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This episode is about the challenge and joy of doing interdisciplinary research. We 'dive deep' into water research collaborations, drawing on multiple knowledge systems in university and community settings. We are joined by interdisciplinary water researcher Aurora Kagawa-Viviani, who shares her academic journey with us. Aurora emphasises the importance of building community relationships, the role of Indigenous knowledge, and the challenges of balancing personal life with academic responsibilities. As always Cristy and I share our hot takes on recent developments in environmental law around the world, and reflect on our own experiences as legal researchers working in interdiscipliary research projects.

Setting a pluralist agenda for water governance: Why power and scale matter -

For the future of global water systems we need to pay careful attention to power dynamics and scale mismatches

Frontiers Planet Prize national winners announced

Aurora Kagawa-Viviani

EnergyAustralia acknowledges issues with “offsetting” and moves away from carbon offsets for its residential customer products

Scientist expresses concern WA government department interfered with rock art report linked to North West Shelf approval process

Woodside's North West Shelf, Australia's largest gas project, approved for life extension to 2070

Parents for Climate v EnergyAustralia

‘Carbon neutral’ is dead (Crikey)

Rejection of the appeal in the case of the Peruvian mountain guide Lliuya against RWE

Consultation on updating RMA national direction | Ministry for the Environment

EDS has concerns over sweeping review of National Direction under the RMA | EDS

Carbon removals strategy | Ministry for the Environment

Jacinda Ardern, 2025 Yale Class Day Speaker

Our podcast website - where you can find more information, including the show notes - is located at https://lawattheendoftheworld.buzzsprout.com/

You can find us both on:

• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-macpherson-90929117/ & https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristyclark/
• Bluesky - cristyclark@bsky.social & prof-mac@bsky.social
• Our websites - https://elizabethmacpherson.co.nz/ & https://cristyclark.wordpress.com/

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In this episode of 'Law at the End of the World', Cristy Clark and Elizabeth Macpherson explore the intersections of environmental law, climate change, and social justice. The episode particularly focuses on the significance of prefigurative politics and legalities in enacting change, and features a chat with Birsha Ohdedar, which explores his academic journey, strategies for balancing academic responsibilities with real-world impact, as well as his work on law and post-growth approaches. Reflecting on Birsha’s interview, Cristy and Liz discuss the challenges of parenting while navigating academia and the benefits of slow scholarship in a fast-paced academic environment. Finally, they highlight current developments in environmental law and future directions for research.

• Prefiguring legal alternatives in environmental and climate justice struggles in Australia
• Birsha Ohdedar
• Environment Minister Murray Watt heads west to restart 'Nature Positive' talks, with a decision on Woodside's gas project looming
• Crisafulli government reneges on pre-election funding pledge by axing environmental legal aid
• Landmark Legal Victory for England’s Rivers: The Court of Appeal's Pickering Judgment - Environmental Law Foundation
• ukrightsofnature.org
• Swimmable Cities Summit 2025 - Rotterdam
• Regulatory Standards Bill 155-1 (2025), Government Bill – New Zealand Legislation
• Indigenous Rights in One Minute : What You Need to Know to Talk Reconciliation – Harbour Publishing
• Higher Expectations – Between the Lines: How to Survive Academia, Make it Better for Others, and Transform the University
• One Ocean Science Congress
• Adaptation Futures Conference 2025
• Colombia recognises Indigenous Rights
• LSAANZ Conference

Our podcast website - where you can find more information, including the show notes - is located at https://lawattheendoftheworld.buzzsprout.com/

You can find us both on:

• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-macpherson-90929117/ & https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristyclark/
• Bluesky - cristyclark@bsky.social & prof-mac@bsky.social
• Our websites - https://elizabethmacpherson.co.nz/ & https://cristyclark.wordpress.com/

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In this episode, Elizabeth Macpherson and Cristy Clark discuss the concept of 'pracademia' - the blend of academic and practical legal work. This episode is a little different because it starts with the topic of ‘How to survive (and thrive) as an academic’ - the topic of Liz’s recent Keynote address to support ECRs in Canterbury. This includes insights on surviving (and thriving) in academia, emphasising the role of 'shameless self-promotion' and the importance of building a supportive network. Liz also shares the golden tip that ‘Rejection is good for the soul’, and Cristy shares her tragic obsession with productivity hacks and gives a shoutout to ‘On the Reg’ and TextExpander.

In the second half of the podcast, Liz and Cristy discuss ‘What’s New in Environmental Law’. Liz shares some of the vast array of new environmental law and policy coming out of Aotearoa New Zealand at the moment, including a rushed amendment to the Wildlife Act, which has been described as protecting vulnerable roads and mines from skinks, geckos and frogs and the Equal Pay Amendment Act. In better news, Liz also shares the fabulous news that Gerard Albert (from Whanganui Iwi) has been appointed to the Waitangi Tribunal. Cristy talks about the Australian election results, and a range of climate cases that are coming before Regional bodies, including the European Court of Human Rights and the African Court of Human and Peoples’ Rights.

