Podcasts about united nations environmental program

In this engaging conversation, Zal Dastur speaks with Nadya Hutagalung, a renowned sustainability advocate and Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Environmental Program. We explore Nadya's multifaceted work, the importance of inner resilience in driving sustainable change, and the tools necessary for emotional well-being. Nadya shares her journey from the entertainment industry to environmental activism, emphasizing the impact of individual actions and the need for collective responsibility in addressing climate issues. The discussion also delves into the shifting corporate mindsets needed for sustainability, managing climate anxiety, and the power of media in advocacy. Nadya talks about her spiritual journey through Buddhism and the importance of healing and addressing unresolved trauma.

Clean water, paved roads, public transit, electricity and gas, sewers, waste processing, telecommunication, even the Internet – all this infrastructure is what makes cities work and powers our lives, often seamlessly and silently. Virtually everything we do and consume depends on infrastructure. Yet, most people have little to no idea how these systems work. How is water treated? How do cities manage rainwater? Why do traffic jams exist? How is electricity generated and distributed? What happens to trash after it is picked up? How does the Internet work? In The Infrastructure Book: How Cities Work and Power Our Lives (Prometheus Books, 2025), world-renowned urban engineering expert Sybil Derrible reveals the behind-the-scenes machinations of the foundational systems that make our societies function. Visiting sixteen cities around the world and their unique approaches to organizational challenges – from water distribution in Hong Kong to waste management in Tokyo, and from Chicago's power grid to low Earth orbit satellites in space – this highly readable book uses fascinating case studies and historical detours to show how infrastructure works – and, sometimes, doesn't. With large-scale infrastructure repairs looming and the need for existing infrastructure to be transformed, the book also shows how infrastructure can be more sustainable and resilient. After reading The Infrastructure Book, readers will never look at a city the same way. Sybil Derrible is a professor of urban engineering and director of the Complex and Sustainable Urban Networks Laboratory at the University of Illinois Chicago. He is a world-renowned scholar on infrastructure and a lead author on the United Nations Environmental Program's Seventh Global Environment Outlook (GEO-7) report. He received the Walter L. Huber Research Prize from the American Society of Civil Engineers and a CAREER Award from the US National Science Foundation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Clean water, paved roads, public transit, electricity and gas, sewers, waste processing, telecommunication, even the Internet – all this infrastructure is what makes cities work and powers our lives, often seamlessly and silently. Virtually everything we do and consume depends on infrastructure. Yet, most people have little to no idea how these systems work. How is water treated? How do cities manage rainwater? Why do traffic jams exist? How is electricity generated and distributed? What happens to trash after it is picked up? How does the Internet work? In The Infrastructure Book: How Cities Work and Power Our Lives (Prometheus Books, 2025), world-renowned urban engineering expert Sybil Derrible reveals the behind-the-scenes machinations of the foundational systems that make our societies function. Visiting sixteen cities around the world and their unique approaches to organizational challenges – from water distribution in Hong Kong to waste management in Tokyo, and from Chicago's power grid to low Earth orbit satellites in space – this highly readable book uses fascinating case studies and historical detours to show how infrastructure works – and, sometimes, doesn't. With large-scale infrastructure repairs looming and the need for existing infrastructure to be transformed, the book also shows how infrastructure can be more sustainable and resilient. After reading The Infrastructure Book, readers will never look at a city the same way. Sybil Derrible is a professor of urban engineering and director of the Complex and Sustainable Urban Networks Laboratory at the University of Illinois Chicago. He is a world-renowned scholar on infrastructure and a lead author on the United Nations Environmental Program's Seventh Global Environment Outlook (GEO-7) report. He received the Walter L. Huber Research Prize from the American Society of Civil Engineers and a CAREER Award from the US National Science Foundation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/sociology

Clean water, paved roads, public transit, electricity and gas, sewers, waste processing, telecommunication, even the Internet – all this infrastructure is what makes cities work and powers our lives, often seamlessly and silently. Virtually everything we do and consume depends on infrastructure. Yet, most people have little to no idea how these systems work. How is water treated? How do cities manage rainwater? Why do traffic jams exist? How is electricity generated and distributed? What happens to trash after it is picked up? How does the Internet work? In The Infrastructure Book: How Cities Work and Power Our Lives (Prometheus Books, 2025), world-renowned urban engineering expert Sybil Derrible reveals the behind-the-scenes machinations of the foundational systems that make our societies function. Visiting sixteen cities around the world and their unique approaches to organizational challenges – from water distribution in Hong Kong to waste management in Tokyo, and from Chicago's power grid to low Earth orbit satellites in space – this highly readable book uses fascinating case studies and historical detours to show how infrastructure works – and, sometimes, doesn't. With large-scale infrastructure repairs looming and the need for existing infrastructure to be transformed, the book also shows how infrastructure can be more sustainable and resilient. After reading The Infrastructure Book, readers will never look at a city the same way. Sybil Derrible is a professor of urban engineering and director of the Complex and Sustainable Urban Networks Laboratory at the University of Illinois Chicago. He is a world-renowned scholar on infrastructure and a lead author on the United Nations Environmental Program's Seventh Global Environment Outlook (GEO-7) report. He received the Walter L. Huber Research Prize from the American Society of Civil Engineers and a CAREER Award from the US National Science Foundation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/economics

