It's 10 years since the first program, and with EarthChat is in good health, Peter Lockyer is pulling up stumps. So this week, Peter shares how EarthChat started, its objectives, and some highs and lows.EarthChat is a child of BEAM Mitchell Environment Group, and Peter Lockyer has also retired from the BEAM committee too, after about 15 exemplary years. He stays a life member of the BEAM organisation and will be active in different ways now.So what is this local activist going to do with all of his spare time?  Well, there's attraction in the Kimberley and building work with a First Nations community, and a serious renovation of a Seymour house that is the focus before the Kimberley campaign.And songwriting, maybe even reading.As a special treat, Peter will sing one of his songs. It's a ripper!

On this week's EarthChat, Jill and Tim talk with Andrew Kelly, a writer and waterways' advocate. As a writer, his focus is on children’s picture books, authoring and co-authoring many award-winning books, mainly with environmental themes. His most recent book is ‘Prayer for a River’ written with Uncle Glenn Loughrey.       He was the Yarra Riverkeeper for seven years, responsible for seeing the government follow through on its election commitment to treating the Yarra as a living entity. The living entity thinking has spread into our planning schemes for the Yarra Birrarung and into planning for Andrew, the waterways of the west of Melbourne, and the Barwon. Andrew has continued advocating for waterways as living entities as the convenor of The Waterways Network and as a founding member of the Concerned Waterways Alliance.       The focus of his work has extended beyond the Yarra to all southern Victorian waterways with an extended consideration of key policy issues involving water and waterways across Australia. He argues for a federal Water Act that encompasses all Australian waterways.Show NotesAccording to the Australian Water Association (AWA), Water use is about 340 litres/person/day although household water use did decline in 2022-23, possibly in response to increased water prices but also due to increased awareness of water efficiency measures.Household water use is comprised of: 30% showers 20% outdoors 1 % dishwasher 14% toilet 16% washing machine 19% tap, bath and other uses Water is a precious, life changing resource, essential for health, dignity and life quality.  It has a range of uses including: Human – household, agriculture, industry and amenity; Ecological - habitat, river systems and floodplains; and Earth Systems such as the water cycle and the carbon cycle which are intrinsic to survival Given the value of water in our lives and healthy natural systems, the fact that Australia is the driest inhabited continent should encourage everyone to work together on sustainable solutions to water challenges. Fair access to clean, fresh water is a shared responsibility and this is often more apparent in regional and remote areas  where cost, availability and quality are limiting factors.  Saving water leads to a healthy environment but urban expansion impacts on water availability and catchment health including damage to acquifers and public safety dangers from flooding. Capturing runoff and better storm water management are areas that need better planning and management. Water has significant cultural values so improved water security and reliability of flow is strongly linked to Indigenous water interests. Goulburn Valley Water www.gvwater.vic.gov.au Annual Water Outlook https://www.water.vic.gov.au Drought Preparedness Response Framework https://www.agriculture.vic.gov.au Australian Water Association (AWA) https://www.awa.asn.au Water Education Toolkit Wanda the Water Warrior Bureau of Meteorology www.bom.gov.au Water in Australia CSIRO Water Book https://www.csiro.au Concerned Waterways Alliance https://concernedwaterwaysalliance.org Taungurung Land and Waters Council https://taungurung.com.au Protects the cultural heritage of the Taungurung people and develops projects for the economic, social and cultural well-being as well as providing services for land and water management to ensure environmental and cultural heritage preservation. River Connect www.riverconnect.com.au An initiative of the Shepparton-Muroopna community to acknowledge the Goulburn and Broken Rivers as the heart and soul of the community. Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists https://wentworthgroup.org Prayer for a River (Uncle Glenn Loughrey and Andrew Kelly), 2025, published by Wild Dog, distributed by Simon and Schuster, www.simonandschuster.com.au Water Cycle Adaptation Plan https://www.climatechange.vic.gov.au Waterways Network www.waterwaysnetwork.com.au Victorian Water Accounts/Water Register  Https://wate

This week we are talking weeds starting with Serrated Tussock Grass. We will learn how to identify and control it. We will also chat about the severe damage it can cause, its economic effects caused by productivity damage. We will also explore other significant weeds that affect our local farms, the damage they do and eradication approaches.

