45: Fighting Plastic and Light Pollution for our Turtles with Ranger Lauren Engledow

In the 1930s, Australia’s Government Shark Control Program planted baited drum lines and shark nets around its beaches to protect swimmers and surfers. But what if the true killer isn’t sharks but the very same program that claims to protect us?     In this episode, I’m joined by Andre Borrell, director of Envoy: Shark Cull; a documentary that exposes the ugly truth behind Australia’s shark control program. Partnered with experts, it debunks the program’s effectiveness and highlights sharks’ undeserved reputation of being dangerous killers and their important role in sustaining the marine ecosystem. This documentary calls us to be the voice for sharks and all other marine life to defend them and their homes. Together, we can facilitate change from our government and help stop the cull.    In This Episode, We Discuss: Shark culling in Australia Society’s irrational fear of sharks Shark fatality statistics Why sharks are essential to the ecosystem The political climate around shark culling How we can put pressure on our politicians Scientific findings behind shark control program Alternatives to shark nets Ways we can contribute to the cause How Andre manages to stay inspired   Follow Andre Borrell here: Envoy: Shark Cull | Website @EnvoyFilm | Twitter @envoyfilm | Instagram @envoyfilm | TikTok Andre Borrell | LinkedIn Act Now: 3 ways you can help --- Did you enjoy today’s episode? Thanks for listening! Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get notified immediately when a new episode comes out! If you enjoyed the Mercast, please click here to leave a review and share this episode with a friend! I hope you spend some time in nature today! I'll catch you next time.   Subscribe to The Mercast ++ Apple Podcasts ++ Spotify ++ Castbox

When we begin our move into a more sustainable life, we can be so quickly reeled into the idea that consuming animal products and byproducts are bad; that we should be into much more plant-based food, but what if that isn’t the big picture? In this episode, I have Ryland Engelhart, producer of Netflix’s Kiss the Ground, which is a documentary that focuses on our soil health situation. He shares with us what we need to do to keep our soils diverse, and how we can contribute as soil advocates. Being earth-conscious is more than just consuming plant-based choices, it’s contributing and supporting industries and farmers that work in the most sustainable and natural ways to keep our soil healthy and rich.   In This Episode, We Discuss: The Process of Photosynthesis The Soil Sphere and the Carbon Cycle Why our Soil is Sick Soil versus Dirt Veganism, and true sustainability Become a Soil Advocate   Follow Ryland Engelhart here: Kiss the Ground | Website Kiss the Ground Documentary | Netflix Ryland Engelhart | Instagram Ryland Engelhart | Linktree --- Did you enjoy today’s episode? Thanks for listening! Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get notified immediately when a new episode comes out! If you enjoyed the Mercast, please click here to leave a review and share this episode with a friend! I hope you spend some time in nature today! I'll catch you next time.   Subscribe to The Mercast ++ Apple Podcasts ++ Spotify ++ Castbox

As a mixed fair-skinned Bundjalung native born in Australia, Ella Noah Bancroft always felt like she was challenged about just how pure she was as an indigenous person. With growing up to words and notions like that, Ella knew she needed to pay homage to her lineage and respect to the stolen generation by continuing their culture and bringing it to the modern era. Ella is now the founder and pioneer of The Decolonisation Movement, and had dedicated her life to the rise of female energy as the way for us to reconnect and release ourselves from the bounds of personal, social, and ecological constraints. In this episode we talk about the impact of colonisation and how we can respect the fine line between cultural appropriation and appreciation. I definitely recommend that you hear her out on the impact we have on our earth and shared future!   In This Episode, We Discuss: Claiming your aboriginality Ella’s mission to pay homage to her lineage The stigma around being mixed-race and the Stolen Generation Colonisation and its impact on natives The fine line between cultural appropriation and appreciation Navigating sustainability these days How we can contribute to change these days The connection between indigenous cultures and environmentalism Ella’s work with young women and storytelling Ella’s last words for us to reconnect with the earth   Follow Ella Noah Bancroft here: Ella Noah Bancroft | Website @ellanoahbancroft_ | Instagram @ellanoahbancroft_ | Linktree   --- Did you enjoy today’s episode? Thanks for listening! Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get notified immediately when a new episode comes out! If you enjoyed the Mercast, please click here to leave a review and share this episode with a friend! I hope you spend some time in nature today! I'll catch you next time. Subscribe to The Mercast ++ Apple Podcasts ++ Spotify ++ Castbox

