Earth Matters
Earth Matters is a weekly program covering local and global environmental issues from grassroots and activist perspectives. It places a strong emphasis on social justice and community voices. The show is produced by 3CR Community Radio in Melbourne and distributed nationally via the Community Radio Network.
Episodes
Cultural Landscapes, Connecting Nature and Culture
Cultural Landscapes, Connecting Nature and Culture This week's show unpacks the deep entanglement of nature and culture. Lana Nguyen from A Climate for Art speaks with Emeritus Professor Lesley Head where she challenges the Western divide that separates urban life from the natural world. She critiques the notion of a "pristine" wilderness as a colonial fantasy, advocating instead for a recogniti
Conversation with a Climate Scientist; A Supercharged World
Conversation with a Climate Scientist; A Supercharged World This week's show is all about climate science, how things like drought, floods and fires impact rural Victoria. Lana Nguyen from A Climate for Art chat to Dr. Linden Ashcroft, who explores the convergence of climate science, cultural memory, and Australian regional identity. She examines how extreme weather reshapes community narratives
Beyond the Fossil Fuel Deadlock; Building an international roadmap for a just transition, Part 2
Janet Salisbury in conversation with Tzeporah Berman and Dr Amanda Cahill continues evaluating the "Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels" conference held in Santa Marta, Colombia. This conference represents a significant multilateral process outside the conventional UN climate negotiations, aiming to develop an international roadmap for a just transition from fossil fuels, with a focus on phasing
Exploring Extreme Heat Returns: Hot histories - what can past heatwaves teach us?
October is History Month around Australia! Earth Matters listens back to the first episode of the Exploring Extreme Heat series – Hot Histories. We delve into the near past to discover how Australians of European background lived through heatwaves in the 19th and 20th centuries, and what their experiences mean for Australians today. We hear from settler Australian environmental historians Rochelle
Beyond the Fossil Fuel Deadlock; Building an international roadmap for a just transition
Unpack the "Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels" conference held in Santa Marta, Colombia. This conference represents a significant multilateral process outside the conventional UN climate negotiations, aiming to develop an international roadmap for a just transition from fossil fuels, with a focus on phasing out fossil fuel production."What I consider to be a major gap in international climate
First Nations Women's Voices in Leadership, Responsibility and Caring for Country. Part 2.
Join this Women's Climate Congress yarn exploring the many ways First Nations women are leading change through culture, community, governance and Country.Explore the profound, spiritual connection between Indigenous identity, language, and ancestral lands.Emphasizing the urgent climate threats facing frontline communities, particularly the Torres Strait Islands, advocating for community-led soluti
Strong Women, Living Country: First Nations Women's Voices in Leadership, Responsibility and Caring for Country
What does leadership look like when it begins with responsibility rather than authority?How do First Nations women continue to care for Country, strengthen language, advocate for water, preserve culture in the face of increasing climate change impacts, and create spaces where communities can heal, lead and thrive? Join Women's Climate Congress for an evening of yarning that explores the many ways
Nature in the City
Many of us talk about nature as something that exists away from people, outside cities. For the vast quantity of us who call urban environments home, this makes it hard to appreciate, connect with, and work to protect the complex and remarkable web of life that surrounds us. What other stories can we tell, that embrace the multispecies liveliness of the urban community? How might you fight for its
Data Centres Part 2: Are They Really That Bad?
