Earth Matters
Episodes
COP15 - The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework Explained
04 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A landmark deal was reached after two weeks of talks in Montreal at the COP15 UN biodiversity summit, where nations from across the world agreed to a ...
Macaranga Wrap-Up 2022
28 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In our last Earth Matters show for 2022, we catch up with Wong Siew Lyn and Law Yao Hua, the co-founders of environmental journalism portal Macaranga,...
Indah Water Konsortium: Tackling Sewage, Sustainability and More
21 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Indah Water Konsortium, Malaysia's national sewerage company has been entrusted with the tasks of developing and maintaining a modern and efficient se...
A Checklist For the Environment Ministry
14 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We have a new rebranded Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change, led by YB Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad. What are among the issues that h...
Post GE15: Priorities for the Environment in Sarawak
12 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The rebranded Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change will be at the forefront to address Malaysia's environmental issues, and t...
World Soil Day 2022: OK Bloomer, Let's Talk Soil
07 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Describing the work he does as “literally anything under the sun for sustainability," Abdul Razak Abdul Aziz, the founder of Social Eco Enterprise D...
Macaranga Wrap-up: November 2022
30 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In our penultimate roundup for 2022, we catch-up with the co-founders of environmental journalism portal Macaranga, Wong Siew Lyn and Law Yao Hua, to ...
COP27: Did it Deliver for People and Planet?
30 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change – COP27 – was meant to build on the outcomes of CO...
COP27 - Outcomes for Youth, Civil Society and Indigenous Peoples
23 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference - COP27 - has concluded. Were there wins from this set of climate negotiations, or were they just an...
Climate Action and the Youth Vote
16 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Research shows that the environment and climate change is a top issue for young people around the world, as youths will be the most affected by climat...
It's time to #Vote4Climate
16 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Greenpeace Malaysia recently conducted a study ahead of GE15, scraping Malaysia's Parliamentary Hansard from 2018-2022, and using more than 100 enviro...
Biodiversity for Malaysia: COP15 - A Chance to Save Nature?
14 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Come December, The UN Biodiversity Conference, the Fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP-15) to the Convention on Biological Diversi...
Methane: A Crucial Opportunity in the Climate Fight
09 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Methane emissions account for roughly 25 percent of current global warming, and contribute to climate-related threats including more intense and frequ...
Skin and Bones: No Let Up in Tiger Trafficking
07 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Current estimates put the global tiger population at around 4,500 individuals, having plummeted from the 100,000 tigers estimated at the start of the ...
Rubble Rubble, Toil and Trouble - Why More Quarrying at the Bukit Lagong Forest Reserve?
02 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Recent revelations of licences issued for rock quarrying within the Bukit Lagong Forest Reserve (BLFR) have raised more than just eyebrows among envir...
Macaranga Wrap-up: October 2022
31 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's that time of the month, where we catch up with the good people from environmental journalism portal Macaranga, for a round-up of the top environm...
The Road to COP27: More Action Needed
31 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ambassador Ken O’Flaherty is the COP26 Regional Ambassador for Asia-Pacific, Caribbean and Small Island Developing States. He worked closely with go...
Development for the Greater Good - at Whose Expense?
26 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's a familiar tale here in Malaysia: a sprawling, thriving rainforest, cleared for development or plantations. Despite pledges to protect our intact...
Protecting our Land and Water - Is Malaysia Doing Enough?
19 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Macaranga #TanahAir Special Project looked at how governance in Malaysia is impacting humans and nature, as well as the related concerns and actio...
Plastic Soup: Jom, Kita Refill!
17 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Plastic plastic everywhere - it's in practically all the packaging we normally use, from household cleaning products to food packaging, and everything...
Make the Environment a Priority in Budget 2023 & GE15
12 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's been an eventful past few days – we saw Budget 2023 being tabled on the evening of 7th October, and parliament then being dissolved a few days ...
Budget 2023: A Wishlist For the Environment
05 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Malaysia's Budget 2023 will be tabled in parliament on the 7th of October, and finance minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz has said that it will prioritise en...
Plastic Soup: International Coastal Clean-up 2022 - The Problem With Plastic
03 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
By IUCN estimates, over 300 million tons of plastic are produced every year for use in a wide variety of applications. At least 14 million tons of pla...
Intergenerational Ecological Knowledge - The Baram Heritage Survey
28 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Baram Heritage Survey is no ordinary scientific study. Instead of sending in grad students, the team from the Borneo Project have hired indigenous...
Macaranga Wrap-up: September 2022
26 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's that time of the month, where we speak to environmental journalism portal Macaranga's co-founders, Law Yao Hua and Wong Siew Lyn, for a recap of ...
