Eight Million

China’s domestic aquaculture has struggled with the pressures of China’s economic growth - and its demands for fish feed are making China’s coastal overfishing problem…. even worse. Can China’s massive fish export industry be sustained under current overfishing conditions? The World Bank has predicted that in ten years, China will account for 38% of the world’s fish consumption. How is China preparing for that?Sound engineer and mixing by Chris Wood.Guests: Songlin Wang, Qingdao Marine Conservation Society and China Ocean OutcomesDr. Yvonne Sadovy, The University of Hong KongZhou Wei, Greenpeace ChinaHan Han, China Blue Sustainability Institute Teaching Guide for Educators here

Since the Han Dynasty, fishing was the main source of livelihood on the Yangtze River basin - now the Yangtze is closed to all fishing for ten years. Marine pollution and overfishing have been knocking on China’s door since the 1986 Fisheries Law and the reform period in China. Why is China facing a critical state of overfishing in its marine waters and what are they doing about it?Sound engineer and mixing by Chris Wood.Guests:Cao Ling, Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityYamin Wang, Shandong Ocean UniversityJohn Mimikakis, Environmental Defense Fund Zhou Wei, Greenpeace China Teaching Guide for Educators here

In 1986, China passed its Fisheries Law, privatising fishing vessels and unleashing a massive expansion in the fleet. Today one in four fishing vessels in the world are Chinese. Most are fishing off China’s coast, leading to a significant problem with overfishing. But the oceans, and the resources they hold, are shared by everyone. What is China’s place in the global network of policies regulating the world’s fisheries? And what is the country trying to do to break the cycle of overfishing?Sound engineer and mixing by Chris Wood.Guests: Margot Stiles, OCEANADr. Yvonne Sadovy, The University of Hong KongJohn Mimikakis, Environmental Defense Fund Teaching Guide for Educators here

The innovation in the recycling industry shows that recycled materials are not necessarily of a lower quality. Asia is only starting to embrace the many things that can be made from recycled plastic. Produced in collaboration Ocean Recovery Alliance. Music by Alex Mauboussin, follow him at Kalelover.Guests: Brian Thurston, Senior Advisor, Plastic Disclosure ProjectJose Lopez, Senior Architectural Designer at Miniwiz Sustainable Energy Development Co. Ltd. Kian Hoe Seah, Managing Director at Heng Hiap Industries Sdn BhdEllen Jackowski, Global Head of Sustainability Strategy & Innovation at HPDoug Woodring, Founder/Managing Director at Ocean Recovery AllianceCredits:Producer and Host: Marcy Trent Long Writer, Editor, and Sound Mixer: Sam ColombieSound Engineer: Chris WoodTeaching Guide for Educators here

What can be done to lower the cost of recycling plastics in Asia, so we can further increase the scale of production to make recycling easier and more profitable? Produced in collaboration Ocean Recovery Alliance. Music by Alex Mauboussin, follow him at Kalelover.Guests: Ashwin Subramaniam, CEO & Founder at GA Circular (Gone Adventurin’)Kian Hoe Seah, Managing Director at Heng Hiap IndustriesSdn Bhd Harsha Reddy, Head of Global Sustainability at Indorama Ventures PCLRavish Manjithia, Founder and CEO of MagnomerRenae Kezar, Senior Director, Global Leader of Sustainability at Avery DennisonCredits:Producer and Host: Marcy Trent Long Writer, Editor, and Sound Mixer: Sam ColombieSound Engineer: Chris WoodTeaching Guide for Educators here

Moving to a plastic circular economy in Asia requires changes in behavior and better waste management infrastructure. Produced in collaboration Ocean Recovery Alliance. Music by Alex Mauboussin, follow him at Kalelover.Guests: Trish Hyde, Managing Director, The Plastics Circle and Founder of PlastXDoug Woodring, Founder/Managing Director at Ocean Recovery Alliance Ashwin Subramaniam, CEO & Founder at GA Circular (Gone Adventurin’) Credits:Producer and Host: Marcy Trent Long Writer, Editor, and Sound Mixer: Sam ColombieSound Engineer: Chris WoodTeaching Guide for Educators here

