Animalia

Ahhh 2020. The end is finally here. It's been a painful and tumultuous year on so many fronts. And while we are happy to turn the page forward into 2021, and we will do so in this episode, we also think it's important to find some positive takeaways from 2020. So we asked the incredible guests of Animalia's podcast this year to share their positive takeaway on the topics of conservation and climate from the past year, and we are sharing those here. In addition, we have 8 positive forecasts for 2021 that we are sharing as well. We hope this can bring some positive energy to an otherwise horrible year. This is the LAST episode of this season. Thank you all for your support. Season 2 will begin in February. Enjoy turning the page on New Years and please stay safe. PS - We have launched a very special, limited edition Animalia 2021 Feel Good Tee that celebrates our Earthling status. We have a very limited amount of these available, so if you want yours get your order in here. 10% for all podcast listeners. Just use the code PODCAST in checkout.

30 Joulu 202032min

You may think of cotton as the dominant source of clothing and apparel. For a long time, I certainly did. However, synthetic fibers actually make up 63% of all the fibers used for the clothing industry worldwide. Why is this important? Well nearly all of these synthetic fibers are derived from petroleum. We often think of the energy industry as the only area of focus for scaling back our use of fossil fuels in our fight against global warming and climate change. However the clothing industry accounts for 10% of all greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, and the primary culprit here are petroleum derived synthetic fibers. So how do innovate ourselves out of this? In this episode we sit down with Alissa Baier-Lentz, co-founder of Kintra Fibers, a company utilizing natural feedstock to replace the monomers derived from petroleum to make synthetics far more sustainable and cleaner without sacrificing quality or durability. You can learn more about Kintra's incredible work here And don't forget to Follow Animalia on Instagram or on Twitter All Podcast listeners always get 10% of ALL products in our Merch Store at www.iloveanimalia.com using the code PODCASTERS IN THIS EPISODE: 2:00 - The role of synthetic textiles in fashion/apparel & climate 5:30 - Meet Alissa 13:30 - The low down of synthetic fibers and where they come from 24:00 - Shifting from petroleum to feedstocks 28:30 - Why this shift in synthetics has not happened sooner 34:40 - The biggest challenge ahead for Kintra 36:30 - Responsibility of consumer demand vs. corporate proactive change 44:40 - The full impact of moving from petroleum monomers to feedstock monomers 55:10 - Rapid Fire with Alissa

16 Joulu 202059min

Poaching, corruption, and climate change have caused havoc for many national wildlife parks throughout Africa. So how can we revitalize them? Is there any hope? Absolutely there is. And in this episode of Animalia, we are gonna tell you how. Joining us is Mark Hiley, co-founder of National Park Rescue, the leading organization for turning around the most dire situations. Mark is a wildlife ranger, filmmaker, and Fellow of the royal geographic society. After we learn more about Mark's story and the overall challenges he faces in reviving these critical parks, we will take a deep dive into their work at the Chizarira National Park in Zimbabwe, which has become an incredible success story after decades of going in the wrong direction. Please check out and support their work as well at https://www.nationalparkrescue.org/ And if you want to support conservation and look good doing it, don't miss Animalia's Holiday Gift Bundles. Great deals on all of our most popular wildlife merch. All proceeds are shared with specific conservation project! Click Here.

9 Joulu 20201h 14min

Ever wonder why it’s hard to talk about climate change in a way that is just simple and easy to understand for everyone around you? Why have we made this so hard and how to we fix it? Well you’re in luck, because the wonderful Molly Kawahata was kind enough to join the Animalia pod to explain. Molly worked in the White House for President Obama in Climate Policy before moving into the private energy world that she is working to make cleaner and more sustainable. In addition to reframing how we talk about the climate crisis, we also dive deep into debate of Individual Action vs. Systemic Change. Where should we put more emphasis and how do we move the needle significantly on each? This and more in this week’s Animalia podcast. We are counting down to our final episodes of 2020 and you won’t want to miss this one! And don't forget to follow Molly's mountaineering adventures on Instagram @mollyykayy 1:35 - Meet Molly 6:23 - Reflecting on the highlights of working on Obama’s Climate Policy 10:00 - Solving Climate Comms and stripping out the politics 24:20 - The Marketing Prowess of the Republican Party and how we can draw from that to advance the fight against Climate Change 34:40 - Individual Action vs Systemic Change 55:38 - The link between The Outdoors, Climate, & Mental Health

2 Joulu 20201h 14min

By now I'm sure everyone is familiar the terrifying size and scope of the 2020 wildfires in California. Over 9,000 different fires, over 4.5 million acres burned, tens of thousands of homes lost or people displaced, over two dozen firefighters killed and over 15,000 firefighters pushed to their brink, and hundreds of millions of wildlife lost. It's bad. So why did this happen. Why have the 10 largest fires in California's history all been in the last 8 years? In this episode, we explore all the many factors at play. And we do so with three very different guests: Jonathan Parfrey - Executive Director of Climate Resolve Matt Fiorenza - Former firefighter and now mental health advocate and mentor to first responders Bob Golden - lifelong mechanic for the agricultural industry born and raised in Fresno, CA In addition to breaking down the causal factors, we explore what we can do to Mitigate these fires going forward and Adapt to the new normal. In This Episode: 2:40 Intro our Guests 8:45 Quick recap of 2020 California fires 11:59 Diving through the different factors that lead to the 2020 fires 37:42 Recognizing the toll taken on Fire Fighters and first responders 46:50 What can we do to Mitigate wildfires going forward 57:40 How should we Adapt to this new normal?