Has it been a good year for the climate and our environment? Is the glass half-empty or half-full and is the water polluted in the glass anyway? Is there any good news?Well, yes! To explore this topic Jill Grant and Tim Budge review the year, highlighting the events which cheer us up and bring us hope, while also noting those areas where things may have gone backwards. We will also be talking about our favourite books, music and films from 2025 and we'll also look ahead. As part of that we will be talking to a couple of new BEAM committee members, about their commitment to the environment and why they want to work with an organisation like BEAM to "take action locally for a healthy environment". SHOW NOTES Global Plastics Treaty Goal of 75% Reduction in plastic production and use by 2040.  Unfortunately the Treaty was not successful as countries were divided on how to tackle the crisis. 100 countries wanted binding caps on production and direct action on toxic chemicals arising from plastic. Action was opposed by large fossil fuel producers, including Saudi Arabia and Russia so in the absence of global action, Country based local initiatives become more urgent.Production has soared to 460 million metric tonnes annually and will continue to increase unless alternatives can be found.  Currently only 10% is recycled globally and a significant proportion of waste is incinerated leading to further release of toxic chemicals and carbon dioxide as they are made from fossil fuels and will increase planet wide air and water pollution over their lifecycle. National Adaptation Action Plan (Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water) Developed after the Climate Risk Assessment  by the Australian Climate Service, Bureau of Meteorology and Geoscience Australia. Direct Action on Physical Risks  such as bushfires, storms, floods, coastal hazards etc and action on the associated health and social cohesion impacts across 7 key systems – urban: regional and remote; natural environment; economy, trade and finance; infrastructure and the built environment; and National security.Special consideration is given to the disproportionate impact on the way of life and threat to health and livelihoods of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People.Emissions Reduction National Targets (Nationally Determined Contribution to the goals set out under the 2015 Paris Agreement). Australia has committed to a 62-70 percent reduction in emissions below 2005 levels and a transformation of the energy system with technological innovation and increased energy security is underway.This will provide a safer climate through decarbonisation and new economic opportunities in regions where renewable energy resources and an increasingly skilled workforce can deliver significant advances. Already there has been a 91% reduction in Photo Voltaic cell costs over the last 20 years. Banksia Foundation National Sustainability Awards https://Banksiafdn.com For 36 years the entrants in the Awards had been inspiring organisations and individuals to drive positive change and make a difference to sustainable development goals across all sectors  

We’ve heard a lot over the past year or so about our housing crisis. The commentary has dominated governments, and yet the suburban sprawl continues over farming and grazing land, over wetlands and precious green belts are disappearing.Blocks are too small to grow big trees for shade, and the “heat island” effect is real in our new suburbs with black roofs.  The sprawl grows. Housing shortages continue.Ryan Elliot (Municipal Building Surveyor) and Brian Bowring (involved in many “fringe” building techniques over the years) join Peter Lockyer on EarthChat this week to take a hard look at challenges in our housing industry. Big house or tiny house; own your land or lease it; rental for life of a comfortable caravan park; modular houses or more builders. And consider the issues of recyclability, labour intensity of landfill, and energy efficiency for all.Just what is the crisis? Where does it come from? Addressing housing shortfall may not be by means we are used to. Is the notion of owning one’s home the issue at the core.     Do we blame Menzies?

This week we will be exploring our wonderful planet and why we need to act to protect it. We will attempt to unravel the complexities of nature and what we need to do for it to flourish. We will be explaining concepts like biodiversity, symbiosis and ecosystems

‘Othering’ is the process of viewing and treating a person or a group as "other," because they seem different, alien, or inferior to us. This "us vs. them" mentality often involves creating a dominant social group identity resulting in exclusion and stigmatizing another group due to assumed perceptions about the other’s race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. It can lead to marginalization, social exclusion, and prejudice.This week Ruth will explore ‘Othering’ and ‘Disability’ with Wendy Kelly, the Diversity and Inclusion Officer with Nexus Primary Health in Seymour, Victoria.Ever since a severe accident as a teenager Wendy has lived her life in a wheelchair. She therefore knows first hand what it is to be treated differently because of having a disability. She continues to witness and experience ignorance and disinterest by able bodied people in what’s needed to ensure people with disability may also live fully supported and fulfilled lives.Wendy has spent much of her personal and professional life raising awareness supporting others with disability, as well as creating opportunities for them to train and participate in competitive team sports in the Lower Hume Region.Focusing on ‘othering’ and ‘disability’ includes shining the light on ‘ableism’ which allows us to unpack the often unconscious prejudice, discrimination, and social bias against people with disabilities, and the subsequent assumption that non-disabled people are superior.Through self-reflection and empathy we become aware of the inherited conditioning that leads us to these inclinations and bias, and instead develop interest in challenging such assumptions. Curiosity often follows bringing with it the discovery of much joy and delight in diversity.

