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EarthChat
BEAM Mitchell Environment Group Inc
72 episodes
6 days ago
EarthChat presents in-depth conversations and views on the many environment issues affecting our community. EarthChat is brought to you by BEAM Mitchell Environment Group. You can listen live each Tuesday on Seymour FM at 12noon AEST or to the repeat on Saturday at 8am with your hosts Vanessa, Peter, Ruth and Tim. Time to tune in, listen up and get active EarthChatters!
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Natural Sciences
Business,
News,
Non-Profit,
News Commentary,
Science
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All content for EarthChat is the property of BEAM Mitchell Environment Group Inc and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
EarthChat presents in-depth conversations and views on the many environment issues affecting our community. EarthChat is brought to you by BEAM Mitchell Environment Group. You can listen live each Tuesday on Seymour FM at 12noon AEST or to the repeat on Saturday at 8am with your hosts Vanessa, Peter, Ruth and Tim. Time to tune in, listen up and get active EarthChatters!
Show more...
Natural Sciences
Business,
News,
Non-Profit,
News Commentary,
Science
Episodes (20/72)
EarthChat
Celebrating ‘Friends of the Earth’ S25 Ep20
In this week’s EarthChat Ruth Yeatman celebrates ‘Friends of the Earth’ (FoE) with long time member and campaigns’ coordinator, Cam Walker, who has tirelessly worked with the organization since 1989.
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3 days ago
45 minutes 38 seconds

EarthChat
Biodiversity - Nature's Insurance Policy for a Sustainable Future S25 Ep19
This week Tim, Jill and guests will be discussing biodiversity. Biodiversity is a term that is used frequently today - but what does it really mean and why is it so important to many aspects of our lives?  Essentially it is all the variety and variability of all the different life forms on Earth ie plants and animals, insects, reptiles, amphibians, fungi and other micro-organisms such as bacteria.  The complex interactions of the species and the balance of natural processes and lifecycles make it possible for us to survive into the future meaningfully.They explore some of the reasons that biodiversity of species and the health of both land and water ecosystems is declining and why urgent action is needed to reverse this trend.  We will also explore some of the excellent projects that are underway in various parts of the world and closer to home in our State and region that offer significant hope for threatened species and their habitats.  There are many opportunities to support and become involved in these and our guests will elaborate more on this.Liz Downes is a forest activist, researcher and campaigner and a Director of the Rainforest Information Centre. The campaign she has mainly been working on in recent years is located in Ecuador where mining and other threats are threatening the Equatorial forests in one of thy world's most biodiverse regions where we are still discovering the species that exist there. Any habitat loss can have severe consequences for species survival and for future generations especially as we lose insect and pollinator species that impact food the health of the entire ecosystem.  Also of interest is MRAG (Melbourne Rainforest Action Group) - https://rainforestactiongroup.org/ Vanessa Malandrin is an agricultural scientist, former EarthChat presenter and leading BEAM member is currently the Facilitator of the South West Goulburn Landcare Network which consists of 5 sub-groups across the Mitchell Shire.  We hear from Vanessa about the important work in the region on biodiversity conservation and habitat restoration as well as opportunities to become involved in some exciting projects.Other sources of useful information are:https://www.iucnredlist.org/ (IUCN Red List of Threatened Species)https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/topics/wildlife/2024/05/protecting-our-pollinators/ (Protecting our pollinators - Australian Geographic)https://euroaarboretum.com.au/matchstick_grasshopper/ (Bringing Endangered bugs back to Taungurung grasslands  – Euroa Arboretum)https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/may/13/a-horror-movie-sharks-and-octopuses-among-200-species-killed-by-toxic-algae-off-south-australia
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1 week ago
43 minutes 11 seconds

