Sustainable Asia

We're back partnering again with the Break Free From Plastic movement to feature NGO advocates in Asia. In this episode. we are going to hone in on one of the big open questions at the April 2024 INC4 talks. How should the treaty deal with problematic plastics and chemicals of concern?

The US EPA recently banned certain PFAS chemicals in drinking water. And Switzerland called for an initial list of problematic plastics to b...

We have a great new episode discussing the United Nations Global Plastics Treaty from the view of Break Free from Plastic advocates here in Asia. Our guests today have been working for decades to reduce plastic pollution at its source. Just a brief tip though… if you haven’t tuned into previous episodes in this SEASON you might want to … it will catch you up on where we are at with the plastic treaty negotia...

Hey Sustainable Asia Listeners!   We have some upcoming episodes discussing the United Nations Global Plastics Treaty negotiations that I think you are really going to find interesting.   This bonus episode is from one of my favorite podcasts called Plastisphere.  It’s run by Anja Krieger in Berlin.  Over three episodes, Anja Krieger and Magnus Løvold shed light on how politics can influence t...

The second meeting of the International Negotiations Committee (INC-2) had lofty ambitions.  But the first three days of these Plastics Treaty negotiations were mired in political antics…making many representatives from Asia feel as though they were back to square one of just talk and no action on dealing with the plastic crisis.  

And it seems that two camps have surfaced in these negotiations:  Those t...

A bonus episode about the Global Plastics Treaty from one of my favorite podcasts called Plastisphere. It’s run by Anja Krieger in Berlin, and like Sustainable Asia, Plastisphere really looks at the science behind this plastic waste crisis. I thought listeners would appreciate this episode, as it gives a great background to the Global Plastics Treaty. In the past months, Anja asked scientists and experts to...

We need other solutions to the plastic waste crisis. Solutions that involve reduce, reuse, refill and repair here in Asia. And those types of solutions…need to be included in the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations. The Global Plastics Treaty agreement is not a mechanism to control plastic waste. It is a roadmap for the world to control the life cycle of plastics that have come to dominate our natural e...

The Global Plastics Treaty negotiations kicked off! This is a historic moment for Asia, because after decades of plastic waste washing up on their shores…finally..there may be a path forward. Join us as we talk to BFFP members and other experts about each INC meeting, to find out what YOU can do to support their work at the treaty negotiations.

Production credits:

Host: Marcy Trent Long

Producer: Carol Mang

Contr...

Our focus in this episode is livestock…specifically dairy products made from cows. It turns out enteric fermentation, the cow's digestive process of turning grass into food, contributes to over 40% of global emissions from the livestock supply chain. And the US is a major producer and consumer of beef and dairy products…with China slowly catching up. How are the two global food superpowers innovating ways to reduce gr...

Over half of the world’s population eats rice as its staple food. But did you know that rice production also contributes to about 10% of the world's methane emissions? And that methane is 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide in warming the planet? Reining in rice methane is a sticky problem. Different rice types and growing strategies to limit methane often create other problems like lower farming yields. An ...

Are you aware of the critical role soil plays in the battle against climate change? But 75% of soil is already degraded from unsustainable farming practices...so earth's “living skin” is suffering from a “diet problem,” we are feeding it the wrong menu. In a world of growing political tensions, can the US and China work together to restore this balance? 

Guests (in order of appearance): 

Rattan Lal, Ohio S...

It turns out Seoul, Korea has the worst air pollution amongst all of the top 10 economies in the world. Why is air pollution still such a huge challenge in a country with abundant resources and advanced infrastructure?  And does South Korea use any high-tech solutions to handle its dirty air that South or Southeast Asian megacities can learn from?

Guests (in order of appearance): 

Jieon Lee, Korea Federation fo...

Chermaine and Khoa move southeast and talk to a leading advocate in New Delhi who has successfully engaged the government there. Delhi’s air pollution is still one of the worst in the world, and we find out that instead of blowing north to Lahore…the pollution travels towards the pristine Himalayan mountains of Nepal and settles in the city of Kathmandu. Luckily, there is a new mayor there that might finally make...

The next stop on the Chermaine and Khoa’s tour of Asia’s megacities is Lahore. This episode goes in depth to explore the political and social causes of air pollution, sheds light on what people can do in their everyday lives to improve the air quality in Lahore, and calls upon the youth of Pakistan’s capital to raise awareness to protect their own future.

Guests (in order of appearance): 

Rafay Alam, Environmental Lawye...

Chermaine and Khoa’s journey continues onto Jakarta, Indonesia where they meet with environmentalists who shed light on the health concerns surrounding the heavy air pollution there. Lack of government response to the problem prompted advocates to sue the government for its failure to rein in the dirty air there. The landmark lawsuit was won, but will it force the government to take the steps necessary to bring back b...

In their first stop across Asia’s megacities, environmental journalists Chermaine Lee and Khoa Tran head to Bangkok, Thailand. The government’s blind eye towards pollution has left Bangkok’s air quality in shambles. Will efforts by environmental advocates lead to changes in the environmental laws there or is the government’s lack of action taking Bangkok down a path of toxic air for the foreseeable future?

Guests (in or...

Why haven’t the governments in Asia’s larger cities done something about the decades old problem of air pollution? Our two young environmental journalists, based in Hong Kong, Khoa Tran and Chermaine Lee, try to find out why. As always in our podcast series, we’ll talk to experts and activists on the ground to bring out a fresh local perspective….We’ve called the series Clearing the Air to add an optimistic tone becau...

Of the various challenges Asian countries face when tackling plastic waste…lack of funding is perhaps the one common thread.  So how can more money get to needed programs here?  Seeing the rising demand for PCR (post consumer recycled plastics), Doug Woodring and Maryam AlMansoori believe they have one solution:  a global PCR commodity exchange. Meanwhile, Maggie Lee of VERRA talks about their expansion into...

Rose-Liza Eisma-Osorio, Legal and Policy Director at the NGO Oceana, is taking on the Philippine government.  A decades-old solid waste management law has not been enforced, contributing to massive piles of plastic….where waste pickers make their livelihood. Will the courts require the government to start banning single use plastic? And can a UN plastic treaty reinforce southeast nation's waste manageme...

Could it be true that countries from the UN Environment Assembly committed to negotiate a global plastic treaty over the next two years? And even if the treaty is signed…will it have enough teeth to make a difference to the plastic waste crisis that has persisted over the last decade here in Asia? In this episode, we speak with experts from Japan, New Zealand, and Indonesia about whether the UN can do for plastic what...