Earth Matters

Benny Zable and Tarneen Onus Browne have filed a legal challenge in the Federal Court against Victoria Police's decision to declare Melbourne's CBD and surrounding suburbs a "designated area" for six months, enabling officers to conduct warrantless pat-down searches across the entire CBD, and making it an offence to refuse a search. Links:Benny Zable webpageProtester statue proposed for Byron Bay....

In this episode, host Keiran Stewart-Assheton looks at the propaganda we are sold around ethical consumption, particularly in the form of "green" energy, electric cars and carbon offsets. He asks Who really pays for this? Are we sacrificing lives for lifestyle? Can individual lifestyle choices truly make an impact?

John Seed explains how modern economics functions as a powerful, unrecognised religion, driving environmental destruction and social inequality, and that unmasking it is crucial for planetary survival. John is the co-founder of the Rainforest Information Centre and, for over forty years, has facilitated hundreds of transformative experiential Deep Ecology, also known as the work that reconnects. F...

Six weeks ago, billionaire businessman Clive Palmer lost a $300 billion case against the Australian government when the High Court determined that he is not, in fact, a Singaporean investor. It may sound absurd, but Palmer’s case had potential – and he has three more similar cases in the works. Across the globe, fossil fuel companies are taking up a secret weapon against climate action: it’s baked...

What would you guess is the largest environmental threat to our iconic deserts? Feral animals? Contaminated or depleted water tables? Desertification? Actually, it’s a grass. Since its introduction in the 1960s and 70s, and particularly in the last couple of decades, buffel grass has spread like wildfire through central so-called Australia. It’s wreaking havoc on fragile arid ecosystems, and ranks...

Angelica Mantikas from Market Forces details the environmental, social, and financial risks associated with APA Group's proposed pipelines in Australia's Northern Territory, which would enable extensive gas fracking in the Beetaloo Basin. Angelica explains Market Forces' strategies to oppose APAs' plans. Angelica is a first-generation Greek-Australian hailing from the island of Chios, Greece. She...

In this episode of Earth Matters, host Keiran talks about the rocket testing being undertaken by Southern Launch, discussing its impacts on the local environment, Aboriginal community and Aboriginal culture; the dangers it is posing to people undertaking cultural duties within the testing range; as well as the campaigns against this testing being undertaken by senior Kokatha Elder and Nobel Peace...

This show is the second of two parts on the tricky and crucial work of speaking with young people about the climate: conversations with two educators on opposite sides of the world.  Jonathan Noble is the Director of the School of Nature and Climate at CERES Community Environment Park, Narrm (melbourne), which every year delivers climate education programs to thousands of learners. His previous wo...

Talking about climate change is hard. And for those of us who work, live or spend time with young people, it can be especially difficult to work out how to balance the harsh realities of present and future impacts; communicate accurately about what can be done; and respond to the feelings that come up for us and for the kids we care about. On this show, Mia brings you interviews with two climate a...

In September, the federal Government made an announcement that sent shockwaves through the community of climate activists and advocates: a 2035 climate target range of 62 to 70 % below 2005 levels. The lead-up to the announcement saw hundreds of groups calling for an ambitious target, many advocating for net-zero. Now they’re left reeling.  Today, I bring you interviews with two leaders in the cli...

Western hubris about water leads to really bad water policy - kate harridenAustralia’s First Peoples looked after the country’s waterscapes for millennia before colonisation brought Western ways that exclude their contribution. This week on Earth Matters Wiradyuri woman and indigenous water expert kate harriden (link is external) from the Monash Sustainable Development Institute (link is external)...

Follow the Money. Use “Market Forces” to go Fossil FreeMarket Forces provides free independent research and analysis online, assisting people who want to learn more about making their superannuation and banking fossil-free. It is a small group with a big impact, driving the shift away from fossil fuels towards ethical, climate-responsible investment in clean energy. Brett Morgan, the Australian Ca...

Israel's miltary annihilation of Gaza and the Palestinian population has been described as the world’s first live-streamed genocide. While the horrific loss of human life and catastrophic humanitarian conditions imposed on Palestinian people have dominated mainstream media output, other crises are also unfolding.  This week’s episode of Earth Matters explores the ongoing destruction of Palestinian...

How do we tell stories about a world in climate crisis?  What is the role of writers and storytellers at this critical ecological time? And do the narratives we tell drive climate action or exacerbate the doom and gloom? This week on Earth Matters we hear from two Australian climate advocates grappling with these very questions.   Gen Z millennial Connie Gamble is a Masters student of Public Polic...

On today’s show, we hear from two first nations advocates from the frontlines of the climate battle. They touch on climate change impacts in their communities; their fight to protect Country, and why First Nations voices must be front and centre.  Rosaline Parker is a Pasifika advocate and cultural consultant based in Western Sydney. Her work includes empowering young pacific leaders to engage in...

This episode of Earth Matters investigates the toxic legacy of waste on stolen Aboriginal land, from the radioactive scars of nuclear testing and uranium mining to the invisible spread of PFAS “forever chemicals” in our waterways. Drawing on stories from Maralinga, Kakadu, and the Blue Mountains, and with a personal reflection on Wreck Bay, the program explores how contamination doesn’t just harm...

Georgia and Angel from Seed introduce Australia’s indigenous youth climate action movement, their activities, and strategic plan for the next three years and goals to:to ban fracking in the Kimberley,a ban on fossil fuels across the continent,a significant presence at COP31 train 500 young peopleand more !Donate here  to help Seed achieve its goals

This week on Earth Matters we put the spotlight on the devastating South Australian algal phenomena that is rocking communities and scientists. While the causes of the bloom are becoming clearer, there are many unknowns, making the future difficult to predict. Ngarrindjeri elder Derek Walker is among the many facing uncertainty arising from the bloom. He is a sustainable fisherman harvesting kutis...

Dr Radha Wagle started life caring for goats in a Nepalese village.  She tells her story, how she came from there to lead Nepal's delegation in international climate negotiations. Radha somehow manages to find humour in  the  challenges women face in leadership roles within environmental sectors. Sophie Hardefeldt talks about the need for feminist system change to ensure women's voices are heard a...

Earth Matters presents local, national and international grassroots perspectives on environmental concerns and broadcasts weekly to a national audience since 1996. In this episode, host Keiran interviews Manju from the Australian Nuclear Free Alliance and discusses the importance of the upcoming annual ANFA conference. Links mentioned in show:https://australianmap.netwww.foe.org,au/anfa_donatehttp...

 "So we refuse that idea that we can accept any forms of gender-based violence and any forms that kill ourselves, other species and the living planet." Noelene Nabulivou, Pacific Islands Feminist Alliance for Climate Justice Fiji Every day around the globe women are protecting and defending human rights and nature. At the recent Global Women's Assembly for Climate Justice (link is external) grassr...

It’s been three months since we sent a clear message at the ballot box: climate action matters. In the lead-up, communities fought hard, running creative actions, countering fossil fuels propaganda and mobilising people to have impactful conversations.  In this episode, we hear stories from the frontlines of the energy election, about what unified communities in the fight for renewables. We need t...

"So many different voices” is about the ways that we bring diverse voices into all the roomsFive speakers representing student women, rural women, First Nations women, women with disabilities, and older women share their experiences of how to bring these marginalized voices into climate discussions, negotiations, and decisions to achieve better outcomes. Conference participants from the Victorian...

Australia’s most prolific killer isn’t a mining company or a bulldozer — it’s the common cat. Feral and domestic cats are responsible for over 2 billion native animal deaths every year, pushing species to extinction and decimating ecosystems across the continent. In this hard-hitting episode, Keiran Stewart-Assheton exposes the scale of the cat crisis, busts myths about pet cats, and lays down a n...

Climate change is upon us. We are the first responders. How will we keep each other safe? How will we meet our needs? Who gets to have a say? These questions, and many others, are being tackled by everyday people in the movement for climate adaptation. In their stories is a wealth of inspiration, as well as crucial knowledge for an increasingly pressing project.  If you, along with me, and three q...