Off the back of part one—an interview with independent climate expert Ketan Joshi last month—Mia brings in other perspectives on the data centre boom. You’ll hear from Professor Priya Rajagopalan of RMIT Univeristy; Dr. Thomas Nann, CEO of Allegro Energy and a globally recognised expert on long-duration energy storage.; and Britney Henderson, Greens candidate for the western metropolitan region i
The Importance of Protecting Dingoes
This program is all about the important role dingoes have in the environment. We were joined by Co-Founder of the Dingo Conservancy Jo Samuel-King. She shed light on the difficulties in protecting dingoes, their lack of protections, common misconceptions and how beneficial they are in ecosystems. To find more information search The Dingo Conservancy on Facebook or go to dingoes.net We then hear fr
US offshore mineral extraction in American Samoa waters. / Human rights abuses and deforestation for sugar in West Papua
Interviewed by Priya Kunjan, Dr Sabrina Suluai-Mahuka, founder of youth-centred environmental organization Finafinau, joins us from Pago Pago to discuss recent progress in the United States government's moves to advance offshore mineral extraction in the waters off American Samoa in the face of significant resistanceSabrina spoke with us about the cultural and environmental impacts that deep sea m
Great Barrier Reef: A divers tale. [and transcript]
We delve into the critical state of the Great Barrier Reef through the lens of Tony Fonts, President of the Whitsunday Conservation Council and a veteran diver with 45 years of immersive experience. Tony upacks the impacts of poor water quality, unsustainable fishing practices and that: "the greatest threat to the reef by far is climate change."He describes the devastating effects of coral bleachi
Data Centres Part 1: Energy Vampires
By now you would have heard the news: data centres are threatening to unravel the progress we’ve made on emissions reductions, as well as the health of communities throughout the continent. In fact, so-called Australia is a global investment hotspot, with 162 data centres in operation and at least 90 more on the way. On today’s show, we’ll hear from a global expert on the newest and most ferociou
30th anniversary special: Earth Matters founder Juliet Fox looks back on 30-years
The first episode of Earth Matters aired on the 26th of July 1996 - exactly 30 years ago this week! In this special anniversary episode* we time warp back thirty years and listen to excerpts from the first ever episode of Earth Matters broadcast on 26 July 1996. We speak to founder and inaugural presenter/producer Juliet Fox – now Projects Coordinator at 3CR – who shares her memories of the first
Art of Resistance Tour Protests on BHP's Olympic Dam Mine & Woomera Testing Range
In July 2026 activists and artists from across so-called Australia came together, forming a collective known as the Art of Resistance Tour. The group traveled across the desert with the intention to protest militarism and extractivism with art and performance.We hear from activists at these protests shedding light on the impact BHP's Olympic Dam Mine has on sacred mound springs on Arabunna country
Call for Richmond River Koala Parks /Spotlight on Australian Supers climate cop-out.
Earth Matters Bec Horridge meets a persistent team: Fridays 4 Forests [ Facebook] who regularly protest outside Janelle Saffin MP's office in Lismore on Friday. They are calling for the creation of the Richmond River Koala Parks and to "Stop Native Forest Logging".Then we meet climate campaigner Brett, from Market Forces who dresses as Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz to call out Australian Super's c
30th Birthday Special: Goolengook Blockade Reflections
Earth Matters 30th Birthday Special: Goolengook Blockade Reflections This month in June, Earth Matters has turned 30 years old, and our proud partner 3cr Community Radio also celebrates their 50th Birthday. To celebrate these important milestones we have been going through our archives. In this episode we hear the first Earth Matters host, Juliet Fox at the Goolengook blockades, in East Gippslan
30th Birthday Special: Close Pine Gap
This year, Earth Matters is thirty years old! And 3CR, our proud parent, is 50 years old! We’re celebrating by digging into the archives, tipping our hat to past presenters who paved the way with hard-hitting and crucial content on environmental current affairs. Have you heard of Pine Gap? Most likely you have. You may even have heard about the fight against the construction of the US military bas
Earth Matters Live Radiothon Show
Earth Matters presents a live show in the studios of 3CR in Fitzroy Naarm to raise funds for our broadcasting. Earth Matters presenters Kieran Stewart-Assherton, Mia Audrey and Claudia Craig together with past producer Judith Peppard are joined on phone by Bec Horridge and Hannah York for a live to air Radiothon broadcast.Also on the show we hear from campaigners Cam Walker (Friends of the Earth)
30th Birthday Special: The Jabiluka Blockade
To celebrate 30 years of Earth Matters, Mia digs into the archives and presents a special feature on a historic milestone: the Jabiluka blockade. You'll hear former presenter Juliet Fox interviewing Jane Weepers, spokesperson for the Jabiluka Alliance, on the first day of the blockade in March 1998; and audio from the road trip to the proposed uranium mine site organised by the Australian Student
Part 2 Exploring Extreme Heat: The Mental Health Impacts of Heat
Content WarningThe episode mentions domestic and sexual violence, and online hate in this episode which might be distressing for some listeners. Later on there is a more in-depth discussion of mental illness including suicidal ideation. The presenter announces when the more in-depth discussion begins and provides support service contacts for anyone needing help at the end of the show. Part 2 Explo
Fire Scientists on Impacts of Planned Burns in Wet Forests
