Mongolia from the Ground Up: COP17 Desertification

Why are we afraid of the deep sea, and how does that fear shape our relationship with it? Professor Alan Jamieson, deep-sea scientist and co-host of The Deep-Sea Podcast, joins Green Frequency to explore the complicated relationship between public perceptions of the deep ocean and our willingness to understand and protect it. Drawing on his paper Fear and Loathing of the Deep Sea, we examine the origins of thalassophobia, the influence of popular culture, and the role scientists and science communicators play in shaping public understanding. We challenge some of the most persistent narratives about deep-sea exploration and ask how changing the stories we tell might help us better appreciate the largest living environment on Earth.And fittingly, Professor Jamieson joins us from aboard a research vessel in the Atlantic Ocean, hundreds of miles offshore.Episode Guests: Professor Alan JamiesonListen to the Deep Sea Podcast and Professor Jamieson’s episode on Oceanography about Deep Sea TrenchesExplore the Pine Forest Media digital ecosystem on our websiteFollow us on Social Media @pineforestmediaCover Art by Laurel WongTheme music by Nela RuizFind some more Pine Forest Media podcasts belowListen to Oceanography on Spotify or Apple PodcastsListen to Plastic Podcast on Spotify or Apple PodcastsListen to South Pole on Spotify or Apple PodcastsListen to Something in the Water on Spotify or Apple Podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it actually take to combat desertification? From satellites and sustainable land management to international negotiations, the world has a growing toolkit to address land degradation and drought. But putting those solutions into practice is another story.In Part 2 of our coverage of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) COP17 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, we're moving from the problem to the solutions. Host Clark Marchese speaks with Dr. Tatenda Lemann of the Centre for Development and Environment (CDE) at the University of Bern and WOCAT about the science of sustainable land management, the importance of local knowledge, and what makes restoration projects successful. Then, Dr. Pamela Chasek, Executive Editor of the Earth Negotiations Bulletin, helps us unpack the politics of COP17, from international cooperation and financing to the negotiations that left countries divided over drought.Along the way, we hear directly from delegates and officials at COP17 to explore how science, policy, and people come together to protect the land we depend on.Because knowing what works is only half the battle. The other half is making it happen.Further reading and resources:WOCAT – Global Sustainable Land ManagementEarth Negotiations Bulletin – IISDUnited Nations Convention to Combat DesertificationGreen Frequency is an Earth Radio Show from Pine Forest Media, exploring environmental science, conservation, and the global decisions shaping our planet.Episode Guests: Dr. Tatenda Lemann and Dr. Pamela ChasekExplore the Pine Forest Media digital ecosystem on our websiteFollow us on Social Media @pineforestmediaCover Art by Laurel WongTheme music by Nela RuizFind some more Pine Forest Media podcasts belowListen to Oceanography on Spotify or Apple PodcastsListen to Plastic Podcast on Spotify or Apple PodcastsListen to South Pole on Spotify or Apple PodcastsListen to Something in the Water on Spotify or Apple Podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is desertification, why is land degrading around the world, and what can Mongolia teach us about the causes? In Part 1 of Green Frequency’s coverage of UNCCD COP17 in Ulaanbaatar, host Clark Marchese explores the science and politics of land degradation, from the origins of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification and Land Degradation Neutrality to the pressures facing Mongolia’s vast grasslands.Featuring audio from inside COP17 and reporting from Mongolian journalist Turmunkh Gongorjav, the episode examines climate change, drought, overgrazing, mining, urbanization, coal and the growing demand for critical minerals. It also asks a deeper question: whose knowledge counts when governments decide why land is degrading?From Fiji’s coastal farmland to Mongolia’s rangelands, this episode explores how land degradation looks different around the world, why local and Indigenous knowledge matters, and how the way we diagnose environmental problems shapes the solutions we pursue. Part 2 turns to sustainable land management, science and technology, finance, and the political outcomes of COP17.Episode Guest: Turmunkh GongorjavRead Turmunkh Gongorjav’s article hereInterview translated and recorded by Nomin Byambatsogt Explore the Pine Forest Media digital ecosystem on our websiteFollow us on Social Media @pineforestmediaCover Art by Laurel WongTheme music by Nela RuizFind some more Pine Forest Media podcasts belowListen to Oceanography on Spotify or Apple PodcastsListen to Plastic Podcast on Spotify or Apple PodcastsListen to South Pole on Spotify or Apple PodcastsListen to Something in the Water on Spotify or Apple Podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ocean technology cannot operate alone. Nicolas Pade, executive director of the European Marine Biological Resource Centre, joins Green Frequency to unpack five policy recommendations emerging from Blue Tech Europe 2026. We explore technological sovereignty, strategic procurement, collaboration