Listen Now

Juliette Deseilligny is based in Paris. She is an ecosophist, an artist, a writer, a zero-waster, a rewilding advocate. With Juliette, we talked about being homeschooled and the opportunities it offered, art as a way to respond to big questions, upcycling, movement, sedentary living and its implications on sustainability, low tech lifestyle, the necessity of anger to take action, and the importance of dialogue and having conversations in a caring environment.

Lis Dingjan has a background in design, international development and law, and community building. She splits her time between several organisations she founded - the experience design studio Identity Division, a community centre in Cambodia, a social enterprise Nowhere and Everywhere where she advocates for climate change, biodiversity, systemic issues, waste and climate justice, and Skwoodle, a children environmental and social teaching platform. With Lis, we talked about nurturing creativity, the shift to new business models, ecogrief, friendships in times of climate crisis, the population debate, space mining, and the greenwashing of Amazon. Full transcript and references mentioned in this episode: http://www.gosimone.org/episode-23-lis-dingjan-systems-thinking-response-to-the-climate-crisis

Sarah Hanson-Young has been senator for South Australia since 2008, representing the Australian Greens. With Sarah, we talked about human rights activism, feminism, what a Green New Deal should look like, systemic greed in today's world, and being real. The transcript and references mentioned in this episode can be found on Go Simone's website: www.gosimone.org/episode-22-sarah-hanson-young-addressing-climate-change-australian-political-bubble

Corinna Dengler studied Economics, Development Studies, and Socio-ecological Economics and Policy in Vienna, Moscow and Quito. Her research focuses on making degrowth more feminist and on how care can be organized in a degrowth society. With Corinna, we talked about why degrowth is ecologically necessary, the need for a gender-equitable society transformation, degrowth and the Global South and the need to find out what a good life is. All the references mentioned in this episode can be found on Go Simone's website: http://gosimone.org/episode-21-corinna-dengler-feminist-degrowth-care-full-radical-transformation/

Heather Alexander is an assistant professor in forest ecology in Auburn University, United States. She is an expert in the areas of forest, fire and disturbance ecology. She studies the impacts of changing fire regimes of forest succession, dynamics influence of tree traits on forest flammability and the consequences of changing forest composition on forest ecosystem function. With Heather, we talked about the impacts of increasing wildfire severity on forests, how the melting permafrost affect them, the Sergei Zimov experiment and the Pleistocene Park project in Siberia, the benefits and cons of reforestation and offsetting programs, "playing God" with the environment and ecosystems, and scientists and the activism dilemma. Transcript and references of this episode are available on Go Simone's website: http://gosimone.org/episode-20-heather-alexander-forest-ecology/

Aoife O'Leary is the Director of international climate at Environmenral Defense Fund (EDF). She is a lawyer and as specialised on the environmental impacts of international shipping in aviation, she's also a board member of Rethinking Economics, a charity campaigning to reform the economics curriculum in the UK. With Aoife, we talked about growing up in a union household, the murky world of shipping, the potential of renewable energy export, navigating complexity, the right way to implement carbon pricing and what to do with the revenues generated, changing the climate change narrative and having the right incentives for corporates. All the references mentioned in this episode can be found on: http://gosimone.org/episode-19-aoife-oleary-on-decarbonising-shipping-to-unlock-a-global-energy-transition/

Karen Ellis founded Mend It, Australia with her husband, Dan. They offer their help to repair and mend, building capacity to upcycle and promoting a circular economy culture within their community. With Karen, we talked about the myth of recycling, the need for coordinated repair movement, wisdom, affecting societal change as an individual, man-woman divide when it comes to repair, and finding one's voice. Transcript of the episode and references mentioned: http://gosimone.org/episode-18-karen-ellis-on-the-role-of-individuals-in-creating-change-and-the-rights-to-repair/

Hongqiao Liu is an independent consultant on policy research, strategic communication and advocacy, and a multi-award winning journalist. With Hongqiao, we talked about following one's passion, writing for change, the environmental and social issues relating to rare earth in China, promoting a just and fair transition, China as a developing country, and being a female investigative journalist. Full transcript of this episode and all the references mentioned available on gosimone.org: http://gosimone.org/episode-17-hongqiao-liu-on-writing-for-purpose-and-policy-change/

