Waste Not Why Not

25/11/2025

SURPRISE! Did you catch Nature N8 back in your podcast feed? Check your pod player for "Episode 70: COP30 Watch" where Nate talks about COP30, Climate Week NYC, INDC, the Loss and Damage Fund, Mark Ruffalo, Jane Fonda, Fortescue (Australia), and "real zero": https://ghostisland.media/en/shows/waste-not-why-not/cop30

主持人 N8 重返鬼島環境節目 Waste Not Why Not 啦！在這一集中，N8 分析上週在巴西展開的 COP30《聯合國氣候變化綱要公約》第30次締約方會議，他點出全球氣候行動正在「退縮」中，也強調 的必要性和重要性，，它讓各國能夠在全球舞台上進行透明的討論。

今年的挑戰是，全球氣候談判的格局已不同於以往，全球氣候行動的預算正在縮減，像美國這樣的大國對重返對話的興趣有限。此外，當前的地緣政治也使整個格局變得更加複雜。

在2023年在杜拜舉行的 COP28 上，各會員國同意設立「損失與損害基金」（Loss and Damage Fund）旨在向低收入國家提供資金，協助他們適應氣候變遷。然而，至今，該基金幾乎空了，而 COP30 上的各國仍在努力尋找替代資金來源。N8 解釋這與 2025 紐約氣候週（Climate Week NYC）情況相似，討論重點轉向至「如何用新的方式說服人們繼續關心氣候」這件事。

2025 紐約氣候週於9月底舉行，算是每年 COP 的暖身集會，匯集了全球利益相關者分享氣候行動的推動進展。N8 當時也抵達紐約參與集會，他看到美國好萊屋明星以公眾人物的名義，扮演了重要的角色。影星 Mark Ruffalo 及 Jane Fonda 呼籲各國重新做出承諾，關注氣候變遷。N8
認為氣候變遷需要更多名人的參與，來更近一步的吸引公眾注意力。

他也分享了一個關於澳洲最大礦業公司之一 Fortescue 的有趣故事，Fortescue 正試圖放棄「碳抵換」（carbon offset）的概念，轉而使用氨基燃料來實現淨零排放。

透過 COP30，各國能在全球舞台上進行透明的討論。另外，年會也是行動者表達想法的平台和機會。在氣候談判中建立全面共識很困難，但 N8 指出，這也不會阻止我們在自己的領域採取氣候行動。面對 AI 趨勢對用電量所帶來的新需求，這也是一個創造嶄新框架的新機會。

來聽聽 N8 (Nate Maynard) 這集英文分析吧！https://ghostisland.media/en/shows/waste-not-why-not/cop30

08/05/2024

End of an era! My last episode (for now) with Waste Not Why Not. I really can't put into words how much this show has meant to me over the years. It taught me how to podcast, how to be a reporter, and most of all it changed some minds on the environment.

Go listen in on our final episode conversation with myself and 吳怡慈 Emily Y. Wu

‎Show Waste Not WHY Not, Ep Finale: Our last episode (for now) - May 6, 2024

07/01/2024

Part 2 of Nature N8 at COP28 is now live! Including clips with representatives from New Taipei City government and Taiwanese NGO Mom Loves Taiwan Association, Chia-Wei Chao of Taiwan Climate Action Network, and Emmanuel Fromont, Corporate VP and President of EMEA at Acer.

Play it!

Welcome to Waste Not Why Not, a climate podcast from Ghost Island Media. Debuted on Earth Day in 2019, it's hosted by Nature N8 (Nate Maynard), a sustainability consultant working on energy, ocean and waste.

12/12/2023

New episode where N8 records daily observations and analysis on the behind the scenes of COP28.

We will have more coming soon along with some reporting N8 did for Taiwan Plus, but this is just a teaser of things to come.

Watch this space! Don't forget to subscribe so you won't miss anything.

‎Show Waste Not WHY Not, Ep Live from COP28, Part 1 - Dec 12, 2023

24/12/2022

Happy Christmas weekend from Waste Not Why Not!!!

冬至一過就馬上聖誕節，這個禮拜的鬼島之音非常的溫馨！難得各個節目主持人、製作人、團隊都一起在鬼島HQ吃蛋糕、拍照，相信你們也能感受到我們的快樂！謝謝大家的支持，希望你的聖誕週末也是一樣的溫暖～～

照片裡面，大家找個到我們嗎？
A. 麻煩找菁琪律師-Better call Zoe
B. 張竹芩 ㄑㄧㄣˊ博士
C. 吳怡慈 Emily Y. Wu
D. Waste Not Why Not

01/11/2022

Late last month, Energy Taiwan was in full force at the Nangang Exhibition Center in Taipei. Taiwan’s largest green energy event is a three-day annual exhibition that connects the domestic renewable energy industries with international enterprises and delegates. So obviously, Waste Not Why Not had to be there.

This year’s exhibition was different from previous years. The scale was larger, with booths reaching into the ceiling. The technologies were newer featuring hydrogen-powered bicycles with hydrogen canisters attached and COVID-killing robots. The ideas were simpler yet effective; a solar panel company using goats (Yes, real goats) to maintain solar panel fields.

