Finding Nature

What It Takes - Adrian MacDonald Leads An Ultra Life

So imagine that it’s 5am and you're standing in the cold and dark in the Blue Mountains, you’re there with 1500 other people. You’re carrying all the gear you’ll need for the next 24 hours, a headlamp on, and what lays ahead is running 100 kilometres through the beauty that is the Blue Mountains. Up and down the cliffsides, through and across the Megalong, Jamison and Kedumba Valleys. For almost no prize money for those that finish as the first few through, little notoriety outside of this niche community, why do these people do something that appears entirely insane, if not downright dangerous to the normal person. To pursue. To seek. To explore limits, potential, to understand what it is we’re truly capable of. And today’s guest is a real treat, and one of the very best in the world at not only running really far, but at speeds that would put him at the front of every running group you’ve ever seen. Adrian MacDonald [https://www.instagram.com/macdonaldadrian/] is one of the world’s best ultra distance runners, and it was both a thrill and a pleasure to speak with him in the lead up to him racing in Ultra Trail Australia over the weekend, where he placed third in an astonishing time of 9 hours and 32 minutes to cover 101 kilometres to go with 4400 metres of elevation. So why would I want to speak with an ultra running distance athlete on what is ostensibly a podcast about sustainability and issues like climate change, corporate incentive structures and justice? Because to me the ultra athlete and the sustainability professional are ultimately the same archetype. Both are seeking to shift norms and seek accomplishments well outside of what the current system ill-defines as appropriate and acceptable. The ultra athlete perseveres, as does the sustainability professional. The ultra athlete needs total clarity of purpose to withstand the ups and downs of whatever a course and race will throw at them, as does the sustainability professional. The ultra athlete is a model for those of us seeking change, to do what seems implausible and to practice action with deliberacy, intention and constant attention to all the small details in pursuit of that grand dream. Adrian’s story though, even for an ultra athlete, where unusual stories and maverick personalities are the regular, really is something else. A track and road marathon athlete of serious note, Covid upended his Boston Marathon ambitions in 2020, and living in Fort Collins, Colorado, nestled against the Rocky Mountains, he hit the trails. Less than 18 months later he won one of the world’s most prestigious ultra marathons - the Leadville 100 - before backing up again 12 months later and also winning another big race in New Zealnd - three from three in his first three ultras. A new star was born. Since then, Adrian’s life has shifted from being a regular financial controller at Colorado State University to a sponsored athlete with one of the world’s leading apparel and shoe brands, and racing in Europe, across the US, Australia, New Zealand, South America and Africa. What he’s achieved is the desired story of every sustainability professional - to work diligently, outside of the limelight, until one day, a largely unpredictable day, shifts how life was and will no longer be how it was again. Speaking with Adrian, being able to spend time with someone of such pedigree, has lit a fire in me. I hope it does the same for you. Support for this episode comes from: * Reposit Power [https://repositpower.com/findingnature] - $500 off your solar battery installation.  * Planet Protein [https://planetprotein.co] - double the value of your first order at no extra cost. Send me a message [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2329324/fan_mail/new] Thanks for listening. Follow Finding Nature on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/__findingnature__/]

A New Climate And Energy Dawn - Thom Woodroofe On The Path From The Paris Agreement To A Necessary Future

