In this week's episode we take a look at a fascinating new scientific study that suggests the anthropocene has affected speech itself - and how this could irrevocably change the field of linguistics.

48 - Mass Extinctions: the day the earth went bust

Mar 24th, 2019 34m 5s

Extinction is a fact of life. But five times in Earth's history, cataclysmic mass extinction events have wiped out not a few animals, but up to 96% of life in one go. And scientists are now raising the question: are we now entering the sixth gr

45 - Trade secrets

Mar 11th, 2019 30m 18s

In this episode we take you into the murky world of global trade deals - including the secretive tribunals where companies get to sue governments for billions. Join us for this interview with the wonderful Dr Patricia Ranald, Convener of the Au

44 - A History of Beer (featuring witches!)

Feb 24th, 2019 31m 33s

What neolithic beverage is still the world's third most consumed drink? That's right: beer! We delve into beer's 14,000 year old history and do a couple of sidebar trips via witches and the world's coolest nun. We also dig into why a drink the

43 - Sydney's sparkling cesspit

Feb 10th, 2019 30m 20s

It's called the jewel of Sydney, but below the surface of Sydney harbour is a toxic legacy. In this week's episode, we bring you the astounding tale of how one company, with one factory, has changed the way we will use the harbour for generatio

42 - Size isn't everything

Jan 28th, 2019 29m 49s

For years, we've protected nature on the idea that bigger is better: protecting big, isolated areas of 'untouched' wilderness is the only way to keep nature safe. But in 2018, research from Australia's University of Melbourne turned that idea o

41 - our 5 wins from 2018

Jan 13th, 2019 32m 24s

To welcome us all into 2019 and start the year with some optimism, in this episode Suzanne and Lucy reflect on 5 of our top wins for the environment from 2018.

40 - Interview: Lisa Garcia, Earthjustice

Dec 17th, 2018 31m 8s

A very special interview this week, recorded LIVE at the Australian Labor Party 2018 National Conference! Suzanne speaks with Lisa Garcia, ex-Senior Advisor for Environmental Justice at the U.S Environmental Protection Agency and now with the U

39 - Ignition

Dec 2nd, 2018 32m

In this week's episode we delve into an aspect of the anthropocene that has been all over the news in recent weeks: bushfires. Devastating fires have been raging from California to Queensland, and in this episode we look at all the ways that hu

38 - The War of the Currents

Nov 18th, 2018 31m 17s

We go back in time to one of the most vicious fights of the 19th century: the war between Thomas Edison and Nicholas Tesla over who would power the United States. This battle last nearly a decade, and was marked by brutal commercial competition

37 - To catch a killer

Nov 4th, 2018 33m 22s

Several recent high-profile arrests have brought forensic genetic genealogy - or identifying criminals through large, open-source genetic databases - to the public's attention. But is this the next big thing in crime fighting, or the top of a v

36 - The dark side of renewable energy

Oct 14th, 2018 26m 36s

How green are your solar panels? In this week's episode, we delve into the dark side of renewable energy, and the toxic trail it's leaving from California to Inner Mongolia.

35 - Can trees think?

Oct 1st, 2018 31m 40s

There's growing evidence that plants can think and communicate. Though plants have no brains, scientists have uncovered evidence that they talk to each other, make decisions, learn and have a social life. This week, we take a journey into the s

34 - A sustainable cup of tea (ft. Julie Hirsch)

Sep 16th, 2018 34m 14s

Tea. The solution to all life's problems. But your cup of tea maybe causing more problems than it solves: food waste, plastic pollution, deforestation and unfair labor practices are all side effects of the mainstream tea industry. We sit down

33 - Outsourcing the damage

Sep 3rd, 2018 29m 58s

We have a very special episode this week, in partnership with ActionAid Australia. Lucy will take us through a explosive new report revealing for the first time how Australia’s global fossil fuel giants are systematically undermining women’s ri

32 - Wake up sheeple! (All about conspiracy theories)

Aug 19th, 2018 31m 49s

Did you hear the one about the Illuminati lizard-king who controls the world? Because it's 100% true and he controls the Government. This week we delve deep into the fascinating conspiracy theories: why do people believe them and why are they s

31 - Trump V Sage Grouse

Aug 5th, 2018 32m 55s

It looks like a punk rock peacock, and its "body popping" routine has to be one of the animal kingdom's most bizarre mating rituals. But now the iconic sage grouse of the western United States is in the limelight for all the wrong reasons. This

30 - Red coal carpet

Jul 29th, 2018 41m 30s

Is disagreement a dying art? These days, all public conversations seem toxic: no matter whether we're debating abortion or casting for the new Star Wars film, we don't seem to be able to agree to disagree. But what is that doing to our mental

29 - Outbreak!

Jul 22nd, 2018 38m 16s

It's been 100 years since the Spanish Flu outbreak of 1918 - the deadliest natural disaster in human history. But as deforestation, climate change and global rapid transport incubate the next big global pandemic, we're asking: are we ready for

28 - Extreme extractivism

Jul 18th, 2018 35m 30s

We all know that pulling resources of the ground can be bad for the environment. But some types of mining go out of their way to destroy everything in their path, causing earthquakes and levelling whole mountains. This week we look at the crazy

27 - Out of the Box

Jul 8th, 2018 31m 49s

Traditional funerals have a big environmental impact... and with 55 million of us dying every year the outcomes can be massive. Recently the green burial movement has sprung up to look at alternatives - you can become part of a forest, a reef,

26 - Panda Panels

Jul 2nd, 2018 26m 57s

China is currently the world's largest carbon emitter, and what happens there over the next generation will literally shape the globes future. The ruling Central Party has committed that their carbon emissions will peak by 2030 and then start t

25 - Sand Wars

Jun 24th, 2018 30m 26s

The world is in the grip of a costly, destructive and quite often deadly environmental crime of which most people have never heard. Communities around the world are waking up to find their local beach, riverbank or lake have been stolen by a ve

24 - Anthropomeme

Jun 17th, 2018 28m 22s

Everyone agrees that humans have impacted this planet and the space that surrounds more than any other species in the history of this solar system. But to be able to understand that impact we need to describe it. Enter the environmental humanit

23 - Interview: Jessica Panegyres on Australia's Deforestation Crisis

Jun 2nd, 2018 34m 12s

This week, the magnificent Jess Panegyres tells us all about Australia's deforestation crisis - one of the worst in the world - what we can do about it. We also talk about home, landscapes and get treated to an impromptu cover of 1980s west aus