Planet Policy Pals Podcast

The UN estimated that in 2000 some 1.6 billion people around the world, including many of the world’s poorest, derived at least part of their food, income or medical needs directly from the forest. The Congo rainforest is the second biggest rainforest in the world and has lost more than 600,000 hectares of primary forest in 2020, which is a 9 percent increase compared to 2019, according to recent data from the Global Forest Watch (GFW). The biggest drivers of deforestation in the Congo rainforest over the past 30 years have been small-scale subsistence agriculture, logging, urban expansion, and mining. What has the impact been on the DRC, the general region, and the globe at whole? We discuss this, the lack of global efforts, and more in this episode. Global land use changes are four times greater than previously estimated | Nature  Global land use change, economic globalization, and the looming land scarcity | PNAS  Land degradation and climate change - resource | IUCN. Climate change: Land degradation and desertification | WHO Deforestation in Africa: Causes, Effects, and Solutions | Earth.Org 3 Surprising Ways Water Depends on Healthy Forests | World Resources Institute Saving Africa’s forests, the ‘lungs of the world’ | Africa Renewal Rainforests in Africa- Mongabay How Colonialism Spawned and Continues to Exacerbate the Climate Crisis | Columbia news  COP27: Conserving the Congo Basin rainforest | African Wildlife Foundation US tech giants sued over DRC cobalt mine child labour deaths | Al Jazeera  To save the Congo basin rainforest, end the conflict in the DRC | Al Jazeera COP26: Landmark $500 million agreement to protect the DRC forest | UN.org COP27 long on pledges, short on funds for forests | Mongabay.org  Women for Forests | WECAN International

On Feb. 3, a Norfolk Southern train carrying toxic chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, igniting a fire and setting off fears of an explosion. The NTSB found that the accident was “100% preventable” and yet Norfolk Southern, the company responsible, firmly disagrees. Shortly after the derailment, 1,500 to 2,000 residents were told to evacuate. The EPA, Ohio officials, and the company responsible are all reporting different effects. It will take continuous testing to determine the scope of this accident. Still, what is being done to prevent these accidents that keep happening in America? We get into it in this episode.   Source links below: Section of major I-95 highway in Philadelphia may take months to repair | CNN EPA Residential, Commercial, and Agricultural Soil Sampling Results EPA Updates from the East Palestine Train Derailment Emergency Response  The Ohio Train Derailment: A Timeline - The New York Times Environmental Disaster from East Palestine, OH Train Derailment | pennfuture UC professor explains environmental harm caused by rail accidents | University of Cincinnati Aches, rashes and fear: Trauma remains after Ohio derailment | AP News Ohio Train Derailment: An Ecological and Human Health Disaster? | Earth.Org Justice Department sues Norfolk Southern over derailment | AP News Norfolk Southern’s Profits and Accident Rates Rose Before Ohio Derailment - NYT Ohio senators introduce safety rules after toxic train derailment disaster | Guardian Derailed: Investigating the US railroad industry | transport | Al Jazeera Indigenous Climate Action

The  transportation sector is one of the largest contributors of GHGs and cars alone contribute to 29% of emissions in the US. The issue of renewable transport has plagued humanity longer than you think and the rise of electric vehicle sales may be part of the solution. Tesla, Toyota, Honda… all companies that have been less than honest with marketing tactics regarding environmental impact to varying degrees. Is the EV market plagued by greenwashing? Source links below: The History of the Electric Car | Department of Energy  How electric vehicles help to tackle climate change | Carbon Brief  Electric Vehicles: Technology Analysis | International Energy Agency  Tesla 2022 Impact Report Carbon disclosure rating  Tesla’s carbon footprint is bigger than the company let on in the past | The Verge  Nationwide Study of the Electric Vehicle Shopping Experience | Sierra Club  Best Electric Vehicles of 2023 - Top-Rated EVs | U.S. News Consumer Reports' top auto picks 2023 | CNBC Best Electric Vehicles of 2023 | Kelly Blue Book  Toyota accused of greenwashing in Greenpeace complaint filed to ACCC EU Commission prepares to crack down on greenwashing with Green Claims law | EEB South Korea establishing fines for corporate 'greenwashing' | Business & Human Rights Centre

A study in the geophysical research letters journal found that summer in the Northern Hemisphere midlatitudes has lengthened, whereas winter has shortened, owing to shift in their onsets and withdrawals, accompanied by shorter spring and autumn. Over the period of 1952–2011, the length of summer increased from 78 to 95 days and that of spring, autumn and winter decreased from 124 to 115, 87 to 82, and 76 to 73 days, respectively. Our health and well-being are inextricably linked to our natural environment. So much, in fact, that the World Health Organization has called climate change “the single biggest health threat facing humanity.” The link between changing climate and erratic weather is clearer than ever. Join us as we dive into the complicated game of predicting seasonal changes! Show notes and references available at  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jLk46tmRSKwKS3maPM5NyOZKvoHumnIiDVdbsdbhBB0/edit?usp=sharing

As a follow up to our fashion episode, we are providing general tips on the best fabrics to help guide ourselves and our listeners when expanding our wardrobes.

