Conservation and Science

Welcome to another edition of the Conservation and Science newsletter. Today I have some news about the podcast, and I'm also bringing you not one but two episodes revolving around nature-based solutions to climate change. And, oh boy, did my words about June weather being unusually hot come true. By the way, I hope you're doing well in the sweltering heat you've undoubtedly been experiencing. In these episodes we cover CO2 sequestration, the energy transition, learning from nature, and how to deal with climate-related anxiety, all capped off with a healthy dose of optimism. Both guests are also authors of their respective books, which, as always, you can purchase using the links provided.

I was particularly chuffed with my conversation with returning guest and good friend of the podcast Simon Mustoe. Discussions with Simon are always uplifting and spark optimism, which is something many of us need more of.

As for the news I mentioned, after releasing the podcast on a regular schedule for over ten years, I'm finally taking a holiday for about three weeks. That's the minimum amount of time anyone should take for a proper break! Since I'm an independent podcaster, news like this can carry a certain amount of worry that I'm going to wind down the podcast. Please be assured that this is not what I have in mind. It's a genuine holiday from the releases, and a portion of that time will be used for lining up content for the rest of the year.

In the meantime, please enjoy the episodes and keep cool!

How to Survive the Next 100 Years

Why do we feel so hopeless about the future of the natural world? Is nature really collapsing everywhere we look or have we simply been told a one-sided story? And what if our lack of control over ecosystems turns out to be our greatest strength? In this episode I welcome back expert ecologist and author Simon Mustoe to talk about his new book, ​How to Survive the Next 100 Years: Lessons from Nature​. It picks up where his previous book left off, building on the idea that we are not separate from nature but central to it. Simon explains how we sit right in the middle of the trophic pyramid and depend entirely on the animals around us to keep energy moving through the systems that sustain life. It is a perspective that quietly reframes how we think about our place on this thin, living veneer of the planet.

Much of our conversation focuses on balance, both in nature and in how we talk about it. Simon points to a reanalysis of the Living Planet Index suggesting the picture is closer to fifty-fifty than the widely reported three-quarters decline, with many animals, including large ones like humpback whales, recovering on their own. We get into why bad news spreads so easily while good news gets buried and how our understanding of the world often lags decades behind reality. From novel ecosystems and so-called invasive species to the misuse of words like 'pest' and 'overabundance', Simon makes the case for caution, humility and a kind of Hippocratic oath for conservation: first, do no harm. He argues that forcing outcomes rarely works, because the forces shaping ecosystems are far more powerful than we are.

We also explore why blanket solutions so often fail, using examples from Australian farming, koala conservation and a single burrowing animal that increased the profitability of a sheep farm. Simon believes communities, not top-down policy, hold the key to lasting change, and that real progress comes from enabling people to act locally rather than shouting at politicians or each other. He leaves us with simple, practical advice: get outside, pay attention to the nature on your own doorstep, support what others are doing nearby, and step back from the relentless flow of negative news. It is a refreshingly balanced, middle-of-the-road conversation that gives you something rare these days, a genuine sense of agency.

230: Lessons from Nature with Simon Mustoe

How to Survive the Next 100 Years: Lessons from Nature

Biogeotherapy

What if the environmental movement has badly underestimated our ability to solve the climate crisis? Could renewable energy grow so fast that we are out of fossil fuels within a decade? And once emissions fall away, how do we deal with the carbon already in the atmosphere? In this episode I'm joined by Benoit Lambert, author of the book titled Biogeotherapy: nature-based climate solutions, life as a geological healing force. Benoit has a rich and varied background, from planting four million trees by hand across five Canadian provinces to spending eighteen years in Geneva, where he completed a PhD and worked as French editor for the Worldwatch Institute. He argues that reducing emissions, while essential, is only half the task. We also need to capture and store carbon dioxide, and nature offers the tools to do exactly that.

Much of our conversation focuses on the four pillars Benoit sees in nature-based solutions: regenerative agriculture with cover crops and no-till methods, carbon ranching through holistic grazing, massive reforestation, and biochar. He explains how the world's soils have lost a great deal of their carbon and why putting it back, with proper science behind it, can fix the problem faster than most people imagine. Benoit is honest about the friction within the green movement too. He describes losing friends over these ideas, and reflects on why so many who spent decades defending degrowth react with hostility when shown that solar and wind have followed a path nobody expected. It's a frank look at how worldviews get tangled up with identity.

We also talk about the people, like Tony Seba, who did predict the speed of the renewable transition and why exponential change is so hard for us to grasp. Benoit shares practical steps ordinary people can take, from supporting regenerative farming to using biochar in their own gardens. Throughout, his message is one of grounded hope: the science of soils has moved on enormously since 1992, the financial levers exist, and a solar economy paired with nature could give us prosperous, healthy societies for centuries to come. Whether you lean optimistic or sceptical, this is a conversation that will challenge how you think about what's actually possible. And yes, it might involve cycling to work.

229: Biogeotherapy with Benoit Lambert

Biogeotherapy

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