Climate change, ferocious weather and ‘the haze’ are now part our everyday lives. How are our lifestyles connected to them, and what can we do about it? What does the economy have to do with it? Earth Matters engages with activists and experts to explore our changing relationship with the planet that we only borrow from our children.
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For August 2026's episode of Nature Reads, we speak to wildlife photographer, author, conservationist and Head of Outreach at Roots & Shoots Malaysia, Peter Ong . Together with co-host Surin Suksuwan, co-founder of Sunda Shelves, we explore the books and people that shaped Peter's interest in nature and conservation, including the influence of renowned primatologist and conservationist Dr. Jane…
The haze is back. For the past few days, many of us have been waking up to that familiar smell, hazier skies and air that we're really not supposed to be breathing. While the immediate question is where the smoke is coming from, there's a bigger question here: why, after decades of haze crises, are we still dealing with this? We look at what's driving this latest haze episode, revisit some of…
Across Southeast Asia, there's a familiar tension between economic development and environmental protection. Governments talk about growth, companies talk about investment, while communities often find themselves fighting to protect the forests, rivers and land they've depended on for generations. A new Human Rights Watch report, Grabbed Land, Silenced Justice , looks at what happens when those…
Rice is a staple food for millions of Malaysians, but a proposed field trial in Perak is raising questions about how we grow it, and who bears the risks when new technologies are introduced. The trial involves genetically modified MR219 rice that has been engineered to tolerate glyphosate, as well as resist certain bacterial and fungal diseases. But 61 organisations representing farmers, consumers…
We marked International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples on the 9th of August, a day to recognise Indigenous cultures, communities and their ongoing struggles for rights and recognition. In Sarawak, few issues are more fundamental to those struggles than land. The documentary Long Moh takes us to the Kenyah Lepu Tau community in Ulu Baram, where people are defending their ancestral forest…
Eight years ago, two neglected riverside dumpsites along the Klang River became the starting point for an ambitious experiment. The idea was simple: if people came together consistently to care for these places, could nature recover? Today, those spaces have become thriving community parks teeming with biodiversity, and what started as a grassroots restoration effort has grown into GREduAction!, a…
It's easy to imagine that the climate crisis is still years away, but for many young Malaysians, it's already shaping everyday life, from getting to school safely and dealing with extreme heat, to worrying about floods, their wellbeing and what the future might hold. A new National Youth Climate Change Survey by UNICEF Malaysia and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability…
Every year, Global Tiger Day reminds us of the urgent need to protect one of Malaysia's most iconic and critically endangered animals, the Malayan tiger. But protecting tigers isn't just about saving a single species, it's about protecting entire forests that are home to countless other plants and animals, many of which we still know surprisingly little about. That's exactly what researchers have…
On this episode of Nature Reads, we speak to Malaysian children's author and scuba diver Gloria Chieng, together with co-host Jennifer Neoh Tan, Bookshop Manager at Sunda Shelves. We explore the books and experiences that inspired Gloria's love of nature, how her time beneath the waves led to her debut picture book, Paco the Hermit Crab , and why stories can help children connect with the ocean…
Sustainable finance has become a major part of the global push towards tackling climate change and protecting nature. By helping direct investment towards projects that deliver environmental and social benefits, it has the potential to reshape how development happens. Here in Malaysia, Bank Negara Malaysia and Securities Commission Malaysia are developing a Sustainable Finance Taxonomy to help…
Land reclamation is often promoted as a driver of economic growth, but it's also one of the most controversial forms of development, with lasting impacts on the environment, coastal communities, and traditional livelihoods. Now, a recent Court of Appeal judgment involving the Penang South Islands reclamation project has sparked a new debate, not just about the environmental impacts of reclamation,…
Birds are often described as indicators of the health of our environment. When bird populations change, they're often telling us something about the ecosystems we all depend on. That's one reason projects like MY Garden Birdwatch matter. Returning this July after a four-year break, the nationwide survey invites Malaysians to spend just 30 minutes observing birds in their local area and contribute…
