Waste Not WHY Not

Latest Episodes:

70. COP30 Watch (Nate’s Back?) Nov 21, 2025

Show notes

Nature Nate is back for his take on COP30 in Belém, Brazil!. COP30 (November 10-21, 2025) has just wrapped up. Nate shares thoughts on COP30, with a recap on his attending Climate Week NYC 2025.

The geopolitical context of COP30 was front and center. The billion-dollar shortfall in the UN budget and the near-empty Loss and Damages Fund presented a major challenge.

The U.S. had pulled out of COP, but it’s not all bad news. Instead of participating on a federal level, 24 individual states representing 54% of the nation’s GDP have remained committed. This year, China has stepped forward with the largest delegation. It’s driving the EV revolution and creating financial realities that have led to the lowest-ever prices for wind, solar, and batteries.

There’s still a lot of work ahead. While the world currently possesses all the necessary tools and technologies to stop climate change at an effective price point (heat pumps, EVs, cheap renewables, energy storage), new challenges are arising. A major new complication is the drastically growing energy use of AI. This pressure is complicating carbon targets, with companies like Microsoft potentially missing net-zero goals, and is incentivizing the prolonged use of gas and coal plants to meet the new compute demand.

Plus, cool stories from Climate Week NYC, including Mark Ruffalo, Jane Fonda, and an Australian mining company committed to "real zero" (and no carbon offsets).

(The episode was recorded on November 20, when countries still yet to reach a consensus on mapping out the “roadmap” to phase out fossil fuel.)

This is Waste Not Why Not, a climate podcast from Ghost Island Media. It's hosted by Nature N8 (Nate Maynard), a sustainability consultant working on energy, ocean, and waste.

Support us on Patreon: http://patreon.com/wastenotwhynot
Follow us on Twitter @wastenotpod

EPISODE CREDIT

Nate Maynard (@N8May), Host
Emily Y. Wu (@emilyywu), Producer
Wayne Tsai, Audio Editing
Zack Chiang, Production Assistant
Show logo by Southwicks Graphics
Theme tune by Dac Chang

A Ghost Island Media production (@ghostislandme)

Support the show: https://patreon.com/wastenotwhynot

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

69. Finale: Our last episode (for now) May 06, 2024

Show notes

One fine day in December 2018, Nate Maynard and Emily Y. Wu met over a coffee in downtown Taipei. The two talked about podcasting and sustainability. By Christmas, Nate, Emily, and Emily (Pearson) had recorded the first episodes of “Waste Not Why Not”.
“Waste Not Why Not” - a sustainability podcast - was the first original show from Ghost Island Media. It debuted on Earth Day in 2019. Since then, it’s been a media partner at the 2020 AAAS Annual Meeting (American Association for the Advancement of Science), a program partner of the American Institute in Taiwan, and received support from Cypress River Advisors.
We remember interviewing incredible guests:
Season One included Daniel Vickery, then-head of engineering of batteries and energy systems at Gogoro (maker of the world’s first nation-wide electric grid for electric vehicles); Sam Kimmins, then-head of RE100 from The Climate Group; Taiwanese youth climate activist Liang-Yi Chang; and Dr. Nebojsa Nakicenovic (IIASA) on radical change.
Season Two included Dr. Jane Lubchenco, former head of NOAA; Professor Stephan Lewandowsky of the University of Bristol on science denial and disinformation; Christine Bader, former head of CSR at Amazon and BP; and Dr. Enric Sala, National Geographic explorer-in-residence.
We visited a food lab (thank you, Mattson in California!), a coral lab (thank you Shashank Keshavmurthy at Academia Sinica in Taiwan!), a batteries R&D center (thank you, Antonio Baclig at Stanford University!), a garage of new electric dirt bikes (you rock, Azizi Tucker!).
In Season Three and Four, we walked about solar energy, climate simulation, sustainable menstrual products, green buildings, COP, and we even did a game show.
Thank you to all our listeners and supporters who rooted for us in the past five years. Waste Not Why Not has come to an end (for now!)
Nate Maynard now continues his podcasting career at NETTING ZEROS, a new project Nate launched with David Green. Here’s the show on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/netting-zeros/id1739098029
Here’s the show on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7uEIMDGgCduymAekSiV7zD
Check them out on Substack: https://nettingzeros.substack.com/about
As for Ghost Island Media, we continue producing podcasts and publishing. Please check out our other shows at www.ghostisland.media
EPISODE CREDIT
Host: Nate Maynard (Nature 8, @N8May), a sustainability consultant working on energy, ocean and waste.
Producer: Emily Y. Wu (@emilyywu), executive producer and founder of Ghost Island Media.
Audio Packaging by Wayne Tsai
Show logo by Southwicks Graphics
Theme tune by Dac Chang
A Ghost Island Media production (@ghostislandme)

