Our New World

What do you think about a wealth tax? Marlene Engelhorn is a millionaire who wants to be taxed more. She isn't alone in this, and when I spoke to her she stressed that she is not alone in having this idea as a wealthy person, nor is she an expert on the issue. That being said, she is very well informed, extremely passionate about the idea that social inequality could be improved with a wealth tax, and she understands the issue from a deeply personal perspective. This episode was very much a lesson for me. Marlene wonderfully explains what is a somewhat abstract issue to people who, like myself, aren't as financially literate as those who have enough wealth to pay for those lessons. She is a powerful advocate for an issue that affects us all, but from my experience, isn't spoken about perhaps because we feel that we don't understand it. Have a listen, leave a comment, get involved.   Gary's Economics: https://www.youtube.com/c/garyseconomics Tax Me Now: https://www.taxmenow.eu/ Patriotic Millionaires UK: https://patrioticmillionaires.uk/

Ashely Gore is a young climate activist who decided over lockdown that something needed to be done about the environmental crisis. In school, and now more globally, Ashely has set up movements and organisations that focus on action and collaboration. She is passionate, positive, and determined, and was a pleasure to talk with about her various projects and plans for the future. Her recent book on 'eco-poetry' (a new term for the 21st century!), is titled 'Unsaid', the link for which is below.  Unsaid Poetry: https://www.amazon.in/Unsaid-Ashely-Gore-ebook/dp/B0BCCKYWW2/ref=sr_1_4?qid=1673868860&refinements=p_27%3AGore&s=books&sr=1-4  

Much of the current climate crisis seems devisive. Youth vs adulthood, wealth vs poverty, global North v global South. In reality, it is a problem that is impacting us all, and one that we all need to band together to tackle. Kevin Patel, of all people, recognises this and is doing something about it.  His organisation 'One Up Action' gives youth an opportunity to involve themselves in climate action with a focused and guided approach. It bridges the gap between adults and young people by giving youth the confidence to use their voices. Considering the lack of youth representation in politics, his work and ideas bring an interesting question to light; how do we involve more young people in global issues in a productive way? Young people aren't just our future now, they are very much our present, and need to be at the table.  

What would be your Ted Talk topic of choice? It's a great ice-breaker question, but I can't imagine many 10 year-olds thinking about it. Well, when Genesis Butler was 10 years old, she didn't even have to question that she was going to discuss healing the planet, when she did her own Ted Talk on climate change. Starting off with an interest in animal rights, Genesis quickly realized that climate change was a major issue that had to be dealt with as soon as possible. She started with some humble social media postings with the aim of getting discussions among family and friends, but that quickly turned into a big follower base, and the responsibility that came with reaching thousands of people with each post. Genesis has gone on to do amazing things with her life already; She has spoken at global events, cone a TedTalk, and nearly got the pope to go vegan! Genesis is an advocate for self-educating, veganism and being as proactive as possible with your beliefs. To me, amazing success can be any small goal achieved, and the reason Genesis is so successful in my eyes, is simply that she is acting on an important value. She's a force, and may there be many more Genesis' out there.

Growing up in Eastern Uganda, Nyombi Morris' life has been dictated by climate disaster. At the age of 9, awful flooding hit Nyombi's town, and his family was forced to move to Kampala, the capitol of Uganda.  From there, he's gone on a serious journey and overcome a number of obstacles to get to where he is, including going back to school after years out, getting onto the job ladder by managing footballers' social media, and now living the challenges of being a young, Ugandan man trying to speak up. More people are talking about how the effects of climate change are felt unevenly around the world. Nyombi has experienced these effects firsthand and has used that experience as motivation to try and stop what happened to him, happening to others. It is obvious to say that his story is inspiring, but what feels most important about Nyombi's message is that he has the real-life experience of being part of the climate crisis, and those voices need to be represented.   A pre-warning that Nyombi was in a shared space while recording in Kampala. So, at times, his audio is unclear. But it doesn't take away from his fascinating story into working on climate issues.