This week on Earth Matters, Hannah speaks with fire scientist Phil Zylstra about the large planned burn that took place in the Snowy River National Park. He speaks on the ecological impacts planned burns have on wet forest ecosystems and how Forest Fire Management Victoria is escalating the impacts of fires in the long-term. We also hear from activist and organiser Violet Coco on fuel breaks mim
Conservation: Back2Basics
This episode of Earth Matters examines the ecological crisis unfolding across this continent, from the destruction of the Victorian Volcanic Plains to extinction, land clearing, invasive species and climate change. It explores the responsibilities people hold in response, including First Nations obligations to Country grounded in lore, kinship and cultural practice, alongside the broader responsib
Sooty on the High Court win that affirms right for third parties with a "special interest" to take Forestry Corporation to court while 15 year old Jesinta calls for more relevant environmental education in schools. [with transcript]
Sooty from South East Forest Rescue shares a significant legal win in the High Court, which affirmed the right for third parties with a "special interest" to take Forestry Corporation to court in New South Wales. This overturned Forestry's argument that such actions would "open the floodgates” to legal action from environmentalists.Sooty describes the subsequent ongoing case in the Land Environme
A regenerative approach to international development
This week on Earth Matters, we zoom out, and across the world, to speak with an author and human development practitioner based in Antigua, about the big picture of sustainable development. You’ll hear about what has changed in the development sector over recent decades; Cherise’s intersectional understanding of poverty and wealth; the concept of the metacrisis; and more.Cherise Adjodha is an auth
Felling of Mt Macedon snow gums leaves conservationists aghast
Felling of Mt Macedon snow gums leaves conservationists aghast This week Earth Matters travels to a mountain peak in Central Victoria where the State government has destroyed almost a hectare of fragile snow gums. Nature lovers and conservation advocates are devastated and confused. The snow gums were part of a montane woodland that had regenerated over the course of forty-years since the catastro
Women coming together to activate the UNFCCC Belém Gender Action Plan
The Belém Gender Action Plan is a nine-year framework, representing a historic step forward in embedding gender equality into climate action. ensuring inclusive, intersectional, and gender-responsive policies and practices. It emphasizes that climate change impacts are not gender-neutral, recognizing that women and girls—particularly those from rural, Indigenous, migrant, or marginalized communiti
Return Lee Point to Larrakia People
Mia interviews Te Raukura O’Connell Rapira and Laniyuk, two staunch and inspiring warriors in the defence of Larrakia country. Larrakia country is Laniyuk’s country, and together with Te Raukura and an ever-expanding network of fellow protectors she has been fighting a military housing development on her land. Laniyuk is a Larrakia, Kungarakan, Gurindji and French creative and organiser. In Januar
Earth Matters: Compassion and kindness in government - a gateway to wise action on climate change and other challenges?
Continuing our popular online Women's Climate Congress conversation series, this event featured Jennifer Nadel FRSA, Co-Founder and CEO, Compassion in Politics (UK).In the last federal election campaign, Anthony Albanese referred to kindness in government, saying that kindness is not a weakness but a strength. This mirrors Action 6 of the WCC Charter for Change: 'Elevate compassion and kindness i
Part One Exploring Extreme Heat | Hot histories: can past heatwaves teach us how to adapt to extreme heat?
Exploring Extreme Heat: Part One Hot histories - can heatwaves of the past teach us how to adapt to extreme heat? Earth Matters is embarking on a multi-episode series exploring what intense heat events mean for Australians. We’ll be hearing from settler Australians, migrant communities and First Nations people living in different parts of so-called Australia to understand how heat affects us, and
Interview with Basalt Buddies Pirate Nursery
In this edition of Earth Matters, host Keiran Stewart-Assheton interviews Matt from the pirate nursery Basalt Buddies, discussing the Victorian Grassland Plains, local conservation efforts, the limitations and unseen issues within government conservation policies, and how people can get involved in conservation efforts in their local area.
Lutruwita Forest Resistance Tour
As with all other areas of Direct Activism for social and environmental justice, some of the most staunch, courageous and passionate forest defenders are women. At the Lutruwita Forest Resistance Tour last month Hannah and Rosie were fortunate to meet and work alongside many of them, who ranged from teenagers to 80 year-olds. They spoke to two of these incredible women - Jenny Weber (Bob Brown Fou
Connecting With Our Living World Through Poetry
Mia speaks with two poets about their recent books, both of which chronicle relationship-building with the more-than-human world. Eungedup is a work of poetry and narrative non-fiction recounting Giles Watson's relationship with a freshwater wetland during a long, dry summer. Vampire Squid is a close and personal account of the deep sea and the people who study it, written throughout Dr Prema Aras
Adrian Burragubba & Guridyula jubilant on their right to protect Doongmabulla Springs. /South Coast Action Network
A jubilant senior cultural custodian, Adrian Burragubba makes the first announcement of a landmark decision handed down in the Queensland Court of Appeal, restoring the case to protect the sacred Doongmabulla springs from Adani’s Carmichael coal mine.Adrian's son Guridyula describes the reoccupation of his traditional land on the mine site at Waddananggu.Then an introduction to The South Coast Act
"Ancient Futures" with Helena Norberg-Hodge. (with transcript).