Support the show: https://patreon.com/wastenotwhynot

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

68. Live from COP28, Part 3 Jan 22, 2024

Show notes

For this final part of our COP28 mini-series, Nature N8 attends his last day at COP28. He chats with Tanmatra Bhanti, Manager of Policy & Partnerships at Rare, and Alfredo M Coro II, Municipal Mayor of the Municipality of Del Carmen, Siargao Islands in the Philippines.
Nature N8 gives his final thoughts at COP. What is it for, who is it for, what's achieved there, and what's greenwashing in today's climate conversations?
This is Waste Not Why Not, a climate podcast from Ghost Island Media. Debuted on Earth Day in 2019, it's hosted by Nature N8 (Nate Maynard), a sustainability consultant working on energy, ocean and waste.
Support us on Patreon: http://patreon.com/wastenotwhynot
Follow us on Twitter @wastenotpod
EPISODE CREDIT
Nate Maynard (@N8May), Host
Gerald Williams, Audio Editing
Show logo by Southwicks Graphics
Theme tune by Dac Chang
A Ghost Island Media production (@ghostislandme)

Support the show: https://patreon.com/wastenotwhynot

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

67. Live from COP28, Part 2 Jan 04, 2024

Show notes

Nature N8 spends another day at COP28 in Dubai where he continues to go behind the scenes giving his thoughts, explaining some of the cool exhibits, and speaking with participants from Taiwan.
This episode includes interviews from:
Katie Liu, New Taipei City representative
Chia Wei Chao, Research Director at the Taiwan Climate Action Network
Cammie Lu, Mom Loves Taiwan Association
Emmanuel Fromont, Acer’s Corporate Vice President and President of Acer’s EMEA operations.
Stay tuned for part 3 of our COP28 mini-series!
This is Waste Not Why Not, a climate podcast from Ghost Island Media. Debuted on Earth Day in 2019, it's hosted by Nature N8 (Nate Maynard), a sustainability consultant working on energy, ocean and waste.
Support us on Patreon: http://patreon.com/wastenotwhynot
Follow us on Twitter @wastenotpod

EPISODE CREDIT
Nate Maynard (@N8May), Host
Gerald Williams, Audio Editing
Emily Y. Wu (@emilyywu), Producer
Show logo by Southwicks Graphics
Theme tune by Dac Chang
A Ghost Island Media production (@ghostislandme)

Support the show: https://patreon.com/wastenotwhynot

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

66. Live from COP28, Part 1 Dec 12, 2023

Show notes

Skip to 4:00 minutes for Nate live from Dubai! Go behind the scenes at COP28 with Nate where he gives his thoughts, what he hopes to see, and what cool stories he can find.
Nature Nate is back! He jump-starts this new season by going to COP 28, what might be the most important climate negotiations ever…or not. Also, listen in to hear some updates about the show and its upcoming season.
This is Waste Not Why Not, a climate podcast from Ghost Island Media. Debuted on Earth Day in 2019, it's hosted by Nature N8 (Nate Maynard), a sustainability consultant working on energy, ocean and waste.
Support us on Patreon: http://patreon.com/wastenotwhynot
Follow us on Twitter @wastenotpod
Hosted by Nate Maynard (@N8May)
Audio Editing by Gerald Williams
Show logo by Southwicks Graphics
Theme tune by Dac Chang
Produced by Emily Y. Wuu (@emilyywu)
A Ghost Island Media production (@ghostislandme)

