Think: Sustainability

Noise is killing us... literally. But we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to change that. Join us as we imagine how a beautiful city might sound. Guest: • Dr Ian Stevenson, Senior Lecturer Music & Sound Design Program at the University of Technology Sydney Production staff: • Producer and co-host: Lawrence Bull • Co-host: Regina Botros • Editorial consultant: Sharon Davis • Sound designer & m...

Half of Australians have a parent born overseas. How can complex issues like climate change be communicated to such a diverse audience? To find out reporter Wing Kuang embeds herself among Chinese-Australian grandmas. Guests: Dr Kim Loo, Chair of Asian Australians for Climate Action Joey Chan, President of Eastwood Chinese Senior Citizens Club Dr Zozan Balci, University of Technology Sydney  Mrs L...

The amount of waste we create is out of control. When it comes to tyres, we dump two Harbour Bridge’s worth into the Australian environment each year.  But there is something we can do. Guests: Paul Randell, Director Randell Environmental Consulting Dr. Linda Mitchell, Science, Research and Innovation Manager, Tyre Stewardship Australia John Gertsakis, Director, Product Stewardship Centre of Excel...

Every Australian has the right to housing under international law. But despite being a signatory to this, the Australian government hasn’t made it the law of the land.  Here’s the case for why they should. Guests:  Kate Colvin, CEO of Homelessness Australia Daney Faddoul, Campaign Manager at the Human Rights Law Centre Professor Jessie Hohmann, Professor at the Faculty of Law, University of Techno...

The air inside your home and workplace is probably more polluted than the air outside. Fortunately there’s a cheap and (somewhat) easy solution. Guests:  Dr Fraser Torpy, Director of the Plants and Environmental Research Group, Faculty of Science UTS Dr Brian Oliver, Distinguished Professor, Faculty of Science UTS Johan Hodgson, Managing Director for the Pacific Region, Ambius Audio: Producer and...

What if your kitchen sink was a carbon sink? Your corner store, stored carbon? And your shoes reduced your carbon footprint? In this discussion, our experts explain how this is already underway. Panelists: Craig Reucassel, Australian writer, comedian, and TV presenter, best known for his work on the Australian TV programs, The Chaser and The War on Waste, televised on the Australian Broadcasting C...

Plastic-filled funerals… spacious burials… gas-fired cremations – the ways we die are unsustainable. Here are some alternatives. Guests Jewelz Hansons, Performer and death doula Dr Maiken Ueland, Deputy director, AFTER John Humphries, CEO and founder of Aquamation Hartley, Rock and Tug Production staff Producer and co-host: Regina Botros Executive producer and co-host: Lawrence Bull Editorial cons...

Economic inequality is at a record high. And many economists say political inequality is a likely consequence. Is there a point where "rich" becomes "too rich"? In this episode we hear from a money coach who gave her wealth away, and an ethicist who says we shouldn't raise taxes on billionaires. Guests Morgan Curtis, Ancestors & Money Coach Carl Rhodes, Dean of UTS Business School, University of T...

Reduce, reuse, recycle. How might this actually cause more waste and social inequity? Guests: Trevor Zink, Assistant Professor of Management from Loyola Marymount University Melissa Edwards, Senior Lecturer in the University of Technology Sydney Business School Producer: Jake Morcom Host: Lawrence Bull This episode originally aired in 2018.

Cities are home to the vast bulk of humanity. We live, work, and play in these densely packed places. Urban environments are also responsible for 75% of global emissions. In this discussion, experts explore the transformative power of green infrastructure in urban landscapes and examine innovative ways to make cities smarter, greener, and more communal – places where people can live for generation...

Car-centric design has congested our cities. So how do we beat the traffic?  Guests: Dr Kasun Wijayaratna, Senior Lecturer, UTS School of Civil & Environmental Engineering; Dr David Mepham, Urban Planner; Dr Elizabeth Taylor, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning & Design at Monash University; Peter Casimaty, Managing Director & Co-owner Future Village; John Bui, owner of The Bay Bakehouse Producer an...