Aaron Gekoski, also known as Bertie, is an award winning environmental photojournalist. He began life working a corporate job in the United Kingdom and after some years, Bertie felt dissatisfied with what he was doing and decided to change his work and lifestyle pretty significantly. So I've interviewed a few people who have made massive career changes and what Bertie did was right up there with some of the most extreme. He left his job and went to travel in Africa where he stayed for some years after finding work as a photographer, documenting the shark trade industry. After some pretty hardcore projects and challenges, he now works documenting human wildlife issues around the world. I think what Bertie has done is inspiring to a lot of us. One of the best parts of his story is his willingness to break the mold of what is expected of everyday people. He traded in a comfortable life to work on something that he saw was a huge issue. After listening, have a look at some of his work on instagram @Aaron_gekoski and you might feel like tackling an issue that you are passionate about. In this episode, we talk about his journey, some of his hardest projects and solutions that he feels could make an impact.

At the age of 7, Lilly Platt learned of the damage that plastic waste does to the environment. Instead of leaving it to the adults, Lilly decided to take matters into her own hands. She began her own movement called Lilly's Plastic Pickup. As the name suggests, she started picking up litter and, piece by piece, has inspired others to do the same. Now 14, Lilly juggles school, public speaking on environmental matters and working alongside several organisations such as 'She Is the Universe'. Lilly is a testament to the passion and determination of youth. She believes in being kind to each other and ourselves, and doing the little things to make a big difference. For the youth, speaking out is often the most they feel they can do. Lilly, along with many others, is trying to bridge the gap between speaking out and being involved. There is a way to include the youth in a productive way. Listening to them is a start.  

I always imagined a conversation between a student of botany and a student of zoology would be filled with nerdy hatred. On the contrary, Ben Goulet-Scott had so many important beliefs and qualities that I think the world needs. Ben is a young naturalist who has just defended his PhD at Harvard University. What makes Ben such an important voice is his empathetic and gentle approach to leadership. He is humble and has that remarkable quality of wanting to use his platform to give other people opportunities. Leadership qualities are often seen as aggressive and competitive. Ben is a breath of fresh air. He believes deeply in being a steward of the natural world. Aside form his research on evolution and biodiversity, he has a number of creative projects like his education-focused social media handle @letsbotanize.

What a way to kick start season 2 of Our New World! A Future Leader if there ever was one.  Hannah Testa is 19. Hannah Testa is already an activist, public speaker, and author. She began her journey at the age of 10, and sheds light on how you can get involved in environmental work from any age. We talk about how to turn ideas into actions, what gives her the confidence and motivation to keep going despite people looking down on her age, and also how she stays grounded when the environmental work feels heavy and a bit doomsday, as it often does at the moment, and I'm thinking a lot about the more common occurrence of heat waves and drought. Hannah embodies everything brilliant about what youth brings to the table on environmental activism, and with people like her continuing to push in areas like education and policy, it gives a real hope to how we can tackle future global issues.

"Change is coming, whether you like it or not" - Greta Season 2 of Our New World is all about future leaders. Don't miss it, every other Wednesday on your podcasting platform of choice. 

We've come to the end of season 1 of Our New World! Thank you all for listening - It's meant a lot, and It's been a great experience doing this podcast, and one that I'm going to continue with the input and help of all of you lot. So, if we go back and remember that this series is all about women in the world, this episode is going to be clips from all the messages that these brilliant women shared about how we can move the dial environmentally and socially to make our world a better place. First though, I want to talk a little about the point of this podcast again. So, I am by no means a perfect environmentalist. I struggle to eat vegan consistently, I still waste, and I even find recycling a little confusing. And that's all after a Master's degree in environmental science! So I'm aware how preachy some of this information could sound and how it's actually quite easy to shy away from ‘environmentalism. My intention is not to try and guilt people into acting environmentally, my intention is actually to do the opposite. I think that if we can see all of the positives that come from being connected to nature, it's going to be more persuasive than seeing adverts with dying polar bears and forest fires left, right and centre. Don't get me wrong, I think that we need to see those things, I think that we do need to be surrounded by those things, because glossing over the truth is not the answer and those things are happening. That being said, everyday people have lots of things going on. We have lives to live and we have largely been given this unsustainable template by which to live our lives. And trying to change that is really hard, and that's important to recognize. It just takes a new years resolutions lists and a wasted gym membership to know that changing habits is difficult. No one is a bad person because they put a compostable coffee cup in the recycling. Most of us are just doing our best. So the point of this is not only to help educate us and myself at the same time, because I certainly learnt a lot, but also to help us understand that we can live happily and prosperously, by being more connected with one another and more connected with the natural world. Ultimately, we have to change behaviors, but that doesn't mean making huge sacrifices, and the sacrifices that are made bring benefits in other ways, which is a message that is gloriously conveyed by these people that I was lucky enough to talk to this season.

