What On Earth

A stuffed dalmatian. An album of precious photos. A scorched doorknob. These are some of the personal items on display recently at Climate Week NYC. Meghan Fandrich and Diana Boston travelled to New York City from Lytton and Merritt, B.C., to share these remnants of the fire and flood that devastated their communities. They tell us why they hope the exhibit can make climate disaster tangible, and lead to change.

Fair warning in the age of three word slogans: today we're talking about the complex policies behind the politics. If ever there was a time to dive deep into climate plans — it's now. Simon Donner, co-chair of the independent Net Zero Advisory Body, walks us through new ways Canada could cut emissions. Then the CBC’s Aaron Wherry breaks down the politics of a cornerstone climate policy. How did the carbon tax get so politicized?

As an orphaned child in Ireland, Diana Beresford-Kroeger was educated in Druid philosophy that taught her to respect trees. Now, at age 80, she's weaving those learnings with her decades of scientific study into a new book “Our Green Heart”. Then, we hear from a climate champion nominated by a listener who took up Diana's challenge to connect kids to nature.

Spoiler: it’s not Chem 11. We hear how a B.C. science teacher learned to support her students after the 2021 atmospheric river. Now, she’s teaching other teachers how to do the same. Then, we head to Toronto to hear how young Muslims are connecting with nature, and learning to make change, thanks to the group Green Ummah.

The future may be green for drillers looking for work outside the oil industry. Demand is growing for geothermal heat pumps and that requires people with the skills to drill deep below ground and harness energy to heat and cool homes. It turns out drilling is a sustainable job, in more ways than one.

Conservation photographer Neil Ever Osborne was on a dream expedition to see emperor penguins in Antarctica, but the images he brought back are haunting. Now, in a new exhibit in Toronto, Neil says he's trying to "put these images to work" for the planet. Meanwhile in Vancouver, three choreographers aim to express their inexpressible frustration about climate change… through dance.

Money from the oil and gas industry could be limiting the scope of climate solutions universities and other institutions dig into, according to a group of academics. They reviewed papers, news coverage and watchdog reports from around the world, including Canada and say it’s time for more transparency about who is footing the bill and what the implications of industry involvement could be.

We take you behind the scenes of Overheated, a special series we put together with a couple of sister shows: Quirks & Quarks and White Coat, Black Art. Each of us tells a specific story of how heat will change everything, from neighbourhood microclimates to the rise of “hot work.”

Yukon First Nations are leaders in protecting a keystone species threatened by warming waters. Join us in Whitehorse where we meet people demanding better care for irreplaceable Chinook salmon. This story is our contribution to Overheated, a special series we put together with two of our sister shows: Quirks & Quarks and White Coat, Black Art. Each of us tells a specific story of how heat will change everything, from neighbourhood microclimates to the rise of “hot work.”

Electric bikes are surging in popularity. Sure, they create fewer emissions than cars, but how climate friendly are they when you factor in their whole life cycle? A What on Earth listener asked, and we went looking for the answers.

Roishetta Ozane saw first-hand the effects of climate change on her community, and started organizing. Her group The Vessel Project of Louisiana has become a hub for sharing community resources – as well as an opponent to the fossil fuel companies polluting their home. Then – Bob McDonald from Quirks & Quarks and Dr. Brian Goldman from White Coat, Black Art join Laura Lynch to talk about the collaborative project Overheated, a series of stories about how increasing heat is impacting communities, people and ecosystems across Canada.

The world’s soil is in trouble, and in America’s agricultural heartland, a small group of Maya farmers are advocating for an ancient solution. Can the “milpa” system of agriculture help modern farming respond to a looming crisis? Learn more in this special bonus episode from Feet In 2 Worlds, the latest in our summer series of podcasts we think you’ll love. This episode is part of Home, Interrupted, a podcast series from Feet in 2 Worlds exploring how the climate crisis affects immigrants across the U.S., and how immigrant communities are finding new ways to deal with a warming planet. You can read more about the story at fi2w.org: Maya Farms...in Nebraska?

