Disrupting Disaster

Episode 8 Charlie Caruso discusses several current world climate events including the earthquake in Chile, floods and Tsunami warnings for Japan, fires and floods in the US, Telsa, Porche, Apple and BMWs bids in the electric car race, Divestment news, and some cool tech news.

In Episode 7 - Charlie and James discuss Tony Abbott's recent comparisons to Australia's COP21 emission targets against that of Chinas, as they explore what legal culpability politicians have in their conduct and decisions around climate change action. Charlie and James discuss the relevance of the 900 Dutch citizens and the Urgenda Foundation which successfully filed a world first Climate Case against the Dutch Government. Charlie chats with leading Australian Environmental lawyer, Ariane Wilkinson about whether Australian citizens could present a similar case to our legal system.

Episode 6 Charlie and James discuss how inequality can affect the cooperation of international treaties in the lead up to Paris COP21. How does the imbalance between rich and poor affect how we negotiate on a global scale.

Motivating the Masses is the first instalment of Charlie and James's discussion about the factors that influence and affect climate negotiations. In the lead up to COP21/Paris 2015, it is becoming increasingly apparent that failure to negotiate a treaty that stops dangerous climate change is not an option. In the wake of Mark Hurlstone's keynote at WSEN2015, James and Charlie cover the impact of trust and uncertainty on cooperation and include a social experiment they conducted themselves to prove the influence trust has on cooperation.

Episode 4 Charlie provides a catch-up info session for those looking to brush up on their understanding of the Kyoto Protocol, its effectiveness and it's impact, in preparation for future podcasts planned with James that discusses the future of international cooperation ahead of Paris 2015.

Charlie and James discuss the fallout of the Abbott Governments recent cuts to funding to the renewable energy sector in the backdrop of Charlie attending the World Student Environmental Network 2015 Global Summit hosted by Murdoch University. As a delegate Charlie was able to speak with Professor Lyn Beasley, Peter Newman and Senator Scott Ludlum, who were able to restore her faith in the potential of renewables in Australia and in the world.

It's school holidays here in Australia and last week co-host James Lush travelled with his kids back to the UK for a short holiday. As such, the topic of air travel seemed a natural focus for Episode 2 of the Disrupting Disaster podcast series. How significant is the impact of our globalised lifestyle and what options are available to reduce the carbon emissions that we produce when we travel by plane. Charlie and James interview Robert Wood, Head of Sustainability at Virgin Australia to better understand what benefits and impacts carbon offsetting options can actually provide the enviroment.