yet, overcoming the climate crisis is more than a question of hope; it’s a question of belief. jo addresses how the public reaction to the covid-19 pandemic and the science surrounding it runs parallel to the reaction to climate science, yet at a much faster pace. what do we stand to learn from covid about science communication? how can we make skeptics not only believe the science, but care about what it has to say? how do we talk about the future in a way that makes audiences listen and find inspiration, rather than turn away in fear?

the key to these questions lies in our storytelling. in this week’s episode of the planet forward podcast, listen to hear jo’s story and discover ways in which you can utilize your own story to inspire others.

when we can travel again, what will it look like? how will travel and tourism have changed? how will the pandemic make us think differently about our health — and the health of our planet?

the pandemic has forced us to reconsider a lot of things, so when i sat down with global explorer and sustainability travel pioneer sven lindblad, who’s ceo of lindblad expeditions (www.expeditions.com), i wanted to know what it’s going to take to get back out in the world — and how we can do it more sustainably. sven’s thought a lot about both those issues because his company, like so many others in the travel business, was all but shut down by the pandemic.

communities in beautiful but remote travel locations face a particularly delicate balancing act, made more challenging by covid-19 travel restrictions. where ecotourism supported conservations efforts, tourists and their money just about disappeared, creating an economic void that threatens so much of what’s been achieved in recent years. for example, “undertourism” now threatens progress in marine sanctuaries where tourism dollars replaced revenue that had led to overfishing.

but there are changes we can make as we navigate the responsibilities of stewarding both natural resources and the communities dependent on tourism dollars. as i learned in our conversation, these issues are priorities for sven. he thinks and talks about them with searching curiosity and commitment. he’s made sustainable tourism a focus of his company. and he’s been recognized for his conservation and environmental stewardship over the past two decades, specifically for his work in the galápagos archipelago.

could his vision of tourism be how we travel in the future? it would stretch our horizons for sure, but it’s an expedition worth considering.

i’m proud to announce that we’ve been experimenting, too. and today we launch our premiere planet forward podcast!

our host is a rising star from our community. zack smith, from suny’s college of environmental science and forestry (esf), dazzled us with his talent when he entered a podcast in the 2017 planet forward storyfest competition. the prize that year, by the way, was a trip to the amazon rainforest with the renowned dr. tom lovejoy. and happily, zack traveled with us and produced a story from “camp 41” featuring tom!

so, in partnership with esf, we launch the planet forward podcast. zack dives right in with a delicious debut. this item may not be on your plate yet but it may be one recipe for a sustainable diet. we’re talking about — wait for it — crickets.  

jiminy! could this really be a tasty and sustainable protein option to feed the world’s growing population?

zack speaks with shobhita soor, cio of aspire food group, about bug farming. then he interviews another star student, katherine baker, from columbia university. she’s a planet forward senior correspondent, who considers crickets from her public health perspective.

special thanks are due john barth at prx and producer rachel aronoff for getting us off the ground. john, rachel, the first cricket burger is on us!

zack’s take on all this:

“the process of producing this pilot and working with producer rachel aronoff, prx, and the planet forward team was incredible. i had never worked with a producer before, so i wasn’t sure what to expect. from researching potential story leads to developing interview questions, conducting the interviews, editing, script writing, editing the scripts, and editing some more, this was a truly a process of learning on the job — and accountability. i’ve heard of the friendship that forms in these collaborative work environments, and this was my first experience with it. for that, i am so thankful.”

shobhita was interviewed from aspire food group’s palm weevil operation in ghana. zack’s favorite question: did she grow up wanting to be a bug farmer! you’ll hear the answer in the podcast but zack gives a hint: “i felt it was a good point of reflection for those of us who want to make a difference through our work. it may take a different form than we imagined.”

so, do crickets actually taste good? don’t hold your nose, find out at our planet forward podcast pilot right here.

let us know what you think. send us your cricket recipes. pitch a story. email us at podcast@planetforward.org.