The Ocean Plastics Charter pledges to recycle and reuse at least 55% of plastic packaging by 2030. It also commits brands to increase the amount of recycled plastic content in their packaging by 50%. Produced in collaboration with Ocean Recovery Alliance. Music by Alex Mauboussin, follow him at Kalelover.Guests:Doug Woodring, Founder/Managing Director at Ocean Recovery Alliance Ellen Jackowski, Global Head of Sustainability Strategy & Innovation at HPDr. Ben R. Jordan, Senior Director of Environmental Policy, The Coca-Cola CompanyAshwin Subramaniam, CEO & Founder at GA Circular (Gone Adventurin’)Harsha Reddy, Head of Global Sustainability at Indorama Ventures PCLCredits:Producer and Host: Marcy Trent Long Writer, Editor, and Sound Mixer: Sam ColombieSound Engineer: Chris WoodTeaching Guide for Educators here

China is trying to find the solutions to its immense waste crisis. According to World Bank numbers, the country is currently dealing with 200 million tonnes of garbage a year. Landfills are crammed and a burden to their surrounding communities. To solve this, China is building more waste-to-energy plants than the rest of the world combined. But is this the right direction?Guests:Jennifer Turner, Woodrow Wilson CenterDoug Woodring, Ocean Recovery AllianceNickolas J. Themelis, Waste-to-Energy Research and Technology CouncilChristine Loh, HKUST and Civic ExchangeMao Da, Rock Environment and Energy InstituteCredits:Producer and Host: Marcy Trent Long Co-Producer: Sam ColombieSound Engineer: Chris WoodTeaching Guide for Educators here

With all the effort going into recycling, Europe is still only at a 30% plastic recycling rate, and the US trails way behind at 9%. And this was before China stopped processing the West’s recycling! Why are these numbers so low? When did plastic recycling get so complicated?Guests:Doug Woodring, Ocean Recovery AllianceMichelle Jou, Covestro ChinaPhilippe Li, HK Recycles Hong KongChen Liwen, Nature University ENGOCredits:Producer and Host: Marcy Trent Long Co-Producer: Sam ColombieSound Engineer: Chris WoodTeaching Guide for Educators here

So you thought your recyclable waste was going to a local processing plant? Instead it was very likely shipped to China, along with about half of the world’s exported plastic waste. However, in January 2018 China decided to ban plastic waste imports and end this charade.Now western countries are now forced to deal with their own waste. But what motivated China to shut down an industry so many of its citizens depended on?Guests:Mao Da, Rock Environment and Energy InstituteChen Liwen, Nature University ENGOChristine Loh, Civic Exchange and Hong Kong University of Science and TechnologyCredits:Producer and Host: Marcy Trent Long Co-Producer: Sam ColombieSound Engineer: Chris WoodTeaching Guide for Educators here

Rivers are at the heart of China’s economic development, but recent research indicates they may also be critical in transporting plastics into the ocean. What is China doing to stop pollution from flowing into river systems? The 19th Party Congress in 2017 is where Xi Jinping spelled out his ambition for a Beautiful China. During the Party Congress, the Five Year Plan was approved - putting in motion new environmental targets that can be filtered down to local level. Guests: Christine Loh, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and Civic ExchangeLaurent Lebreton, The Ocean CleanupLincoln Fok, Education University of Hong KongFeng Hu, China Water RiskXu Yuanchao, China Water RiskZhang Chun, ChinadialogueCredits:Producer and Host: Marcy Trent Long Co-Producer: Sam ColombieSound Engineer: Chris WoodTeaching Guide for Educators here

Everywhere you look, on beaches and in seas around the world, there’s plastic, and this is changing the fabric of our oceans. Why is plastic ocean pollution such a problem - particularly in Asia?In this episode we will be talking to experts from the academic, government and advocacy world, to learn about the impact of ocean plastic on seafood and our health. We will learn about how microplastics differ across the world, and about the source of much ocean plastic pollution: uncollected waste from land.Guests: Craig Leeson, Director, A Plastic OceanNicholas Mallos, Ocean Conservancy Marcus Eriksen, 5Gyres Institute William Robberson, USEPA Regional Response TeamChelsea Rochman, Rochman Lab Jenna Jambeck, Jambeck Research Group Credits:Producer and Host: Marcy Trent Long Co-Producer: Sam ColombieSound Engineer: Chris WoodTeaching Guide for Educators here

Eight Million takes you through the ins and outs of plastic waste treatment globally and in China. It’s an illuminating look at how China is closing their doors on imported plastic waste, and turning their back on industrial pollution in favor of building an ‘ecological civilization’. Guests: Isabel Hilton, Chinadialogue