engineer and mixing by Chris Wood.
Guests:
Sophie le Clue, Director of Environment at ADM Capital Foundation
Yvonne Sadovy, University of Hong Kong
Gary Stokes, Oceans Asia
Stan Shea, Bloom Association
Credits:
Producer and Host: Marcy Trent Long
Writer and Editor: Sam Colombie
Sound Engineer: Chris Wood
Teaching Guide for Educators here
Sustainability is now part of the seafood conversation in Hong Kong and China thanks to local NGO seafood guides that help shoppers make the right choices and apps that collect data on individual fish in an effort to prevent smuggling. And in Chinese medicine, researchers are testing the efficacy of traditional ingredients such as the seahorse, and working to find substitutes. But are these efforts enough to protect Chinese traditions and the ocean creatures it threatens?
Sound engineer and mixing by Chris Wood.
Guests:
Gloria Lai, WWF Hong Kong
Dr. Yvonne Sadovy, University of Hong Kong
Stan Shea, Bloom Association
Evan Sun, World Animal Protection
Dr. Zhang Yanbo, University of Hong Kong
Credits:
Producer and Host: Marcy Trent Long
Writer and Editor: Sam Colombie
Sound Engineer: Chris Wood
Teaching Guide for Educators here
In Hong Kong, seafood is an integral part of both cuisine and culture. The region’s trade in fish products was worth US$3 billion last year. Rare and exotic species are highly valued as signs of status, and the presence on the banquet table of delicacies such as shark fin and sea cucumber is often expected. But where does all this seafood come from? In this new podcast series, we explore the extensive networks that make it possible for a grouper from the Seychelles to end up in a restaurant’s fish tank in Hong Kong, and the damage this is doing to species and biodiversity. We look also at the efforts being made to promote a more sustainable approach, changing what’s on the menu in Hong Kong to save the animals in our seas from the ever-growing threat of extinction.
Sound engineer and mixing by Chris Wood.
Guests:
Stan Shea, Bloom Association
Dr. Yvonne Sadovy, University of Hong Kong Gary Stokes, Oceans Asia
Gary Stokes, Oceans Asia
Credits:
Producer and Host: Marcy Trent Long
Writer and Editor: Sam Colombie
Sound Engineer: Chris Wood
Teaching Guide for Educators here
There is a new type of mari-culture called “marine ranching” off the coasts of China. In fact, China’s 13th Five Year Plan calls for billions to be spent on artificial reefs and seeding juvenile fish in the ocean - using scientific and sustainable methods. Can the local provinces implement marine ranching pilot programs with sustainability in mind? How is this program impacting ocean habitat and marine protected areas in China?
Guests:
John Mimikakis, Environmental Defense Fund
Zhang Chun, Chinadialogue
Tian Tao, Dalian University
Sun Bin, Shanghai University
Songlin Wang, Qingdao Marine Conservation Society and China Ocean
Teaching Guide for Educators here
China’s domestic aquaculture has struggled with the pressures of China’s economic growth - and its demands for fish feed are making China’s coastal overfishing problem…. even worse. Can China’s massive fish export industry be sustained under current overfishing conditions? The World Bank has predicted that in ten years, China will account for 38% of the world’s fish consumption. How is China preparing for that?
Sound engineer and mixing by Chris Wood.
Guests:
Songlin Wang, Qingdao Marine Conservation Society and China Ocean Outcomes
Dr. Yvonne Sadovy, The University of Hong Kong
Zhou Wei, Greenpeace China
Han Han, China Blue Sustainability Institute
Teaching Guide for Educators here
Since the Han Dynasty, fishing was the main source of livelihood on the Yangtze River basin - now the Yangtze is closed to all fishing for ten years. Marine pollution and overfishing have been knocking on China’s door since the 1986 Fisheries Law and the reform period in China. Why is China facing a critical state of overfishing in its marine waters and what are they doing about it?
Sound engineer and mixing by Chris Wood.