Under the Stars: Zero Waste Festival
26 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How can Malaysians normalise sustainable living practices, and aim for a zero waste way of life? With lots of help of course, especially from the good...
Community Waste Separation & Recycling Made Easy
21 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Strong community recycling programs can contribute to a healthy united community, and are building blocks for sustainable growing communities. Pejabat...
Different Air Under One Sky: The Inequity Air Research
19 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Clean air is a basic human right, but air pollution has become one of the greatest environmental risk factors for human health. Exposure to air pollut...
Disaster Preparedness for Community Resilience
14 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We may never know exactly when or where an earthquake will happen, but Navakanesh Batmanathan is working to help educate people and better prepare the...
Nature's Keepers: Adrian Banie Lasimbang
12 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
For decades now, Adrian Banie Lasimbang has been at the forefront of the movement for sustainable development, and representation for Borneo’s indig...
Biodiversity for Malaysia: What Can We Learn From Southeast Asia?
07 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Biodiversity for Malaysia is a monthly series which aims to get everyone on the same page when it comes to all things biodiversity-related, especially...
There's No Planet B: Mitigation, Adaptation, and Loss & Damage
05 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In our ongoing series, There's No Planet B, we want to share everything you need to know about the climate crisis. We previously touched on why we're ...
Nature's Keepers: Tan Sri Dr Salleh Mohd Nor
29 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
YBhg Tan Sri Dato’ Dr. Salleh bin Haji Mohd Nor has spent the better part of his life protecting Malaysia's natural capital. With a long illustrious...
Macaranga Wrap-up: August 2022
29 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
For this month's roundup of environmental news with Macaranga, co-founders Wong Siew Lyn and Law Yao Hua first discuss the Perak state government's de...
Dubious Degazettement of the Bukit Cherakah Forest Reserve?
24 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The ongoing battle to save the Shah Alam Community Forest from being developed continues, the latest update being that two NGOs have filed a judicial ...
YELL-ing for Youth Climate Activism
22 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
YELL stands for Youth Environment Living Labs, and was created to strengthen youth led environmental action, rooted in local, indigenous and tradition...
Sustainability Solutions through the Danau Girang Field Centre
17 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC) is a collaborative research and training facility managed by the Sabah Wildlife Department and Cardiff University...
A New Life for Old Soles with EcoKnights
15 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Established in 2005, EcoKnights' focuses on working with key stakeholders to drive and empower sustainable actions for a better planet. Sustainable co...
How Implementing the 30x30 Target Will Help Malaysia
10 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
More than a year ago, in July 2021, the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Secretariat released the first official draft of a new Global Biod...
The ABC's of Biodiversity: Sunda Clouded Leopard
08 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Sunda or Diardi’s Clouded Leopard was only identified to science in 2006, when genetic research indicated they were a separate species from the ...
The Human Right To A Clean, Healthy & Sustainable Environment
03 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The U.N. General Assembly — the highest UN body that wields considerable influence over its member states — adopted a historic resolution: the rec...
Clear Forests First, EIA Later?
01 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
According to a recent report in Macaranga, plantation company AA Sawit Sdn Bhd has just submitted an environmental impact assessment (EIA) report to g...
Global Tiger Day 2022: Keeping Up the Fight for Malayan Tigers Lives
27 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's estimated that fewer than 150 Malayan tigers remain in the wild in Peninsula Malaysia, led to near extinction by the usual suspects of poaching a...
Macaranga Wrap-Up: July 2022
25 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Every last Monday of the month, we gather for a roundup of important environmental news from the month past, with the good folks of journalism portal,...
Plastic Soup: Purge the Plastic Scourge
25 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We've seen the reports and news headlines: "Our planet is choking on plastic" "Microplastics: Polluting our blood, foetuses - and now the dairy and me...
Biodiversity for Malaysia: Coming Together for the 30x30 Target
20 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Biodiversity for Malaysia is a monthly series which aims to get everyone on the same page when it comes to all things biodiversity-related, especially...
Concerns Over the PJD Link
18 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Petaling Jaya Dispersal Link or PJD LINK is a proposed 34.3 km, 2 lane dual carriageway expressway, which, as per its description, will act as a t...
Crop It Like It's Hot - Wildlife Photography with Chien Lee
13 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A biologist turned wildlife photographer, Chien Lee began his career in northern California as an environmental educator, before moving to Sarawak in ...
Biodiversity Talks: “More Divergence Than Convergence”
06 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) convened another set of week-long talks in Nairobi, which was the Open-Ended Working Group on the Post...
A Pathway to Becoming Biodiversity-Friendly Malaysia
04 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We know that biodiversity is the variety of life, at genetic, species and ecosystem levels, and is essential for the resilience of ecosystems. We also...
