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  • Plastic pollution is a problem. A new UN treaty could help.

    Plastic pollution is a problem. A new UN treaty could help.

    · Nature Breaking

    Ahead of Earth Day, today’s episode revisits a topic that we first covered in 2022 on this podcast: plastic pollution. Everyone knows that this issue has become a true crisis around the world. Our current system for recycling and reusing plastic products is broken, and far too much of the plastic we use in our lives ends up in our communities or in our oceans. But there is hope for a brighter future. In March of 2022, the UN Environment Assembly agreed to kick off a process to draft a Global Treaty to End Plastic Pollution, with a goal of finalizing the treaty by 2025. My guest today is Erin Simon, WWF’s vice president for plastic waste and business. Erin has had a front-row seat to this ongoing treaty process, and she’s joining us today to provide an update ahead of the critical next phase: the fourth meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee, which begins on April 23 and is intended to bring the treaty one step closer to being finalized. But first Erin brings listeners up to speed on the current state of the plastic crisis (1:43) and the actions that the US government could take to help (6:56), before breaking down the latest on the UN treaty negotiations (16:17).

    LINKS:
    Erin Simon bio

    WWF Plastic Treaty Page

    BLOG: Reflections from WWF's Plastic Policy Summit

    POLL: 85% of people want a ban on single-use plastics

  • RE-RUN: Ending the Flow of Plastic Into Nature (2022)

    RE-RUN: Ending the Flow of Plastic Into Nature (2022)

    · Nature Breaking

    NOTE: This episode originally ran in September of 2022.

    In this episode, Erin Simon, WWF’s head of plastic waste and business, explains the scale of the plastic pollution crisis and why it matters for both people and nature. She dives into the factors driving this crisis (5:42) and discusses how companies and individuals can help address it (9:12). And lastly, Erin breaks down efforts by the United Nations to create a new treaty to address the plastic crisis (18:00).

    LINKS:

    Erin Simon Bio

    WWF’s Plastics Initiative

    ReSource Plastic

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  • This US Law Has Been Protecting Tropical Forests for 25 Years

    This US Law Has Been Protecting Tropical Forests for 25 Years

    · Nature Breaking

    Today’s episode marks International Day of Forests (March 21) by celebrating the 25th anniversary of a little-known but important US law: the Tropical Forest and Coral Reef Conservation Act, or TFCCA. At its core, the TFCCA was designed to facilitate debt-for-nature swaps, which enable developing countries to restructure the debt they owe to the US in a way that relieves their financial burden in exchange for redirecting a portion of the funds toward conservation. These swaps were conceptualized in the 1980s by Dr. Tom Lovejoy, WWF’s first chief scientist, and proved to be remarkably successful and popular. Today’s episode features a conversation with Esteban Brenes, WWF’s senior director for conservation finance, about the history of debt-for-nature swaps (2:18), how conservation funds get disbursed under the TFCCA (4:25), and some examples of specific debt-for-nature swaps that have delivered results (8:01). Esteban also shares some lessons learned from the last 25 years of implementing this law, and how those lessons can be applied going forward (14:30).

    LINKS:

    COP28 Event: 25 Years of the TFCCA

    2023 Peru Debt Swap Agreement

    WWF Statement on 2023 Peru Debt Swap

    WWF Statement on 2021 Congressional Reauthorization of the TFCCA

    Tom Lovejoy Obituary

  • How a Coalition of Tech Companies & NGOs are Working to Stop Online Wildlife Crime

    How a Coalition of Tech Companies & NGOs are Working to Stop Online Wildlife Crime

