Scott Poynton 's passion lies in helping create more positive change in the world, and he has spent his life working to bring change in highly complex, challenging situations. The founder of The Forest Trust (TFT), Scott used his time at TFT to help some of the world’s largest companies transform the way they source their products. Though still working on forests, Scott's focus has now pivoted to people, aiming to help individuals connect to themselves, to others and to nature. He joins us...
Aug 17, 2020•44 min
Humans and elephants have ‘co-existed for millenia’ in the Malay Peninsula. For his dissertation , Lim Teckwyn, from the Management & Ecology of Malaysian Elephants Project , studied human-elephant relations, from both social and ecological perspectives. In particular, he examined the intertwined histories of humans and elephants in Belum-Temengor, by exploring the history of elephants, the history of the people, and the history of the relationship between humans and elephants in...
Aug 10, 2020•42 min
They've been sailing and living aboard a 41ft Morgan Out Island monohull yacht called 'Sea Monkey' since 2014, after leaving their regular life behind in Brisbane. Calling themselves the Sea Monkeys, this family of four works on many aspects of aiding the problem of global plastic pollution. We find out more about their work and adventures from father-daughter duo Carlos Steenland and Sydney Steenland of the Sea Monkey Project. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Jul 27, 2020•30 min
SL Wong and Law Yao Hua, the editors of Macaranga.org, return for their monthly show, to discuss major environmental news from July this year, and to highlight events and issues to look out for in August. This month, we discuss the passing of pioneering Malaysian zoologist Dr Lim Boo Liat, and the challenges to replicate his efforts in the current academic climate. We also take a look at how the plans to expedite the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Conservation blueprint might mean for ecotourism. W...
Jul 27, 2020•24 min
The Tropical Rainforest Conservation and Research Centre (TRCRC), was established in 2012 to restore tropical rainforests and address the critical rate of biodiversity loss in Malaysia. TRCRC’s mission is two-fold: to preserve tropical rainforest plant species and lead landscape-wide protection and reforestation projects throughout the country. Joining us to shed more light on the work they do, and also to discuss a new project that they are working on called People For Peat, is Dr. Lee Jo...
Jul 20, 2020•36 min
Zero Waste Malaysia have been working hard to create awareness on the zero waste lifestyle, which essentially wants people to shift from the take-make-dispose culture, and move towards practicing environmentally-responsible habits. They have shared the zero-waste gospel to many Malaysians, and the latest feather to their cap is the launching of a Lesson Plan and virtual classroom which will educate youths on sustainability, and hopefully kick start them on their zero waste journey. We find...
Jul 13, 2020•37 min
She's known as "Mek Tuntung" among locals - Dr. Chen Pelf Nyok is the co-founder of the Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia , and is a freshwater turtle researcher and conservationist based in Kemaman, Terengganu. She has long been working to help in the recovery of depleted wild populations of turtles, with particular reference to freshwater turtles, in Malaysia. She joins us to discuss her work in turtle conservation, and also to share how the pandemic is affecting conservation of turtles ...
Jul 06, 2020•34 min
SL Wong and Law Yao Hua, the editors of Macaranga.org, join us for their monthly show, to discuss major environmental news from June this year, and to highlight events and issues to look out for in July. Macaranga.org is a journalism portal covering environment and sustainability-related topics in Malaysia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jun 29, 2020•23 min
For many islands, their social, economic and environmental well being is tied strongly to the fate of a single sector: tourism. But badly planned tourism risks depleting biodiversity, degrading land and polluting the seas. Using Tioman Island as a case study, Reef Check Malaysia, the local chapter of the world’s largest international coral reef monitoring programme, released a paper titled: Tioman as a Sustainable Tourism Destination. Joining us to shed more light on this paper is Julian H...
Jun 29, 2020•23 min
For many islands, their social, economic and environmental well being is tied strongly to the fate of a single sector: tourism. But badly planned tourism risks depleting biodiversity, degrading land and polluting the seas. Using Tioman Island as a case study, Reef Check Malaysia, the local chapter of the world’s largest international coral reef monitoring programme, released a paper titled: Tioman as a Sustainable Tourism Destination. Joining us to shed more light on this paper is Julian H...
