Earth Matters

Thousands of elephants are being abused for entertainment around Asia, according to a new report by the international non-profit animal welfare organization, World Animal Protection . In conjunction with World Elephant Day which was just celebrated on the 12th of August, we speak to Dr. Jan Schmidt-Burbach, a Senior wildlife and veterinary advisor at World Animal Protection about these troubling f...

By 2050, the world population will reach 9.5 billion, 70 per cent of which will live in resource-intensive urban areas. As economic growth also accelerates, the signals are getting clearer: the Earth’s natural resources and ecosystems will simply not support ‘business as usual’ for much longer. Goal 12 of the UN's sustainable development goals (SDGs) aims at ensuring sustainable...

The endless cycle of want and an unsustainable approach to growth and consumption has gotten the earth - and all of us in it - into a lot of trouble. Everything we consume comes from the natural world of finite resources, so how does one move away from uncontrolled consumption into a sustainable existence? We speak to Aurora Tin, who has embarked on a zero-waste lifestyle, consuming only what's ne...

Richard Heinberg is an American journalist and educator specialized in energy, economic, and ecological issues. A Senior Fellow at the Post Carbon Institute , Richard is considered one of the world’s foremost advocates for a shift away from our current reliance on fossil fuels. He joins us to discuss realistic avenues for transitioning to renewable energy, the environmental implications of e...

Oil palm plantations and smallholdings are expanding massively and ongoing research by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), points to the critical roles that women play as workers, smallholders and investors in the oil palm sector. However, gender issues are generally not considered in policies, certification bodies and regulations in the sector. We speak to Dr. Bimbika Sijapati...

In June 2016, Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL) issued a notice of a proposed development on a portion of land situated within Taman Rimba Kiara. Taman Rimba Kiara is one of the few remaining planned public parks of its size in KL, and serves as a treasured green lung and open space for thousands of Klang Valley residents. The Taman Tun Dr Ismail Residents Association are now taking legal action...

Apart from being extremely important for its vital role in provisioning water and other ecosystem services, the Greater Ulu Muda Forest harbours important wildlife and biodiversity and is a model for ecotourism done right. However, despite the recognition given to the need to conserve this rich area from as far back as 2003, today, a large proportion of the forest is not protected and still being...

It's estimated that each Malaysian consumes about 56.5 kg seafood per year - and that number rises annually. Driven by our insatiable demand for seafood, Malaysia’s fishery resources have been over-exploited and almost 90% of Malaysia’s bottom-dwelling fish stock in some fishing areas has declined due to unsustainable fishing practices, pushing fishery resources to the verge of collaps...

Many of us think of figs as just something to eat, but according to Rainforest Ecologist Mike Shanahan , fig trees have influenced humanity and the world around us in profound ways. He joins us to shed more light on figs and their many uses, and to discuss his book Gods, Wasps and Stranglers, which details the secret history and redemptive future of fig trees. See omnystudio.com/listener for priva...

Dr. David Gaveau combines satellites, drones and field investigations to study the impacts of humans on Earth’s land surface. He maps tropical deforestation, forest degradation and regeneration, agricultural developments, and landscape fires, and he also investigates the effectiveness of forest conservation interventions in Southeast Asia in reducing deforestation and fires. A scientist with...

This week on Earth Matters, we take a look at some news that's been brewing in Sabah - the proposal for the construction of a federal government road and bridge project into Sabah’s ecotourism hub of Sukau in Kinabatangan. The project has met fierce resistance from environmentalists, including world-renowned conservationist Sir David Attenborough, who believe that the project will cause irre...

Recognising that there's more to saving the planet than just not using plastic bags, this edition of Art For Grabs will tackle Environmentalism, and seeks to bring activists and the public together to tackle the problems plaguing our planet in creative and practical ways. We find out more from Arts for Grabs founder Pang Khee Teik, and also Carolyn Joan Lau, the Co-founder of environmental group S...