Guests:
Cao Ling, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Yamin Wang, Shandong Ocean University
John Mimikakis, Environmental Defense Fund
Zhou Wei, Greenpeace China
Teaching Guide for Educators here
In 1986, China passed its Fisheries Law, privatising fishing vessels and unleashing a massive expansion in the fleet. Today one in four fishing vessels in the world are Chinese. Most are fishing off China’s coast, leading to a significant problem with overfishing. But the oceans, and the resources they hold, are shared by everyone. What is China’s place in the global network of policies regulating the world’s fisheries? And what is the country trying to do to break the cycle of overfishing?
Sound engineer and mixing by Chris Wood.
Guests:
Margot Stiles, OCEANA
Dr. Yvonne Sadovy, The University of Hong Kong
John Mimikakis, Environmental Defense Fund
Teaching Guide for Educators here
The innovation in the recycling industry shows that recycled materials are not necessarily of a lower quality. Asia is only starting to embrace the many things that can be made from recycled plastic.
Produced in collaboration Ocean Recovery Alliance. Music by Alex Mauboussin, follow him at Kalelover.
Guests:
Brian Thurston, Senior Advisor, Plastic Disclosure Project
Jose Lopez, Senior Architectural Designer at Miniwiz Sustainable Energy Development Co. Ltd.
Kian Hoe Seah, Managing Director at Heng Hiap Industries Sdn Bhd
Ellen Jackowski, Global Head of Sustainability Strategy & Innovation at HP
Doug Woodring, Founder/Managing Director at Ocean Recovery Alliance
Credits:
Producer and Host: Marcy Trent Long
Writer, Editor, and Sound Mixer: Sam Colombie
Sound Engineer: Chris Wood
Teaching Guide for Educators here
What can be done to lower the cost of recycling plastics in Asia, so we can further increase the scale of production to make recycling easier and more profitable?
Produced in collaboration Ocean Recovery Alliance. Music by Alex Mauboussin, follow him at Kalelover.
Guests:
Ashwin Subramaniam, CEO & Founder at GA Circular (Gone Adventurin’)
Kian Hoe Seah, Managing Director at Heng Hiap Industries
Sdn Bhd Harsha Reddy, Head of Global Sustainability at Indorama Ventures PCL
Ravish Manjithia, Founder and CEO of Magnomer
Renae Kezar, Senior Director, Global Leader of Sustainability at Avery Dennison
Credits:
Producer and Host: Marcy Trent Long
Writer, Editor, and Sound Mixer: Sam Colombie
Sound Engineer: Chris Wood
Teaching Guide for Educators here
Moving to a plastic circular economy in Asia requires changes in behavior and better waste management infrastructure.
Produced in collaboration Ocean Recovery Alliance. Music by Alex Mauboussin, follow him at Kalelover.
Guests:
Trish Hyde, Managing Director, The Plastics Circle and Founder of PlastX
Doug Woodring, Founder/Managing Director at Ocean Recovery Alliance
Ashwin Subramaniam, CEO & Founder at GA Circular (Gone Adventurin’)
Credits:
Producer and Host: Marcy Trent Long
Writer, Editor, and Sound Mixer: Sam Colombie
Sound Engineer: Chris Wood
Teaching Guide for Educators here
The Ocean Plastics Charter pledges to recycle and reuse at least 55% of plastic packaging by 2030. It also commits brands to increase the amount of recycled plastic content in their packaging by 50%.
Produced in collaboration with Ocean Recovery Alliance. Music by Alex Mauboussin, follow him at Kalelover.
Guests:
Doug Woodring, Founder/Managing Director at Ocean Recovery Alliance
Ellen Jackowski, Global Head of Sustainability Strategy & Innovation at HP
Dr. Ben R. Jordan, Senior Director of Environmental Policy, The Coca-Cola Company
Ashwin Subramaniam, CEO & Founder at GA Circular (Gone Adventurin’)
Harsha Reddy, Head of Global Sustainability at Indorama Ventures PCL
Credits:
Producer and Host: Marcy Trent Long
Writer, Editor, and Sound Mixer: Sam Colombie
Sound Engineer: Chris Wood
Teaching Guide for Educators here
China is trying to find the solutions to its immense waste crisis. According to World Bank numbers, the country is currently dealing with 200 million tonnes of garbage a year. Landfills are crammed and a burden to their surrounding communities. To solve this, China is building more waste-to-energy plants than the rest of the world combined. But is this the right direction?
