Nature Breaking

Latest Episodes:

Charting a Future for our Oceans Jun 13, 2023

Show notes

In the wake of World Ocean Day on June 8, this episode examines worsening global conflict around fisheries, and what we can do to address it. Put simply, huge swaths of the world rely on fishing, either for subsistence or income. And when fish become more scarce due to overfishing, climate disruption, or other factors, it creates an opportunity for conflict. Today's guest is Sarah Glaser, who leads the Oceans Futures initiative at WWF. The initiative aims to use the best science and predictive technology to provide an early warning system for future marine conflicts, as well as a set of tools to prevent those conflicts. In this conversation Sarah explains some of the basics about illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (3:15), shares how climate change has become an accelerant for high-seas conflict (7:57), and discusses how the Oceans Futures initiative is working to address these issues (12:37).

LINKS:

Oceans Futures: https://www.oceansfutures.org/

Conservation and Tourism: How Your Vacation Can Help Protect Nature May 30, 2023

Show notes

The link between travel and conservation goes back at least to the 1860s, when President Lincoln signed the Yosemite Act, setting aside a large area in California for "public use, resort, and recreation." But are travel and conservation still compatible? Joining the show to help answer that question is Jim Sano, WWF's Vice President for Travel, Tourism, and Conservation. You'll hear Jim talk about how tourism dollars provide essential funding for national parks that help preserve nature (3:30), and how places like Namibia are putting conservation at the center of their tourism economy (6:15). And you'll also hear Jim's tips and best practices for sustainable travel (14:35).

LINKS:

WWF's Guide to Responsible Travel: https://lp.panda.org/travel

Polar Bears and Environmental DNA May 16, 2023

Show notes

Perhaps no species on Earth has been more directly associated with climate change than polar bears. As Arctic sea ice melts, the habitat for these bears will continue to shrink. But did you know that polar bear populations have a complicated history? In this episode you'll hear from Elisabeth Kruger, a manager for Arctic wildlife at WWF-US, about how conservation measures helped polar bears in the 1970s when commercial hunting was their primary threat (2:55), and what the future looks like for polar bears in the face of climate change (5:20). Then you'll hear from Dr. Micaela Hellstrom, CEO and co-founder of MIX Research in Sweden, who is working with Elisabeth and others at WWF to collect environmental DNA from polar bear footprints in order to learn more about these iconic Arctic dwellers (22:55).

LINKS:

WWF-US Polar Bear Page: https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/polar-bear

WWF Arctic Program Polar Bear Page: https://www.arcticwwf.org/wildlife/polar-bear/

Bees and the Magic of Pollination May 02, 2023

Show notes

Pollination underpins the web of life, helping crops produce food and helping flowers produce seeds. Perhaps no species is more directly associated with the topic of pollination than the European honeybee, but there are actually some 20,000 known species of bee in the world, and nearly 4,000 in North America alone. And pollination doesn't end with bees. Many other species, from butterflies, to bats and even beetles play critical roles. Unfortunately many of these little helpers are under threat from a range of factors, including habitat loss, pesticides, and climate change. In this episode you'll hear from Clay Bolt, WWF's Manager of Pollinator Conservation and Communications for the Northern Great Plains Program, about the role that bees and other pollinators play in sustaining natural systems, and the steps we need to take to better protect these species and the services they provide.

LINKS:

WWF Blog: 3 Things You Can Do to Help Your Local Pollinators

Iowa State University Study: "Insecticidal Seed Treatments can Harm Honey Bees"

Saving the Monarch Butterfly Apr 18, 2023

Show notes

At WWF, we're mobilizing around Earth Day this year to raise awareness about the plight of the migratory monarch butterfly – a species known for its beauty as well as its importance as a pollinator. Sadly, migratory monarchs were officially classified as an endangered species in 2022, and last month brought more grim news: the presence of monarch butterflies in their overwinter habitat in Mexico declined by 22% compared to the same time last year. WWF-Mexico's monarch butterfly expert, Eduardo Rendón-Salinas, joins this episode to talk about what makes migratory monarchs special (3:42), the reasons for their decline (16:44), and how individuals can take action to save them (25:25).