Today’s guest is Thom Woodroofe. Thom is the author of the latest In the National Interest series titled ‘Power, Prosperity and Planet: Climate and Energy Policy For All [https://publishing.monash.edu/product/power-prosperity-planet/]’. For the best part of 20 years Thom has worked across diplomacy, global affairs and climate policy - from playing a key role in securing the Paris Agreement on climate change in 2015 and helping to establish the High Ambition Coalition of progressive nations. He’s worked as chief of staff to former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in his role of Australian Ambassador to the US, forged a backchannel for US–China climate talks during his time at the Asia Society in New York, to go with being a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University. Why did I want to chat to Thom? Well let me read you snippets of the recommendations for his book. Firstly, Kevin Rudd, “‘Thom Woodroofe is a rare talent. In Power, Prosperity & Planet, Woodroofe draws on his deep policy expertise, tempered by political insights from the front lines of the climate and energy debates raging around the globe. The result is a tour-de-force – a practical and informed white paper for all Australians, policymakers and citizens alike, who care about the future of their country and their planet.” Secondly, Malcolm Turnbull “Climate deniers obfuscate with ideology and idiocy, but as this book shows meeting the climate challenge requires engineering and economics and a practical blueprint that empowers all of us.” And last but certainly not least, Christiana Figueres, the architect of the Paris Agreement - “The Paris Agreement provides the global foundation, but it is up to every country now to walk the walk through the kinds of ideas contained in this book.” I really enjoyed this conversation with Thom, and we get through a considerable amount, which represents the breadth and depth of his experiences and knowledge. From his first job out of uni working with the Marshall Islands and advising on their global climate advocacy and diplomacy, to the COP process and part of the remarkable story he had a literal front row seat at in 2015, to his observations and insights from Europe, the UK, US and China that place Australia’s decarbonisation efforts in a broader context, to the pragmatic policy opportunities to drive further emissions reductions as quickly as possible. What I found valuable though speaking with Thom and reading his book is the necessity to ground all of this work and these conversations in what they mean for the average person - and as we’ve seen over the weekend with One Nation winning a lower house seat in parliament - being able to reach and communicate with disillusioned and disempowered people in every part of this country remains the number one challenge in driving the energy transition and broader climate policies. Thom’s work and this chat dives into both of our own reservations and uncertainties on how to best do this, but the necessity to do so. Support the organisations contributing to a healthier, safer and more just future.  * Reposit Power - get $500 off your solar battery install, plus seven years no electricity bill. * Planet Protein - tasty, convenient, plant-based, high protein food for all occasions.  Ep.116 Send me a message [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2329324/fan_mail/new] Thanks for listening. Follow Finding Nature on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/__findingnature__/]

Built To Create - Holly Rankin Is The Voice Of A Generation

As for remarkable and impressive people - Holly Rankin is one of those. Born and raised in regional New South Wales, she experienced the worst form of loss and trauma during her teenage years and over the past two decades has built a life and career and accomplishment set that is as incredible as it is diverse. From being nominated as an ARIA breakthrough and best new pop release artist, to helping to form and establish David Pocock’s political career to her work more recently in advocating for some form of justice for content creators and creatives against big tech’s theft of all things human made. Holly is a writer, musician, activist, community builder, festival maker, business owner, political strategist and campaign director, to go with being a mother. I first heard of Holly nearly 12 months ago when the devastating mid north NSW floods occurred - she provided a rallying call to politicians and institutional systems and actors to play a role in a rain event that devastated entire communities and left thousands homeless, traumatised and uncertain. Later in the year she gave the 2025 Speaker’s Address to members of the federal parliament and press and it was an articulation of so much of what I have been curious about and seeking to better understand. From youth disenfranchisement to the growth of anti-science political parties to the lack of quality in reporting and media from mainstream businesses and a call to arms to model the type of society they want to govern. We chat about that speech and much of what she covered in far more detail, but that speech is one to dig out through the podcast annals. This was exactly the type of conversation I love having - from the meta and macro trends affecting our lives in visible and invisible ways to the experience of fear and fearlessness as an individual attempting to chart a course. We chat about the proposed text and data mining exception in the copyright act the productivity commission and big tech thought is a good idea, the reckoning already arriving from the climate crisis, activating and creating enduring communities and movements, as well as the personal - grief, growth and becoming a parent. Holly is already a leader. I know enough to know that she is someone whose going to make a big difference in the years to come. For $500 off your home renewable installation, head to Reposit Power [https://repositpower.com/findingnature] for an exclusive Finding Nature offer.  Send me a message [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2329324/fan_mail/new] Thanks for listening. Follow Finding Nature on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/__findingnature__/]

