Planet Policy Pals Podcast

EP 53: A Dying Rainforest- Congo

The UN estimated that in 2000 some 1.6 billion people around the world, including many of the world’s poorest, derived at least part of their food, income or medical needs directly from the forest. The Congo rainforest is the second biggest rainforest in the world and has lost more than 600,000 hectares of primary forest in 2020, which is a 9 percent increase compared to 2019, according to recent data from the Global Forest Watch (GFW). The biggest drivers of deforestation in the Congo rainforest over the past 30 years have been small-scale subsistence agriculture, logging, urban expansion, and mining. What has the impact been on the DRC, the general region, and the globe at whole? We discuss this, the lack of global efforts, and more in this episode.
Global land use changes are four times greater than previously estimated | Nature 
Global land use change, economic globalization, and the looming land scarcity | PNAS 
Land degradation and climate change - resource | IUCN.
Climate change: Land degradation and desertification | WHO
Deforestation in Africa: Causes, Effects, and Solutions | Earth.Org
3 Surprising Ways Water Depends on Healthy Forests | World Resources Institute
Saving Africa’s forests, the ‘lungs of the world’ | Africa Renewal
Rainforests in Africa- Mongabay
How Colonialism Spawned and Continues to Exacerbate the Climate Crisis | Columbia news 
COP27: Conserving the Congo Basin rainforest | African Wildlife Foundation
US tech giants sued over DRC cobalt mine child labour deaths | Al Jazeera 
To save the Congo basin rainforest, end the conflict in the DRC | Al Jazeera
COP26: Landmark $500 million agreement to protect the DRC forest | UN.org
COP27 long on pledges, short on funds for forests | Mongabay.org 
Women for Forests | WECAN International

EP 52- America First: Another Disaster

On Feb. 3, a Norfolk Southern train carrying toxic chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, igniting a fire and setting off fears of an explosion. The NTSB found that the accident was “100% preventable” and yet Norfolk Southern, the company responsible, firmly disagrees. Shortly after the derailment, 1,500 to 2,000 residents were told to evacuate. The EPA, Ohio officials, and the company responsible are all reporting different effects. It will take continuous testing to determine the scope of this accident. Still, what is being done to prevent these accidents that keep happening in America? We get into it in this episode.
 
Source links below:
Section of major I-95 highway in Philadelphia may take months to repair | CNN
EPA Residential, Commercial, and Agricultural Soil Sampling Results
EPA Updates from the East Palestine Train Derailment Emergency Response 
The Ohio Train Derailment: A Timeline - The New York Times
Environmental Disaster from East Palestine, OH Train Derailment | pennfuture
UC professor explains environmental harm caused by rail accidents | University of Cincinnati
Aches, rashes and fear: Trauma remains after Ohio derailment | AP News
Ohio Train Derailment: An Ecological and Human Health Disaster? | Earth.Org
Justice Department sues Norfolk Southern over derailment | AP News
Norfolk Southern’s Profits and Accident Rates Rose Before Ohio Derailment - NYT
Ohio senators introduce safety rules after toxic train derailment disaster | Guardian
Derailed: Investigating the US railroad industry | transport | Al Jazeera
Indigenous Climate Action

EP 51: Greening Auto- Money or the Planet?

The  transportation sector is one of the largest contributors of GHGs and cars alone contribute to 29% of emissions in the US. The issue of renewable transport has plagued humanity longer than you think and the rise of electric vehicle sales may be part of the solution. Tesla, Toyota, Honda… all companies that have been less than honest with marketing tactics regarding environmental impact to varying degrees. Is the EV market plagued by greenwashing?
Source links below:
The History of the Electric Car | Department of Energy 
How electric vehicles help to tackle climate change | Carbon Brief 
Electric Vehicles: Technology Analysis | International Energy Agency 
Tesla 2022 Impact Report
Carbon disclosure rating 
Tesla’s carbon footprint is bigger than the company let on in the past | The Verge 
Nationwide Study of the Electric Vehicle Shopping Experience | Sierra Club 
Best Electric Vehicles of 2023 - Top-Rated EVs | U.S. News
Consumer Reports' top auto picks 2023 | CNBC
Best Electric Vehicles of 2023 | Kelly Blue Book 
Toyota accused of greenwashing in Greenpeace complaint filed to ACCC
EU Commission prepares to crack down on greenwashing with Green Claims law | EEB
South Korea establishing fines for corporate 'greenwashing' | Business & Human Rights Centre

EP 50: Are we losing seasons? (Is it true?)

A study in the geophysical research letters journal found that summer in the Northern Hemisphere midlatitudes has lengthened, whereas winter has shortened, owing to shift in their onsets and withdrawals, accompanied by shorter spring and autumn. Over the period of 1952–2011, the length of summer increased from 78 to 95 days and that of spring, autumn and winter decreased from 124 to 115, 87 to 82, and 76 to 73 days, respectively. Our health and well-being are inextricably linked to our natural environment. So much, in fact, that the World Health Organization has called climate change “the single biggest health threat facing humanity.” The link between changing climate and erratic weather is clearer than ever. Join us as we dive into the complicated game of predicting seasonal changes!
Show notes and references available at  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jLk46tmRSKwKS3maPM5NyOZKvoHumnIiDVdbsdbhBB0/edit?usp=sharing

EP 49: Alternative fabrics (Is it true?)

