Think: Sustainability

It's one of the biggest environmental challenges of our time, but no ones seems to be talking about it. And that's because a lot of us don't know that much about it. Dana Cordell from the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology Sydney has spent the past decade researching phosphorus, what it is, what it does, why it's so important and how quickly we're running out of it. Producer/Presenter: Jake Morcom.

We're on break this week while 2SER is in the middle of Supporter Drive. 2SER Radio is the station that makes Think: Sustainability and our two sister programs Think: Health and Digital Futures possible, however running a radio station doesn't come cheap. You can support the Think programs, 2SER and make a tax deductible donation by heading to 2ser.com/donate.

We're on break this week while 2SER is in the middle of Supporter Drive. 2SER Radio is the station that makes Think: Sustainability and our two sister programs Think: Health and Digital Futures possible, however running a radio station doesn't come cheap. You can support the Think programs, 2SER and make a tax deductible donation by heading to 2ser.com/donate.

Today on the show, the carbon footprint of data. On paper that sounds like a contradiction - how can a photo I post to Facebook be affecting the health of the planet? Well, it's not the post itself that's doing the harm, it's the technology that makes it possible. And it's these tech that live in places known as data centres. Speakers: Ella Barclay - Artist and Graduate Student in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Technology Sydney. Rodney Gedda - Senior Analyst at Telsyte. Tanya Notley - Lecturer in the Institute for Culture and Society at Western Sydney University. Producer/Presenter: Jake Morcom.

The Great Barrier Reef has taught us much about marine ecology, but there's still so much we don't know. Do we have enough time to learn everything we can before the natural landmark is lost forever? Presenter: Jake Morcom. Producers: Miles Herbert and Jake Morcom.

Noise pollution is the only cardiovascular risk that can't be resolved by doctors or medications, it's purely up to the politicians. Speakers: Kirsten Parris - Associate Professor of Urban Ecology at the University of Melbourne. Thomas Muenzel - Chief in Caridology in the University Hospital in Mainz, Germany. Dino Pisaniello - Professor of Occupational and Environmental Health at the School of Public Health at University of Adelaide. Xiaojun Qiu - Director of the Centre for Audio-acoustics and Vibration at the University of Technology Sydney. Producer: Miles Herbert, Jake Morcom. Presenter: Jake Morcom.

The first recorded acid rain events date back to the 17th century, but it wasn't until the early 1970s that it became a huge problem. Today, while the global community seems focused on dealing with climate change, what's important about the story of acid rain is not only can it teach us how we can tackle global climate issues but also why we're so bad at doing it. Speakers: Derek Eamus - Professor of Environmental Sciences at the University of Technology Sydney. Charles Driscoll - Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Syracuse University, New York. Producer/Presenter: Jake Morcom.

On 26 November 2012, Australia's iconic Bondi Beach was closed as the crisp, blue coastline turned red. And although many likened the newly blood red waters to that written in scripture, it was in fact algae that was responsible for the beaches temporary pigmentation. Although not necessarily life threatening algal blooms as they're known can be harmful, as dangerous toxins can reside in the water where the bloom occurs and damage important marine life and ecosystems. Presenter: Jake Morcom. Producer: Jake Morcom and Lia Tsamoglou.

Australia is in the middle of a debate about coal. The Queensland government is determined to expand its coal production. Indian billionaire Gautam Adani continues to gather support from politicians for his Carmichael Coal Mine in the Galilee Basin. There has been significant push back from scientists and citizens who know that coal production is the leading cause of CO2 emissions and a huge contribute to global climate change. Despite this fact, politicians and resource companies either are convinced the science is wrong, or are choosing to deny the overwhelming evidence in favor of their commercial interests. Did climate change denial start with coal, or is it a historical and systemic issue tied to the resource industry and conservative ideologies? Producer/Presenter: Miles Herbert Speakers: Tom Morton: Associate Professor, University of Technology Sydney David Schlosberg: Professor of Environmental Politics at the University of Sydney, and Co-Director of the Sydney Environment Institute. Nick Enfield: Professor of Lingustics, and Co-Director of the Post Truth Initiate at the University of Sydney

In 2015 Australia's Threatened Species Commissioner Gregory Andrews announced a plan to kill 2 million 'feral' cats in an effort to save the countries native species from extinction. More than two years on the feral cat population has not decreased. So are culling techniques an effective and humane way of population control? Producer/Presenter: Miles Herbert Speakers: Alex Vince: Animal Liberation Kristina Vesk: Cat Protection Society Dr Daniel Ramp: Associate Professor and Director, Centre for Compassionate Conservation at University of Technology Sydney Dr Megan Phillips: Lecturer, School of Life Sciences at University of Technology Sydney Eamonn Wooster: PHD Candidate at Centre for Compassionate Conservation at University of Technology Sydney

You might already eat algae when you pick up a sushi roll. But it turns out algae may be a sustianable substitute for everything from Legos to surfboards to health products. Presenter/Producer: Miles Herbert Speakers: Dr Janice McCauley: Research Fellow, Climate Change Cluster at the University of Technology Sydney Judy Friedlander: Research Assistant, Institute for Sustainable Futures at the Univeristy of Technology Sydney Ross Thompson - Chair of Water Science and Director of the institute for applied ecology at the University of Canberra

We don't think about our waste once we flush the toilet. But will climate change and rising sea levels bring it back to our attention? Presenter/Producer: Miles Herbert

Where will you live when you're 65? Or perhaps you're retiring now, and you're thinking about your options? Cooperative living has come a long way since the hippy communes of the 1960s. It's a choice that's not only good for social wellbeing, but could be helping the environment too. Presenter: Jake Morcom. Producer: Jake Morcom, Lia Tsamoglou, Cheyne Anderson.

Between the 1960s and early 2000s, over 90% of Lake Chad has shrunk. Today, the lake provides water to over 68 million people in both Chad and Nigeria, and to the surrounding countries of Cameroon and Niger. But as water resources continue to dwindle, how long until Lake Chad is lost for good? Speakers: Danladi Yunana - Research Teaching Assistant at the Federal University Wukari, Nigeria. Dr Leigh Martin - Scholarly Teaching Fellow in the School of Life Sciences at the University of Technology Sydney. Dr Maryam Esfandbod - Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in the School of Natural Sciences at Griffith University. Producer/Presenter: Jake Morcom.

Last year, billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates announced his foundation would donate 100,000 chickens to impoverished nations in an effort to help bring them above the poverty line. But with the Bolivian government already slamming the gesture calling it 'offensive', is the plan as feasible as Gates says it is? Producers: Miles Herbert, Jake Morcom, Lia Tsamoglou. Presenter: Jake Morcom.