We take a look at how the campaign to stop fracking and unconventional gas mining in WA is going.The long running campaign has had many successes along the way, and has managed to keep the industry at bay in the resource industry captured state.We talk with Claire McKinnon from Lock the Gate WA for the update. Check out and support their great work…

Bid for World Heritage listing for the Nullarbor and the Great Australian Bight Mirning Elders supported by the Wilderness Society of South Australia are calling for the Great Australian Bight and the Nullarbor to be World Heritage listed to protect this iconic place for good. Peter Owen outlines the Wilderness Society's work to protect the area go…

Peter Dutton has threatened to reduce access to the Environmental Defenders Organisation; the independent legal representation for community groups attempting to enforce the law against the climate crimes of the fossil fuel industry. Dutton made this threat when he was speaking to an event organised by the Council for Minerals Energy in Perth to an…

On Saturday March 23, Tasmanians headed to the polls in an early election – but one issue seemed to be absent in the public debate: the environment.With the Liberals likely to govern for a fourth term in a minority government, most likely with the Jacqui Lambie Network, the future of issues such as native logging, climate change, and marine conserv…

Whalers Way is a peculiar choice for a new orbital rocket launch complex. The remote conservation area is one of the last remnants of uncleared land on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula.We speak with Patrick O'Connor from the University of Adelaide about the proposed site and why it is in the wrong place. Produced by Phil Evans on palawa, Kaurna, an…

On today’s program, you'll hear a selection of conversations from and about this year's Anti-colonial Student Environment Network (ASEN) Training Camp, featuring zinemaker and ASEN organiser Willow, veteran environmental justice and Indigenous rights activist Uncle Winiata Puru, and Kokatha Mula Elder and anti-nuclear resistance leader Aunty Sue Co…

Humanity is at a cross-roads for reducing carbon emissions to secure the climate. At COP28 women played a significant role in bringing greater ambition to the fore. And the international women's movement around climate action is gathering strength with new allies in the Global North and South, and increased advocacy for the interconnections of clim…

In celebration of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras this weekend, Jacob delves into the relationship between queer identities and the natural world.'Queer ecologies' is a school of thought that rejects binary, rigid, and heteronormative approaches to environmentalism. To unpack this juicy topic, we are joined by Professor of Environmental Arts …

Stopping Seismic: The Great Ocean Rescue Tour The Great Ocean Rescue Tour to stop seismic blasting in the Otway Basin rolled out across the southwest coast of Victoria over January, organised by OCEAN the Otway Coastal Environment Action Network. From Ocean Grove to Portland people marched, attended film screenings and signed petitions to protest a…

This week we look at the best ways that humans can interact with nature, errr when nature calls.We talk to Professor Jamie Kirkpatrick about the Poo Project which looked at the ecological impact of human faeces in nature, as well as a hiker who explains the what and how of a poo tube, and a camper with a portable composting toilet.Produced by Phil …

Drug policy reform: The missing link to climate justice The International Coalition on Drug Policy Reform and Environmental Justice has published its first report, Revealing the Missing Link to Climate Justice: Drug Policy here This episode of Earth Matters looks at how the war on drugs and international prohibition regime support organised crime, …

The 2020s have been a story of fire, floods, and natural disasters. Communities are still recovering from 'once in a lifetime' natural disasters, and preparing for the next one.This week, we speak with bushfire survivor and climate activist Jack Egan, flood survivor and resilience leader Kate Coxall, researcher and sociologist Fiona McDonald, youth…

This amazing First Nations panel responds to the questions: “How can the environment and climate movement best show solidarity with first nations people?”“What does First Nations justice have to do with climate justice?”Featuring Awabakal elder Aunty Tracey, Ngemba elder Aunty Caroline, Bundjalung and Worimi saltwater woman Phoebe McIlwraith, and N…

Deep thinking Grant Howard, who works in the coal industry, shares his realisation that politicians:“deliberately lied; not to protect mine workers but lied and used mine workers to protect their own jobs”, A large, happy crowd of sun-hatted people sitting on the sand of a coal port beach, listening to their friends on the stage tell them why coal …

This episode was inspired by a recent a Nyamat Yarkeen Karween - Southern Ocean Dreaming Gunditjmara Ceremony that host Phil Evans attended recently in Narrawong, VIC. Audio from the ceremony is heard throughout.First they blast. Then they drill. American oil and gas giant ConocoPhillips has announced plans to explore for gas in commonwealth waters…

Transcript and Reference ListWhen most Australians can access all the water they could ever want with the simple twist of a tap it’s easy to think that water is a common resource. But even in our own backyard, Indigenous people are legally entitled to less than 0.1% of the Murray Darling Basin by the Australian government.Building on the concept of…

What we need in Australia's new nature laws The Federal government is overhauling the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act or EPBC Act (1999) after a damning review published in 2020. The public is encouraged to have their say via the following website:https://consult.dcceew.gov.au/australias-new-nature-positive-laws Euan Ritchi…

