This podcast show started with Waveney asking the question, “what is the single most effective thing I can do to save the planet?’ Two years on, and 71 episodes later, both Tim and Waveney take stock of what actions seem to stand out from the rest and declare what their own personal ‘official’ winners. As always, the episode sticks to the show’s gu…

Journey into the world of Koia and Robyn, living sustainably in Manurewa, Auckland, with 9 other whānau members in a ‘not much bigger than average’ sized house. The episode starts with Koia leading a pōwhiri to formally welcome Tim and Waveney into their home and bless their time together. After the pōwhiri, Robyn shares her homemade feijoa cake an…

The desire to have and love children is one of the strongest, most basic human urges. But studies show that having less kids or no kids is by far the single most impactful action you can take to create a more sustainable tomorrow. So is there any wiggle room in these studies? Or could we justify having a baby on other grounds? Perhaps countries wit…

Buying organic food (food grown without the use of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides) is crucial to restoring the earth and protecting our biodiversity. But it costs the earth to do the right thing, right? WRONG! In many cases, buying organic food can save you money. In this episode, Waveney explains how. It all starts with intention, knowing WH…

One year on from our last discussion with self-described Worm Guy (and Why Waste founder) Leo Murray, he returns to discuss with Tim and Waveney what lessons we've learned from living with COVID for the past 12 months, and what we need to do next to try and protect our planet. We discuss the implications of simpler living during lockdown and the fa…

Many countries including the UK, Sweden, France, Norway and the Netherlands are phasing out combustion engine vehicles in favour of EV vehicles. Here in Aotearoa, while there isn’t any comparable government declarations (yet), demand for electric vehicles, bikes, scooters etc is growing. This episode explores how EVs compare to fossil fuel cars in …

The Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) is the New Zealand government's most powerful tool in reducing the amount of carbon we put into the atmosphere. But what exactly is an ETS? Tim sat down with Hon James Shaw, Minister for Climate Change (and co-leader of The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand) to get some questions answered. If you've ever wondere…

Seafood New Zealand and our Ministry for Primary Industries tell us that we have a sustainable fishery, but many hapū, marine scientists and ANYONE trying to catch fish without commercial fishing equipment say it’s getting harder and harder to catch and eat fish, crays, and shellfish around the coast of Aotearoa. Join TIm and Waveney as they explor…

Production Note: Some of this conversation was featured in our last episode. This episode contains the conversations with Jacqui, in its entirety. Waveney chats to Jacqui Forbes (Ngāruahine), the Kaihautū Matua (General Manager) for the Māori zero waste organisation Para Kore. Starting with Poihakena Marae in Raglan/Whaingāroa, Para Kore now has no…

Join Tim and Waveney on a road trip to legendary surf town Raglan (Whāingaroa) to uncover the stories behind the town’s long history of ground breaking successes in sustainability. In this second episode we explore: Para Kore Para Kore means Zero Waste in te reo. It is also a for Maori by Maori programme that came out of Whāingaroa / Raglan in 2009…

Join Tim and Waveney on a road trip to legendary surf town Raglan (Whaingaroa) to uncover the stories behind the town’s long history of ground breaking successes in sustainability. In this episode we meet four locals. Two who have been part of rebuilding the standard small town economic model of shipping energy and food in / waste and profits out o…

We’re bidding farewell to 2020 and a big, hopeful hello to 2021 so time for some intention-setting and New Year’s resolutions. Waveney’s found a study scientifically proving we put more stock into the goals we set at the start of a New Year and have more success keeping them vs goals set at other times of the year. We discuss the tips for successfu…

In many homes the family dog or cat occupies a special place in our hearts. We cry when they die (and we all secretly think puppies and kittens are cuter than babies). But have you ever stopped to wonder if our modern day pet obsession is “eco-friend or foe”? In this episode Waveney and Tim ask ‘what is the environmental pawprint of our pets?’ and …

This holiday season, we're trying to be conscious of not buying plastic-y, non-Earth friendly gifts for people that they may not even like! So we've got 10 suggestions for sustainable gifts for everyone you will be gift-giving to this year. 1) Christmas Crackers from KidsCan They’re only $2.50 each from Countdown, Harvey Norman, The Coffee Club and…

Concerned about the environmental impact of dairy milk? Heard unsettling rumours about some of the plant based alternatives? Confused about your plant milk options? In this episode you can find out how to get hold of delicious, fresh, environmentally friendly milks that are affordable and easy; We go behind the scenes of the world’s massive soybean…

Today Tim talks to Danielle, a Sustainability Advocate and Educator from Live Lightly. Live Lightly is a collaboration between community groups, Auckland Council and other partners that began in 2017 and provides advice for people so they can take personal action to tackle the climate crisis and reduce emissions. Their new initiative is New Zealand…

How could you possibly live sustainably in an apartment? Don’t you need a bit of earth and a bit of space to crack sustainability? To find out, the How to Save the World podcast team is drawn out of the studio for the very first time to visit apartment dweller and advocate Angela Lees. Angela lives in a 60m2 apartment in Otahuhu, Auckland with two …

