Saturday Mornings: Oil Spills, Invasive Species ,and the UAE’s New Natural Heritage

Future Earth, Climate Content Consultant and Reporter Rachel Kelly joins Saturday Mornings Show host Glenn van Zutphen to unpack four major environmental stories unfolding across the Middle East stories that reveal how climate, biodiversity, and geopolitics are increasingly intertwined. We begin with two leaking oil tankers - one off Oman and the other off of Iran and the potential for ecological disaster. With clean up efforts underway, Rachel breaks down the environmental and economic stakes. UAE’s push to protect biodiversity, including new conservation initiatives and the landmark recognition of Wadi Wurayah as the country’s first UNESCO‑listed natural heritage site a milestone for regional conservation. Then in the Persian Gulf, where thousands of stranded vessels may be unintentionally spreading invasive marine species worldwide. Rachel explains how global shipping disruptions create ecological risks that scientists are only beginning to understand.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.