Clean water, paved roads, public transit, electricity and gas, sewers, waste processing, telecommunication, even the Internet – all this infrastructure is what makes cities work and powers our lives, often seamlessly and silently. Virtually everything we do and consume depends on infrastructure. Yet, most people have little to no idea how these systems work. How is water treated? How do cities manage rainwater? Why do traffic jams exist? How is electricity generated and distributed? What happens to trash after it is picked up? How does the Internet work? In The Infrastructure Book: How Cities Work and Power Our Lives (Prometheus Books, 2025), world-renowned urban engineering expert Sybil Derrible reveals the behind-the-scenes machinations of the foundational systems that make our societies function. Visiting sixteen cities around the world and their unique approaches to organizational challenges – from water distribution in Hong Kong to waste management in Tokyo, and from Chicago's power grid to low Earth orbit satellites in space – this highly readable book uses fascinating case studies and historical detours to show how infrastructure works – and, sometimes, doesn't. With large-scale infrastructure repairs looming and the need for existing infrastructure to be transformed, the book also shows how infrastructure can be more sustainable and resilient. After reading The Infrastructure Book, readers will never look at a city the same way. Sybil Derrible is a professor of urban engineering and director of the Complex and Sustainable Urban Networks Laboratory at the University of Illinois Chicago. He is a world-renowned scholar on infrastructure and a lead author on the United Nations Environmental Program's Seventh Global Environment Outlook (GEO-7) report. He received the Walter L. Huber Research Prize from the American Society of Civil Engineers and a CAREER Award from the US National Science Foundation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/science-technology-and-society

