Think: Sustainability

We kill millions of animals at a cost of tens of billions of dollars a year. What would happen if we stopped? Featuring: Dr Eamonn Wooster, Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Technology Sydney Host: Lawrence Bull Music: Epidemic Sound

With most of us breathing air that is causing us harm is Algae the key to a world of clean air? Dr Alex Thomson is an Industry Engagement Manager for the Climate Change Cluster (C3), UTS Professor Sara Wilkinson, School of Built Environment at UTS Professor Andrew Tovey, TULIP Program Manager, Senior Research Consultant, Urban Systems, UTS

There has been a great amount of focus on planting trees in public spaces but what about in the private realm, in your very own backyard? Is there space for you to plant a tree? If developments do not include space for vegetation within their designs, what happens to the future of our cities? Join us as we explore the opportunities and challenges of increasing the urban forestry within private pro...

In this episode we ask a big question – can capitalism work alongside a sustainable environment? Featuring: Dr Jonathan Marshall Host: Lawrence Bull

With the ever presenting threat of climate change looming, and the increasing severity of natural disasters it will bring, concerns on the reliability of Australia’s regional power grid during times of crisis. Due to Australia’s low population density particularly in rural and regional communities, electricity travel great distances from power stations to these communities. This makes them particu...

Have you noticed a change in the weather seasons? Is there such thing as a normal summer or a normal spring anymore? In this episode, we discuss how the shifting seasons are impacting plant behaviour and entire ecosystems. Meet two researchers investigating phenology shifts and predicting how plants could react to future climate scenarios. Featuring: Professor Alfredo Huete, School of Life Science...

Will we meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030? This episode focuses on how the United Nation's 17 Sustainable Development Goals are being used and measured within the education and business sector.   Featuring: Associate Professor Melissa Edwards, Director of the Executive MBA program at the University of Technology Sydney Business School Dr Rosemary Sainty, founding Australian rep...

It turns out there really are “good vibes”! Scientists and engineers are decoding the vibrational languages of plants, insects, and other animals. If they succeed, we could reduce the need to water crops and poison insects; we could tell plants to grow quicker and stronger, and even help heal broken bones. Featuring: Dr Sebastian Oberst, Associate Professor at the School of Mechanical and Mechatro...

Climate change doesn’t impact all countries equally, often it is the countries that have contributed the least to the climate crisis that are the most vulnerable to it. In this episode, we focus on one of the main topics on the COP27 Climate Summit agenda- loss and damage. In this special edition of Think: Sustainability, you will also hear from a campaigner attending COP27 about a separate campai...

To meet global net zero 2050 targets we need to not only reduce carbon emissions but capture the carbon already within our atmosphere. So, how do we go about this? In this episode, find out about the myriad of ways that carbon can be captured, stored, and repurposed. While it's not a simple task that can be pulled out of thin air, are we on the right track to meet 2050 goals? Featuring: Dr Alex Th...

Current climate change predictions means we will see an increase in extreme weather patterns. So what does the inevitable rise in temperature, increase in flooding, hail, and other extreme weather events mean for the future of our houses? In this episode, we look at why you should, and how you can, build resilience into your home. Whether you’re a tenant or a homeowner, building resilience is more...

Many of us want to see the Great Barrier Reef before it’s too late. There’s something about the experience of seeing its vast coral shelves in real life that makes it more real to us. And once we’ve experienced it, we might be more likely to care about it. In this episode of Think: Sustainability, we take a look at how tourism can create advocates, or sometimes citizen scientists, out of tourists....

The State of the Environment 2021 report paints a grim picture of Australia’s biodiversity, including an increase in the number of listed threatened species. Experts have continuously pointed to legislation as a major hurdle to improving conservation. So, with the Australian government recently pledging to reform environmental legislation- could we close the legal loopholes and save our threatened...

How do we sustainably use phosphorus fertiliser? A large amount of phosphate rock-a finite resource used for fertiliser- is being wasted across the supply chain, with very little being recycled or recovered. In this episode, we investigate the methods to manage phosphorus supply sustainably from using fertiliser efficiently to changing our diets.  Featuring: Professor Stuart White, Director of the...

2021 has been another challenging year for the planet. But it hasn’t all been doom and gloom. In this episode we look at some success stories; from coral restoration in the Great Barrier Reef to promising emission reduction targets. We speak to a Victorian community fighting against a mine in their midst and track an exciting new hope for Aussie icon, the Tasmanian Devil. Featuring: Professor Davi...

What are five sounds you liked today? A lot of the time, we get through the day without listening much to the world around us. But if we pay a little more attention, what can we learn? In this episode, we look at acoustic ecology, and how listening can be a tool to get us to care more about our planet. Featuring: Ingrid Neilson, musician Dr Brent Keogh, Lecturer, School of Music and Sound Design,...

What is ecological linguistics? How does the English language shape our perceptions of the environment? In this episode we discuss the different terms used to describe climate change and then highlight some more subtle ways language can shape our perceptions of the world around us. Featuring: Lee Joachim, Yorta Yorta man, Board Member of Living Languages Australia. Professor Arran Stibbe, Professo...

Coral reefs are under serious threat, an IPCC report predicts that even if global warming is limited to 1.5 degrees celsius above pre-industrial levels it would result in a 70-90 percent decline of tropical coral reefs. In this episode we open our eyes, nose and ears to discuss the innovative ways coral reefs can be conserved. In the first half of this episode we learn about the sounds of coral re...

With the most anticipated international cooperation on climate change this decade now over, in this episode we reflect on what the COP26 conference has achieved, Australia's contributions, and consider its impact on those most vulnerable to the climate crisis. Featuring: Dr Sven Teske, Research Director at the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology Sydney Dr Cameron Tonk...

What do you think of when you imagine a swamp? They may not be regarded as postcard-perfect environments but swamps play really mportant roles ecologically, regulating water and storing carbon. But they’re at risk, and the problems mostly boil down to human causes. This episode looks at swamps, what’s threatening them, and what’s being done to keep them safe. Featuring: Grant Hose, Faculty of Scie...

Shanes Park is destined to be western Sydney’s new national park. The project aims to attract tourists to western Sydney, with visitor facilities and an education centre planned for 2023. But those developments and others, have ecologists concerned about the health of the site going forward. Featuring: Wayne Olling, Manager of Flora and Fauna, Blacktown and District Environment Group Leigh Martin,...

Kids have come to represent the face of the environmental justice movement and for good reason. In this episode, we examine the work of young people fighting for a stable climate future, their ability to motivate change, and how they reckon with the pressure of being held as beacons of hope. Featuring: Anna Thieben, Co-convenor of Envio collective at The University of Technology Sydney Damien Nguy...

Green roofs have a myriad of benefits including attracting biodiversity, reducing air pollution, storm water management and reducing the impact of the urban heat island effect. Did you know that green roofs can also improve the efficiency of solar panels? In this episode we explore how integrating a green roof with a solar photovoltaic system (known as a biosolar green roof) can boost the solar en...

In a special World Food Day episode of Think: Sustainability we invite three guests to discuss what role short food supply chains have in supporting sustainable resilient food systems. How do we create contingency plans to build resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks and stress in our food systems? In this #WorldFoodDay discussion we hear about the resilience of food systems from Solomon Islands to...

Plastic pollution is an undeniable problem. One solution proposed to help solve our plastic woes is bioplastics. In this episode, we look at what bioplastics actually are, how algae is changing the industry, and whether they can deliver on the environmentally sound promises they make. Featuring: Dr Unnikrishnan Kuzhiumparambil Lead Chemist as The Climate Change Cluster at The University of Technol...