S2:E12 - How Rats Are Saving People's Lives

What is GiganticFuckingSolutions.com? You'll have to talk to Gabi & Ben Kay to find out. This incredible couple turned their careers in advertising and content into a powerful mission to solving the puzzle of how to talk about Climate Change. And they are bringing many others in the advertising and communication field with them. You can access the site and play 'The Game' only if you reach out to Gabi first. And yes, she will 100% respond and give you a half hour of her time to get you started. Here is her email address: gabi@invincibleunicorn.com Want some insight in how to talk about the climate crisis in a way that gets more people involved and taking action? You won't want to miss this episode. Gabi & Ben Backgrounds: Ben Kay has spent over twenty years creating advertising for big brands at agencies such as BBDO, Wieden and Kennedy, Saatchi and Saatchi and RG/A. Most recently he spent six years as Executive Creative Director and International Group Creative Director at Media Arts Lab in London and LA, working exclusively on Apple. Gabi Kay worked for many years in commercial production in the UK, initially heading up sales at HSI and Gorgeous, before also becoming an Executive Producer at Knucklehead and then Sonny London. In 2017 Ben and Gabi Kay co-founded Invincible Unicorn, an ethical creative communications company and B Corp. They went on to create Gigantic Fucking Solutions on a night out in 2019 (cocktails and Thai food played a crucial role in its inception). IN THIS EPISODE (1:00) Intro (4:32) The name Gigantic Fucking Solutions (8:50) The story of Gabi & Ben (15:50) Why is Climate Comms so hard to get right? (20:55) Movements should be inclusive not exclusive (40:31) What “The Game”on GiganticFuckingSolutions.com is all about (53:00) The 9 Climate Briefs you need to know (1:03:30) Who is playing The Game so far? (1:10:30) What would you say to a group of recent grads in advertising?

14 Okt 20201h 26min

Feeling confused on how to determine what is actually sustainable or not? You're not alone. The issue of greenwashing - exaggerating, embellishing, or downright making up environmental claims - is probably worse in fashion and apparel than any other industry in the world. It's just so easy to trick consumers with the right buzzwords. We sit down with Sasha Ternent, a former executive at Banana Republic, Gap, and Luxe Brands, and now founder of a new business trying to push the sustainability needs in fashion even further in the right direction, to discuss. If you care about the climate and are striving to make the right decisions in your own fashion purchases, this episode is for you. We even offer a handy checklist towards the end! 1:02 - What do we mean by Greenwashing? 2:29 - Meet Sasha 9:40 - Environmental Impact of the Fashion Industry 16:40 - The Evils of Fast Fashion 21:00 - The hidden costs of externalities 30:00 - Discussing Brands’ Responsibility 38:25 - Regulation Responsibility 45:40 - Why is Greenwashing a Big Problem 48:54 - 3rd Party Certifications 53:00 - Recycled vs. Sustainable Organic 58:12 - A Checklist for Consumers to avoid Greenwashing Brands 1:11:11 - Why can’t we have a single set of sustainability standards? 1:19:06 - Sasha Rapid Fire Questions

2 Okt 20201h 18min

Indonesia is one of the fastest growing countries in the world, with nearly 280M people to date, close to the size of the UA. It's capital city, Jakarta, is now sinking. Due to it's local water system, poor city planning, and climate change, if some of the 10M people do not get out of Jakarta, nearly half of the city could be underwater by 2050. In August of 2019, the Indonesian president Joko Widodo, announced plans to build a new capital city in East Kalimantan in Borneo, a vital island home to rich peatland rainforest and one of only two remaining islands housing orangutans. Borneo has already been decimated for decades by the palm oil industry, and just as that industry is starting to curtail and get regulated, this new problem emerges. Indonesian officials say they can move 1.5M people to Borneo without threatening the ecosystem and it's wildlife, but many have doubts on how that is possible. There are still many details to be worked out and announced. Today we sit down with Juliarta Barmansa Ottay - or, Arta - an Indonesia biologist working with the Borneo Nature Foundation, to discuss these plans and the future of Borneo, one of the most sacred and critical rainforests in the world. Please also checkout the work of the Borneo Nature Foundation online, and make a donation to support their work if you can!

18 Sep 20201h 11min

Julianne Hummelberg is Vice President at PowerPlant VC, a company that has invested in several plant-based food companies many of which are household names you might know such as Beyond Meat, Veggie Grill and JUST. She believes the world of venture and private capital can play a big role in fixing our food system by investing in companies who are operating by higher standards but still designed to be profitable and scale. How does scaling a plant-based food business fit into a world already struggling with monocropping agriculture? How do you put the right value on non-bottom line economic measures when you are optimizing for financial returns? What is the right role of regulation in a world that incentivizes free market solutions? Those questions and more in this episode. Also, Julianne is kind enough to offer all of our podcast listeners a discount code for one of the companies she's invested into called OWYN, which is a fantastic nut free, dairy free, soy free, and gluten free protein shake. Enjoy 20% off on any purchase of $25 or more until the end of the year using the code OWYNPPV2020.

9 Sep 20201h 20min

For centuries, mankind has had a complicated relationship with elephants. On one hand we greatly respect these magnificent animals, their cognitive ability, their social and emotional intelligence, their ability to learn, and adore their strength and beauty. On the other hand, we've abused this relationship to the tune of poaching, forced labor, and abuse in captivity. There is hope. Unfortunately we can't simply release every captive elephant on the planet back into the wild as it would endanger those elephants and the wild ones remaining. However, we can create and operate by higher ethical standards in captivity, to do so in a way that respect's an elephant's independence and agency while allowing for a new type of human experience centered on observation, and in a way that paves the way for controlled, safe wild repopulation and wild protection. In 100 years time, we could one day have every elephant on Earth back safe and thriving in the wild. How do we get there? That's what we are discussing today with Michael Volger, founder of The Mandalao Elephant Conservation, and Sally Kweskin, Director of The Lao Elephant Initiative. Learn more about each organization and please donate if you can at: The Mandalao Elephant Conservation The Lao Elephant Initiative And don't forget.....proceeds from all of our elephant merchandise on Animalia - from tees to facemasks to hoodies and hats - goes directly to The Lao Elephant Initiative. So learn more about their work and then go pick one up for yourself at www.iloveanimalia.com!

1 Sep 20201h 3min

In this episode we chat with Dr. Steven Murawksi and Dr. David Hollander about the oil spill off the coast of Mauritius and the lasting damages these spills have on marine ecosystems. We also dissect the Deepwater Horizon spill in 2010, the largest in human history, as Drs. Murawski and Hollander both led a lot of the analysis of that spill for the scientific community . If anyone is willing and able to support The Mauritius Wildlife Foundation, please go to their site here to donate and support the clean-up efforts.

26 Aug 202044min

Meet Niall McCann the most interesting man on Earth. He sailed across the Atlantic on a rowing boat. Adventures for a living and is an official Nat Geo Explorer. McCann founded his own conservation, National Park Rescue. And works on the frontline in biological research worldwide. We talk about the mystery in Botswana with the unsolved elephant deaths, creating impact in the natural world and the wildest travels. Follow Niall at @NiallPMcCann

11 Aug 20201h 11min

What if your favorite meat could be cultured in a lab and created with much less environmental harm? Would you be down? We chat with CEO of Finless Foods, a company bringing sustainable, delicious seafood to the world, without having to farm or harvest live fish from our precious oceans by harnessing cellular biology. Learn more at Michael's mission on socials @finlessfoods.

28 Jul 20201h 7min