Bonn Climate Change Conference: More Blah Blah, Than Rah Rah
29 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Bonn Climate Change Conference was described as two weeks of intense discussions, to make progress on important technical issues, and prepare deci...
Macaranga Wrap-up: June 2022
27 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In June 2022's roundup of environmental news, done in collaboration with award-winning environmental journalism portal Macaranga, we look back at news...
ABC's of Biodiversity: Gibbons of Malaysia
27 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There are five species of gibbons, found in Malaysia. The white-handed gibbon, dark-handed or agile gibbon, and the siamang are found in Peninsular Ma...
You've Got A Friend in Bukit Kiara
22 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Bukit Kiara remains as one of the few large green open spaces found right here in Kuala Lumpur, and is a hugely popular recreational site for urbanite...
A Proposed Tourism Project for Kuala Selangor Nature Park?
20 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
According to a recent report in the Malay Mail, there is a proposal to develop the 292-hectare Kuala Selangor Nature Park (KSNP) into a tourist destin...
The ABC’s of Biodiversity: Coral Reefs
15 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Coral reefs are the ocean’s most biodiverse ecosystems, and provide food, coastal protection and income for many people across the world, and here i...
Biodiversity for Malaysia: Whither, the 30x30 Target?
13 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We continue with Biodiversity for Malaysia on Earth Matters, a monthly series which wants to get everyone on the same page when it comes to biodiversi...
World Oceans Day: Oceans are sick, act quick!
08 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This year’s World Oceans Day, on 8 June 2022, will highlight the theme Revitalization: Collective Action for the Ocean. A healthy ocean is a criti...
There's No Planet B: Climate Justice Heroes: Yeb Sano
01 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's been said that one of Yeb Sano’s defining moments came during the 2013 UN Climate Summit in Warsaw, where, as the Philippines Chief Negotiator,...
Macaranga Wrap-up: May 2022
30 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Another month gone by, another round-up with our two favourite environmental journalists, Law Yao Hua and Wong Siew Lyn, the co-founders of Macaranga....
Jailed Birds - Asian Songbirds in Crisis
30 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Serene Chng is a wildlife trade researcher and a program officer with TRAFFIC in Southeast Asia. Her work involves recording wildlife traded in many o...
Juara Turtle Project - Change Starts With You
25 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Juara Turtle Project is a conservation and research centre on Tioman Island, and the group call themselves a "peoples project", because they believe c...
The ABC's of Biodiversity: River Terrapins
23 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this month's episode of The ABC's of Biodiversity, we "shellebrate" World Turtle Day! Observed annually on the 23rd of May, the celebration aims to...
Malaysia's Mystery Monkey
18 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
No monkeying around - a new study has revealed that a new, never-before-identified monkey has been spotted near the Kinabatangan River, in Sabah. The ...
Rakyat, Jaga Rimba!
11 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Late last month, the Rimba Disclosure Project (RDP), released its findings for 2021, and found that Peninsular Malaysia will see deforestation amounti...
Biodiversity For Malaysia: Biodiversity Loss Is Our Loss
09 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The International Day for Biological Diversity is taking place later this month, and the theme for this year is “Building a shared future for all li...
Plastic Soup: A Simple Guide to Zero Waste Celebrations
27 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Plastic Soup on Earth Matters is an ongoing series where we ask whether we are indeed living in a giant bowl of plastic soup, and explore ways we can ...
Macaranga Wrap-up: April 2022
25 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Wong Siew Lyn and Law Yao Hua, the Co-Founders of environmental journalism portal Macaranga, return for their monthly round-up of top environmental ne...
Why Do We Need to Declare a Climate Emergency in Malaysia?
25 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Gabungan Darurat Iklim Malaysia (GDIMY) have released a letter calling upon the Government of Malaysia at the federal, state and local levels to decla...
Earth Day 2022: Investing In Our Planet
20 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The science is clear - we are pressuring the planet in more ways than one, causing unprecedented changes in climate and biodiversity, and mostly ...
A Simple Guide to Waste Segregation & Recycling
18 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Last November, the good folks from Zero Waste Malaysia released the beta version of the Trash Encyclopedia, but this 23rd of April, the full version i...
Borders Are Open! Ecotourism in the New Normal
18 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The closure of Malaysia's international borders hit the local tourism industry hard, and almost decimated the ecotourism sector. Now that borders have...
There's No Planet B: Global Climate Governance
13 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In our new series, There's No Planet B, we want to share everything you need to know about the climate crisis. We previously touched on why we're in a...
Biodiversity For Malaysia: Little Progress at UN Biodiversity Talks?
11 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We continue our monthly series looking at the Convention on Biological Diversity post-2020 framework process, and in this episode, focus on the recent...
