The Climate Conscious Podcast

The Oceans feed us, protect us, provide for our livelihoods and serve as carbon sinks. Despite the many benefits offered by the ocean, the reports are that our oceans are collapsing from the impacts of over-exploitation, habitat destruction, climate change and pollution. Derval Barzey chats with Dani Nembhard, environmental consultant, marine scientist and climate justice advocate, about the value...

Looking at the SDG Index ranking of 165 countries, at least 7 Caribbean countries are not ranked. For the Caribbean countries that were ranked, it ranged from 49/ 165 for Cuba, to 150/ 165 for Haiti. In many cases there were data gaps. So while this gives us an idea of the region’s performance when benchmarked against this internationally accepted framework, is this a reliable tool for us to use?...

“A nation that cannot feed itself is not free” A rural woman, first and foremost, todays guest is an advocate and changemaker in the fields of gender equity in agriculture and rural development in St. Lucia. Keithlin Caroo is the founder of ‘Helen’s Daughters’ a regionally recognized nonprofit organization that focuses on rural women’s economic empowerment through advocacy, capacity development an...

Welcome to Season 4 of The Climate Conscious Podcast! I’m your host Derval Barzey.  If it’s your first time tuning in, Welcome! Or, maybe you joined us along the way, during our 3 seasons, It’s so great to have you. & if you’ve been here our very first episode in April 2020, welcome back! Thank you for being a part of the climate conscious community!   The Climate Conscious Podcast, is an inde...

"Too many people tell us what to do." On the Season 3 Finale, Host Derval Barzey chats with Dr Masao Ashtine about the role of research in shaping the Caribbean's sustainable future:  His vision for Caribbean Sustainability The urgency of homegrown innovation to mitigate our reliance on external drivers Developing the region's human and research capacity and embracing the diasp...

Is it all too late? Too late to save the planet from human-induced climate impacts? Keeping up with global events: flooding, hurricanes, wildfires...can take us down the rabbit hole of doom and gloom, even inducing Climate anxiety. Acknowledging the gravity of the situation, conservation biologist, educator and author-illustrator Alan Hesse uses his graphic novels as a storytelling vehicle to empo...

Net Zero vs Absolute Zero. How do we break our carbon addiction? Reformed hopium dealer Paul Martin shares his insights on a pathway to a truly sustainable future for energy systems. Mr. Paul Martin has a Bachelors and a Masters degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Waterloo, in Ontario, Canada.  He spent the first five years of his career in the water treatment and environmental r...

In this new climate era how do we integrate People, Planet and the Built Environment?  LEED Accredited Professional Ms. Alyssa-Amor Gibbons chats with host Derval Barzey about  A  holistic approach to design, construction and use of buildings:  Sustainable design and what it means to be Net Zero How  buildings influence human health And given that the Caribbean region is already locked in to Clima...

Contrasting greatly with existing economic models, Open Source Circular Economy is about living well within limits, a  global trade in the sharing of ideas and solutions instead of physical stuff. It prioritises sharing resources over individual ownership; use of abundant resources over finite resources, the whole system over individual components, optimising local ecosystems for resilience. It fo...

Originating in the Caribbean island, Guadeloupe, this tech startup  offers an innovative solution for our NetZero future. SMO® Solar process uses solar power to recycle carbon and produce green hydrogen. SMO® Solar process address three critical sustainability issues: Waste Management , Sustainable Resource Use and Reducing Carbon Emissions. This modular unit has been designed with the Caribbean i...

Personal values and the desire for change and the objective of making an impact brought together three professionals from varied backgrounds in pursuit of sustainability. Semoy Francis, Daryll Griffith and Brendon James co-founded Green Intelligence Business Solutions Limited  to help bring about the much needed sustainability transition. Green Intelligence Business Solutions Limited is an advisor...

Ignighted by her love for Trinidad and Tobago Carnival, an appreciation for the environment, and an aversion to over consumption, Danii Mcletchie co-founded Carnicycle to bridge the gap between carnival culture and sustainability. On this episode host Derval Barzey sits down with Danii to discuss becoming plastic positive. This social entrepreneur gives new life to single-use plastic used in costu...

