The Plasticology Project Podcast

On this episode of The Plasticology Project Podcast we hear from Chris Desai. Chris is the founder and Global Project Director of the UOcean Project. After many years in the fashion industry, Chris suddenly found himself feeling unfulfilled in life. Announcing his departure from his job, Chris went on to spend many months reflecting on his role in the world, culminating in a profound moment of realisation. Shortly after, Chris started UOCEAN 2050. The rest, as they say, is history. Join us as we explore Chris' journey and hear about the exciting future ahead.

Want to learn more about UOCEAN? Check out the website: www.uocean.org

On this episode of The Plasticology Project Podcast we hear from Grahame Lloyd. Grahame is the Remote Marine Debris Campaigner for Sea Shepherd Australia. Grahame's work is focussed on clean-up and waste reduction across northern Australia. Working with remote communities and Australia First Nations people, Grahame and his team of dedicated volunteers have successfully cleaned hundreds of tonnes of waste from remote coastlines, freeing the beaches for the return of marine life. Grahame takes us through a day in what he describes as his "dream job", while sharing insights into the challenges faced when working in remote locations.

Want to know more about Sea Shepherd or volunteer for a beach clean project? www.seashepherd.org.au

#marine #plastic #plasticpollution #ocean #oceanpollution

On this episode of The Plasticology Project Podcast we hear from Marco Vesters. Marco is based in Bali, Indonesia and has seen first hand the extent of the plastic pollution problem in that part of the world. Having worked for over 20 years in the tech, finance and ICT industry with big names like CISCO and Nokia, Marco is now turning his attention to helping environmental and tech businesses scale into impactful ventures. Join me as we hear about Marco's first hand accounts of the plastic pollution problem in Indonesian, and how the interrelationship between the world of big business and environmental stewardship could solve some of these problems.

#plastic #plasticpollution #business #corporate #science

On this episode of The Plasticology Project Podcast I speak with Isaias Hernandez. Isaias is an environmental educator, environmentalist, activist and founder of Queer Brown Vegan. Isaias is based in US and is a heavyweight when it comes to environmental and social justice issues. Through the power of education, Isaias has shaped the environmental justice discourse in the US. In addition, Isaias has redefined environmental education by developing new ways to deliver science, and engage audiences. Isaias learnt how to harness the power of social media to reach a wide audience, and today shares educational content to millions of people around the world. It is an enormous privilege to speak with Isaias on the Plasticology Project podcast. 

On this episode of The Plasticology Project podcast I speak with Professor Gabriel Filippelli. Gabe is a biogeochemist, climate scientist and exposure scientist at the Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis. Gabe is the Chancellor’s Professor of Earth Sciences and the Executive Director of the Indiana University Environmental Resilience Institute. Recently Gabe visited Australia as a Fulbright Distinguished Chair at the University of Newcastle. Gabe is the editor-in-chief for the American Geophysical Union GeoHealth journal, and was previously the U.S. National Academy of Sciences Jefferson Science Fellow, which saw him take a position as Senior Science Advisor for the U.S. Department of State during the President Obama administration. We will hear Gabe’s first hand-account of the impacts of climate change on the Midwest of the U.S., and how plastic pollution fits into the climate change narrative.

On this episode of the Plasticology Project Podcast I speak with Mutumba Faisal. Mutumba is based in Uganda, on the shores of the mighty Lake Victoria. Lake Victoria is the largest lake in Africa, the world’s largest tropical lake, and the world’s second-largest freshwater lake by area. The lake supports a fishing industry that helps feed a population of around 40 million. Mutumba has taken on the enormous task of trying to repair the degraded environment of Lake Victoria and create a better future for this environmental asset. Mutumba spends his days leading the Uganda Junior Rangers travelling to some of the 985 islands of Lake Victoria collecting discarded fishing nets, ghost nets and plastics. Mutumba’s mission is to educate the next generation of Ugandans and encourage them to love the environment. I caught up with Mutumba just after he stepped off a boat, returning from a morning trying to resolve one of the other great challenges of the lake – invasive weeds. We join the conversation as Mutumba explains to me how these invasive weeds are impacting the lake, and how plastic is a part of this story.