Why would we focus on one plant? Because Hemp is absolutely incredible, it has a truly impressive number of applications for us humans and is very environmentally friendly compared to its alternatives across the range of uses. With a complicated legal, political and social history, it’s important to remember one thing from the outset: HEMP IS NOT A…

Don't go buying Bitcoin as a green-friendly replacement for your traditional banking needs (but hopefully in the future the underlying technology, Blockchain can enable us to do some cool stuff). Check out DeFi for more info. Liberty Trust is helping people buy a home in New Zealand by providing interest frees loan to people who donate to the Trust…

Is your bank doing all that it can to make a difference for good? Banks are one of the most powerful ‘future creators’ in modern society. More or less they get to choose who they invest their millions (and billions) in, empowering some and squeezing others. They can also affect climate through their operational footprints and have significant oppor…

Wait. Why are we here? What are we saving the world from? Join Waveney and Tim as they delve into the reasons behind the reasons to find out why (and how) we have ended up in the 21st Century eating up the planet that supports us. It’s our first episode of season two so we are also asking ourselves: Why are we here, doing this podcast? Turns out th…

Please fill out our listener survey to help us improve the show and find out what you want to hear about (you'll also go in the draw to win a Prezzie Card!): https://forms.gle/xxgyFmzqviFD4NHL9 Waveney and Tim are taking a break after an entire year of weekly episodes before they come back with an even better podcast for you! We chat about the jour…

In this episode, Tim is joined by Margaret from Kiwimana Buzz and Jess from Bees Up Top to chat about how we save the bees! Bees are an absolutely critical part of our environment and food chain but facing multiple pressures from human encroachment, industrial mono-culture food production and pesticide exposures, their numbers are in serious troubl…

Giants of the sustainability movement in Aotearoa (and self-styled No-waste Nomads), Hannah Blumhardt and Liam Prince talk to Waveney about the connection of individual action to big change, what they were up to in lock-down, the origins of their (and Wave's) journey into waste reduction and the demographics and often gendered nature of today's sus…

Waveney and Tim have some sustainability good news from over the world, including; A reduction in stresses on the environment during COVID-19 lockdowns, plus bike sales are way up, Amsterdam is trialing using Kate Raworth's Donut Model of economics for policy-making and investors flocking to green energy as a save-haven through these troubling econ…

We got a listener question from Jules, asking us ‘what careers or tertiary education choices can kids focus on with the view to aiding positive climate change action?' Great question! In this episode we talk about what constitutes a ‘sustainable' or ‘green' job, discuss the automation threat (and opportunity) and chat about the circular economy. Jo…

Welcome to the absolute rock bottom beginner guide to gardening. This episode is for you if you expect it to take about 5 minutes a day to garden, don't compost properly, don't particularly love the idea of gardening, and think you can put a seedling in an abandoned old garden bed and it will have everything it needs. We asked 20 of New Zealand's t…

We chat to Shane Ward about the recently launched Better Futures Forum (BFF), the hot new platform where New Zealanders are meeting to facilitate the transition towards a more resilient Aotearoa. BFF is seizing the transformational power of COVID-19. In just three weeks since it launched, the organization, co-founded by Dr Mike Joy, has received tr…

Clarke Gayford (Fish of The Day host and partner of NZ PM Jacinda Ardern) joins us to talk about the haunting sound of his morning alarm, being an Ambassador for NatGeo's Planet or Plastic and his obsession with the ocean. Growing up in Gisborne and falling in love with fishing, Clarke has spent his professional life travelling the world and connec…

Luke Wijohn is just 18 years old and running for Parliament - In the Prime Minister's Electorate, no less. After being a lead organiser for NZ's Youth Strikes for Climate, Luke decided to run as a Green MP in this year's election. We chat about his desire to change the conversation we're having with and about our farmers and how to achieve transfor…

A lot of the information in today's episode comes from Waste MINZ fantastic webinar on microplastics delivered by Dr Grant Northcott and Dr Olga Pantos. Check out the webinar here. This episode, we're discussing microplastics - What they are, why they're bad and what can we do about them. Plastic does not biodegrade, it breaks down, fragmented by w…

Composting; It's the easiest way to dramatically cut down the waste you send to landfill AND supercharge your garden but we wanted to make sure we were doing it right so we invited Leo Murray, founder and director of WhyWaste - the company that hires out worm farms to homes and businesses to eat through your food waste. In this episode we find out …

PLEASE NOTE: This episode was recorded before things escalated regarding COVID-19. Please follow the health and hyguine advice of your local government, and/or WHO As an addendum to our episode on cleaning products, this week Wave is focusing on keeping your clothes clean while keeping the planet happy. Laundry Detergent Solutions Soap nuts, kiwis …

In this episode, Waveney and Tim tackle an issue we rarely talk about; How can we make ourselves happy without punishing the planet and environment? Humans are social creatures and we crave interaction. While we're locked down for a bit, why not take the time to listen and think about what makes you truly happy? We've got loads of suggestions, incl…

