Biodiversity

But because the Brothers Island tuatara, as it's known, evolved in isolated conditions, whether it's classified as a unique species of tuatara has been up for debate.

It turns out that the diversity of life on Earth isn't quite as simple as a branching family tree, where each limb and twig are distinct species originating from a shared common ancestor.

In reality, species are more like a network of streams branching off a big river.

Those streams can diverge, cross with other streams, split away, and link back up again later, and it's not always clear where one section of water ends and another begins.

My guests are Justine Muller and Cam Westfall from Amazon.

Justine is the director of Waste, Water, and Biodiversity.

and Cam is the head of product and engineering for the Climate Pledge Friendly Program.

We'll focus on Amazon's Climate Pledge Friendly Program, how it was designed, how brands and consumers have responded, and what Amazon has learned about communicating sustainability at scale.

Thank you for having us.

Thanks for having us.

That was my conversation with Justine Muller, Director of Waste, Water, and Biodiversity, and Cam Westfall, Head of Product and Engineering for the Climate Pledge-Friendly Program at Amazon.

Climate Rising is produced by Soki Wong.

There's fir trees.

It's, it's- Biodiverse ... deciduous trees.

Yes.

Yeah.

Yes.

So- Biodiverse and culturally diverse, so you are a blend like us.

We like that.

Yes.

That's why we need to have all of this happening right at home.

And it's why native plants are so much more important in terms of maintaining local biodiversity than plants from Asia or China.

They have not been here long enough for our insects to adapt to them.

And this is a new thought for gardeners because they think they want, you know, you buy a plant that's pest free, nothing can eat it.

But our specialist native bees cannot use this.

They cannot reproduce on them.

Again, it's why choosing native plants over non-native plants is always going to be healthier for the biodiversity around you.

Well, Doug, you know, I usually ask people, are they optimistic? And reading your book, I even started off saying your book is totally optimistic.