Support the show: https://patreon.com/wastenotwhynot

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

65. Regrowing Hope with Tony Rinaudo, the “Forest Maker” Apr 17, 2023

Show notes

Tony Rinaudo is an Australian agronomist widely known as the “forest maker”. He's lived and worked in Africa for decades where he put into a forest restoration practice called Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR).
FMNR has restored 6,000,000 hectares of land and over 200 million trees in Niger, vastly improving the livelihood of millions. Today, Nature N8 and Tony talk about inspiration, life’s purpose, making a difference, and hope.

Resources:
- Read the FMNR manual here to learn more.
- Two books that made a difference in Tony’s life: “I Planted Trees” and “Sahara Conquest” by Richard St. Barbe Baker.

This is Waste Not Why Not, a climate podcast from Ghost Island Media. Debuted on Earth Day in 2019, it's hosted by Nature N8 (Nate Maynard), a sustainability consultant working on energy, ocean, and waste.
Support us on Patreon: http://patreon.com/wastenotwhynot
Follow us on Twitter @wastenotpod
EPISODE CREDIT
Nate Maynard (@N8May), Host
Emily Y. Wu (@emilyywu), Producer
Gerald Williams, Audio Editing
Show logo by Southwicks Graphics
Theme tune by Dac Chang
A Ghost Island Media production (@ghostislandme)

Support the show: https://patreon.com/wastenotwhynot

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

64. A Vegan Story (by students at Minerva University) Mar 03, 2023

Show notes

Today’s piece is guest-produced by students at Minerva University - a four-year, US accredited college where the students are on semester-abroads all the time. In Fall 2022, more than a hundred Minerva students spent time in Taiwan. Nate was a mentor to four students who wanted to make a podcast on sustainability. And here’s the result!
A VEGAN STORY - TAIWAN
Despite the recent rise of popularity in veganism, it is true that veganism is associated often with a restrictive, judgemental connotation. However, veganism in Taiwan is proof that veganism does not have to be all or nothing Today, 1 in 7 people in Taiwan live with a vegan or vegetarian diet, with a diverse array of vegan alternatives to choose from. However, despite the abundance of alternatives, not many Taiwanese do not actively identify themselves as vegan or vegetarian. Why may this be the case?
For many, it may seem like the increasing global attention towards sustainability has shifted the options available for keeping a vegan diet, extending the abstinence from all forms of animal products into more and more people’s everyday lives. But veganism is not just a story about sustainability. In Taiwan, veganism is an embedded practice within everyday life that is a combination of politics, religion, sustainability, and more. In this article, we will cover Taiwan’s unique vegan story, created through its unique cultural background. We will delve into the past, present, and future of Taiwan’s veganism, exploring the multifaceted story that has allowed Taiwan to become so vegan.
This episode is written and produced by Stephanie Froebel, Jana Majnova, Seo Kim, and Narandelger Erdenebileg.
Enjoy!
This is Waste Not Why Not, a climate podcast from Ghost Island Media. Debuted on Earth Day in 2019, it's hosted by Nature N8 (Nate Maynard), a sustainability consultant working on energy, ocean, and waste.
Support us on Patreon: http://patreon.com/wastenotwhynot
Follow us on Twitter @wastenotpod

