What On Earth

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There are a lot of questions, ideas and emotions about climate change. Whether you feel scared, curious or overwhelmed, What On Earth hears you. Laura Lynch explores your experiences, grapples with the challenges, and examines the potential solutions.

CBC Radio


    • May 31, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • weekdays NEW EPISODES
    • 34m AVG DURATION
    • 330 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from What On Earth

    Wildfires are killing people. What is Canada doing?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 31, 2025 14:19


    For those fleeing the flames, there may not be an easy way out. Canada's minister of emergency management and community resilience, Eleanor Olszewski, shares how prepared the country is to respond. She also answers to concerns from First Nations on why her department only acted after provinces called for help.

    The libraries and longhouses leading the way on climate

    Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2025 25:40


    Buildings make up a hefty share of Canada's emissions. But across the country, communities are looking for ways to curb that impact, and make public structures more resilient to climate change. We take a tour of cool projects from Lytton B.C. to Six Nations of the Grand River Territory. 

    The simplest climate solution: let the trees grow

    Play Episode Listen Later May 24, 2025 27:41


    The temperate rainforests of the West Coast exist because of salmon magic. These fish feed the trees, the trees protect the fish, and everything else that lives under the canopy of the ancient old-growth benefits from this interplay. Protecting these 'salmon forests' from logging and wildfire can have enormous benefits for human life and the climate, according to author Lynda Mapes whose new book is called The Trees are Speaking: Dispatches from the Salmon Forests. And we speak to Tsm'syen scientist Sm'hayetsk Teresa Ryan, about why the key to saving what old-growth is left in Canada could come down to Indigenous leadership. 

    Meet the firefighting goats of California

    Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2025 24:35


    When West Sacramento was saved from wildfire in 2022, goats were hailed as heroes. No, they didn't wield hoses or jump out of helicopters. They just did what goats do: eat everything in sight, including the dry grass and weeds that can fuel wildfires. We head to Northern California where governments are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on goats to create firebreaks. Then, we ask, could they help in Canada, too? 

    How to prepare (affordably) for heat, smoke and wildfire

    Play Episode Listen Later May 17, 2025 29:44


    Wildfire season is here already, with devastating effects in Manitoba. We have some advice for steps you can take now to prepare for heat, smoke and wildfire. There's a lot you can do to keep yourself, your home and your community safer and more comfortable this summer even if you're on a tight budget.

    Fighting for the climate with a needle and thread

    Play Episode Listen Later May 14, 2025 20:44


    Darning socks may not sound like a revolutionary act. But people across the country are embracing the art of mending to push back against clothing waste. We visit Toronto's second annual Mend In Public Day, and a clothing swap in Victoria, to hear about the personal and political action afoot to curb emissions from the fashion industry.

    Your old phone could be a gold mine for the climate

    Play Episode Listen Later May 10, 2025 25:12


    Drilling into the ground isn't the only way to source metals for clean energy. You can also get them from castoff phones, laptops and TVs. It's called urban mining. We speak with Maria Holuszko at UBC's Urban Mining Innovation Centre about developing more efficient techniques for harvesting the gold, copper and other materials in old electronics. And Craig Wisehart of the Electronic Products Recycling Association takes us to a depot to find out how to drop off your old stuff and where it goes.

    What do Yo-Yo Ma, a glacier and a drag queen have in common?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2025 27:55


    Pattie Gonia proves why climate action is a total drag, in the most fabulous way possible. From going viral for hiking in high heels, to performing a climate anthem with acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo Ma and Alaskan Indigenous artist Quinn Christopherson, Wyn Wylie (the artist behind Pattie Gonia's camp, fierce, red wig and marvellous makeup) is on a mission to bring some joy to the fight to protect the planet – and show that 2SLGBTQ+ people are vital to the quest for climate solutions. 

    Energy superpower. Climate champion. Can the PM have it all?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2025 26:33


    “Build baby build!” Post-election, the word ‘pipeline' is popping up again. Mark Carney says he'll speed up energy project approvals, honour the duty to consult with First Nations and also hit Canada's climate goals. Eriel Deranger of Indigenous Climate Action worries these promises amount to “doublespeak.” She warns any plans to fast-track projects that impact Indigenous communities could face protest and legal pushback. Keith Brooks of Environmental Defence says the emissions cap and phasing out fossil fuel projects are the path forward.

