Earth Matters

According to the WWF, half of the world's original forest cover has been lost over the past 50 years. This has resulted in the entire ecosystem falling apart, and with that, dire consequences for us all. The Tropical Rainforest Conservation Research Centre (TRCRC) aims to reintroduce rare and endangered rainforest plant species back into its native habitats in Malaysia and we find out how from TRC...

On today’s show, we discussed how everyday landscapes have the potential to serve environmental, social and cultural functions. We are joined by LAr. Norliza Mohd Yusof, Member of the Institute of Landscape Architects Malaysia (ILAM) to find out more about the organisation’s passion for organising and developing green spaces. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Adam Algar is an ecologist, macro-ecologist, biogeographer, herpetologist, and evolutionary biologist whose research focuses on how climate affects the evolution and ecology of organisms, especially lizards in the Caribbean and Southeast Asia. He joins us to discuss his work and the research he's conducting in Malaysia and the serious repercussions of a world without lizards. See omnystudio.co...

A recent study titled “Fruit Gardens Enhance Mammal Diversity and Biomass in a Southeast Asian Rainforest” has found that the traditional practices of local indigenous people can have some benefits for animal conservation. We spoke to two of the researchers from the study, Jonathan Moore and Dr. Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz, who investigated the role of the Chewong community's fruit gardens in...

Professor David Macdonald is the founder and director of the University of Oxford’s Wildlife Conservation Unit or WildCRU as it's better known, one of the most high-profile science-based conservation groups in the world. We caught up with the multiple award-winning professor, to discuss his work as an academic, author, film-maker, and policy adviser, and his efforts to popularise biology wit...

It's estimated that at least 100 million sharks are killed every year for their fins. Malaysia has been identified as among the world's largest shark's fin consumers and this demand has led to an alarming decline of shark numbers, which in turn affects the wider ecosystem, including all of us. We speak to Wong Siew Lyn and Wong Wee Liem, from the MNS Marine Group and Wong Si Peng, a scuba instruct...

Malaysians are turning Facebook into a wildlife marketplace, driving a roaring and often illegal trade in iconic and threatened animals, according to a new report from TRAFFIC. The “Trading Faces: A Rapid Assessment on the use of Facebook to Trade Wildlife in Peninsular Malaysia” report has revealed that the rise of social media has enabled the creation of a thriving marketplace for wi...

Last week, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak launched the revised National Policy on Biological Diversity, which has outlined five key principles in biodiversity management. Chee Yoke Ling, the Director of Programmes at the Third World Network, joins us to analyse the revised policies and to discuss whether these revisions will suffice, to help fulfil Malaysia’s obligations under the Uni...

Dr. Louisa Ponnampalam and Fairul Izmal Jamal Hisne, the co-founders of The MareCet Research Organization, joined us to give some factual afterthoughts about the whale that was stranded and died in Batu Pahat, Johor last week. They cleared up some misleading facts that were put out in the news about the incident, which include the wrong species of whale being cited, among many other factual errors...

It’s no revelation that most travellers don't worry about the problems of the world and take into account environmental and social sustainability when making travel plans. Andrew Sebastian, the Co-Founder and CEO of the Ecotourism & Conservation Society of Malaysia (ECOMY) joins us to make the case for why we should all opt for sustainable tourism choices, and to help sift through 'green...

Citizen science involves everyday people who volunteer to help scientists with their research, and it is widely regarded as a tool for creating public awareness on many environmental issues. We chat with John-James Wilson, Jisming See and Gary Sing, co-authors of the citizen science project “The First Peninsular Malaysia Butterfly Count”, to find out more about the benefits of such stu...

Hailed as a turning point for action to limit climate change below dangerous levels, The Conference of Parties (COP) 21 Climate Change Summit in Paris last December saw 195 countries come together to adopt a universal and legally binding global climate deal. We speak to Professor Gurdial Singh Nijar, Lead Spokesmen for Like Minded Developing Countries and His Excellency Christophe Penot, Ambassado...