Guests:
Jennifer Turner, Woodrow Wilson Center
Doug Woodring, Ocean Recovery Alliance
Nickolas J. Themelis, Waste-to-Energy Research and Technology Council
Christine Loh, HKUST and Civic Exchange
Mao Da, Rock Environment and Energy Institute
Credits:
Producer and Host: Marcy Trent Long
Co-Producer: Sam Colombie
Sound Engineer: Chris Wood
Teaching Guide for Educators here
With all the effort going into recycling, Europe is still only at a 30% plastic recycling rate, and the US trails way behind at 9%. And this was before China stopped processing the West’s recycling! Why are these numbers so low? When did plastic recycling get so complicated?
Guests:
Doug Woodring, Ocean Recovery Alliance
Michelle Jou, Covestro China
Philippe Li, HK Recycles Hong Kong
Chen Liwen, Nature University ENGO
Credits:
Producer and Host: Marcy Trent Long
Co-Producer: Sam Colombie
Sound Engineer: Chris Wood
Teaching Guide for Educators here
So you thought your recyclable waste was going to a local processing plant? Instead it was very likely shipped to China, along with about half of the world’s exported plastic waste. However, in January 2018 China decided to ban plastic waste imports and end this charade.
Now western countries are now forced to deal with their own waste. But what motivated China to shut down an industry so many of its citizens depended on?
Guests:
Mao Da, Rock Environment and Energy Institute
Chen Liwen, Nature University ENGO
Christine Loh, Civic Exchange and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Credits:
Producer and Host: Marcy Trent Long
Co-Producer: Sam Colombie
Sound Engineer: Chris Wood
Teaching Guide for Educators here
Rivers are at the heart of China’s economic development, but recent research indicates they may also be critical in transporting plastics into the ocean. What is China doing to stop pollution from flowing into river systems? The 19th Party Congress in 2017 is where Xi Jinping spelled out his ambition for a Beautiful China. During the Party Congress, the Five Year Plan was approved - putting in motion new environmental targets that can be filtered down to local level.
Guests:
Christine Loh, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and Civic Exchange
Laurent Lebreton, The Ocean Cleanup
Lincoln Fok, Education University of Hong Kong
Feng Hu, China Water Risk
Xu Yuanchao, China Water Risk
Zhang Chun, Chinadialogue
Credits:
Producer and Host: Marcy Trent Long
Co-Producer: Sam Colombie
Sound Engineer: Chris Wood
Teaching Guide for Educators here
Everywhere you look, on beaches and in seas around the world, there’s plastic, and this is changing the fabric of our oceans. Why is plastic ocean pollution such a problem - particularly in Asia?
In this episode we will be talking to experts from the academic, government and advocacy world, to learn about the impact of ocean plastic on seafood and our health. We will learn about how microplastics differ across the world, and about the source of much ocean plastic pollution: uncollected waste from land.
Guests:
Craig Leeson, Director, A Plastic Ocean
Nicholas Mallos, Ocean Conservancy
Marcus Eriksen, 5Gyres Institute
William Robberson, USEPA Regional Response Team
Chelsea Rochman, Rochman Lab
Jenna Jambeck, Jambeck Research Group
Credits:
Producer and Host: Marcy Trent Long
Co-Producer: Sam Colombie
Sound Engineer: Chris Wood
Teaching Guide for Educators here
Eight Million takes you through the ins and outs of plastic waste treatment globally and in China. It’s an illuminating look at how China is closing their doors on imported plastic waste, and turning their back on industrial pollution in favor of building an ‘ecological civilization’.
Guests:
Isabel Hilton, Chinadialogue