Helena Norberg-Hodge is a pioneer of the new economy movement, a filmmaker, author and founding director of Local Futures, which is committed to the revitalisation of cultural and biological diversity and the strengthening of local communities and economies worldwide. Helena has just turned 80 years old. Helena argues for a radical shift from destructive global capitalism and unchecked technologic
Arts and the Climate Part 2
Mia chats with the folks behind A Climate for Art and Creative Climate, initiatives driving climate conversations and action in the arts and cultural sector. Eliki Reade is an Interdependent Producer and artist of kailoma-Fijian (Fijian/European) heritage. They are a co-instigator of A Climate for Art (ACFA), a collective of artists, arts workers and organisations intent on mobilising their sector
Hear the rapturous cheers when Rising Tide coal port blockade succeeds in stopping coal ships.
Earth Matters brings you Voices from "Rising Tide" protest blocking coal ships in Moolobinba/Newcastle, highlighting youth climate anxiety, calls for government accountability, and the interconnectedness of environmental, social, and Indigenous justice issues in Australia.We will hear from:Grace Goldman from Youth Rising expressed deep fear for her future and her hometown, Newcastle, due to govern
Invasion Day - Colonialism and Climate Collapse
This Invasion Day, Earth Matters confronts the truth behind January 26 — not as a celebration, but as the beginning of invasion and ecological destruction.From colonisation as an environmental catastrophe to the climate crisis as a colonial crisis, this special episode centres First Nations sovereignty, Land Back, and the reality that there is no environmental justice without decolonisation. Becau
Yurlu |Country: Wittenoom asbestos documentary tells Banjima elder’s cultural story
‘Aboriginal people in Western Australia experience the highest rates of death from mesothelioma globally. That’s because of Wittenoom. And there isn’t a Banjima family who isn’t touched by this. This is really a huge human rights issue.’‘We went pretty deep into where the main tailings dumps are. We have this drone shot that goes for five minutes…It shows the tailings dumps going for like hundreds
A Climate for Art
The climate crisis is a crisis of imagination; we are stuck in a web of stories about what’s possible. But voices outside the web are picking at the knots, opening other ways of being through different, older stories. This is the work of artists. And while you may not know it from how your tax dollars are spent, artists are a lifeline for our world in crisis. Enter A Climate for Art (ACFA): a col
Benny Zable challenges mask laws. /Matthew Jeffrey: First Nations Organiser and Climate Justice Advocate
Benny Zable and Tarneen Onus Browne have filed a legal challenge in the Federal Court against Victoria Police's decision to declare Melbourne's CBD and surrounding suburbs a "designated area" for six months, enabling officers to conduct warrantless pat-down searches across the entire CBD, and making it an offence to refuse a search.Links:Benny Zable webpageProtester statue proposed for Byron Bay.
Climate change, green capitalism, and the myth of ethical consumption
In this episode, host Keiran Stewart-Assheton looks at the propaganda we are sold around ethical consumption, particularly in the form of "green" energy, electric cars and carbon offsets.He asks Who really pays for this? Are we sacrificing lives for lifestyle? Can individual lifestyle choices truly make an impact?
John Seed: The Religion of Economics (with transcript).
John Seed explains how modern economics functions as a powerful, unrecognised religion, driving environmental destruction and social inequality, and that unmasking it is crucial for planetary survival.John is the co-founder of the Rainforest Information Centre and, for over forty years, has facilitated hundreds of transformative experiential Deep Ecology, also known as the work that reconnects. Fi
Clive Palmer's Secret Weapon
Six weeks ago, billionaire businessman Clive Palmer lost a $300 billion case against the Australian government when the High Court determined that he is not, in fact, a Singaporean investor.It may sound absurd, but Palmer’s case had potential – and he has three more similar cases in the works. Across the globe, fossil fuel companies are taking up a secret weapon against climate action: it’s baked
Beating Back Buffel Grass
What would you guess is the largest environmental threat to our iconic deserts? Feral animals? Contaminated or depleted water tables? Desertification? Actually, it’s a grass. Since its introduction in the 1960s and 70s, and particularly in the last couple of decades, buffel grass has spread like wildfire through central so-called Australia. It’s wreaking havoc on fragile arid ecosystems, and ranks
Angelica Mantikas: Using Market Forces to plug APAs gas pipeline proposals. (Or "Hesta must do better".)
