Introducing My Podcast Series: Circular Planet!
Listen Here! https://bethesdagreen.org/begreen-living/environmental-education/circular-planet/
I chose this topic after taking an online course on circular economy offered by a Swedish university (Lund University) and becoming fascinated about the topic. The idea of the circular economy has so many elements, which sometimes can make it a bit hard to understand fully. So I decided to challenge myself to learn even more about this amazing topic myself with the goal of creating an easy-to-follow resource for others, especially young people, to learn and get excited about the circular economy, and seek to adopt its principles in their own lives.
Since the industrial revolution our world has run on the linear model or linear economy which can be best described in four words: Take, Make, Use, Toss. We take raw materials, make something out of them, use these products for a bit, and finally toss them away in the trash. It is unsustainable because it leads to enormous waste of valuable materials and relies on exploiting Earth's finite resources without allowing them the time to replenish. The linear economy is a key driver of biodiversity loss and climate change.
The goal of the circular model or the circular economy is - through purposeful design - to stop waste from being created in the first place. It can be achieved by sharing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing, and recycling existing materials and products to keep them in use for as long as they are suitable for use, and reducing all forms of waste to regenerate nature. To turn this vision into reality, we need to utilize innovative technologies and implement appropriate policies.
Episodes
What a Waste: The Linear Economy - I explained the problems with the linear model - which are waste and pollution - using a plastic bottle as an example. I outlined the three pillars of sustainability to show how and why the linear economy is unsustainable; and introduced the circular economy as a solution to these issues.
No Waste in the First Place: Circular Design - I discussed the critical role of purposeful design of products themselves and the processes at each stage of their lifecycle, as it is the design that determines the environmental impacts of a product. I also discussed the sustainable cradle-to-cradle idea for design using a cell-phone as an example.
Closing the Loop: Keeping Materials in Use - I explained the importance of ensuring that resources are continually in use through making closed-loop products in the technical cycle of a circular economy. I also presented a number of up-and-coming approaches that individuals and companies can take to support keeping materials in use.
From Depletion to Regeneration of Natural Systems - I discussed the biological cycle of the circular economy. I introduced the problematic impacts of conventional agriculture and food waste on climate change and biodiversity loss; and I talked about what regenerative agriculture is and how it can be leveraged to benefit natural systems.
Innovate to Circulate: STEM & the Circular Economy - I discussed the importance of scientific and technological advances in helping us adopt a circular economy. I highlighted some of the existing and emerging technologies that can be leveraged to achieve circularity, like 3-D printing, artificial intelligence, bio-based materials, organic electronics, and waste-to-energy schemes.
Getting the Circle Rolling: Policies & the Circular Economy - I touched on the barriers to implementing a circular economy, describing the approaches that can be taken by governments, companies and consumers to overcome them, collaboratively. I also introduced the principles of a circular city and shared what some cities are already doing to become more circular.
Partners
For the podcast I interviewed and learned from a number of amazing experts. It was particularly enriching to get to know them a bit and hear about the passion they have for sustainability and the circular economy within their respective fields. From the experts who I interviewed: Dr. Diana Watts, Ms. Vanessa Barboni Hallik, Mr. Matias Arnal, Mr. Ryanji Kalivretenos, Mr. Micheal Protas, Ms. Charlotte Henderson, Ms. Julia Daviy, Dr. Margaret Kocherga, and Ms. Emily Yates, I learned about the role of young people in the economy, how products can be designed to be sustainable across their entire life cycles, how we can transform waste into great products, how regenerative agriculture benefits natural systems, how new innovations like 3D printed Nfts, and organic electronics can make a more sustainable world, the role of cities in the circular economy, and much more.
Challenges
Initially, it was a bit of a challenge getting the interviews. I did a lot of cold emailing, but mostly did not get any responses. My project lead advised that I reach out to companies through Bethesda Green. After doing that, I was able to get an interview for every episode. Another challenge was that after the first episode my microphone stopped synching with Anchor, so I had to find a new program to use for recording. This actually turned out to be a good thing because through this program, I was able to save the audio files on my computer so they were there in case something did not save on Anchor. Overall, I learned how to use some new programs for the project.
What I Learned
This project taught me some valuable skills. I knew what I wanted to discuss in the series, so I was able to determine the topics for each episode rather quickly. After the more extensive research for each specific episode, I adjusted the initial episode outlines. There was lots and lots of editing and reworking for each episode. I had to determine how to organize the information I collected logically and sequentially. I also focused on adjusting the tone of my writing and delivery to be engaging to listen to, than a typical essay! After all, my goal was to explain the complex concepts (including those related to STEM) in an easy to understand way. So I really honed in and described in depth and with examples, many of the concepts. Apart from considering how to communicate with the audience, I engaged with experts through emailing, questions, and conversation during interviews. Since this project was a few months long, I learned how to organize my time for creating each step of an episode from writing, interviewing, editing, and recording, as well as creating a web page outline and graphics, among others. I imposed deadlines for myself, and was able to meet them all to deliver my project. This experience significantly improved my research and communication skills.
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