We Need to Act

We Need to Act, hosted by Dr. Sara Rego, dives into the biggest questions shaping our planet’s future. From climate change and biodiversity loss to social justice and environmental degradation, each episode unpacks what sustainability really means. Through candid conversations with activists, scientists, Indigenous leaders, entrepreneurs, and policymakers, we explore the roots of today’s crises—and the bold actions needed to build a just, resilient, and regenerative world.

We Need to Act is a education podcast hosted by Sara Rego, with 75 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Sara Rego hosts We Need to Act, a education show with 75 episodes published.

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  Episode #65

  Tuvalu Is Fighting to Survive: Climate Change, Rising Seas & Climate Justice | Dr. Tapugao Falefou (065)

  Sep 22, 202624 minS3

  Tuvalu is living the climate crisis now. In this episode of We Need to Act , Sara Rego speaks with Dr. Tapugao Falefou , Tuvalu’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations and Ambassador to the United States and the Republic of Cuba. For Tuvalu, climate change is not a distant threat. Rising sea levels, coastal erosion, saltwater intrusion and the loss of land are already affecting communities and creating profound uncertainty about the future. Dr. Falefou explains what it means for a small island developing state to face the consequences of a crisis it has contributed very little to — and why climate change is also a question of justice, responsibility and global solidarity . In this conversation, we explore: • The reality of sea-level rise and climate change in Tuvalu • Climate adaptation, coastal protection and resilience • Climate finance and the Loss and Damage Fund • The role of the United Nations and multilateral cooperation • Climate justice and historical responsibility • The protection of Tuvalu’s culture, identity and statehood • Digital initiatives to preserve Tuvalu’s cultural heritage • Why climate change should be treated as a global security issue • The need to move from commitments and statements to meaningful action Dr. Falefou's message is clear: “Climate change is not a future problem for Tuvalu. It is happening right now.” And his final call is one for all of us: “The world must choose solidarity over indifference.” ️ We Need to Act is a not-for-profit podcast about the stories, experiences and ideas that can help us find our way back to nature, to ourselves and to one another. #Tuvalu #ClimateChange #ClimateJustice #SeaLevelRise #ClimateAction #SmallIslandStates #UN #ClimateCrisis

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  Episode #64

  El Agua en Chile es Privada y las Comunidades Pagan el Precio con Jorge Morales

  Aug 28, 202656 minS2

  ¿Qué pasa cuando el agua que necesitas para vivir ya tiene dueño? Jorge Morales Trincado lleva 14 años defendiendo el agua y el territorio en el Valle del Aconcagua, una de las cuencas más fértiles de Chile — y una de las más amenazadas. Antiguo ejecutivo de multinacionales como Volvo y Mercedes-Benz, Jorge tomó una decisión radical a los 42 años: renunció, volvió a su tierra y dedicó su vida a protegerla. En esta conversación con Sara, Jorge nos lleva al corazón de una de las crisis hídricas más graves de América Latina. Nos explica por qué el agua en Chile es privada, por qué el 75% del agua del Aconcagua va a la agroindustria de exportación, y por qué la Ley de Glaciares que Chile lleva años debatiendo es, en sus palabras, "un circo" que no ataca la causa raíz. Pero esta conversación va mucho más allá del diagnóstico. Jorge habla de narrativa, de arte, de ternura. De por qué la batalla ambiental se gana o se pierde en el plano de las emociones y las creencias. Y de por qué defender el buen vivir requiere también cuidarnos entre nosotros. "Podemos perder todas las luchas. Lo que no podemos perder es la capacidad de crear, la capacidad de amar y la capacidad de tratarnos con ternura." En este episodio: Cómo el agua en Chile se convirtió en un bien privado — y quién paga las consecuencias El 75% del agua del Aconcagua va a la agroindustria de exportación: el aguacate como metáfora La Ley de Glaciares: por qué 14 años de debate han producido un circo legislativo El Observatorio Socioambiental Aconcagua: cómo traducir documentos del Estado en narrativas accesibles para las comunidades Por qué la batalla ambiental se da en el plano de la emoción y la creencia Arte, cultura y ternura como herramientas de movilización Llamada a la acción: el cambio empieza en casa Sobre Jorge Morales Trincado: Jorge Morales Trincado es coordinador del Observatorio Socioambiental Aconcagua y defensor del territorio en el Valle del Aconcagua, Chile. Con 14 años de activismo socioambiental, lidera procesos de análisis y traducción de documentos del Estado para empoderar a las comunidades locales en la defensa del agua y el territorio. We Need to Act es un podcast sobre las personas, ideas y movimientos que están construyendo un presente mejor.

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  Episode #63

  Our Lands Are Who We Are: Indigenous Science, Ecological Grief and Decolonising Research with Dr. Jessica Hernandez