Angelica Mantikas from Market Forces details the environmental, social, and financial risks associated with APA Group's proposed pipelines in Australia's Northern Territory, which would enable extensive gas fracking in the Beetaloo Basin.Angelica explains Market Forces' strategies to oppose APAs' plans.Angelica is a first-generation Greek-Australian hailing from the island of Chios, Greece. She is
Rocket resistance: Nobel Peace Prize winning Kokatha Elder stands against Southern Launch rocket testing on Country
In this episode of Earth Matters, host Keiran talks about the rocket testing being undertaken by Southern Launch, discussing its impacts on the local environment, Aboriginal community and Aboriginal culture; the dangers it is posing to people undertaking cultural duties within the testing range; as well as the campaigns against this testing being undertaken by senior Kokatha Elder and Nobel Peace
Talking to Kids About the Climate: Part 2
This show is the second of two parts on the tricky and crucial work of speaking with young people about the climate: conversations with two educators on opposite sides of the world. Jonathan Noble is the Director of the School of Nature and Climate at CERES Community Environment Park, Narrm (melbourne), which every year delivers climate education programs to thousands of learners. His previous wo
Talking to Kids About the Climate: Part 1
Talking about climate change is hard. And for those of us who work, live or spend time with young people, it can be especially difficult to work out how to balance the harsh realities of present and future impacts; communicate accurately about what can be done; and respond to the feelings that come up for us and for the kids we care about. On this show, Mia brings you interviews with two climate a
The 2035 Targets: What Now
In September, the federal Government made an announcement that sent shockwaves through the community of climate activists and advocates: a 2035 climate target range of 62 to 70 % below 2005 levels. The lead-up to the announcement saw hundreds of groups calling for an ambitious target, many advocating for net-zero. Now they’re left reeling. Today, I bring you interviews with two leaders in the cli
Decolonising water management in Australia
Western hubris about water leads to really bad water policy - kate harridenAustralia’s First Peoples looked after the country’s waterscapes for millennia before colonisation brought Western ways that exclude their contribution. This week on Earth Matters Wiradyuri woman and indigenous water expert kate harriden (link is external) from the Monash Sustainable Development Institute (link is external)
Does your Super support climate collapse?
Follow the Money. Use “Market Forces” to go Fossil FreeMarket Forces provides free independent research and analysis online, assisting people who want to learn more about making their superannuation and banking fossil-free. It is a small group with a big impact, driving the shift away from fossil fuels towards ethical, climate-responsible investment in clean energy. Brett Morgan, the Australian Ca
Hope and resistance: ecocide in Palestine
Israel's miltary annihilation of Gaza and the Palestinian population has been described as the world’s first live-streamed genocide. While the horrific loss of human life and catastrophic humanitarian conditions imposed on Palestinian people have dominated mainstream media output, other crises are also unfolding. This week’s episode of Earth Matters explores the ongoing destruction of Palestinian
Storytelling in a climate crisis
How do we tell stories about a world in climate crisis? What is the role of writers and storytellers at this critical ecological time? And do the narratives we tell drive climate action or exacerbate the doom and gloom? This week on Earth Matters we hear from two Australian climate advocates grappling with these very questions. Gen Z millennial Connie Gamble is a Masters student of Public Polic
First Nations Voices on Climate Justice
On today’s show, we hear from two first nations advocates from the frontlines of the climate battle. They touch on climate change impacts in their communities; their fight to protect Country, and why First Nations voices must be front and centre. Rosaline Parker is a Pasifika advocate and cultural consultant based in Western Sydney. Her work includes empowering young pacific leaders to engage in
Toxic Waste on Stolen Land
This episode of Earth Matters investigates the toxic legacy of waste on stolen Aboriginal land, from the radioactive scars of nuclear testing and uranium mining to the invisible spread of PFAS “forever chemicals” in our waterways. Drawing on stories from Maralinga, Kakadu, and the Blue Mountains, and with a personal reflection on Wreck Bay, the program explores how contamination doesn’t just harm
Seed; Australia's indigenous youth climate action movement; their achievements and plan to ban fossil fuels.