This week Marie chats with Paul Lloyd about their recent trip to Madagascar on a Rotary International project. The aim was  to deliver aid to a very poor school in rural Madagascar. “We arrived in Anatarrivo, the capital, as street demonstrations broke out and we had an eventful time  getting to our hotel. We spent three days under curfew before being able to fly south to Port Dauphin to start the project.  We eventually reached the school in Ambovombe where we found quite extreme poverty. The classes were very large, around 100 students, toilets clearly a health hazard and other facilities really poor. “We will discuss the needs and what we were able to achieve and hope to do in the future.”

Did you know that renewables produced more electricity than coal across the world in the first half of 2025? What a huge shift in a short amount of time. More change is to come, with projects like this photo, of an orchard in Switzerland (does the sun even shine there?) where panels produce 300MWh per year in electricity. What a harvest!The good news is that Australia is a world leader in solar electricity, just think about all those roof panels saving homeowners household bills. If you have an EV and home battery, you are also getting cheap or free car travel. What's there not to like! As someone has written, "Burning fossil fuels is like burning old sunshine; now we can utilise the sun in real-time"This week on EarthChat we talk to Mark Lyons, Clonbinane local and solar expert. Here is what Mark says about himself,"I grew up down stream from Myrtleford and helped dad a lot while he was building various bits of equipment for the farm. This gave me a good mechanical understanding of things. I left school as soon as I was able and worked in a timber mill in Myrtleford before moving to Melbourne to study photography. That was my work for about 20 years and ran a photographic business in Northcote for about ten years."Towards the end of that I did a diploma in renewable energies. It became apparent I would need to pay an electrician to do much of the work I was planning. That was when I started an apprenticeship as an electrician which I completed in my forties. So for about 20 years now I have run my own electric contracting business as well as project managing large megawatt size solar installations for a company."Some time in my thirties I found a guitar that was being thrown out so I took it home and learned to play it, eventually writing my own songs and forming a fairly heavy rock band that played in pubs around Melbourne for about 5 years."I love making things like trailers, electric motorbikes, quad bikes and a small ride on mower I use as a small tractor. We left Melbourne 6 1/2 years ago for Clonbinane and have never looked back. During my late 20s I lived overseas for a couple of years where I met and married Mary. 33 years married now. We have a daughter, Hazel who is 30 now and is a nurse." Mark and Tim will be chatting about how to make the most of wonderful opportunities renewables can offer. How can we better use the power of the sun? How do we apply for government subsidies around batteries and energy efficient appliances for everyone?

  Legislation for Australia's first Treaty between the First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria and the Victorian Government has just been introduced in the Victorian Parliament. An historic moment built on over 200 years of First Nations' advocacy. North East Representative of the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria, Levi Power, returns to EarthChat to chat with Ruth and Phil about this latest exciting Treaty news. The journey to a Statewide Treaty for Victoria, led by First Peoples, is going to benefit everyone living in this State. And, it is going to take all of us to make Treaty a reality.     By working together we will naturally build a better future for everyone in Victoria. Treaty will therefore bring us together and will unify Victoria because we share the same values about freedom, care, family, community and equity…. The Yoorrook Justice Commission began a profound process of healing through Truth-telling thereby creating the first public record of our true history, an opportunity to understand history since colonization, and to see why Treaty is needed. This truth telling and history gathering in Victoria has enabled a ‘turning toward’ the truth of the past allowing us to start building a better and unified future together. Treaty is therefore not about division. On the contrary. Treaty is a pathway to acknowledging the past and making real practical change to achieve better outcomes for First Peoples in Victoria and close the ‘gap(s)’ once and for all. This can only benefit everyone living here in this State. Treaty won’t change any ownership laws - what’s yours today is yours tomorrow. First Peoples won’t become part of the Victorian Government either, just simply have their say in the decisions that affect Aboriginal communities. Next week the Treaty bill will be debated by the Parties in Parliament, when they resume sitting between October 14 - 16. To receive Treaty information and updates about how you can help, go to: https://fpav.good.do/victoriansupporttreaty/email-your-mp/     You can read the full Statewide Treaty text here.   Here’s what else you can do to support Treaty: Explore the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria’s website, including information on the Statewide Treaty, the Assembly, FAQs, information for allies, and a video series here.  You can find out more about the Treaty Authority via their website. They also have a Information Guide for Local Government. The Yoorrook Justice Commission website is a key resource for all who live in Victoria. Read and engage with the recommendations for your sector Read the Official Public Record – Truth Be Told Explore Yoorrook’s Video Library      