between academia and industry, usable ocean data, market demand and the skills needed to sustain ocean-observation systems. Although developed for Europe, many of these questions apply wherever science must become lasting public infrastructure. And we ask what happens when what markets consider viable is not necessarily what society considers valuable.This is a companion to the Oceanography episode, What Do We Need From Ocean Technology?Episode Guest: Nicolas PadeVisit the EMBRC website or follow the EMBRC on LinkedInListen to Oceanography on Spotify or Apple PodcastsExplore the Pine Forest Media digital ecosystem on our websiteFollow us on Social Media @pineforestmediaCover Art by Laurel WongTheme music by Nela RuizFind some more Pine Forest Media podcasts belowListen to Oceanography on Spotify or Apple PodcastsListen to Plastic Podcast on Spotify or Apple PodcastsListen to South Pole on Spotify or Apple PodcastsListen to Something in the Water on Spotify or Apple Podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens behind the exhibits at a natural history museum? At Te Papa Tongarewa, the Museum of New Zealand, millions of specimens form a scientific record stretching across species, ecosystems, and generations. In this episode of Green Frequency, Clark is joined by deep-sea researcher and curator of fishes Dr. Thom Linley to explore what those collections are actually for.We find out why researchers sometimes need to borrow a shark, how curators decide what to preserve for scientists a hundred years from now, and how technologies like micro-CT scanning, hyperspectral imaging, and machine learning are changing what we can learn from specimens collected decades ago. Along the way, we encounter snailfish, bioluminescence, colossal squid, the world's friendliest "meat library," and a much bigger question: what does it mean for a museum to preserve the memory of a changing natural world?Episode Guest: Dr. Thom Linley Listen to the Deep Sea PodcastAnd Dr. Linley’s episode on Oceanography, What is the Deep Sea Even Like?Visit the Te Papa Tongewera Museum website Review Dr. Linley’s publications on Google ScholarExplore the Pine Forest Media digital ecosystem on our websiteFollow us on Social Media @pineforestmediaCover Art by Laurel WongTheme music by Nela RuizFind some more Pine Forest Media podcasts belowListen to Oceanography on Spotify or Apple PodcastsListen to Plastic Podcast on Spotify or Apple PodcastsListen to South Pole on Spotify or Apple PodcastsListen to Something in the Water on Spotify or Apple Podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What would happen to coffee and cocoa if humans deliberately tried to cool the planet? Atmospheric scientist Dr. Nina Grant joins Green Frequency to explain stratospheric aerosol injection, or SAI, a proposed form of solar geoengineering that would introduce reflective particles into the upper atmosphere.Drawing on climate and crop modeling for cocoa in Ghana and coffee in Brazil, Nina explains why lowering global temperatures may not be enough. In her modeled scenarios, SAI softened projected losses but did not return either crop to present-day yields. The conversation opens the black box of climate models, explores the importance of rainfall and agricultural management, and reveals how one planetary intervention could produce very different outcomes around the world.It also confronts the much larger questions surrounding ozone loss, termination shock, climate justice, and governance. SAI would not remove carbon dioxide or replace phasing out fossil fuels. But as scientific and political interest grows, understanding what it could change, whom it might help, and who gets to decide is becoming a public question.Episode Guest: Dr. Nina GrantRead Dr. Grant’s dissertation and watch a short video explainer Review Dr. Grant’s other publication on Google ScholarConnect with Dr. Grant on LinkedIn or visit Dr. Grant’s websiteLearn more about SAI at solargeo.org Green Frequency Ep. 1: Climate change | Where are we now?5 episode of Oceanography on marine climate intervention: mCDR: Can the Ocean Store Our Carbon for Centuries?Marine Cloud Brightening: Can Brighter Clouds Cool the Planet?Stratospheric Aerosol Injection: Should We Reflect More Sunlight?A Natural Experiment in the Sky: Shipping, Clouds, and ClimateSolar Geoengineering: Who Gets to Decide?Explore the Pine Forest Media digital ecosystem on our websiteFollow us on Social Media @pineforestmediaCover Art by Laurel WongTheme music by Nela RuizFind some more Pine Forest Media podcasts belowListen to Oceanography on Spotify or Apple PodcastsListen to Plastic Podcast on Spotify or Apple PodcastsListen to South Pole on Spotify or Apple PodcastsListen to Something in the Water on Spotify or Apple Podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Heat waves are arriving earlier, lasting longer, and reaching further into daily life. So what do we do before the next one arrives? Climate researcher Kartikeya Bhatotia joins Green Frequency to explain what decades of research and experimentation in India can teach a rapidly warming world. Drawing on Critical Perspectives on Extreme Heat in India, he explores why heat is more than a temperature, how housing, labor, gender, health, and access to cooling shape exposure, and why adaptation cannot be reduced to air conditioning or emergency alerts. The conversation moves through India’s pioneering heat action plans, anticipatory finance, passive cooling, parametric