Clean water, paved roads, public transit, electricity and gas, sewers, waste processing, telecommunication, even the Internet – all this infrastructure is what makes cities work and powers our lives, often seamlessly and silently. Virtually everything we do and consume depends on infrastructure. Yet, most people have little to no idea how these systems work. How is water treated? How do cities manage rainwater? Why do traffic jams exist? How is electricity generated and distributed? What happens to trash after it is picked up? How does the Internet work? In The Infrastructure Book: How Cities Work and Power Our Lives (Prometheus Books, 2025), world-renowned urban engineering expert Sybil Derrible reveals the behind-the-scenes machinations of the foundational systems that make our societies function. Visiting sixteen cities around the world and their unique approaches to organizational challenges – from water distribution in Hong Kong to waste management in Tokyo, and from Chicago's power grid to low Earth orbit satellites in space – this highly readable book uses fascinating case studies and historical detours to show how infrastructure works – and, sometimes, doesn't. With large-scale infrastructure repairs looming and the need for existing infrastructure to be transformed, the book also shows how infrastructure can be more sustainable and resilient. After reading The Infrastructure Book, readers will never look at a city the same way. Sybil Derrible is a professor of urban engineering and director of the Complex and Sustainable Urban Networks Laboratory at the University of Illinois Chicago. He is a world-renowned scholar on infrastructure and a lead author on the United Nations Environmental Program's Seventh Global Environment Outlook (GEO-7) report. He received the Walter L. Huber Research Prize from the American Society of Civil Engineers and a CAREER Award from the US National Science Foundation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From malware developers targeting child exploiters with ransomware, to major cloud services exposing credentials, learn how digital vigilantes and technological oversights shape online security. Featuring insights on the United Nations' latest ransomware dilemma, uncover the intricate web of cybersecurity challenges faced globally. URLs for Reference: Malware Dev lures child exploiters into honeytrap to extort them AWS, Google, and Azure CLI Tools Could Leak Credentials in Build Logs United Nations agency investigates ransomware attack, data theft Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_daily_decrypt/ Thanks to Jered Jones for providing the music for this episode. https://www.jeredjones.com/ Logo Design by https://www.zackgraber.com/ Tags: cybersecurity, ransomware, malware, cloud security, digital threats, cyber vigilantes, tech giants, United Nations, cyber attack, data theft, CryptVPN, AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, CLI tools, BleepingComputer, The Hacker News Search Phrases: Cyber vigilante justice malware extortion Cloud CLI tools security vulnerabilities United Nations cyberattack investigation CryptVPN ransomware against child exploiters AWS, Google, and Azure CLI tools leaking credentials Impact of ransomware on global organizations Cybersecurity threats in cloud computing Cybersecurity tactics against illegal online activities Data breach at United Nations agency New trends in cyber threats and digital security Transcript: Apr22 Malware developers are now targeting individuals seeking child exploitation material, employing cryptVPN ransomware to extort them by locking their systems and demanding payment, as revealed by Bleeping Computer. What methods are these developers using, and why do I want them to succeed? Leaky CLI, a vulnerability discovered by Orca in AWS, Google, and Azure CLI tools, is exposing sensitive credentials in build logs, putting countless organizations at risk of cyber attacks. What measures can organizations take to prevent sensitive credentials from being exposed by build logs? Finally, hackers have infiltrated the United Nations Development Program's IT systems, stealing sensitive human resources data from its global network dedicated to fighting poverty and inequality. You're listening to the Daily Decrypt. Malware developers are now turning their tactics against individuals seeking child exploitation material, specifically targeting them with ransomware designed to extort money by feigning legal action. This new strain of malware, dubbed CryptVPN, was recently analyzed by Bleeping Computer after a sample was shared with the cybersecurity researcher MalwareHunterTeam. CryptVPN tricks users into downloading a seemingly harmless software, which then locks the user's desktop and changes their wallpaper to a menacing ransom note. The ploy begins with a decoy website that impersonates. Usenet Club, a purported subscription service offering uncensored access to downloadable content from Usenet, which is an established network used for various discussions, which unfortunately also includes illegal content. The site offers several subscription tiers, but the trap is set with the free tier, which requires the installation of the CryptVPN software to access the supposed free content. Now to be honest, I feel like I don't even want to give away these clues to any child predators that may be listening. So I'm going to stop there as far as how the attack works, but I'm really glad that attackers have found this vector because people who are partaking in illegal activities have a lot to lose and are often pretty scared, you know, unless they're complete psychopaths. And and so if someone's able to get the information or lure people into these websites You know, this reminds me of something that happened to me back in my single days. And those of you who know me personally can validate the authenticity of this story, but it might sound a little crazy to just an average listener. But swiping on Tinder, matched with someone, they didn't really want to chat too much, they just wanted to start sending nude photographs. And I personally, it's not my thing, but let's just say I'm not going to unmatch this person for offering. And so nude photographs came through, there was no exchange, but they did ask for photographs of myself, which I was not interested in sending. And in fact, I wasn't really interested in pursuing anyone who would just jump in and send nude photographs. So I stopped talking to them. And about a couple of days later, I got a phone call from a Someone claiming to be the police department, saying that they had gotten my number from this girl's dad, and she's underage, and now they have proof that I've been sending nude photographs to this underage person. Well, I don't know. They accused me of that and that never happened. So immediately I knew it was a scan. But let's just say hypothetically that I had sent pictures to this person. I would be pretty scared receiving this threat. Because my whole life would change, right? If I became a child predator or a sexual predator or whatever it's called, then like a lot of stuff changes. And at the time I was in the military, so that was the end of my military career or whatever. So it's a very similar to that. If you're doing something wrong. And you get caught in a trap, you're very likely to pay the ransom. So first of all, don't mess around with children online. Don't do illegal sexual things. And you have nothing to worry about with this scam. So please stop doing that. Don't do that. And you've got nothing to worry about, it's been recently unveiled that command line interface tools from the tech giants such as Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud are susceptible to exposing sensitive credentials in the build logs, presenting a substantial security hazard to enterprises. This vulnerability is a Which the cloud security firm Orca has dubbed Leaky CLI, involves certain commands on the Azure CLI, AWS CLI, and Google Cloud CLI that could reveal environment variables. Roy Nizmi, a prominent security researcher, highlights in a report to the Hacker News that, quote, some commands can expose sensitive information in the form of environment variables, which can be collected by adversaries when published by tools such as GitHub Actions. In response, Microsoft has proactively addressed this security lapse in its November 2023 update, designating it with the CVE identifier 2023 36052, which carries a critical CVSS score of 8. 6 out of 10. Conversely, Amazon and Google view the exposure of environment variables as an anticipated behavior, advising organizations to refrain from storing secrets within these variables. Instead, they recommend using specialized services like AWS Secrets Manager or Google Cloud Secret Manager, which is a great recommendation. Furthermore, Google has advised users of its CLI tools to employ the dash dash no dash user output enabled option, which prevents the printing of command output to the terminal, thereby mitigating the risk of data leaks. Orca has also identified several instances on GitHub where projects inadvertently leaked access tokens and other sensitive data through continuous integration and deployment tools, including GitHub actions, CircleCI, TravisCI, and CloudBuild, which is always going to be a problem. Take those. Pull request reviews, seriously. Nimzy warns, if bad actors get their hands on these environment variables, this could potentially lead to view sensitive information, including credentials, such as passwords, usernames, and keys, which could allow them to access any resources that the repository owners can. He added that CLI commands are by default assumed to be running in a secure environment. But coupled with CICD pipelines or continuous integration, continuous development, they may pose a security threat. This ongoing issue underscores the critical need for heightened security measures within cloud computing environments. Go out there, get you a new cloud job, my guys. Finally, the United Nations Development Program, or UNDP, has launched an investigation into a significant cyber attack where intruders compromised its IT systems, resulting in the theft of critical human resources data. So, human resources data sounds It's pretty benign to me, like, the way that that's framed seems like nothing, but think about what the data Human Resources has. It's the crown jewels. They've got your social security number for your W 2 form, they've got your previous jobs, they've got your address, they've got your email address, they've got everything. So Human Resources data is nothing to bat an eye at. The agency, which is a cornerstone of the United Nations efforts to combat poverty and inequality worldwide. Confirmed the breach occurred in late March within the local IT infrastructure for the United Nations. Following the detection of the breach on March 27th, thanks to a threat intelligence alert, UNDP acted swiftly. Quote, actions were immediately taken to identify a potential source and contain the effective server as well. As to determine the specifics of the exposed data and who was impacted. The ongoing investigation seeks to fully understand the incident's nature and scope, as well as its impact on individuals whose information was compromised, but to further complicate some matters, the eight base ransomware gang, a group known for its broad attacks on various industries, claimed responsibility for the data theft. On the same day as the breach, they added a new entry for UNDP on their dark web leak site. The documents leaked, according to the attackers, contain a huge amount of confidential information, ranging from personal data to financial records and employment contracts. This cyberattack is not the first the United Nations has suffered. Previous breaches have struck the United Nations Environmental Program and key United Nations networks in Geneva and Vienna, showcasing ongoing vulnerabilities within UNIT systems. Meanwhile, the 8Base group, which claims to target companies neglecting data privacy, continues its surge of attacks, having listed over 350 victims on its data leak site to date. So if you're listening and you know your company is rejecting some data privacy protocols, maybe use this story as incentive to get them to pay more attention to this. That's all we got for you today. Happy Monday. Thanks so much for listening. Please head over to our social media accounts, Instagram, Twitter, Twitter. com. Youtube Give us a follow, give us a like, and send us a comment. We'd love to talk. And we'll be back tomorrow with some more news.