    · Nature Breaking

    This week we’re marking World Wildlife Day by exploring one of the key issues threatening global species: wildlife crime and the sale of wildlife products online. It’s a big problem. Over 15,000 African elephants are killed every year for their ivory. Roughly three rhinos are killed every day in South Africa alone for their horns. And tigers are captured not just to become pets or ticketed attractions; they’re also killed for their fur, claws, and teeth. And all of these products have sadly become widely available through online marketplaces on common websites and social media apps used by millions of people each day. But here’s the good news: many of the tech companies that run those apps and websites have joined forces to put a stop to online wildlife trafficking. They've joined the Coalition to End Wildlife Trafficking Online. Today you’ll hear from two fantastic guests: Crawford Allan (1:55), WWF’s Senior Director for Wildlife Crime, and Traci Andrighetti (23:40), Global Regulatory Specialist for eBay (a member of the coalition). Their interviews touch on the origins of wildlife crime and how wildlife products become available online, the different industry-wide steps being taken to stop the sale of illegal wildlife products, and how eBay in particular is taking steps to stamp out this practice on its platform.

    LINKS:

    Crawford Allan Bio

    Traci Andrighetti Bio

    Coalition to End Wildlife Trafficking Online

    Buyer Beware: Shopping Smart to Protect Wildlife & Plants

    Exotic Pet Suitability Guide

    Report Suspicious Wildlife Sales Online

  • Food Waste is a Climate Issue. Here’s How Congress Could Help.

    Food Waste is a Climate Issue. Here’s How Congress Could Help.

    · Nature Breaking

    Food waste is a major contributor to the climate and nature crises. And food date labels are fueling the problem. Right now consumers might see upwards of 50 different terms used on food items: Use By, Sell By, Best By, etc. Confusion caused by this patchwork of terms leads many people to simply throw out food that may still be perfectly good to eat. Congress could help by passing the Food Date Labeling Act (FDLA), which would establish a simple, nationwide framework focused on just two terms: “Best If Used By,” or “Use By.” The bill would also provide clear guidance to consumers about how to interpret those terms. In this episode of the podcast you’ll hear from Pete Pearson, WWF’s Senior Director for Food Loss and Waste. Pete talks about just how big the problem of food waste is, how food date labeling plays into it, and how the FDLA and other federal policy actions could help.

    LINKS:

    Pete Pearson Bio

    WWF Food Waste Page

    Zero Food Waste Coalition

    Food Date Labeling Act

    NO TIME TO Waste Act

    Climate Pollution Reduction Grants

  • What is Green Hydrogen? An Important But Complex Climate Solution, Explained

    What is Green Hydrogen? An Important But Complex Climate Solution, Explained

    · Nature Breaking

    What is green hydrogen? In short, it’s hydrogen produced using entirely renewable electricity, which can then be used for industrial processes like creating cement or steel, among other things. That’s important because those industrial processes are currently the third-largest source of greenhouse gases in the United States, after the transportation and electricity sectors. If we can power those processes with green hydrogen instead of fossil fuels, it could go a long way toward helping the US meet its climate goals. But getting there is pretty complicated. On today’s episode, you’ll hear from Cihang Yuan, WWF’s Senior Program Officer for International Corporate Climate Partnerships. Cihang explains why hydrogen is so well suited for industrial settings as well as for heavy-duty transportation (2:30), how green hydrogen is produced (8:53), and how a new series of incentives created by the Inflation Reduction Act and the bipartisan infrastructure law could help bring down the cost of green hydrogen so that it can be more widely deployed in key sectors (15:00).

    LINKS:

    Send Your Questions to Nature Breaking!

    Cihang Yuan bio

    Web Story: What is green hydrogen, and how can it help tackle the climate crisis?

    Blog: Decoding Treasury's Proposed Guidance for the Clean Hydrogen Production Tax Credit

    Renewable Thermal Collaborative

  • How Local Communities are Saving Rhinos and Other Species in Namibia

    How Local Communities are Saving Rhinos and Other Species in Namibia

    · Nature Breaking

    Namibia is an incredibly diverse place in southwestern Africa. It encompasses everything from coastal ecosystems, to savannahs, to floodplains and deserts. And Namibia is home to over 2.5 million people, and an incredible array of wildlife, from cheetahs, to elephants, to impalas, and rhinos. Aside from all that incredible biodiversity, one thing that makes Namibia stand out is its community-led approach to conservation. For nearly three decades, Namibians have been forming and leading communal conservancies, which are areas devoted to the protection of species and ecosystems, but which also enable the people in those areas to derive a livelihood from the protection of nature – primarily via tourism. In this episode you’ll hear from Siphiwe Lutibezi, communications manager for WWF Namibia. Siphiwe talks about the history of Namibia’s communal conservancies and what makes them successful (4:55), how the conservancies have contributed to the recovery of rhino populations (10:12), how WWF Namibia is engaging local youth to participate in conservation projects (17:47), and what a new initiative called Namibia for Life means for the future of conservation in the region (23:35).