As a follow up to our fashion episode, we are providing general tips on the best fabrics to help guide ourselves and our listeners when expanding our wardrobes.

EP 48:Is reproduction stalling? (Is it true?)

For four years, male sea turtles have been declining in Florida, and a study in Australia confirmed similar findings with 99% of the hatchlings born female, with both linked to rising temperatures. Earlier this year, we breached the planetary limit for hazardous chemicals. There are over 350,000 human-made chemicals on the market with numbers expected to triple by 2050. This cocktail of facts got us thinking about the impacts of synthetic chemicals and rising global temperatures on the reproductive health of human and non-human species, as well as the possible impact of reproductive ability? Are we gonna run low on babies? Join us as we discuss.
Show notes and references available at  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_6QmU2lSfd16X2K_35MdrS5Cu_Er-XMHBAbLgVRJC24/edit?usp=sharing

EP 47: Do Celebs Worsen the Climate Crisis? (Is it true?)

For every 4,434 metric tons of carbon produced beyond 2020 levels, one person globally will die prematurely due to extreme temperatures, according to an analysis published in Nature Communications. If you then consider the fact that in the first half of 2022, those 10 celebrities’ planes released a staggering 3,376.64 metric tons of carbon emissions, you might be a little angry. Especially since that amount is about 482 times more than the average person’s annual emissions, according to Yard. So, why should we all keep trying? Is there hope? Are rich people ruining the climate faster than we can save it? All these difficult, passive aggressive questions and more are answered in this episode.
Show notes and references available at  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1J4TrikUSeBCA73YgciOryzc7OXEyIBd-gfMdI214BOs/edit?usp=sharing

EP 46: Is fast fashion poisonous? (Is it true?)

A viral TikTok video of a woman claiming SHEIN nail flakes sent her to the hospital led internet sleuths down a web of contaminants and bad environmental practices that the fashion industry has engaged in for decades. Yoga pants and gym leggings sold by Lululemon and Old Navy contained Perfluoroalkoxy alkanes, PFAS, according to testing done by consumer health activist blog Mamavation. Outdoor apparel brands Columbia, REI, and L.L. Bean received either a D or F grading for PFAS by Fashion FWD. H&M is fighting greenwashing allegations as of this episode being published, and SHEIN has given vague responses whenever it has been challenged on lead and other metals in its clothing. So, what is the deal? Should we go naked? We get into these chemicals, their effects, and verified claims in this episode on the toxic nature of fast fashion!
Show notes and references available at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1m6-E0M4NRIH93B6QgyYPFBnZSLQXUIbgeZup6jssQ_c/edit?usp=sharing 

EP 45: Will Pakistan’s Floods Stop? (We’re Back!)

From June through August, Pakistan has received 190 percent of its normal rainfall. The heavy rainfall saturated soil, preventing the ground from soaking up more water from storms in August. Pakistan’s downpours have flooded a third of the country, according to officials, affecting 33 million people, and killing at least 1,100. In southeast Pakistan, the city of Nawabshah hit 49.5 degrees Celsius (120.2°F) on May 1. The Global Climate Risk Index puts Pakistan as the eighth most vulnerable country because of disasters caused by climate change, yet the country is responsible for less than 1 percent (0.7%)  of the global carbon emissions. The health, ecosystem, economic, and infrastructure fallout is estimated to cost $10 billion. We discuss the details, climate science, the money, and what can be done to reduce future damage. Ultimately we answer the question “Will Pakistan’s flood stop?”
 
Show notes and references available at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xlf7NaWg-YTHpUpYCZUGa-5kJAXZfgv3tYQT7_wFRo8/edit?usp=sharing 
Donate and help: Akhuwat Foundation, Alkhidmat Foundation. The Citizens Foundation, Balochistan Youth Action Committee

EP 44: Ocean Acidification with Katrina Dutton

This week our guest is a professor, marine biologist, and fellow FL Tech alum, Katrina Dutton. Surface waters are now 30 percent more acidic than they were at the start of the industrial era. Projections show that by the end of this century, ocean surface waters could be more than twice as acidic as they were at the end of last century if we do not reduce our carbon emissions. How are we doing this? What are the effects? Are there any solutions? Will we implement them? Listen now to get into it with us!
Links used for references are below: 
The Oceans Feel Impacts from Acid Rain
Acid Rain Has Disproportionate Impact on Near-Shore Ocean Waters | NSF
Effects of Ocean and Coastal Acidification on Marine Life | US EPA
Acidifying Oceans Could Get Help from Kelp - Eos
climate change performance index  
CO2 and Ocean Acidification: Causes, Impacts, Solutions 
Captions of transcript available on our YouTube Page
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