Dolphin/whale watching is a popular tourist activity around the world. I invite WeWhale founder Janek Andre to learn about the whale watching industry, how it affects nearby marine animals, and how we can make it more ecofriendly.

Resources mentioned:

WeWhale: https://wewhale.co/

Recommended documentaries: The Cove, Blackfish, Seaspiracy

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There are over 44,000 species threatened with extinction, but only a few of them get most of the funding and conservation attention. I invite Scott Trageser, Executive Director and Board Chair of The Biodiversity Group, to discuss this imbalance, and learn what exactly it entails to save a species from extinction.

Resources mentioned:

The Biodiversity Group https://biodiversitygroup.org/

Connect & Conserve https://connectandconserve.org/

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Keeping dolphins and whales in tanks is psychological torture and could lead to numerous chronic issues. But releasing them back into the wild is often not feasible. I invite Dr. Lori Marino, founder and president of the Whale Sanctuary Project, to learn about how we can offer a better life to dolphins and whales in captivity.

Whale Sanctuary Project:

https://whalesanctuaryproject.org/

Recommended documentary on whales in captivity - Blackfish:

https://www.netflix.com/title/70267802

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How do we know that zoo animals are kept in adequate welfare conditions, and that their behavioral and psychological needs are actually met? I invite Dr. Isabella Clegg, founder of Animal Welfare Expertise, to discuss the science behind animal welfare in zoos, and how we can improve living conditions for these animals.

Resources mentioned:

Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA): https://www.aza.org/

European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) https://www.eaza.net/

American Humane https://www.americanhumane.org/

Animal Welfare Expertise https://www.animalwelfareexpertise.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AnimWelfareExpt

IG: https://www.instagram.com/animalwelfareexpertise/

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/animalwelfareexpertise

We discuss what it's like for farmed animals behind the scenes. For most consumers, our only interaction with this industry is buying meat, eggs, or diary at the grocery store. But what happens before that?

I invite Claire Hamlett, freelance writer on animal justice, animal agriculture, and the environment, to uncover this mystery. We focus on the 3 main farmed animals: chickens, pigs, and cows.

Resources mentioned:

Animal Justice Project

https://www.animaljusticeproject.com/

Faunalytics

https://faunalytics.org/

Hogwood

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hogwood:_a_modern_horror_story

Sentient Media

https://sentientmedia.org/

Follow Claire:

https://twitter.com/HamlettClaire

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https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ecochat/id1661254550

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What is animal testing? Is it necessary, and does it even work? Are there better alternatives?

I invite Dr. Faraz Harsini, Founder and CEO of Allied Scholars for Animal Protection (ASAP), to learn all about animal testing and dispel myths surrounding this topic. We discuss ethics, effectiveness, and why animal testing actually hinders medical advancement. We talk about the many alternatives that exists and legal implications as well.

Resources (in order mentioned):

Elephant man clinical trial (TGN1412)

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM): https://www.pcrm.org/

PETA Alternatives to Animal Testing: https://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-experimentation/alternatives-animal-testing/

White Coat Waste Project: https://www.whitecoatwaste.org/

Center for Contemporary Sciences: https://contemporarysciences.org/

Allied Scholars for Animal Protection (ASAP): https://www.alliedscholars.org/

Good Food Institute: https://gfi.org/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrFarazHarsini

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DrFarazHarsini

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How can we apply AI to conservation? How does it even work? I invite Jędrzej Świeżewski, Head of AI at Appsilon, to learn all about AI, machine learning, neural networks, image recognition. We dive into several case studies:

Mbaza AI: A computer vision app for assessing biodiversity in Africa. It has recently been recognized by UNESCO as one of the top 10 global projects contributing to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. https://ircai.org/top100/entry/mbaza-ai/

Monitoring the ecosystem health of the Arctic Ocean.

Counting nests to assess the health of the Antarctic Ecosystem.

Resources:

https://data4good.appsilon.com/

https://appsilon.com/

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We explore the beauty and diversity of Sulawesi, a natural paradise home to many unique species found nowhere else in the world. I invite Sherazade, Co-Director of PROGRES, to discuss how her team is working to protect endangered wildlife and empower local communities.

Resources:

https://www.progressulawesi.id/

https://www.instagram.com/progresulawesi/

https://twitter.com/SheraGoesBoing

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https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/ecochat/id1661254550