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Why do we feel so hopeless about the future of the natural world? Is nature really collapsing everywhere we look or have we simply been told a one-sided story? And what if our lack of control over ecosystems turns out to be our greatest strength? In this episode I welcome back expert ecologist and author Simon Mustoe to talk about his new book, ‘How to Survive the Next 100 Years: Lessons from Nature’. It picks up where his previous book left off, building on the idea that we are not separate from nature but central to it. Simon explains how we sit right in the middle of the trophic pyramid and depend entirely on the animals around us to keep energy moving through the systems that sustain life. It is a perspective that quietly reframes how we think about our place on this thin, living veneer of the planet.

Much of our conversation focuses on balance, both in nature and in how we talk about it. Simon points to a reanalysis of the Living Planet Index suggesting the picture is closer to fifty-fifty than the widely reported three-quarters decline, with many animals, including large ones like humpback whales, recovering on their own. We get into why bad news spreads so easily while good news gets buried and how our understanding of the world often lags decades behind reality. From novel ecosystems and so-called invasive species to the misuse of words like 'pest' and 'overabundance', Simon makes the case for caution, humility and a kind of Hippocratic oath for conservation: first, do no harm. He argues that forcing outcomes rarely works, because the forces shaping ecosystems are far more powerful than we are.

We also explore why blanket solutions so often fail, using examples from Australian farming, koala conservation and a single burrowing animal that increased the profitability of a sheep farm. Simon believes communities, not top-down policy, hold the key to lasting change, and that real progress comes from enabling people to act locally rather than shouting at politicians or each other. He leaves us with simple, practical advice: get outside, pay attention to the nature on your own doorstep, support what others are doing nearby, and step back from the relentless flow of negative news. It is a refreshingly balanced, middle-of-the-road conversation that gives you something rare these days, a genuine sense of agency.

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What if the environmental movement has badly underestimated our ability to solve the climate crisis? Could renewable energy grow so fast that we are out of fossil fuels within a decade? And once emissions fall away, how do we deal with the carbon already in the atmosphere? In this episode I'm joined by Benoit Lambert, author of the book titled ‘Biogeotherapy: nature-based climate solutions, life as a geological healing force’. Benoit has a rich and varied background, from planting four million trees by hand across five Canadian provinces to spending eighteen years in Geneva, where he completed a PhD and worked as French editor for the Worldwatch Institute. He argues that reducing emissions, while essential, is only half the task. We also need to capture and store carbon dioxide, and nature offers the tools to do exactly that.

Much of our conversation focuses on the four pillars Benoit sees in nature-based solutions: regenerative agriculture with cover crops and no-till methods, carbon ranching through holistic grazing, massive reforestation, and biochar. He explains how the world's soils have lost a great deal of their carbon and why putting it back, with proper science behind it, can fix the problem faster than most people imagine. Benoit is honest about the friction within the green movement too. He describes losing friends over these ideas, and reflects on why so many who spent decades defending degrowth react with hostility when shown that solar and wind have followed a path nobody expected. It's a frank look at how worldviews get tangled up with identity.

We also talk about the people, like Tony Seba, who did predict the speed of the renewable transition and why exponential change is so hard for us to grasp. Benoit shares practical steps ordinary people can take, from supporting regenerative farming to using biochar in their own gardens. Throughout, his message is one of grounded hope: the science of soils has moved on enormously since 1992, the financial levers exist, and a solar economy paired with nature could give us prosperous, healthy societies for centuries to come. Whether you lean optimistic or sceptical, this is a conversation that will challenge how you think about what's actually possible. And yes, it might involve cycling to work.

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The guest featured in this episode paid a nominal guesting fee. This fee did not directly influence the content of the episode. The guest had no editorial control, did not review the episode before publication, and did not influence the questions asked during the interview.

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