The ‘Anthropocene’ or the ‘age of humans’ is one which is defined by massive human impacts on the natural environment, to a point where that impact is actually visible in the geological record. The opinions that cluster around the term "  Anthropocene" vary greatly and have resulted in arguments both in favour and against the adoption of this concept. We find out more...

World Wildlife Day is celebrated globally on the 3rd of March, and this year's theme is "listen to the young voices." We speak to Jimmiel Mandima from the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), who joins us to discuss his organisation's efforts to  build schools in Africa that promote wildlife and environmental education, and also how and why the future of Africa's wildlife must be driven by Afri...

Researchers estimate that fewer than 100 Sumatran Rhinos remain in the wild, distributed among three wild populations in Sumatra. Have we reached the point of no return? We catch up with Dr. John Payne, Executive Director of the Bornean Rhino Alliance (BORA) to find out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Aaron Shunk is a geologist/ biologist with a passion for nature and science. He co-founded PubliSci.com, a non-profit crowdfunding website which seeks to break down the walls of inaccessibility to science by providing an online forum to share and build science for people anywhere the internet is available. He joins us to discuss his work and the importance of science communication. See omnystu...

The Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit project was launched in 2011, with the 51 kilometer Sungai Buloh - Kajang line the first phase to be completed in 2016. The MRT project aims to provide a convenient, safe and cost-efficient transport alternative, as well being as a more sustainable, eco-friendly and efficient way of moving people. But is the MRT really more environmentally friendly? We speak to...

A recent paper published in the academic journal Cogent Environmental Science presented the results of a multi-stakeholder exercise aimed at identifying conservation priorities in Peninsula Malaysia. The paper ranks 35 conservation priorities, which the authors hope will influence the work of policy-makers and others in Peninsula Malaysia and be used as a model to identify conservation priorities...

For indigenous peoples, the recent UN Biodiversity Convention was as crucial platform to highlight their role in the sustainable use of biodiversity. Most of the world’s biodiversity is found within areas customarily governed by indigenous peoples, so engaging with the custodians of the land and sea is necessary if the planet’s biodiversity is to be safeguarded and used sustainably. Bu...

For indigenous peoples, the recent UN Biodiversity Convention was as crucial platform to highlight their role in the sustainable use of biodiversity. Most of the world’s biodiversity is found within areas customarily governed by indigenous peoples, so engaging with the custodians of the land and sea is necessary if the planet’s biodiversity is to be safeguarded and used sustainably. Bu...

Back in June last year, a group of 40 scientists banded together and co-authored a scientific paper for the Oxford Journal, BioScience, which painted a grim picture of the future of the planet’s megafauna. In essence, if we continued on the same trajectory that we are currently on, massive species extinction would occur, with dire consequences for us all. One of the co-authors of that paper,...

In this second and final part of our look-back at the top environment stories of 2016 that we featured on Earth Matters, we revisit topics like Combating the Illegal Wildlife Trade: The Legal Trade Option, Building a Sustainable Economy in a World of Finite Resources, De-gazetting Forest Reserves for Highways, Prospects for the Environment Under President Trump and The Temiar Community and their r...

It's December already, and with only two working Mondays for the month, we start our Earth Matters look-back at the top environment issues that plagued us for the year. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Smooth-coated otters returned to Singapore a few years ago after a long absence and an extremely active group of enthusiasts, both scientists and nonscientists, have been following the otters antics almost daily. Technology and online conventions have enabled people to collect a large quantity of high quality behavioural data, which scientists may not necessarily have had access to. Joining us to...

Climate change denier Donald Trump has won the 2016 presidential race. What are the environmental prospects under Trump and how does that tie to ecological economics? Would President Donald J. Trump spell the end for environmental progress? Author and economist Rob Dietz, who co-authored the book “Enough is Enough: Building a Sustainable Economy in a World of Finite Resources” joins us...