“The truth is that when you look at sustainability it can mean so many different things it's a continuum.” Becoming vegan seems to be the decision that plagues the mind of a lot of us. We keep getting told that eating meat is one of the biggest contributors to climate change, but there is still so much of it on the shelves, and a lot of us have grown up with meat being the staple ingredient of our diet. It's hard to make that shift. Eating meat is one thing, but as this conversation will hopefully shed some light on, there are other ways to start bringing veganism into our lives. Namely, with what we wear. The fashion industry is another major contributor to climate change that needs a bit of a revolution, we have already talked about fashion on this podcast, and Annick Ireland is another leader who's making waves in the industry. She is the CEO and Founder of the organization, Immaculate Vegan (immaculatevegan.com), which searches for the most sustainable, vegan fashion and homeware. Like with vegan food becoming more and more available, Immaculate Vegan is making vegan fashion more accessible to everyday people, including someone like myself who likes fashion but doesn't know much about it! It ranges from high class sustainable brands to everyday wear. Annick is another example of someone who decided to apply their skills to align more with her own values, and created a brand that that's now having a massive impact. You can't help but feel that the more people who make this sort of shift, the more likely it is that we'll start seeing the positive impacts on our planet. Annick Ireland became vegan in 2016 after adopting a greyhound from the Retired Greyhound Trust and making the connection between the pets we love and all other animals. Wanting to also wear her values, she searched far and wide for stylish, high quality vegan fashion that was sustainable too – and struggled! However, after many hours, days and months spent on the internet and Instagram, she discovered that a wealth of beautiful vegan fashion brands were out there, but they were hard to find. So with a background in marketing and business, she realised she could combine her passions by bringing together the best and most beautiful vegan products in the world, and make it easy for others to discover and buy them. Annick lives with her partner in North London and, when not hunting out wonderful items from every corner of the globe, she spends her time reading historical crime fiction, going for long countryside walks, wild swimming, and drinking Pinot Noir with friends.

“That's what sustainability is about; It's a commitment to continuous improvement.” Do you ever feel completely frustrated that nothing is happening about our environmental crisis? Well, Danielle Azoulay did, and she did something about it. A common feature that I hear about people's work is that they feel like they aren't making as big a difference as they would like. This story tells us is that with some drive and passion, making a difference is more within our control than it perhaps feels. As a citizen, and an employee of Calvin Klein Jeans, Danielle felt that there wasn't enough being done for the environment. Starting with simple conversations with her colleagues, she was able to develop some traction with environmental programs at work. She went on to establish the sustainability program at Marc Jacobs International, and is now head of Corporate Responsibility for L'Oréal USA, the biggest beauty company in the world. This is an episode for everyone who is involved with, or wants to be more involved with sustainability at work. But particularly for you swanky corporate folk living it large in the private sector. Especially I you are involved in CSR! An interesting part of this discussion was about how much impact the private sector can have, partly because there is such a competitive drive in the private sectors, that when companies put their minds to something, they go all in. This is particularly interesting as we are in the midst of COP26, in Glasgow, which will hopefully set some pretty ambitious sustainability  goals which markets will need to respond to quickly. While letting markets lead us hasn't always been the most wonderful thing for us, seeing the market race towards being the first over the carbon neutral line could be a beautiful thing to watch. We also go on to talk about the need for positive talk around climate change. There is so much ‘doomsday this' and ‘Armageddon that' when it comes to environmental talk that it's easy for people to feel disengaged. Obviously, we need the facts, we need the truth, we shouldn't gloss over the fact that we are in more than a pickle when it comes to climate change. BUT, and this is a big but, there is such as thing as empathy overload in humans. We can only take in so much before we feel helpless to the situation. It is important to talk about the success stories of climate change and celebrating the wins, no matter how small. Finally, Danielle gives us her priorities for how we can get involved in climate action. SPOILER ALERT, one of her big ones is to get out there and VOTE. She is a reminder that we can take more responsibility for this situation than we are made to feel is possible. Danielle Azoulay is the head of Corporate Responsibility for L'Oréal USA.  As part of her role, she oversees the implementation of L'Oréal's global sustainability program L'Oréal for the Future, which addresses environmental and social impacts across L'Oréal's value chain.  Prior to joining L'Oréal USA, Danielle established the environmental sustainability program at Marc Jacobs International and worked on supply chain sustainability at PVH. Throughout her career, Danielle has developed and executed sustainability strategies to reduce supply chain impacts, drive positive change upstream, create business value, and increase stakeholder engagement.  Specifically, Danielle has designed and implemented goal-oriented programs for impact areas such as responsible chemicals management, waste management, carbon emissions, water quality, and more. Danielle has an M.A. in Environmental Conservation and Education from New York University where she focused her studies on climate change impacts to consumer products companies. She is an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University where she teaches a Master's level course on circular economy.  