Jun 29, 2020•23 min
The PONGO Alliance is an alliance of oil palm growers, businesses and NGOs, who aim to make resilient landscapes for wildlife and people, by seeking ways to allow lands outside protected areas to play a role in conserving wildlife. We find out more about the alliance and how they are working to create a Human and Orangutan Coexistence Landscape, from its Executive Director, Dr John Payne, and also from Dr Felicity Oram, who is the Kinabatangan Project Director for the alliance. See omnystu...
Jun 22, 2020•46 min
In a matter of months, the world has changed. Covid-19 has changed the way we live and the pandemic's stay-at-home orders have brought a welcome relief in many places from air pollution and the worsening environment. In Malaysia, we also had a change in government and a new Cabinet, which included the reshuffling of environment-related ministries and portfolios. With a global call to build back better, will Malaysia see carbon and pollutant emissions “bounce back” or will we see chan...
Jun 15, 2020•42 min
COVID-19 has upended lives and livelihoods across the planet, and it's impact is not only being felt on land, but at sea too, and is affecting our “blue economy.” How can we take advantage of this great pause, and use this window of opportunity offered by reduced emissions and energy demand, to protect the marine environment better? In conjunction with World Oceans Day on the 8th of June, we discuss how to build an ocean economy that is both stronger and more sustainable after COVID-...
Jun 01, 2020•43 min
Macaranga is a journalism portal covering environment and sustainability-related topics in Malaysia. Helmed by writers Law Yao Hua and SL Wong, the duo aim to provide relevant and insightful content that builds knowledge on ecosystems, through the portal. In their first monthly episode on Earth Matters, both the editors of Macaranga join us to give a wrap-up of major environmental news from April and May this year, while discussing the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the environment, and also...
May 18, 2020•24 min
Across the world, many wildlife reserves and animal sanctuaries have been severely impacted by the coronavirus lockdown measures which has led to reduced tourism, and a shortage of funds to support their conservation work. The Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre , the only sun bear conservation centre in the world, is also being impacted by Malaysia's Movement Control Order, as they rely on funds from ecotourism activities at the center, which helps fund their day to day activities. We find out...
May 18, 2020•19 min
The current Movement Control Order (MCO) and the suspension of activities by NGOs by the Registrar of Societies, have made it impossible to have any proper assessment of impacts or dialogue on the proposed degazettement of the Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve. So it came as a surprise when the Selangor state government announced it would soon conduct a public hearing session for the proposed degazettement. The Coalition for the Protection of Selangor’s Forests are calling upon the Selango...
Mar 30, 2020•30 min
Water is one of the basic necessities of life, which we use almost without thinking, and this can lead to significant waste. While we're always advised on how much water we should drink daily, we don't really hear much about the amount of water we are wasting, water scarcity, or how we can reduce usage. This World Water Day, we speak to Norizan Mohd Mazlan, the Head of Conservation in Peninsular Malaysia at WWF-Malaysia, about major issues that must be addressed to ensure the sustainability of o...
Mar 23, 2020•45 min
A report released by wildlife trade monitoring organisation Traffic has concluded that a new strategy is urgently needed to curb wildlife trafficking in southeast Asia, one of the world’s biggest biodiversity hotspots. The report, titled Southeast Asia: At the heart of wildlife trade, has detailed how organised criminal networks aided by wildlife cybercrime, inadequate laws and dismal conviction rates are allowing illegal trade to flourish. We find out more about the report, and what needs...
Mar 02, 2020•31 min
The Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve (KLNFR) currently covers about 958ha of peat swamp forest – a small remnant of a much larger forest that was degazetted and converted for development over the last 50 years. This forest reserve has been home to the Temuan tribe for more than a hundred years, and it also supports critically endangered species such as the Malayan Sun Bear, Selangor Pygmy Flying Squirrel and the rare Langat Red Fighting Fish. Now, the reserve is now facing an unprecedente...
