The Meandering Pod

Welcome to another episode of The Meandering Pod! This week you’re in for another bonus ep - woohoo! It features bikepacker-extraordinaire and Aussie legend John Paul Lopez Taberdo, AKA JP. He an expert in his frield and someone we’ve become fast friends with. Check out the previous group episode if you haven’t already to hear the lore of how we met in Bishkek as we prepared for our first bikepacking adventure in Kyrgyzstan. In this episode we discuss JP’s love of bike-packing, the story of how he found himself living in Krgyzstan when we were passing through, his reflections on the society he is now embedding himself in, and much more. Stick around till the end to hear about a crazy bikepacking adventure that JP embarked on in Kyrgyzstan called the Silk Road Mountain Race  – it knocked our socks off and is sure to give all the turbos out a bit of a thrill, and everyone else a good dose of vicarious horror and amazement!Here are the links to John Paul and his family’s websites and social media:- globalbikepacker.com, @bikepacking.john- apricotadventures.kg, apricotlodge.com,  @apricotadventures.kg- applehostel.kg, @applehostelbiskhekPeople can email JP directly at [email protected]

Hey guys! Click play if you want to hear an hour update of the last 6 weeks - recorded unedited on Cams phone. We’re currently bikepacking together in Kyrgyzstan, and many things have gone awry! However, it is beautiful and we’re leaving problems behind in the dust. Apologise for the chaos. Book recc is The Silk Roads by Peter Frankopan! Amazing book of world history telling an alternative to the typically western centric world history we’re told. In fact, much of historical power and wealth was held in the east - in Persia and Central Asia - where we are now. Hope you enjoy, and sending some love to you all. 

Welcome back for another episode of The Meandering Pod!!!This week, we’re hopping back for a final episode about Japan – specifically the worst disaster it ever faced. Although many people may would remember hearing about the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident, it’s been 15 years now and not many would still be across the details. Today, we’ll be doing a deep dive on the multifaceted fallout experienced after Fukushima – for Japanese society, it’s energy transition and the nuclear industry generally. We also are very grateful to have interviewed Dr Alexander Brown, about the post-Fukushima protest movement in Tokyo. Enjoy the episode and share with a friend if you feel like it! More on Dr Alexander Brown: His PhDHis book – Anti-nuclear Protest in Post-Fukushima Tokyo: Power StrugglesAn article he wrote about an art installation, Japan and its link between nuclear weapons and power His Substack channel Contesting the Nuclear Age The ‘protest song’ was a snippet from a freestyle performance of the artist Akuryō freestyling at an antinuclear protest in Japan on July 29, 2012 (the mp3 was downloaded from a YouTube account called protestreserach (video originally by ken23qu on youtube). The full clip is available (with subtitles) to watch here. Ethnomusicologist Noriko Manabe wrote this article about music in Japanese anti-nuclear demonstrations (as well as a book), from which the clip was discovered.Interesting content about Fukushima: Graphic novel – Guardian of Fukushima TV show – Fukushima 50Animated YouTube video – More songs – "humanERROR" by FRYING DUTCHMAN and 'It was always a lie' by Kazuyoshi Saito (a cover of his own song but with Fukushima plant protest lyrics)Key sources: BBC: Fukushima disaster: What happened at the nuclear plant?​Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Why Fukushima Was Preventable ScienceDirect journal article: The Fukushima nuclear accident and its effect on global energy securityIAEA: Nuclear Power 10 Years After Fukushima: The Long Road BackNamazu Myth Explained BBC: UK nuclear support 'rises after Fukushima'

Did you know 5 families control more than half of the Korean economy and ALL of its politicians? Meet the Chaebol - the driving force behind Koreas economic miracle but also the root of many of the countries present day issues from corruption and inequality to a hyper competitive social structure and declining birth rate. In this episode, for the first time in Meandering history, Cam and Dom jump on the mic and dive deep into terrifying control Korea’s oligarchs have over the people - as well as the terrifying control the global tech oligarchs have over all of us, as the world transitions from Capitalism to ‘Techno Feudalism’ as outlined in Economist Yanis Varoufakis’s book by the same name.