What do you get when you mix rum with sargassum? In the Caribbean you get an innovative climate solution. Host Derval Barzey and Dr. Legena Henry discuss this Caribbean-based, low-carbon solution addressing the issue of sargassum blooms and the greening of the transportation sector. Dr. Henry is fostering innovation among undergraduate students at University of the West Indies, Cave Hill in the ar...

A climate solution came to the Caribbean region packaged as a problem. On Episode 25 of The Climate Conscious Podcast, host Derval Barzey chats with scientist, educator and Climate Pirate Dr. Franziska Elmer about: The origins of the sargassum seaweed and the cause of its explosive growth The massive cost of cleanup and the impact on marine ecosystem, humans health and local economies in the Carib...

The time to act is now. Most of us accept that we need urgent action on the climate crisis. How do we bridge the gap between intent and ACTION? Technology offers an enormous solution to this challenge.  Rich Strachan heads 3 Sided Cube, an app development agency focused on ‘tech for good'. Rich and his team deliver mobile apps that boost resilience and nudge people and businesses towards sust...

"I don't think that the true story has even been told as yet..." Dr. Ashley C. John. The Climate Conscious Podcast has  partnered with the Sargassum Podcast to amplify the voices of those affected by the eruption of the La Soufriere volcano in St. Vincent. The La Soufriere volcano first erupted on April 09, 2021 and remains active. Hosts: Derval Barzey (The Climate Conscious Podcast...

Today is the one year anniversary of The Climate Conscious Podcast. We partnered with the Sargassum Podcast to amplify the voices of those affected by the eruption of the La Soufriere volcano in St. Vincent. La Soufriere volcano first erupted on April 09, 2021. Hosts: Derval Barzey (The Climate Conscious Podcast), Franziska Elmer and Robby Thigpen (Sargassum Podcast) interviewed Melissa de Freitas...

On this episode I sit down with environmentalist, activist and fellow Climate Reality Leader, Christine Samwaroo to discuss the intersection of Gender and Environment. In the Caribbean region we are already experiencing the physical and socio-economic effects of climate change: extreme weather events, sea level rise, drought, flooding, and sargassum seaweed invasion. However, the ongoing Climate C...

Acknowledging that organizations cannot thrive in a disintegrating  society, Sustainability Consultant, Melanie J. Richards, explores the interconnection of corporate, societal and environmental governance. There is a clear case for responsible business; for social and environmental considerations to be given equal emphasis as economic and financial indicators. Additionally, the Pandemic has highl...

Is waste the new oil?  Shawn C. Roberts thinks so.  As the Managing Director of Recycling Waste & Logistics (RWL) he is responsible for the first ever multiple-materials recovery Facility in Trinidad and Tobago.  The Tobago Recycling Resource Initiative is Public Private Partnership (PPP) with RWL and the Tobago House of Assemble. It not only reduces pollution from plastics and other materials...

When it comes to sustainability, what role do you play? How do we move beyond  Sustainability being the latest buzzword to being fully integrated in all sectors of society? On episode 18 of The Climate Conscious, Derval sits down with Kellee Ann Richards St Claire and Aldon Jasper, hosts of the LinkedIn web series: Climate Chats, to discuss the role of policy and the importance of stakeholder enga...

The definition of 'development' has evolved from purely economic terms, measured as GDP, to one that includes the ecological and social dimensions. On the season finale, host Derval Barzey discusses the concept of Sustainable Development with Dr. Nanda Dulal Das.  This is defined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). ht...

"We don't need everybody to do it perfectly, we need everybody to try." This is how Chiara Lucie-Smith , founder of Harmony Eco feels about low waste, sustainable, eco-friendly living. Based in Trinidad and Tobago, Harmony Eco is providing  plastic free,  sustainable products that are "better for you, the earth, and your wallet." Products include the menstrual cup, toothpa...

A continuation of  (Episode 14) the discussion with Nneka Matthews on the implications of the ongoing energy transition. Matrix or Star Trek? What will out future be? Our current production and consumption patterns are approaching the limits of the earth's ecological capacity, and even exceeding it. Earth overshoot Day was recorded on 22 August 2020. On that day we exhausted the earth's...

The dampening of demand for fossil fuels, stimulated by the fight against climate change,  accelerated by the pandemic, is disrupting the energy sector in a major way. While the periodic upswing in price has produced massive profits for shareholders, it is injurious to consumers and the social and economic systems in many developing countries. In addition, the ecological impacts of fossil fuels ar...