The Environmental Review

Hosted by Joshua W
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Join host Joshua as he cuts through the noise and brings you clear, balanced analysis of today's most extraordinary research. Each week, The Environmental Review tackles complex topics - from climate policy to conservation biology - through in-depth conversations with leading researchers, policymakers, and activists on the frontlines of environmental change. Follow us on social media @theenvironmentalreview

  1. FEB 8

    Research Reveals That Nearly 47 Million Americans Live Within a Mile of Fossil Fuel Infrastructure

    When we think about fossil fuel pollution, we usually picture oil wells or smoke pouring out of power plants. But a new study shows that the most widespread exposure may come from places most people never notice. In today’s episode of The Environmental Review Podcast, we’re joined by Dr. Jonathan Buonocore and Dr. Mary Willis from Boston University, whose research reveals that nearly 47 million Americans live within a mile of fossil fuel infrastructure — including hidden parts of the supply chain like storage facilities and transport hubs. Their work reframes fossil fuels not as isolated sites, but as a vast, embedded system shaping where and how people live.

    32 min

  2. JAN 15

    How Air Pollution is Quietly Scarring Your Heart

    Today, we’re diving into an invisible threat that’s all around us — air pollution. We know it affects our lungs, but what if I told you it might also be quietly scarring your heart, even if you feel completely fine?Joining me to unpack this groundbreaking research is Dr. Kate Hanneman — a trailblazer at the intersection of environmental health and cardiac imaging. She’s a cardiac radiologist, an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto, and Vice Chair of Research in Medical Imaging. Having studied at the likes of Harvard, Stanford, and other prestigious institutions, she’s using her expertise in advanced cardiac MRI to reveal just how deeply air pollution—specifically PM2.5—can affect our hearts over time.

    30 min

  3. 12/31/2025

    How Climate Change is Affecting the Endangered Pygmy Bluetongue Skink

    Today we’re joined by Dr. Mike Gardner, an Professor at Flinders University and leading expert in biodiversity and conservation genetics, and PhD candidate Dee Trewartha, who together have been researching the endangered pygmy bluetongue skink. Together, they’re part of a groundbreaking project exploring how climate change is affecting this tiny, burrow-dwelling reptile—and whether moving it to cooler habitats could help it survive. Their findings could shape the future of conservation as the planet warms.

    25 min

  4. 12/24/2025

    Plants In The Hottest Place on Earth Actually Grow Faster At Higher Temperatures? A Discussion About Honeysweet With Karine Prado

    In the hottest place on Earth, one plant doesn’t just survive — it grows faster. In this episode of The Environmental Review Podcast, we speak with Karine Prado, Research Specialist at Michigan State University’s Plant Resilience Institute, about a desert plant that rewrites what we thought was biologically possible.Honey sweet, native to Death Valley, can rapidly reconfigure its cells, genes, and photosynthetic machinery to thrive in temperatures above 120°F. Karine explains how this plant adapts in real time, what happens inside its cells under extreme heat, and how studying nature’s toughest survivors could help future crops withstand climate-driven heatwaves.

    14 min

  5. 12/23/2025

    Are Global Extinctions Really Accelerating? This Piece of Research Suggests The Answer Is NO.

    For years, we’ve been told that Earth is plunging into a sixth mass extinction — that species are disappearing faster than ever before. But what if that story is more complicated than we think? In this episode of The Environmental Review Podcast, we’re joined by Kristen Saban and Professor John Wiens from the University of Arizona to unpack a surprising new study that challenges one of the most widely accepted narratives in conservation science. By analysing 500 years of extinction data across nearly two million species, their research suggests that extinction rates actually peaked around a century ago and have declined since — even though biodiversity loss remains a serious global threat. We discuss what past extinctions can — and can’t — tell us about the future, why islands and continents face very different risks, and how conservation efforts may be quietly working.

    24 min

  6. 12/13/2025

    Breaking the Unbreakable: How Chemists Finally Cracked Teflon

    Today’s episode is about breaking something scientists once thought was unbreakable. Teflon — the plastic in non-stick pans and industrial coatings — is famous for being chemically indestructible. But a new study suggests that assumption might be wrong. I’m joined by two researchers who turned that myth upside down: Dr. Dominik Kubicki, who used advanced spectroscopy to prove the chemistry is truly clean Dr. Roly Armstrong, who led the project on breaking down Teflon using mechanical energy instead of heat

    27 min

  7. 11/29/2025

    Discussions About Lithium with Dr. Alissa Kendall

    Welcome back to The Environmental Review Podcast. I’m today’s episode, we’re diving into one of the biggest questions facing the future of clean energy: Where will all the lithium come from? To help us unpack this pressing question, I’m joined by Dr. Alissa Kendall — a leading voice in environmental engineering and sustainability. She’s the Ray B. Krone Endowed Professor at University of California, Davis and has spent her career exploring how we can build greener, smarter systems for the planet. Her latest research, published in Nature Sustainability, explores how battery recycling could transform the electric vehicle supply chain and reduce our reliance on lithium mining.

    32 min

  8. 11/12/2025

    Lake Xochimilco, Native Wetlands and Artificial Habitats

    Today, we’re diving into one of the most iconic and critically endangered species in the world: the axolotl. These amphibians, native only to Mexico’s Lake Xochimilco, are facing increasing threats from pollution, habitat loss, and climate change. But today, we’ll be exploring an innovative and hopeful approach: combining restored native wetlands and artificial habitats to help bring axolotls back from the brink. To help us unpack this, I’m joined by Dr. Alejandra Ramos, an ecologist and conservation scientist at the National Autonomous University of Mexico whose research bridges restoration ecology, amphibian behavior, and environmental sustainability. Her latest paper, published in PLOS ONE, explores how captive-bred axolotls respond to different wetland habitats — and what that means for the future of species reintroduction programs.

    32 min
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About

Join host Joshua as he cuts through the noise and brings you clear, balanced analysis of today's most extraordinary research. Each week, The Environmental Review tackles complex topics - from climate policy to conservation biology - through in-depth conversations with leading researchers, policymakers, and activists on the frontlines of environmental change. Follow us on social media @theenvironmentalreview

Information

  • Creator
    Hosted by Joshua W
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    27
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Hosted by Joshua W
  • Show Website
    The Environmental Review