Think: Sustainability

In part two, we examine how the climate crisis is fuelling ecofascist ideology, how the ideology may be taken up by more mainstream politicians and how ideas spread online. Featured: Andrew Jakubowicz, emeritus professor, sociology, University of Technology Sydney Betsy Hartmann, emeritus professor, development studies, Hampshire College, Massachusetts, USA Producer/Presenter: Julia Carr-Catzel

In part one, we unpack the history of ecofascism. The ideology written in the manifestos of terrorists. We trace back the movement to its beginnings in German philosophy, Eugenics, Hitler's 'blood and soil' slogans and Norse mythology. We also examine how overpopulation has changed meaning over the past few decades - and how all of this is linked to environmentalism. Featured: Andrew Jakubowicz, e...

Through the heart of Inner-Sydney runs a river pushed to the environmental brink. The Cooks River has bared the burden of urban development in Sydney from the time colonisers settled in Australia. But the river, once dubbed Australia's most polluted, is on the mend. In this episode, we meet the people who want to bring the Cooks River back to life. Featuring: Jennifer Newman, Lecturer at the Unive...

In this episode: as the most vulnerable citizens bear the brunt of the climate crisis, confronted with civil conflict and forced to migrate as climate refugees - will the international community come to their aid? Featured: Christopher Odeyemi, PhD student, University of Technology Sydney Dr Ian McGregor, Business School, University of Technology Sydney and member, Climate Action Research Group, U...

On this episode, we question how journalists have been covering the climate crisis. We look at whether they are numbing audiences with never-ending urgent messaging. And, we examine a new wave of young activists campaigning for climate action, assessing to what extent they can make a difference. Featured: Tom Morton, Professor in Journalism, researcher at Centre for Climate Change, University of T...

In this episode, we look at why Australia is reviving the nuclear energy debate after more than a decade of silence. And why some are dubbing nuclear as our climate salvation. Featured: Sue Coleman-Haseldine, nuclear test survivor and anti-nuclear campaigner Robert Parker, Vice President, Australian Nuclear Association Heiko Timmers, Associate Professor of Physics, UNSW Canberra Kerrie-Ann Garlick...

What is the real waste from sanitary products? And why is no one talking about eco-friendly alternatives? This episode explores how a culture valuing discretion and secrecy around periods can be harmful to the environment. Featuring: Juliette Kidston-Lattari, graduate student of Environmental Biology and Creative Intelligence and Innovation, University of Technology Sydney Rosie Sheba, Founder, Su...

Bushfire season in Australia is starting earlier every year, going for longer, and bringing more destructive fires. Fire authorities do their best to prevent and limit this destruction, as climate change makes their jobs ever more difficult. But are we looking at Australia’s relationship the right way? Aboriginal people have been managing the landscape with fire for thousands of years, and still d...

It's the year 2031. The temperature is rising, as is the price of electricity. But the government has banned renewable energy. Will you go underground to survive? Or join the Solarnauts in their rebellion? Featuring: Claire Marshall - Creator, Museum of Futures Tania Leimbach - Research Assistant, Faculty of Transdisciplinary Innovation, University of Technology Sydney

It was supposed to be a climate election, but nothing went according to plan. With the benefit of hindsight, we look back to before the May 18 federal election result, to see who went wrong, who went right and who paid the price in the campaign for the climate. Featuring: Nicky Ison - Research Associate, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney and Co-Founder, Community P...

If you could start our society again from scratch, how sustainable would you make it? Would you build a new city at sea? Or develop a village in a valley? In this episode we look at two different ways some people are trying to start again. And how starting afresh doesn't always mean leaving old problems behind. Featuring: Matthew Daly - Research Consultant, Institute for Sustainable Futures, Unive...

Dozens of countries around the world are devising plans to build new cities from scratch. They're pitched as an opportunity to start fresh and make our urban environments more sustainable and equitable. But are these new cities just an excuse to abandon the problems of existing ones? Featuring: Dr Sarah Moser - Director of the Urban Studies Program, McGill University. Kerryn Wilmot - Research Prin...