    LINKS:

    WWF Namibia homepage

    WWF Magazine Feature: Sharing Space – Communities Lead the Way to a New Era of Landscape-Scale Conservation

    WWF Magazine Short: Moving Forward

  • Celebrating 50 Years of the Endangered Species Act – How This US Law Has Helped Protect Bald Eagles, Giant Pandas, and More

    Celebrating 50 Years of the Endangered Species Act – How This US Law Has Helped Protect Bald Eagles, Giant Pandas, and More

    · Nature Breaking

    Over the holidays we passed an important milestone: the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This bill was signed into law by President Nixon on December 28, 1973. Over the last 50 years the ESA has proved a remarkable success, with 99% of the species covered by the Act avoiding extinction. To mark this occasion, WWF’s Leigh Henry joins the podcast to talk about the circumstances that led to the passage of the ESA back in 1973 (1:21), how the law actually works in practice (4:42), and how the law has been utilized to save species like the bald eagle and the black-footed ferret here in the US (10:51). She also explains how the ESA helps to protect species in other countries, from tigers to giant pandas (16:55).

    LINKS:

    Web Story: Celebrating 50 Years of the Endangered Species Act

    Leigh Henry Bio

  • Decoding COP28: Taking Stock of the UN Climate Talks with Manuel Pulgar-Vidal

    Decoding COP28: Taking Stock of the UN Climate Talks with Manuel Pulgar-Vidal

    · Nature Breaking

    For the last 12 days world leaders have convened in Dubai for COP28, the critically important UN climate summit. Important progress has been achieved on some issues, but negotiations have been more difficult in other areas, including on finalizing the Global Stocktake and determining whether it will include language about the need to “phase out” fossil fuels. As COP28 winds to a close this week, we spoke to Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, WWF International’s Global Lead for Climate and Energy. In addition to spearheading WWF’s global climate work, Manuel also previously served as the president of COP20 back in 2014. In this interview Manuel talks about what it takes to put on a successful climate summit (2:30), what COP28 has achieved so far (6:45), and the state of play on the negotiations heading into the closing days (11:45).

    LINKS:

    Make a Year-End Donation to WWF

    WWF at COP28

    Manuel Pulgar-Vidal bio

  • COP28 Countdown: 5 Things to Watch at This Year’s Climate Summit, and How AI Might Help Save Mangroves

    COP28 Countdown: 5 Things to Watch at This Year’s Climate Summit, and How AI Might Help Save Mangroves

    · Nature Breaking

    COP28 kicks off on November 30 in Dubai – that’s the annual UN summit where national governments come together to assess global climate efforts. Today’s episode is a two-part preview for this year’s summit. In Part 1, you’ll hear from Liz Georges, WWF’s senior director for climate communications. Liz is going to tell us what it’s like to be at a COP (2:15) and break down the top 5 issues and activities that we’ll be watching heading into Dubai (8:35). Then, in Part 2, you’ll hear from Shaun Martin, WWF’s vice president for climate change adaptation, about ManglarIA, an exciting new initiative that WWF will be showcasing at COP28 aimed at deploying AI to protect and restore mangroves (25:45).

    LINKS:

    COP28 Website

    WWF at COP28

    WWF-BCG Report: Building a Nature-Postive Energy Transformation

    America is All In

    Local Climate Action Summit

    ManglarIA web story

    Liz Georges bio

    Shaun Martin bio

  • Can “Blue Foods” Help Feed the World?

