Podcasts by Sustainable Asia

S17E2: What happened at INC-2? from 2023-06-26T04:39:57

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…ma...

S17E1: Bonus Episode: Plastisphere Podcast's Demands for the Plastic Treaty - Science over Profit from 2023-06-10T02:14:07

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 reall...

S17E1: Why It's No Longer About Recycling from 2023-05-25T11:31:26

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 Globa...

S17E1: New Season | Global Plastics Treaty Negotiations from 2023-05-25T11:29:31

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. Jo...

S16E3: Cows | A Climate Stomach Ache from 2023-05-24T16:13:42

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 ...

S16E2: Rice｜A Sticky Climate Challenge from 2023-05-16T05:13:36

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 8...

S16E1: Soil｜The Silent Climate Fighter from 2023-05-03T15:08:44

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 sufferi...

S15E5: Seoul | Too Many Coal Plants from 2022-12-29T03:00:44

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 ...

S15E4: Delhi and Kathmandu | Signs of Progress from 2022-12-29T02:54

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...

S15E3: Lahore | Fighting for Clean Air from 2022-12-14T02:49:56

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 ...

S15E2: Jakarta | A Choking Hazard from 2022-12-06T03:25:53

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 o...

S15E1: Bangkok | Toxic Air from 2022-12-06T02:18:33

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...

S15E1: New Season: Clearing the Air from 2022-12-06T00:04:40

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...

S14E3: Finally...New Initiatives for Asia from 2022-05-26T08:48:17

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...

S14E2: Can Plastic Laws get a Boost in Asia? from 2022-05-06T11:00

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, contributi...

S14E1: View from Asia from 2022-04-22T12:43:08

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 teet...

S14E1: New Season! from 2022-04-20T21:36

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:

Jen...

S13E2: Surviving the Cacophony in China’s waters from 2021-09-30T04:06:32

The Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin is protected at the h...

S13E1: Sounds from a Healthy Coral Reef from 2021-09-30T04:05:15

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 ...

S13E1: Introducing Asia's Noisy Oceans from 2021-09-29T02:49:17

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...

S12E5: The Plastic Carbon Footprint from 2021-05-20T00:12:29

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 ...

S12E4: Lessons From a Pandemic from 2021-05-13T01:26:08

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...

S12E3: Community Trash Talk from 2021-05-06T02:10:47

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 rura...

S12E2: Shouldn't They Know Better? from 2021-04-28T23:19:17

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 urba...

S12E1: Once Upon a Plastic Covered Beach... from 2021-04-21T13:54:40

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%...

S12E1: Introducing Mapping Asia's Plastic Crisis from 2021-04-14T03:40:42

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 com...

S11E10: Fukushima’s Ongoing Nuclear Bite from 2021-03-15T12:47:13

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 ren...

S11E9: China’s Carbon Neutral Bite from 2021-03-08T12:04:15

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 crackdow...

S11E8: Hong Kong’s Green Bond Bites from 2021-03-01T11:25:27

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 episo...

S11E7: K-Pop’s Powerful Bite from 2021-02-22T08:00:24

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 ep...

S11E6: Nature's Bite at Lunar New Year from 2021-02-15T14:06:23

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 floo...

S11E5: Asia's Climate Activism’s Strong Bite from 2021-02-08T05:36:03

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...

S11E4: A Bite of East Asia’s Reality from 2021-02-01T10:02:04

Reminiscing about good times in Japan, our tourism-hungry hosts talk about the creative ...

S11E3: Behind the Masks of Covid-19 from 2021-01-25T09:49:47

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, bleachin...

S11E3: Behind the Masks of Covid-19 from 2021-01-25T09:49:47

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, bleachin...

S11E2: January’s FrostBite - The New Normal? from 2021-01-18T07:57:03

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 chang...

S11E1: Was 2020 a green year in Asia? from 2021-01-11T12:19:29

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 jo...

S11E1: New show is coming to town! from 2020-12-30T10:55:22

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 wi...