Welcome to another group episode of The Meandering Pod! Not much time has passed but a lot has happened – strap in while we update you on the shenanigans our group got into while travelling from Japan to China via Korea. This episode also features superfan SHAZ, who joined Lotta + Dom, then Bec + Cam on our meandering (mis)adventures. Stick around to hear about our East Asian foods, and for another Brick #1 sparring session, judged impartially by Shaz :) RECOMMENDATIONS: Books: (Japan) - The Shut Ins by Katherine - Cold Enough For Snow by Jessica Au (Korea) - Pachinko by Min Jin Lee - I Want to Die But I Want to Eat Tteokbokki by Baek Se-hee - The Vegetarian by Han Kang - Crying in H-Mart by Michelle Zauner (Japanese Breakfast) (China)- Beijing Comrades by Bei Tong (East Asia) - Three Tigers One Mountain by Michael Booth Movies: (Korea) - The Taxi Driver by Jang Hoon

How much do you know about protists? How much do you know about their behaviour and intelligence? I’m gonna guess very little, as that’s where I was not that long ago. The world of these obscure creatures is incredibly complex and fascinating, as they interact with their environment and make decisions and weigh up risks. In this episode, I interview researcher Alid Al-Asmar about slime moulds (the “blob”) ciliates (unicellular beings with eyelashes) and his personal favourite - nematodes (little round worms).Dom joins me for the end for a comparison of his intelligence to that of protists. Brutal, but demonstrates my point. Below are the articles I cite in the show.Does being multi-headed make you better at solving problems?ScienceDirect.comhttps://www.sciencedirect.comDoes being multi-headed make you better at solving problems? A survey of ...A ciliate memorises the geometry of a swimming arearoyalsocietypublishing.orghttps://royalsocietypublishing.orgA ciliate memorizes the geometry of a swimming arena | The Royal SocietyC. Elegant transfers across a gap under an electric field as dispersal behaviourNational Institutes of Health (.gov)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govCaenorhabditis elegans transfers across a gap under an electric field as ...Maze-solving by an amoeboid organismNaturehttps://www.nature.comMaze-solving by an amoeboid organismRules for Biologically Inspired Adaptive Network DesignScience | AAAShttps://www.science.orgRules for Biologically Inspired Adaptive Network DesignGeometrical preference of anchoring sites in the unicellular organism Stentor coeruleusPNAShttps://www.pnas.orgGeometrical preference of anchoring sites in the unicellular organism ...

Join Dom, Lotta and special guest Sharran as they talk all about snow and how it’s changing. How is changing snow affecting the skiing world? The Winter Olympics? Plants, animals, and humans who reply on snow and snowmelt? And what can we do about all this scary change? Join along for this important discussion and learn how winters are changing, and how we can protect them. And definitely check out Jonica Newby’s BEYOND CLIMATE GRIEF for all the feels and how to deals. 

Wowee, it’s been a hot second! And it’s HALF WAY THROUGH OUR TRIP! Another group episode for all your travel ramblings and, of course, the reveal of who topped the brick rankings for the past three months. The four of us are finally reunited (however briefly) for meandering shenanigans - involving saunas, cherry blossom festivals and hitting the spring snow slopes in the Japanese Alps. Also, we have a guest on the show: our friend Drea, whose contributions are the highlights of the show. We’d listen to them all day any day, make a podcast Drea (ironic seeing as they don’t listen to podcasts, this is the first one of ours they’ve heard!).Anyway, some of the pertinent info we promised in the show:The Chinese spirit is called Baijo. It is insane. We also had a lot of shochu, sake, umeshu, and lots of Asahi, seeing as we travelled through the town Asahi.Our book recommendations are: The Membranes, a novel by Chi Ta-WeiDiscipline by Randa Abdel-FattahThe Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures by Anne FadimanWater, Wood and Wild Things: Learning Craft and Cultivation in a Japanese Mountain Town by Hannah KirschnerTechnofeudalism: What Killed Capitalism by Yanis VaroufakisWe hope you enjoy the show! Click the bell, leave a comment, subscribe, it boosts our serotonin if not our outreach. Lots of love, all us beans.