Links:

What I wish I knew: 33 thoughts for early career researchers

Amendment to Wildlife Act ‘unnecessary and muddled’

Fighting nitrate pollution in Canterbury: MHV

Anne Salmond: She won't be right, mate

Law change protects vulnerable roads and mines from skinks, geckos and frogs

Dairy dominates science panel as Govt milks research for profit

Students for Climate Solutions Incorporated v Minister of Energy and Resources [2024]

The country is not prepared for climate impacts, say advisors​

Campaigners take UK government's climate adaptation to ECHR

Request for an advisory opinion on human rights obligations of African states

Implementing Klimaseniorinnen

Our podcast website - where you can find more information, including the show notes - is located at https://lawattheendoftheworld.buzzsprout.com/

You can find us both on:

• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-macpherson-90929117/ & https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristyclark/
• Bluesky - cristyclark@bsky.social & prof-mac@bsky.social
• Our websites - https://elizabethmacpherson.co.nz/ & https://cristyclark.wordpress.com/

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Summary

In this episode, Ritodhi Chakraborty discusses his journey into academia, emphasising the importance of humanities and social sciences in understanding environmental issues. He introduces the concept of maladaptation, critiques traditional environmentalism, and highlights the significance of indigenous knowledge in climate solutions. The conversation also touches on the ethics of research, the need for interdisciplinary approaches, and the importance of community engagement in achieving justice. The episode concludes with reflections on recent developments in environmental law.

Show notes:

• UBC Professors’ Attempt to Deny the Facts of Law and History
• Ritodhi Chakraborty - https://researchers.lincoln.ac.nz/ritodhi.chakraborty
• Te Ture Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua 2025/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Act 2025 No 1
• https://docs.un.org/en/a/hrc/58/l.26/Rev.1
• Mehta, L. The Challenges of Decolonising Sustainability and the Environment in Development Studies (DS). Eur J Dev Res (2025). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41287-025-00700-0
• The 2025 LSAANZ Conference: Rights, Relationality, Resilience, Reciprocity, University of Canterbury - call for abstracts - 2025 LSAANZ Conference | University of Canterbury
• Round table exploration of the issues surrounding climate change and class discrimination law - https://www.law.berkeley.edu/research/berkeley-center-on-comparative-equality-anti-discrimination-law/our-working-groups/climate-equality/

Our podcast website - where you can find more information, including the show notes - is located at https://lawattheendoftheworld.buzzsprout.com/

You can find us both on:

• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-macpherson-90929117/ & https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristyclark/
• Bluesky - cristyclark@bsky.social & prof-mac@bsky.social
• Our websites - https://elizabethmacpherson.co.nz/ & https://cristyclark.wordpress.com/

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In this episode of Law at the End of the World we are joined by natural resources and climate law scholar Julia Dehm. Julia discusses the challenges of balancing theoretical research work with real-world research impact, the importance of mainstreaming climate change in legal education, and the juggle of balancing a career with family responsibilities. As well as reflecting on Julia's talk, Cristy and Liz discuss recent developments in environmental law, and reflect on their future research directions and the need for collaboration within the legal community.

Show notes:

Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor, ‘The rise of end times fascism’ (The Guardian, 13 April 2025) https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2025/apr/13/end-times-fascism-far-right-trump-musk

Association Prof Julia Dehm - https://scholars.latrobe.edu.au/jdehm

Climate Conscious Lawyers - https://climateconsciouslawyers.com/

Petra Stock, ‘Coalition scores just 1/100 points for environment and climate policies from conservation organisation’ (The Guardian, 14 April 2025) - https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/apr/15/coalition-scores-just-1100-points-for-environment-and-climate-policies-from-conservation-organisation

OHCHR Calls for Inputs - https://www.ohchr.org/en/calls-for-input-listing?deadline_status[state]=all&page=0

Alessandro Pelizzon, Ecological Jurisprudence: The Law of Nature and the Nature of Law (Springer, 2025) - https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-981-96-0173-8

• Book Launch - https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/2XN4owYRQ9asohvPlUIqWw#/registration

Cristy Clark, Legal Geographies of Water: The Spaces, Places and Narratives of Human-Water Relations (Routledge, 2026) - https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781003273219/legal-geographies-water-cristy-clark

University of Leeds, Riverkin: remaking vital relations with rivers - https://water.leeds.ac.uk/news/riverkin-remaking-vital-relations-with-rivers/

Round table exploration of the issues surrounding climate change and class discrimination law - https://www.law.berkeley.edu/research/berkeley-center-on-comparative-equality-anti-discrimination-law/our-working-groups/climate-equality/

Our podcast website - where you can find more information, including the show notes - is located at https://lawattheendoftheworld.buzzsprout.com/

You can find us both on:

• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-macpherson-90929117/ & https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristyclark/
• Bluesky - cristyclark@bsky.social & prof-mac@bsky.social
• Our websites - https://elizabethmacpherson.co.nz/ & https://cristyclark.wordpress.com/