Alexandra Paul 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 or her leading roles in over 20 Lifetime movies. Last year, she filmed 3 movies and continues to work as an actress. Alexandra became vegetarian for the planet when she was 14. In her 20s, she removed more animal products from her life, like leather, wool and silk and products tested on animals. Because of her struggle with anorexia and bulimia from 16 to 28 years old, Alexandra was afraid that limiting her diet too much by going vegan would return her to her eating disorder days. What she discovered, when she went vegan 10 years ago, was that when her diet properly aligned with her values, her relationship with food vastly improved. At age 52, Alexandra became a certified health coach, and she focuses on helping clients change long held lifestyle habits so they eat healthier, move more. and feel better. Alexandra cohosts the Switch4Good podcast with vegan Olympian Dotsie Bausch. The podcast focuses on the benefits of plant based diet and overcoming disordered eating. Alexandra is also an animal activist who has rescued chickens, pigs and cows from factory farms. She was arrested twice in the last year for peaceful civil disobedience . Alexandra was honored by the United Nations Environmental Program for her work on human overpopulation. and she speaks at conferences and schools on the benefits of smaller families. Alexandra is also an athlete who has competed in marathons, an Ironman triathlon and long distance ocean swims. Acting website: AlexandraPaul.com Wellness Coaching site: AlexandraCoaching.com Facebook: @AlexandraPaulOfficial Twitter: @Alexandra_Paul Instagram @Alexandra_Actress You can listen to the wonderful Switch$Good Podcast here: https://switch4good.org/podcast/ Love & Kale, Chef AJ

