The Meandering Pod

Cam and Bec discuss the history of coffee, the ethics of the industry and we hear from Mike, a small coffee roaster in Thailand.

Sit down with a cuppa and prepare to have your socks blown off about the humble drink, tea. What is it? Where did it come from? When did the British start drinking teas? Join me as I take part in a tea ceremony with tea master Mabel in her home in Kunming, trying ripe Pu’er, Oolong and White Tea as we explore the historical and cultural force that is tea. Teas have inspired spirituality and purity, tea grounds and holds people, tea is everyone’s friend. But there is another side to tea too. Tea has been the catalyst to wars, slavery and incredible human cruelty. How can that be? I learnt so much in this conversation and hope you do too!Here is Mabol’s brand, where you can learn about tea and learn some Chinese too! https://www.discovercha.com/learn-chinese-with-mabolhttps://www.facebook.com/Mabol2DiscoverCha/https://www.instagram.com/mabol_discover_cha/https://www.youtube.com/@discovercha

Join Dom and Lotta for this special bonus episode where they discuss bin diving, the Australian food system and its abundant food waste. This is a re-run of a radio show that they did for Lotta’s mums radio show Considering Earth, on Denmark Community Radio. Check out her shows here: https://www.denmarkfm.com.au/shows/considering-earth/

Laos has the unenviable title of being the most heavily bombed country per capita in the world. In this episode, we’ll be unpacking why, as well as the dangerous legacy of unexploded ordinances (UXOs) left in the lives of everyday Laotian people.  Join Bec this week as she interviews two representatives from Mines Advisory Group (MAG), Bella and Ben, about the history, ramifications and ongoing work related to UXOs in Laos.  The Mines Advisory Group (MAG) is a global humanitarian and advocacy organisation that finds, removes and destroys landmines, cluster munitions and unexploded bombs from places affected by conflict. MAG has been working in Laos since 1994 clearing unexploded bombs and providing explosive ordnance risk education, helping families safely farm, build, and live without fear. Our guests from MAG Laos: Mathida Khattiyavong (Ben), Communications OfficerIsabelle Urumath (Bella), Grants and Communications Manager Ways to support MAG Laos and stay engaged in their work: Website for donationsFacebook Instagram Vientiane Visitor CentreXieng Khouang Visitor CentreSources for extra reading: Obama's 2016 remarks in Laos (mentioned during interview)Collateral Damage: The Legacy of the Secret War on Laos (peer-reviewed study from 2024 published in The Economic Journal)

Damning the Mekong - Can we call hydropower clean energy? Whilst certainly renewable, hydropower can’t claim to have clean hands on the Mekong River, where it is causing widespread ecological and social damage, across many national borders. Despite the damning evidence and widespread impacts, many more dams are in the pipeline, and are getting constructed with enthusiasm from those who profit. Join Dom and Lotta as they discuss the many facets of hydropower, and explain how damming the river changes the hydrology, ecology, and geomorphology of the river, and how its impacting the millions who rely upon a healthy river. Sources: Basin-Wide Assessment of Climate Change Impacts on Hydropower Production. Mekong River Commission. 2018 The Political Ecology of Large Hydropower Dams in the Mekong Basin: A Comprehensive Review. Carl Middleton. 2022 Impacts of Mainstream Hydropower Development on Fisheries and Human Nutrition in the Lower Mekong. Christopher D. Golden et al. 2019Understanding the impact of hydropower developments in the context of upstream-downstream relations in the Mekong River basin, Claudia kuenzer et al. 2012Various ways hydro are impacting the Mekong Delta: https://www.mekongeye.com/2022/02/11/floods-and-migrants-of-vietnams-mekong-delta-25-lessons-from-the-dataPiece by the BBC recommended by Lotta: https://www.bbc.com/audio/play/p0gsp9q4

Cam takes a meander through Thai political history, including how Thailand avoided colonisation, why they keep fighting with Cambodia and how they continue as a stable, prosperous country despite having a military coup roughly every eight years.Apologies for my pronunciation of Thai names.

