Today, we’re joined by Rob, a passionate advocate for climate action and sustainable living. Rob brings so much energy to the Sydney climate scene, often with his toddler along for the ride.
From his involvement in grassroots organisations to his professional role at Turo, where he's helping shape the future of the transport sharing economy, Rob is deeply engaged in finding practical solutions for a safer, more sustainable world.
In this conversation we discuss choosing actions and careers that feel both meaningful and impactful, Rob’s experience growing up as a first generation migrant from Hong Kong in Australia, and the influence this has had on both his parenting and climate journey.
We talk transportation, the sharing economy, and the idea of a perfect environmentalist. And about the joy that comes from seeing the positive impact of actions on family.
So, whether you're already on your climate action journey or looking to learn how you can start to make a difference, this conversation is packed with insights, inspiration, and practical takeaways.
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Rob's Links
Peter Newman (IPCC co-author): Innovating transport
Proudest climate moment: Duty of Care Discussion at Climate Action Week Sydney
Parents for Climate - Meet your local group
Music by Lesfm. Track 'Travel to the city.'
Today’s wonderful guest Dr Emma Skowronski is a GP and mum of three tweens from Sydney.
Emma has been volunteering with Doctors for the Environment for almost a decade and takes us on a fascinating journey into the health system.
Emma outlines impacts of gas, micro-plastics and heat on our bodies. We also talk about the power of the medical voice in the incredibly politicised climate landscape; Emma’s work with Indigenous communities in Arnhem Land; and how she approaches it all.
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Podcast Links
Doctors for Environment Report - Fossil Fuels are a Health Hazard
Doctors for Environment Australia
Climate and Health Alliance Australia
Parents for Climate - Meet your local group
Music by Lesfm. Track 'Travel to the city.'
Today’s episode is a bit different than usual. Rather than an interview, I’m reading a story.
It’s a fictional account of Yvette, a mum, teacher and climate concerned parent, watching the 2020 US presidential election unfold from the other side of the world, in Sydney.
As Yvette goes through her day, she’s filled with thoughts and questions and emotions about motherhood; politics; the people around her; her role and place in the world; and the future of the planet.
I wrote this story a while ago. Watching so many people grappling with the current election outcome; now seemed like a good time to share it.
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Music by Lesfm. Track 'Travel to the city.'
In this episode, I was lucky to interview Steven, a father, dentist and electric vehicle advocate from Sydney.
We start with Steven’s arrival in Australia as a Vietnamese refugee and his childhood in Perth, and finish with his predictions for the future of electric vehicles and fossil fuels.
Along the way, we discuss Steven’s advocacy in many different climate groups; the centrality of transport to our lives; Steven’s suggestion that Elon Musk may have done the right thing by supporting Donald Trump; and the idea that it’s what you do rather than what you say that matters.
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Podcast Links
Australian Electric Vehicle Association
Climate Action Burwood Canada Bay
Tesla Owners Club of Australia
Asian Australians for Climate Solutions
Parents for Climate - Meet your local group
Music by Lesfm. Track 'Travel to the city.'
In this episode we speak with a Sydney mum - she didn't want her name attached to the episode, because she wanted to speak more freely than she otherwise would have. Or maybe she wouldn't have done the interview at all.
The conversation charts her story of growing up in regional NSW in a Liberal/LNP voting family. She tells how she herself moved from a conservative position, unaware of the climate crisis, to the other side of the political spectrum.
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Podcast Links
Parents for Climate - Meet your local group
Kate Raworth: Doughnut Economics
Johann Hari: Stolen Focus - a great text about the challenges of overcoming the climate crisis if we are addicted to our screens and alrogithms
Additional resources this mum wanted to share
Stephanie Kelton: The Deficit Myth - On Modern Monetary Theory - an explanation about how we understand economics all wrong and we actually can afford to fight the climate crisis, despite what governments tell us.
Music by Lesfm. Track 'Travel to the city.'
Christmas 2019 - a family holiday on the NSW south coast will change Amy’s life forever.
Caught in the midst of the devastating bushfires, Amy and her family endured a terrifying summer.
Join us in this powerful episode as we sit down with Amy to unravel her journey to becoming a tireless climate advocate in the wake of the fires.
Amy talks about her work with the People’s Climate Assembly, Electrify Canberra, and her local Buy Nothing group, approaching the climate crisis from multiple angles…often with her 3 year old in tow!
We delve into the importance of grassroots movements, ways to build resilient communities, creative approaches to climate action, and the ways in which the bushfires still shape Amy her family’s lives today.
Join us for a heartfelt conversation on resilience, activism, and the power of family and nature to provide hope.
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Podcast Links
Parents 4 Climate - Meet your local group
Music by Lesfm. Track 'Travel to the city.'
Claire works in social policy, her love of people and social equality sparked her interest in unusual climate work - starting a climate playgroup.