Join Peter Lockyer, Vanessa Malandrin and Janice Mentiplay-Smith in a great discussion around the value of old trees, hollows and understory -  each part of a local ecosystem which has a valuable contribution to the whole.  The strength of this Web of Life is the sum of the parts - the more diverse, the greater the health.Hear from Vanessa, Facilitator at South-West Goulburn Landcare Network about local Landcare initiatives and from Janice, Project Officer  for GBCMA (Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority) and the role the Authority plays in supporting biodiversity. Read more about the local Landcare network here and the GBCMA here.

This week, listen in to Jill Grant exploring the importance of our oceans and chatting about some great organisations that are working to protect this amazing global resource and habitat.Oceans cover 70% of the Earth’s surface and they provide a vital regulator of global climate and weather through their currents that transfer heat from the Equator to the Poles and dictate rainfall and wind systems with vital impacts on food production, water supplies and habitation. They also directly supply food, fibres, recreation, transport and medicines, all of which bring societal benefits.Coastal wetlands cover less than 1% of the earth’s surface yet they store 50% of seabed carbon – more than 2-4 times that of forests on a per area basis. They can help reduce climate change impacts by storing carbon from the atmosphere in “carbon sinks” This so called “Blue Carbon” is identified as a major contributor to efforts to reduce overall emissions and subsequent increases in global temperatures – the impacts of which are becoming more intense and more frequent. If Australia is to meet its recently promised targets of a 62-70 percent reduction below 2005 levels within the next 10 years then action must be accelerated and well placed. It seems that ocean conservation, litter reduction and water quality improvements are just some of the specific efforts to increase carbon storage potential on our extensive coastline. Want more information? Port Phillip Eco-Centre www.ecocentre.comThis not for profit, community managed environment group located in St Kilda has been operating since 1999 and now has almost 5000 volunteers, 120 partners, links with 145 schools and over 15000 program participants.Australian Marine Conservation Foundation (AMCS) https://www.marineconservation.org.auEstablished in 1965 and dedicated to healthy seas and protection of ocean wildlife . As an independent group of scientists, educators and advocates they work on the big issues related to protection of ocean ecosystems and marine reserves.  Their research and education programs have been invaluable in raising awareness of ocean issues and the integral role that ocean health plays in Climate Change mitigation and adaptation.Tangaroa Blue Foundation https://tangaroblue.orgA not-for-profit organisation that works to stop the flow of litter into the ocean.  They created the Australian Marine Debris Initiative (AMDI) to help groups who run beach clean-up events to document what they were funding in a consistent way. This network of data sources has provided a powerful record for decision making that has led to source reduction plans and allowed monitoring of efforts and interventions to prevent litter entering the marine environment in the first place. Since 2004 over 2000 tonnes of marine debris have been collected in Australia alone.National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) https://www.noaa.govNOAA experts provide data and tools to understand, prepare for and adapt to our changing climate and through their Ocean Service programs are helping to explore and document the health and species diversity of oceans. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT Climate Portal) Why is the Ocean so important for Climate Change? https://climate.mit.ed/ask-mit/why-oceans-so-important-climate-changeAustralian Climate Services https://www.acs.gov.auAustralian Climate Change Authority www.climatechangeauthority.gov.au2035 Emissions Reduction Targets Advice released (18 September 2025)Department of Climate Change www.dcceew.gov.au, Coastal Blue Carbon ecosystems, 15 September 2025Voice of the Sea – song, book and animation www.https://johnwilliamson.com.au World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)  https://wwf.org.au/what-we-do/oceans/Greenpeace  https://www.greenpeace.org.au/our-work/oceans/

