— Anh NGUYEN

If you are looking for interesting podcasts to listen to while driving, commuting, cooking etc., this is our suggestion of podcasts on environment, science and economics for you!

FT Tech Tonic – Climate Tech by Financial Times

The Climate Tech mini-series is a part of the podcast FT Tech Tonic. The focus of this podcast is to investigate the promises and perils of new technologies and this new technological age in which we live.

This mini-series named “Climate Tech to save the planet” investigates different climate technologies, such as nuclear fusion, hydrogen, green aviation fuels, direct air carbon capture… Will these technologies be ready in time, or are they a dangerous waste of money and resources at this most critical moment for our planet? Are they greenwashing answers from polluting industries to stay relevant?

Each episode lasts for about 20-25 minutes. Pilita Clark did a wonderful job as a host. She invited different opposing opinions into the debate of whether these technologies will save our planet Earth, or if it is just a distraction crafted by investors and billionaires to enrich themselves. I will let you form your own conclusion.

The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green

The Anthropocene is a proposed geological epoch dating from the commencement of significant human impact on Earth’s geology and ecosystems. The title of the podcast, therefore, is a bit misleading: I expected to hear about geological end ecosystemic changes that humanity managed to leave on Earth. As it turned out, John Green reviews different facets of human daily lives and ranks them on a scale from one to five. Anyhow, the production is top-notch, and it’s always a pleasure listening to John Green geeking out on fun facts and jumping from one (deep) discussion to another in a matter of seconds.

And as John Green is many things at the same time (a writer, a YouTube content creator, a podcaster, and a philanthropist), his many interests and reviews range from Taco Bell breakfast menu to Super Mario Kart, from Halley’s Comet to Seed potatoes of Leningrad, and the list goes on.

Here are some episodes that I enjoyed very much:

John Green also published the book version of the podcast.

The Naked Scientists by… The naked scientists

If you want to geek out on fun science facts, this podcast is a gold mine. The topic ranges from everything to… everything: satellites, bird watching, plastic-eating bugs, microbiome, human milk etc.

Each episode lasts from 20 to 60 minutes and is packed with many different topics at the same time. Here are some episodes on the environment, nature and sustainability that I enjoyed very much:

*** Side note: My favourite spin-off podcast is Naked Astronomy, as nothing I find more relaxing and reassuring than being reminded of the vast, mysterious, mind-boggling universe out there in which my existence is of absolute unimportance.

BBC Earth Podcast by BBC Earth Podcast

BBC Earth has earned lots of respect with their series Blue Planet, narrated by the one and only Sir David Attenborough. The production of this podcast, as you can expect, is quite superb. But this is not the kind of podcast with which we can just turn on and do something else in parallel (e.g. commuting, cooking etc.). There are a lot of natural and animal sounds weaved in, which requires us to pay due attention to. I recommend a rather quiet sitting and a focus of the mind in order to appreciate the content.

My favourite episodes are:

Rhythm, with plants flowering only under the light of a full moon, chimps expressing through drumming on the base of trees, or polar bears dancing on ice #mindblown
Death, with a billion organisms within a spoon of oil and how death and decay fuel lives on Earth
Finding what doesn’t want to be found, with sun bears living in the most elusive corners of the Earth, the Bornean rainforests
Saving the world’s rarest marine mammal on Earth, the incredibly cute vaquita with a population of less than 20…

The ambience of this podcast is rather magical and calming (i.e. you’ll transform straight into Pocahontas singing “Colour of the Wind” on top of your lungs). The world would be a much better place if every single human is reminded daily of how beautiful our planet really is. If you live in cities without access to nature, this podcast can be one of the precious reminders.

Draw me a desirable future! by Stim

If you speak French and are looking for a not-so-pessimistic outlook on climate change and biodiversity loss, this podcast is made for you! I’m the producer of this podcast, and our idea with the host Marie Hennart is to share with the world the voices of unsung heroes in industries, politics and academia, who are fighting every single day to make the world a better place for future generations.

The title “Draw me a desirable future” was inspired by the phrase “Draw me a sheep”, said by the Little Prince, a beloved character in French literature. This is also the ambience we aim to create for this podcast. We want to shape the discussions around what can be done, around realistic hopes and desirable outcomes for our planet and all living and non-living things, instead of drilling on depressing scenarios, accusations and blames.

Each episode lasts around 60 minutes. The production and the sound quality are in the highest grades (Don’t fret, this is not one of those self-produced podcasts from a friend who recorded with a smartphone and edited on iMovie).

It has been such a pleasure for me personally to produce something of this high quality on sustainability, while paying tribute to the imaginaries of my all-time favourite book “The Little Prince”.

My personal favourite episodes are:

No desirable future without durable peace, regarding ecological planning in France and in Europe, and the Russia-Ukraine war
Take care of what we have tamed, in which we discussed energy efficiency, moderation in energy consumption and renewables
Stop counting the stars, in which we talked about a post-construction world, the return to a simpler life and the essentials.