Plastic pollution is a problem that affects so many animals, habitats, and people. Turtles have come into the spotlight in recent years though, thanks to the rise in social media awareness for their protection and preservation; with a big factor to that being the viral video of the straw stuck up in a poor turtle's nose. This video hit the world hard, but we cannot stop at feeling bad for what is happening when we can make conscious efforts now to save more than just the turtles. Today I’m joined by Lauren Engledow, a turtle ranger dedicated to protecting what is left of the species and rebuilding its future here on the beaches of Mon Repos. You’ll hear us talk about this modern-day threat called light pollution and how its strayed hatchlings from where they rightfully belong. Be informed, be aware, and make conscious efforts against plastic waste for our shared future.   In This Episode, We Discuss: Types of turtles left in the world How plastic pollution affects turtles and surrounding marine life Light pollution and how it stray turtles almost as soon as they’re born Other threats to turtles The imbalance in male and female turtles What we can do to help   Follow Lauren and the Mon Repos Turtles here: Southern Great Barrier Reef (bundabergregion.org) --- Did you enjoy today’s episode? Thanks for listening! Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get notified immediately when a new episode comes out! If you enjoyed the Mercast, please click here to leave a review and share this episode with a friend! I hope you spend some time in nature today! I'll catch you next time.   Subscribe to The Mercast ++ Apple Podcasts ++ Spotify ++ Castbox

Periods, something so natural for our bodies as females are oftentimes considered taboo to talk about. In this episode, we have Michele Wilson, co-founder of a sustainable and carbon-offset brand of period-proof underwear named Awwa. She's here with us to talk about her Maori roots and how she’s taken inspiration from their innovation and made it widely available to the world. Periods don’t have to and shouldn’t contribute to pollution and plastic waste, especially not when it's an integral part of ourselves. Instead of using throw-aways and plastic inside you, please make the switch and contribute to our shared future now.   In This Episode, We Discuss: Michele’s inspiration for creating Awwa Using old technology in modern times Carbon offsetting and sustainable sourcing for Awwa Awwa’s impact on indigenous communities in New Zealand How their panties work against our periods The choices available for zero-waste periods New inclusive lines coming up for the trans community and more   Follow Michele and Awwa: Michele Wilson | LinkedIn Awwa Period Underwear | Website   ---   Did you enjoy today’s episode? Thanks for listening! Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get notified immediately when a new episode comes out! If you enjoyed the Mercast, please click here to leave a review and share this episode with a friend! I hope you spend some time in nature today! I'll catch you next time.   Subscribe to The Mercast ++ Apple Podcasts ++ Spotify ++ Castbox

To conclude my five-part series with the amazing Helena Norberg Hodge, we discuss reclaiming our power of choice by making the switch to using local products and reducing our emissions. We bring to light the faults of industries, proposing a new way to tackle our overall impact on the planet. For the youth listening in-- Helena has a special message for you, addressing the quality of life corporations have placed on you and how we want to support you all through your journeys.   In This Episode, We Discuss: An epidemic of anxiety and depression amongst the youth Join the local food movement Taking a step back and asking ourselves how we can ultimately help It's not one solution for the planet-- it's many solutions Staying connected with our local community We have the power of choice   Follow Helena Hodge: Instagram @helenanorberghodge Twitter @helenanhodge Facebook @HelenaNorbergHodge   ---   Did you enjoy today’s episode? Thanks for listening! Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get notified immediately when a new episode comes out! If you enjoyed the Mercast, please click here to leave a review and share this episode with a friend! I hope you spend some time in nature today! I'll catch you next time. Subscribe to The Mercast ++ Apple Podcasts ++ Spotify ++ Castbox