On this weeks deep dive Bec and Cam take you through the wonderful history of the Matsu Islands, from a refuge for pirates and outcasts on the periphery of the Chinese empire to becoming a heavily fortified ‘Berlin Wall’ of the East to now being a tourism hotspot where Bec and Cam found themselves stranded due to bad weather and ferry cancellations.

How much do you know about Myanmar? Have you heard of the iconic Aung San Sui Kyi? Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, martyr of democracy who has spent 20 years of her life in house arrest, who fell from grace on an international stage and it is now unknown if the 80 year old mother of Myanmar is still alive? Lock in to this gripping episode to find out more. Lotta and Cam discuss Suu Kyi‘s life, the historical events that lead to the current civil war and sham elections, to Rohingya crisis, scam centres: in short, why we didn’t not go to Myanmar. A incredibly privileged position to take - as so many people from myanmar are trying to escape or rave their lives from the violence raging around them. If you want to donate to help some of the most vulnerable people in this theatre of terror, here are some suggestions:The Women‘s Peace Network of Myanmar supports the most vulnerable people on the path to a democratic and violence free Myanmar. Ere you can donate to help educate Rohingya girls in refugee camps.https://www.womenspeacenetwork.orgYou can donate to help victims of modern slavery and forced marriage in Myanmar here, including the scam centres on the Thai - Myanmar border we talk about in the episode. They also focus on the exploitation of women and girls who are incredibly vulnerable and are facing heightened risks of sex-trafficking, forced marriage and forced labour.https://www.freedomfund.org/hotspot/myanmar/If you‘re interested to learn more, here are some resources:Clare Hammond‘s Book, ON THE SHADOW TRACKS: A Journey Through Occupied MyanmarThe podcast What‘s Happening in MyanmarFor a fortnightly update on the situation in Myanmar through experts and interviewsThanks for listening to this big one! Remember to share, subscribe and like!

In this week’s episode Bec explores the Vietnam War from 1955-75 through a modern-day feminist lens. We discuss the following three key topics: The entitled and arrogant mindset of the US,which laid the groundwork for its involvement in the warThe hyper-aggressive nature of the war by the US, which was driven by successive presidents’ desire to project manhood when in a state of uncertaintyThe US’ heavy-handed and self-centred approachto processing the war, which dehumanised and further prolonged the suffering of the Vietnamese population Enjoy the episode! We hope you find it thought-provoking,especially in the context of the current war on Iran instigated by the US and Israel, with Australian support.  Big shout out to Cam for the very helpful editorial feedback,as well as Evan Telcik who provided the electronic background music used frequently throughout the episode. You can check out his work under Circus Beach on Spotify.  Listed below are the sources referenced throughout theepisode. Books:Choosing War: The Lost Chance for Peace and the Escalation of War in Vietnam, by Fredrik Logevall Research Papers: The impact of toxic masculinity on restrictiveemotionality and mental health seeking support (Horton, Schermerhorn & Hanel, 2013) The double-edged sword of grandiose narcissism:implications for successful and unsuccessful leadership among U.S. Presidents (Watts et al., 2013) Videos: President Richard Nixon Address to the Nation Announcing Vietnam Peace Agreement, January 23, 1973US will not follow 'stupid rules of engagement'in Iran war, says defence secretary Pete Hegseth

This week join Dom and Lotta for a chat about a cool thing many birds do - migration! Inspired by a bird watching mission to Poyang Lake in China, for Lotta’s birdday, Dom and Lotta have become amateur bird nerds, and can’t wait to chat all the amazing wonders of these rather globalised birds. Why do they migrate? How do they navigate? Why do they fly in V-formation? How long can they fly without stopping? How can we love and protect them? Have a cheeky listen to find out the answers. 

Cam and Bec discuss the history of coffee, the ethics of the industry and we hear from Mike, a small coffee roaster in Thailand.