    Who gets the water when the creek is running dry?

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 30, 2025 27:50


    Canada's first local state of emergency due to drought was declared on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia in 2022. The shortage was so bad, officials feared the region would run out of water for hospitals and fire departments. And the Coast has been under severe water restrictions for five of the last eight summers, a situation experts warn could become the norm. In her documentary, “Drought in the rainforest,” Liz Hoath with CBC's audio doc unit tells the story of a community hit hard by rising temperatures and the local government's failure to plan for climate change.

    Pope Frances made the climate fight a matter of faith

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 26, 2025 25:32


    Pope Francis established himself as a leading voice on climate action, but it's not yet clear how that legacy will be preserved once a new pope is in place. Katharine Hayhoe, Global Chief Scientist of Nature United and Distinguished Professor at Texas Tech, weighs in on Pope Francis's legacy. Then, we talk to Molly Burhans, cartographer and founder of GoodLands, who is mapping the vast swathes of Catholic Church-owned land around the world to help protect the climate. 

    Sweet solar silence in the land of the midnight sun

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2025 28:01


    In remote northern communities, diesel is king. But breakthrough solar energy projects are underway that could begin to reduce fossil fuel reliance. This year, the theme of Earth Day is renewable energy, so we're taking you to Nunavut where people are adding solar panels to small off-grid cabins and others are working on community-scale solar projects — so the diesel generators can finally be turned off and communities can hear silence once again, like their ancestors did.

    What the parties are (and aren't) saying about climate

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 19, 2025 25:53


    Climate hasn't been a hot topic on the campaign trail, but did it come up in the debates? We hear about that from CBC's Aaron Wherry. Then, we talk climate policy with NDP candidate Samantha Green. And, we hear what the Conservatives have been saying about climate and energy in this election.

    It's not easy being Green in this election

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2025 25:43


    The Green Party aims to be the environmental conscience of parliament. But its popularity has waned as people consider strategic voting in the face of other concerns – and as climate change slips as a priority for voters. We speak to Green Party advisor Daniel Green about how the party is balancing its climate policy with other issues in this election and whether co-leaders Jonathan Pedneault and Elizabeth May can overcome their low poll numbers. We also hear from voters on whether climate is a ballot box priority.

    Where the Liberals stand on climate policy this election

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 12, 2025 30:23


    The parties aren't talking climate much on the campaign trail. But we are - we've got tough questions for all of them. First up, Jonathan Wilkinson of the Liberal party. We also talk to voters about why the warming planet isn't a top priority for them this time.

    The secret to Japan's wind power industry? Robots!

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 9, 2025 21:46


    Japan's burgeoning wind energy sector is turning to robots to keep the industry moving. They can do work that is trickier and riskier for their human counterparts. CBC's Cathy Senay takes us on a journey across Japan to find out how.

    These students want to boot big banks from campus

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 5, 2025 26:46


    Students at some of Canada's top universities are demanding banks stop funding fossil fuel projects and are calling on their schools to cut ties with major financial institutions. What On Earth's youth climate action columnist Aishwarya Puttur explains the lengths that students are going to – from confronting bank executives to picking up protest signs – to support the cause, racking up some wins in their campaign along the way.

    It's about bloody time we talked about periods and climate

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2025 28:20


    Climate-friendly menstrual products come with a lot of complex considerations, like personal preferences, stigma and cost. We visit a start-up in Nova Scotia that's making compostable pads. Then – we hear about the policy and social changes that could help make sustainable options more accessible.

    Parlez-vous climate action? The movement isn't English-only

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 29, 2025 14:25


    How do you include more voices in the climate change conversation? In a diverse country like Canada, there's a growing need to have a wider variety of languages in the discussion. Climate justice columnist Chúk Odenigbo takes us through the concept of linguistic justice and why it matters.

    BONUS: Election time! Let's talk about that other carbon tax

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2025 13:12


    Carbon pricing is a climate solution, but also a political football. Now that an election is underway and the consumer carbon tax has been scrapped, could the federal industrial price on carbon be the next wedge issue? Kate Ervine from Halifax's Saint Mary's University helps us go beyond slogans like “axe the tax” to understand what you should know about the industrial price on carbon.