Join Lotta and Dom as they dive deep into the floodwaters that hit South East Asia last year - and swim through the nuanced and shocking currents of human’s relationships with floods from the past into the future. We also do a bit of a nerd out about the climate - if you’ve decided to skip that section, jump to 13:25!Some papers , books and other resources I recommend checking out if you’re curious!https://www.nature.com/articles/s43017-021-00199-z - the article which links ENSO to climate changeIn Praise of Floods by James C. Scott - a different view of rivers, that tries to decenter humans within the river ecosystemhttps://coastal.climatecentral.org/map/9/105.8996/20.8793/?theme=sea_level_rise&map_type=year&basemap=roadmap&contiguous=true&elevation_model=best_available&forecast_year=2050&pathway=ssp3rcp70&percentile=p50&refresh=true&return_level=return_level_1&rl_model=coast_rp&slr_model=ipcc_2021_med - a map with projected sea level rises worldwide. Interactive, fun and soberingAmphibious Anthropologies, Living in Wet Environments - a super cool collection of writings of people living in changing wet environments I’m dying to read! https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20181129-the-underground-cathedral-protecting-tokyo-from-floods - Tokyo’s flood cathedral

What a spicy group episode! Spanning two birthdays, Christmas and the lovely addition of our friend Blair for three weeks of adventure. Join us as we take overnight trains, learn how to make papaya salad for Bec’s birthday, push bikes up endless and steep hills, learn a couple of words of Karen and embark on our (long) path to enlightenment with the help of Buddhist teachings. We also have a shallow dive for you on the mysteries and subterfuge of the Golden Triangle - the Special Economic Zone where China, Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet. This episode is a bit different as logistics and fun got in the way of a fully fledged episode - but worry not! There is enough to make you gasp, laugh and cringe, nonetheless. As we explore different forms of travel and slightly different itineraries, you can expect some changes in the group episodes this year, we’ll take it as it comes! Deep dives will still be going strong as we obsess about random topics in each country we visit. Book recommendations for this episode:Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (megaaaa classicccc that Dom and Blair were obsessing over)On the Shadow Tracks: A Journey Through Occupied Myanmar by Clare Hammond (fantastic journalism and insight into Myanmar you didn’t know you needed)Juice by Tim Winton (recommended before, recommended again no that Dom has finished it: get on it beans)Thanks for listening! Subscribe, share, like… all that jazz. Love you guys!

Over our travels we have crossed one of the heartland countries for the controversial palm oil industry – Malaysia. In today's deep dive, Bec and Lotta discuss the environmental and ethical issues levelled at Big Oil Palm, trying to answer the question of whether palm oil can ever be a truly sustainable product. We also have the privilege of hearing from renowned Malaysian economist Jomo Kwame Sundaram on this episode. Bec interviews him about the colonial roots of the rubber and oil palm industries. Enjoy listening! Full bio for Professor Jomo: Jomo Kwame Sundaram is a Research Adviser, Khazanah Research Institute, Fellow, Academy of Science, Malaysia, and Emeritus Professor, University of Malaya. He was UN Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development, Assistant Director General, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Founder-Chair, International Development Economics Associates (IDEAs) and President, Malaysian Social Science Association. Jomo has authored and edited over a hundred books, written many academic papers and media articles, besides translating 12 volumes. He has received the 2007 Wassily Leontief Prize for Advancing the Frontiers of Economic Thought, several honorary doctorates and The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) Award in Social Sciences for 2026.Important links: Sites of Displacement photo essay by Australian academic Christine Horn

Another group episode beans! Here, you will be updated on our journeys through Malaysia and how we reunited in Thailand. Listen for food highlights, a shallow dive on LGBTQIA+ rights in Malaysia and, of course, BRICK #1! Including who won it last time after we left the choice to you guys…Sick advocacy groups working in Malaysia you should totally follow on your socials and check out in general: https://www.instagram.com/jejakaorg/?hl=enhttps://justiceforsisters.org/en/https://www.planetromeofoundation.org/pelangi-campaign/If you want to donate for Thai flood relief in the wake of the floods that Hat Yai and other cities under water, donate here:https://www.donationhub.or.th/project/106/detail/ENOur fave books from recently! The Rosie Project by Graeme SimsionAtlas of the Heart by Brene BrownMinistry of Moral Panic by Amanda Lee KoehSugarbread by Balli Kaur Jaswal

