Kal Glanznig is one of Australia’s leading youth ocean and climate champions, a true powerhouse inspiring a new generation of hopeful, action-driven environmental leaders. In the past year alone, he has reached more than 20,000 people through keynote talks, school programs, and Q&A screenings of his documentary Rising Up. Elected in 2024 as the youngest independent Councillor in the Sutherland Shire, he is now driving local climate action through practical and forward-thinking sustainability initiatives.

Kal first made headlines in high school after delivering a $100,000 solar project that inspired more than 20 schools to follow suit. He went on to co-found Plastic Free Cronulla, contributing to New South Wales’ ban on single-use plastics, and Blue Minds, a national program supporting young Australians with eco-anxiety and environmental leadership. An award-winning speaker, he has also represented Australia in water polo at the Youth World Championships. Kal reminds us that while no one person can change the world alone, the future is still unwritten—and every action we take creates a ripple. Take a listen and feel inspired to be part of that change.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Kal’s background in high-level sport and how it sparked his passion for the environment
• Why meaningful change starts at home, no matter how wicked the problem
• His documentary Rising Up, including its screening at COP30 in Brazil and its role in sharing Pacific stories
• Driving change through the ballot box and his journey into local council
• The importance of genuinely engaging young people, and the powerful perspectives they bring
• The role of athletes in activism and advocacy
• Eco-anxiety and its impact on young people, and how Blue Minds is helping build resilience and leadership
• Key lessons Kal has learned from young people, and his advice for those wanting to make a difference in their communities
• Why we don’t have to do everything, but we can all do something, starting in our own backyard
• What’s next for Blue Minds and his upcoming documentary, The Plastic Country

To view all the links to the websites and documents, visit the show notes on our website.

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In this episode, we’re joined by Dr Kate Wylie, GP and Executive Director of Doctors for the Environment Australia, and a long-time friend of the show. One of Australia’s leading voices on climate and health, Kate helps us unpack the United Nations’ Global Water Bankruptcy report and what it means for all of us.

Put simply: we are running out of water. We’re using more than we have in supply, so much that in many places we’re pushing past the point of recovery and can’t repay our debts. Driven by climate change, over-extraction, and pollution, this growing ‘water bankruptcy’ is fuelling food and water insecurity, disease, and deepening global inequities.

Closer to home, we explore what this looks like in Australia, from the declining Murray-Darling to pressures on the Great Artesian Basin, and why this crisis is as much about public health as it is about the environment.

A sharp, urgent conversation about one of the defining challenges of our time and the role we all must play in protecting the resource that underpins life itself.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Kate’s background and her work at the intersection of human and planetary health
• The UN’s Global Water Bankruptcy report and Kate’s recent InSight+ article outlining what this means for us in Australia
• Our unsustainable water use and the industries driving the greatest extraction
• The deep inequities of water insecurity, with the Global South bearing the greatest burden
• Key health concerns, including unsafe drinking water, food insecurity, and the mental health effects of drought
• Rising risks of vector-borne diseases like Malaria, Dengue Fever, and Ross River Virus
• The dual extremes of drought and flooding, and their impact on food systems and livelihoods
• Australia’s unique challenges as the driest inhabited continent, and the need for more sustainable agriculture
• Growing strain on critical systems, from the Murray-Darling Basin to the Great Artesian Basin, and flow-on effects like South Australia’s algal bloom
• The hidden water and energy costs of modern technology, including AI and cloud computing, and why we can’t ‘tech’ our way out of this
• The critical role of health professionals in advocating for climate and water security
• Why climate and environmental health must be embedded in medical education
• The vital work of Doctors for the Environment Australia and their latest advocacy efforts, including an open letter to Australian governments calling for an end to our dependence on global oil—add your name to the submission here

To view all the links to the websites and documents, visit the show notes on our website.

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In this episode, we’re joined by Clancy Lester (AKA Bee Man), a passionate environmental educator, documentary director, and native bee advocate, whose work is dedicated to protecting pollinators and rewilding the places we live.

Specialising in native bee conservation, native plants, and science communication, Clancy combines hands-on ecological research with a gift for making complex ideas accessible and engaging. Through his social enterprise Bees and Blossoms, Clancy creates native bee habitats, delivers workshops, and champions nature-based climate solutions across urban and regional Australia.

Driven by a deep commitment to restoring biodiversity, he shares practical, hopeful insights into how Australia’s native bees are faring, and what we can all do to support pollinators and wildlife, no matter where we live.

In this episode, we explore:

• Clancy’s background, his connection to the natural world, and how his fascination with native bees began
• His experience in the Wattle Fellowship at the University of Melbourne and working with remote Aboriginal communities in north-east Arnhem Land
• Bee Hotels 101: What they are and why they matter
• The challenges pollinators face in urban environments, and how cities can better support them through habitat and native planting
• Clancy’s workshops, what gives him hope for the future, and how he inspires people to connect with nature
• His role as Director of 7 Seasons, and key moments from making the documentary that reshaped his thinking
• The importance of genuine collaboration and two-way learning with Indigenous communities
• Why honouring thousands of years of on-Country knowledge is essential for climate adaptation
• Staying connected to Country in urban environments
• Using social media for climate advocacy
• A fun breakdown of Bee Movie—what it got right (and wrong) about pollinators

To view all the links to the websites and documents, visit the show notes on our website.

Please support our work and enable us to deliver more content by buying us a coffee or becoming a member of Athletes for Nature.
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook, subscribe to this podcast, and share this episode with your friends and family.