    Tasty, climate-friendly food that kids will make (and eat)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 26, 2025 27:53


    Kids and veggies don't always go hand in hand, but this after-school workshop is introducing plant-based cooking to children as a climate solution. It's called EcoCooks. Producer Nick Logan stopped by a session to meet the kids 9-12 who are learning to make, and appreciate, tasty, vegetable-forward food that also cuts emissions. Then, we learn about other community efforts across Canada to put more veggies in the spotlight and onto plates.  

    Set sail with Canada to unlock climate clues in Antarctica

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 22, 2025 24:55


    Peace and neutrality offer the best chance for future climate research in Antarctica. That's what CBC's international climate correspondent Susan Ormiston learned aboard HMCS Margaret Brooke – a Canadian naval ship carrying 15 Canadian scientists to the South Pole to learn about the southern ocean's capacity to continue regulating Earth's climate. Their research is taking place as growing geopolitical tensions threaten to upset the Antarctic Treaty and hamper future conservation efforts on the continent.

    Move over Peace Corps, meet Climate Corps. Enlist now!

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 19, 2025 22:17


    It might not sound like a climate job, but mechanical insulators help make buildings more energy efficient. We head out to meet a young woman who trained in the trade through a program set up by the Youth Climate Corps BC. The group is training young people around British Columbia for a wide variety of good, green jobs and hopes to expand across the country.

    Trump is slashing more jobs at NOAA. What could go wrong?

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 15, 2025 24:57


    Fired climate scientist Tom Di Liberto says lives are at risk from extreme weather as more cuts loom over the U.S. government agency responsible for forecasting and much more. Di Liberto lost his job as part of a massive purge by the Trump administration, and worries the layoffs will not only cost the U.S. more money, but will cripple weather forecasting across the continent, leaving many people vulnerable to natural hazards. 

    Why a CO2 leak in Mississippi holds lessons for Canada

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 12, 2025 27:43


    Canada's oil and gas companies are hoping carbon capture and storage will be a big part of the country's net zero plans. But shipping CO2 through pipelines to storage facilities can come with risks. We go to rural Mississippi to hear about a rare carbon dioxide pipeline breach that was nearly deadly – and find out what Canada can learn from the incident.

    Eco-thugs be warned! You could be charged with ecocide

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 8, 2025 25:35


    There's a push to see those responsible for intentional destruction of the environment tried in the International Criminal Court, just like war criminals. Three small island nations have proposed making ecocide a crime like genocide and crimes against humanity. But what would that take – and is there a better way to hold people to account for harming the planet and our climate?

    From farm to table, extreme weather hits your grocery bill

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 5, 2025 18:10


    With a looming trade war, local fruits and vegetables are attractive. But at what price? Some consumers are suddenly seeing prices skyrocket. Fruit and vegetable farmers are struggling with climate linked extreme weather events. That's wrecking harvests and driving up production costs all over the world. But customers can help.

    Houston, we have a climate problem. Is Mars the answer?

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 1, 2025 22:07


    A new space race may affect Earth's climate. As rocket companies, owned by billionaires like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk, drive the pursuit of energy resources in space, sustainability experts are scrambling to understand the carbon footprint of a quickly ramped up space industry. At the same time, they're also considering the potential for climate solutions that may exist beyond our planet. It's a quandary Scottish researcher Andrew Ross Wilson dubs ‘the space sustainability paradox.'

    Hot to Go! Greenhouses are solving Canada's climate puzzles

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2025 25:57


    The climate solution that's heating up across Canada has become an important part of food security and sovereignty. But many are powered by fossil fuels. The City of Fredericton has created a zero emissions greenhouse to grow saplings, and researchers at the University of Windsor are finding more sustainable ways to power them.

    Giving her community joy — and tools to join climate action

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 22, 2025 20:10


    People in social housing aren't always included in conversations about climate solutions. That's why Zamani Ra is finding ways to draw people from those communities into the environmental movement. The founder of the Toronto-based not-for-profit CEED Canada shares how workshops that start with recycling can make climate action relevant for all.