What is a climate playgroup? For Claire, it's a way for her community to explore what a good future life might look like. She was also inspired and supported by the group to take the nerve-wracking step of speaking to the national media on climate. She was surprised how she felt after taking that leap!
After her toddler was born, Claire grappled with climate grief but she is managing to take it from something that paralysed her to something that drives her, hear how she transformed her grief.
This episode is in partnership with Australian Parents 4 Climate Action.
Subscribe to Now What Now to hear more stories on parents and carers figuring out how to act on climate while navigating their work and family life.
Podcast Links
Little Climate Heroes Playgroup on Instagram.
An article Milkwood Permaculture wrote about Claire's husband, which also mentions the Playgroup.
Australian Parents 4 Climate Action - Spokesperson program
Australian Parents 4 Climate Action - Meet your local group
Recommended links from Claire
Milkwood Permaculture's ‘Permaculture Living Course’, which really informed our thinking on the playgroup, and has some great practical strategies for how to live more sustainably.
Work that Reconnects site - I found a beautiful eco grief course through this site
2040 movie - obvious I know
Joanna Macy on Active Hope - I've slowly been making my way through Coming Back to Life
Outrage and Optimism - This episode is a great listen on how powerful the Aus 2022 election was
Music by Lesfm. Track 'Travel to the city.'
In the autumn of 2022, Louise was becoming a pro door-knocker. A volunteer for Kylea Tink in the now independent seat of North Sydney, she was learning how to talk to her electorate about climate change.
In this interview, Louise explains how she gained the knowledge and confidence to be a leader in this groundswell campaign.
She also shares why climate change makes her sad. Louise, a psychologist with 25 years experience, is now turning her attention to ways psychology can help foster action and support people experiencing climate grief.
We hope you enjoy this episode.
Subscribe to Now What Now to hear more stories on parents and carers figuring out how to act on climate while navigating their work and family life.
Podcast Links
Australian Parents 4 Climate Action - Spokesperson program
Australian Parents 4 Climate Action - Meet your local group
Music by Lesfm. Track 'Travel to the city.'
David is a consultant and manager in the property and climate space. He lives in Sydney with his wife and two teenage kids. He's a details guy. In the early hours of the weekend you'll find him digging around the internet and gathering compelling Submissions to government inquiries on environmental issues for the Australian Parents 4 Climate Action team.
Why would someone do this? You'll be surprised to hear what drives him.
If you heard the previous interview with Claire, this is the David she mentioned - the David who was an early catalyst for her - the one who reached out after a protest to invite her to his home for another climate event. David talks about being an introvert and not an organiser, but he's driven. He's constantly trying to figure out how to invite more people in, and create opportunities for people and projects to go further, faster.
This is a snapshot of his work in submissions. But if you get a moment to meet him - he has about a thousand other things going, please ask him about them.
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Links
Read about and join the Submissions team at Australian Parents 4 Climate Action
Read David's writing at Illuminem
Music by Lesfm. Track 'Travel to the city.'
Hannah grew up on a dairy farm in picturesque North West Tasmania.
As a young adult and then mum, she was prompted to think about climate change in new ways.
In this conversation, Hannah shares how she went from being oblivious to politics to speaking on a panel discussion about the COP 26 conference.
She also talks about the emotional and personal ups and downs of fighting for a safe climate in her local community.
In 2023, Hannah was a nominee for the Waratah-Wynyard Council Citizen of the Year.
This episode is in partnership with Australian Parents 4 Climate Action.
Subscribe to Now What Now to hear more stories on parents and carers figuring out how to act on climate while navigating their work and family life.
Podcast Links
Australian Parents 4 Climate Action - Spokesperson program
Australian Parents 4 Climate Action - Meet your local group
Music by Lesfm. Track 'Travel to the city.'
Jasper is a dentist who lives in Adelaide with his wife and young son. He enjoys working with technology but more and more he's making the big shift to see himself as part of an ecosystem.
Jasper has a reputation as such an effective operator that people are baffled - how does he get it all done?
He wears many hats, and he does this for a reason. We're going to talk about how he juggles 4 areas of climate work:
- At work - How he's making change in the dental industry
- Helping spread EV uptake in Adelaide
- Solving local recycling problems
- Transforming schools into resilience hubs through the solar our schools program
Juggling all these projects - how does he manage the slow burn of gathering allied voices for national change? How has he figured out how to make easy local wins? And after all this, how has this work changed him? It all goes back to how he got started.
This episode is in partnership with Australian Parents 4 Climate Action (AP4CA).
Subscribe to Now What Now to hear more stories on parents and carers figuring out how to act on climate while navigating their work and family life.
Links
Join Australian Parents 4 Climate Action solar our schools program
Connect with other local parents and carers through Australian Parents 4 Climate Action local groups
Jasper's recommendations
Cranky Uncle vs Climate Change - How to Understand and Respond to Climate Science Deniers By John Cook
Music by Lesfm. Track 'Travel to the city.'