Sit down with a cuppa and prepare to have your socks blown off about the humble drink, tea. What is it? Where did it come from? When did the British start drinking teas? Join me as I take part in a tea ceremony with tea master Mabel in her home in Kunming, trying ripe Pu’er, Oolong and White Tea as we explore the historical and cultural force that is tea. Teas have inspired spirituality and purity, tea grounds and holds people, tea is everyone’s friend. But there is another side to tea too. Tea has been the catalyst to wars, slavery and incredible human cruelty. How can that be? I learnt so much in this conversation and hope you do too!Here is Mabol’s brand, where you can learn about tea and learn some Chinese too! https://www.discovercha.com/learn-chinese-with-mabolhttps://www.facebook.com/Mabol2DiscoverCha/https://www.instagram.com/mabol_discover_cha/https://www.youtube.com/@discovercha

Join Dom and Lotta for this special bonus episode where they discuss bin diving, the Australian food system and its abundant food waste. This is a re-run of a radio show that they did for Lotta’s mums radio show Considering Earth, on Denmark Community Radio. Check out her shows here: https://www.denmarkfm.com.au/shows/considering-earth/

Laos has the unenviable title of being the most heavily bombed country per capita in the world. In this episode, we’ll be unpacking why, as well as the dangerous legacy of unexploded ordinances (UXOs) left in the lives of everyday Laotian people.  Join Bec this week as she interviews two representatives from Mines Advisory Group (MAG), Bella and Ben, about the history, ramifications and ongoing work related to UXOs in Laos.  The Mines Advisory Group (MAG) is a global humanitarian and advocacy organisation that finds, removes and destroys landmines, cluster munitions and unexploded bombs from places affected by conflict. MAG has been working in Laos since 1994 clearing unexploded bombs and providing explosive ordnance risk education, helping families safely farm, build, and live without fear. Our guests from MAG Laos: Mathida Khattiyavong (Ben), Communications OfficerIsabelle Urumath (Bella), Grants and Communications Manager Ways to support MAG Laos and stay engaged in their work: Website for donationsFacebook Instagram Vientiane Visitor CentreXieng Khouang Visitor CentreSources for extra reading: Obama's 2016 remarks in Laos (mentioned during interview)Collateral Damage: The Legacy of the Secret War on Laos (peer-reviewed study from 2024 published in The Economic Journal)

Damning the Mekong - Can we call hydropower clean energy? Whilst certainly renewable, hydropower can’t claim to have clean hands on the Mekong River, where it is causing widespread ecological and social damage, across many national borders. Despite the damning evidence and widespread impacts, many more dams are in the pipeline, and are getting constructed with enthusiasm from those who profit. Join Dom and Lotta as they discuss the many facets of hydropower, and explain how damming the river changes the hydrology, ecology, and geomorphology of the river, and how its impacting the millions who rely upon a healthy river. Sources: Basin-Wide Assessment of Climate Change Impacts on Hydropower Production. Mekong River Commission. 2018 The Political Ecology of Large Hydropower Dams in the Mekong Basin: A Comprehensive Review. Carl Middleton. 2022 Impacts of Mainstream Hydropower Development on Fisheries and Human Nutrition in the Lower Mekong. Christopher D. Golden et al. 2019Understanding the impact of hydropower developments in the context of upstream-downstream relations in the Mekong River basin, Claudia kuenzer et al. 2012Various ways hydro are impacting the Mekong Delta: https://www.mekongeye.com/2022/02/11/floods-and-migrants-of-vietnams-mekong-delta-25-lessons-from-the-dataPiece by the BBC recommended by Lotta: https://www.bbc.com/audio/play/p0gsp9q4

Cam takes a meander through Thai political history, including how Thailand avoided colonisation, why they keep fighting with Cambodia and how they continue as a stable, prosperous country despite having a military coup roughly every eight years.Apologies for my pronunciation of Thai names.

Join Lotta and Dom as they dive deep into the floodwaters that hit South East Asia last year - and swim through the nuanced and shocking currents of human’s relationships with floods from the past into the future. We also do a bit of a nerd out about the climate - if you’ve decided to skip that section, jump to 13:25!Some papers , books and other resources I recommend checking out if you’re curious!https://www.nature.com/articles/s43017-021-00199-z - the article which links ENSO to climate changeIn Praise of Floods by James C. Scott - a different view of rivers, that tries to decenter humans within the river ecosystemhttps://coastal.climatecentral.org/map/9/105.8996/20.8793/?theme=sea_level_rise&map_type=year&basemap=roadmap&contiguous=true&elevation_model=best_available&forecast_year=2050&pathway=ssp3rcp70&percentile=p50&refresh=true&return_level=return_level_1&rl_model=coast_rp&slr_model=ipcc_2021_med - a map with projected sea level rises worldwide. Interactive, fun and soberingAmphibious Anthropologies, Living in Wet Environments - a super cool collection of writings of people living in changing wet environments I’m dying to read! https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20181129-the-underground-cathedral-protecting-tokyo-from-floods - Tokyo’s flood cathedral

What a spicy group episode! Spanning two birthdays, Christmas and the lovely addition of our friend Blair for three weeks of adventure. Join us as we take overnight trains, learn how to make papaya salad for Bec’s birthday, push bikes up endless and steep hills, learn a couple of words of Karen and embark on our (long) path to enlightenment with the help of Buddhist teachings. We also have a shallow dive for you on the mysteries and subterfuge of the Golden Triangle - the Special Economic Zone where China, Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet. This episode is a bit different as logistics and fun got in the way of a fully fledged episode - but worry not! There is enough to make you gasp, laugh and cringe, nonetheless. As we explore different forms of travel and slightly different itineraries, you can expect some changes in the group episodes this year, we’ll take it as it comes! Deep dives will still be going strong as we obsess about random topics in each country we visit. Book recommendations for this episode:Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (megaaaa classicccc that Dom and Blair were obsessing over)On the Shadow Tracks: A Journey Through Occupied Myanmar by Clare Hammond (fantastic journalism and insight into Myanmar you didn’t know you needed)Juice by Tim Winton (recommended before, recommended again no that Dom has finished it: get on it beans)Thanks for listening! Subscribe, share, like… all that jazz. Love you guys!

Over our travels we have crossed one of the heartland countries for the controversial palm oil industry – Malaysia. In today's deep dive, Bec and Lotta discuss the environmental and ethical issues levelled at Big Oil Palm, trying to answer the question of whether palm oil can ever be a truly sustainable product. We also have the privilege of hearing from renowned Malaysian economist Jomo Kwame Sundaram on this episode. Bec interviews him about the colonial roots of the rubber and oil palm industries. Enjoy listening! Full bio for Professor Jomo: Jomo Kwame Sundaram is a Research Adviser, Khazanah Research Institute, Fellow, Academy of Science, Malaysia, and Emeritus Professor, University of Malaya. He was UN Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development, Assistant Director General, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Founder-Chair, International Development Economics Associates (IDEAs) and President, Malaysian Social Science Association. Jomo has authored and edited over a hundred books, written many academic papers and media articles, besides translating 12 volumes. He has received the 2007 Wassily Leontief Prize for Advancing the Frontiers of Economic Thought, several honorary doctorates and The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) Award in Social Sciences for 2026.Important links: Sites of Displacement photo essay by Australian academic Christine Horn

Another group episode beans! Here, you will be updated on our journeys through Malaysia and how we reunited in Thailand. Listen for food highlights, a shallow dive on LGBTQIA+ rights in Malaysia and, of course, BRICK #1! Including who won it last time after we left the choice to you guys…Sick advocacy groups working in Malaysia you should totally follow on your socials and check out in general: https://www.instagram.com/jejakaorg/?hl=enhttps://justiceforsisters.org/en/https://www.planetromeofoundation.org/pelangi-campaign/If you want to donate for Thai flood relief in the wake of the floods that Hat Yai and other cities under water, donate here:https://www.donationhub.or.th/project/106/detail/ENOur fave books from recently! The Rosie Project by Graeme SimsionAtlas of the Heart by Brene BrownMinistry of Moral Panic by Amanda Lee KoehSugarbread by Balli Kaur Jaswal

In this episode Cam talks to Alex Au from Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2), an NGO that advocates for migrant workers in Singapore. Links:Donate to TWC2 hereThe report I wrote with Kael for TWC2

Have you ever told ghost stories around a campfire? Do you believe in spirits of place, or perhaps black and white magic? Well for many in Indonesia, they are real, and are powerful forces across the country today. Join Dom and Italian Dom, Michy, as they explore the religions and spiritualism of Java, Indonesia. Michy, Dom’s friend, has visited spiritual leaders and shamans to research the complexity, nuance and magic of Kejawen - a traditional spiritual belief system on Java - in which shamans play important roles to this day. Hear about how Kejawen can coexist with Islam, what ghosts Dom and Michy have encountered and the seven steps for reaching perfection.

Listen up, another group episode! This time recorded hundreds of miles apart over zoom.Here, we discuss the second half of our time in Indonesia, as well as Dom's dengue scare which resulted in the group temporarily splitting up and Cam and Bec pushing on to Singapore and Malaysia.We also take a shallow dive into how Singapore launders Russian oil and sells it to Australia.The Asia TimesCentre for Research on Clean Energy and Clean AirOur GoFundMe for BC can be found ⁠here⁠. Please consider donating if you have the means! Join us for some meandering shenanigans, and catch ya next time! BOOK RECSFiction: Indonesian authors: The Rainbow Troops (Andrea Hirata)The Wandering (Intan Paramaditha)Singaporean Authors: Sugarbread (Balli Kaur Jaswal)Australian Authors: Juice (Time Winton)Non-fiction and memoir:Desi Girl (Sarah Malik)All I Ever Wanted To Be Was Hot (Lucinda Froomes Price)

One of the most exciting phenomena in the spread of animals across the globe, the Wallace Line is a tale of life and death, deep time and the movement of humans across an island chain like no other, and it passes right between Bali and Lombok! Join Lotta and Cam as they explore not only the Wallace Line, but also Wallace, a progressive 19 th century naturalist who despite it all, was still a product of colonialism. We also explore the impact colonialism has on science still today and dedicate the episode to all the amazing people we’ve met so far in Indonesia. We were lucky enough to feature two guests:Geologist friend Deni Sugandi from Bandung, who helped explain the geological controls on the movements of animals across the archipelagoAndRonya Ramrath (Lotta’s sister!) who is currently completing her PhD at Oxford on the epistemic injustice of Indigenous Knowledge not being acknowledged as knowledge in western academia. We hope you enjoy!

Have you ever thought, damn, what a waste to flush my poop down the toilet! Well, permaculture has the answer - compost that sh!t. Join Dom and Dwi as they talk about permaculture and Dwi’s permaculture project, Omah Lor, set on the slopes of a volcano in Central Java, Indonesia.Permaculture is: the use of ecology as the basis for designing integrated systems of food production, housing, appropriate technology, and community development. Permaculture is built upon an ethic of caring for the earth and interacting with the environment in mutually beneficial ways. Follow Omah Lor on instagram: OmahlorprojectDwi’s Book Recommendations:Permaculture: A Designer’s Manual - by Bill MollisonTeaming with Microbes - by Jeff LowenfelTeaming with Fungi - by Jeff LowenfelTeaming with Nutrients - by Jeff LowenfelTeaming with Bacteria - by Jeff LowenfelLearn more about permaculture and the 12 design principles here:https://worldpermacultureassociation.com/holmgren-principles/Go online and watch some permy vids! It’s a crazy world to exploreThanks everyone!