    How to become an ‘apocalyptic optimist' during scary times

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2025 22:31


    Sociologist Dana Fisher says disasters like the Los Angeles wildfires and Hurricane Helene can spur community action in the face of the climate crisis. The author of Saving Ourselves: From Climate Shock to Climate Action says individuals coming up with solutions for resilient communities are what give her “apocalyptic optimism.” She shares how we can use the idea in our own personal fight against the climate crisis.

    How the Yukon Quest is racing to adapt to climate change

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 15, 2025 20:39


    Warmer winters and weird weather have forced organizers of this classic sled dog race to change the route to stay safe in rapidly changing conditions. CBC Whitehorse reporter Cali McTavish takes us to the Yukon Quest starting line in Teslin, where mushers, organizers and Indigenous community members talk about what the race means to them, and how climate change is having an impact.

    HOW TO: do a ‘No Buy' year for your wallet and the planet

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2025 27:49


    Meet the people using TikTok to break up with shopping, and learn why they say affordability is propelling them toward more climate-friendly habits, as they take on the social media challenge of a 'No Buy' year. And author Aja Barber shares stories of her own shopping addiction, how she “saw the light” and what happens when a 'No Buy' year turns into a lifestyle.

    Finding the climate sweet spot for new Canadian communities

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 8, 2025 25:53


    Millions of new homes may help the housing crisis. But climate change means reconsidering just where all those new developments should go. Waterfront? Maybe not. Nestled up against the forest? Think again. How to build for our climate future. We hear why to build where and a New Brunswick real estate agent shares what clients need to know about buying and selling safely.

    This one weird climate fix is like ‘burnt toast'

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2025 28:21


    It helps farmers and protects against wildfire. “The world needs to know about biochar,” says one scientist. So, what the heck is this charcoal-like, carbon-storing material? We meet a man on Vancouver Island who's spending his retirement years making it for his neighbours. Then, producer Rachel Sanders finds out what potential this climate solution holds, what the pitfalls may be and what the challenges are with scaling it up.

    Why climate disasters are a perfect storm for disinformation

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 1, 2025 25:22


    From hurricanes to wildfires, extreme weather whips up false and misleading information. When people are left vulnerable after a disaster strikes, they may be more susceptible to being misled about the cause of their strife. And that often means pointing fingers at anything but climate change. We're delving into the murky world of misinformation and disinformation – and looking for ways to separate climate facts from fiction.

    HOW TO: Get cheap eats, waste less and help the climate

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 29, 2025 15:30


    What if we told you there's a way to lower your food costs while also reducing emissions? Apps that connect shoppers with stores and restaurants selling edible food that would otherwise go to waste offer a climate solution that also makes daily life a little more affordable. We're testing three popular apps to see how they may help combat the problem of food waste and the harmful greenhouse gas emissions it creates.

    Insurance? What insurance? Climate changes that too

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 25, 2025 25:30


    We used to take insurance for granted. Climate change is upending that. The L.A. wildfires have people talking about the future of home insurance in the face of more climate-charged disasters. We hear from a woman in Nova Scotia who worries about the future of her current home. And, Canada's once stable insurance sector is facing uncertainty.

    BONUS: Trump's first moves on climate

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 25, 2025 11:57


    Donald Trump wants more oil and less climate action. But can he really turn back the clean energy transition? CBC climate reporter Inayat Singh breaks down Trump's climate policy changes.

    Meet the small towns taking big climate action

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 22, 2025 24:32


    Rural Canada wants in on climate change solutions, but big city ideas don't always work. A listener in Manitoba knows it takes a village, so he wants ideas tailored for smaller communities. Then we talk to people in three towns that are big on climate action and hear their lessons for others.

    Country star Corb Lund won't just ‘shut up and sing' anymore

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 19, 2025 28:23


    There are always a few comments on Instagram telling Corb Lund to ‘stick to music.' But he finds himself, reluctantly, donning his activist cap. The reason? Water quality near his home in Southwest Alberta, which he says is threatened by coal development.

    A recipe for climate adaptation? Try blue crab and couscous

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 15, 2025 20:48


    Come along to Tunisia where climate change is forcing fishers to adapt their livelihoods. We hear how the warming waters of the Mediterranean Sea have meant an influx of invasive species and the loss of old ways of life. A Tunisian-Canadian scientist shares stories from a project that's helping communities organize into cooperatives and find new ways to survive.

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