Climate Change, Human Rights And The Law - Gillian Moon On A State Of Denial

Gillian Moon is today’s guest. Gillian is a legal scholar who in recent years has been leading the Australian Climate Accountability Project [https://www.humanrights.unsw.edu.au/research/australian-climate-accountability-project] within the Australian Human Rights Institute. Over the course of her career she’s worked in and specialised at the intersection of human rights law, climate change, international economic law and development policy. I first came across Gillian a few years ago when the Australian Climate Accountability Project was first established and started releasing some of its work which was looking at the specific risks and human harms climate change has, is and will continue to create, supplemented by an extensive analysis of Australia’s emissions profile when fossil fuel exports are accounted for. That work stood out as it started to indicate how rights are adversely affected by a changing climate, and over the past few years Gillian and her colleagues have continued to evolve and mature their analysis, commentary and documentation, including the seminal work last year; State of denial: Australia’s legal obligations for human rights harms within Australia from its fossil fuel exports. I worked in the corporate human rights space for a good chunk of my career and have always been surprised that the adverse harms to individual and collective rights that climate change is delivering aren’t better understood nor spoken about. As I’ve tried to do on this show in better understanding the legalities of accountability around climate change, I’m somewhere between convinced and hopeful that human rights and the law can be valuable levers for meaningful action and restorative justice. The International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion regarding the obligations of states in respect of climate change was a key moment in the recent history of the climate equity and justice struggle, but as we hear about from Gillian in this episode, much, much more is still required. We chat about Australia’s insincere and hypocritical fossil fuel and emissions story, the country’s haphazard and unhelpful human rights regulatory and legislative frameworks and structures, and the role of international obligations in all of this. We also get into how legal scholars, health practitioners and climate scientists are beginning to converge around a methodological understanding of how to match climate attribution science to health impacts and the legal consequences of new and expanding fossil fuel projects. As knowledge in these areas accelerate, the potential for rapid change is entirely plausible. This work, that Gillian played a key role in, found that Woodside’s Scarborough gas project off the coast of Western Australia would lead to 484 addition heath related deaths in Europe alone this century, and kill about 16 million additional corals on the Great Barrier Reef in the same time. This is fascinating, important and potentially material developments in surfacing real human rights harms that could and should be incorporated into approval decisions. Gillian is a wealth of knowledge and expertise, and in the battle to beat fossil fuels and intransigent politicians, what she and her colleagues are developing is likely going to become a major force in this next phase of action. Check out Reposit Power to get $500 off your solar battery system that will work.  Subscribe, rate & share. Ep.114 Send me a message [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2329324/fan_mail/new] Thanks for listening. Follow Finding Nature on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/__findingnature__/]

Forging New Paths - Matt Kean On The Impending And All Encompassing Climate Transition

Hello out there, welcome to or welcome back to the Finding Nature podcast. My name is Nathan Robertson-Ball and when I started this show in 2024 I could only have dreamt about having today’s guest on the show. Matt Kean needs no introductions, and it was a pleasure to have him on. Matt has developed a reputation as a maverick in the Australian energy and environment sphere - all because he’s favoured reality, science and economics. Besides being a radical truth seeker and truth speaker, Matt’s public life is defined by service, diligence and activating. From his maiden speech as a state politician advocating for and then delivering mental health service improvements, to his landmark energy reform package in 2022 as well as holding the treasurer’s pen as one of Australia’s most costly disaster events unfolded along the eastern seaboard of the country. I was keen to chat with Matt less so about his now very publicised work in the field of the energy transition and more about his views on whether the story of green growth is one Australians can rely upon. In a world where climate risk is increasingly imperilling communities, economies and insurance, what good is more solar panels and transmission lines if you can’t inhabit a community for parts of the year because of the heat or the transmission of disease makes avoiding serious illness difficult or you simply can’t access a loan because of the unavailability of insurance. Yes, the energy transition is an essential act. Is it enough to build a promise of prosperity to this nation and a world of eight billion, I’m not convinced. As chair of the Climate Change Authority [https://www.climatechangeauthority.gov.au] I also wanted to talk about how to have the extremely difficult conversation with Australians regarding the realities of a changing, new and more volatile climate. In a country where the climate wars has been the result of whether to continue to operate antiquated, dirty, unsafe and unreliable technology or transitioning to an inevitable future of clean energy, it baffles and worries me how to have a mature and honest conversation about the changed and changing climate. From the impacts of agriculture and farm productivity to the loss of the Great Barrier Reef and the communities that rely upon it to how First Nations cultures are lost or unable to be accessed due to rising sea levels or unliveable temperatures. Real people are already experiencing the harms of a changed and changing climate. Loss and damage has arrived, yet the mis and disinformation continues. Vested interests, and captured political figures and media commentators continue to drum up discontent and disharmony over dealing in the reality of change that physics and the world’s largest economy are delivering to this part of the world. Matt Kean [https://wollemi.com] embodies a commitment to reality that I respect. Do I think science, economics and technology are all that is needed to transition to futures that are safer, healthier and more just, no. It’s a start, an important start, and I hope from this chat you appreciate just how difficult and consuming being a public figure in this effort like Matt has been, is. Considering energy and climate has largely ended political careers, that Matt not only found a path through that but grew as a result of it is a credit to his determination, capability and optimism. There is much we can all take from that. This episode is supported by reposit Power. Get $500 off your solar battery install.  Subscribe, rate & share. Ep.113 Send me a message [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2329324/fan_mail/new] Thanks for listening. Follow Finding Nature on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/__findingnature__/]