Mongabay Newscast

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  • NATURE
  • UPDATED SEMIWEEKLY

News and inspiration from nature's frontline, featuring inspiring guests and deeper analysis of the global environmental issues explored every day by the Mongabay.com team, from climate change to biodiversity, tropical ecology, wildlife, and more. The show airs every other week.

  1. Joy is a winning environmental strategy for drag artist Pattie Gonia

    4D AGO

    Joy is a winning environmental strategy for drag artist Pattie Gonia

    Professional drag artist and environmental activist Pattie Gonia has more than 2 million followers on Instagram and has raised $1.2 million for environmental nonprofits by hiking 100 miles, or 160 kilometers, in full drag into San Francisco. She has gained international recognition for using drag artistry to advocate for the environment, in acknowledgment and celebration of hundreds of researchers and scientists in the field who identify as queer. She joins Mongabay's podcast to explain why joy is a fundamental ingredient missing in the environmental advocacy space, how she prioritizes it in her work as a drag performer and activist, and why she feels the environmental movement must prioritize it to succeed. "If we want people to join this movement, we have to make it freaking fun," she says. The Mongabay Newscast is available on all major podcast platforms, including Apple and Spotify, and previous episodes are also accessible at our website's podcast page. Please take a minute to let us know what you think of our podcast, here. Hear our top 10 most listened to podcasts from 2025, here. Image Credit: Pattie Gonia. Image courtesy of Pattie Gonia. —— Timecodes (00:00) Hiking 100 miles in drag for the climate (04:50) The origins of Pattie Gonia (12:53) Looking at science through a lens of humanity (16:38) On drag artistry and nature (21:10) Bridging the gap between culture and nature (26:19) What can we build instead of burn? (35:22) "We have to make it freaking fun"

    40 min
  2. On plastic pollution, we have all the evidence — and solutions — we need

    JAN 6

    On plastic pollution, we have all the evidence — and solutions — we need

    Judith Enck is a former regional administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, appointed by President Barack Obama, and the founder of Beyond Plastics, an organization dedicated to eradicating plastic pollution worldwide. She joins Mongabay's podcast to discuss how governments can implement policies to turn off the tap on plastic pollution, which harms human health and devastates our ecological systems — solutions she outlines in her new book with co-author Adam Mahoney, The Problem with Plastic: How We Can Save Ourselves and Our Planet Before It's Too Late. "We now have all of this evidence. We have no choice but to act. Because who's going to stand by and let us turn the ocean into a watery landfill? Who's going to stand by and read health study after health study about microplastics in our brains and breast milk and testicles? Not taking action is not an option," she says. Image credit: Judith Enck holding a copy of The Problem with Plastic. Image by Jerrick Mitra ——- Timecodes (00:00) The Problem with plastic (02:55) Unpacking the plastic recycling myth (08:31) Health impacts of plastic pollution (12:43) Government and policy solutions (31:43) Individual actions (37:22) Plastic pollution and wildlife impacts (45:52) Plastics and climate change

    51 min
  3. How outdoor adventurers are collecting crucial conservation data

    12/23/2025

    How outdoor adventurers are collecting crucial conservation data

    Gregg Treinish didn't start out as an outdoor enthusiast, but found solace and purpose in nature during his youth. After years of enjoying the outdoors, he was left feeling a need to give something back to the world. He found fulfillment by using his passion for outdoor adventures to gather critical data that researchers need for conservation and scientific research. That's how his nonprofit organization, Adventure Scientists, came to be. "We harness the collective power of the tens of thousands of people that are outside every day — who love the outdoors and have a passion for exploring the outdoors — and we give them real scientific missions that they can do while they're out there that benefit conservation," Treinish says. The Mongabay Newscast is available on all major podcast platforms, including Apple and Spotify, and previous episodes are also accessible at our website's podcast page. Please take a minute to let us know what you think of our podcast, here. Image Credit: Gregg Treinish in the Oakavango. Photo courtesy of Adventure Scientists ——— Timecodes (00:00) From "at-risk-youth" to conservation professional (19:03) Current initiatives and future plans (26:25) Studying killer whales (29:15) Tracking white bark pine (32:12) Antibiotic resistance research (35:55) Empowering people to make an impact

