The Solutionists, with Mark Scott

Deanna D’Alessandro is the director of the University of Sydney’s Net Zero Institute... So why does she want it dissolved?  

“In 2051, my goodness, I hope we do not need the Net Zero Institute,” she says. “We should have solved this problem by then.” 

So what needs to happen in the meantime? Deanna shares the personal connection to the planet that sparked her passion for climate science, and explains how and why the Net Zero Institute pulls together the work of physicists, chemists, lawyers, business experts and policy makers in the fight to save the planet.  

You’ll also visit one of Deanna’s colleagues, Associate Professor Alejandro Montoya, who's invented a novel way of recycling minerals from electronic waste.  

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The Solutionists is podcast from the University of Sydney, produced by Deadset Studios. Keep up to date with The Solutionists by following @sydney_uni on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. 

This episode was produced by Liam Riordan with sound design by Jeremy Wilmot and field sound recording by Gia Moylan. Executive producer is Madeleine Hawcroft. Executive editors are Kellie Riordan, Jen Peterson-Ward, and Mark Scott. Strategist is Ann Chesterman. Thanks to the technical staff at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Media Room. 

This podcast was recorded on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. For thousands of years, across innumerable generations, knowledge has been taught, shared and exchanged here. We pay respect to elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rae Cooper is Professor of Gender, Work and Employment Relations at the University of Sydney. She says Australia hasn’t come nearly far enough in the fight for gender equality at work, and there’s a few reasons why.  

You’ll also hear how professionals Penny and Glen juggle their careers and families, and how they’ve accessed greater flexibility at work.  

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The Solutionists is podcast from the University of Sydney, produced by Deadset Studios. Keep up to date with The Solutionists by following @sydney_uni on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. 

This episode was produced by Liam Riordan with sound design by Jeremy Wilmot and field sound recording by Harry Hughes. Executive producer is Madeleine Hawcroft. Executive editors are Kellie Riordan, Jen Peterson-Ward, and Mark Scott. Strategist is Ann Chesterman. Thanks to the technical staff at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Media Room. 

This podcast was recorded on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. For thousands of years, across innumerable generations, knowledge has been taught, shared and exchanged here. We pay respect to elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ian Goldin, Professor of Globalisation and Development at the University of Oxford, says cities are the greatest engines of innovation. They’re melting pots, bringing together the top performers and brightest minds from all over the world. But they’re hotbeds of inequality, and that inequality is only growing. At the same time, some of the world’s greatest cities are in great physical danger thanks to rising sea levels. 

That’s the big picture, but what does a great city feel like? To give you a sense of what makes a city livable and loveable, Dr Jennifer Kent, a Senior Research Fellow in Urbanism at the University of Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning, takes you on a walking tour of the Sydney suburb of Abbotsford. 

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The Solutionists is podcast from the University of Sydney, produced by Deadset Studios. Keep up to date with The Solutionists by following @sydney_uni on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. 

This episode was produced by Liam Riordan with sound design by Jeremy Wilmot and field sound recording by Harry Hughes. Executive producer is Madeleine Hawcroft. Executive editors are Kellie Riordan, Jen Peterson-Ward, and Mark Scott. Strategist is Ann Chesterman. Thanks to the technical staff at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Media Room. 

This podcast was recorded on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. For thousands of years, across innumerable generations, knowledge has been taught, shared and exchanged here. We pay respect to elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Want to be part of a live recording of The Solutionists? Host and Vice-Chancellor at the University of Sydney, Mark Scott, will sit down with philosopher Alexandre Lefebvre, who says liberalism may be the source of your soul. Together they’ll unpack the key ideas from Alexandre’s new book, Liberalism as a Way of Life. 

Alexandre and Mark will take the stage at the University of Sydney’s Camperdown campus on Thursday September 19 at 6:00pm as part of the Sydney Ideas talks program. To attend free event in person or to watch the livestream, register here. 

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Look out for Season 3 of The Solutionists in your feed from Wednesday 4 September 2024. 

The Solutionists is podcast from the University of Sydney, produced by Deadset Studios. Keep up to date with The Solutionists by following @sydney_uni on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you’re concerned about eating disorders or body image issues, whether you need support for yourself or someone you care about, you can call the Butterfly Foundation on 1800 33 4673. 

Picture something that absolutely terrifies you. Now, imagine you’re forced to confront it multiple times a day – and nobody understands why it makes you feel distressed. 

Dr Sarah Maguire, the director of the InsideOut Institute, says this is the reality many people with an eating disorder face at meal times. “You might as well be putting a plate of spiders in front of that person and asking them to eat it,” she says. 

More than one million Australians are living with an eating disorder (such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia, or binge eating) and anorexia is the nation’s deadliest mental illness. Dr Maguire teaches you the signs to look out for, the risks around social media, and how to help someone recover from a “completely curable” illness.  

She also sheds light on the “vicious cycle” she says is holding back research and treatments. 

And you’ll hear from 16-year-old Isla and her mother Sara, who reflect on what they’ve learned navigating Isla’s path to recovery. It’s essential listening for any parent. 

The InsideOut Institute is at the Charles Perkins Centre at the University of Sydney, where Dr Maguire is also a professor. 

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The Solutionists is podcast from the University of Sydney, produced by Deadset Studios. Keep up to date with The Solutionists by following @sydney_uni on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. 

This episode was produced by Monique Ross with sound design by Jeremy Wilmot. Executive editors are Kellie Riordan, Jen Peterson-Ward, and Mark Scott. Thanks to the technical staff at the at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Media Room. 

This podcast was recorded on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. For thousands of years, across innumerable generations, knowledge has been taught, shared and exchanged here. We pay respect to elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.