EarthChat
Mitchell Shire's green space possibilities S25 Ep18
This week Marie and Ruth chat with recently retired shire Councillor Rob Eldridge about some wonderful possibilities in Mitchell Shire for developing our opportunities to set aside significant areas of green space for the future. They start with the proposed Wallan Wallan  wetland park. This is an opportunity that must not be missed as the population of this area grows. There is also a great discussion on some of the restrictions to the actual powers of the Shire, what we can and cannot do. 
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2 weeks ago
52 minutes 8 seconds

EarthChat
Post election challenges S25 Ep17
With Dutton and much of the Coalition voted out of parliament, we are saved from going down a fraught path of nuclear power, and the voters of Australia have strongly rejected Trumpism here.But there are some big challenges for Australia for the resurgent Labor Government. For starters, ramping up the transmission linkage of renewables, upgrading our environmental protection laws, and getting serious about a national conversation on a more sustainable water policy. Retired academic and strategic thinker Alan Jenkins rejoins Peter Lockyer on EarthChat to reflect on what the election means, and some challenges in the coming 3 years.
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3 weeks ago
43 minutes 55 seconds

EarthChat
Nuclear facts and fictions S25 Ep16
How safe is nuclear power? Are nuclear submarines safe? Listen here to find out a bit more.
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1 month ago
46 minutes 29 seconds

EarthChat
Birds: Why We Can’t Live Without Them…. S25 Ep15
Have you ever been struck by the song of a bird and immediately found your curiosity and wonder has led you beyond what it is to be human to another realm? Or a sudden and elusive movement might have caught your eye, be it in your garden or out in the bush. And whilst looking up to the sky have you found yourself witnessing the miracle of birds defying gravity mid air?Birds offer a portal to the wild world providing a sense of connection with nature which can evoke feelings of awe and wonder, promoting greater awareness and appreciation for the environment. No wonder humans have been inspired by birds on so many levels, from music, poetry and art to engineering.Here are a few examples of their remarkable achievements: The Arctic Tern flies 90,000 km round trip every year between the north and South Pole - from Greenland in the North, to the Weddell Sea in the South. The Bar-Headed Geese can fly as high as 6,000 metres when crossing the Himalayas. Humming Birds are the weight of a sheet of paper and the size of the eye of an Ostrich, (who like the Emu and Cassowary don’t fly at all). They can too fast for the human eye to see how they got from A to B, and they can hover mid air without falling to the ground. And what’s more, they can fly backwards. Sharp-tailed Sandpipers migrate from Australia to Siberia and back again every year to breed. And the Lyrebird has inhabited Australia for over 15 million years… Superb fairy-Wren’ fathers sing to their eggs before they hatch. Extraordinary Bird facts go on and on…..On every level of human existence we need the existence of birds. Recent research indicates that of all the natural sounds, bird songs and calls are most often cited as helping people recover from stress, improve mental wellbeing, and enhance cognitive functions like focus and attention. The absence of birdsong would create a noticeable and potentially unsettling silence in nature. Now for some sobering facts for us to address. We are losing birds species and bird numbers to dangerous levels for a healthy survival of the planet. Nearly three billion birds are estimated to have been lost since 1970 in North America alone, and a further 600 million have been lost in the European Union since 1980, an area five times smaller. Since European colonization 69% of Australia has lost at least one bird species with a 61% increase.Without birds, aside from the reasons cited above, ecosystems would face significant disruption, impacting pollination, seed dispersal, insect control, potentially leading to reduced biodiversity and increased disease risk and a reduced food supply with economic consequences of reduced food production and potential health issues. By having more insects roaming the land as a result of no birds, crops will be ravaged by the amount of pests causing loss of human life, and other mammals, reptiles, amphibians and plant life.The good news is there’s much we humans can do to change this trajectory to support the ongoing health and preservation of birdlife around the planet. Join Ruth and her guests, ecologist, Peter Mitchell, and avid birder, Val La May, to explore the wonderful world of birds and how we can support their vital existence.Peter Mitchell: Peter has a PhD in zoology and years of experience in ecology and land management.  He has worked as a Landcare coordinator, teacher and land management officer with government departments. Since retiring, Peter is been involved in many volunteer groups working on landscape restoration and the management of many of Mitchell Shire’s Natural Treasures.  He has written many of BEAM’s submissions to government agencies including the Shire’s Structure Plans and Rural Strategy.Val La May: Born in Rochester, New York, (USA), Val moved to Boise where she grew up in Idaho's Rocky Mountain West. Picnicking and camping ‘up in the hills’ led she and her siblings to rampage around the forest like wild things. Many years later, on returning to the Idaho woods, she
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1 month ago
48 minutes 58 seconds

