Pod of the Planet

COVID-19 vaccination campaigns in many parts of the world have highlighted the urgent need for accurate spatial data, which has led governments and international development institutions to seek out reliable sources of such information to inform their COVID-19 interventions. A recent New York Times article spotlights the GRID3 program, which works with countries to generate, validate, and use geospatial data on population, settlements, infrastructure, and boundaries. Program partners include Columbia's University's Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), the United Nations Population Fund, WorldPop at the University of Southampton, and the Flowminder Foundation. Our podcast this week features a conversation between GRID3 communications officer Chisimdi Onwuteaka, and Nazir Halliru, who is now the country manager for GRID3 Nigeria. Halliru describes how GRID3 is producing and distributing paper-based maps — featuring data on vaccination sites, population, comorbidities risk, and settlement names — to support Nigeria's COVID-19 vaccination planning and other development interventions. You can find Pod of the Planet wherever you listen to podcasts, on Apple iTunes, Spotify, Soundcloud, iHeartRadio and Stitcher. For more information about this work, make sure to check out this news story and video. To explore and download GRID3 data, visit the GRID3 Data Hub.

The world oceans cover just over 70 percent of the planet. The ocean produces about half of the oxygen that sustains Earth, feeds and employees millions. It's also pivotal to regulating the climate as it absorbs massive amounts of carbon dioxide. In 2008, the United Nations General Assembly designated June 8 as World Oceans Day “to celebrate our world's shared ocean and our personal connection to the sea, as well as to raise awareness about the crucial role the ocean plays in our lives and the important ways people can help protect it.” Concern for the vast and mighty ocean has prompted the U.N. to launch the Ocean Decade — 10 years of challenges to “conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources by 2030." Understanding, appreciating, and protecting this massive resource has surfaced as a major international priority. But, when it comes to knowing our oceans in-depth, humanity is still in the dark. In this episode of Pod of the Planet, entitled “Mapping the Mysterious Deep,” Marie DeNoia Aronsohn speaks to Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory marine geophysicist Vicki Ferrini about a project to better understand our world oceans. The Nippon Foundation - GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project has an ambitious goal: to create a comprehensive, detailed map of the entire ocean floor by 2030.

In March, Iceland's Fagradalsfjall volcano woke up from a 6,000-year slumber; soon it was jetting lava fountains as high as 1,200 feet, and sending fiery outflows into nearby valleys. Most people run from volcanic eruptions, but volcanologist Einat Lev decided to get on a plane and get as close as possible. Lev, who works at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Observatory, specializes in analyzing how lava bodies develop and move, and Fagradalsfjall is prime for study: It has a steady, vigorous lava supply, but is not big or explosive enough to be too dangerous. It's also accessible, a short drive from the capital city of Reykjavik. In this episode of Pod of the Planet, Earth Institute science news editor Kevin Krajick speaks with Lev about her experiences on the trip, and erupting volcanoes in general. Listeners: Check out the spectacular drone footage she took. You can also see stories and photos from two of her previous expeditions, to the Quizapu Volcano in the high Chilean Andes, and Hawaii's monstrous Kilauea. As of this recording, Fagradalsfjall was still erupting. It has not caused any serious damage so far, but if the lava continues spreading, it could cut off the Ring Road, Iceland's main highway. Stay tuned and follow State of the Planet for the latest (Icelandic authorities have a live webcam trained on the volcano). You can find Pod of the Planet wherever you listen to podcasts, on Apple iTunes, Spotify, Soundcloud, iHeartRadio and Stitcher. Please send feedback or questions to podoftheplanet@gmail.com.

Today we're celebrating International Women's Day with a special interview with Professor Ruth DeFries on her new book, "What Would Nature Do? A Guide for Our Uncertain Times" (14:56). She talks about how humanity can survive by adopting strategies of the nonhuman world. Also Sarah Fecht, content manager for the State of the Planet discusses a couple recent pieces from the blog including how C02 levels may have affected dinosaur migration and the science behind C02 and how it traps heat. Be sure to check the rest of the amazing content highlighting the work of women at the Earth Institute by going to blogs.ei.columbia.edu.

COVID-19 has completely upended our way of life. It has infiltrated all parts of society affecting many overlooked places. That's why in this episode we explore the toll it has taken on migration both across borders and within countries. More specifically we look at how corruption, failed policies and a lack of understanding are all making things worse for vulnerable groups in India and Kenya. We get a first-hand account from small-scale women traders in Kenya on what they're having to deal with. We also speak with Amrita Dhillon, a professor of political economy at King's College London and Jackie Klopp, a research scholar at the Earth Institute at Columbia University. Both are researchers with the Global Integrity Anti-Corruption Evidence program. You can find more at ace.globalintegrity.org

In our final episode of the year, Kyu Lee speaks with three of his colleagues: Phebe Pierson, Sarah Fecht and Charlotte Munson. They talk about Phebe's interview with Barnard professor Sandra Goldmark and her new book, "Fixation: How to Have Stuff without Breaking the Planet" (24:27). Sarah talks about some of the top stories coming out of the State of the Planet blog (13:10). And Charlotte, an undergraduate student at Columbia, gives us her all around perspective on what campus life has been like during the pandemic. Thanks again to all our supporters, we appreciate all the wonderful feedback we've gotten. Have a happy, healthy holiday and see you in the new year!

Our biggest, best event of the year is going virtual! Join us October 19-22 for Lamont Open House at Home. This year, we'll be bringing all the science fun and discovery of this iconic hands-on event right to you. Lamont Open House at Home is four days filled with exciting and informative virtual earth science activities for children, families, educators, and science enthusiasts of all ages. openhouse.ldeo.columbia.edu

Marco Tedesco loves ice, so much so his body is covered with it. That is, with tattoos of snowflakes running up his arms. In this episode of Pod of the Planet, Kevin Krajick explores Tedesco's obsession with the cryosphere—the part of Earth that consists of frozen water (08:47). Krajick who is the Earth Institute's senior editor for science news, knows Tedesco well. He traveled with him to Greenland a few years back to see up close meltwater rushing into deep crevasses. He also recently talked to him about his new book, "The Hidden Life of Ice: Dispatches From a Disappearing World." The takeaway: Greenland is melting at a rate greater than ever before and if the entire ice sheet melts, that would mean a catastrophic rise in sea level of 24 ft. Check out this episode, listen to Tedesco talk about why he's devoted his life to this cold, dangerous and disappearing land. This year, Climate Week NYC takes place from September 21 to 27. Hundreds of digital events from all around the world will be covering the climate crisis and pressing for a future that does not depend on fossil fuels. Check out what's going on at the Earth Institute. You can find Pod of the Planet wherever you listen to podcasts, on Apple iTunes, Spotify, Soundcloud, and Stitcher. Please send feedback or questions to podoftheplanet@gmail.com.

George Bernard Shaw who once quipped that "youth is wasted on the young," couldn't be more wrong when it comes to climate activism. The world they build today is the world they will inherit tomorrow.  In this episode we talk about climate and sustainability education for young activists and educators. Cassie Xu, the director of outreach and education at the Earth Institute, speaks with high school students Lily from Brooklyn (15:34) and Sophia from McLean, Virgina (28:00). They talk about their passion for climate change activism in their communities and their hopes for the future. We also hear from Cassie about the K-12 education program and the upcoming non-degree programs designed for high school students and educators who want to bring climate science into their classrooms. One of the instructors, Joan Lopez, a researcher at AC4 talks about the class he'll be teaching and his own experiences working with youth leaders all over the world (2:30). The one common thread he says? Young people are not too happy with the older folks. You can find Pod of the Planet wherever you listen to podcasts, on Apple iTunes, Spotify, Soundcloud, and Stitcher. Please send feedback or questions to podoftheplanet@gmail.com.

Marie Tharp's "aha" moment came in 1952. When arranging profiles she created of the North Atlantic ocean floor, she noticed a V-shaped indentation that ran along the center and matched those of other profiles she laid out. She thought it resembled some sort of rift valley, similar to the geological formation in East Africa, but this one deep on the seabed. Her findings which appeared to support the notion of continental drift were dismissed by her closest colleagues as scientific heresy and labeled as "girl talk". Making it her mission to find the truth, Tharp continued to collect more and more data from different sources and eventually was proved right. Her discoveries led to the acceptance of plate tectonics, a geological pillar of understanding Earth's systems. In this episode of Pod of the Planet, we celebrate the life of Marie Tharp and the inspiration she's been and continues to be to many scientists today. Vicky Ferrini, a marine geologist at Lamont, is one of those scientists and she speaks about her work in carrying on Tharp's legacy and her current project to map out the entire seafloor by 2030 (14:20). In the first part of this episode Kyu talks with Marie DeNoia Aronsohn, Lamont's director of communications, welcoming her to the Pod of the Planet family (2:20). This past week we've been celebrating Tharp's achievements with blog posts, webinars, giveaways, and more. Follow along here: marietharp.ldeo.columbia.edu

Oiled and spoiled shoreline; mother cleans beach and water for her child to play Ten years ago today, the broken pipeline from Deepwater Horizon was finally capped after spewing 168 million gallons into the Gulf of Mexico over 87 long days. The biggest oil spill in history caused an incalculable amount of damage ecologically, economically and psychologically on local communities for years after. In this episode, State of the Planet editor Sarah Fecht speaks with Jaishree Beedasy (10:45), who studies the effects disasters have on the mental health of communities, especially that of children. They discuss the National Center for Disaster Preparedness, its research around the BP Oil Spill and the policies necessary for recovery.

Students from New Jersey, Italy and Zambia talk about their coronavirus experience and how they're dealing with isolation at home (16:50). Thanks to the Eco-Ambassadors program at the Earth Institute's Center for Sustainable Development for organizing this event and Brighton Kaoma for helping to produce this segment. Community radio has the power to bring communities together. Effective communication skills are required to understand and summarize topics. This workshop helped the participants to learn key skills to communicate their personal stories to connect with their peers. Radio helps to “socialize” during the COVID-19 isolation and foster mental health. We plan to use these skills to effectively communicate about local environmental issues. For more information be sure to check out our blog State of the Planet. https://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2020/05/01/pod-planet-ep-6-young-radio/

In a changing world Impacts are often not clear Look after yourself Jason Smerdon and Kyu Lee discuss home life, home schooling and pathways forward for climate research and policy in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Next Kyu talks with postdoctoral fellow Robbie Parks on the effects climate, weather, and our environment have on health outcomes and mental health (20:25). Thank you to Robbie Parks for providing the environmental sounds for this podcast. From March 25-31, while in isolation, he made one composition a day for seven days in a row. We encourage you to visit his site: https://robbiemparks.bandcamp.com/album/isolation All proceeds from the album will go to Feed the Frontlines NYC, which feeds NYC healthcare workers on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic. Note from Robbie: "I loved being among the natural surroundings, and used the opportunity to explore forests and mountains and record whatever I found. I also found it incredibly challenging personally, with feelings of loneliness and being distant from loved ones. The pieces perhaps reflect the mixture of those feelings."

In this special work from home edition of Pod of the Planet, Kyu Lee catches up with Andrew Revkin, founding director of the Initiative on Communication & Sustainability at the Earth Institute. Then we shift over to a conversation between Revkin, Herman Daly and Kate Raworth on how human progress should be pursued and measured (15:26). Herman E. Daly, a founding force behind “steady-state economics,” examines possible paths to less fragile global systems with Kate Raworth, whose “doughnut economics” model aims to build economic policies and metrics that put thriving ahead of growing. This episode draws from Revkin's SUSTAIN WHAT series, a global video conversation identifying solutions to the complicated, shape-shifting and epic challenges of humanity's Anthropocene moment. Parts of this conversation refer to graphics that we unfortunately can not show here. We encourage listeners to seek out Daly's "Emtpy world, full world" diagram (36:00), Raworth's "Doughnut Economy" (46:00) and "Hulling's Adaptive Cycle" (1:25:00) to better understand the discussion. As always please send your feedback.

Why bad decisions? Cars, carbon, pollution, death. Pathways must change now. Jason Smerdon and Kyu Lee talk about travel, transportation and how the current coronavirus pandemic is affecting their lives. An interview with Professor Jacqueline Klopp (10:30), co-director of the Center for Sustainable Urban Development, on how travel early in her life affected her career. Also she talks about "Digital Matatus" -- her work in Nairobi, Kenya to develop a map system for local transit. Last, Phebe Pierson helps answer one of our most commonly received You Asked questions: "Do individual actions on climate matter?" (49:45)

Research to impact Needed for problems today Disasters won't wait Co-hosts Jason Smerdon and Kyu Lee talk about their disaster plans and experiences during Hurricane Sandy. Then an interview with Jeffrey Schlegelmilch (10:15), deputy director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness on all the amazing work their doing and the impact they are having. Last from our You Asked series (45:00), Phebe Pierson on whether eco-friendly garbage bags are in fact eco-friendly.

Welcome to Pod of the Planet, a brand new podcast about sustainable development. So what does that mean? Co-hosts Jason Smerdon and Kyu Lee from Columbia University's Earth Institute are here to breakdown the term and explore with their colleagues all the myriad issues that come with it. We hope you join us on this journey to understand many of the most critical issues facing our planet today.

Communicating science is tough. As our understanding of our planet grows, so does the complexity of actions that are needed if we're going to sustain a livable planet. Like much of science, this podcast is an experiment. We're going to test out different things. We'll switch up formats, hosts, interviewers and topics. We want you to experience the diversity of people, expertise and thought that exists here at the Earth Institute and in places we work around the world. This podcast will tease out the common threads that drive the folks here and hopefully answer some big questions in the process: How do you know when development is sustainable? Why do we do what we do? And ultimately who we are as individuals working for this institution. Thanks for listening and supporting Pod of the Planet. And most of all, send feedback and let us know what you want to hear. You can email us at podoftheplanet@gmail.com