Listen up, another group episode! Here, we discuss the our time in Lombok, Sumbawa, Bali and Java, and take a shallow dive into BC Foundation and labour issues for people from the global south. Tune in for new segments like Scrubalubadubub and Biggest Bule and old faves like Brick No 1. Our GoFundMe for BC can be found here. Please consider donating if you have the means! Join us for some meandering shenanigans, and catch ya next time! BOOK RECSIndonesian authors: Beauty is a Wound (Eka Kurniawan)The Wandering (Intan Paramaditha)This Earth of Mankind (Pramoedy Ananta Toer)Non-fiction:The Jakarta Method (Vincent Bevins)Slow Down: How Degrowth Communism Can Save the Earth (Kohei Saito)Against White Feminism: Notes on Disruption (Rafia Zakaria)Memoir: The Trading Game (Gary Stevenson)

In this week’s episode Bec and Dom continue the story of the Montara Oil Spill, focussing on the impacts of this environmental disaster on Indonesians.  During the episode they have the privilege of hearing fromaward-winning documentarian Jane Hammond, who spent time in West Timor filming ‘A Crude Injustice’, which promoted awareness in Australia and abroad about the dire consequences of the spill in one of the poorest regions in the world.  We also discuss a landmark class action lawsuit in Australiafrom 2016-2021, where 15,000 seaweed farmers from Indonesia held the liable company PTTEPAA to account. Important Links and Sources: A Crude Injustice by Jane Hammond Guardian Reporting about the Class Action Lawsuit Energy News Bulletin Reporting about UN Human Rights Case against Aus Gov Human Rights Law Centre Summary of Class Action Lawsuit

Hello everyone, thanks for joining us for another episode ofThe Meandering Pod. This week we’re introducing a two-part series for the firsttime. It’s about the Montara Oil Spill, which happened in the Timor Sea in 2009. Bec and Dom will focus in this episode on the Australian side of the story, and next episode we’ll look into the Indonesian side of the story.  A big thanks to Fraser Maywood, chair of Sustainable EnergyNow, for providing background information about the oil and gas industry (but not specific details of the incident).    Links to important sources: - Montara Oil Spill Commission of Inquiry - Sydney Morning Herald Reporting About PRRT Appeal - ABC Reporting About Destroyed Evidence - Boiling Cold Reporting on Jadestone Energy

A bonus episode! Here, you’ll hear all about the greenwashing and double-think world of carbon and biodiversity offsetting in Australia. this episode comes out hand in hand with an article Bec and Lotta wrote for Cheek Media: Carbon and Biodiversity Offsets are the Girl Math of the corporate world - but their consequences affect us all. We believe in people being able to critically assess the claims of corporation and government and here we hope to shed some light on the trickeries hidden behind claims of carbon neutral or nature neutral. Learn about how frogs can’t fly (but are expected to), oil companies are rigging the system for more profit and how life on earth has no price tag. For more information check out:BIODIVERSITY- Research from the Australian Conservation Foundation about how biodiversity offsets aren't protected.- A news article by the ABC about the Australian government review about the failings of the biodiversity offset scheme.- A detailed report by Carbon Brief on the issues associated with biodiversity offsets.CARBON- Research by Haizea Analytics, ANU, UNSW and UQ about the inefficacy of human-induced regeneration carbon offsets - Research by the Australia Institute about the issues with avoided deforestation carbon offsets - Australian government website about the Chubb Review into the ACCU system

Cameron goes through the scandal ridden history of big gas in Australia starting with Gogh Whitlam's failed plan to nationalise our resources.Groups who are doing something about it:-Disrupt Burrup Hub-Conservation Council of WA-Greenpeace-Australian Youth Climate CoalitionKey readings:The Captured State Report - https://350perth.org.au/captured-state/The Australia Institute's Great Gas Giveaway Report - https://australiainstitute.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/P1451-Australias-great-gas-giveaway-Web.pdfABC Four Corners Timor Lest Spying Operation - https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-27/secrets,-spies-and-trials/11451004The Guardian Northwest Shelf Extension - https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/aug/19/wa-government-put-very-rosy-spin-on-report-into-woodside-emissions-at-murujuga-scientists-private-email-sayshttps://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/sep/30/woodside-north-west-shelf-gas-indigenous-rock-art-murujuga-federal-government-environment-minister-murray-watt-western-australiaGas is displacing renewables:https://www.smh.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/woodside-contradicts-csiro-report-debunking-key-climate-claims-20220307-p5a2d5.html

