Best Steve Villanueva Last Podcasts (2025)

In this episode, the Ninja explores the connections between Geography and racism. Modern Geography’s roots in the colonial past, questionable textbooks, academic research, and an invisibility of race in much of current school Geography are all investigated.

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Is permafrost important? 23:54

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5y ago23:54

23:54

In this episode the Ninja asks about permafrost: what is it and how important is it? Three main themes are discussed: localised impacts in the Arctic; diseases; and climate change.

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How does the carbon cycle work? 24:20

5+ y ago24:20

24:20

The Ninja explores the ins and outs of the carbon cycle in this podcast, checking out the IPCC, permafrost, phytoplankton and plates (tectonic) along the way. How important are anthropogenic impacts?

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Book of the month: Thames - Sacred River 27:37

5+ y ago27:37

27:37

The Ninja reviews one of his recent lockdown reads: Thames by Peter Ackroyd. Ninja delves into etymology, culture, history, human filth and the guts of beasts in this meandering biography of arguably the world’s most written-about river.

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The Geography of Greek Mythology 27:14

5+ y ago27:14

27:14

The Ninja shares his passion for Greek mythology in this podcast: Poseidon; Gaia; Jason and the Argonauts! And how does all this link to Geography? Listen and find out . . .

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How is COVID-19 changing our geography? 2: Energy use 22:34

5+ y ago22:34

22:34

Will COVID-19 save the planet? How has fossil fuel is been affected by the lockdown? Is Neil Young’s latest release really good? All these questions and more are addressed by the Ninja in this latest podcast.

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How is COVID-19 changing our geography? 1: Our relationship with nature 34:40

5+ y ago34:40

34:40

In the first of several episodes dealing with the overall question of how COVID-19 is changing our geography, the Ninja investigates the human relationship with the natural world.

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What is the geography of liquorice? 15:12

5+ y ago15:12

15:12

In this episode, the Ninja indulges a love of liquorice (or licorice, depending on where you live) and checks out the producers, consumers, heritage, varieties, ecology and global connections of the aforementioned confectionery. Salty or sweet? That is the question. The answer is: both!

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Why is deprivation a problem in Cornwall? 26:10

6y ago26:10

26:10

In this episode, the Ninja focuses on Cornwall in the south west of the UK, discussing the reasons for deprivation, as well as identifying its unique features, whilst having a go speaking a bit of Cornish!

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What is ash dieback? 22:38

6y ago22:38

22:38

In this podcast the Ninja investigates the problems facing the UK’s ash trees from a fungal disease and asks why this is important for landscapes, ecology, culture and the economy.

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The geography of coronavirus 18:21

6y ago18:21

18:21

As coronavirus spreads globally, Ninja takes a step back to take a look at the geographical aspects of pandemics alongside nods to Planet of the Apes and hand sanitiser.

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Why is migration such a big deal? 31:11

6y ago31:11

31:11

The Ninja explores the issues surrounding migration and identity in this podcast, asking questions about assimilation and integration. Why were potential migrants to The Netherlands shown gay men kissing? What is a ‘good immigrant’? Is Britain going through an identity crisis? What is meant by cultural bereavement’?…

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What was Eurotopia? 18:42

6y ago18:42

18:42

In this episode, Ninja investigates the concept of Eurotopia: a radically re-imagined map of Europe made in 1992. Does this thinking have any relevance in 2020, with Brexit happening? How important is the nation state? What is the best size for European countries? Should there be a United States of Europe? Is this more likely now that the UK is lea…

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How sustainable is Japan’s status as a significant global power? 25:40

6y ago25:40

25:40

In this podcast episode, the Ninja investigates Japan’s status as a significant global power, questioning its sustainability. Natural hazards, soft power, population density, energy resources and trade are all part of the outline of the world’s third largest economy.

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The World in 2020? 18:55

6y ago18:55

18:55

Ninja reviews selected issues from The Economist’s annual publication predicting what we might expect for 2020. The Yold, the Sinosphere, Hungarian nation identity, separatism and Brexit are all in the mix.