S10E4: After CCAMLR, What’s Next for China? from 2020-12-12T02:37:12

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 ...

S10E3: Athletic Diplomacy for the Southern Ocean from 2020-10-23T10:00

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 c...

S10E2: China’s Role in Preserving the Southern Ocean from 2020-09-11T05:43:35

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 ice...

S10E1: China’s Marine Conservation for Future Generations from 2020-09-04T06:00

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 pr...

S9E7: Asia's Plastic First Mile - A Review from 2020-08-19T02:00

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 ...

S9E6: China's Plastic Recycling Challenge from 2020-08-11T01:54:54

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,...

S9E5: Indonesia’s Ocean Plastic Cleanup Plan from 2020-07-09T02:12:29

Indonesia has more than 3 million tons of plastic leaking into the ocean every year. Its governmen...

S9E4: Plastic Purge in Bali from 2020-07-01T12:52:55

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 plast...

S9E3: Can Plastic Recycling Become Reality in Hong Kong? from 2020-06-17T04:00

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 Listen

S9E2: The Hong Kong Alliance Solving Plastic Waste from 2020-06-09T05:10:07

When it comes to plastic recycling, Hong Kong is falling behind. In the face of government inaction, local organisations are stepping in to fill the gaps. 

In this episode, we look at...

S9E1: Taiwan — Gold Standard for Recycling from 2020-06-02T09:10:13

Taiwan went from being nicknamed “Trash Island” to becoming the world’s premier supplier of PET recycled plastic. What did it take to get there? We walk through Taiwan’s unique approac...

S8E10: The Origins of the Coronavirus Pandemic from 2020-05-05T01:32:31

We speak with HKUMed Dr. Tommy Lam to learn the science behind how the coronavirus emerged from animal populations and can’t be man-made, why the pangolin could be an intermediary host, and whet...

S8E9: Can Buddhism Help us During Coronavirus? from 2020-04-29T08:00

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, we are spending a lot of time at home. While some see this as an opportunity for quality time with their loved ones, it can also pose more chances for a...

S8E8: Coronavirus Cases are Dropping - Should HK Reopen the Economy? from 2020-04-28T01:43:37

Hong Kong’s economy is contracting for the first time since the 2009 financial crisis. We talk to economist Dr. Heiwai Tang from HKU about how the Hong Kong government can support small&nbs...

S8E7: Luxury Seafood Trade during Coronavirus Pandemic from 2020-04-24T08:28:45

A story about how our behaviour during COVID19 ...is affecting ocean wildlife. Luxury seafood tourism in Hong Kong and China has halted under lockdown. While good for endangered reef fish i...

S8E6: Loneliness and the Elderly during Coronavirus from 2020-04-20T23:00

Elderly people are getting the short end of the stick during this coronavirus pandemic. Because they have a higher risk of complications under COVID-19, they are being asked to socially iso...

S8E5: Coronavirus: Online learning with Documentarian Ruby Yang from 2020-04-17T04:31:07

Life online during coronavirus social distancing…has lost its luster. So why not learn something new during this COVID19 pandemic...We talk to Ruby Yang who teaches documentary filmmaking a...

S8E4: Coronavirus: Symptoms and Reinfection Risk from 2020-04-14T02:00

Clinical Professor John Nicholls from the Department of Pathology at HKU Medicine responds to questions from #askHKUMed with the latest coronavirus research:

-Can people that test pos...

S7E4: Will coronavirus change the fate of pangolins in China? from 2020-04-09T06:00

Pangolins do not survive well in captivity. In fact, when seized by border authorities, their rescue often turns into a death sentence. But when a local NGO in China tried to save a handful of t...

S8E3: The Race for a Coronavirus Vaccine from 2020-04-07T05:11:47

The novel coronavirus has spread faster than any epidemic in recent memory. It’s called the “stealth virus” for a reason: patients are infectious even before they have symptoms. That m...

S8E2: Coronavirus: Men vs Women from 2020-04-03T02:14:04

There is a lot of discussion these days about how the novel coronavirus is dividing out between the sexes. Men are dying from the virus at a much higher rate. Yet women represent 70% of glo...