On this episode of The Plasticology Project Podcast I speak with Sarah-Jo Lobwein. Sarah-Jo has been a plastic pollution campaigner in Sydney’s Sutherland Shire for many years. Sarah-Jo was one of the founders of SO Shire – Sustainable Organisations of the Sutherland Shire. Marine biology is a passion for Sarah-Jo and this led to a desire to help improve the coastal ecosystems off eastern Australia. As an environmental educator and plastic pollution warrior, Sarah-Jo has led hundreds of beach clean-ups, and regularly provides workshops for schools and community groups. In addition to SO Shire, Sarah-Jo is also known under banner of Ocean Tidings, a platform for environmental sustainability education. I had the great pleasure of speaking with Sarah-Jo via video call, where we discussed the curious case of white sticks that started washing up on Sydney beaches. Sarah-Jo describes the environmental forensics approach that led to the discovery of the peculiar origin of these sticks.

On this episode of The Plasticology Project Podcast I speak with Peter Puskic. Peter is a PhD student at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies at the University of Tasmania. Peter’s work is focussed on understanding the physiological impacts of plastic ingestion on organisms. By studying marine birds, primarily shearwaters, Peter has made some startling discoveries about just how much plastic is out there in the marine environment, and what impact this is having on marine life. I caught up with Peter from the research institute in Hobart, Tasmania.

You can find out more about Peter's research by following his work on social media. Simply search Peter Puskic.

On this episode of The Plasticology Project Podcast I speak with Tarryn Johnston, founder of the non-profit organisation Hennops Revival. Tarryn started Hennops Revival in 2019 after a river clean-up with her daughter changed the entire direction of her life. Seeing the state of the water and environment of the Hennops River in South Africa left a lasting impression on Tarryn, and triggered a desire to do more. Since completing the first river clean-up in 2019, Tarryn and Hennops Revival have removed 1.5 million kilograms of trash from the river in over 76,000 rubbish bags. Hennops Revival runs off the dedication and drive of volunteers. Through their effort the Hennops River is slowly beginning to breathe new life. I caught up with Tarryn via video call from her home near the Hennops River, South Africa.

On this episode of The Plasticology Project Podcast I speak with Harry Chan Tin Ming. Harry is diver in Hong Kong and has become known as the Ghost Net Hunter. Harry’s mission is to raise awareness about the fate of the global oceans through drawing attention to one of the forgotten ocean pollution problems – ghost nets. Harry started his mission over ten years ago after a visit to the beach with a friend changed his perception of the oceans. Harry was awarded the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region medal of honour in 2020 for his work. Harry is an ambassador for Ocean Park Conservation Foundation Hong Kong. I caught up on the phone with Harry from his home in Hong Kong.

On this episode of The Plasticology Project Podcast I talk with James Wakibia. An environmentalist, activist and photo journalist based in Kenya. James has been instrumental in the helping to fight plastic pollution in Africa. In 2013 James began raising awareness about the plastic pollution in his home town Nakuru, about 150 km away from the Kenyan capital of Nairobi. By 2015 James had started a Twitter campaign to capture global attention, using the hashtag banplasticsKE. In 2017, single-use plastic bags were banned in Kenya, and James is largely credited for that success. I caught up with James to chat about the future of plastic pollution in Africa.

Welcome to the Plasticology Project Podcast. In this podcast series Dr Paul Harvey, environmental scientist, activist and author takes listeners on a journey to discover the greatest plastic pollution challenges facing our world, and the incredible plastic pollution warriors doing their bit to solve the problem. In this episode Dr Paul shares his passion for the natural environment and speaks about the path to writing The Plasticology Project book.