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Why is Australia burning? 28:25

6y ago28:25

28:25

The Ninja takes a look at the devastating wildfires that have swept many areas of Australia in December 2019 and January 2020. What are the underlying reasons for the fires? Is climate change to blame?

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What is the geography of the 2019 UK general election? 22:17

6y ago22:17

22:17

A few days after the 2019 UK General Election, Ninja discusses the new political map and what this means for the country in terms of borders, urban/rural divisions and the legacy of Brexit.

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Does Central America need another transoceanic canal? 21:49

6y ago21:49

21:49

In this episode Geography Ninja investigates the isthmus of Central America, with a focus on economic development in Panama, Costa Rica and Nicaragua. The role of canals linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans is high on the agenda.

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Does England have a future with less water? 17:14

6y ago17:14

17:14

The Ninja explores water insecurity in England following comments by the CEO of the Environment Agency, suggesting that much of the country could face water shortages by 2050.

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What makes the USA a global superpower? 25:57

6y ago25:57

25:57

The Ninja explores reasons for the USA’s ongoing status as the world’s superpower. Includes references to well-known soft drinks.

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The Geography of Murder 18:14

6y ago18:14

18:14

In this podcast, Ninja investigates the global geography of murder. Where is the most murder-prone place in the world? Who is affected most? Which places are relatively homicide-free? Should you take a vacation in Los Cabos?

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Babies, Bribes and Birthstrikes 24:56

6y ago24:56

24:56

In this episode, The Ninja considers the concept of fertility rates around the world. The focus moves from countries aiming to increase births to new, global concerns over population levels and the growth of environmentalism leading to calls for fewer or even no births.

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Is Greenland for sale? 19:33

6y ago19:33

19:33

The Ninja asks what the whole ‘is Greenland for sale’ issue is all about. Is this the real life or this just fantasy? What is Greenland? Who owns it? Are countries bought and sold? Why would Donald Trump want to buy an island of 56,000 people in the Arctic? So many questions, so little time.

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Saudi Oil, Drone Attacks and Chokepoints 19:35

6y ago19:35

19:35

The Ninja focuses on the recent drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities and the wider issues of how oil is affected by physical geography as well as geopolitics.

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Global Climate Strikes 12:28

6y ago12:28

12:28

The Ninja checks out the phenomenon of the Global Climate Strikes and asks whether these actions are a tipping point for change in how we address climate change.

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As Iceland Melts 12:19

6y ago12:19

12:19

The Ninja explores links between melting glaciers in Iceland and increasing levels of volcanic activity.

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Hurricane Dorian 16:27

6+ y ago16:27

16:27

The Ninja investigates Hurricane Dorian’s impact on The Bahamas. Ninja also explores what causes these tropical storms and whether the future may hold more of them.

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Book of the month: The Human Planet- How We Created the Anthropocene 25:41

6+ y ago25:41

25:41

Ninja reviews The Human Planet: How We Created the Anthropocene by Simon Lewis and Mark Maslin. The book was published by Pelican in 2018 and explores the concept of the Anthropocene as a new geological epoch, amongst all the controversy that entails (it appears that geologists can get quite riled about such things). Ultimately it shows how humans …

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Amazon on Fire 14:38

6+ y ago14:38

14:38

The Ninja investigates the recent surge in wildfires in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest and questions whether these are naturally occurring or human-initiated.

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The Geography of Brexit (Part 2): Citizens of Nowhere 26:45

6+ y ago26:45

26:45

In this second exploration of the Brexit issue, the Ninja discusses themes including British identity, populism and the use of language by those in positions of power.

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The Geography of Brexit (Part 1) 27:46

6+ y ago27:46

27:46

The Ninja takes a geographical view of the Brexit issue, examining explanations for the outcome of the 2016 referendum, how the results looked across the UK, and what this means for the future.

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A Look at London Docklands 26:12

6+ y ago26:12

26:12

The Ninja checks out the dramatic changes that have transformed London’s Docklands from the port of the Empire to a derelict wasteland and most recently to a regenerated zone of gentrification and foreign direct investment.