For four years, male sea turtles have been declining in Florida, and a study in Australia confirmed similar findings with 99% of the hatchlings born female, with both linked to rising temperatures. Earlier this year, we breached the planetary limit for hazardous chemicals. There are over 350,000 human-made chemicals on the market with numbers expected to triple by 2050. This cocktail of facts got us thinking about the impacts of synthetic chemicals and rising global temperatures on the reproductive health of human and non-human species, as well as the possible impact of reproductive ability? Are we gonna run low on babies? Join us as we discuss. Show notes and references available at  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_6QmU2lSfd16X2K_35MdrS5Cu_Er-XMHBAbLgVRJC24/edit?usp=sharing

For every 4,434 metric tons of carbon produced beyond 2020 levels, one person globally will die prematurely due to extreme temperatures, according to an analysis published in Nature Communications. If you then consider the fact that in the first half of 2022, those 10 celebrities’ planes released a staggering 3,376.64 metric tons of carbon emissions, you might be a little angry. Especially since that amount is about 482 times more than the average person’s annual emissions, according to Yard. So, why should we all keep trying? Is there hope? Are rich people ruining the climate faster than we can save it? All these difficult, passive aggressive questions and more are answered in this episode. Show notes and references available at  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1J4TrikUSeBCA73YgciOryzc7OXEyIBd-gfMdI214BOs/edit?usp=sharing

A viral TikTok video of a woman claiming SHEIN nail flakes sent her to the hospital led internet sleuths down a web of contaminants and bad environmental practices that the fashion industry has engaged in for decades. Yoga pants and gym leggings sold by Lululemon and Old Navy contained Perfluoroalkoxy alkanes, PFAS, according to testing done by consumer health activist blog Mamavation. Outdoor apparel brands Columbia, REI, and L.L. Bean received either a D or F grading for PFAS by Fashion FWD. H&M is fighting greenwashing allegations as of this episode being published, and SHEIN has given vague responses whenever it has been challenged on lead and other metals in its clothing. So, what is the deal? Should we go naked? We get into these chemicals, their effects, and verified claims in this episode on the toxic nature of fast fashion! Show notes and references available at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1m6-E0M4NRIH93B6QgyYPFBnZSLQXUIbgeZup6jssQ_c/edit?usp=sharing 

From June through August, Pakistan has received 190 percent of its normal rainfall. The heavy rainfall saturated soil, preventing the ground from soaking up more water from storms in August. Pakistan’s downpours have flooded a third of the country, according to officials, affecting 33 million people, and killing at least 1,100. In southeast Pakistan, the city of Nawabshah hit 49.5 degrees Celsius (120.2°F) on May 1. The Global Climate Risk Index puts Pakistan as the eighth most vulnerable country because of disasters caused by climate change, yet the country is responsible for less than 1 percent (0.7%)  of the global carbon emissions. The health, ecosystem, economic, and infrastructure fallout is estimated to cost $10 billion. We discuss the details, climate science, the money, and what can be done to reduce future damage. Ultimately we answer the question “Will Pakistan’s flood stop?”   Show notes and references available at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xlf7NaWg-YTHpUpYCZUGa-5kJAXZfgv3tYQT7_wFRo8/edit?usp=sharing  Donate and help: Akhuwat Foundation, Alkhidmat Foundation. The Citizens Foundation, Balochistan Youth Action Committee

This week our guest is a professor, marine biologist, and fellow FL Tech alum, Katrina Dutton. Surface waters are now 30 percent more acidic than they were at the start of the industrial era. Projections show that by the end of this century, ocean surface waters could be more than twice as acidic as they were at the end of last century if we do not reduce our carbon emissions. How are we doing this? What are the effects? Are there any solutions? Will we implement them? Listen now to get into it with us! Links used for references are below:  The Oceans Feel Impacts from Acid Rain Acid Rain Has Disproportionate Impact on Near-Shore Ocean Waters | NSF Effects of Ocean and Coastal Acidification on Marine Life | US EPA Acidifying Oceans Could Get Help from Kelp - Eos climate change performance index   CO2 and Ocean Acidification: Causes, Impacts, Solutions  Captions of transcript available on our YouTube Page Head to https://newsly.me/ and use promo code PLANETPALS to receive a 1-month free subscription on the revolutionary app that lets you listen to news, podcasts, and pretty much the internet in one place.