    Can “Blue Foods” Help Feed the World?

    · Nature Breaking

    The term “blue foods” refers to any food that comes from an aquatic source – whether that be the ocean, a river, or the like. These foods represent a staple for the diets of billions of people around the globe. Blue foods also matter against the backdrop of climate change because they produce far fewer greenhouse gas emissions compared to land-based food production. But in some situations, harvesting blue foods can upset delicate marine ecosystems. And, as global stocks of sought-after food items like tuna and cod become more scarce, we’ve increasingly seen competition for blue foods lead to conflicts between nations. In short, as much as we need blue foods to serve as a low-emissions food source for Earth’s growing population, we also need to root out practices that harm freshwater and marine ecosystems, and global security. Joining the show today to talk about these issues are Johan Bergenas, WWF’s Senior Vice President for Oceans; and Melissa Ho, WWF’s Senior Vice President for Freshwater and Food. You’ll hear Johan and Melissa talk about the role of blue foods in the context of global food systems (1:55), which factors are driving international conflict around blue foods (4:30), and how we can reduce that conflict by improving predictive capabilities (10:42) and scaling up practices like aquaculture to bolster food security (15:12).

    LINKS:
    WWF Food Page

    WWF Oceans Page

    Oceans Futures Initiative

    AquaInvest Platform

    Johan Bergenas bio

    Melissa Ho bio

  • Why are Snow Leopards Called “Ghosts of the Mountain”?

    Why are Snow Leopards Called “Ghosts of the Mountain”?

    · Nature Breaking

    Snow leopards are among the hardest animals to find in the wild, both because of how rare they are, and because their coats are adapted to provide camouflage that makes them hard to see against the rugged mountain landscape they call home. That’s why they are sometimes call the “ghosts of the mountain.” With an estimated 4,000-6,500 snow leopards remaining in the wild, conservationists have been working in snow leopard range countries across Asia to build a more stable future for these big cats. And recently, Bhutan reported some good news: the population of snow leopards in that country has increased by nearly 40% since 2016. In this episode, you’ll hear from Dechen Dorji, Senior Director for Asia on WWF’s Wildlife Conservation team. He talks about the many characteristics that make snow leopards unique (5:07), the threats that have caused snow leopard populations to decline (13:01), and what we can learn from Bhutan’s recent success to help snow leopards thrive across all 12 range countries they call home (17:52).

    LINKS:

    WWF Snow Leopard page

    Press Release: Bhutan National Snow Leopard Survey

    Dechen Dorji bio

  • Restoring the Plains Bison with Native Nations (Plus a special message from Ken Burns about “The American Buffalo”)

    Restoring the Plains Bison with Native Nations (Plus a special message from Ken Burns about “The American Buffalo”)

    · Nature Breaking

    Most of us know the bison as one of the iconic American species. In fact, it’s the official US National Mammal. These animals once numbered in the tens of millions across North America, and they held a sacred place in the lives and traditions of Native Nations across the continent. But by the late 1800s, barely 500 bison remained. In this episode, you’ll hear from Dennis Jorgensen, WWF’s bison program manager; and Monica Rattling Hawk, WWF’s Native Nations liaison. They discuss the history of the Plains bison and its relationship with Native Nations (6:48), the threats that drove bison to the brink (11:35), and the work WWF and many others are still engaged in today to ensure that the bison have a vibrant future (16:15). Be sure to stay tuned until the end of the episode for a special message from Ken Burns about his new documentary, “The American Buffalo,” which premiered on PBS this week (33:03).