  Aug 13, 202630 minS2

  What happens to your sense of self when the lands that define you are taken away? Dr. Jessica Hernandez is an Indigenous environmental scientist, author, and founder of Earth Daughters — an Indigenous-led collective supporting indigenous women and youth through mutual aid and climate justice initiatives. Of Binnizá and Ch'orti' Maya heritage, displaced from her ancestral homelands in Oaxaca and Central America, Jessica has spent her career doing what Western academia rarely allows: putting indigenous communities in charge of their own research. In this conversation with Sara, Jessica speaks candidly about the dualities she navigates daily — as a displaced Indigenous woman, as a scientist trained in Western methods who refuses to extract knowledge from communities, as an advocate who must resist the individualistic mindset embedded in academia. She talks about ecological grief — the profound sadness that comes when lands are desecrated, even by well-intentioned renewable energy projects built without indigenous consent. She talks about the milpa — the communal agricultural system that embodies everything capitalism has erased. And she talks about Earth Daughters, which began as a mutual aid effort after an earthquake devastated Oaxaca in 2020 and has since grown into a nonprofit running projects from Bolivia to Guatemala to Colombia. "Our lands are who we are, who we become, and what we hold." In this episode: What displacement does to identity — and why the longing to return never leaves Why Western research is often extractive — and how to do it differently The hardest part of bridging indigenous knowledge and Western science in academia Ecological grief: what happens to your soul when the lands are taken How colonisation erased indigenous histories — and how education can help break the cycle The milpa: an indigenous agricultural system that embodies communal living Earth Daughters: from earthquake mutual aid to nonprofit projects across Latin America A call to action: pay attention to what is happening in the US — and advocate globally About Dr. Jessica Hernandez: Dr. Jessica Hernandez is an Indigenous environmental scientist of Binnizá and Ch'orti' Maya heritage, author of Fresh Banana Leaves and Growing Papaya Trees , and founder of Earth Daughters — an Indigenous-led nonprofit supporting indigenous communities through mutual aid, climate justice, and community-led research projects in Bolivia, Guatemala, and Colombia. We Need to Act is a podcast about the people, ideas, and movements shaping a better now.

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  Episode #62

  The Fashion Industry Is Broken And Ghana Is Paying the Price with Yayra Agbofah

  Jul 30, 202624 minS2

  What does your wardrobe have to do with a beach in Ghana covered in discarded clothing? Yayra Agbofah grew up trading secondhand garments at Kantamanto Market in Accra — one of the largest secondhand clothing markets in Africa, where millions of garments arrive every single week. He saw firsthand what happens to the ones that don't sell: they end up in rivers, in landfills, on beaches. He also saw something else: extraordinary creativity. Tailors transforming discarded fabric. Traders extending the life of damaged clothes. Communities practicing circularity long before it became a sustainability buzzword. In 2018, Yayra founded The Revival — a community-driven upcycling initiative that transforms textile waste into products, education, and opportunity. Named one of TIME magazine's 100 Most Influential Climate Leaders of 2025, he has since redirected an estimated 12 million garments from landfill, reduced CO2 emissions by more than 12,000 metric tons, and built free online courses so communities around the world can learn from the knowledge developed at Kantamanto. In this conversation with Sara, Yayra makes the case that fashion's crisis is not just environmental — it is a story of inequality, colonialism, and extraction, where the Global South pays the price for the Global North's overconsumption. He talks about what the future of fashion could look like, why synthetic materials need to go, and why the most important question a consumer can ask is: where is this garment going to end up? "It has always been dignity over charity. We're not trying to save communities — we're trying to build together with them." In this episode: How Ghana became the epicentre of global textile waste — and who pays the real price Why Kantamanto Market is not a dumping ground but a space of innovation and resilience What the Global South actually needs from the fashion industry — not charity, but accountability The Revival: upcycling, education, job creation, and free online courses from Accra Why fast fashion is a story of extraction — of labour, resources, and now waste What the future of fashion should look like: slower, more local, more honest Why synthetic materials are the driving force of fast fashion — and need to be abolished A call to action: think about where every garment ends up before you buy it About Yayra Agbofah: Yayra Agbofah is the founder and creative director of The Revival, a community-driven sustainable fashion initiative based in Accra, Ghana. Named one of TIME magazine's 100 Most Influential Climate Leaders of 2025, he has spent over seven years working at the intersection of textile waste, circular economy, and community empowerment. The Revival has diverted an estimated 12 million garments from landfill and reduced CO2 emissions by more than 12,000 metric tons. https://www.therevival.earth/ We Need to Act is a podcast about the people, ideas, and movements shaping a better now.

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  Episode #61

  Environmental Law and Climate Change: Why Collective Action Is Our Most Powerful Tool with Daniel Farber

  Jul 23, 202629 minS2

  What happens to environmental law when the federal government turns its back on climate action? Dan Farber is the Sho Sato Professor of Law at UC Berkeley and one of the most respected voices in US environmental and constitutional law. A former law clerk to Justice John Paul Stevens of the US Supreme Court, he has spent decades at the intersection of environmental policy, democracy, and justice. In this conversation with Sara, Dan offers a clear-eyed and surprisingly hopeful assessment of where we are. He talks about why simply limiting emissions is no longer enough — and why we need to think seriously about what we are going to build in place of the fossil fuel world. He talks about the role of state governments as the real drivers of durable climate action in the US, and about why California and other states are effectively doing the lab work for the federal government. He speaks about environmental justice — who is most exposed to risk, who is most vulnerable, and why those two things are not always the same. And he addresses political polarisation head-on, arguing that climate change was never and should never be a left-right issue. But the most important message he leaves is this: change is not all or nothing. Every ton of carbon we stop emitting makes the world a little bit better. And collectively — in communities, in states, in cities — we are far more powerful than we feel. In this episode: What environmental law actually is — and why companies won't act without it Why limiting emissions alone is not enough — the case for investment-led climate policy How the war in the Middle East is accelerating the global energy transition Why state and local governments are the real engine of durable climate action in the US Environmental justice: who is most exposed, who is most vulnerable — and why these aren't the same Political polarisation and climate change — how we got here and how we get past it Why democracy, despite its slowness, produces more durable climate solutions than authoritarianism What ordinary citizens can actually do — from voting with their wallet to writing to their state legislators Why community is the antidote to powerlessness About Dan Farber: Dan Farber is the Sho Sato Professor of Law at the University of California, Berkeley, where he leads two research centres focused on law, energy, environment, and democracy. A former law clerk to Justice John Paul Stevens of the US Supreme Court, he is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the author of several influential books including Eco-Pragmatism and Contested Ground: How to Understand the Limits on Presidential Power . We Need to Act is a podcast about the people, ideas, and movements shaping a better now.

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