Episodes
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S16E4: Lab Grown Fish - A Climate Change Solution?
Lab grown fish could be a game changer here in Asia because our waters are becoming more and more overfished. And it turns out marine life in the ocean creates one of the largest carbon sinks on the planet. So losing fish species could disrupt the marine life food chain, putting this amazing…
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S17E4: INC-4 and Plastic Chemicals
We're back partnering again with the Break Free From Plastic movement to feature NGO advocates in Asia. In this episode. we are going to hone in on one of the big open questions at the April 2024 INC4 talks. How should the treaty deal with problematic plastics and chemicals of concern? The US EPA...
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S17E3: INC-3 Is Over…What Now?
We have a great new episode discussing the United Nations Global Plastics Treaty from the view of Break Free from Plastic advocates here in Asia. Our guests today have been working for decades to reduce plastic pollution at its source. Just a brief tip though… if you haven’t tuned into previous...
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S17E2: Plastisphere Podcast's How (Not) to Make a Plastics Treaty - Part I: Ambition in a Bracket
Hey Sustainable Asia Listeners! We have some upcoming episodes discussing the United Nations Global Plastics Treaty negotiations that I think you are really going to find interesting. This bonus episode is from one of my favorite podcasts called Plastisphere. It’s run by Anja Krieger in Berlin....
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S17E2: What happened at INC-2?
The second meeting of the International Negotiations Committee (INC-2) had lofty ambitions. But the first three days of these Plastics Treaty negotiations were mired in political antics…making many representatives from Asia feel as though they were back to square one of just talk and no action on...
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S17E1: Bonus Episode: Plastisphere Podcast's Demands for the Plastic Treaty - Science over Profit
A bonus episode about the Global Plastics Treaty from one of my favorite podcasts called Plastisphere. It’s run by Anja Krieger in Berlin, and like Sustainable Asia, Plastisphere really looks at the science behind this plastic waste crisis. I thought listeners would appreciate this episode, as it...
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S17E1: Why It's No Longer About Recycling
We need other solutions to the plastic waste crisis. Solutions that involve reduce, reuse, refill and repair here in Asia. And those types of solutions…need to be included in the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations. The Global Plastics Treaty agreement is not a mechanism to control plastic waste....
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S17E1: New Season | Global Plastics Treaty Negotiations
The Global Plastics Treaty negotiations kicked off! This is a historic moment for Asia, because after decades of plastic waste washing up on their shores…finally..there may be a path forward. Join us as we talk to BFFP members and other experts about each INC meeting, to find out what YOU can do…
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S16E3: Cows | A Climate Stomach Ache
Our focus in this episode is livestock…specifically dairy products made from cows. It turns out enteric fermentation, the cow's digestive process of turning grass into food, contributes to over 40% of global emissions from the livestock supply chain. And the US is a major producer and consumer of...
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S16E2: Rice｜A Sticky Climate Challenge
Over half of the world’s population eats rice as its staple food. But did you know that rice production also contributes to about 10% of the world's methane emissions? And that methane is 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide in warming the planet? Reining in rice methane is a sticky problem....
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S16E1: Soil｜The Silent Climate Fighter
Are you aware of the critical role soil plays in the battle against climate change? But 75% of soil is already degraded from unsustainable farming practices...so earth's “living skin” is suffering from a “diet problem,” we are feeding it the wrong menu. In a world of growing political tensions…
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S15E5: Seoul | Too Many Coal Plants
It turns out Seoul, Korea has the worst air pollution amongst all of the top 10 economies in the world. Why is air pollution still such a huge challenge in a country with abundant resources and advanced infrastructure? And does South Korea use any high-tech solutions to handle its dirty air that...
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S15E4: Delhi and Kathmandu | Signs of Progress
Chermaine and Khoa move southeast and talk to a leading advocate in New Delhi who has successfully engaged the government there. Delhi’s air pollution is still one of the worst in the world, and we find out that instead of blowing north to Lahore…the pollution travels towards the pristine…
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S15E3: Lahore | Fighting for Clean Air
The next stop on the Chermaine and Khoa’s tour of Asia’s megacities is Lahore. This episode goes in depth to explore the political and social causes of air pollution, sheds light on what people can do in their everyday lives to improve the air quality in Lahore, and calls upon the youth of...
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S15E2: Jakarta | A Choking Hazard
Chermaine and Khoa’s journey continues onto Jakarta, Indonesia where they meet with environmentalists who shed light on the health concerns surrounding the heavy air pollution there. Lack of government response to the problem prompted advocates to sue the government for its failure to rein in the...
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S15E1: Bangkok | Toxic Air
In their first stop across Asia’s megacities, environmental journalists Chermaine Lee and Khoa Tran head to Bangkok, Thailand. The government’s blind eye towards pollution has left Bangkok’s air quality in shambles. Will efforts by environmental advocates lead to changes in the environmental laws...
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S15E1: New Season: Clearing the Air
Why haven’t the governments in Asia’s larger cities done something about the decades old problem of air pollution? Our two young environmental journalists, based in Hong Kong, Khoa Tran and Chermaine Lee, try to find out why. As always in our podcast series, we’ll talk to experts and activists on...