S8E1: Coronavirus: Epidemics 101 from 2020-03-31T02:07:03

The novel coronavirus has hit the world like a bombshell. Many of us are quarantined and frankly pretty nervous....But one of our best strategies to deal with this pandemic is to try to und...

S8E1: COVID19 With HKU from 2020-03-25T16:00

The novel coronavirus COVID19 pandemic has hit the world like a bombshell. But it's not the first coronavirus to hit Asia. In 2003, the SARS coronavirus brought Hong Kong to a standstill, b...

S7E3: The Pangolin Reports - Vietnam, Malaysia from 2020-03-12T07:00

Vietnam is the world’s second largest destination for the illegal trade in pangolins after China. The Southeast Asian country is also a major transit hub for trafficking of the endangered mammal...

Update on Coronavirus and China's Wildlife Trade Ban from 2020-02-29T16:14:56

Before releasing the final two episodes of The Pangolin Reports, Marcy and Bonnie take a brief look at China's coronavirus outbreak that kicked off just as we started releasing this podcast seri...

S7E2: The Pangolin Reports - Myanmar, Nepal, Indonesia from 2020-02-20T23:00

How illegal pangolin trafficking is encouraging criminal activity in Asia

Pangolins have been around for over 80 million years. Yet China’s demand is pushing them to the e...

S7E1: The Pangolin Reports - China from 2020-02-14T04:00

Why are pangolins so sought after in China?

Pangolins are the most trafficked mammal in the world, in large part due to demand from Chinese consumers. Scientists are point...

S6E2: China’s Polar Frontiers: The Arctic from 2019-12-20T11:00

Last year, China published its Arctic Policy white paper, positioning itself as a stakeholder in Arctic governance and making waves internationally as countries tried to understand China’s inten...

S6E1: China’s Polar Frontiers: Antarctica from 2019-12-13T11:00

The Antarctic landscape has been changing drastically with warming temperatures, and with the changing geopolitical tensions in the world, China has become a big player on discussions about the ...

S5E4: Mining the Deep: Is the International Seabed Authority up to the task? from 2019-11-29T11:00

Not just anyone can dig up the ocean floor, you would first have to make an agreement with the International Seabed Authority. As it turns out, 21 countries have contracts now and are preparing ...

S5E3: Mining the Deep: The world of nodule treasures from 2019-11-22T11:00

Why are companies so eager to start harvesting metal rich nodules from the ocean floor? In Episode 3 we are following Deep Green, a company founded by former Nautilus management. This company is...

S5E2: Mining the Deep: Papua New Guinea Intrigue from 2019-11-15T11:00

In Papua New Guinea, mining company Nautilus was hoping to start deep seabed mining by 2018. Things were looking good, but the company had to fold over grassroots resistance and financial troubl...

S5E1: Mining the Deep: Is it worth sacrificing the ocean floor? from 2019-11-08T11:00

The concept of deep seabed mining has been around for decades, but our growing demand for renewable energy is making this far fetched idea... a reality. Renewable energy resources are perceived ...

Sustainable Asia Update from 2019-10-22T10:00

We've been nominated for Asia's best podcast by the Asia podcast awards. So it's time to get out the vote. If you like what you hear, please go to Asia podcast awards, and cast your vote for the su...

S4E4: Three Billion: Can Asia’s Illegal Marine Trade be Stopped? from 2019-08-23T10:07:08

Why is the protected totoaba fish maw on sale in Hong Kong dried seafood markets? Enforcing international trade agreements on endangered marine species is a challenge everywhere. But in Hong Kon...

S4E3: Three Billion: Are Asia’s Marine Species Protected? from 2019-08-16T03:00

Marine species are often regarded as food first, and wildlife second. For conservationists seeking to protect these creatures, controlling international trade routes are key. A global agree...