Summer is here again and for many people - it is festival season! But when you hit the dancefloor, what will be the environmental impact? And what are festivals doing about transport, trash and toilets to lower that impact?We talk to Berish Bilander from Green Music Australia, whose mission it is to green the music and festival scene, and have us a…

Thousands of climate activists took to the water on the weekend of November 25-26, blockading the coal port in Muloombinba Newcastle.Jacob spoke to blockade organiser Zack Schofield, and school striker Niamh Cush, about the protest. We also hear a First Nations panel discussion featuring Awabakal elder Aunty Tracey, Ngemba elder Aunty Caroline, Bun…

“If we don’t end war, war will end us.”H.G. WellsAs true as it was back in 1936, it is still true today. And whilst the human cost of war is undeniable, not often considered is the environmental damage that comes with it. Today we draw from a recently run forum, which looked at how the climate movement can show solidarity for the Palestinian cause,…

Dee and Bec respond to the Earths urgent screaming; the luscious, living system all around us and really try to help. Global boiling activists Dee Mould and Bec Horridge met on the ground at the inspirational fireside conversations of the Maule’s Creek coal mine blockade. A decade later they reflect how painful old injuries and life on the unemploy…

Nurrdalinji Aboriginal Corporation Members and Directors outside a flaring exploration well on Tanumbrini Cattle Station.Photo courtesy of Thomas Houlie kindly provided by Original Power and the Nurrdalinji Aboriginal Corporation Emissions impossibleThe Northern Territory's decision to green-light fracking in the Beetaloo Basin relied on a CSIRO/GI…

Professor Katerina Teaiwa and Itinterunga Rae Banteiti join Priya to discuss the colonial history of phosphate mining on Banaba and the fight by Banabans for reparations and an end to extraction. This conversation, recorded in September 2023, occurs in the context of a recent push by Australian mining company Centrex, which has sought to conduct ph…

Professor Katerina Teaiwa and Itinterunga Rae Banteiti join Priya to discuss the colonial history of phosphate mining on Banaba and the fight by Banabans for reparations and an end to extraction. This conversation, recorded in September 2023, occurs in the context of a recent push by Australian mining company Centrex, which has sought to conduct ph…

Fire threat to purple-crowned fairy-wren Wildfire threatens the survival of the endangered purple-crowned fairy-wren, a tiny bird that lives in riparian zones, along the rivers and creeks of Australia’s northern tropical savanna. Anne Peters and Niki Teunissen have been studying the purple-crowned fairy-wren at the Mornington Marion Downs Wildlife …

Dr. Colette Harmsen, in lutruwita (Tasmania) was released on Friday 13/10/23 from her three months sentence in prison, for having stood up for the protection of our precious native forests. She spoke to Sean O'Shannessy on the day of her release about her reasons for taking the actions that got her locked up, her experience of prison and her intent…

At a time when the world has moved from global warming to 'global boiling' according to the UN Secretary General, all eyes are on COP 28 (UAE, Dec 2023) for the world to take the actions needed to dramatically reduce carbon emissions. In this Women's Climate Conversation online event WCC founder Janet Salisbury was joined by three women who are bri…

Waorani leader Alicia Cahuiya standing next to a tree near her community marked to be cut down by Petroecuador, the company now banned from drilling in Yasuní National Park.Ecuador votes to keep oil in the soilOn August 20th fifty-eight per cent of Ecuadorians voted to stop all current and future drilling in three oil fields inside the Yasuni Natio…

At a time when the world has moved from global warming to 'global boiling' according to the UN Secretary General, all eyes are on COP 28 (UAE, Dec 2023) for the world to take the actions needed to dramatically reduce carbon emissions. In this Women's Climate Conversation online event WCC founder Janet Salisbury was joined by three women who are bri…

Sean O Shannessy talks with Felicity Wade from the Labor Environment Action Network about outcomes for our native forests at the recent ALP National Conference in Meanjin. Bob Browns with trumpets and his epic speech at the massive rally outside the conference.The North Coast Environment Council alerts us that logging in all of the Great Koala Nati…

With the effects of climate change being felt around the globe, a small grassroots civil resistance movement is reforming, and they are called Rising Tide.We spoke with Shaun Murray and 19 year old Alexa Stuart from Rising Tide, about what this is all about and how you can get involved with the People's Blockade of the world's largest coal port on …

Uncle Bunja Smith says he wants "to see a permanent voice to parliament so we may be able to close the gap”. Uncle Bunja is asking people to find out about The Voice referendum coming up on October 14th, dodge the misinformation flying about, and join the Yes campaign. 43 climate organisations and groups representing a movement of over two million …

"Save the bees" has become an environmental catch cry – but with honeybees colonies on the rise, what bee species are in need of saving and how should we go about saving them?This episode we chat with Dr Kit Prendergast about invasive bee colonies and their impact on Australia’s ecosystem. We also dive into Dr Prendergast’s research into bee hotels…