LINKS:

WWF's Monarch Page: https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/monarch-butterfly

Learn How to Plant Milkweed: https://www.worldwildlife.org/pages/monarch-milkweed-finder

Extrapolations: Apple TV+ Tackles Climate Change Apr 11, 2023

Show notes

Last month Apple TV+ launched a new show called Extrapolations, which portrays a variety of scenarios that could play out in the coming decades if we fail to address climate change. In this special two-part episode, you'll hear first from three people involved in making the show: Scott Z. Burns, the creator and executive producer of Extrapolations; Dorothy Fortenberry, another of the show's executive producers; and Matthew Rhys, one of the actors starring in the show. They'll talk about why they chose to tackle the topic of climate change through a scripted drama (1:37), and what they hope the show will inspire viewers to do (15:56). Then, in Part 2, you'll hear a discussion with Marcene Mitchell, Nikhil Advani, and Anita Van Breda from WWF's Climate team about some of the specific scenarios portrayed in the show, how likely those scenarios actually are, and what the world needs to do to prevent them from becoming a reality (22:12).

LINKS:

Extrapolations Action Page: https://learn.appletvapp.apple/extrapolations

Bringing the Nature Agenda to Congress Apr 04, 2023

Show notes

This time of year marks the beginning of the annual appropriations process in Congress. That's the months-long process through which Congress determines how much money it's going to allocate for a wide array of federal programs – including those that support global conservation efforts. That's why, every March, WWF asks our national network of supporters to consider joining us for a day of advocacy on Capitol Hill. It's an opportunity to meet in-person with Members of Congress and their staff, and to let them know why funding for global conservation is important. On this episode you'll hear from Sara Thomas, WWF's senior director for integrated marketing and activism, about why WWF began holding this annual "Lobby Day" and what it's achieved over the years (1:45). Then you'll hear from two WWF champions who joined us in DC for this year's event: Lindsey Coffey and Carlo Treviso. Lindsey and Carlo will talk about what motivated them to become advocates for nature (14:42), and what they'll remember from their day on Capitol Hill (29:06).

Want to get involved in future WWF advocacy events? Text "WWF Podcast" to 43144 to sign up for news and updates from WWF's mobile action team.

LINKS:

www.worldwildlife.org/takeaction

Explaining the New UN Climate Report (IPCC AR6) Mar 20, 2023

Show notes

We're releasing this episode a day early because today, the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a major new report offering the most comprehensive accounting of climate science to date. It's the final report in the IPCC's Sixth Assessment series. One of the lead authors of that series, Dr. Stephanie Roe, also serves as WWF's Global Climate and Energy Lead Scientist. Stephanie joins this episode to explain how this report builds upon other recent climate assessments (1:21) and how the process of developing these reports actually works (3:34). She then shares some key takeaways from this report (5:40), and discusses whether a stable climate future is still achievable (12:40).

LINKS:

IPCC Synthesis Report of the 6th Assessment Cycle

Supporting Women-Led Climate Solutions Mar 07, 2023

Show notes

To mark International Women's Day, this week's episode focuses on an exciting new initiative that WWF is involved with to advance women- and community-led solutions to climate challenges. It's an outgrowth of an alliance that WWF has with CARE, the global development organization that works to address poverty and hunger, with a focus on gender equality. Hear from Cheryl Margoluis, Executive Director of the CARE-WWF Alliance, about how these two organizations first came together (1:33), why the Alliance decided to put women and girls at the center of their work (8:18), and how its latest initiative, Sowing Change, aims to help establish women-led livelihoods that also contribute to local climate solutions (10:52).

LINKS:

CARE-WWF Alliance home page

Sowing Change concept paper

How the Farm Bill Advances Conservation Priorities Feb 21, 2023

Show notes

This year the U.S. Congress is due to reauthorize the Farm Bill. This bill is the primary vehicle for setting food and agricultural policy in the United States. That means it's also a huge opportunity to advance conservation policies, because food systems account for about one-third of global emissions and are a leading cause of deforestation, land conversion, and biodiversity loss. In this episode, Suzy Friedman, WWF's senior director for food policy, talks about the history of the Farm Bill (1:40), and how this year's version could strengthen policies that incentivize conservation of important ecosystems (6:25), reduce food loss and waste (14:55), and more.

LINKS:

WWF's Farm Bill Page

BLOG: 2023 Farm Bill: An Opportunity for Food and Farm Security

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