This week on Earth Chat our guest is Sean Dooley from Birdlife Australia. Sean has been involved with Birdlife Australia for many years and is an expert on our local birds and ways to accurately identify them. Sean and Marie will be discussing Birdlife Australia's impressively large citizen science project, their annual Aussie bird count which has just been launched. This year's count will be from 20th to 26th October.Last year 57,000 participants counted a total of 4,117,293 birds in a week. Go to https://birdlife.org.au/ to download information and register now for the count. The birdlife app registers your location and count. It has details of birds and their calls which is helpful in identifying birds.Sean has written for TV comedies including Spicks and Specks. His first published book was 2005's The Big Twitch, an account of his attempt to break the Australian record for the number of birds seen in Australia in a single year. He has written for The Guardian, the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. He is the editor of Australian Birdlife magazine.

This week's guest is the amazing Sally Quinn, who for over 20 years has been on the cutting edge of social enterprises in the circular economy. Sally is the CEO and Co-founder of Green Collect, a pioneering social enterprise in sustainability and inclusive employment and training practices. Over 20 years she has led the enterprise as a provider of resource recovery services through innovation and best practice in the circular economy.Sally has taken the enterprise through the phases of start-up, growth and scale, enabling deep impact by delivering services to a wide base of clients across Melbourne. At the heart of her work is a dedication to creating meaningful and supportive work for people facing barriers to employment, such as homelessness, disability and refugee experiences. As Chair of SENVIC, the peak body for social enterprise in Victoria, Sally works across industries to help create a fair and inclusive society through the ‘business for good’ movement.Sally joins Tim Budge on EarthChat to talk about Green Collect, its growth over 20 years and its impact on sustainability, reduction of landfill and other social benefits. We will also be finding out a bit more about what makes her tick and the importance of the circular economy in our modern and wasteful society. There is lots to listen to and think about.

Nagambie locals and Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority are celebrating 30 years of revegetation work with local native grey box trees grassy woodlands (trees and understory) on Friday. Classified as an endangered environmental community in 2010, Grey Box and derived Grassy Woodlands are iconic. This is our vegetation backyard in the Goulburn Valley. They have enjoyed 30 years of ecological restoration, and deserve some celebration.Celebrate! Friday Sept 12th, Somewhere Café on the Nagambie Lake, 9.30 to 12.But here’s the catch. At the same time, the Elloura Estate in Nagambie, on Vickers Road and reaching North to the lake edge, are again wanting to remove a healthy stand of aged mature Grey Box trees. The irony is breathtaking. Ellouramarkets itself as an exceptional masterplanned community…offering stunning water or park views. It takes so long to grow a stand of Grey Box trees and associated grassy woodlands(and a park view), but a housing estate wants to bulldoze a healthy cluster of this woodland. …Trees that are a focus for the estate (in a creative mindset) and offer shelter in hot weather and a changing climate. Exceptional planning?The 51 trees campaign saved these trees less than a decade ago, and now they return to the firing line.Donna Winter-Irving is an active Nagambie resident and neighbour to the development. Donna joins EarthChat to chat about the forthcoming Grey Box and Grassy Woodland event, and share her concerns about the threatened healthy cluster of mature Grey Box trees on the Elloura Estate.Lend us your ears for an hour - sizzle like a sausage. 

Renewable Avenel Energy is hosting a half day expo on 22/8 “Take the heat out of climate change with home-based solutions & renewable energy“. The informative and entertaining Dr Karl Kruszelnicki headlines an impressive line-up of guest speakers.This Tuesday, Dr Karl joins EarthChat. Peter Lockyer captured Dr Karl in a recorded interview during the week, and this will be shared with John Hyland and Jim Billings from Renewable Avenel Energy  in the EarthChat studio. Dr Karl is all positive energy: a long-time advocate of recognising the science behind climate change, and making changes to a low carbon economy sooner. “We have the technology, we just need the political will” to get to net zero by 2050. Insurance companies recognise a climate change urgency, but waivering leadership is letting many of us down.The Home Energy Expo has many features of interest to all- trade displays, service providers, government agencies and the veritable sausage sizzle.  John and Jim will explain all. More details about the expo are here. EarthChat. Lend us your ears for an hour - sizzle like a sausage.   

