Nature Breaking World Wildlife Fund

Today’s episode is about a piece of legislation currently pending in the US Congress that could make a big difference for global forest conservation: the FOREST Act. This bill would create new requirements and incentives for companies to ensure that the products they import into the US are not associated with illegal deforestation. This matters now more than ever because forests are a critical ally in our global fight against climate change and biodiversity loss, and because we’re still losing forests like the Amazon far too quickly. Last year we lost about 10 soccer fields worth of forest every minute. The FOREST Act could help reverse that trend. Today’s episode features a conversation with Stephanie Cappa, WWF’s director for policy and government affairs. You’ll hear Stephanie talk about what’s driving deforestation around the world (2:12), the nuts and bolts of how the FOREST Act would work (9:15) and where it currently stands in Congress (22:20). Stephanie also gives a quick update on some other priority legislation for this year, including the Farm Bill (25:28).
LINKS:
Stephanie Cappa bio
Take Action to Support the FOREST Act
WWF FOREST Act Page

Ahead of Earth Day, today’s episode revisits a topic that we first covered in 2022 on this podcast: plastic pollution. Everyone knows that this issue has become a true crisis around the world. Our current system for recycling and reusing plastic products is broken, and far too much of the plastic we use in our lives ends up in our communities or in our oceans. But there is hope for a brighter future. In March of 2022, the UN Environment Assembly agreed to kick off a process to draft a Global Treaty to End Plastic Pollution, with a goal of finalizing the treaty by 2025. My guest today is Erin Simon, WWF’s vice president for plastic waste and business. Erin has had a front-row seat to this ongoing treaty process, and she’s joining us today to provide an update ahead of the critical next phase: the fourth meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee, which begins on April 23 and is intended to bring the treaty one step closer to being finalized. But first Erin brings listeners up to speed on the current state of the plastic crisis (1:43) and the actions that the US government could take to help (6:56), before breaking down the latest on the UN treaty negotiations (16:17).
LINKS:
Erin Simon bio
WWF Plastic Treaty Page
BLOG: Reflections from WWF's Plastic Policy Summit
POLL: 85% of people want a ban on single-use plastics

NOTE: This episode originally ran in September of 2022.
In this episode, Erin Simon, WWF’s head of plastic waste and business, explains the scale of the plastic pollution crisis and why it matters for both people and nature. She dives into the factors driving this crisis (5:42) and discusses how companies and individuals can help address it (9:12). And lastly, Erin breaks down efforts by the United Nations to create a new treaty to address the plastic crisis (18:00).
LINKS:
Erin Simon Bio
WWF’s Plastics Initiative
ReSource Plastic

Today’s episode marks International Day of Forests (March 21) by celebrating the 25th anniversary of a little-known but important US law: the Tropical Forest and Coral Reef Conservation Act, or TFCCA. At its core, the TFCCA was designed to facilitate debt-for-nature swaps, which enable developing countries to restructure the debt they owe to the US in a way that relieves their financial burden in exchange for redirecting a portion of the funds toward conservation. These swaps were conceptualized in the 1980s by Dr. Tom Lovejoy, WWF’s first chief scientist, and proved to be remarkably successful and popular. Today’s episode features a conversation with Esteban Brenes, WWF’s senior director for conservation finance, about the history of debt-for-nature swaps (2:18), how conservation funds get disbursed under the TFCCA (4:25), and some examples of specific debt-for-nature swaps that have delivered results (8:01). Esteban also shares some lessons learned from the last 25 years of implementing this law, and how those lessons can be applied going forward (14:30).
LINKS:
COP28 Event: 25 Years of the TFCCA
2023 Peru Debt Swap Agreement
WWF Statement on 2023 Peru Debt Swap
WWF Statement on 2021 Congressional Reauthorization of the TFCCA
Tom Lovejoy Obituary

This week we’re marking World Wildlife Day by exploring one of the key issues threatening global species: wildlife crime and the sale of wildlife products online. It’s a big problem. Over 15,000 African elephants are killed every year for their ivory. Roughly three rhinos are killed every day in South Africa alone for their horns. And tigers are captured not just to become pets or ticketed attractions; they’re also killed for their fur, claws, and teeth. And all of these products have sadly become widely available through online marketplaces on common websites and social media apps used by millions of people each day. But here’s the good news: many of the tech companies that run those apps and websites have joined forces to put a stop to online wildlife trafficking. They've joined the Coalition to End Wildlife Trafficking Online. Today you’ll hear from two fantastic guests: Crawford Allan (1:55), WWF’s Senior Director for Wildlife Crime, and Traci Andrighetti (23:40), Global Regulatory Specialist for eBay (a member of the coalition). Their interviews touch on the origins of wildlife crime and how wildlife products become available online, the different industry-wide steps being taken to stop the sale of illegal wildlife products, and how eBay in particular is taking steps to stamp out this practice on its platform.
LINKS:
Crawford Allan Bio
Traci Andrighetti Bio
Coalition to End Wildlife Trafficking Online
Buyer Beware: Shopping Smart to Protect Wildlife & Plants
Exotic Pet Suitability Guide
Report Suspicious Wildlife Sales Online

Food waste is a major contributor to the climate and nature crises. And food date labels are fueling the problem. Right now consumers might see upwards of 50 different terms used on food items: Use By, Sell By, Best By, etc. Confusion caused by this patchwork of terms leads many people to simply throw out food that may still be perfectly good to eat. Congress could help by passing the Food Date Labeling Act (FDLA), which would establish a simple, nationwide framework focused on just two terms: “Best If Used By,” or “Use By.” The bill would also provide clear guidance to consumers about how to interpret those terms. In this episode of the podcast you’ll hear from Pete Pearson, WWF’s Senior Director for Food Loss and Waste. Pete talks about just how big the problem of food waste is, how food date labeling plays into it, and how the FDLA and other federal policy actions could help. 
LINKS:
Pete Pearson Bio
WWF Food Waste Page
Zero Food Waste Coalition
Food Date Labeling Act
NO TIME TO Waste Act
Climate Pollution Reduction Grants