EarthChat
EarthChat greets Sustainable House Day – lots of local action S25 Ep14
Sustainable House Day (SHD) is an Australian event showcasing (mostly) recently completed energy efficient houses. Be they owner-built or builder-built, there are lots of attractive and efficient and aesthetically stimulating houses to check out near you.What is a Sustainable House? Where does SHD come from? What can we expect from thousands of people checking out hundreds of houses across Australia? Is there an impact of mainstream commercial builds.Peter Lockyer and Tim Budge are joined by a couple of local people whose houses will be on display. Mitchell Shire has 7 houses registered on Sustainable House Day, and they are all very different, from renovations, to new build to retrofit. Mitchell Shire Council is a partner too of the day.Check out SHD here and click here for a list of the local houses. Mitchell Shire Council also has some more information here. The Council will be running an EV webinar on the 8th May.
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1 month ago
54 minutes 43 seconds

EarthChat
The environment going forward S25 Ep13
This EarthChat, Marie and Ruth chat with to Norbert Ryan (President, Wallan Environment Group) about what we hope to hear in the policies being put forward by parties standing for our federal elections. The discussion includes our wish lists for a healthy environment going forward. Together they cover a wide variety of forward looking environmental policies and look at the very varied parts of a Shire like Mitchell and how they can be improved.
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1 month ago
52 minutes 39 seconds

EarthChat
Gaza, what narratives make sense? S25 Ep12
Gaza, what narratives make sense? When we hear about atrocities in Gaza, what narratives and pre-conditioned understandings sit behind how we understand the news? Are we dehumanising people by these narratives? Are there other ways to see the conflict?
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2 months ago
48 minutes

EarthChat
Building Stronger Communities S25 Ep11
Now more than ever is the need to foster and strengthen local social connections to create a sense of belonging and community, and to create easily accessible and affordable opportunities for people to enrich their lives through connections they might not otherwise make. This week’s EarthChat focuses on Community (or Neighbourhood Houses) which profoundly contribute to the overall strength and resilience of local communities by fostering social connections and offering learning and recreational opportunities. Community Houses facilitate community engagement for people of all ages and backgrounds enabling a sense of belonging - a much needed antidote to social isolation in these times - and generally supporting good community mental health.Our focus is the Seymour and District Community House who since 1981 have been providing access to resources and information, such as job training, ‘occasional childcare program’, support for people with disabilities, and more recently a food share program, and a community garden which is lovingly tended by children from the childcare program.Manager, Krystal Bolejko, (the one paid worker), and President of SDCH’s volunteer Board, Larissa Lambert, fill us in about the House’s offerings, and what inspires them to do this work, along with their exciting future plans to further enrich the offerings already available to the Seymour and District Community.
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2 months ago
44 minutes 22 seconds

EarthChat
The Inland Rail Plans, especially in Broadford S25 Ep10
How will the planned Inland Rail developments affect the local community, especially in Broadfoard?
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2 months ago
49 minutes 59 seconds

