Think: Sustainability

Why is Nemo opening up his home for other clownfish? Is it a strength in numbers game when more of their homes are being destroyed? We answer these questions this week as well as look at the potential hazards in the current federal governments plan to cull 95% of the carp in our river systems.

Sydney is in the middle of a light rail uprising, but how many trees have to be cut down in the process? This week we're talking light rail logistics, as well as discussing the finest new delicacy on everyones plate... cane toad sausage!

Today is World Environment Day, so we take a closer look into the dark and depressing world of animal trafficking. Also, we look at why chlamydia is on the rise in koala populations around the country and how treatments are falling short.

Imagine you're at a festival. There's food stalls, heaps of bands to go see and people swarming in masses. Now think about when you're leaving, what do you see? Probably all the rubbish that festival goers have left behind.. Vivid kicked off in Sydney over the weekend, so this week we're looking at what makes a festival sustainable and why the arts is so important in this space. Also, we find out which weeds in the garden you can throw into your dinner and visit a greening small business seminar.

When you're planning a holiday, the first thing on your mind is enjoying time off to relax. But have you ever thought about how your travels can contribute to your carbon foot print? We look at planning your travels with a sustainable motive in mind and how exactly your can green up your holidays. Also, we visit a brekkie bar that's offering a helping hand for the struggling student and a roof technology that can make our buildings and the surrounding areas much cooler.

How are your investments affecting the planet? This week we look at the ethics of our superannuation and trace what unsustainable industries our super can be invested into such as coal mining and fossil fuels. Also, have you ever been approached by a charity chugger on your way to work? We hear some interesting insight into the functions of charity and look at why impact investment is becoming more and more pertinent in this space.

Last week we found out some strange degradable's that you can put into your compost, but what about into your worm farm? This week we're focusing on our squiggly little friends and how they can help in the management of our food waste around the home. Also, we pinpoint some of the most ethical and unethical fashion labels as well as look at some of our most pertinent regenerative sustainability practices.

Want to start a compost at home? It's not as hard as you might think. This week we look at the do's and don't of composting and learn about some degradable's that might surprise you. Also, $8-10 billion of food is wasted each year in Australia with the global number reaching into the trillions. We look at some sustainable food waste solutions as well as look at what affect culling kangaroos could have on our ecological biodiversity.

How do you get to work? Train, bus, car, bike? This week we look at the carbon cost of your commute and which modes of transport are the best and worst in terms of emissions. Also, three engineering students from UTS tell us about their plans for implementing composting toilets in Cameroon, Africa and could community energy help us reach 100% renewable energy?

Where does your poo go when you press the flush button? Who around the world doesn't use a toilet? Am I a bad person for using disposable nappies? These are some of the questions begging answers this week on our sustainability episode dedicated to human waste. We visit a wastewater treatment facility, hear about sanitation in rural, desolate Alaska and quest for the most eco-friendly nappy.

Why are ethical supply chains are sustainability issue? On the show this week we attempt to answer this question by looking back up through the supply chains, as well as hear stories about the inequities faced by Vietnamese migrant workers. Also, the age old question - cats versus dogs. We all love pets, but how sustainable are they really?

It's being called a global epidemic on par with climate change, so what are we trying to do to stop it? This week we look at antibiotic resistance from a number of angles, looking at potential medicinal alternatives and even how Manuka honey can help prevent the spread of infection. Also, Hamburg in Germany is home to the world's first Living Algae Building, but how long before we see one here in Australia?

It seems like we're in the age of the coffee pod - they're quick to use, convenient and tasty. Australians consume more than 3 million pods a day, and with so many ending up in landfill, ridiculous amounts of plastic could sit under the ground for hundreds of years. Also, we re-evaluate if the reduce, reuse, recycle model is still an effective motto and we meet our first sustainability champion.

Ahead of World Water Day on Tuesday March 22, this episode we're looking at current approaches to water conservation and what needs to change to protect the finite resource. We look back at Australia's 'Milennium Drought' and what we're doing to help California in their current drought crisis, as well as expand on the practice of groundwater extraction and reassess how many people today are using rainwater tanks.

Earth Hour is coming into its tenth year, but with more and more people thinking about energy conservation, is it time to switch things up? Also we dive into some of the coral ecosystems which are adapting to climate change pressures; and look at how we're going to keep growing produce in the declining Sydney basin.