"This should be a hundreds of thousands of fires being lit across the planet". In part 2 of episode 8, Dr. Phoebe Barnard takes us through the last 3 recommended areas of focus from her recent paper 'World Scientists' Warning of a Climate Emergency', for which she was a co-author.  Food systems, population and the sustainable economy are on this weeks agenda, and this one also takes a dive into how increasing women's voices around climate issues can improve the way in which we are doing things, and help both women and men to become better leaders all around. For any youngster listening, and particularly young women, Phoebe mentions some amazing resources: https://transitionnetwork.org/  | https://homewardboundprojects.com.au/vision | https://www.girlplanet.earth/  Check them out, subscribe, and share the episode to start that process of collaboration

In this next two-part episode, I'm having a talk with Dr. Phoebe Barnard, who has been one of the 5 core coauthors of the “World Scientists' Warning of a Climate Emergency” paper published with nearly 14,000 scientist cosignatories in 2019 and two follow-up papers.  These papers made six fundamental recommended areas for urgent action by humanity to avert the worst of the climate emergency. She talks about what these 6 recommended areas are, and how we, as citizens, can get involved with each one. The main point of today's episode is that normally, when scientific warnings and studies like this are released, as citizens we can feel pretty helpless and disempowered by what seems to be problems lying at the higher, systemic level, that we can't really impact. Phoebe helps to translate these issues into solutions that we can all participate in. It's hard to forget that without us and our actions, our policies and our economic values, there is no “system.” The 6 recommendations focus on: Energy Pollutants Nature Food Systems Population Sustainable Economy This episode is part 1 of 2, in which we will be discussing the first 3 recommendations mentioned, and what we can do in our everyday lives to impact them. That's energy, pollutants and nature. Next week, part 2 will be discussing food systems, population and the sustainable economy. Phoebe has dedicated her life to the nature, the environment and science. she is a sustainability strategist, climate change ecologist, conservation biologist, planner, policy translator, media and communications strategist and film co-producer. Amongst other projects, she is the founding CEO of the Stable Planet Alliance, the Associate Science and Policy Communications Strategist with the Conservation Biology Institute, Affiliate Professor at the University of Washington, and Research Associate at the University of Cape Town's African Climate and Development Initiative. She is passionate about helping the world learn from its mistakes to become smarter, fairer and cleaner, so that we can take steps towards a new world order ‘where people and the planet actually matter'.  https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/70/1/8/5610806 | https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-climate-emergency-2020-in-review/ https://transitionnetwork.org/  | https://homewardboundprojects.com.au/vision  |  https://homewardboundprojects.com.au/busara-circle/ | https://www.girlplanet.earth/ 