    LINKS:

    WWF bison page

    Story & Video: 100 Bison Find a New Home with the Rosebud Sioux Tribe

    Dennis Jorgensen Bio

    Monica Rattling Hawk Bio

    The American Buffalo, a film by Ken Burns

  • Young People are Fighting for a Safe Climate Future

    Young People are Fighting for a Safe Climate Future

    · Nature Breaking

    Much of the climate progress we’ve secured in the last few years has been spurred by the urgent calls to action from young people who are already living with the consequences of decisions that were made by older generations. For this episode, we spoke with one person who has been at the forefront of youth climate organizing and activism. Alexia Leclercq is the winner of WWF’s 2022 Conservation Leadership Award, which is given out annually to recognize exceptional young leaders in the environmental space. Alexia is a grassroots organizer, educator, scholar, and artist who recently received a graduate degree from Harvard University. They co-founded the Colorado River Conservancy in 2020 to protect the stretch of that river that runs along their hometown of East Austin, Texas. And they co-lead Start:Empowerment, a non-profit that aims to bolster climate justice education. In this episode Alexia talks about what motivated them to become involved in the climate movement (1:48), the importance of organizing as a tool to build “people power” (9:20), and their advice for the next generation of climate leaders (17:45).

    LINKS:

    2022 Conservation Leadership Award Announcement: Alexia Leclercq

    WWF Magazine: “Activist Alexia Leclercq is changing how—and what—students learn about climate change”

    Alexia Leclercq homepage

    2023 Conservation Leadership Award Announcement: Charitie Ropati

  • How HP & WWF Are Working Toward a Forest-Positive Future – Live from Climate Week NYC

    How HP & WWF Are Working Toward a Forest-Positive Future – Live from Climate Week NYC

    · Nature Breaking

    This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at the NEST Climate Campus in New York, where WWF hosted two days of programming for Climate Week NYC – an annual showcase for the latest in climate policy and activism on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting. Our guests for this special event were Sheila Bonini, WWF’s Senior Vice President for Private Sector Engagement, and James McCall, Chief Sustainability Officer for HP Inc. Sheila and James spoke about how companies can complement the work of governments to address the global climate and nature crises (6:23), how WWF and HP are working together to protect and restore forest ecosystems in critical areas around the world (15:05), and what’s surprised them most about partnering with each other on these issues (27:53).

    LINKS:

    WWF & HP Partnership Page

    James McCall Bio

    Sheila Bonini Bio

    NEST Climate Campus

    Climate Week NYC

    YouTube Livestream Recording

  • Why We Should Care About The Amazon Rain Forest

    Why We Should Care About The Amazon Rain Forest

    · Nature Breaking

    September 5 is World Amazon Day, and we’re celebrating with an episode about the many things that make the Amazon rain forest so special. For example, did you know that the Amazon is the largest rain forest in the world? It covers an area nearly the size of the entire continental United States, and it’s home to about one in 10 known species on Earth. It also helps stabilize the local and global climate. But it also faces challenges from deforestation, climate change, and more. In this episode, you’ll hear from Dr. Meg Symington, WWF’s vice president for the Amazon. Meg talks about how she first fell in love with the rain forest (2:30), why the Amazon matters so much to both local communities and the world at large (4:18), the many threats it faces (7:00), and what solutions are needed to keep it intact for future generations (13:27). Later, for our Supporters Sound Off segment, you’ll hear from Marianne Spindel, a WWF Hero from Florida, about what inspires her passion for nature (24:55).

    LINKS:

    Register for our LIVE podcast in New York

    Thomas Lovejoy Science for Nature Symposium

    WWF Amazon Page

    Meg Symington Bio

    Become a WWF Hero

  • Can AI Help Save the Planet?

    Can AI Help Save the Planet?

    · Nature Breaking

    The last 12 months or so have been marked, in part, by the emergence of Artificial Intelligence as a mainstream tool. But did you know that AI has been helping with conservation projects for years? This episode features a conversation with Dave Thau, WWF’s Global Data and Technology Lead Scientist. Dave has years of experience using AI to help make sense of different data inputs that are important for monitoring the health of species and ecosystems. You’ll hear Dave talk about how AI is being used to combat deforestation and reduce poaching (3:54), some of the potential risks that come along with applying AI to conservation projects (13:45), and his vision for how AI could one day help to establish a Global Environmental Management System that leverages local-level data to paint a global picture of environmental health (15:50). Last, Dave fields a question from ChatGPT itself (24:50).