Join Lotta on another Meandering Pod Deep Dive where she discovers the fascinating and ancient world of stromatolites! The guest on the show today is Dr Anna Ramrath, who happens to be Lotta’s mum. Tune in for tales of ancient life, the curse and blessing of oxygen, teeny architects and the slowing turning of the earth. It also features one of the hottest places in the world, North Pole, in the Pilbara in Western Australia.Also, here is my mum’s radio!https://www.denmarkfm.com.au/shows/considering-earth/

Listen up, another group episode! Here, we discuss our crossing of the Timor Sea from Darwin to Lombok, the highlights and on board, the silly moments and what we learnt. Tune in for some meandering shenanigans!Jan’s Youtube: JanwantstosailBooks we recommend: (from Bec) Love and Virtue by Diana ReidThe Rabbit Effect: Live Longer, Happier, and Healthier with the Groundbreaking Science of Kindness by Kelli Harding(from Cam)Red Seas und Red Skies by Scott Lynch and Benjamin Carre in the Gentlemen Bastards series(from Lotta)No Friend but the Mountains by Behrouz BoochaniSand Talk by Tyson Yunkaporta

Join Bec and Lotta on a Deep Dive into the Denmark Community Wind Farm, a community-owned in Southwest corner of Australia!They follow this case study from the initial idea, barriers to building the wind farm, the innovative way the project was financed, its current success and how it gives back to the town year-on-year and supports further sustainability projects with a portion of profits made. Some links to learn more about the windfarm and other community energy projects: Community energy groups and projects in Australia Episodes about the project from Considering Earth, a program on Denmark Community Radio (the Wind Farm, Totally Renewable Denmark 1, and Totally Renewable Denmark 2)

Join Lotta and Dom on their first Deep Dive, where they get excited about plants!The south west of Western Australia is a biodiversity hotspot, meaning we have far more plant species here than in most other places in the world! Lotta and Dom discuss why this is the case, and what plants to look out for that are particularly weird and wonderful. We also mention some of the risks this area faces and what we can all do to help protect our incredible environment.A couple of ecology terms are used that they totally forgot may not be in everyone's vocabularies. Here is a bit of a glossary:Productive (ecology) - the rate at which things growSpecies - a group of organisms that are alike enough to make babiesSubspecies - A classification level finer than species - describing variation within speciesTaxa - all the organisms within one classification groupTaxonomic diversity - The diversity of organisms that can be classified differentlyFunctional diversity - The diversity of different ways of doing things - like obtaining nutrients, getting pollinated, getting seed spread...Morphology - the shape and structure of the plants - like what the flowers look likeNutrient acquisition strategy - The ways in which plants get their nutrients from the soil (or, spoiler alert, through eating insects...)Exudates - a fluid that is released from the plantPlant available Phosphorus - If a nutrient is plant available, it means it is in a form in which plants can just lap it up in the soil. Plant unavailable nutrients are locked up or need to be changed chemically to become usefulMycorrhizal - a mutually beneficial relationship between plants and fungi in which the fungi basically extends the plant roots, and nutrients or protection from pathogens is traded for sugarsLet us know in the comments if there is anything we've missed!

Dom, Bec, Cam and Lotta introduce you to The Meandering Pod! Join us as we travel overland from Australia to Europe, meandering through different continents, cultures and conversations. We’re a bunch of beans travelling from Australia to Europe, the aim of the game is no flying, using any other mode of transport available.Welcome to our first episode, where we introduce the trip, our progress so far and the background behind our adventure, and what you can expect from us in the future. Hint: we'll be meandering through a whole range of topics, from culture to politics to history to energy to bugs. So come join us on a little meander!Book recs: - Jylia (Tracy Westerman)- Stolen Focus (Johan Hari) NGO links: - The Westerman Jylia Institute: https://www.thejilyainstitute.com.au/ - Disrupt Burrup Hub: https://www.disruptburruphub.com/