Do you know where your clothes came from?  Episode 7 of 'Women in the World' has me discussing fashion with Orsola De Castro. Considering I am a socks and sandals kind of guy, I might be a little out of my depth, but she brilliantly guides me through how to be more sustainable in my fashion choices, both environmentally and socially. She talks about her recent book 'Loved Clothes Last', as well as giving us ideas about how to research our shopping choices before we buy, and how to easily get into the habit of rewearing and repairing our clothes.  Orsola is leading us into a 'Fashion Revolution', and I for one, am on board.  See the Fashion Transparency Index here: https://www.fashionrevolution.org/about/transparency/  Orsola de Castro is an internationally recognised opinion leader in sustainable fashion. Her career started as a designer with the pioneering upcycling label From Somewhere, which she launched in 1997 until 2014. Her designer collaborations include collections for Jigsaw, Speedo, and 4 best selling capsule collections for Topshop from 2012 to 2014. In 2006, she co-founded the British Fashion Council initiative Estethica at London Fashion Week, which she curated until 2014. In 2013, with Carry Somers, she founded Fashion Revolution, a global campaign with participation in over 90 countries around the world. Orsola is a regular key note speaker and mentor, Associate Lecturer at UAL, as well as Central Saint Martins Visiting Fellow. Orsola's first book “Loved Clothes Last” is published by Penguin Life, Corbaccio Editore in Italy and in France by Edition Marabou in August. 

Why is our Society so obsessed with domination? In this episode, Riane Eisler explores the link between the oppression of women and the oppression of nature. 2020/2021 showed us that oppression is still rife in today's world and is a major barrier to the protection of our planet. See Riane's work here: https://centerforpartnership.org/, https://rianeeisler.com/, https://www.partnerism.org/

Episode 5 is a discussion with Dr. Diana Wall. She is a distinguished professor of Colorado State University, who studies climate change, and the jungle beneath our feet; soil. Like a lot of things in this world, It is easy to forget that our lives depend on it, but the ground we walk on affects our food, water and wellbeing in a way that is practically immeasurable. Diana's research focused on looking at nematodes, a type of remarkable, microscopic worm which can survive in the harshest conditions. They tell us a lot about how life in soil contributes to healthy soils, ecosystem services and sustainability.   Along with considering our relationship with soil, she gives an insight into what it takes to become an academic. Like business, academia is important to understand at a basic level, considering it drives and informs global policy. Our future relies heavily on new discoveries and continued research. Diana is at the front line of research, telling us about what it takes to get there.    Diana H. Wall is University Distinguished Professor and Director, School of Global Environmental Sustainability at Colorado State University. As an ecologist she is recognized for her work on soil biodiversity and climate change. She is internationally renowned for her studies of climate change impacts on soil nematode dynamics, functions, and survival in the Antarctic dry valleys. Her pioneering global scale studies of soil biodiversity are hallmarks of her career. She was president of the Society of Nematologists and the Ecological Society of America and currently is the science chair of the Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative. She has published over 200 scientific articles, co-edited 5 books and numerous chapters. She received the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement, the Ulysses Medal from University College Dublin, the 2019 President's Medal from the British Ecological Society and is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences. She earned her PhD at the University of Kentucky.   Links: Save our soils: http://saveoursoils.com/  Nematodes(!!): https://youtu.be/ZEF1ntZJGow?list=TLGGRU1lystS_RowMTA3MjAyMQ     

Want to make money while saving the planet? No, this isn't a get rich quick scheme; This is the idea that business and environmentalism do not have to be in opposition. We are often told about the failures of businesses and the dreaded ‘externalities' (a cost or benefit that isn't financially accounted for in a business e.g. pollution). That doesn't have to be the case; we can still be ambitious in business and connect with the planet. In this episode, entrepreneurs and lifelong friends, Paola (25) and Madeleine (26), discuss environmental entrepreneurship, the demands of creating their startup, TOMOJO, and leadership. They show us that you can fulfill serious business ambitions while making a difference for our planet. They are 21st century, France-based powerhouses who know the dedication required to start a business, but understand the importance of balance and perspective in life. It's a refreshing take on entrepreneurship that the world desperately needs.  ‘TOMOJO', their startup, makes insect-based pet food products, and is looking to expand. Created in 2017, it's mission is to promote natural, healthy and traceable food for pets while preserving the planet. TOMOJO sells dog and cat food elaborated with insects bred in the Netherlands. It is the story of two friends who after having completed a master's degree in environmental sciences at Imperial College London, embarked on a sustainable entrepreneurship pet food journey.  And here they are to tell us all about it. 