Canada’s environment sector is overwhelmingly white. But our columnist Chúk Odenigbo says every non-profit has a responsibility to make sure everyone, regardless of race, feels at home in the outdoors. He tells us about a course he's been teaching to environmental NGOs to help them be more inclusive in their work and their workplace. Then, we hear how Canada's parliament is vowing to study environmental racism, and how one organization is improving Black Nova Scotians' connection to the land.

The Maasai don’t surrender. They adapt. So says Dorcas Naishorua, the world’s first Miss Climate. In a special bonus episode from TED Talks Daily, she explains how climate change has disrupted the melody of the Maasai way of life, and how girls are bearing the brunt of that disruption. In her talk, she advocates for a different vision for her people — one that includes Maasai girls laughing. “We are learning, we are evolving, and embracing innovation to rewrite the narrative of our struggle.” TED Talks Daily brings you a new talk every weekday featuring thought-provoking ideas on every subject imaginable, from personal growth to zoology, and everything in between. With TED Talks Daily, find some space in your day to change your perspectives, ignite your curiosity, and learn something new. If you like this episode, you can find TED Talks Daily wherever you get your podcasts.

Jack Thiessen wanted to take fighting wildfires into his own hands after a couple of close calls on his family ranch in northeastern B.C. Now, the community has installed a mobile trailer full of hoses, pumps, sprinklers and other equipment to help protect homes and fight wildfires in this rural region. Wildland firefighter Sonja Leverkus trained 150 people in the region, including Jack, on B.C. Wildfire Service approved courses so they can be better prepared to help tackle wildfire when they hit close to home.

Jane Goodall believes we’re living through very dark times indeed, but the renowned primatologist continues to see hope as a basic survival strategy. In a special bonus episode from The Current with Matt Galloway, she explains why. Goodall offers her perspective as someone born during the Great Depression, who lived through World War II, and who sees the events happening around us today with the clarity of a wise elder. She officially turned 90 since this interview, recorded last October, and we want to make sure our listeners have a chance to consider her key message — especially if you’re still young. (Remember, her world-changing work began in her 20s. Her passion for nature started even younger.) For more stories to expand your worldview, find and follow The Current wherever you get your podcasts, or here: https://link.chtbl.com/Twob3407

Not everyone is hungry for climate content in the crowded social media landscape, but some Canadian content creators are determined to get Tik Tok, Youtube and Instagram users engaged in the climate conversation. Karishma Porwal (a.k.a. @karishmaclimategirl), Hazel Thayer (a.k.a. @hazelisonline), and Aaron Hagey-MacKay (a.k.a. @the_goose_media) share their strategies – from connecting climate to the housing crisis, to debunking carbon tax myths, to pushing back against fashion hauls with "underconsumption core" videos.

After decades of scientific study and political wrangling the world has agreed—at least on paper—that 1.5C of heating must be the upper limit of our impact on the climate system. How could something that sounds so small matter so much? Our friends at Threshold have thoughtfully explored these questions. They are a Peabody Award-winning podcast about what it means to be alive at a time of extraordinary planetary change, and today we’re sharing an episode from their latest season “Time to 1.5”. This episode takes you inside the scientific and political origin story of 1.5C, from the holocene to the halls of COP26 in Glasgow. Listen to the full season and learn more at thresholdpodcast.org.

Air purifiers can cost a lot, so why not make your own for less money? We meet a group of seniors in Vancouver’s Chinatown learning to build their own air cleaners – and hear why the workshop they’re attending does more than support physical health. Then – a historian unearths lessons about handling heat across centuries in the Middle East. He argues we need to make sweating sexy again.

From “packs of wolves” spreading disinformation online, to death threats, these women have paid a high cost for their climate advocacy work. As a family physician, Dr. Melissa Lem knew she could not stay silent on the dangers of climate change once she started to learn more. Climate advocate Tzeporah Berman waded into Alberta politics and got more than she bargained for. When Judy Wilson, former chief of the Neskonlith Indian Band, spoke out about a pipeline expansion, she says she started noticing strange things. We're re-sharing this documentary by producer Molly Segal, which recently won an international journalism award from Covering Climate Now.