Do we need more green homes? Or is sustainable housing more about the communities we live in rather than the homes we build? Guests: Gordon Noble and Caitlin McGee, research directors at the UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures Producer and co-host: Wendy Frew Executive producer and co-host: Lawrence Bull Editorial consultant: Sharon Davis Sound designer & mix engineer: Martin Peralta

Is greed fundamental to human nature? Or can we have a society where it doesn’t pose a threat? Guest: Dr Nathan Kettlewell, Senior Lecturer in Economics, University of Technology Sydney Producer and co-host: Lawrence Bull Co-host: Laura Corrigan Editorial consultant: Sharon Davis Sound designer & mix engineer: Martin Peralta

As a child, Shannon’s dad told her that her great-grandfather was supposed to be among the first to cross the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the opening ceremony, but was robbed of the honour at the last minute by a white man in a suit.  When she became a professional researcher, she searched for years and years to verify the story, but couldn’t. However, she did uncover some other parts of her family h...

Traditionally, attempts to save animals in the wild have focused on their population numbers and reproductive success. But new research exploring the mental quality of life experienced by wild animals could revolutionise conservation efforts.  Featuring: Dr Andrea Harvey, UTS Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Research Fellow Morgan Philpott, WIRES Volunteer Koala Carer Executive producer & post production...

When we think of the city, “nature” might be the furthest thing from our minds. But we’ve found a hidden army of people bringing our cities back to life. Featuring: Dr Judy Friedlander, Founder and Director of PlantingSeeds Projects and Adjunct Fellow at the Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney The Mudcrabs and the Mudlarks – Hans Beg, Russel Cail, Jennifer Kent and J...

A pharmaceutical company profits from legions of addicted customers; a gambling company knowingly markets to people in debt; a hospital kills its patients. People who do far less damage are locked up for life, yet corporations act like horror villains and get away with no criminal penalty.  Why do we let them get away with it? And how do we stop them? Featuring: Penny Crofts, Professor at the Facu...

At least forty countries and the European Union now have a price on carbon. Australia tried, and failed in 2012. What do we need to do to make it work this time around? Featuring: Mona Mashhad Rajabi - Post-doctoral Research Associate, UTS School of Business Centre for Climate Risk and Resilience. Executive producer and post production: Lawrence Bull Producer and presenter: Annamarie Reyes

Our online lives and the massive digital infrastructure that supports them are eating up our carbon budgets. But who's paying attention? Featuring: Jessica McLean, Associate Professor in the School of Social Sciences at Macquarie University Gordon Noble, Research Director at the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology Sydney Executive producer & post production: Lawrence...

It seems like every product has an ad campaign. Cars, cereal, chewing gum, in-soles… What about the most important issue of our time? Featuring:  Aimee Smith, Graduate Research Student and Sessional Academic in the Marketing Discipline Group at the University of Technology Sydney Sam Saunders, Chief Creative Officer at Sam Saunders Creative Nyoosa, and International Entrepreneur Producer & present...

A good ad campaign can change your behaviour for life. A bad one can hurt a good cause. But both can be very entertaining! We rate and review some of our favourites. Featuring: Aimee Smith, Graduate Research Student and Sessional Academic in the Marketing Discipline Group at the University of Technology Sydney Producer & presenter: Lawrence Bull

How do you repopulate a native species in steep decline? Join us on a dive into the front lines of our marine ecosystem to peek through the curtains on Australia’s most romantic animal. Featuring: Mitchell Brennan, Project Manager of the Sydney Seahorse Project & PhD student at the University of Technology Sydney Mentioned: Faithful pair bonds in wild seahorses, Hippocampus whitei - Amanda C. J. V...

They’re in pizza boxes, toilet paper and dozens of other common household items, but chemicals such as PFAS are likely making us very sick. Featuring: Joanna Pickford Dr Rachael Wakefield-Rann, Senior Research Consultant at the Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney Executive producer: Lawrence Bull Producer & presenter: Wendy Frew

After reading an online rant about energy use, I took immediate action to radically reduce my carbon emissions. But after two years of chaos, I became worried about my wellbeing. Was I destroying my mind to save my soul? Featuring: Dr Tania Leimbach, Research Assistant at the School of Communication, University of Technology Sydney. Christina Brauer, Postgraduate Professional Development Learning...

When Elliot returned to the office after a brain injury, his colleagues struggled to understand his bizarre behaviour. His experience could help us ignite widespread action on the climate crisis. Featuring Professor Chris Riedy, Associate Director of Learning And Development at the Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney Mentioned: Antonio Damasio, Professor of Psycholog...