    LINKS:

    Register for our LIVE podcast in NYC!

    Medium Blog Series: “G.AI.A - Nature and Artificial Intelligence”

    Dave Thau bio

    WWF’s Forest Foresight initiative

    Global Forest Watch

    Global Fishing Watch

    Wildlife Insights

  • Can Seaweed Help Feed the Planet and Fight Climate Change at the Same Time?

    Can Seaweed Help Feed the Planet and Fight Climate Change at the Same Time?

    · Nature Breaking

    Seaweed is an incredibly versatile product. It’s showing up more and more on our plates in restaurants and at grocery stores. But seaweed can also be used as animal feed for livestock, and it can even be used as an alternative to plastic in packaging. Importantly, seaweed farming requires no land, freshwater, fertilizer, or pesticides. And it also improves the health of surrounding waters while absorbing carbon, meaning it could play an important role in combatting climate change. Today’s episode features a conversation with Bailey Moritz, WWF’s Lead Specialist for Seaweed and Shellfish Farming. Bailey explains the basics of seaweed farming (3:40), the environmental and economic benefits of incorporating seaweed into people’s diets (5:55), and how exactly seaweed can help reduce methane emissions from animals (14:02). She also explains how seaweed helps to absorb carbon pollution (15:50), and discusses the barriers currently preventing seaweed farming from taking off on a bigger scale in North America and Europe (22:30). Finally, in a new segment called Supporters Sound Off, WWF supporter Nina Sparks shares what inspired her passion for the environment (31:12).

    LINKS:

    WWF Seaweed Page

    WWF Heroes Page

  • Climate Change is Fueling a Season of Extreme Heat, Wildfires, and Floods

    Climate Change is Fueling a Season of Extreme Heat, Wildfires, and Floods

    · Nature Breaking

    BONUS EPISODE: The last few weeks have brought an unprecedented series of extreme weather events. At a global scale, July 4th went down as potentially the warmest day in recorded history. And more locally, communities from Arizona to China have been breaking all-time records for heat. We’ve also seen wildfires in Canada sending smoke into communities from Detroit to Washington, and intense floods inundating areas of Vermont and New York. It’s clear that climate change is fueling a season of extreme weather. Dr. Stephanie Roe, WWF’s Global Climate and Energy Lead Scientist, joins this episode to discuss whether these climate impacts match up with previous scientific projections, the role of El Niño in exacerbating underlying climate conditions, and the steps we need to take to avoid the worst effects of climate change in the future.

    LINKS:

    WWF’s Climate Page

    IPCC AR6 Synthesis Report

    Washington Post: “Floods, fires and deadly heat are the alarm bells of a planet on the brink”

    POLITICO: “‘We are not prepared’: Disasters spread as climate change strikes”

  • How Can The Post Office Prevent Food Waste?

    How Can The Post Office Prevent Food Waste?

    · Nature Breaking

    What’s the best thing you ever received in the mail? Maybe a college admission letter or a card from a loved one? Well, what if you could add farm-fresh vegetables to that short list of favorite deliveries? WWF is piloting a new program to help farmers deliver produce directly to people’s doors through the US Postal Service. It’s called Farmers Post. The goal of the program is to reduce food waste by connecting farmers directly with consumers to sell produce that might otherwise go unused. It’s currently being piloted in Connecticut via Healthy PlanEat, and it will soon come to the Virginia area via 4P Foods. In this episode, Julia Kurnik from WWF’s Markets Institute talks about how she and her colleagues came up with the idea for this program (2:10), how it’s going so far (7:05), and when more people across the US might be able to get fresh foods delivered to their own front doors (21:40).

    LINKS:

    WWF Magazine: “Farm Fresh”: https://www.worldwildlife.org/magazine/issues/summer-2023/articles/farm-fresh

    Healthy PlanEat (CT residents can sign up now): https://healthyplaneat.com/

    4P Foods (Coming soon for VA, DC, and MD residents): https://4pfoods.com/

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