Think: Sustainability

It was supposed to be a climate election, but nothing went according to plan. With the benefit of hindsight, we look back to before the May 18 federal election result, to see who went wrong, who went right and who paid the price in the campaign for the climate. Featuring: Nicky Ison - Research Associate, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney and Co-Founder, Community Power Agency

If you could start our society again from scratch, how sustainable would you make it? Would you build a new city at sea? Or develop a village in a valley? In this episode we look at two different ways some people are trying to start again. And how starting afresh doesn't always mean leaving old problems behind. Featuring: Matthew Daly - Research Consultant, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney John Talbott, - Project Director, Narara Ecovillage Jazz Mozzi - Admin Officer, Narara Ecovillage Karina Czapiewska - Co-founder Blue 21 Raymond B. Craib - Associate Professor in the Department of History, Cornell University Scilla Sayer - Community member, Narara Ecovillage

Dozens of countries around the world are devising plans to build new cities from scratch. They're pitched as an opportunity to start fresh and make our urban environments more sustainable and equitable. But are these new cities just an excuse to abandon the problems of existing ones? Featuring: Dr Sarah Moser - Director of the Urban Studies Program, McGill University. Kerryn Wilmot - Research Principal and Core Member of the Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney. Producer/Presenter: Daniel Butler.

The war on plastic straws has picked up so much speed some countries are looking to ban them altogether. But what these bans completely fail to recognise is some people need and use plastic straws everyday. This episode we look at how straw bans discriminate against disability. Featuring: Micaela Evans. Simon Darcy - University of Technology Sydney Business School. Full episode transcript available here https://bit.ly/2KYkF6J

Waiting for your next Think: Sustainability fix? We've got something else for you in the meantime. Introducing a new season of All Things Equal. This series will take you into the school yard and beyond, where kids learn that things aren't always fair. Through the stories of real students and staff, Uniform will change the way you think about education; because when it comes to learning, one size does not fit all. Subscribe to All Things Equal in your favourite podcast app, or listen to the show here: https://www.whooshkaa.com/shows/after-metoo-stories-of-social-change

There's a strong image that lives in many peoples minds when you say the word farmer. A burly, middle-aged white male dressed in flannel and denim. While many farmers still fit this mould, this image is also a damaging one. It excludes the hard work and contribution of farmers who fall outside of this imagining. This episode, we're pulling this image apart. You'll hear from queer farmers Marita (Milton Mushrooms) and Perri (Hey Cobber!) who share their experiences of farming in regional Australia. Hazel Blunden (University of Technology Sydney) explores the push and pull factors of queer living in the city, while sociologist Jaclyn Wypler (University of Wisconsin) unpacks what it means to be queer in the country.

When it comes to sustainability, shifting away from coal generated power makes complete sense. But what does the transition mean for communities who depend on 'dirty' industries for their survival? This episode is all about the journey to renewables, and how we can make sure no one gets left behind. Features: Danny Boothman - Former Hazelwood worker and musician Professor Peter Sheldon - Director of the Industrial Relations Research Centre at the University of New South Wales Dr Sven Teske - Research Director at Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology, Sydney Dan Musil - Secretary of Earthworker Cooperative

Termites are often written off as a pest, but there is more to the little creatures than meets the eye. This episode is all about termites; what they destroy, but also what they build. And all the things we could learn from them, if only they could talk. Featuring: Dr Sebastian Oberst - Senior Lecturer, Centre for Audio Acoustics and Vibration at the University of Technology Sydney Carolyn - Artist Therese - Artist Lyn - Artist Kat - Artist Rob Adams - Director of City Design at the City of Melbourne

Deciding to have a baby can be one of the most important personal choices you will make in your lifetime. And yet, bringing new life into the world won't just impact you and your family. This episode is all about Australians who are choosing to think differently, and see their personal family planning as a type of environmental action plan in an overpopulated world. But can individual action really make a difference? Featuring: Phoebe Mark Graham Pyke - Adjunct Professor in the School of Life Sciences at the University of Technology Sydney Katie

The environmental movement in Australia has a race problem. White led governments continue to form policies based off research rooted in western science. Western science will often position itself as the only answer, actively excluding knowledge belonging to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. In this episode we ask, is western environmentalism racist? Featuring: Bradley Moggridge - PhD Candidate at the University of Canberra. Tania Searle - PhD Candidate at Flinders University. Natalie Stoianoff - Director of the Intellectual Property Program at the University of Technology Sydney.

As we continue to trash our oceans and terrestrial environments, many are pitching the model of the circular economy as an answer to our problem with waste. Building on the reduce, reuse, recycle model, the circular economy promises an end to overflowing dumps where products are continually repurposed. While the promise of circularity sounds so good, this episode we unpack how a circular economy universe might see us produce even more waste and cause greater social inequity. Featuring: Trevor Zink - Assistant Professor of Management from Loyola Marymount University. Melissa Edwards - Senior Lecturer in the University of Technology Sydney Business School.

Where we've typically ascribed trauma to the individual, climate change now sees large groups of people sharing the same damaging experience in what's being called 'collective trauma'. But as post-disaster care continues to prioritise physical safety, the mental health of survivors often falls to the wayside. This episode we explore the global implications of climate change on mental health and why our mental health services aren't ready for what's to come. Featuring: Lucy Chen - Student at the University of Technology Sydney and Climate Activist. Helen Berry - Professor of Climate Change and Mental Health at the University of Sydney. Jennifer First - Program Manager at the Disaster and Community Crisis Centre at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Producer/Presenter: Jake Morcom.

When tobacco company Philip Morris sued Australia over our plain packaging laws, it's fair to say we were taken by surprise. How can a foreign company take a nation's government to tribunal for protecting its citizens health? The answer is Investor State Dispute Settlement, an obscure clause in free trade agreements allowing corporations to sue foreign governments for what it perceives be unfair discrimination. In practice, this tends to end up happening over regulations in two area: health and the environment. This episode unpacks how ISDS could put a stranglehold on regulations and policies that put people ahead of profit. Producer/Presenter: Cheyne Anderson. Featuring: Dr Patricia Ranald - Convenor of Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network. Dr Carl Rhodes - Professor of Organisational Studies at the University of Technology Sydney. Matthew Rimmer - Professor of Intellectual Property and Innovation Law at the Queensland University of Technology. Max Bonnell - Partner, White and Case.

What can the sounds of the stratosphere tell us about the nature of noise on the ground? Featuring: Julius Ambroisine - PhD Student at the University of Technology Sydney.

There are over 400 parks and open spaces in the City of Sydney. Some are lush, vast open spaces while others small pockets of green hidden among suburban streets. But are these treasured environments just another reminder that we've buried our histories? This is part two of a series exploring the classism of the environmental movement. Featuring: Professor Jaky Troy - Director, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research at the University of Sydney. Peter McNeil - Distinguished Professor in Design History, School of Design at the University of Technology Sydney. Penny Allan - Professor of Landscape Architecture, School of Architecture at the University of Technology Sydney.