“To me, it’s a signal that overall the sector in Taiwan is really maturing and becoming a lot more healthy and diverse”, Nate commented.

It’s exciting to think about. Over the years, offshore wind and solar panels have developed in Taiwan and have attracted international companies, like Orsted, to the country. This is a great sign indicating that companies are getting their return on investment, opening up more opportunities for the RE sector in Taiwan.

See videos of the goats and the COVID-killing robot, see our Twitter thread (because Facebook doesn't allow photos + videos in a same post): https://twitter.com/wastenotpod/status/1583811842052587520?s=20&t=uOzoegDsgQie6YwG6uuMFQ

Despite that, there were some things Nate would have liked to see more of. Energy alternatives such as tidal, biomass and geothermal were rarely featured, and progress on Taiwan’s net zero plan could’ve taken a bigger stage.

Taiwan’s net zero plan was officially published in March of this year aiming to reach zero emissions by 2050. Taiwan aims to use four ‘strategies’ to transition to net zero through energy, industrial, lifestyle and social using tech innovations and climate policies as their base.

Waste Not Why Not believes the future is bright for Taiwan’s RE sector and is a perfect example of this, with impressive displays of more domestic and international companies, newer tech and more refreshing ideas.

To read more about Taiwan’s Net Zero Targets, see here:https://ws.ndc.gov.tw/Download.ashx?u=LzAwMS9hZG1pbmlzdHJhdG9yLzExL3JlbGZpbGUvMC8xNDgwMS9mMGUyYzBiNy02N2UzLTQ0MjgtOWU5ZS04NGRmNDVlNThkNmYucGRm&n=VGFpd2Fu4oCZcyBQYXRod2F5IHRvIE5ldC1aZXJvIEVtaXNzaW9ucyBpbiAyMDUwLnBkZg%3d%3d&icon=..pdf

And a new episode with Nate at Energy Taiwan is coming out soon, so stay tuned to your podcast feed.

14/10/2022

It's International E-Waste Day! At the social desk this week, we looked at Taiwan's e-waste recycling -

♻️ A recycling program in 1997 paved the way to today's robust recycling infrastructure, for both solid waste and electronic waste.

♻️ By 2012, Taiwan's e-waste collection rate is around 50% - that's twice the U.S. By 2025, e-waste is to become 30% of the world's total wastes.

♻️ There are at least 19 e-waste recycling facilities in Taiwan. To hear what goes on inside a collection center, listen to our 2020 trip to a facility in California: https://ghostisland.media/en/shows/waste-not-why-not/ewaste

See images for details. Here's the Twitter link (and follow us there!): https://twitter.com/wastenotpod/status/1580436727315169280?s=20&t=evBHFPI2MjGeWkUP7gTAdQ

Statistics and graphics come from these two reports from the EPA:
https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2014-05/documents/taiwan.pdf
https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2014-08/documents/taiwan_iemn_case_study_12.7_final.pdf

Happy weekend!

10/10/2022

Happy Taiwan National Day!!

連假剩最後一天，希望大家都吃的滿滿、睡得滿滿 💚 今天、今年特別以我們的國家驕傲，由獨立自主性為我們的力量，為台灣繼續發光。雙十節快樂 💚💚

Happy Taiwan National Day!

08/10/2022

If you're in Taipei for the long weekend, Sunday is the last day to catch the annual Climate Action Expo at Songyan Culture Park. Stop by the 美國在台協會 AIT AIT booth where yours truly is a part of the 美國資料中心 American Spaces wall!

Climate expos around the world are raising awareness for "Race to Zero” - a global mission to reach net zero carbon emission by 2050. We're honored to be a part of this lineup.

Waste Not Why Not podcast was launched on Earth Day 2019 precisely to raise awareness to the climate crisis. We're humbled to have a partner like AIT that's dedicated to empowering works around sustainably in non-conventional ways.

Their work with Taiwan's Ministry of Education on gaming (see the iPads that kids are playing with in photos), hackathon competitions with NASA for environment solutions, the podcast partnership with 鬼島之音 Ghost Island Media for public engagement; they all communicate that solving the climate crisis takes multi-prong approaches. We're excited to see what they have in store for the coming year.

The Climate Action Expo at-large center around three themes: adaptation, decarbonization and education. Exhibitors include the public and the private sectors.

AIT and ’s partnership takes center stage around a booth mimicking a green classroom. Lessons include panels from the Biden Administration’s climate plans, US/Taiwan and regional collaborations, innovations, video games, and a Waste Not Why Not interview on green buildings.

Need a refresher climate course? Head to AIT’s booth at the Taipei Climate Action Expo hosted at Songshan Creative Park in Warehouse 3.

Guidebook here for the expo: https://www.twcae.icdi.network/guidebook

AIT's storytelling session on "The Lorax" by Dr. Seuss is also tomorrow: https://www.twcae.icdi.network/picturebook

08/10/2022

06/10/2022

This is Nate welcoming a Patreon donor back in Taiwan. Woohoo! Welcome back, Chris!

Tonight we'll be at the Taiwan Foreign Correspondents' Club happy hour. Catch N8 if you can!

03/10/2022

Editing a new Waste Not Why Not episode. Coming up SOOOOOOOOOOOOON!!!!!