S4E2: Three Billion: Can sustainability and Chinese traditions co-exist? from 2019-08-09T03:00

Sustainability is now part of the seafood conversation in Hong Kong and China thanks to local NGO seafood guides that help shoppers make the right choices and apps that collect data on individua...

S4E1: Three Billion: China’s trade in exotic marine species from 2019-08-01T15:21:38

In Hong Kong, seafood is an integral part of both cuisine and culture. The region’s trade in fish products was worth Listen

S3E4: 1986: Marine Ranching off China’s Coast from 2019-06-05T09:33:02

There is a new type of mari-culture called “marine ranching” off the coasts of China. In fact, China’s 13th Five Year Plan calls for billions to be spent on artificial reefs and seeding juv...

S3E3: 1986: Domestic Aquaculture in China from 2019-06-05T09:30:05

China’s domestic aquaculture has struggled with the pressures of China’s economic growth - and its demands for fish feed are making China’s coastal overfishing problem…. even worse. Can China’s ...

S3E2: 1986: History of China and Overfishing from 2019-06-05T09:27:30

Since the Han Dynasty, fishing was the main source of livelihood on the Yangtze River basin - now the Yangtze is closed to all fishing for ten years. Marine pollution and overfishing have been k...

S3E1: 1986: China, Fish, and Oceans from 2019-06-05T09:08:39

In 1986, China passed its Fisheries Law, privatising fishing vessels and unleashing a massive expansion in the fleet. Today one in four fishing vessels in the world are Chinese. Most are fishing...

S2E4: PLASTICITY: As Good As New from 2019-03-13T04:10:59

The innovation in the recycling industry shows that recycled materials are not necessarily of a lower quality. Asia is only starting to embrace the many things that can be made from recycle...

S2E3: PLASTICITY: Define Recycling? from 2019-03-13T04:09:10

What can be done to lower the cost of recycling plastics in Asia, so we can further increase the scale of production to make recycling easier and more profitable? 

Produced in collabo...

S2E2: PLASTICITY: It’s All About Infrastructure from 2019-03-13T04:08:54

Moving to a plastic circular economy in Asia requires changes in behavior and better waste management infrastructure. 

Produced in collaboration Ocean Recovery Alliance. Music by Alex...

S2E1: PLASTICITY: Ocean Plastics Charter from 2019-03-13T04:08:42

The Ocean Plastics Charter pledges to recycle and reuse at least 55% of plastic packaging by 2030. It also commits brands to increase the amount of recycled plastic content in their packaging by...

S1E5: EIGHT MILLION: Is burning waste China’s quick solution to ocean plastics? from 2019-03-13T04:08:12

China is trying to find the solutions to its immense waste crisis. According to World Bank numbers, the country is currently dealing with 200 million tonnes of garbage a year. Landfills are cram...

S1E4: EIGHT MILLION: Plastic Recycling 101 - Closing the Loop from 2019-03-13T04:07:59

With all the effort going into recycling, Europe is still only at a 30% plastic recycling rate, and the US trails way behind at 9%. And this was before China stopped processing the West’s recycl...

S1E3: EIGHT MILLION: Sorting out China’s plastic waste from 2019-03-13T04:07:42

So you thought your recyclable waste was going to a local processing plant? Instead it was very likely shipped to China, along with about half of the world’s exported plastic waste. However, in ...

S1E2: EIGHT MILLION: Beautiful China from 2019-03-13T04:07:22

Rivers are at the heart of China’s economic development, but recent research indicates they may also be critical in transporting plastics into the ocean. What is China doing to stop pollution fr...

S1E1: EIGHT MILLION: China and the Global Plastic Challenge from 2019-03-13T04:06:17

Everywhere you look, on beaches and in seas around the world, there’s plastic, and this is changing the fabric of our oceans. Why is plastic ocean pollution such a problem - particularly in Asia...

EIGHT MILLION: Prologue from 2019-03-13T04:05:19

Eight Million takes you through the ins and outs of plastic waste treatment globally and in China. It’s an illuminating look at how China is closing their doors on imported plastic waste, a...