    52 min
  4. Shark is on the menu for millions of Brazilians, but few know

    12/15/2025

    Shark is on the menu for millions of Brazilians, but few know

    Mongabay senior editor Philip Jacobson joins Mongabay's podcast to discuss a two-part investigation about how state governments in Brazil have been procuring shark meat — which is high in mercury and arsenic — and serving it to potentially millions of children and citizens via thousands of schools and public institutions. With Mongabay's Karla Mendes and Pulitzer's Kuang Keng Kuek Ser, Jacobson spent a year digging into public databases of government shark meat orders, called tenders.  "It's quite widespread," Jacobson says. "We found shark meat tenders in 10 states and shark meat being served or being procured for more than 500 municipalities." Government nutritionists were also found to be recommending shark meat for school lunches because it has no bones, and even when one school official raised concerns about heavy metal contamination in the meat, her concerns were not heeded. Critics' concerns extend beyond vulnerable populations like schoolkids, too, since shark is also on the menus of public institutions like homeless shelters, maternity wards and elder care centers. But since the investigation was released, one lawmaker has called for a parliamentary hearing to discuss the findings. The Mongabay Newscast is available on all major podcast platforms, including Apple and Spotify, and previous episodes are also accessible at our website's podcast page. Please take a minute to let us know what you think of our podcast, here. Image Credit: A blue shark (Prionace glauca). Image courtesy of Ellen Cuylaerts/Ocean Image Bank. —- Timecodes (00:00) Millions of Brazilians fed shark meat (12:33) Impacts from Mongabay's investigation (24:29) Marine related issues flying under the radar (27:13) Why Phil chose investigative reporting (32:40) The GIJN conference

    41 min
  5. Russ Feingold on the nonpartisan nature of conservation

    12/08/2025

    Russ Feingold on the nonpartisan nature of conservation

    Bill Gates recently claimed that protecting nature or improving human health is an either-or choice, but former national leaders like Russ Feingold, a retired U.S. Senator, and Mary Robinson, former Ireland President, disagree. As chair of the Global Steering Committee of the Campaign for Nature, a nonprofit organization uniting prominent politicians in support of nature protection, Feingold emphasizes that supporting both nature and people is essential, and that these are not mutually exclusive goals. On this episode of Mongabay's podcast, Feingold discusses the campaign's mission and why he believes nonpartisan conservation efforts are essential. " We need to work as citizens — not as Democrats or Republicans — but as citizens, to say 'Whatever else you think, let's do this together,'" he says. The Mongabay Newscast is available on major podcast platforms, including Apple and Spotify, and all previous episodes are accessible at our website's podcast page. Please take a minute to let us know what you think of our podcast, here. Mike DiGirolamo is a host & associate producer for Mongabay based in Sydney. He co-hosts and edits the Mongabay Newscast. Find him on LinkedIn and Bluesky. Image Credit: Former Senator Russ Feingold. Image courtesy of the Campaign for Nature.  —— Timecodes (00:00) Former Senator Russ Feingold (03:48) The Campaign for Nature (08:56) Feingold's connection to nature (14:55) Concerns regarding Indigenous rights in 30x30 (27:13) Thoughts on Bill Gates (29:15) Fighting authoritarianism and oligarchy (33:48) What people can do

    38 min
  6. Freeing ourselves from cars is simpler (and healthier) than we may think

    12/02/2025

    Freeing ourselves from cars is simpler (and healthier) than we may think

    Sarah Goodyear, Doug Gordon and Aaron Naparstek realized that no one was discussing the many cultural factors that have played a role in humanity's car dependency, or the negative impacts this reliance on motor vehicles has on human health and the planet. So they started their own show to do exactly that, The War on Cars. Gordon joins Mongabay's podcast to discuss just how human society got here — and how we might get ourselves out of it — which is also the subject of a new book he co-authored with Goodyear and Naparstek, Life After Cars: Freeing Ourselves from the Tyranny of the Automobile. "We felt that nobody was really covering the car as this overwhelming determinative force in the life of you as an individual, the life of society and nature, politics, culture, everything," he says. Take a minute to let us know what you think of our audio reporting, which you can do here. The Mongabay Newscast is available on major podcast platforms, including Apple and Spotify, and all previous episodes are accessible at our website's podcast page. Mike DiGirolamo is a host & associate producer for Mongabay based in Sydney. He co-hosts and edits the Mongabay Newscast. Find him on LinkedIn and Bluesky. Image Credit: Cover art for the book 'Life After Cars'. Artwork by Alissa Rose Theodor. Courtesy of Penguin Random House. -------- Timecodes (00:00) The War on Cars (05:48) The unseen impacts of cars (25:30) Imagining 'Life After Cars' (33:42) How to decrease car dependency