The fashion industry has been revealed as a major source of waste especially those fabrics which contain a high proportion of synthetic and plastic compounds which take a very long time to degrade and leave a toxic legacy, often far from where they are manufactured or purchased.So called “Fast Fashion” is placing a huge burden on waste streams and the natural environment and while consumer behaviour needs significant education and changes there are excellent collaborations happening between designers and scientists to minimise impacts at all stages of the fashion life cycle.We have two guests on EarthChat for this topic. Firstly, Dr Christopher Hurren, Associate Professor in Fibre Science and Technology and a lead researcher with the Institute for Frontier Materials both based at Deakin University. He specialises in the development of new fabrics and the repurposing and recycling of textiles from a wide range of sources to conserve resources at both manufacture and end of life.Our second guest is Peter Allen, Executive Officer from the Refuture Foundation and partner with SRU Consulting.  Peter is an expert in reducing waste across a range of consumer products and packaging. His work with State governments and private industry has given him an excellent understanding of consumption, use, disposal and recycling patterns. Peter is going to discuss his recent travels to Ghana, Dubai and Copenhagen and the innovations he observed there.Listen in and learn about the true cost of our obsession with "fashion" and what can be done to reverse the tide.SOME LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATIONDeakin University Research Hub for Future Fibres–From Lab to Label TM https://futurefibreshub.com.au connects industry partners with advanced fibre research to solve real world problems.  Their focus is on sustainability, circular economics and extraordinary functionality.Institute for Frontier Materials https://ifm.deakin.edu.au, links world class materials science research to address challenges in energy, mining, defence, health, transport, textiles and manufacturingSamsara Eco https://www.samsaraeco.com– Infinite plastics and nylon recycling using enzymes to breakdown plastics and textiles into their original building blocks, allowing them to be manufactured into new products  - Eco nylon 6.6, Eco polyester, Eco PET.Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) www.rmit.edu.au – Shaping the future of fashion. RMIT Regnerative Futures Institute.Uluu - Materials that Revive Our World www.uluu.com.au Making biodegradable and biocompatible, lightweight, durable, climate positive fabrics.  These fabrics are the reducing ecological footprint of products and packaging by replacing plastic with materials that are beneficial for the world by being reusable, recyclable and compostable. Uluu uses farmed seaweed which is a totally renewable feedstock that can be make alternatives to plastic from fossil fuels, significantly reducing carbon emissions and providing sustainable jobs.Michell 1870 https://michellwool.com Australia oldest and largest exporter of Australian wool.  One of their major products is Eqwools https://eqwools.com – uses cheaper, shorter fibres with new production technology to maintain shrink-proof, machine washable wool, suitable for a wide variety of durable and recyclable fabrics that breakdown faster at end of life and can be used as a mix with cotton to make the fabric stronger and more comfortable to wear in all seasons.UNEP Global Plastics Treaty www.globalplasticstreaty.com – update on what the Treaty proposes and why it matters.Refuture Foundation Https://refuturefoundation.org Unlocking environmental and social benefits of the global second-hand clothing trade.Australian Fashion Council  https://ausfashioncouncil.com is the peak body for the Australian fashion and textile industry and they are supporters of Thread Together, a not for profit organisation which provides unsold new clothing to people in need while protecting the

This week, we discuss the proposal to develop tracks and trails throughout Mitchell Shire. We chat about the possibilities of developing links  within the shire and also with neighbouring shires. We will look at the health benefits of walking and cycling in the environment. We will also examine the need to protect our natural treasures.The planned growth in the population in the Shire means that we need to plan for our future now. Estates being developed now should include provision for safe walking and cycling to schools and public transport as well  as local health and shopping access.Special guests Pauline Duff and Tim Budge from the Mitchell Alliance for Tracks and Trails (MATT) join Marie Gerrard on EarthChat as they discuss a dream to make the most of our rural environment in a sustainable way. Want to know more? Check out MATT's Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/16iW7BKJQs/  

Can a straw bale house be adapted to conditions in India? Find out in this fascinating conversation between Peter Locyer and Ravish Sran.

This week Peter Lockyer and Marie Gerrard discuss the very serious long term and widespread damage being caused by military activity both  in war and peace time. We will examine the recent military developments such as drones and the  more traditional forms of conflict. We will try to relate this damage to the populations who are so badly impacted.