Dekila Chungyalpa heads the Loka Initiative, a project which she co-founded with Buddhist scholar researchers, Dr Richard Davidson and Dr John Dunne of the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Center for Healthy Minds. Launched in 2018, the initiative unites religious leaders with environmental experts to bolster climate activism and Dekila also worked at WWF for 13 years. She earned the prestigious Yale McCluskey Award for conservation innovation in 2014. With Dekila, we talked about her roots in the Himalayas, the influence of her mother, a Buddhist nun, reconciling science and faith, how to dismantle climate change denial, and the connections between land, traditional practices, the right to self-determination and gender justice. All the references mentioned in this episode are available here: http://gosimone.org/episode-16-dekila-chungyalpa-on-uniting-faith-leaders-to-bolster-climate-activism/

Arnagretta Hunter is a cardiologist based in Canberra and a Clinical Senior Lecturer at the Australian National University Medical School. She is also Human Futures Fellow at the ANU College of Health and Medicine and part of the Commission for the Human Futures, an ANU initiative which brings together researchers and thinkers to promote ways we can prevent human extinction. With Arnagretta, we talked about growing up on a farm, the impact of the climate crisis on human health, science denial in politics, and the powers of imagination, utopia and dystopia for change. References mentioned during this episode: - Commission for the Human Future - Doctors for the Environment Australia - Australia21 - Global Green and Healthy Hospitals - Climaginaries - Surviving & Thriving in the 21st Century, Commission for the Human Future - Doctors need to meet challenge of climate change, InSight+ - The carbon footprint of Australian health care, The Lancet - We Can Waste Another Crisis, or We Can Transform the Economy, Jacobin Mag - 'Cashed-up activists’ should not be able to hold up developments, Australia's resources minister says, The Guardian - Yuval Noah Harari - From What Is to What If: Unleashing the Power of Imagination to Create the Future We Want, Rob Hopkins - The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming, David Wallace-Wells - Men at Work: Australia’s Parenthood Trap, Annabel Crabb - Climate Change and the People's Health, Sharon Friel - How Democracy Ends, David Runciman - Agency, William Gibson

Ailsa Lamont has had a long career in Australian universities, leading various international and social innovation departments. In 2016, she founded Pomegranate Global, a start-up dedicated to helping the education sector to tackle climate change, and co-founded the Climate Action Network for International Educators. With Ailsa, we talked about Scotland, the value of studying abroad, being a climate reality leader, universities’ carbon footprint, the challenges with top-down university management, and having more women at the decision-making table. References mentioned in the episode: http://gosimone.org/climate-adaptation/episode-14-ailsa-lamont-on-the-role-of-higher-education-in-propelling-climate-action/

Esther Onyango is a research fellow at Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia. She is part of a trans-disciplinary research program on the impacts of climate change and vector-borne diseases. With Esther, we talked about her roots in Kenya, her passion for microbiology, how she became interested in the links between health and the environment, and the importance of developing cross-boundary policies in order to respond to the increasing occurrence of viruses due to climate change. All the references mentioned in this episode: http://gosimone.org/science/episode-13-esther-onyango-and-its-impact-on-viral-diseases/ www.gosimone.org

Jojo Mehta is the co-Founder of Ecological Defence Integrity and Stop Ecocide. She carries on the legacy left by Polly Higgins, a UK lawyer who fought for the recognition of ecocide as an international crime. With Jojo, we talked about how criminalising ecocide internationally can drastically change the rules and put an end to environmentally-destructive activities on the planet. For the references mentioned during this episode: http://gosimone.org/activism/episode-12-jojo-mehta-on-establishing-a-law-of-ecocide-and-drastically-changing-the-rules/

Stacy Levy is an American eco-artist. She is a sculptor making large-scale public installations in rivers, streets, parking lots, airports and nature centres. She merges the principles of art, ecology, science and collaborative engagement. Her latest completed art piece is called Collected Watershed; it’s a live map made of 8,500 recycled jars, filled with water collected from every tributary in and around the University of Towson. With Stacy, we talked about combating climate change with art, outside art galleries. Stacy Levy: https://www.stacylevy.com/ All the references mentioned in this episode: http://gosimone.org/creativity-art-for-good/episode-11-stacy-levy-on-combating-climate-change-with-art/