    42 min
  7. Indigenous and local communities regain millions of hectares of land via successful legal effort

    11/25/2025

    Indigenous and local communities regain millions of hectares of land via successful legal effort

    Nonette Royo is a lawyer from the Philippines and executive director of The Tenure Facility, a group of "barefoot lawyers" working to secure land tenure for Indigenous, local and Afro-descendant communities across the world. To date, the organization has secured more than $150 million in funding and has made progress in securing land rights covering 34 million hectares (84 million acres) across 35 projects, an area larger than Greece. Royo joins Mongabay's podcast to discuss the organization's success, its recognition as a finalist for the 2025 Earthshot Prize, and why land rights are so crucial both for cultural survival and slowing the pace of global ecological degradation. "This work is really about land tenure, and about land and people. And it is very important because at this point in our world, where we are breaching planetary boundaries, we are still hesitating to invest in the people who protect our land, our forests and our diverse systems," she says. Take a minute to let us know what you think of our audio reporting, which you can do here. The Mongabay Newscast is available on major podcast platforms, including Apple and Spotify. All previous episodes are accessible on the Mongabay website. Mike DiGirolamo is a host & associate producer for Mongabay based in Sydney. He co-hosts and edits the Mongabay Newscast. Find him on LinkedIn and Bluesky. Banner Image: Women of Masaka embark on cassava cultivation. The plantation areas are located in the heart of the community of Mabaka in the Kwango region. Image by Ley Uwera. Courtesy of The Tenure Facility. ---------- Timecodes (00:00) The 'barefoot lawyers' helping secure land rights (06:28) How the legal system can protect nature and rights (10:29) Challenges and successes (15:36) Better mapping tech is helping (27:16) Goals and progress of the Tenure Facility

    39 min
  8. Madagascar conservation successes hinge on public education and health, famed primatologist says

    11/18/2025

    Madagascar conservation successes hinge on public education and health, famed primatologist says

    Patricia Wright, a pioneering primatologist who established the Centre ValBio research station in Madagascar, began her work there in 1986. As the person who first described the golden bamboo lemur (Hapalemur aureus) to Western science, her contributions led to the creation of Ranomafana National Park, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. She joins the Mongabay Newscast to discuss her conservation breakthroughs and the challenges the island faces during political instability and widespread poverty. Wright has participated in the making of numerous documentaries over the years, including Island of Lemurs: Madagascar, narrated by Morgan Freeman, and recently Ivohiboro: The Lost Forest and Surviving Alone: The Tale of Simone. In this conversation, she describes key findings from the latter two films, including how Ivohiboro, a montane tropical forest surrounded by desert, was unknown to Western science until Wright set foot there in 2016. Films like these are a crucial part of marketing conservation, wildlife and places such as Madagascar, Wright says. "It plays a pivotal role in the public understanding what the real issues are. I think the films [are] very important to get across the idea that there is a biodiversity crisis." Take a minute to let us know what you think of our audio reporting, which you can do here. The Mongabay Newscast is available on major podcast platforms, including Apple and Spotify. All previous episodes are accessible on the Mongabay website. Image Credit: Diademed Sifaka (Propithecus diadema). Image by Rhett A. Butler/Mongabay. ------- Timecodes (00:00) Madagascar's biodiversity crisis (03:49) Establishing Ranomafana National Park (08:23) Surviving Alone: The Tale of Simone (17:22) Exploring the Ivohiboro rainforest (30:41) Challenges and solutions in Madagascar conservation (45:52) The importance of research stations

    53 min
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News and inspiration from nature's frontline, featuring inspiring guests and deeper analysis of the global environmental issues explored every day by the Mongabay.com team, from climate change to biodiversity, tropical ecology, wildlife, and more. The show airs every other week.

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