19 Marras 20201h 8min

In this episode we discuss the fascinating world of poaching and wildlife trafficking detailed in the booked POACHED with author Rachel Nuwer. Rachel is an award winning journalist who covers conservation & science for The New York Times, National Geographic, Scientific American and more. We dive in one some of the bigger macro themes from the book and discuss her journey putting it together. POACHED does a great job of balancing a terrifying look behind the curtains of the wildlife trafficking world while also visiting with incredible people working to stop it and exploring long term solutions. This oscillation between horror and hope makes a for a really compelling read combined with Rachel's sense of urgency and curiosity that weave through her investigative work. Please get a copy of the book here. We promise you'll come away more informed than ever about wildlife trafficking and how we can stop it! IN THIS EPISODE (2:01) RACHEL'S BACKGROUND AND JOURNEY WRITING POACHED (11:30) WALKING THE FINE LINE BETWEEN HORROR & HOPE (13:01) COVID IMPACT ON WILDLIFE CONSERVATION (16:40) WILDLIFE FARMING AND CONSERVATION COMMERCIALIZATION (23:01) IMPACT OF TRADITIONAL ASIAN MEDICINE (26:45) THE MANY SHADES OF GRAY OF POACHING CONSTITUENCIES (34:01) FUN MOMENTS IN THE BOOK FROM THE ELEPHANT STARE DOWN IN CHAD TO GOING UNDERCOVER IN KINGS ROMAN (43:06) RACHEL'S RAPID FIRE QUESTIONS

10 Marras 202047min

Just in time for the tail end of election season, in this episode we take a break from our deep dives into core subject matters with scientists, conservationists, and advocates for the natural world. Instead, I share a sit down with my very own father, Jim Veraldi. A man raised in the 60s and 70s, of deep family and religious value, who believes in work ethic and dedication to one’s craft, and has always leaned conservative in his political values. The climate crisis has sadly become a polarizing political issue in recent years. It shouldn’t be. It impacts all of us regardless of political party, religion, or cultural differences. This summer, I took my father through an online climate course from the University of Michigan. As he’ll explain in the episode, up until this year climate change was never really top of mind or a priority in his day to day life. He just wasn’t that aware of the gravity of it. This class, however, opened him up to new information that started to change his thinking. It is important that we learn to have more constructive, mutually respectful conversations with those who think differently from us, no matter where you are on the spectrum of climate and conservation. This is the only way to make this movement stronger and wider. Build onramps, not blockades. For those who are still skeptical on the climate crisis, I hope this episode can make you more open to seeking information and learning more about this issue. For those who are fighting already to combat this crisis and save this planet, I hope this episode can give you a framework for talking to family and friends to join you. Don't forget to all podcast listeners get 10% off the Animalia merch store! Just use the code 'PODCASTERS' in checkout at www.iloveanimalia.com IN THIS EPISODE (3:00) Jim’s Core Values (10:00) The 2 Macro Spectrum’s of Climate Dialogue (16:00) Jim’s Upbringing and Early Years at Exxon (24:20) Jim recalls when he remembers Climate initially being in public discord (28:29) We discuss how wrong we both have been on this topic at points in our lives (40:25) Jim’s 2020 Summer School in Climate (46:30) Is climate factoring into Jim’s Presidential Vote? (53:47) How do we make the climate crisis more bipartisan? (1:00:02) What would Jim say to other traditional conservatives about climate today?

3 Marras 20201h 9min

By now, everyone is familiar with the May 26th incident in Central Park between Christian Cooper & Amy Cooper that went viral. That video and the outcry it spurred was a catalyst to the launch of #BlackBirdersWeek, and incredible virtual event that took place throughout social media in late May and early June celebrating the contributions and value of the work and role of the Black community in Outdoor Exploration & the Natural Sciences. The group behind it was a collection of of Black science professionals who after putting this on formally created the collective BlackAFinStem. In this episode, we sit down with two of their members - Danielle Belleny & Chelsea Connor - to discuss their love of the outdoors, systemic racism in the outdoor and natural sciences space, and how they turned this disturbing viral video into a powerful, positive movement. If you stand for improving diversity, inclusion, and decision-making representation in conservation, environmental, and science work for BIPOC, you won't want to miss this episode. We also made a limited run, long-sleeve tee to celebrate Black Birding in collaboration with BlackAFinStem. Get yours today here! Finally, there are a few awesome figures in the Black scientific community mentioned in this episode we want to highlight: Dr. Drew Lanham Kerry James Marshall Betty Reid Soskin Roger Arliner Young In This Episode (1:17) What does birding represents to both Danielle & Chelsea (5:00) Falling in Love with the Outdoors (10:00) Systemic Racism in Outdoor Recreation and Exploration (21:00) Let’s talk about Birding (24:32) #BlackBirdersWeek (34:18) Improving inclusion and representation of BIPOC in conservation and natural sciences (42:40) BIPOC Role Models

28 Loka 202049min