In this episode, we had the great pelasure of interviewing the legendary John Robbins.  The only son of the founder of the Baskin-Robbins ice cream empire, John Robbins was groomed to follow in his father's footsteps, but chose to walk away from Baskin-Robbins and the immense wealth it represented to “…pursue the deeper American Dream…the dream of a society at peace with its conscience because it respects and lives in harmony with all life forms. A dream of a society that is truly healthy, practicing a wise and compassionate stewardship of a balanced ecosystem.” Considered by many to be one of the most eloquent and powerful spokespersons in the world for a sane, ethical and sustainable future, John has been a featured and keynote speaker at major conferences sponsored by Physicians for Social Responsibility, Beyond War, Oxfam, the Sierra Club, the Humane Society of the United States, the United Nations Environmental Program, UNICEF, and many other organizations dedicated to creating a healthy, just, and sustainable way of life. He is the recipient of the Rachel Carson Award, the Albert Schweitzer Humanitarian Award, the Peace Abbey's Courage of Conscience Award, and lifetime achievement awards from groups including Green America. The widespread media attention he has received has included numerous appearances on national shows including Oprah, Donahue and Geraldo. When John spoke at the United Nations, he received a standing ovation. John is the Co-Founder and President of the Food Revolution Network. The Food Revolution Network is committed to healthy, sustainable, humane, and conscious food for all. Guided by John and Ocean Robbins, with more than 600,000 members and with the collaboration of many of the top food revolutionary leaders of our times, the Food Revolution Network aims to empower individuals, build community, and transform food systems to support healthy people and a healthy planet. Books by John Robbins:  https://bit.ly/3BEGdyH This episode was broadcasted live to the NEURO Academy members. NEURO Academy is a membership based online environment with access to resources for optimal health, a better, sharper memory, and prevent cognitive decline. You will have access to monthly live Q&A sessions, Live cooking sessions, Live podcasts such as this one and Q&A with remarkable health leaders, ongoing on demand courses on prevention of neurological diseases, expanding the course to evidence based nutrition and cooking, NEURO coaching, anxiety, and many courses on various topics related to brain health. You will be able to get CE or CME credits if you're interested, and also receive certification after taking the course. Join us by visiting NEUROacademy.com.  Join the NEURO Academy: NEUROacademy.com Follow us on social media: Instagram: The Brain Docs @thebraindocs Facebook: The Brain Docs Website: TheBrainDocs.com

We honor the recent passing of award-winning singer-superstar Olivia Newton-John with this show, originally taped in 2008. Newlyweds “Amazon” John Easterling and Olivia Newton-John talk about the numerous healing plants and herbs of the South American Rainforest. John's mission is to share with the world that the nutrition and healing results of these plants and the Shamanic wisdom make it clear that the Amazon is worth so very much to us all. They talk about the massive benefits of a healthy rainforest, including adding oxygen content in the air and dispelling pollution, and offering endless medicine and plants. From their numerous trips there, and discussions with scientists as well as indigenous tribes, they note how climate change is severely affecting the entire Amazon. This will affect the quality of our life on Earth. “Amazon John,” is founder and president of Amazon Herb Company, a company that buys plants from South American Indians and creates consumable herbal products. The partnership helps to preserve the rainforest and its people. Olivia, long respected as an icon in the world of entertainment and music, is the first ever Ambassador for the United Nations Environmental Program, and is now focusing on music inspired by the environment. Info: amazonhealthsolutions.com. 

Lis Mullin Bernhardt is an environment professional who specializes in the water and climate adaptation space. She currently works at the UN Environment Programme and has nearly than 15 years of experience in the water space. She is the former Coordinator of the United Nations Environmental Program's Global Adaptation Network, a knowledge-sharing platform designed to help the world build resilience towards climate change by spreading adaptation knowledge. Check out: https://lnkd.in/gXgDCDsv

This is our third interview with Dr. Joanna Lambert, Professor at the University of Colorado in Boulder – in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Lambert also serves as advisor to the United Nations Environmental Program and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Dr. Lambert is an elected Fellow of both the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Linnean Society of London. She has published hundreds of scientific articles and several books and has spent the last 30 years of her career investigating mammal ecology in remote landscapes around the world. Most recently, she has been researching coyotes in areas with wolves, like Yellowstone National Park and areas without wolves, like Colorado. In her extra time, she rides horses, plays with her two dogs, or gets lost in the mountains. In addition to her teaching about mammal ecology, especially primates, Dr. Lambert teaches some courses on dogs at the University and, since dogs are descended from wild canids, I wanted to ask her about DOGS.Support the show

The newest climate report from the IPCC is, once again, issuing a Code Red for life on the planet and calling for the world to immediately halt the burning of fossil fuels to avoid climate collapse. We hear from U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres; Inger Anderson, Executive Director of the United Nations Environmental Program; and IPCC Working Group III Co-Chair Jim Skea. By Mark Dunlea for Hudson Mohawk Radio Network.

Steve's guest this week is renowned professor and climate scientist, Dr. Katharine Hayhoe. In 2014, Katharine was named one of Time Magazine's Most Influential People and a couple of years ago she was named the United Nations Environmental Program's Champion of the Earth. Katharine's new book “Saving Us: A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World” is in bookstores now. In part one, Katharine shares her journey to becoming a climate scientist, why climate change has become so political, and the importance of talking about solutions.

The United Nations Environmental Program recently estimated that "for every square mile of ocean" there are about "46,000 pieces of plastic."Many of us have seen the truly sobering videos and photos of the Pacific garbage patch, which is twice the size of Texas. To help us understand the thorny problem that is plastic pollution in our oceans, we're chatting with Mimi Ausland, a passionate activist and founder of Free the Ocean, an organization dedicated to getting plastics out of our oceans. Episode Show Notes:Learn more about Free the Ocean on their website and Instagram.The Free Rice project's click-to-give model was an inspiration for Mimi in starting Free the Oceans. Mimi works closely with Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii to remove plastic from the ocean. Need another reason to care about ocean health? The majority of our planets oxygen comes from marine plants! Mimi is a fan of compost tumblers We discussed this fascinating story of how Bay Area green waste becomes valuable compost for farms and wineries. Mimi's go-to karaoke song is "Love Story" by Taylor Swift.

“I learned that these kind of people can be resisted, if there are resistors to do it.” Philip Shabecoff The dean of environmental journalism calls on Americans to stop a regime bent on destroying the planet. This week on the Mother Earth Podcast, we sit down for a deep discussion with Philip Shabecoff -- the first major reporter to treat environmental news as its own beat in its own right. As the environmental correspondent for the New York Times from 1977 to 1991, Philip rang the alarm bell loud and clear on numerous environmental crises, including loss of species, the hole in the ozone layer, acid rain, toxic waste, and environmental racism. And he was one of the first reporters to give serious and sustained attention to the issue of the coming climate crisis. Philip has won numerous environmental awards, including the “Global 500” Honor Roll of the United Nations Environmental Program and the Sierra Club’s David R. Brower Award for Environmental Journalism. In our conversation, Philip offers insight on the climate crisis and other pressing environmental problems that he tried so hard to prevent with his prescient reporting. He calls on Americans to rise up and resist the Trump administration and its assault on the environment. He does so from a unique vantage point: Philip was America’s leading reporter exposing the Reagan Administration’s myriad attempts to undercut environmental protections. He minces no words and, based on his decades of experience, this wise elder offers us timely lessons showing that those bent on destroying the environment can be stopped by a determined and organized citizenry. Philip’s straight shooting as the New York Times’ environmental correspondent ultimately spelled the end of his job for America’s most prominent newspaper. He discusses with us his demise at the Times for being too focused on the harms and costs of pollution. But Philip rose from the ashes of this defeat.  He went on to found Greenwire, the daily online digest of worldwide environmental news coverage, and to write several important books on the environment, including A Fierce Green Fire: the American Environmental Movement, which was made into a movie narrated by Robert Redford, Ashley Judd, Van Jones, Isabelle Allende, and Meryl Streep. The book called on Americans to launch a new wave of environmentalism to meet the new threats to people and planet. That wave is happening now. If all this were not enough, as a sort of bonus track Philip takes us inside American journalism’s greatest moment: he served as the Times’ White House correspondent in the waning days of Watergate. Philip was right in the midst of it all and discusses the White House disinformation campaign that misled Philip’s own reporting right up through Nixon’s final day in office. The parallels to Trump are palpable. Be sure to check out the end of the show when Philip reads a beautiful and moving piece from his memoir, Places: Habits of a Human Lifetime, which was named a best book of the year by Kirkus Reviews. Philip saw the climate crisis coming and tried to save the planet. May we all contribute as greatly as he has to the benefit of humanity and the natural environment that sustains us all.  For People and Planet, thank you for listening. (Please note that this episode was recorded prior to the pandemic).

Peter and Tyler welcome Radley Horton to the show. Radley was the co-chair of the At What Point Managed Retreat? Resilience Building in the Coastal Zone Conference at Columbia University that took place in June and discusses how the conference was received and what some of the take-aways are. Radley Horton is a Lamont Associate Research Professor at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. His research focuses on climate extremes, tail risks, climate impacts, and adaptation. Radley was a Convening Lead Author for the Third National Climate Assessment. He currently Co-Chairs Columbia’s Adaptation Initiative, and is Principal Investigator for the Columbia University-WWF ADVANCE partnership, and the NOAA-Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments-funded Consortium for Climate Risk in the Urban Northeast. He is also the Columbia University lead for the Department of Interior-funded Northeast Climate Science Center, and is a PI on an NSF-funded Climate Change Education Partnership Project. Radley has been a Co-leader in the development of a global research agenda in support of the United Nations Environmental Program’s Programme on Vulnerability, Impacts, and Adaptation (PROVIA) initiative. He serves on numerous national and international task forces and committees, including the Climate Scenarios Task Force in support of the 2018 National Climate Assessment, and frequently appears on national and international television, radio, and in print. Radley teaches in Columbia University’s Sustainable Development department.