insurance, and the idea of a “cool economy.” India emerges not only as a country facing extreme heat, but as a source of adaptation knowledge. These strategies do not replace a fossil fuel phaseout; they show how governments can protect people from the heat already here, before the worst arrives. Episode Guest: Kartikeya BhatotiaRead the full report hereConnect with Kartikeya hereFollow Kartikeya’s SubstackExplore the Pine Forest Media digital ecosystem on our websiteFollow us on Social Media @pineforestmediaCover Art by Laurel WongTheme music by Nela RuizFind some more Pine Forest Media podcasts belowListen to Oceanography on Spotify or Apple PodcastsListen to Plastic Podcast on Spotify or Apple PodcastsListen to South Pole on Spotify or Apple PodcastsListen to Something in the Water on Spotify or Apple Podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mountain gorilla recovery proves change is possible. Gorilla Doctors Chief Communications Officer Amy Bond joins environmental scholar Dr. Elena Berg to examine how long-term conservation succeeds and how people remain engaged when progress is slow and uncertain. Bond explains how Gorilla Doctors provides veterinary care to eastern gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo while keeping animals with their families in the wild. The conversation connects ecological research, cooperation, communication, and sustained institutional work to the recovery of mountain gorillas, the only great ape whose population is increasing. It also explores climate anxiety, environmental agency, hope, and the emotional discipline required to continue working without guarantees. A conservation story about measurable progress and the work that must continue. Episode Guests: Amy Bond and Dr. Elena BergDiscover more about Gorilla DoctorsExplore the Pine Forest Media digital ecosystem on our websiteFind the full-length video on YouTube @PineForestPodsFollow us on Social Media @pineforestmediaAudio Editing by Clark Marchese, Video Editing by Oscar PadulaVideography and Set Design by Le Studio Du PassageCover Art by Laurel WongTheme music by Nela RuizFind some more Pine Forest Media podcasts belowListen to Oceanography on Spotify or Apple PodcastsListen to Plastic Podcast on Spotify or Apple PodcastsListen to South Pole on Spotify or Apple PodcastsListen to Something in the Water on Spotify or Apple Podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some environmental wonders resist the camera. Environmental filmmaker and cinematographer Dr. Isabelle Carbonell takes listeners to Bio Bay in Vieques, Puerto Rico, where dense concentrations of dinoflagellates create brilliant bioluminescence that cameras struggle to capture. That technical failure becomes a question about visibility, wonder, embodiment, and whether an imperfect image can open other ways of knowing nature. Carbonell also situates the bay within Vieques's history of colonial extraction, United States military occupation, contamination, and slow environmental violence. The result is an exploration of environmental filmmaking and visual storytelling that asks what environmental communication loses when it values only spectacular images, and what environmental justice can reveal about the things that remain unseen.Episode Guest: Dr. Isabelle CarbonellDiscover more of Dr. Carbonell’s work on her websiteExplore the Pine Forest Media digital ecosystem on our websiteFind the full-length video on YouTube @PineForestPodsFollow us on Social Media @pineforestmediaAudio Editing by Clark Marchese, Video Editing by Oscar PadulaVideography and Set Design by Le Studio Du PassageCover Art by Laurel WongTheme music by Nela RuizFind some more Pine Forest Media podcasts belowListen to Oceanography on Spotify or Apple PodcastsListen to Plastic Podcast on Spotify or Apple PodcastsListen to South Pole on Spotify or Apple PodcastsListen to Something in the Water on Spotify or Apple Podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most of Earth's species remain unknown to science. Marine biologist and taxonomist Dr. Manuel Caballero Gutierrez explains how scientists estimate global biodiversity and why humanity may currently know only about 25 percent of the species that exist. He walks through taxonomy as scientific detective work, from deep-sea expeditions and specimen collection to anatomical study, DNA analysis, museum archives, formal naming, and publication. The episode examines biodiversity loss, why the shortage of taxonomists matters, how scientific knowledge can disappear with individual specialists, and why species may go extinct before humanity knows they exist. An expansive introduction to biodiversity, ocean exploration, and the ecological research that conservation depends upon.Episode Guests: Dr. Manuel Callebar GutierrezBrowse Dr. Callebar Gutierrez’s publications on Research GateWATCH THE FULL VIDEO ON YOUTUBEExplore the Pine Forest Media digital ecosystem on our websiteFind the full-length video on YouTube @PineForestPodsFollow us on Social Media @pineforestmediaAudio Editing by Clark Marchese, Video Editing by Oscar PadulaVideography and Set Design by Le Studio Du PassageCover Art by Laurel WongTheme music by Nela RuizFind some more Pine Forest Media podcasts belowListen to Oceanography on Spotify or Apple PodcastsListen to Plastic Podcast on Spotify or Apple PodcastsListen to South Pole on Spotify or Apple PodcastsListen to Something in the Water on Spotify or Apple Podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.