Agriculture provides employment for roughly 25 million people in Pakistan and is the main income source for 34% and 74% of economically active men and women respectively in the country. The sector is taking hit after hit due to our rapidly changing climate and the resources for adaptation and mitigation are limited here, as they are in most developing nations, even though the country is considered a low emitter and contributor to the climate crisis. Our guest, Risham Amjad, is an environmental policy consultant who focuses on research to raise climate funding for the agricultural sector in Pakistan. Her experience studying impacts of climate change on rural economies, livelihoods and weather patterns in Pakistan, makes this episode exciting and enlightening! Links used for references are below:  https://www.ais.unwater.org/ais/pluginfile.php/232/mod_page/content/128/pakistan_murtaza_finalcountryreport2012.pdf https://www.dawn.com/news/1624382 https://www.climate-refugees.org/spotlight/2021/7/30/pakistan https://climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org/sites/default/files/2019-06/CSA-in-Pakistan.pdf http://www.mocc.gov.pk/ProjectDetail/M2QzOWJmMjUtZTU3MC00NmFkLWE4YmMtZDFhMmRlOGU2NGRh https://pakistan.un.org/en/49847-planting-seeds-new-normal-rural-women-pakistan-amid-covid-19 https://www.npr.org/2021/11/11/1054809644/climate-change-cop26-loss-and-damage Captions of transcript available on our YouTube Page Head to https://newsly.me/ and use promo code PLANETPALS to receive a 1-month free subscription on the revolutionary app that lets you listen to news, podcasts, and pretty much the internet in one place.

An estimated 70–80% of the MSW generated in Africa is recyclable, yet only 4% of MSW is currently recycled. 5% of all textiles go to the dump every year, according to the World Economic Forum, enough to fill Sydney Harbor annually. In a state with growing businesses and clothes manufacturers, the issue of fast fashion that is quickly disposed of is adding to a dire solid waste management crisis. We speak with Ken Ajah, owner of fabrics by Nonso, on the solutions, what he sees happening with implemented government strategies, and where he thinks the future of waste management and sustainable fashion are headed in Abia state, and Nigeria as a whole. Links used for references are below:  Defeating environmental degradation in Abia (PDF) Analysis of Post-Consumer Solid Textile Waste Management among Households in Oyo State of Nigeria AfricA - Waste Management Municipal solid waste management in Aba, Nigeria: Challenges and prospects  Captions of transcript available on our YouTube Page Head to https://newsly.me/ and use promo code PLANETPALS to receive a 1-month free subscription on the revolutionary app that lets you listen to news, podcasts, and pretty much the internet in one place.

The conversation with Mr. Pam, who is the head of the independent integrity unit at the GCF, continues in this episode. This time we talk about projects, the process for handling reports, the tools that ensure accountability and more.  Links used for references are below:  How can we meet the urgency of financing climate action in cities? The broken $100-billion promise of climate finance — and how to fix it Who Funds th e Fight Against Climate Change? - Means and Matters  FP095: Transforming Financial Systems for Climate  Captions of transcript available on our YouTube Page Head to https://newsly.me/ and use promo code PLANETPALS to receive a 1-month free subscription on the revolutionary app that lets you listen to news, podcasts, and pretty much the internet in one place.

Mr. Ibrahim Pam, head of the Independent Integrity Unity (IIU) at the Green Climate Fund joins the policy pals to discuss how sustainable  projects can be financed with integrity. The GCF is currently the world’s largest dedicated multilateral climate fund and the main multilateral financing mechanism to support developing countries in achieving a reduction of their greenhouse gas emissions and an enhancement of their ability to respond to climate change. As such managing large funds across many projects requires major oversight and that is what we discuss with Mr. Pam in this episode. Links used for references are below:  The trillion dollar climate finance challenge (and opportunity) | | UN News Green Climate Fund Update  Green Climate Fund Captions of transcript available on our YouTube Page Head to https://newsly.me/ and use promo code PLANETPALS to receive a 1-month free subscription on the revolutionary app that lets you listen to news, podcasts, and pretty much the internet in one place.

Mrs. Semenitari is back for part 2 to get into the details of the causes behind the soot issue in Port-Harcourt, Nigeria. How effective are the government’s strategies? How valid are the claims of transitioning to greener energy? What do the people in the Niger Delta community get as a response to their worsening environmental issues? We tackle these difficult questions together and we want to hear what you think as well! Links used for references are below:  Africa's largest refinery, Nigeria's Dangote, to start operations in H2 2022: officials Nigeria's Petroleum Industry Act: Addressing old problems, creating new ones COP26: Nigeria To Reach Net-Zero Emissions By 2060, Says Buhari   Captions of transcript available on our Youtube Page Head to https://newsly.me/ and use promo code PLANETPALS to receive a 1-month free subscription on the revolutionary app that lets you listen to news, podcasts, and pretty much the internet in one place.