Cecile Gauthier co-founded the marketing consultancy and design agency Lime, based in Singapore. It’s 100% women-owned. It is a purpose driven agency which is building brands for businesses with a purpose and helping to create purpose for traditional brands. With Cecile, we talked about how she believes the ad industry can use its power for good, and influence change within businesses, corporations and social entreprises in order to tackle the climate emergency. For all the references mentioned during the episode: http://gosimone.org/circular-economy/episode-10-cecile-gauthier-on-how-the-ad-industry-can-use-its-power-for-good/ Photo Cecile Gauthier by Nathaly Molina @itsanatha

Rita Naumenko is a 16 years-old Russian environmental activist and part of the Fridays for Future initiative. When she is allowed to strike by the Russian government, she stands in downtown Moscow with other young activists chanting, brandishing posters and demanding the government to take action. Rita also coordinates an initiative called “upgrade your school” teaching school students how to organise recycling, create eco-teams, and educate on environment protection matters. With Rita, we talked about the way she realised about the urgency of climate change, the difficulty of striking in today’s Russia, the specific challenges Russia faces as a country as temperatures rise, and her dreams for the future. For all the references mentioned during the episode: http://gosimone.org/activism/episode-9-rita-naumenko-on-being-a-climate-activist-in-russia/

Helene Grosbois started working for the finance industry (Societe General and Natixis) in Paris and Hong Kong. Realising about climate change, she transitioned to lobbying activities for NGOs, such as WWF and Finance Watch, created by Pascal Canfin. Since May 2019, she “transitioned” to an autonomous neo-rural living in the Morvan region in France. With Helene, we talked about her “ecophany” realising the urgency of tackling climate change to its roots, her motivations to live the “degrowth way”, the challenges she faces, and her views on climate change adaptation and paths of action. For all the references mentioned in this episode: http://gosimone.org/degrowth/episode-8-helene-grosbois-on-embracing-the-degrowth-way-of-life/

Emma-Kate Rose has over three decades of experience in working in business, social justice, environmental sustainability, food system advocacy, and political activism. In 2006, she co-created a start-up developing a car sharing service in Brisbane and after selling it in 2008, she joined Food Connect, a social enterprise aiming to create a world where everyone has access to healthy, fresh, ecologically-grown food that is fair to growers, eaters, and the planet. With Emma-Kate, we talked about the need to re-localise food production and distribution closer to cities, the challenges of managing a fair and sustainable food system in today’s political environment, the importance of trust, and how to turn climate despair intro creative energy. For all the references mentioned in this episode: http://gosimone.org/food-sovereignty/episode-7-emma-kate-rose-on-creating-a-sustainable-food-system-and-turning-climate-despair-into-a-creative-energy/

Johanna Nalau is an adaptation scientist with a PhD in climate change adaptation at Griffith University based on the Gold Coast, Australia. Her research is focused on understanding how, why and when people make decisions to adapt to climate change, and what role science can and should play in that process. That includes issues such as decision-making, policy development and implementation, limits to adaptation, and the gap that we often see between academic theory and real-world practical actions. Johanna is one of the Lead Authors for the (IPCC)6th Assessment report working on the Small Islands topic, and also an Australian Research Council Fellow (2019-2022), and Managing Editor for the Journal of Climate Risk Management. She also leads the Adaptation Science Research Theme at Cities Research Institute at Griffith University. All of these roles focus on understanding the core principles of climate change adaptation, and how adaptation science can play a positive role in evidence-based decision-making. With Johanna, we talked about Finland, governance in coastal cities, carbon tax, the question of adaptation as a local responsibility, and the need for brave leadership to action climate adaptation. For all the references mentioned in this episode: http://gosimone.org/climate-adaptation/episode-6-johanna-nalau-on-moving-the-climate-adaptation-agenda-from-planning-to-action-through-leadership/

Kylie Newberry is a public health nutritionist by training. She has worked in Australia and abroad in the UK in particular. More recently she completed a master in food policy in London. She created an organization called Our Food System advocating for healthy, sustainable, and fair food system. During our conversation, we talked about sustainable diet, building resilience within our cities, farmers markets certification, sharing the food production risk with farmers, and becoming food citizens. For all the references mentioned in this episode: http://gosimone.org/food-sovereignty/episode-5-kylie-newberry-on-reconnecting-with-what-we-eat-through-food-citizenship/