Georgia and Angel from Seed introduce Australia’s indigenous youth climate action movement, their activities, and strategic plan for the next three years and goals to:to ban fracking in the Kimberley,a ban on fossil fuels across the continent,a significant presence at COP31 train 500 young peopleand more !Donate here to help Seed achieve its goals
Ngarrindjeri shellfishing on Coorong affected by algal bloom
This week on Earth Matters we put the spotlight on the devastating South Australian algal phenomena that is rocking communities and scientists. While the causes of the bloom are becoming clearer, there are many unknowns, making the future difficult to predict. Ngarrindjeri elder Derek Walker is among the many facing uncertainty arising from the bloom. He is a sustainable fisherman harvesting kutis
Systemic feminist changes and climate action.
Dr Radha Wagle started life caring for goats in a Nepalese village. She tells her story, how she came from there to lead Nepal's delegation in international climate negotiations. Radha somehow manages to find humour in the challenges women face in leadership roles within environmental sectors.Sophie Hardefeldt talks about the need for feminist system change to ensure women's voices are heard an
Interview with Manju from ANFA
Earth Matters presents local, national and international grassroots perspectives on environmental concerns and broadcasts weekly to a national audience since 1996. In this episode, host Keiran interviews Manju from the Australian Nuclear Free Alliance and discusses the importance of the upcoming annual ANFA conference.Links mentioned in show:https://australianmap.netwww.foe.org,au/anfa_donatehttps
Speaking Up: Voices from the Global Women’s Assembly for Climate Justice
"So we refuse that idea that we can accept any forms of gender-based violence and any forms that kill ourselves, other species and the living planet." Noelene Nabulivou, Pacific Islands Feminist Alliance for Climate Justice Fiji Every day around the globe women are protecting and defending human rights and nature. At the recent Global Women's Assembly for Climate Justice (link is external) grassr
Frontline Communities in the Energy Transition
It’s been three months since we sent a clear message at the ballot box: climate action matters. In the lead-up, communities fought hard, running creative actions, countering fossil fuels propaganda and mobilising people to have impactful conversations. In this episode, we hear stories from the frontlines of the energy election, about what unified communities in the fight for renewables. We need t
"So Many Different Voices"; Women's Climate Congress. [with transcript]
"So many different voices” is about the ways that we bring diverse voices into all the roomsFive speakers representing student women, rural women, First Nations women, women with disabilities, and older women share their experiences of how to bring these marginalized voices into climate discussions, negotiations, and decisions to achieve better outcomes.Conference participants from the Victorian W
Two Billion Dead: Australia’s Cat Crisis
Australia’s most prolific killer isn’t a mining company or a bulldozer — it’s the common cat. Feral and domestic cats are responsible for over 2 billion native animal deaths every year, pushing species to extinction and decimating ecosystems across the continent. In this hard-hitting episode, Keiran Stewart-Assheton exposes the scale of the cat crisis, busts myths about pet cats, and lays down a n
Climate Adaptation Pt. 2: Urban Resilience
Climate change is upon us. We are the first responders. How will we keep each other safe? How will we meet our needs? Who gets to have a say? These questions, and many others, are being tackled by everyday people in the movement for climate adaptation. In their stories is a wealth of inspiration, as well as crucial knowledge for an increasingly pressing project. If you, along with me, and three q
Climate Adaptation Pt 1: Extreme Weather Events
We are living on a compromised planet. Alongside acting to slow the pace of change, we have to adapt; and prepare for increasingly challenging conditions. Communities everywhere are already doing this, often independent of - and in spite of - the actions of their governments. On this show, and next month, I share some examples of community-led climate adaptation on this continent. You’ll hear how
Food Sovereignty Pt. 2: Local Initiatives
Food sovereignty is the ability to make informed choices about our food, to define our own food systems, and to access healthy, culturally appropriate food that is produced sustainably. Food sovereignty puts the needs of the people who produce and consume food at the heart of food systems, and is key to addressing the overlapping crises of climate, hunger and inequality. On this show, you’ll hear
Genocide + Ecocide = Suicide
Genocide and ecocide are not separate crimes — they are two sides of the same colonial system that has brought the planet to the brink of collapse. From the invasion of these lands to the global climate crisis, colonialism is an engine of ecocide. But Indigenous peoples, here and around the world, continue to resist — defending lands, waters, and all life. Because if the destruction of Country con
The need for Climate Adaptation/ Industrial burning of Victorian Forests
Vicky Ellmore is an organiser from the Act on Climate initiative within Friends of the Earth Melbourne. Vicky joined us to chat about the need for climate adaptations, and findings from recent research undertaken by Friends of the Earth. Find their report about climate adaptation here.Aawa is from Kinglake Friends of the Forest (KFF), a volunteer community group committed to protecting native fo
Tackling Plastic Waste: Producer Responsibility + Plastic-Free July
Tackling Plastic Waste: Producer Responisibility + Plastic-Free July ‘…85% of Australians are hugely concerned about plastic pollution…We need our leaders to lead by example and show that the circular economy is possible…’ Birte Moliere, Packaging Campaign Lead, Boomerang Alliance This week Earth Matters speaks to Rebecca Prince-Ruiz, founder of the Plastic Free Foundation and Plastic Free July an
Wreck Bay PFAS
In this episode of Earth Matters, host Keiran Stewart-Assheton discusses the ongoing impacts that PFAS contamination has had on the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community, as well as a look at the broader impacts of PFAS globally.