EarthChat
Too Hot for Footy! S25 Ep9
Not many people may have heard about Footy for Climate, but it is a ground-breaking organisation. It was founded by two AFLM players, Tom Campbell (Melbourne FC, St Kilda, North Melbourne and Western Bulldogs) and Jasper Pittard (North Melbourne and Port Adelaide) in the wake of the 2020 Black Summer bushfires. Tom and Jasper were North Melbourne teammates when their training was forced indoors due to hazardous air quality caused by those fires. This led to a conversation about climate change and the role AFL and AFLW players can play in supporting the communities being impacted by extreme weather caused by climate change.It is now a thriving organisation with a vision to have positive climate action as an embedded part of AFL culture, actively protecting the future of the game through our members, our partners and the wider football community.With the start of the 2025 season upon us, co-founder Tom, Campbell and CEO Lex Lynch are on EarthChat this week to talk about Footy for Climate, how they work with clubs and players at all levels and how clubs everywhere are adapting to the impact of climate on our game. It is a thought-provoking  thoughtful and important conversation. More Information?Footy for Climate website and Facebook page A great article on climate change from Dockers Captain Alex Pearce
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2 months ago
49 seconds

EarthChat
Treaty Negotiations Commence in Victoria S25 Ep8
Join Ruth and Phil this week as they continue their Treaty conversation with First Peoples’ Assembly North East Representative, Levi Power, who returns to update us on the Treaty process here in Victoria. After years of careful consultation (Phase One of Three),The Allan Labor Government and the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria have entered the Second Phase of the Victorian treaty process which is to agree and establish the rules of treaty-making as part of the Treaty Negotiation Framework. This follows close to a decade of preparatory work by the parties, including Australia’s first Treaty legislation passed by the Victorian Parliament in 2018, and the Treaty Authority Act which received bipartisan support in the Victorian Parliament in 2022.Treaty is about making a better and fairer state for every Victorian. Treaty will achieve practical change, with the initial round of negotiations focusing on securing a foundation for Treaty in Victoria that recognises the relationship between the State and First Peoples. Key areas will include structural measures to support reconciliation, truth, education and healing between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Victorians.Negotiations are overseen by the independent Treaty Authority according to rules set out in the Treaty Negotiation Framework. A landmark ceremony in November 2024 celebrated the commencement of negotiations which resumed in January 2025 with weekly talks. The parties will release regular Joint Statements to keep all Victorians updated. Information:First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria: firstpeoplesvic.org/treaty/Victorian Government: https://www.firstpeoplesrelations.vic.gov.au/treaty  
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2 months ago
50 minutes 2 seconds

EarthChat
Do the Right Bin S25 Ep7
What to expect from a four bin recycling system and other good stuff about recycling.
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3 months ago
45 minutes 25 seconds

EarthChat
A Rising Tide stops coal boats, S25 Ep6
Mitchell local and BEAM committee member Peter Gaffney is an organiser for Rising Tide and he joins EarthChat again to talk about this amazing movement. Peter is dedicated to the well-being of both the planet and its inhabitants. He is both an impassioned environmental activist and palliative care nurse specialist. Throughout his career, the planet's welfare has remained a central priority. He has sought to bridge the gap between environmental activism and healthcare, recognizing the intricate relationship between a healthy planet and the well-being of its inhabitants.We hear from Peter about his passions and advocacy work and we will get a first hand report on the Rising Tide blockade work in November 2024. Listen in and find out why this work is important and what you can do to support climate action. Read more about Rising Tide in Victoria on Facebook or check out Rising Tide's website here.
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3 months ago
47 minutes 56 seconds

EarthChat
The Economic Costs of Climate Change S25 Ep5
This week on EarthChat, Marie Gerrard and John Thompson explore the many and varied ways that our economic future will be affected by Climate Change. These include increased natural disasters, droughts, bushfires and health effects to name some. We can expect major rises in our expenses for recovery. Many homes and businesses will become uninsurable and governments will be expected to pay with our taxes.  What are the economic costs and what can we as community members do in response? Listen in to find out more!  
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3 months ago
45 minutes 44 seconds