For the Love of Langkawi
06 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Gunung Raya Forest Reserve is home to a diverse ecosystem, with wildlife such as great hornbills, black giant squirrels and island flying foxes, just ...
The Maharani Energy Gateway Project - An Assessment
04 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The proposed Maharani Energy Gateway project in Muar, Johor will involve creating three man-made islands covering an area of 1,295 hectares, and makin...
WWF-Malaysia at 50
30 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
For 50 years, WWF-Malaysia has worked with government agencies, businesses, communities, NGOs and individual supporters to protect nature, and as they...
Macaranga Wrap-up: March 2022
28 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As we close off the month of March 2022, we look back at some of the top conservation and environment-related news from the month past, with the co-fo...
The ABC's of Biodiversity: Seagrasses
28 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
They've been around since the time of dinosaurs, and are more closely related to lilies and gingers than to true grasses. Seagrasses are the only flow...
World Water Day 2022: There’s Enough For Our Needs, Not Our Greed
23 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
World Water Day, celebrated annually on the 22nd of March, is all about focusing attention on the importance of water. While many don't give a second ...
LadangHutan - A Look at Forest Plantation Projects in Peninsular Malaysia
21 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Local environmental journalism portal Macaranga recently released a series of four articles investigating forest plantations in Peninsular Malaysia. K...
Wat-er We Doing To Protect Our Rivers?
16 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Rivers are the planet’s arteries of life, and are intrinsically linked to human survival and well-being. It was International Day of Action for Rive...
The Long Food Movement
14 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Long Food Movement report presents a powerful narrative for the need for long-term planning on the part of civil society to build more just, diver...
Biodiversity For Malaysia: Global Frameworks & Targets Explained
09 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Biodiversity is deteriorating worldwide, and it's widely projected that this decline will worsen with business-as-usual scenarios. The Convention on B...
IPCC Report 2022 - An Atlas Of Human Suffering?
07 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, was released on the 28th o...
There's No Planet B: The Effects of the Climate Crisis
02 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In our new series, There's No Planet B, we want to share everything you need to know about the climate crisis. In our first episode, we explored why w...
Macaranga Wrap-up: February 2022
28 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The illegal smuggling of rhino horns in South Africa involving a Malaysian, African swine fever in Sabah, two species of white-handed gibbons instead ...
The Animal Neighbours Project
28 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As forests and natural spaces shrink, and human activities increasingly expand and encroach on wildlife habitats, human-wildlife conflicts and interac...
Plastic Soup: Do We Need a Global Treaty on Plastics?
21 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's difficult to even begin to fathom the scale of plastic pollution - plastics have been detected practically everywhere on Earth, from the Arctic, ...
The ABC's of Biodiversity: Sunda Pangolins
16 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Pangolins are the only scaly mammals on earth, and the name “pangolin”, which is derived from the Malay word “pengguling”, loosely translates ...
Stop Forests For Sale!
14 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In 2021, investigations by the Rimba Disclosure Project identified and verified 43,539 hectares of forested land supposedly for sale, based on 28 list...
MareCet at 10: Saving Marine Life With Passion and ‘Porpoise’
09 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Marine conservation NGO MareCet celebrated their 10th anniversary just last month, and we celebrate along with them by catching up with the organisati...
Maw-numental Challenges Ahead For Sea Cucumbers and Fish Maw?
07 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sea Cucumbers and Fish Maw might not strike you as facing threats nor do they seem like the poster children for marine conservation. But a new report ...
Macaranga Wrap-up: January 2022
31 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's been an almost farcical month, in terms of official responses to some of the nation's environmental crises. From claims of orangutans attacking h...
Plastic Soup: An End to Plastic Poly Bags
31 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The pandemic and subsequent lockdowns over the past two years turned many of us into avid gardeners. An unwitting consequence was also a rise in the u...
There's no Planet B: A 101 on The Climate Crisis
26 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Why are we in a climate emergency? In our new monthly series, There's no Planet B, we want to share everything you need to know about the climate cris...
KUASA - The Power is Ours
24 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The folks behind the environmental group Persatuan Aktivis Sahabat Alam, or KUASA, believe in standing up for what's right when it comes to protecting...
Plastic Soup: Zero Waste Malaysia's “Trashpedia”
19 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this new segment on Earth Matters - Plastic Soup - we ask whether we are indeed living in a giant bowl of plastic soup, and explore ways we can get...
A Bleak Future for Malayan Tigers?
17 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Lunar New Year is fast approaching, and we're set to enter the Year of the Tiger, according to the Chinese zodiac. Here in Malaysia though, the ou...
The ABC's of Biodiversity: Sun Bears
12 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The smallest of the eight-bear species found in the world, sun bears are most easily recognised by their unique yellow, sun-like marking on thei...