Saving Westernport Bay: A community takes on AGL On October 17th 2017 AGL announced it would install a Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) in Westernport Bay on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria. We re-visit the story of the Save Westernport Campaign, broadcast on 3CR in June 2021, to look at what citizens are up against when they ta…

A 2021 national inventory found Australia’s low and intermediate waste has a combined volume greater than seven Olympic swimming pools. This episode looks at the Barngarla Determination Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC v Minister for Resources [2023] court case heard earlier this month, in which traditional owner group Barngarla Determination Aborigina…

Environmental Dimensions of the 'war on drugs' We investigate the environmental dimensions of the war on drugs and the international drug prohibition regime. Liliana Davalos, an evolutionary biologist from Stony Brook University in New York, tells us how growing coca crops in Colombia for the international drug market began and the impact it’s had.…

Australia is preparing for war, but is there an alternative?Margaret Reynolds from the Women's International League of Peace and Freedom joins the show to discuss what AUKUS means for Australian society and environment, from a feminist perspective.What are the alternatives? How did this all come about, and what can we do to stop it. All this and mo…

Hear Rod Taylor co-author of a new book The Path to a Sustainable Civilization with Mark Diesendorf.with Ecopella environment choir singing “Let's Pretend” and “My Kyoto”. “Break the bonds of corporate state capture. “The way out of our black hole is to build social movements to pressure the government and big business, to weaken the power of veste…

As Victoria and Tasmania become the last two states in Australia to implement a cash for container deposit scheme Earth Matters reflects on the community effort to get the policy. We speak with Jeff Angel, director at community environment group Boomerang Alliance, exploring the corporate influence of Big Beverage, state politics and necessary next…

Community says NO but seismic blasting in the Otway Basin one step closer as TGS/SLB Environment Plan released for public comment On Thursday, July 13th, TGS/SLB advised stakeholders that the national regulator, NOPSEMA, has accepted as complete their Environment Plan for the Otway Basin 3D Multi-client Marine Seismic Survey. The Environment Plan h…

Small Island Developing States and the climate crisis In our final episode of the 'Loss, Damage, and Denial' miniseries, Jacob speaks with Tristan Ward, a social and behaviour change officer at UNICEF from Barbados, about the climate losses and damages facing the Caribbean and the need for climate finance. We also hear from Netta Maiava, a young Sa…

Valuing the world's disappearing kelp forestsKelp forests are disappearing around the world and in Australia due to warming oceans, pollution and other human impacts.In this episode of Earth Matters we speak with Aaron Egar, marine scientist at the University of New South Wales about his research on the value of kelp forests, the Kelp Forest Allian…

The Knitting Nannas were outside Forestry NSW demanding an end to the destruction of our forests that provide ecosystem services and species. They also offer some caring advice and hope to young people. In Canberra, outside the Japanese Embassy more Nannas, climate and forest defence groups ask the Japanese government to reconsider its green transi…

According to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water Australians used 3.4 million tonnes of plastics in 2018-2019.This week Earth Matters looks at two tools in the fight against plastic waste, revisiting the benefits of cash for containers policy and learning about potential uses for plastic eating micro fungi. Guests in…

Last month Victoria announce the end of native forest logging in the state would be brought forward to Jan 1 2024. And just this week, a whale is entangled in a shark net in Queensland. This week on Earth Matters we have Isaac Carne– Campaigner for Goongerah Environment CentreLeroy Johnson – Barkindji Malaygangapaa MusicianLauren Sandeman – threate…

Home to exquisite landscapes, rich culture, and the world’s tallest peaks, the mountainous communities that inhabit the Himalayas face an existential threat. Described as the ‘water tower of Asia’, the glaciers that feed ten of Asia’s major rivers are melting faster, amid a warming climate and increasingly unpredictable rain and drought. It’s posin…

HR23: Preventing drug-related harm; protecting human rightsStrength in Solidarity was the theme of the Harm Reduction International Conference held in Naarm/Melbourne from April 16th to 19th this year. Policy makers, advocates, people who use drugs, academics and service providers called for an end to the international war on drugs and the punitive…

On this episode of Loss, Damage, and Denial, Jacob speaks with Tongan law student Soane Tupola about how climate change will affect his island home, and his hopes for a climate positive future.We speak with Mahealani Delaney from the ANU Institute for Climate, Energy & Disaster Solutions on how the broader region will be impacted socially, environm…

Earth Matters speaks with Sweltering Cities, a campaign in Sydney and Melbourne seeking to empower communities experiencing extreme heat by lifting up stories of lived experience and building community organizing campaigns around local impacts and public health. Earth Matters speaks with Executive Director of the campaign, Emma Bacon on the data su…

Forest campaigners Avi Mahaningtyas and Patrick Anderson talk about the importance of recognising forest peoples rights in Indonesia, the 30 by 30 Biodiversity Convention, the effectiveness of tropical timber boycotts and certification, the success of lobbying financiers, the effect of social media, and the slow food movement.Guests: Avi Mahaningty…