The war on plastic straws has picked up so much speed some countries are looking to ban them altogether. But what these bans completely fail to recognise is some people need and use plastic straws everyday. This episode we look at how straw bans discriminate against disability. Featuring: Micaela Evans. Simon Darcy - University of Technology Sydney Business School. Full episode transcript availabl...

Waiting for your next Think: Sustainability fix? We’ve got something else for you in the meantime. Introducing a new season of All Things Equal. This series will take you into the school yard and beyond, where kids learn that things aren't always fair. Through the stories of real students and staff, Uniform will change the way you think about education; because when it comes to learning, one size...

There's a strong image that lives in many peoples minds when you say the word farmer. A burly, middle-aged white male dressed in flannel and denim. While many farmers still fit this mould, this image is also a damaging one. It excludes the hard work and contribution of farmers who fall outside of this imagining. This episode, we're pulling this image apart. You'll hear from queer farmers Marita (M...

When it comes to sustainability, shifting away from coal generated power makes complete sense. But what does the transition mean for communities who depend on 'dirty' industries for their survival? This episode is all about the journey to renewables, and how we can make sure no one gets left behind. Features: Danny Boothman - Former Hazelwood worker and musician Professor Peter Sheldon - Director...

Termites are often written off as a pest, but there is more to the little creatures than meets the eye. This episode is all about termites; what they destroy, but also what they build. And all the things we could learn from them, if only they could talk. Featuring: Dr Sebastian Oberst - Senior Lecturer, Centre for Audio Acoustics and Vibration at the University of Technology Sydney Carolyn - Artis...

Deciding to have a baby can be one of the most important personal choices you will make in your lifetime. And yet, bringing new life into the world won’t just impact you and your family. This episode is all about Australians who are choosing to think differently, and see their personal family planning as a type of environmental action plan in an overpopulated world. But can individual action reall...

The environmental movement in Australia has a race problem. White led governments continue to form policies based off research rooted in western science. Western science will often position itself as the only answer, actively excluding knowledge belonging to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. In this episode we ask, is western environmentalism racist? Featuring: Bradley Moggridge - PhD...

As we continue to trash our oceans and terrestrial environments, many are pitching the model of the circular economy as an answer to our problem with waste. Building on the reduce, reuse, recycle model, the circular economy promises an end to overflowing dumps where products are continually repurposed. While the promise of circularity sounds so good, this episode we unpack how a circular economy u...

Where we've typically ascribed trauma to the individual, climate change now sees large groups of people sharing the same damaging experience in what's being called 'collective trauma'. But as post-disaster care continues to prioritise physical safety, the mental health of survivors often falls to the wayside. This episode we explore the global implications of climate change on mental health and wh...

When tobacco company Philip Morris sued Australia over our plain packaging laws, it's fair to say we were taken by surprise. How can a foreign company take a nation's government to tribunal for protecting its citizens health? The answer is Investor State Dispute Settlement, an obscure clause in free trade agreements allowing corporations to sue foreign governments for what it perceives be unfair d...

What can the sounds of the stratosphere tell us about the nature of noise on the ground? Featuring: Julius Ambroisine - PhD Student at the University of Technology Sydney.

There are over 400 parks and open spaces in the City of Sydney. Some are lush, vast open spaces while others small pockets of green hidden among suburban streets. But are these treasured environments just another reminder that we've buried our histories? This is part two of a series exploring the classism of the environmental movement. Featuring: Professor Jaky Troy - Director, Aboriginal and Torr...

While many fret over their calorie intake or whether or not their food is certified organic, others are struggling get dinner on the table. There are many barriers to food, but it's the motivations behind food distribution pushing vulnerable communities even further into food distress. In this episode, we unpack what these motivations are and why Australia as a nation is failing to address food se...