When some climate-conscious Swifties learned that Canada’s biggest fossil fuel financier, RBC, is an official partner for Taylor Swift’s Eras tour in Vancouver and Toronto, they jumped into action. But can uniting Swifties online translate to change? Or is it a trend that will fizzle over time? Meanwhile, What On Earth youth columnist Aishwarya Put…

They can be noisy. And smelly. And, as Cate Blanchett (yes, Cate Blanchett!) complains, don’t they just move “leaves from one place to another, only for them to be blown back again"? Gas-powered leaf blowers create a lot of opinions and a lot of emissions. Molly Segal takes us through why they're so particularly polluting and unhealthy. And, she ex…

They might leave you a huge mess, but a "free for now" fire prevention service may be taking hold in Canada. Insurers have started contracting a private company to swoop in and do last-minute fireproofing on homes in B.C. and Alberta. Paul Haavardsrud and Danielle Nerman explain what that looks like, and how this new strategy could keep insurance p…

Come along to the AFN’s annual Climate Gathering where columnist Melina Laboucan-Massimo is teaching Indigenous communities how to transition to clean energy. According to Melina, it's not just about swapping out technologies. Culture and language are key.

Is there a climate cost to your reading habit? A listener asks about the emissions of paper books versus e-readers, and we go looking for answers.

Florida has been hit by a one-two-punch. But death and injury can come long after the winds subside. A doctor details the many ways hurricanes can disrupt health care, something he witnessed first-hand as a responder to Hurricane Katrina. Now, he's training a new generation of medical professionals willing to speak out about climate change as a "he…

When natural disasters hit home, knowing your neighbours could be a lifeline. Edmonton is leading the way in creating climate resilience on a hyperlocal level. We hear how something as simple as a neighbourhood bonfire can build support networks, and mobilize communities to fight climate change.

They’re an iconic symbol of Canada. But are they also role models for climate adaptation? CBC producer Allison Dempster introduces us to the people trying to mimic beavers by building their own dams to restore the water table. And we hear about a close encounter with a surprising ending.

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 th…

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 po…

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 …

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 ab…

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 impl…

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…

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, …

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…

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 …

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 peopl…

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 1…

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 se…

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) sha…

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 abou…

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 argu…

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 …

As the fires rage on in Jasper National Park, we check in on a former firefighter about the battle beyond the flames. Meanwhile, Olympic organizers may have had green dreams for the 2024 Paris Games. But will those dreams melt away under the threat of extreme heat? Journalist and New York Times bestselling author, Jeff Goodell, says it’s a pivotal …

The Shíshálh Nation is transporting family homes from Vancouver to B.C.’s Sunshine Coast by barge with the help of a sustainable development company as a lower-emissions way to address its housing crisis. We find out how diverting houses from demolition and retrofitting them into duplexes can be a climate-friendly approach to building a subdivision…

Come along to “La Chicanerie” – or The Conflict Cafe – in Montreal where What On Earth guest host Falen Johnson finds out why we need to get comfortable with uncomfortable discussions about climate change. And climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe shares some of her most awkward climate conversations and offers advice on how to talk to people in ways …

When Eli Milton started working on farms in Nova Scotia almost a decade ago, heat wasn’t an issue in the summer. Now, hot and humid conditions are just one of the climate impacts farm workers like her contend with. And – extreme weather has put safety and livelihoods at risk for migrant workers, from out in the fields to inside greenhouses. We hear…

This summer, we’re curating a few other climate podcasts that we think our listeners would love. Living Planet from DW News is a show that wants to help you reconnect with nature and make better decisions, every day. Today we’re sharing their eye-opening episode “The hidden toll of roadkill”. For some species, being hit by a car is the number one c…

It's on rooftops. It's on top of old landfills. It's floating on lakes. The Dutch are all in on solar energy. CBC’s international climate correspondent Susan Ormiston takes us there to find out what’s behind the country’s strong solar adoption.

Caribbean coastlines might be taking a beating from Beryl, but coral reefs are fighting back. We speak to a NOAA representative on how these reefs act as natural defensive mechanisms against storms and how we can protect these ecosystems. And we hear from Caribbean leaders about the toll of this record-breaking hurricane.…

Drought is on the rise in Canada. And science is looking to the sky for solutions. Join producer Molly Segal as she takes you on a journey to explore the history, ethics and future of cloud seeding in Canada.

You don't have to be a scientist, engineer or conservation officer to hold a climate job. Our columnist Aishwarya Puttur dishes on her recent gig with the United Nations, helping young people redefine what a green job actually is. Then a member of the first class of the new American Climate Corps shares why she thinks a career in fighting climate c…

Picnics, parties and patio get-togethers. Summer fun can lead to lots of throwaway stuff that ends up in landfills. One listener wants some help to fix that by nudging people to bring their own place settings. We’ve got some ideas.

Temperatures soared above 30 degrees in some Ontario schools recently, prompting some parents to pull their kids out of the classroom – and urge for cooling systems to be installed everywhere. With climate change leading to more hot days during the school year, we hear how educators are turning to everything from misting stations to adding more gre…

What is nature saying when a lake drained a century ago keeps flooding farmland? First Nations leaders say the message is to make room for the water. Then, why the story of Sumas Lake is just one example of how Indigenous connections to the land must inform climate action.

They search for life on other planets. Now they’re focussing on Earth’s future. We hear how the group Astronomers for Planet Earth is on a mission to curb emissions from space exploration.

Thinking about climate change like it's your job? Maybe it could be. Winnipeg career counsellor Trevor Lehmann shares practical advice from his free online resource “An Imperfect Guide to Career and Climate.” He wants to help more of us roll up our sleeves and close the "hope gap." Plus, listeners have their say on lowering the voting age.…

People are switching up plans to avoid fire, smoke and heat. And that includes festival organizers, powwow planners and camp directors. We get advice on navigating our changing summers.

A listener got in touch wondering what she can do to help the birds in her garden when wildfire smoke is choking her neighbourhood. We share advice from Birds Canada and check in with American researchers who are searching for answers about how fire and smoke affect our feathered friends.

As climate change transforms the sonic landscape around us, it also proposes new solutions. Listen in on the surprising sounds of a changing world. We talk to the executive director of the new Institute for Climate, Sound and Society at the MetaLab at Harvard University about how sound can shape how we talk about climate change.…

Water is scarce – especially in Gaza because of war and climate change. We speak to the executive director of the Arava Institute of Environmental Studies about how climate solutions can help build peace in a climate hotspot like the Middle East. And, the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea delivered a historic opinion this week about clim…

Could letting young people vote be a climate game changer? We hear from Vancouver teens on whether or not they think they’re ready to vote and whether climate would shape their choice at the ballot box. Then, a Canadian senator and a 17-year-old student share why they’re fighting for a proposed bill making its way through parliament.…

In Alaska and Barcelona, money from visitors is paying for heat pumps. What do we owe to the places we go on vacation? We hear how travellers can contribute to climate solutions. And, we answer a listener’s question about whether our beloved maple syrup will disappear in a warming world.

As wildfires rage across the country, we hear how to harness the power of community in the face of danger. And, we share listeners’ response to our interview with two long-time wildland firefighters in Alberta about what they say is a crisis in the ranks.

Soon, a little-known international tribunal will release a precedent setting decision that could force developed nations to do more to protect small island states from the ravages of climate change. A Canadian lawyer represented those tiny countries at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. He shares what’s at stake, along with another …