The GREen Pod

Welcome to the special series of The GREen Pod, made and hosted by the Natural Resources Institute (NRI) at the University of Greenwich. Tune into this series of podcasts to hear about some of the fascinating sustainability work being conducted by scientists at NRI as they study insect behaviour, pest and disease control, climate change, gender inequality, social mobility, pollution and plastics, crop disease and food systems and waste.

Episode 4 - This year’s theme for the United Nations World Oceans Day is ‘revitalisation: collective action for the ocean’ – but what does that actually mean in practice? Professor Ravi Kumar is on hand to explain … The oceans cover 71% of the earth’s surface and in the space of the past 50 years, the biggest threat to our seas has come from the proliferation of plastic waste. We humans love the convenience of plastic packaging, the affordability of mass-produced plastic goods and the durability – but we’ve consistently failed to dispose of plastic in a sustainable way, and the waste projections are startling. Ravi says that unless drastic collective action is taken by governments, businesses and individuals, by the year 2050, we’ll be producing 200 million more metric tonnes of plastic waste that will end up in our oceans.

Show Notes

Join host Linden Kemkaran as she speaks to Professor Ravi Kumar, an expert in Monitoring and Impact at the Natural Resources Institute, and Livelihoods and Institutions Department at the University of Greenwich.
 
Part of Ravi’s work is to provide monitoring and evaluation support to organisations and programmes in many sectors, including those working to reduce plastic pollution in our oceans.

 Fun Fact: Did you know that the majority of life on earth (around 94%) is aquatic? 

What is The GREen Pod?

Welcome to the University of Greenwich sustainability series of podcasts. Created by students and volunteers, with support from the Sustainability Team. Whether you’re looking to brush up on knowledge, learn something new or delve into a specific niche, there’s a show for you. The podcasts were launched during the Coronavirus pandemic of 2020 to keep connections between the sustainable agenda and our students and staff.

Switch on, sit back and enjoy these discussions with peers and professionals alike.