How on earth do we manage overpopulation? From David Attenborough to Thanos, it's widely discussed, but rarely with solutions. It can feel taboo and dangerous to talk about, but it should be an important aspect of every environmental discussion. On the one hand, we know that overpopulation makes every environmental pressure that we put on the environment worse. On the other, we are inundated with messages that having children is the ultimate goal in life.    In this episode, environmental activist and ex-baywatch actress Alexandra Paul joins me in talking about the overpopulation issue and what we can do about it. In it, we discuss why overpopulation is so difficult to talk about, why it is an issue, and what are some of the many solutions that can be done to empower people to manage, discuss and be mindful of overpopulation.   Because this can be an uncomfortable topic, we would love to hear your opinions on this and whether there are any follow up questions that I could put to Alexandra. Remember to write in at max@mahbonline.org! Alexandra is an actress who has appeared in over 100 films and television shows. She is most known for her 5 year stint on the tv show Baywatch. Alexandra, however, has been an activist since she was very young. The United Nations honored Alexandra  in 1997 for her work on the human overpopulation issue. She was the ACLU of Southern California's 2005 Activist of the Year  for her history of environmentalism, voter registration and peace advocacy.  Last Chance For Animals named her 2014 Vegan of the Year. Alexandra has been driving electric cars for over 30 years and was featured in the documentary Who Killed the Electric Car? She has produced an award winning educational film on overpopulation,  and her TEDx talk on the benefits of small families has over 600,000 views.  Alexandra volunteered in Sierra Leone with Population Media Center and has spoken to over 6,000 California students, from middle school to university, on the human overpopulation issue. She believes that unless we reduce birth rates, the human race will not be able to successfully mitigate the effects of climate change.

Can one person really change the world? No matter how many times we are told that ‘change starts with you', it's hard to believe that ‘little old me' can change the world when we feel like we're battling against governments and major corporations.    Ashley Colby is a badass who has studied social change, and is now living social change. She is an environmental sociologist who did her PhD at Washington State University, and in her book, she explores subsistence farming as a potentially revolutionary act. In her own words: “I am interested in and passionate about the myriad creative ways in which people are forming new social worlds in resistance to the failures of late capitalism and resultant climate disasters. I am a qualitative researcher so I tend to focus on the informal spaces of innovation. Before my current life I was once an itinerant overland international traveler, Chicago Tribune travel writer, and a long-haul, 18-wheel-driving trucker. I am now a mom to three beautiful girls, roommate to one husband (ha) and custodian to 2 cats, 2 dogs 2 cows and 5 chickens. I am now focused on doing anything I can to foment local, decentralized networks of people who can get us to the next iteration of society, and fast. The most urgent of these initiatives is a cooperative startup whose mission is to accelerate local economies (sulofair.com). You can find out more about my life and work in Uruguay at rizomafieldschool.com.”   In this episode, Ashley talks about collaboration, food production and the importance of a local community. She also has one of my favourite ‘calls to action' of all time. Listen in to find out more.   Let's get into it!

The first episode of the Our New World podcast is here! I'm feeling the nerves around releasing the first episode, but ultimately I'm very excited to get these conversations out there. Thank you for tuning in. Your input is key for this project, so please get in touch at max@mahbonline.org with your ideas and feedback! What role do women have to play in environmentalism? What makes a good leader? Why is collaboration so important for our planet? These are some of the topics I talk about with Patricia Zurita, CEO of Birdlife International; the world's largest nature conservation partnership, in our first episode of Our New World. Patricia was the first woman from a developing country to head an international conservation organization, she embodies the core values of curiosity, action and collaboration. Tune in for advice, opinions, and an inspiring leader telling us about her journey.  What a way to kick-start our first series on Women in the World. Let's get into it!

What can you do to make our world a better place? Join us for intimate conversations exploring pioneering ideas and solutions-focused thinking about the most significant topics of our generation. In a time saturated with information but not as many solutions, listen to advice from great minds and thought leaders about what we can do to make our new world a better place.   Sponsored by the Millennium Alliance for Humanity and the Biosphere (MAHB) Music By 'Scott Holmes Music'