TRAILER
New Season: Clearing the Air
6 December 2022
Why haven’t the governments in Asia’s larger cities done something about the decades old problem of air pollution? Our two young environmental journalists, based in Hong Kong, Khoa Tran and Chermaine Lee, try to find out why. As always in our podcast series, we’ll talk to experts and activists on the ground to bring out a fresh local perspective….We’ve called the series Clearing the Air to add an optimistic tone because the citizen movements that we uncovered while producing this series….were so inspiring.
EPISODE 1
Bangkok | Toxic Air
6 December 2022
In their first stop across Asia’s megacities, environmental journalists Chermaine Lee and Khoa Tran head to Bangkok, Thailand. The government’s blind eye towards pollution has left Bangkok’s air quality in shambles. Will efforts by environmental advocates lead to changes in the environmental laws there or is the government’s lack of action taking Bangkok down a path of toxic air for the foreseeable future?
EPISODE 2
Jakarta | A Choking Hazard
12 December 2022
Chermaine and Khoa’s journey continues onto Jakarta, Indonesia where they meet with environmentalists who shed light on the health concerns surrounding the heavy air pollution there. Lack of government response to the problem prompted advocates to sue the government for its failure to rein in the dirty air there. The landmark lawsuit was won, but will it force the government to take the steps necessary to bring back breathable air to the city?
EPISODE 3
Lahore | Fighting for Clean Air
14 December 2022
The next stop on the Chermaine and Khoa’s tour of Asia’s megacities is Lahore. This episode goes in depth to explore the political and social causes of air pollution, sheds light on what people can do in their everyday lives to improve the air quality in Lahore, and calls upon the youth of Pakistan’s capital to raise awareness to protect their own future.
EPISODE 4
Delhi and Kathmandu | Signs of ProgressLahore | Fighting for Clean Air
29 December 2022
Chermaine and Khoa move southeast and talk to a leading advocate in New Delhi who has successfully engaged the government there. Delhi’s air pollution is still one of the worst in the world, and we find out that instead of blowing north to Lahore…the pollution travels towards the pristine Himalayan mountains of Nepal and settles in the city of Kathmandu. Luckily, there is a new mayor there that might finally make a difference.
EPISODE 5
Seoul | Too Many Coal Plants
29 December 2022
It turns out Seoul, Korea has the worst air pollution amongst all of the top 10 economies in the world. Why is air pollution still such a huge challenge in a country with abundant resources and advanced infrastructure? And does South Korea use any high-tech solutions to handle its dirty air that South or Southeast Asian megacities can learn from?