In this episode Cam talks to Alex Au from Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2), an NGO that advocates for migrant workers in Singapore. Links:Donate to TWC2 hereThe report I wrote with Kael for TWC2

Have you ever told ghost stories around a campfire? Do you believe in spirits of place, or perhaps black and white magic? Well for many in Indonesia, they are real, and are powerful forces across the country today. Join Dom and Italian Dom, Michy, as they explore the religions and spiritualism of Java, Indonesia. Michy, Dom’s friend, has visited spiritual leaders and shamans to research the complexity, nuance and magic of Kejawen - a traditional spiritual belief system on Java - in which shamans play important roles to this day. Hear about how Kejawen can coexist with Islam, what ghosts Dom and Michy have encountered and the seven steps for reaching perfection.

Listen up, another group episode! This time recorded hundreds of miles apart over zoom.Here, we discuss the second half of our time in Indonesia, as well as Dom's dengue scare which resulted in the group temporarily splitting up and Cam and Bec pushing on to Singapore and Malaysia.We also take a shallow dive into how Singapore launders Russian oil and sells it to Australia.The Asia TimesCentre for Research on Clean Energy and Clean AirOur GoFundMe for BC can be found ⁠here⁠. Please consider donating if you have the means! Join us for some meandering shenanigans, and catch ya next time! BOOK RECSFiction: Indonesian authors: The Rainbow Troops (Andrea Hirata)The Wandering (Intan Paramaditha)Singaporean Authors: Sugarbread (Balli Kaur Jaswal)Australian Authors: Juice (Time Winton)Non-fiction and memoir:Desi Girl (Sarah Malik)All I Ever Wanted To Be Was Hot (Lucinda Froomes Price)

One of the most exciting phenomena in the spread of animals across the globe, the Wallace Line is a tale of life and death, deep time and the movement of humans across an island chain like no other, and it passes right between Bali and Lombok! Join Lotta and Cam as they explore not only the Wallace Line, but also Wallace, a progressive 19 th century naturalist who despite it all, was still a product of colonialism. We also explore the impact colonialism has on science still today and dedicate the episode to all the amazing people we’ve met so far in Indonesia. We were lucky enough to feature two guests:Geologist friend Deni Sugandi from Bandung, who helped explain the geological controls on the movements of animals across the archipelagoAndRonya Ramrath (Lotta’s sister!) who is currently completing her PhD at Oxford on the epistemic injustice of Indigenous Knowledge not being acknowledged as knowledge in western academia. We hope you enjoy!

Have you ever thought, damn, what a waste to flush my poop down the toilet! Well, permaculture has the answer - compost that sh!t. Join Dom and Dwi as they talk about permaculture and Dwi’s permaculture project, Omah Lor, set on the slopes of a volcano in Central Java, Indonesia.Permaculture is: the use of ecology as the basis for designing integrated systems of food production, housing, appropriate technology, and community development. Permaculture is built upon an ethic of caring for the earth and interacting with the environment in mutually beneficial ways. Follow Omah Lor on instagram: OmahlorprojectDwi’s Book Recommendations:Permaculture: A Designer’s Manual - by Bill MollisonTeaming with Microbes - by Jeff LowenfelTeaming with Fungi - by Jeff LowenfelTeaming with Nutrients - by Jeff LowenfelTeaming with Bacteria - by Jeff LowenfelLearn more about permaculture and the 12 design principles here:https://worldpermacultureassociation.com/holmgren-principles/Go online and watch some permy vids! It’s a crazy world to exploreThanks everyone!