There is a literal cloud hanging over the city of Port Harcourt, Nigeria that has existed for several years. For the local people of Port Harcourt, the soot has made life hell. In our first ever interview, Ibim Semenitari joins us to discuss an issue she and other members of her community are working to tackle. Mrs. Semenitari worked for over three decades as a journalist, in public service as Honorable Commissioner, Ministry of Information and Communications, Rivers State, Nigeria as well as being a former Ag Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, an agency responsible for driving development in Nigeria's troubled oil-rich region. She is a member of the Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Cosmopolitan where she serves as club advisor and was president of the group in 2020-2021. Links used for references are below:  Port Harcourt soot: Why is this Nigerian city covered in black soot? | CNN Black Soot in Rivers State: 'Government Have Failed to Protect Citizens' Department of Climate Change, Federal Ministry of Environment, Nigeria Captions of transcript available on our Youtube Page Head to https://newsly.me/ and use promo code PLANETPALS to receive a 1-month free subscription on the revolutionary app that lets you listen to news, podcasts, and pretty much the internet in one place.

The ozone layer filters out incoming radiation in the "cell-damaging" ultraviolet (UV) part of the spectrum. One example of ozone depletion is the annual ozone "hole" over Antarctica that has occurred during the Antarctic spring since the early 1980s. The effects of ozone depletion range include poor air quality, imbalance in bio-geo-chemical cycles, loss of biodiversity and a negative effect on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. However, tackling the issue of ozone depletion is one of the greatest environmental successes we have achieved on a global scale. Listen to find out how we did it, why we did it and what we can do to keep our very useful ozone layer intact. Follow the link for show notes and references. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1l4w_2I-32hoNZv1kyeDADjsNEpJe0EanILGoIVPTvQU/edit?usp=sharing  Captions of transcript available on our Youtube Page Head to https://newsly.me/ and use promo code PLANETPALS to receive a 1-month free subscription on the revolutionary app that lets you listen to news, podcasts, and pretty much the internet in one place.

It has been 1 year exactly since we launched our first official episode and we are so grateful to all our listeners, so although we made sure to cover an environmental topic this week, we went real big picture and decided to just tackle the entire climate change issue in one go! LOL not even. It took nearly a century of research and data to convince the vast majority of the scientific community that human activity could alter the climate of our entire planet and still not everyone is convinced. In this episode, we discuss the history behind this division, the mechanisms and policy in place and the other effects of human impacts on the climate beyond rising temperatures. We also get real personal with our environmental preferences guys, it’s a good time. Follow the link for show notes and references. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1d1bkfeevNPW-NJZ26xadj28HOrj4iLzU82Jhx7qov5E/edit?usp=sharing  Captions of transcript available on our Youtube Page

In this episode, we continue our discussions on polar ice melting by shifting our focus to the Arctic and water. Changes to the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets are of considerable societal importance, as they directly impact global sea levels, which are a result of climate change. Sea level rise will reshape coastlines as incoming water floods dry areas and erodes coastal features like beaches, cliffs and dunes. Policies and regulations governing this area are tricky because the region is a geographical area comprising eight countries including five coastal states with jurisdiction over parts of the Arctic Ocean. So, what will happen and what can we do? The pals get into it! Follow the link for show notes and references.  https://docs.google.com/document/d/13b-0dMeT4iqMXpU4jfxW6HQWUYZkts1aE7KA7LdgQ4c/edit?usp=sharing  Captions of transcript available on our YouTube Page

In this episode we are going to talk about what happens when the polar ice caps melt, with a focus on effects seen in the earth’s crust and permafrost loss. Ongoing ice loss in West Antarctica has increased over the past few decades. Measurements since the 1950s indicate that the amount of sea ice in the Arctic has been declining. Permafrost in the Arctic alone is estimated to hold nearly twice as much carbon as exists in the atmosphere now, as well as a sizable amount of methane, and losing it turns what is one of the greatest carbon sinks on earth to a major emissions source. Since the retreat of a glacier can reduce stress loads on Earth’s crust underneath, impacting the movement of subsurface magma, this can lead to volcanic activity and other surface implications. Follow the link for show notes and references.  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1O630cQPc-aUAWj3hRbufoK0aX4uP7xyzfAQpkoWbO84/edit?usp=sharing  Captions of transcript available on our Youtube Page