Support the show: https://patreon.com/wastenotwhynot

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

63. Lunar New Year updates from Ghost Island Media Jan 23, 2023

Show notes

Happy lunar new year from all of us at Ghost Island Media! At time of this new years greetings recording, we didn't know yet of the mass shooting in Monterey Park in California that took the lives of 10 people on new years eve, Saturday, January 21, 2023. Our deepest condolences to families affected by the horrific tragedy. Our hearts are with our Asian American community.
We have new shows waiting to announce this spring. Meanwhile, our newest partner is AmCham, the American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan, do check out the podcast we're helping to produce. "Executive Sweet":
Search "Executive Sweet" right here where you're listening, or use this link: https://topics.amcham.com.tw/listen/
Happy new year of the rabbit. Hop hop!
Other shows we mentioned in the announcement:
Waste Not Why Not: https://ghostisland.media/en/shows/waste-not-why-not/
The Taiwan Take: https://ghostisland.media/en/shows/taiwan-take/
Metalhead Politics: https://ghostisland.media/en/shows/metalhead-politics/
In French and Mandarin:
Balades Culturelles Franco-Taïwanaises: https://ghostisland.media/en/shows/france-taiwan/
In Mandarin:
Z Green Party: https://ghostisland.media/en/shows/green-party/
In the Weeds 大麻煩不煩: https://ghostisland.media/en/shows/in-the-weeds/
Dos Salidas: https://ghostisland.media/en/shows/dos-salidas/
Five Star Nation: https://ghostisland.media/en/shows/5-star-nation/

Support the show: https://patreon.com/wastenotwhynot

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

62. Combating Climate Anxiety with Ocean Mindfulness (Joshua Sam Miller, Sounds Of the Ocean) Dec 21, 2022

Show notes

Joshua Sam Miller is a musician, a filmmaker, a conservationist, a yogi, and a collector of ocean sounds and peoples. He’s performed at COP as well as at Burning Man.
Today, N8 talks to Joshua about mindfulness, meditation, breathwork, the healing power of ocean sounds, and how something silly now, may end up being something you do for a living later on.
If you liked the music track at 11:44 - 12:15 and 28:07 - 30:07 in this episode, then check out more works from Joshua on Spotify. The track we featured is called “Unity”: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2AWiZLYN8BaYhMJp9lfQ9j?si=xtfUJccVQ8S0iQPGWCIkRA
This is Waste Not Why Not, a climate podcast from Ghost Island Media. Debuted on Earth Day in 2019, it's hosted by Nature N8 (Nate Maynard), a sustainability consultant working on energy, ocean, and waste.
Support us on Patreon: http://patreon.com/wastenotwhynot
Follow us on Twitter @wastenotpod
EPISODE CREDIT
Nate Maynard (@N8May), Host
Gerald Williams, Production Assistant
Teresa Yen, Audio Editing
Emily Y. Wu (@emilyywu), Producer
Show logo by Southwicks Graphics
Theme tune by Dac Chang
A Ghost Island Media production (@ghostislandme)

Support the show: https://patreon.com/wastenotwhynot

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

61. Dispatch from Energy Taiwan Nov 17, 2022

Show notes

Last month, Taiwan’s largest green energy event took place in Taipei connecting the domestic renewable energy industries with their international counterparts. So obviously, Nature N8 had to go.
This year, Energy Taiwan had 5 categories: solar, wind, smart storage, emerging power and net zero Taiwan. This year, N8 saw bigger booths, plenty of renewable technologies, and goats. Yes, real goats. There's exciting times ahead for the renewable energy sector in Taiwan.
But there were still some things Nate wanted to see more of at Energy Taiwan. Energy alternatives were rarely featured and Taiwan’s net zero plan could have played a bigger role.
To read more about Taiwan’s Net Zero Targets, click here.
This is Waste Not Why Not, a climate podcast from Ghost Island Media. Debuted on Earth Day in 2019, it's hosted by Nature N8 (Nate Maynard), a sustainability consultant working on energy, ocean and waste.
Support us on Patreon: http://patreon.com/wastenotwhynot
Follow us on Twitter @wastenotpod
EPISODE CREDIT
Nate Maynard (@N8May), Host

Emily Y. Wu (@emilyywu), Producer & Audio Editing
Gerald Williams, Production Assistant & Audio Editing
Show logo by Southwicks Graphics
Theme tune by Dac Chang
A Ghost Island Media production (@ghostislandme)

Support the show: https://patreon.com/wastenotwhynot

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected