Life on Planet A

This week we speak with Ph. D. researcher, Babet de Groot.  We discuss: the plastic problem ocean gyres Biodegradable vs. degradable The Great Pacific Garbage Patch and the difficulty in controlling/governing plastic in the mid-ocean. UN Conventions for Ocean Plastic NSW Plastic Discussion Plan Babet is currently researching at the Department of Government and International Relations at the Univer...

Heidi talks to the listeners for a short rant to discuss the David Goggins Challenge she and her friend Diana are doing this week. She also gives an update about Life on Planet A and what is in store for the future.  Heidi and Diana wanted to run the 4/4/48 challenge to raise money for Deadly Science. Deadly Science's aim is to provide science books and early reading material to remote school...

Part 2 or our talk with Tierney George - a graduate transport engineer at GHD, she is passionate about creating a safe, efficient and sustainable transport future She wrote a thesis entitled, "The contribution of zero emission vehicles in meeting Queensland’s carbon targets". T he reason that this is an important topic is that transport is one of the top three polluting sectors in Austra...

Heidi spoke with Saul Griffith this week and had a great chat about life, climate change, hydrogen, and some of the work Saul has done throughout this career. It was a pleasure speaking with him and this is one of my favorite chats so far. A bit of background on Saul, he is an inventor and entrepreneur but was trained as an engineer.  He received his Ph. D. at MIT in the junction between materials...

This talk is with Tierney George who is a graduate transport engineer at GHD, she is passionate about creating a safe, efficient, and sustainable transport future She wrote a thesis entitled, "The contribution of zero-emission vehicles in meeting Queensland’s carbon targets". T he reason that this is an important topic is that transport is one of the top three polluting sectors in Austra...

EPISODE #28: Climate and Energy Policy with Richard Merzian from the Australian Institute. Richie Merzian is the inaugural Climate & Energy Program Director at The Australia Institute. Richie is a former Australian Government representative to the UN climate change conference and worked at the Department of Climate Change and the Department of Foreign Affairs for almost a decade on both domest...

PART 2 of our chat with   Anthony Parrington ! For our final episode on Energy we're going to talk about green cement, steel and hydrogen.  You'll learn: What is hydrogen?  How do we use it for energy? Get your chemistry hat on tight! We're in for a bumpy ride What is green cement and steel (hint: not just a pretty colour) Can we store energy in hyrogen batteries? Is this viable com...

In our final episode for the year, we reflect on this crazy year: we take a look at some of our favourite guests, discuss sustainable gift ideas, New Year's resolutions, and a positive outlook to the future. We are super excited to be making this podcast and want to thank everyone for your support this year! Into the new year, we will continue to make podcasts and learn with you all.  There i...

Strap your chemistry hats on because this week we're learning all about hydrogen with engineer and hydrogen expert,  Anthony Parrington . You'll learn about: Basic definitions of hydrogen and fuel cells Collecting waste from cows & wastewater to turn into hydrogen  Hydrogen is already used in crude oil and petrol production Biomass gasification  Useful links: Australias National Hydr...

This is part 2 of our incredible conversation with Shane Quinnell about renewable energy and the future of energy in Australia. This week you'll learn about: What does the future of wind and solar look like in Aus? What are the roadblocks slowing down our renewable future? Do wind turbines injure as many cats as Trump claims? Enjoy and let us know what you think by tagging @lifeonplaneta and...

This week we speak to motivational speaker and renewable energy Jedi, Shane Quinnell from Akuo Energy ! You'll learn about: - life advice on how to be resilient and bounce back from hard situations  - solar and the different forms (residential, utility solar, industrial, concentrated)   - the state of renewable energy in Australia  Let us know what you think by tagging @lifeonplaneta on your...

This is the final segment of our interview with the incredible Stephen Hinchliffe. We will be discussing and learning about hydrogen energy, the uptake of EVs and how they compare to hydrogen, hot sediment aquifers (what are those!?), and the potential of geothermal energy in Australia. As always, let us know what you think or if you have any questions by getting in touch on our socials! Support t...

Part 2 of our series on Energy with Stephen Hinchcliffe. We discussed the extra expenses involved with manufacturing wind and solar which are come from more grid infrastructure and power storage being put in place. In the future, renewable energy will be a mix and Stephen thinks nuclear should be considered as a part of the energy mix.  Benefits of Nuclear: The new nuclear reactors have less waste...

Part 1 of our chat with Stephen Hinchcliffe. About Stephen: Stephen is a Chartered Engineer (UK), a Fellow of the Institute of Engineering and Technology (UK), has a Ph. D. in power inverter technologies, Masters’ degrees in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Business Administration and in Commercial Law with more than twenty-five years' energy sector working on projects in the UK, Europe...

This week we interviewed our friend Regina who works with her family in creating pineapple shoes. The pineapple shoe company is called Westrive. The companies mission is to minimize waste by creating vegan, biodegradable, ethical shoes from plant-based materials. Designed in Australia, sustainably handmade in Hungary, Europe . There are issues with traditional shoes but Westrive is trying to resol...

This week Heidi and Bella talk about something we all know (and probably love): something that gets you up on the early, frosty mornings, something that gets you through the uni all-nighters and 8 am lectures...coffee, of course! This week we spoke with David Siegel, the Head of the Sustainability Scale at Tripod Coffee . What you'll learn: Tripod Coffee is an Aussie brand creating certified...

Here's Part 2 of our talk with Kel and Em from FolkTribe Clothing ! In Part 2 we talk about: why use hemp fabric? what are the benefits? Heidi's obsession with robots What can individuals do to be fashionable and sustainable? Thank you Kel and Em for joining us, we had so much fun talking to you!  Support the show

This week we're continuing with our theme on consumerism, by looking at what sustainable fashion can look like in practice. Heidi and Bella spoke to Kel and Em, two sisters sustainably leading the way. Kel and Em founded Folktribe Clothing ​ - a clothing brand that makes beautiful, timeless, and 100% biodegradable dresses. Every part of their design is thought of from the fibers to the dye, t...

Part 2 of our chat with Jo Cramer! This week we look at Dr. Jo Cramer’s fascinating solution to fast fashion - extending the garment-USE phase. This week we talk about: what is the ‘living wardrobe’? how to extend your garment lifetime how important are consumers and influencers in promoting slow fashion? what can you do as an individual to be fashionably sustainable? Find Jo's website '...

EPISODE #14: What is fast fashion and what are our other options? This week we spoke with Dr. Jo Cramer from RMIT about fast fashion and her thesis "Outfit From the Living Wardrobe". This week we learn about: What is Fast Fashion? What is Slow fashion? How does fast fashion affect the environment? Stay tuned next week for Part 2 where we learn the solutions Jo is proposing (hint: she foc...

This week you'll hear from... Heidi and Bella! We want to answer one of sustainability's biggest questions: what can we do as individuals to help the planet? We'll cover some of the big and small changes you can make to slow the climate emergency and help the planet. Topics include: Veganism/plant-based diet Collective action Travel consciously (less flying) Reduce waste & reduc...

This week we spoke with Simone Unanue about her work as a sustainable architect and as sustainability manager for the 2016 Rio Olympics and 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. She even had to manage dogs and alligators as part of her work! In this ep we cover:  - sustainable infrastructure rating tools (LEED, HQE, BREEAM) - how sustainable supply chains work on small scales and large scales (e.g....

This week we spoke with activist and researcher Daisy Charlesworth about cooperative cohousing projects around the world. Here are the key points: why is it unsustainable to buy/own investment properties? what are cohousing and cooperative housing? what do cohousing and cooperative housing look like in practice? Here are the links for some of the projects discussed: Nightingale Housing , Melbourne...

This week we were honoured to be joined by Prof. David Schlosberg, Director of the Sydney Environment Institute and Professor of Environmental Politics in the Department of Government and International Relations at the University of Sydney.  You'll learn: What is environmental justice? What is multi-species justice? Can we give rights to the environment? How can we put this into practice? How...

This week we spoke with Corey Tutt,  an Indigenous mentor and STEM champion. He is the founder of DeadlyScience, an initiative that provides science books and early reading material to remote schools in Australia. Tutt is the 2020 NSW Young Australian of the Year and he was born in Nowra, New South Wales. He is an aboriginal of Kamilaroi country. We spoke with Corey about Deadly Science and some o...