On October 5, 2017, Gregory Wilson delivered a Banner Lecture entitled “Toxic Dust: The History and Legacy of Virginia’s Kepone Disaster.” In July 1975, news broke about workers at Life Science Products Company in Hopewell poisoned while making the pesticide Kepone, the brand name of chlordecone. Further investigations showed Life Science had contracted with Allied Chemical, a larger firm with a plant in Hopewell, to make Kepone and that both companies dumped Kepone waste into the James River and its nearby tributaries. The events led to a number of significant events, including a fishing and harvesting ban that remained in various forms through the 1980s, new state and federal environmental regulations, and federal court cases that led to the creation of the Virginia Environmental Endowment in 1977. Forty years later, Kepone remains in the James River sediment but in much reduced levels. Still, traces of Kepone have been found in James River fish today. The complete toxic effects of Kepone are not fully known, but a major public health crisis appears to be unfolding in the French West Indies from continued chlordecone use on banana plants through the 1990s. Chlordecone’s toxic global legacy led the United Nations Environmental Program to call for an end to its use. The events surrounding Kepone left an important legacy that continues to affect people and the environment in Virginia and around the world. The Kepone story is a compelling reminder of the critical ongoing importance of government oversight in the protection of human health and the environment. Dr. Gregory Wilson is a professor of history at the University of Akron. He grew up in Newport News, Virginia, and remembers the Kepone tragedy from his youth. Dr. Wilson earned his Ph.D. from Ohio State University. He is the author of Above the Shots: An Oral History of the Kent State Shootings (with Craig Simpson), Ohio: A History of the Buckeye State (with Kevin F. Kern), and Communities Left Behind: The Area Redevelopment Administration, 1945–1965. This lecture is cosponsored by the Virginia Environmental Endowment as part of its 40th Anniversary.

Ambassador Diego Gómez Pickering was appointed as Consul General of Mexico to New York City in June of 2016. He is a career diplomat as well as a writer and journalist. Prior to his arrival in New York he served as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Mexico to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, from 2013 to 2016; as well as Director for Foreign Media for President Enrique Peña Nieto's office from 2012 to 2013. He holds a B.A. in International Relations from the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM) in Mexico City; an M.A. in Cultural Development from Columbia University in New York City; and a Postgraduate degree in Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) in New Delhi, India. He has worked as a journalist for CNN in Mexico City and the Americas edition of the Wall Street Journal; and as an international correspondent for the Panamanian newspaper La Prensa, and various other Mexican and Hispano-American publications such as Reforma, Excelsior, and El Universal in the U.S., Mexico, East Africa and the Middle East. Gómez Pickering has been a consultant and advisor to several UN-system agencies such as UNESCO, the United Nations' Public-Private Alliance for Rurual Development, the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the Office for Humanitarian Affairs Coordination (OCHA) and the Committee for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Between 2008 and 2011 he worked as a communications consultant for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) in Damascus, Syria. In 2007 he was based in Kenya after being appointed as Political and Cultural Attaché to the Mexican Embassy in Nairobi. The Diplomatic Mission represented Mexico to six neighboring countries and was the focal point of Mexico to the United Nations' Human Settlements Program: HABITAT and to the United Nations Environmental Program. He is the author of Los Jueves en Nairobi (Thursdays in Nairobi), published in 2010 and La Primavera de Damasco (Spring in Damascus), published in 2013; as well as more than a dozen books of prose and fiction. He has also published numerous editorials and academic and journalistic articles over the past 16 years for prestigious journals from Mexico, Latin America, Spain and the U.S., such as Foreign Affairs, the Journal of International Affairs and Letras Libres. His work has been translated into English, French, Swahili, Arabic and Russian. Ambassador Gómez Pickering is an associate of the Mexican Council for International Affairs (COMEXI) and a member of the board of Child's Fund Mexico and the American Society of Mexico. He is fluent in English, French, Italian, Portuguese and German. He as been awarded the Victorian Order as Knight Commander by the British government and the Antonio José de Irisarri Order as Knight Commander by the Guatemalan government. In this episode, Ambassador Gómez Pickering shares his one way ticket to biblical Babel. He also talks about what makes Mexico so special, what it was like presenting his credentials to Her Majesty The Queen, and key international issues today. Ambassador Gómez Pickering is just one of the extraordinary guests featured on The One Way Ticket Show, where Host Steven Shalowitz explores with his guests where they'd go if given a one way ticket, no coming back! Destinations may be in the past, present, future, real, imaginary or a state of mind. Steven's guests have included: Nobel Peace Prize Winner, President Jose Ramos-Horta; Legendary Talk Show Host, Dick Cavett; Law Professor, Alan Dershowitz; Broadcast Legend, Charles Osgood; International Rescue Committee President & CEO, David Miliband; Grammar Girl, Mignon Fogarty; Journalist-Humorist-Actor Mo Rocca; ; Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr.; Abercrombie & Kent Founder, Geoffrey Kent; Travel Expert, Pauline Frommer, as well as leading photographers, artists, writers and more.