Corporations and businesses ferry across the world goods just for one part of their value chains-- much like being shipped from England, processed in China, then packaged in Thailand. We must ask; do we really need to move food and goods around so much? In this episode, Helena and I go in-depth about the importance of making sustainable choices to uplift our local farmers' markets and support the community economy.   In This Episode, We Discuss: The flow of goods in this globalised world The problems in importing and exporting goods Building the local economy with farmers markets   Follow Helena Hodge: Instagram @helenanorberghodge Twitter @helenanhodge Facebook @HelenaNorbergHodge   ---   Did you enjoy today’s episode? Thanks for listening! Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get notified immediately when a new episode comes out! If you enjoyed the Mercast, please click here to leave a review and share this episode with a friend! I hope you spend some time in nature today! I'll catch you next time. Subscribe to The Mercast ++ Apple Podcasts ++ Spotify ++ Castbox

In our global society today, multinational corporations remain faceless and nameless to us as consumers to the point where it affects our mental health greatly. We strive for fame, for being known, and in this increasing globalization of the world, our likelihood to rise slim down immensely. In this episode, Helena talks about what we can do, from our conscious choices to how we treat the world at our fingertips we call our cellphones, all to cure this world's deep loneliness.   In this Episode, We Discuss: The consequences of a government focused on global growth Economics of Happiness: Localising instead of Globalising Changing how we see fame Decentralizing a global society Choosing local and developing relationships   Follow Helena Hodge: Instagram @helenanorberghodge Twitter @helenanhodge Facebook @HelenaNorbergHodge   ---   Did you enjoy today’s episode? Thanks for listening! Be sure to subscribe to your favorite podcast app to get notified immediately when a new episode comes out! If you enjoyed the Mercast, please click here to leave a review and share this episode with a friend! I hope you spend some time in nature today! I'll catch you next time. Subscribe to The Mercast ++ Apple Podcasts ++ Spotify ++ Castbox

Climate change has been in people's minds since Al Gore’s efforts to expose the truth with his documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” from a little over a decade ago. But what a lot of us don't know is that there are larger forces with far greater impact than us individuals. Corporations produce so much waste that even the great former U.S vice president had failed to address or even acknowledge it. Listen in this second part of a five-episode special with Helena Hodge as we uncover these larger forces and how the lack of acknowledgment and even awareness has bred the dominant narrative that it is us or human nature to blame for our world’s deteriorating state. In this Episode, We Discuss:   The root causes of Climate Change The things that are looked over in a normal Climate Debate The impact of industry and its advancements to Climate Change How economies have been dependent on big business to the extent that big corporations have the power to influence a nation's trade policies How we can move on from self blame for this global crisis The bigger things we can do other than planting trees to save our planet   Follow Helena Hodge: Instagram @helenanorberghodge Twitter @helenanhodge Facebook @HelenaNorbergHodge --- Did you enjoy today’s episode? Thanks for listening! Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get notified immediately when a new episode comes out! If you enjoyed the Mercast, please click here to leave a review and share this episode with a friend! I hope you spend some time in nature today! I'll catch you next time. Subscribe to The Mercast ++ Apple Podcasts ++ Spotify ++ Castbox

With the world moving at such a pace, it's easy to make the decision to choose convenience over consciousness. These seemingly small individual decisions only rear its ugly head when we look at the much bigger picture-- one we call pollution. To share with us today her 45-year journey in the making, is Helena Norberg-Hodge, a woman with a mission to revitalise cultural and biological diversity. We bring up issues from big business that contribute the most to plastic waste, all the way down to social and cultural issues our society faces today. Join us today so we all can make better, more informed decisions for our shared future. Follow Helena Norberg-Hodge: Instagram @helenanorberghodge Twitter @helenanhodge Facebook @HelenaNorbergHodge --- Did you enjoy today’s episode? Thanks for listening! Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get notified immediately when a new episode comes out! If you enjoyed the Mercast, please click here to leave a review and share this episode with a friend! I hope you spend some time in nature today! I'll catch you next time. Subscribe to The Mercast ++ Apple Podcasts ++ Spotify ++ Castbox