Why are we afraid of the deep sea, and how does that fear shape our relationship with it? Professor Alan Jamieson, deep-sea scientist and co-host of The Deep-Sea Podcast, joins Green Frequency to explore the complicated relationship between public perceptions of the deep ocean and our willingness to understand and protect it. Drawing on his paper Fear and Loathing of the Deep Sea, we examine the origins of thalassophobia, the influence of popular culture, and the role scientists and science communicators play in shaping public understanding. We challenge some of the most persistent narratives about deep-sea exploration and ask how changing the stories we tell might help us better appreciate the largest living environment on Earth.

And fittingly, Professor Jamieson joins us from aboard a research vessel in the Atlantic Ocean, hundreds of miles offshore.

Episode Guests: Professor Alan Jamieson

Listen to the Deep Sea Podcast and Professor Jamieson’s episode on Oceanography about Deep Sea Trenches

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Cover Art by Laurel Wong

Theme music by Nela Ruiz

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What does it actually take to combat desertification? From satellites and sustainable land management to international negotiations, the world has a growing toolkit to address land degradation and drought. But putting those solutions into practice is another story.

In Part 2 of our coverage of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) COP17 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, we're moving from the problem to the solutions. Host Clark Marchese speaks with Dr. Tatenda Lemann of the Centre for Development and Environment (CDE) at the University of Bern and WOCAT about the science of sustainable land management, the importance of local knowledge, and what makes restoration projects successful. Then, Dr. Pamela Chasek, Executive Editor of the Earth Negotiations Bulletin, helps us unpack the politics of COP17, from international cooperation and financing to the negotiations that left countries divided over drought.

Along the way, we hear directly from delegates and officials at COP17 to explore how science, policy, and people come together to protect the land we depend on.

Because knowing what works is only half the battle. The other half is making it happen.

Further reading and resources:

• WOCAT – Global Sustainable Land Management
• Earth Negotiations Bulletin – IISD
• United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification

Green Frequency is an Earth Radio Show from Pine Forest Media, exploring environmental science, conservation, and the global decisions shaping our planet.

Episode Guests: Dr. Tatenda Lemann and Dr. Pamela Chasek

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Cover Art by Laurel Wong

Theme music by Nela Ruiz

Find some more Pine Forest Media podcasts below

Listen to Oceanography on Spotify or Apple Podcasts

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Listen to South Pole on Spotify or Apple Podcasts

Listen to Something in the Water on Spotify or Apple Podcasts

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What is desertification, why is land degrading around the world, and what can Mongolia teach us about the causes? In Part 1 of Green Frequency’s coverage of UNCCD COP17 in Ulaanbaatar, host Clark Marchese explores the science and politics of land degradation, from the origins of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification and Land Degradation Neutrality to the pressures facing Mongolia’s vast grasslands.

Featuring audio from inside COP17 and reporting from Mongolian journalist Turmunkh Gongorjav, the episode examines climate change, drought, overgrazing, mining, urbanization, coal and the growing demand for critical minerals. It also asks a deeper question: whose knowledge counts when governments decide why land is degrading?

From Fiji’s coastal farmland to Mongolia’s rangelands, this episode explores how land degradation looks different around the world, why local and Indigenous knowledge matters, and how the way we diagnose environmental problems shapes the solutions we pursue. Part 2 turns to sustainable land management, science and technology, finance, and the political outcomes of COP17.

Episode Guest: Turmunkh Gongorjav

Read Turmunkh Gongorjav’s article here

Interview translated and recorded by Nomin Byambatsogt

Explore the Pine Forest Media digital ecosystem on our website

Follow us on Social Media @pineforestmedia

Cover Art by Laurel Wong

Theme music by Nela Ruiz

Find some more Pine Forest Media podcasts below

Listen to Oceanography on Spotify or Apple Podcasts

Listen to Plastic Podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts

Listen to South Pole on Spotify or Apple Podcasts

Listen to Something in the Water on Spotify or Apple Podcasts

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.