Scott Cluthe Live tonight with John Robbins as they re-visit Diet for a New America on it's 25th Anniversary. John Robbins is the author of The New Good Life: Living Better Than Ever in an Age of Less. He is also author of the international bestseller DIET FOR A NEW AMERICA: How Your Food Choices Affect Your Health, Happiness, and the Future of Life on Earth, THE FOOD REVOLUTION: How Your Diet Can Help Save Your Life and Our World, HEALTHY AT 100: The Scientifically Proven Secrets of the World’s Healthiest and Longest-Lived Peoples. John’s work has been the subject of cover stories and feature articles in The San Francisco Chronicle, The Los Angeles Times, Chicago Life, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer. His life and work have also been featured in an hour long PBS special titled Diet For A New America. The only son of the founder of the Baskin-Robbins ice cream empire, John Robbins was groomed to follow in his father’s footsteps, but chose to walk away from Baskin-Robbins and the immense wealth it represented to “…pursue the deeper American Dream…the dream of a society at peace with its conscience because it respects and lives in harmony with all life forms. A dream of a society that is truly healthy, practicing a wise and compassionate stewardship of a balanced ecosystem.” Considered by many to be one of the most eloquent and powerful spokespersons in the world for a sane, ethical and sustainable future, John has been a featured and keynote speaker at major conferences sponsored by Physicians for Social Responsibility, Oxfam, the Sierra Club, the Humane Society of the United States, the United Nations Environmental Program, UNICEF, and others.

Guest speaker: Pablo Amaringo [NOTE: All quotations below are by Pablo Amaringo, as interpreted by Lorenzo from Zoe7's translation.] Pablo Amaringo was elected to the Global 500 Roll of Honor of the United Nations Environmental Program in recognition of outstanding practical achievements in the protection and improvement of the environment through the USKO-AYAR school. PROGRAM NOTES: (Minutes : Seconds into program) 03:23 Susan Blackmore introduces Pablo Amaringo 07:16 "I was born and raised Catholic, but I did not really subscribe to the way in which that religion interpreted existence and life, particularly life after death." 13:02 "From experience, I came to learn that ayahuasca bestows upon the user knowledge about a variety of topics, not only consciousness and perception, but also leads one to realize that what we perceive is an illusion." 17:57 "In 1968 I had a revelation that we live in a sort of organism, an organism somewhat like a ship in that it keeps us, and not just us humans, but every living thing in something like a cocoon. And I was told that this home of ours, this ship, is becoming endangered simply because people are not taking care of the environment." 22:30 "We should not think only about the immediate future for ourselves living on this planet, but also about the futures of our children and grandchildren. What are we going to leave for them? What are they going to find? Those are questions we should ask and resolve before it's too late." 23:46 "One of the chief problems here is the lack of love, love for the environment and love for each other." 28:02 Pablo begins talking about the ayahuasca visions in his paintings. 47:36 "By going into the psychedelic experience, by going into the world of plants, one is able to first and foremost know about himself. This opens up a whole new realm of possibilities in his eyes." Download MP3 PCs – Right click, select option Macs – Ctrl-Click, select option;  Ayahuasca Visions by   Pablo Amaringo, Luis Luna, and Luis Eduardo Luna

American Chemical Society, National Chemistry Week, science education. Dr. William Carroll has served on expert groups commissioned by the United Nations Environmental Program, the State of Florida, and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. The American Chemical Society advances knowledge and research through scholarly publishing, scientific conferences, information resources for education and business, and professional development efforts.

American Chemical Society, National Chemistry Week, science education. Dr. William Carroll has served on expert groups commissioned by the United Nations Environmental Program, the State of Florida, and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. The American Chemical Society advances knowledge and research through scholarly publishing, scientific conferences, information resources for education and business, and professional development efforts.