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S14E3: Finally...New Initiatives for Asia
Of the various challenges Asian countries face when tackling plastic waste…lack of funding is perhaps the one common thread. So how can more money get to needed programs here? Seeing the rising demand for PCR (post consumer recycled plastics), Doug Woodring and Maryam AlMansoori believe they have...
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S14E2: Can Plastic Laws get a Boost in Asia?
Rose-Liza Eisma-Osorio, Legal and Policy Director at the NGO Oceana, is taking on the Philippine government. A decades-old solid waste management law has not been enforced, contributing to massive piles of plastic….where waste pickers make their livelihood. Will the courts require the government…
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S14E1: View from Asia
Could it be true that countries from the UN Environment Assembly committed to negotiate a global plastic treaty over the next two years? And even if the treaty is signed…will it have enough teeth to make a difference to the plastic waste crisis that has persisted over the last decade here in…
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S14E1: New Season!
Put on your headphones and get ready for two new seasons from the Sustainable Asia Podcast about the Global Plastic Treaty and Asia’s Air Pollution woes. Guests: Jennifer L. Turner, China Environment Forum of Wilson Center, Washington DC And from Sustainable Asia: WuYuFei, Fujian, China Khoa…
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S13E2: Surviving the Cacophony in China’s waters
The Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin is protected at the highest level in China, but its numbers are dwindling fast. In Hong Kong, where the species is affectionately known as the Chinese white dolphin, only 37 individuals remain. Their struggle for survival pits them against massive development...
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S13E1: Sounds from a Healthy Coral Reef
In this episode, we visit the Great Barrier Reef to discover the clamorous underwater world of marine life sounds. What can we learn from listening closely to the underwater soundscape? And are there ways we can use sounds to help, rather than harm, the animals in our ocean ecosystems? Guests:...
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S13E1: Introducing Asia's Noisy Oceans
It turns out, sound is the dominant sense for animals underwater. For anything further than 10 meters away, marine life uses sound rather than sight to gather information. So human produced noise pollution - whether it's construction or shipping vessels - alters ocean animal's ability to...
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S12E5: The Plastic Carbon Footprint
As ocean temperatures rise with global warming, tropical cyclones are hitting Asian nations like Japan and the Philippines like never before. So to end this season..we wanted to talk about climate change. We start with a story about a zero waste village created from the devastation of Super…
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S12E4: Lessons From a Pandemic
In this episode… we’ll traverse from Hong Kong to South Korea and onto Pune, India. We start with Hong Kong, where Sustainable Asia is based, because no new legislation on plastic waste has been introduced for over a decade. Then we peak through the curtain of the COVID pandemic to see how South...
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S12E3: Community Trash Talk
Sparked by the zero waste movement, Asian countries are focusing on reducing..rather than recycling... plastic waste. We start our story on the wealthy island nation of Japan…where the rural village of Kamikatsu…can no longer afford the cost of incinerating disposable plastic and other types of...
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S12E2: Shouldn't They Know Better?
We first travel to a waste bank on the island of Lembeh, Indonesia to see how recycling works (or doesn’t work) in small villages. Then we take a look at PET plastic recycling in Asian urban centres...it’s feasible…but if local governments here shoulder the burden of collecting and sorting the...
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S12E1: Once Upon a Plastic Covered Beach...
We start with Melati Wijsen’s story….a young Indonesian civic advocate who went on a hunger strike in an effort to ban plastic bags on Bali. With waste collection rates hovering around 44%, are Asian countries really to blame for the pollution crisis brought by disposable plastic packaging? This...
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S12E1: Introducing Mapping Asia's Plastic Crisis
The plastic waste crisis in Asia is real...and it doesn’t seem to be getting better.... It’s clear that we need a new approach to reducing disposable plastic waste and its impact on the communities of Asia. This new 5-episode season is based on The Asia Plastic Atlas from the Heinrich Boell...
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S11E10: Fukushima’s Ongoing Nuclear Bite
With Fukushima’s horrific earthquake-induced nuclear disaster still haunting Japan nowadays, the East Asian nation is finding it increasingly difficult to rehash developing nuclear plants as renewable energy sources. In this episode, we also cover China’s funding pullout from overseas coal power...
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S11E9: China’s Carbon Neutral Bite
China is set to launch its most green-focused plan during two important annual meetings, giving more details on how it plans to eliminate carbon emissions by 2060. We also cover China’s crackdown on illegal wildlife trade, the unexpected silver linings of plastic waste dumps and how technology...
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S11E8: Hong Kong’s Green Bond Bites
As Asia’s financial hub just announced its new budget, Hong Kong is set to launch the largest amount of green bonds ever in Asia, aiming to raise billions for sustainable projects. In this episode: how China’s carbon neutrality will play into China’s upcoming annual meetings, Indonesia’s…
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S11E7: K-Pop’s Powerful Bite
As K-pop bands like BTS and Blackpink have become global sensation, our young hosts talk about how their fans groups from all over the world are a strong new force for climate action. In this episode, we also cover China’s role in carbon-heavy Bitcoin mining, India’s crackdown on the Friday for...