EarthChat
Re-generative farming & racehorse industry opportunities S25 Ep4
Horse studs are big around Seymour and indeed across all of Mitchell Shire. This is a big money industry. What are the opportunities to make this industry more environmentally benign?James Manning is Stud Manager at Godolphin Stud in Northwood Road, and he joins Peter Lockyer on EarthChat this week as we dig deep into horse manure, a BEAM study a decade ago “Stable Waste to Compost” and James's work at Godolphin. James is also currently studying a regenerative agriculture course. He’s also looking to inform locals about an upcoming free Farm Tree event at Godolphin on Feb 14th. That’s a lot to chat about.See www.godolphin.com for more details. Find out about his regenerative agriculture course here: https://lachlanhughesfoundation.org.au/
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3 months ago
47 minutes 9 seconds

EarthChat
Save Our Strathbogie Forest S25 Ep3
Bertram Lobert, president of the Community Group, ‘Save Our Strathbogie Forest’ (SOSF), joins Nelly and Ruth on EarthChat Tuesday to tell us about their conservation efforts to improve the management of the Strathbogie Forest. A recent campaign with the Victorian Government successfully advocated for a halt to native forest logging in 2019.In 2024, in a legal case brought by Save Our Strathbogie Forest against the State of Victoria/Dept. of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, the Federal Court ruled that the evidence before the court was insufficient to argue that the four proposed planned burns were likely to significantly impact the nationally threatened Southern Greater Glider who’s survival is completely dependent on access to hollow-bearing trees.Despite this disappointment, there was an upside in the process, the court found that planned burns for fuel reduction are not exempt from the EPBC Act, as the Victorian Government has insisted for the last 25 years. This in itself is a ‘big deal’. Later in August, the full bench (three Justices) of the Federal Court, at Appeal, strengthened this finding.Bert sincerely believes that adopting the First Nations’ ethos of ‘healing country’ with a strong bioregional context is an integral part of our collective human response to several of the planetary crises we face, namely climate change, the sixth extinction, freshwater use and land system change. SOSF consults with the Taungurung Land and Waters’ Council in their efforts to strive for policy and actions that better protect the forest’s natural values.Join us to hear how he and the SOSF overcome the challenges inherent in convincing those ‘in power’ to rethink their approach to forest management to ensure critical habitat is protected not only so the many species who depend on them can thrive, but how they in turn can reciprocally fulfill their role of contributing to the overall health of the forest.Bert is a post graduate in zoology, geography and ecology from Monash University, and his current projects involve threatened species conservation, ground-water monitoring, wetland conservation, nature communication and forest management. His greatest love is having the time to simply be out in the field to collect data.
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4 months ago
43 minutes 8 seconds

EarthChat
Violet Coco the Activist S25, Ep2
A fascinating conversation with Violet Coco, passionate environment and social justice activist
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4 months ago
51 minutes 7 seconds

EarthChat
The Wonderful World of Whales S25 Ep1
A new year, a new podcast!On Earth Chat this week, Peter, Marie chats with Simon Millar who is the captain of a whale-watching boat that operates out of Eden, NSW.They discuss the very interesting  and well documented history of the interactions between Indigenous people and whales in the fairly recent past. We will also cover the return of humpback whales since the ban on whale slaughter, their fascinating migrations and the looming environmental threats facing them with global warming and ocean acidification. There are many threats to their habitat and their food sources. We will also discuss their interactions with the other creatures in the habitat.Read more about Simon's Whale Watching Tours here.\ Don't forget to follow and like us!
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4 months ago
24 minutes 35 seconds

EarthChat
EarthChat presents in-depth conversations and views on the many environment issues affecting our community. EarthChat is brought to you by BEAM Mitchell Environment Group. You can listen live each Tuesday on Seymour FM at 12noon AEST or to the repeat on Saturday at 8am with your hosts Vanessa, Peter, Ruth and Tim. Time to tune in, listen up and get active EarthChatters!