Earth Matters

Last year, the world woke up to the climate emergency. Many of us were also jolted by the global report by the International Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, which details how humans have dramatically reconfigured life on the planet. With around one million animal and plant species now threatened with extinction, many within decades, how do we decide on what species to save, and how d...

We revisit some of the best interviews from Earth Matters, from 2019. On this episode, we look at the climate crisis , and whether ASEAN’s approach to address this global crisis is moving quickly enough, and in the right direction. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Seagrasses are submerged flowering plants with deep roots that are found in meadows along the shore of every continent except Antarctica. Although they get little attention, seagrasses are a vital part of the marine ecosystem - per hectare, seagrasses can store up to twice as much carbon than terrestrial forests. Sadly, they are among the world’s most threatened ecosystems, with annual globa...

Wildlife crime is big business. Run by dangerous international networks, wildlife and animal parts are trafficked much like illegal drugs and arms. Though almost impossible to obtain reliable figures for the value of the illegal wildlife trade, experts at TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, estimates that it runs into billions of dollars. What role does corruption play in all of this?...

With the reduced cost of renewable technologies and rising innovation, mini-grids are a growing opportunity in emerging markets, one which is already reducing fuel consumption, lowering emissions and driving energy access. Estimates show that to achieve universal access to electricity by 2030, 40 percent of all installed capacity will have to come from mini grids. Ayu Abdullah is the Regional Dire...

Dr. Jane Goodall is considered to be the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees. Her extensive research into the behaviour of chimpanzees, which first started in Africa in the 1960s, is said to have fundamentally altered scientific thinking about the relationship between humans and other mammals. We caught up with her to discuss how a young Englishwoman winded up revolutionizing primate scien...

The orangutan is an iconic primate which inhabits the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra. Over the past several decades however, its habitat has been cleared and encroached upon, with one of the most serious threats being the clearing of their forest homes for palm oil plantations. We discuss the threats and challenges facing orangutans today, and whether certified sustainable palm oil is the way t...

MyForest Watch was launched back in 2017, and looks at Malaysia’s natural heritage, our forests, and how non-state actors - non-governmental organisations, civil societies, local communities, the private sector and the public – can inform and change policies towards better forest governance. We find out more about this five-year project from Dr Hum Gurung, who is the Regional Coordinat...

Pig-tailed macaques have a bad reputation as crop raiders, widely regarded as a pest in agricultural crops, including oil palm. But a new study shows they only cause only relatively minor losses in palm oil yield, and more importantly, they actively search for rats, a major oil palm pest. So are macaques acting as a biological pest control in oil palm plantations fringing their forest habitat? We...

If you're lucky enough, you might spot an Oriental Pied hornbill flying around Taman Rimba Kiara in Taman Tun Dr Ismail. You can also catch sight of other species of birds like Brahminy Kites, Crested Goshawks, and this past week, you might have even seen flocks of Purple-backed Starlings. This small and threatened urban park is an ideal ground for bird watching, and is teeming with other wildlife...

Clean air is a basic human right, but a lot of people are deprived of it. Two thirds of the cities in the world with adequate air quality data are suffering from dangerous levels of pollution, and this is having a significant impact on human health. So how exactly is it impacting us, and what can be done about it? Joining us to discuss this and more is Karine Leger, the Managing Director of Airpar...

Since their launch in April 2016, The Lost Food Project has been working to rescue food, reduce waste and fight hunger in Malaysia. The organisation was recently appointed as strategic partners of Yayasan Food Bank, and they have also been working with the government on the Food Donor Protection Bill 2019, which was approved by the Dewan Rakyat last week. Ahead of World Food Day this Wednesday, Th...

Dr Jean McNeil is a novelist, poet and essayist, and was writer-in-residence with the British Antarctic Survey for a few months, and has since made several trips to the Antarctic region and to the Arctic. Her memoir and polar travel narrative "Ice Diaries" was named as one of the best nature books by The Guardian in the UK in 2018. She joins us to discuss her experiences as a writer in Antarctica,...

Dr Jean McNeil is a novelist, poet and essayist, and was writer-in-residence with the British Antarctic Survey for a few months, and has since made several trips to the Antarctic region and to the Arctic. Her memoir and polar travel narrative "Ice Diaries" was named as one of the best nature books by The Guardian in the UK in 2018. She joins us to discuss her experiences as a writer in Antarctica,...

A lifelong campaigner for the people of Sarawak, Peter Kallang, the chairman of the SAVE Rivers Network, was very recently honoured with the 2019 Seacology Prize , for leading a successful campaign to halt the construction of the Baram Dam. The prize is awarded to people for protecting island environments, and Peter is the first Sarawakian and the second Malaysian to receive this honour, for his w...

The Monitor Conservation Research Society (Monitor) is a nonprofit organization that works to end illegal and unsustainable wildlife trade. Founded by Dr Chris Shepherd, we find out more about the work that they do, which includes research into often overlooked and lesser-known species that are also traded illegally. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The proposed Papar Dam Project in Sabah, if constructed, would displace more than 3,200 people, and affected communities are also concerned that the dam will have adverse environmental impacts, destroy burial sites and submerge land over which they hold native customary title. Water supply is a serious issue, but should it come at the expense of human rights or the environment? Ahead of Malaysia D...

The proposed Papar Dam Project in Sabah, if constructed, would displace more than 3,200 people, and affected communities are also concerned that the dam will have adverse environmental impacts, destroy burial sites and submerge land over which they hold native customary title. Water supply is a serious issue, but should it come at the expense of human rights or the environment? Ahead of Malaysia D...

The proposed Papar Dam Project in Sabah, if constructed, would displace more than 3,200 people, and affected communities are also concerned that the dam will have adverse environmental impacts, destroy burial sites and submerge land over which they hold native customary title. Water supply is a serious issue, but should it come at the expense of human rights or the environment? Ahead of Malaysia D...

Dr Gary Theseira, the Special Functions Officer to the Minister of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change tells us more about how the ministry is promoting sustainability for businesses in the private sector. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reef Check Malaysia (RCM) is a non-profit organisation that was registered to raise awareness of the importance of our coral reefs. With International Coastal Cleanup Day coming up in September, we speak to the General Manager, Julian Hyde about what they’re doing this year and to tell us more about how the community can get involved. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A shopping centre in Shah Alam has found a sustainable way to manage food waste by recycling them into animal feed and farm fertiliser. We find out how they’re doing this from Anthony Dylan - COO of CPN Malaysia See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

International Congress for Conservation Biology (or ICCB) was held last month in Kuala Lumpur from 21-25 July 2019. On today’s show, we look at some of the highlights of the event and discuss the impact of such big expensive conferences for local conservation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysians reportedly dispose no less than 3,000 metric tonnes of food daily. These are foods that are still fit for consumption. The Lost Food Project rescues quality and nutritious surplus food that would otherwise end up in the landfill. Suzanne Mooney, the founder of The Lost Food Project joins us on the show to talk about some of their recent campaigns to reduce food waste in t...

The Malayan Tiger has been critically endangered for years now. Yet, with ecologists and tiger conservation groups sounding the alarm on their imminent extinction, are we doing enough to make tiger protection a priority? For this year’s Global Tiger Day, we take a look at some of the conservation efforts being carried out to curb this issue. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informatio...