The Planet Talks

Former Archaeologist, music composer and producer, Sir Tim Smit is best known for his achievements in Cornwall in restoring the Lost Gardens of Heligan and co-creating the multi Award-winning Eden Project - a cradle of life containing world-class horticulture and startling architecture. Eden has become one of the world’s most popular man-made eco-tourism destinations with more than 16 million people visiting it since 2000. And that’s only part of the Tim Smit story…

Is colonising Mars the next giant leap for humanity or is it a waste of time and money? Do humans need to be a multi planet species to avoid extinction as argued by Elon Musk? What have humans and the blue planet got to gain in the short term by practising and preparing to inhabit the Red Planet? Who better to ask than two of our favourite Martians, Australian Mars One candidate, Josh Richards and Carmel Johnston – Crew Commander of a year-long Mars Simulation mission.

We’re running out of resources but according to this panel, we’re going to be ok. Can we compete with the convenience of the garbage dump and the latest iPhone?  Are tech companies taking away our right to extend the life of products? Is a waste-free economy possible? iFixit founder Kyle Wiens, UNSW’s Scientia Professor of Materials Science, Veena Sahajwalla and UniSA’s reverse logistics expert Nicholas Chileshe know a thing or two about delaying entropy, so let’s ask them.

Just because you can't do everything it doesn't mean you shouldn't do something. Do we view climate change as a problem for Governments, scientists, environmentalists and economists to sort out or is our role as individuals more important? Join Karen, Jon, Erin and Vanessa as they chat about their work focusing on the “I” in climate change, how people see themselves making changes and how we can empower everyone to “do something”.

The Pope’s game changing encyclical—Laudato Si – stressed environmental stewardship and climate change action is consistent with Christian spiritual life. But the Green Faith movement is not just a Christian thing. It’s a central pillar of all major religions.

This interfaith panel led by Australia’s favourite Catholic, Father Bob Maguire, will discuss how and why Christian, Muslim, Buddhist and Jewish faiths have made climate change and environmental responsibility a major part of contemporary religious life and practice.

40,000 years of Indigenous Australians have maintained a sustainable relationship with every corner of Australia’s diverse environment via a deep listening tradition that preserves language, heritage and culture. In this panel respected Indigenous Elders, an Ethno-Ecologist and a young Indigenous rising star who sings in his country’s language will talk about this knowledge and how the future of Australian environmental conservation is linked to preserving and sustaining our indigenous cultures, heritage and languages.