The Sweaty Penguin Podcast Interviews Dr. Maria Ivanova on UNEP reform

The Sweaty Penguin, a comedy environmental podcast, has released a new episode on Friday September 1st interviewing a University of Massachusetts Boston professor on the United Nations Environment Programme.

The episode featured Dr. Maria Ivanova, Associate Professor of Global Governance, Director of the Global Governance and Human Security PhD Program, and Director of the Center for Governance and Sustainability at the University of Massachusetts Boston.

Ivanova’s work focuses on the performance of international institutions, implementation of international environmental agreements, and sustainability. Her book, The Untold Story of the World’s Leading Environmental Institution: UNEP at Fifty, was published by MIT Press in 2021. Ivanova is an Andrew Carnegie Fellow, and has served on the Scientific Advisory Board of the UN Security-General and as coordinating lead author of the Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-5), among other accolades.

When asked in the interview what stands in the way of meaningful UNEP reform, Ivanova gave an important reminder. “We have not seen a time in history when all member countries of UNEP want the same thing.”

MAKING ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES NONPARTISAN AND FUN

“Environmental news is all too often overwhelming, depressing, and extremely politicized, leading many people to not engage with environmental issues and ultimately, not even agree on what the problems are,” says Ethan Brown, Founder and Host of The Sweaty Penguin. “If everyone can agree on the problems, even if we disagree on policy, we’ll make progress.” Designed to reach young people across the political spectrum, The Sweaty Penguin aims to foster common ground on the environment by enlisting tactics such as:

• Non-partisan approach – The Sweaty Penguin separates the facts and science from the policy, and then offers a variety of solutions for listeners to consider.
• Scholarly interviews –The podcast introduces audiences to university research in an easy-to-understand way.
• Refreshing humor – Through late-night-comedy-style monologues, The Sweaty Penguin strives to make environmental news fun!

Listen to Dr. Maria Ivanova’s insights on UNEP reform on any major podcast platform, or at  https://www.pbs.org/wnet/peril-and-promise/2021/10/unep-the-future-of-the-worlds-leading-climate-authority/

About The Sweaty Penguin:

At The Sweaty Penguin, sometimes climate change IS a laughing matter. Every week, the Sweaty Penguin cuts through the doom-and-gloom of the climate conversation with late-night-comedy-style monologues and in-depth conversations with leading global experts on a variety of environmental issues. Since its launch, The Sweaty Penguin has released 70+ episodes, amassed over 10,000 downloads, and showcased the work of professors from nine countries across four continents . The Sweaty Penguin is presented by Peril and Promise, a PBS/WNET public media initiative on climate change. Follow the Sweaty Penguin on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.