Tag Archives: mongabay

Malavika Vyawahare: Commercial Tuna Pirates

When we hear the term “resource curse,” it usually refers to the exploitation of countries with rich stores of natural resources like fossil fuels or widely coveted metals and minerals. Today, however, we are talking about protein. Some of the most beautiful, remote parts on the planet also produce some of its most unsustainable protein sources. This week on Sea Change Radio, we speak with environmental journalist Malavika Vyawahare from the distant Indian Ocean island of Réunion to discuss the devastating and corrupt practices surrounding the tuna fishing industry in that part of the world. We learn about the destructive practice using fish aggregating devices (or FADs), how ships from wealthy European nations like Spain and France are exploiting law-of-the-sea loopholes, and what steps are being taken to prevent the region’s fishery from being completed wiped out.Read the show transcript

Karla Mendes on Brazil’s For-Profit Fire Disaster

The Amazon is burning. And we’re not talking about the ubiquitous online store, although profit and commerce are just as involved. According to preliminary data from the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research (INPE),  deforestation of the Amazon rose 92 percent in the past year to 2,472 square miles – an area larger than the state of Delaware. And these fires, while posing a grave risk for wildfires, are not naturally-occurring. These are for-profit fires, intentionally set and on the rise, fueled by a right-wing government hostile to environmental interests. This week on Sea Change Radio, we get an inside glimpse into this environmental disaster with Brazilian environmental journalist, Karla Mendes. A Contributing Editor to Mongabay, Mendes explains how the new right-wing government in Brazil has paved the way for deforestation and exploitation by big business in some of the world’s most pristine rain forests. Then, we cast our net to the archives and hear from sea forager extraordinaire, Kirk Lombard.

Jeremy Hance: From Bottleneck to Breakthrough

How do you usually react to the stream of dire warnings about climate change and wildlife extinction? Does it motivate you to do more to make a difference, or does it submerge you into depressed inertia? This week on Sea Change Radio, we speak with environmental journalist Jeremy Hance about his ongoing series for Mongabay which shines an encouraging light on the  future of our planet’s flora and fauna. Hance outlines the Bottleneck-to-Breakthrough theory and looks at the driving factors that may save our species and others from extinction. Who knew that earth science prognostications could actually serve as an antidote to climate change malaise?

Made In The Shade: Erik Hoffner on Agroforestry

Occam’s Razor is a principle that tells us that the simplest solution to a problem tends to be the correct one. Farmers around the world are abiding by this philosophy in droves by practicing agroforesty, an ancient agricultural technique that supports biodiversity while simultaneously sequestering carbon. This week on Sea Change Radio, we learn all about agroforestry from Erik Hoffner, an editor at Mongabay. Hoffner takes a look at examples of agroforestry efforts around the globe, examines recent investments into the sector and shows how it stacks up to large, industrial agricultural systems. As you’ll see, sometimes the best answers are right under our noses the whole time.

Keith Schneider: Malaysian Building Boom

Over the last few decades, the skyline of Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur has mushroomed – a conglomeration of skyscrapers highlighted by The Petronas Twin Towers, two of the world’s tallest buildings, now obscure the horizon in this rapidly-developing city. Is all this construction a good thing for the country? And to what extent are developers and the Malaysian government considering sustainability in this building spree? To better understand the environmental costs and benefits of Southeast Asia’s massive infrastructure developments, Mongabay sent correspondent Keith Schneider to Malaysia. Schneider is our guest today on Sea Change Radio. He gives us an overview of the construction projects, compares them to those of Malaysia’s neighbors in the region, and discusses the influx of Chinese capital flooding the country. As you will discover, Schneider came away from his visit with a surprisingly optimistic outlook on the country’s future.

Jeremy Hance on Big Conservation

JeremyHanceDo you ever wonder what impact well-known wildlife groups like the Nature Conservancy and the World Wildlife Fund are having? Our guest today on Sea Change Radio is Jeremy Hance, an environmental journalist whose recent four-part series for Mongabay.com, “Conservation, Divided,” thoughtfully investigates how the field of global wildlife conservation has changed over the past 30 years. In his discussion with host Alex Wise, Hance provides an overview of his investigation, evaluates the effectiveness of the four big global conservation groups, and talks about the philosophical and strategic debates that have emerged as these non-profits struggle to stop mass extinction.

Topical Tropical Dilemmas

RhettButlerMonoculture. It displaces native plant and animal species, it leads to long-term soil quality degradation, and, in tropical areas, it often means the razing of those beautifully bio-diverse, carbon-capturing rain forests. Our guest today on Sea Change Radio is Rhett Butler, the founder of the popular non-profit environmental science and conservation website, Mongabay. Read the show transcript

Rhett Butler on the Palm Oil Industry (re-broadcast)

RhettButlerpalmoilThe global expansion of the palm oil industry is one of the largest upheavals in modern agricultural history – and one that many Americans know nothing about. And yet palm oil is now everywhere in this country – in our food, our cosmetics and someday soon maybe even in our gas tanks.

This week on Sea Change Radio, we learn about the palm oil explosion over the past two decades from Rhett A. Butler, the founder of the popular environmental news website, Mongabay. Butler talks with host Alex Wise about the social, economic and environmental impact of this rapidly expanding crop in the tropical countries where it’s grown – and what measures are being taken to mitigate the damage that a monoculture like palm oil can inflict.

Rhett Butler on the Palm Oil Industry

RhettButlerpalmoilThe global expansion of the palm oil industry is one of the largest upheavals in modern agricultural history – and one that many Americans know nothing about. And yet palm oil is now everywhere in this country – in our food, our cosmetics and someday soon maybe even in our gas tanks.

This week on Sea Change Radio, we learn about the palm oil explosion over the past two decades from Rhett A. Butler, the founder of the popular environmental news website, Mongabay. Butler talks with host Alex Wise about the social, economic and environmental impact of this rapidly expanding crop in the tropical countries where it’s grown – and what measures are being taken to mitigate the damage that a monoculture like palm oil can inflict.