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S11E6: Nature's Bite at Lunar New Year
While the Year of the Ox kicked off, our young hosts’ celebration was cut short. Nature’s Bite dampened Asia’s festive atmosphere - from an earthquake in Japan to an avalanche-induced flood in India. Our hosts uncover the culprit of Southeast Asia’s deforestation. And take a look at Hong Kong’s...
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S11E5: Asia's Climate Activism’s Strong Bite
Is climate activism working? Our young hosts talk about how Japan, South Korea and Vietnam’s student activists rallied against building coal-fired plants. We also discuss China’s national carbon credit trading and backlashes from its dam water use. Feel the powerful bite of climate activism this...
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S11E4: A Bite of East Asia’s Reality
Reminiscing about good times in Japan, our tourism-hungry hosts talk about the creative but alarming graphics depicting the country at the end of this century if climate change continues at the current rate. We also talk about South Korea’s first step in its ambitious carbon neutral goal and...
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S11E3: Behind the Masks of Covid-19
Masked up for over a year, our young hosts wonder and report on what is happening to all the disposable masks in Asia. We talk about the notorious plastic crisis in Hong Kong and China, bleaching of ocean corals in Taiwan and a shocking story in India that may change animal rights laws there. Sit...
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S11E2: January’s FrostBite - The New Normal?
In beanies and thick jackets, our young hosts are surviving the coldest winter in East Asia while bringing you the latest updates on the region’s green news! We talk about why climate change is contributing to this chilly weather and what some Asian countries are doing to reduce their carbon...
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S11E1: Was 2020 a green year in Asia?
As we are all turning over a new leaf in 2021 we cherry-pick the most important updates of the environmental sector in Asia. In this brand new weekly series from now through March, young journalists Bonnie Au and Chermaine Lee deliver you green news in less than ten minutes. In this pilot…
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S11E1: New show is coming to town!
We have some good news we can’t wait to share with you…. including a brand new series launching in January 2021 that differs from our previous shows. And it gives us the opportunity to wish you Seasons Greetings from the entire Sustainable Asia team!!
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S10E4: After CCAMLR, What’s Next for China?
We are wrapping up Season 10 with highlights from our #AskSustainableAsia livestream event with guest speakers Jiliang Chen of Greenovation Hub and Zhou Wei Greenpeace East Asia. A lively discussion about the outcome of the recent CCAMLR meetings and what it means for China’s fishing interests in...
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S10E3: Athletic Diplomacy for the Southern Ocean
Guest host Jennifer Turner, Director of the China Environment Forum for the Woodrow Wilson Center, talks with UN Patron of the Oceans Lewis Pugh and renowned freediver JesSea Lu about why they chose to plunge themselves into the frozen seas off Antarctica. How are they using this amazing feat as…
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S10E2: China’s Role in Preserving the Southern Ocean
Jennifer Turner, Director of the China Environment Forum for the Woodrow Wilson Center, talks with Dr. Liu Nengye and Julian Chen. How does China’s investment in new fishing vessels and icebreakers bound for Antarctica impact their decision to approve three new marine protected areas in the...
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S10E1: China’s Marine Conservation for Future Generations
Jennifer Turner, Director of the China Environment Forum for the Woodrow Wilson Center talks with two Chinese experts about rising ocean conservation awareness in China and why protecting the pristine southern ocean ecosystem of Antarctica is good for the planet...and good for China. Guests Dr.…
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S9E7: Asia's Plastic First Mile - A Review
Over this season, we’ve explored how the problem of the Plastic First Mile is being tackled in countries across Asia. In the final episode of the season, we explore the bigger picture. We speak to Doug Woodring of Ocean Recovery Alliance and Brenda Haitema of First Mile about the state of plastic...
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S9E6: China's Plastic Recycling Challenge
The way Chinese cities are handling plastic waste is changing dramatically - with new household waste separation rules starting in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen. There are interesting projects, along with updated waste management laws, designed to encourage increased recycling and better waste...
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S9E5: Indonesia’s Ocean Plastic Cleanup Plan
Indonesia has more than 3 million tons of plastic leaking into the ocean every year. Its government announced a plan to cut marine plastic waste by 70% by 2025, so they reached out to the World Economic Forum’s plastic waste initiative for help. But who are the women driving this process and how...
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S9E4: Plastic Purge in Bali
Bali’s natural beauty attracts many tourists from around the world, but with that comes plastic waste...a lot of it! We speak with people at McKinsey.org to understand how they developed a plastic bottle recycling pilot program in Bali… that may change the course of waste collection and recycling...
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S9E3: Can Plastic Recycling Become Reality in Hong Kong?
Hong Kong’s tall buildings, narrow streets and small retailers present a challenge for plastic beverage bottle collection and recycling. In this episode, we continue the story of Hong Kong’s Drink without Waste consortium - a group of over 40 organisations in Hong Kong involved in beverage...