Feb 24, 2020•27 min
The UN Conference of Parties (COP) 25 which was held last year in Madrid, Spain, was deemed as a failure by many. Both activists and experts who attended observed that there has never been a bigger disconnect between “what the science requires and negotiations delivered in terms of meaningful action.” What went wrong? Kingsley Goh and Tan Cai May, who represented the Malaysian Youth Delegation at COP25 in Spain, joins us to share their experiences and takeaways from the Conference, a...
Feb 17, 2020•33 min
Creating Future-Proof Cities is a publication that aims to serve as a practical guide to individuals, communities and cities to step up action to curb the rise of global temperatures and adapt to future norms. The book also aims to demystify the climate crisis and prescribes a localised response, using Penang, Malaysia, as a case study. We find out more from the authors of the book, Murali Ram and Rexy Prakash Chacko. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Feb 10, 2020•38 min
Celebrated every year on the 2nd of February, World Wetlands Day marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands on the same day in 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea. Wetlands are vital for humans, for other ecosystems and for our climate, providing essential ecosystem services such as water regulation, including flood control and water purification. The worrying thing is that they are disappearing three times faster than forests due to human activ...
Feb 03, 2020•43 min
Flying foxes are giant fruit bats, and are one of the most threatened groups of bats in the world, with their numbers declining sharply due to hunting and habitat loss. They play a critical dual role in forest maintenance and regeneration as pollinators and seed dispersers, and are particularly important for pollinating durian trees. Rimba’s Project Pteropus has been working on flying fox conservation in collaboration with PERHILITAN since 2012, and this collaboration has resulted in a Con...
Jan 20, 2020•36 min
The unprecedented and catastrophic bushfires in Australia have killed more than 25 people, burned hundreds of thousands of hectares of land, caused massive devastation to wildlife, ecosystems and the environment, and destroyed hundreds of homes. Even as the world tries to grapple with the enormity of the crisis, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been facing mounting criticism over his government's climate policies and their handling of the crisis. A new misinformation campaign has als...
Jan 13, 2020•35 min
Last year, the world woke up to the climate emergency. Many of us were also jolted by the global report by the International Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, which details how humans have dramatically reconfigured life on the planet. With around one million animal and plant species now threatened with extinction, many within decades, how do we decide on what species to save, and how do we get past "apocalypse fatigue" so that we are inspired to act? If 2019 was the year of awakening...
Jan 06, 2020•30 min
We revisit some of the best interviews from Earth Matters, from 2019. On this episode, we look at the climate crisis , and whether ASEAN’s approach to address this global crisis is moving quickly enough, and in the right direction. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Dec 23, 2019•40 min
Seagrasses are submerged flowering plants with deep roots that are found in meadows along the shore of every continent except Antarctica. Although they get little attention, seagrasses are a vital part of the marine ecosystem - per hectare, seagrasses can store up to twice as much carbon than terrestrial forests. Sadly, they are among the world’s most threatened ecosystems, with annual global loss of around 1.5%. We discuss this marine powerhouse with Dr Jillian Ooi, a teaching and researc...
Dec 16, 2019•35 min
Wildlife crime is big business. Run by dangerous international networks, wildlife and animal parts are trafficked much like illegal drugs and arms. Though almost impossible to obtain reliable figures for the value of the illegal wildlife trade, experts at TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, estimates that it runs into billions of dollars. What role does corruption play in all of this? We speak to Elizabeth John, a Senior Communications Officer with TRAFFIC , to discuss how corruption...
Dec 09, 2019•37 min
With the reduced cost of renewable technologies and rising innovation, mini-grids are a growing opportunity in emerging markets, one which is already reducing fuel consumption, lowering emissions and driving energy access. Estimates show that to achieve universal access to electricity by 2030, 40 percent of all installed capacity will have to come from mini grids. Ayu Abdullah is the Regional Director for Southeast Asia at Energy Action Partners , who specializes in leading collaborative efforts...
Dec 02, 2019•40 min
Dr. Jane Goodall is considered to be the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees. Her extensive research into the behaviour of chimpanzees, which first started in Africa in the 1960s, is said to have fundamentally altered scientific thinking about the relationship between humans and other mammals. We caught up with her to discuss how a young Englishwoman winded up revolutionizing primate science, her journey from naturalist to activist, her work with the world's youth to address the climate ...
Nov 25, 2019•24 min