Called a true ninja of sustainability, Sir Jonathon Porritt has more than 40 years of work dedicated to the field of environmental sustainability. Founder Director and Trustee of Forum for the Future, Sir Jonathan is also the co-chair of the High Carbon Stock Study, which hopes to enable oil palm to be grown more sustainably. He joins us to discuss the results of the study.  See omnystudio.co...

It was another dismal year for the environment, what with the haze, continued deforestation, loss of wildlife and the pervasive effects of climate change among others. We take stock of the environmental issues of the year past with Dr. Sundari Ramakrishna, the Conservation Director at WWF-Malaysia and Prof. Dr. Ahmad Ismail, the Vice President of the Malaysian Nature Society. See omnystudio.com/li...

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is committed to protecting the world's wildlife. With a goal to conserve the world's largest wild places in 15 priority regions, home to more than 50% of the planet's biodiversity, they are facing no easy task. We find out more about the society's work from Merdeka Award winner Dr. Elizabeth Bennett, the Vice President of Species Conservation at WCS and Whit...

Malaysian botanist Dr Francis Ng's research areas cover tropical plants, forests, landscapes and gardens. He has worked across the globe, including in Rome for the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) as Chief of Forest Research, Education and Training. We talk to him about his life's work in the areas of forestry, horticulture and agriculture. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor...

It's estimated that the world's population might hit 11 billion by 2050, and understandably with that will come an increase in the demand for food as well. But in a world where resources will steadily become scarce and volatile, how do we increase the world’s food supply without clearing the world’s remaining forests? We discuss the need to strike a balance between food security and na...

Exactly a week from now, on the 30th of November, countries will gather in Paris for the much anticipated COP21 negotiations. Over the past three weeks we have covered a series of the talk’s dimensions. We discussed the science of climate change and importance of the conference, and covered two pivotal issues surrounding COP21: the developed world and the developing world along with the mean...

In order to make the necessary shifts and implement greener policies, developing countries require sufficient funding, technologies and institutional capacity and developed countries need to accept their responsibilities and help. In the third episode of COP21, we explore another pivotal issue for the COP21 negotiations in Paris, implementation.  We speak to Sivan Kartha, a senior scient...

The notion of development must take a turn away from fossil fuels, but to achieve this, both developed and developing countries have to pull their respective weights and uphold a “common but differentiated responsibility”. But what does this really mean? In the second episode of COP21, we discuss the conflicting interests of the developed and the developing world, particularly with reg...

Climate change is expected to cost the world trillions of dollars in economic damage aside from the irreparable environmental impact some communities are facing even now. Considering the urgency, are our world leaders doing enough in the fight against climate change? On the 30th of November, COP21, also known as the 2015 Paris Climate Conference, will gather global stakeholders to what will be one...

By now a frequent topic of daily conversation and a pest we can’t seem to get rid of. Every year, Malaysians become more and more familiar with the haze. However, until and if we address the root of the problem, this problem won’t go away. What is this root? Dr. S. Paramananthan claims it is simply the burning of peatlands, and as long as this doesn’t change, neither will our air...

A bill to adopt nuclear energy to generate power may be tabled soon, in the next parliamentary sitting which starts in October. But Malaysia’s anti-nuclear lobby has already voiced concerns over its safety, and the lack of public consultation. So what exactly are the government’s plans for nuclear power, and how will it be carried out? Joining us to discuss this are DAP’s Charles...

Faith plays a prominent role in the lives of many, and as the issue of climate change becomes more pressing by the day, alternative, innovative measures are being taken to address it. The interfaith dialogue on climate change works to advocate for climate change at communal and individual levels by appealing to different representations of faith and the importance that the environment, and its pro...

The East and West coasts of Peninsular Malaysia and the coasts of Sabah and Sarawak are home to 27 species of dolphins, whales, porpoises and dugongs. However, marine mammals in Malaysia are being threatened by increased levels of pollution in our waters. As our country embarks on the journey to development, the conditions of our waters are being neglected. Speaking to us about these challenges is...