Yuin Orcas
In his introductory show, host Keiran Stewart-Assheton talks about his people's historic connecion to Beowa (Orcas) of the South Coast, and the impacts of the extractive whaling industry post-colonisation.
Food Sovereignty Pt. 1: Brazil's Landless Workers Movement
The food system accounts for about 25% of total greenhouse gas emissions, yet it is commonly left out of discussions about the climate emergency. Over half of the land on this continent is used for agriculture, but rarely do we bring food and farming into landback discussions. As a climate solution, as a nexus of decolonisation, as a battleground for workers’ rights and more, food is so close, so
Challenging aqua nullius through education, decolonising water management
Western hubris about water leads to really bad water policy - kate harriden Australia’s First Peoples looked after the country’s waterscapes for millennia before colonisation brought Western ways that exclude their contribution. This week on Earth Matters Wiradyuri woman and indigenous water expert kate harriden from the Monash Sustainable Development Institute explains how educating settler soci
International Seed Day with Canberra Seed Savers
Join the throng of Seed Savers with their small table stalls of free seeds and activities at the Canberra City Farm. Why save seeds?How to save seeds.Make a Seed bomb. Guests:Arien MacVeigh; Founder; Canberra Seed Savers NetworkVarious Folk. Dave on Guitar. Episode #1500 was produced by Bec Horridge on Ngnunawal and Ngambrii Country in Canberra.
Calls for national Moratorium on Seismic Blasting
Calls for national Moratorium on Seismic BlastingCommunities gathered in Warrnambool to call for an end to gas exploration in the Otway Basin and a national moratorium on seismic blasting to stop the damage being done to marine life and the marine environment. They want the recommendations of the Senate Inquiry into the Impact of seismic testing on fisheries and the marine environment implemented.
Restoring Democracy in the Disinformation Age
Restoring Democracy in the Disinformation Age Access to reliable, accurate information is essential for democracy. From misleading health advice to conspiracy theories, unchecked disinformation risks swaying elections, jeopardising ecosystems, and even inciting violence. In fact, the World Economic Forum ranks misinformation and disinformation the number one short-term threat to humanity and progr
Climate politics and democracy
Trump politics, anti-woke rhetoric and Australian climate policy. Wilderness Society takes on Federal Minister for Environment ahead of election. As Trump shockwaves ricochet around the world, we ask how significant is the President’s election for future global climate change action? And how is the changing world order affecting the political appetite for climate action at home? In this episode of
What the Frack? Part 2
In the Northern Territory, communities are in the fight of their lives. The fracking industry is determined to expand operations, which have so far been exploratory, and begin to produce gas for commercial sale - as soon as this year. This poses serious threats to water security, cultural sites and climate, and has community advocates turning out to protect country and our future. In the second p
Earth Matters: Partnership on climate between First Nations and settler women: Potential and opportunities
In what has been called a ‘transformational decade’ towards 2035 emissions reduction targets, this conversation explores how two underrepresented groups in climate change decision making, First Nations and settler women, can form innovative partnerships to amplify, while not conflating, First Nations and all women’s voices to support gender justice and self-determination to transform nation-buildi