Listen up, another group episode! Here, we discuss the our time in Lombok, Sumbawa, Bali and Java, and take a shallow dive into BC Foundation and labour issues for people from the global south. Tune in for new segments like Scrubalubadubub and Biggest Bule and old faves like Brick No 1. Our GoFundMe for BC can be found here. Please consider donating if you have the means! Join us for some meandering shenanigans, and catch ya next time! BOOK RECSIndonesian authors: Beauty is a Wound (Eka Kurniawan)The Wandering (Intan Paramaditha)This Earth of Mankind (Pramoedy Ananta Toer)Non-fiction:The Jakarta Method (Vincent Bevins)Slow Down: How Degrowth Communism Can Save the Earth (Kohei Saito)Against White Feminism: Notes on Disruption (Rafia Zakaria)Memoir: The Trading Game (Gary Stevenson)

In this week’s episode Bec and Dom continue the story of the Montara Oil Spill, focussing on the impacts of this environmental disaster on Indonesians.  During the episode they have the privilege of hearing fromaward-winning documentarian Jane Hammond, who spent time in West Timor filming ‘A Crude Injustice’, which promoted awareness in Australia and abroad about the dire consequences of the spill in one of the poorest regions in the world.  We also discuss a landmark class action lawsuit in Australiafrom 2016-2021, where 15,000 seaweed farmers from Indonesia held the liable company PTTEPAA to account. Important Links and Sources: A Crude Injustice by Jane Hammond Guardian Reporting about the Class Action Lawsuit Energy News Bulletin Reporting about UN Human Rights Case against Aus Gov Human Rights Law Centre Summary of Class Action Lawsuit

Hello everyone, thanks for joining us for another episode ofThe Meandering Pod. This week we’re introducing a two-part series for the firsttime. It’s about the Montara Oil Spill, which happened in the Timor Sea in 2009. Bec and Dom will focus in this episode on the Australian side of the story, and next episode we’ll look into the Indonesian side of the story.  A big thanks to Fraser Maywood, chair of Sustainable EnergyNow, for providing background information about the oil and gas industry (but not specific details of the incident).    Links to important sources: - Montara Oil Spill Commission of Inquiry - Sydney Morning Herald Reporting About PRRT Appeal - ABC Reporting About Destroyed Evidence - Boiling Cold Reporting on Jadestone Energy

A bonus episode! Here, you’ll hear all about the greenwashing and double-think world of carbon and biodiversity offsetting in Australia. this episode comes out hand in hand with an article Bec and Lotta wrote for Cheek Media: Carbon and Biodiversity Offsets are the Girl Math of the corporate world - but their consequences affect us all. We believe in people being able to critically assess the claims of corporation and government and here we hope to shed some light on the trickeries hidden behind claims of carbon neutral or nature neutral. Learn about how frogs can’t fly (but are expected to), oil companies are rigging the system for more profit and how life on earth has no price tag. For more information check out:BIODIVERSITY- Research from the Australian Conservation Foundation about how biodiversity offsets aren't protected.- A news article by the ABC about the Australian government review about the failings of the biodiversity offset scheme.- A detailed report by Carbon Brief on the issues associated with biodiversity offsets.CARBON- Research by Haizea Analytics, ANU, UNSW and UQ about the inefficacy of human-induced regeneration carbon offsets - Research by the Australia Institute about the issues with avoided deforestation carbon offsets - Australian government website about the Chubb Review into the ACCU system

Cameron goes through the scandal ridden history of big gas in Australia starting with Gogh Whitlam's failed plan to nationalise our resources.Groups who are doing something about it:-Disrupt Burrup Hub-Conservation Council of WA-Greenpeace-Australian Youth Climate CoalitionKey readings:The Captured State Report - https://350perth.org.au/captured-state/The Australia Institute's Great Gas Giveaway Report - https://australiainstitute.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/P1451-Australias-great-gas-giveaway-Web.pdfABC Four Corners Timor Lest Spying Operation - https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-27/secrets,-spies-and-trials/11451004The Guardian Northwest Shelf Extension - https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/aug/19/wa-government-put-very-rosy-spin-on-report-into-woodside-emissions-at-murujuga-scientists-private-email-sayshttps://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/sep/30/woodside-north-west-shelf-gas-indigenous-rock-art-murujuga-federal-government-environment-minister-murray-watt-western-australiaGas is displacing renewables:https://www.smh.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/woodside-contradicts-csiro-report-debunking-key-climate-claims-20220307-p5a2d5.html