Time for some GOOD NEWS. In this episode Waveney and Tim discuss the positive things happening in sustainability, at home and around the world. First up; the CEO of Black Rock, the largest managed fund in the world (looking after US$7.4T in assets) giving strict guidance to global megacompanies and corporations on the importance of climate change t…

Gina Dempster is the Communication and Marketing Manager from Wastebusters, based in Wanaka and a bona fide sustainability legend. She joins Wave and Tim to chat about the #SixItemsChallenge - a goal to wear just six different items of clothing for the month of March (excludes underwear, socks and active wear for exercise). The challenge has been s…

Today we're cleaning house. Tim has offered up all the products used in is flat to clean, disinfect and scour and Waveney has researched the harmful ingredients in each and has some VERY simple and cost-effective solutions to replace them. We dig into the personal and environmental hazards of everything from Spray and Wipe to oven cleaner, to house…

We're joined by the inspirational and massively kick ass kiwi Olympian, Sarah Walker. Sarah is both an Ambassador of Litefoot.nz (an NZ sport organisation inspiring kiwis to be environmental champions) and a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)'s Sustainability and Legacy Commission. Sarah chats to us about what it was like to cycle …

Coffee; We humans drink 2.25 billion cups of it per day but it turns out the method we use to grow the majority of it is pretty harmful to trees, birds and soil. Tim drills into the specifics of how a change in the way we grow coffee that happened in the 1970s shifted farmers away from biodiverse, tree-shade grown coffee plants to Full Sun Cultivat…

Erica Finnie is a community organiser, climate activist and the Director of 350 Aotearoa - the organisation standing up against the fossil fuel industry in NZ (and around the world). 350 was founded by American environmentalist/journalist/author Bill McKibben and is named for the Parts Per Million of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that has been d…

We celebrate some of the many fantastic guests we've had on the show so far by replaying a couple of our favourite moments of conversation with them. In this episode we chat to: Dai Henwood (full episode here: https://omny.fm/shows/how-to-save-the-world/talking-tea-with-dai-henwood) Miriama Kamo (full episode here: https://omny.fm/shows/how-to-save…

Wave and Tim open up the virtual mail bag and dig into your questions. We chat about Project Drawdown, Dr Paul Hawken and regenerative farming. Dr Hawken is on a mission to remove existing carbon in the air (rather than just reducing what we're putting out in the air now). Short answer: Have a listen to our soil episode! We cover a lot of ground (l…

Tim and Wav are joined by Auckland Councillor Richard Hills. Richard is the Chair of the newly formed Environment and Climate Change committee and is passionate about public transport, stopping urban sprawl and protecting our environment. We discuss what it's actually like to work in local government, if the council actually cares what we have to s…

Tim's in the expert chair today as he shares his research into the impacts of the object we use more than any other, every single day; Our phone! We explore the three major life stages of a phone, 1) Mineral extraction for components 2) Assembly 3) Disposal. The true cost of mineral extraction to get the rare Earth minerals needed to make all the d…

Kate Hall is a 23-year-old Instagram inspirer (nee influencer), entrepreneur and sustainable fashion enthusiast. She lived in Mongolia at an early age which made an indelible mark on thinking about global supply chains and where our stuff comes from. In this chat with a leading green member of Gen Z, we discuss communicating online, the importance …

This episode is focused on good news in sustainability. Waveney and Tim trade big stories on oil staying in the ground in Norway, battery breakthroughs, and how the flow of global capital is starting to move away from ecologically unsustainable business practices. We also celebrate the incredible work being done by NZ's Environment Centres. You can…

Sponsored by Karma Cola - the NZ drinks company making ethical, organic, recyclable soda AND by Kōkako Organic Coffee Roasters (carbon neutral coffee since 2016). Dr Niki Harré is a Psychology Professor from The University of Auckland who focuses on sustainability and social change (among other areas). She authored Psychology for a Better World (ch…

This episode is sponsored by Ecotricity - New Zealand's only carboNZero certified electricity retailer. Join Ecotricity now! 30 Personality test Myers Briggs test or Strengths Finder 29 Personal Time Voucher Either volunteer hours or quality time. What's your skill set – tailoring, mending, IT, jamming doors, painting, proofing. 28 Ebooks / voucher…

Sponsored by Kōkako Organic Coffee Roasters (carbon neutral coffee since 2016) and All Good Bananas (Good for Growers, the Land, and You). We sit down and chat to the incredible Glen Herud, founder of Happy Cow Milk. Glen started off as a dairy farmer then went to renting appliances, then invented a new way to get milk and keep cows happy. Then we …

This episode is sponsored by Ecotricity - New Zealand's only carboNZero certified electricity retailer. Join Ecotricity now! This episode is about how to ditch landfills. Landfills don't work. We all hate them. We don't want them in our backyards. They are getting further away from our cities – Dome Valley (between Warkworth and Wellsford). They pr…