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Summer rewind: What role do communicators play in motivating change? Specifically, how can they move their audiences to take action against climate change? In thinkenergy episode 122, we delve into the world of climate communication with Amber Bennett, Deputy Director of Re.Climate. Explore the driving forces, opportunities, and challenges of inspiring climate action—from bridging research to practise to empowering change. Listen in for an insightful conversation on shaping a sustainable future. Related links Amber Bennet on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abennettyyc/  Re.Climate: https://reclimate.ca/  Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: https://www.ipcc.ch/  Trevor Freeman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-freeman-8b612114/ To subscribe using Apple Podcasts:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thinkenergy/id1465129405   To subscribe using Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7wFz7rdR8Gq3f2WOafjxpl   To subscribe on Libsyn: http://thinkenergy.libsyn.com/ --- Subscribe so you don't miss a video: https://www.youtube.com/user/hydroottawalimited   Check out our cool pics on https://www.instagram.com/hydroottawa   More to Learn on https://www.facebook.com/HydroOttawa   Keep up with the Tweets at https://twitter.com/thinkenergypod Transcript Trevor Freemon Everyone, well, it's officially summer. And it's been about four months since I took over the mic as the host of the think energy podcast, which is kind of hard to believe. It's been really fun having great conversations with great people in the energy sector. I now mostly know my way around the recording equipments and the software, and really feel like we're kind of just getting started and looking forward to where we go from here. That said, the think energy team is taking a break to recharge over the next few months, but also to plan our content for the fall. So stay tuned for some great episodes in the fall. Not to worry though, we still have our summer rewind to keep you engaged. This is where we pick out some of the great past episodes that we've done and repost them. So whether you're lucky enough to be sitting on a dock or going on a road trip, or if you're just keeping up with your commute through the summer, it's a great time to revisit our past content. You will hear past episodes from my predecessor and the host chair Dan second, as well as a couple of mine from the past few months. And you're welcome to check out your own favorite past episodes as well, wherever you get your podcasts. We hope you have an amazing summer and we'll be back with new content in September. And until then, happy listening.   Dan Seguin  00:06 This is ThinkEnergy, the podcast that helps you better understand the fast changing world of energy through conversations with game changers, industry leaders, and influencers. So join me, Dan Seguin, as I explore both traditional and unconventional facets of the energy industry. Hey, everyone, welcome back. Did you scroll through the news this morning? How many of those articles that you skim covered a topic related to climate change? I guess it was probably a few. It seems. Every couple of weeks there's a new story dominating the headlines about forest fires, hurricanes, floods, heatwaves, and more, both here in Canada and abroad. We are seeing firsthand the effects of climate change and As consumers, we are receiving information about it. Everywhere we look. Have you ever thought about how you are being communicated to? How is climate change presented? What wording was used? And why? And are their calls to action? How does it make you feel? think not only about news articles you read, but also about documentaries, podcasts, Hollywood movies, right down to your everyday life. Think about the newsletter you receive from your municipality. The assembly instruction on the last piece of furniture you purchase, or this section on your favorite clothing brand, website about their sustainable practice, communications surrounding climate change are pretty much everywhere and the need to be. In June of 2021, the Canadian government introduced the Canadian net zero emission Accountability Act, which puts into legislation Canada's commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. Different companies across the country are making their commitment, much like we did in 2022, when we committed to leading the way to a Smart Energy Future by becoming net zero by 2030. The push on to stop the damaging pollution emitted into the environment on a daily basis, namely caused by burning fossil fuels. Scientists are urging that this is crunch time. So if you haven't already, now is the time to hone in on how and what you are communicating to your customers. So here is today's big question. What role do communicators play in motivating change within their audiences to take action against climate change? Our guest today is Amber Bennett, Deputy Director of Re Climate, Canada's first climate communications and Engagement Center. This new organization launched in 2022 brings together Canada's leading climate communication academics and practitioners, and aims to help communicators create strategies that inspire the public to support climate action. Amber is one of Canada's top climate communication strategists and capacity builder who works with groups across the country bridging gaps between research and practice. She led the groundbreaking Alberta narrative project and supported much of the foundational work to pilot and build reclaim it. Amber, thank you for joining us today. Amber Bennett  03:54 Thank you for having me. Dan Seguin  03:56 Amber, maybe you can start by telling us a bit about yourself and Re Climate How did you get into climate communications? How did Re Climate come to be and what does it aim to achieve? Amber Bennett  04:09 Okay, I'll try to hold all of those questions at once. Well, I am based in Calgary, Alberta, which may seem like an unlikely place for some for the executive director of a Canadian organization or Canadian center focused on climate communications and engagement at Carleton University. But that's where I live with my family. And what to say? Yeah, I mean, I think I've been circling around climate communications for a very, very long time. You know, the the mind has a funny way of making sense of things in retrospect, but I started with a Bachelor of Science and then I moved on to a public relations degree and then I worked with the mayor of Calgary on the one of the I forget which numbered cop, but it was a Copenhagen. And I think that was really the first time I began to think about what, what is climate change and had a certain kind of exposure to the, to the, you know what the challenge was and what not. And when I saw I kind of went on, and I did a master's degree. And it was when I had needed to choose a topic for my master's degree when there was the catastrophic flooding here in Calgary. And there is this, like, amazing paradox where the, you know, Calgary Stampede, which is the epitome, I would say, of the, you know, kind of old boys club. And when that happened, when the floods happened, their motto was come hell or high water come hell or high water, they were going to, you know, produce the show. And at the same time, one of the readings I was doing as a part of my master's program was also titled come hell or high water. And it was really about the science of climate change, and why it is making it so difficult. Why is it so difficult for humans to kind of wrap our heads around it. So fast forward, I completed a master's, and then did a series of really interesting projects. I did some work with a group out of the UK called Climate outreach, which is focused on climate communications and engagement as well. And then started working with a group of people here in Canada to set up a similar center or similar organization that would focus on supporting climate communicators, helping to kind of bring together the research that was happening, as well as the practice. And so that's really why Re Climate it is set up to do, we're really dedicated towards advancing the practice of climate communications and engagement through research, training, offering resources, pulling resources together, strategy, and developing strategy with other types of practitioners, as well as convening networks of both scholars, as well as those people who are kind of out there in the real world doing campaigning and advocacy work and trying to, you know, communicate with citizens and whatnot. So, that's kind of where we're at. Dan Seguin  07:34 Now, Amber, it sounds like Re Climate, is a very diversified organization that brings together experts in social science, Public Affairs, and science. What kind of professionals work together in this environment? And what does it each bring to the table? Amber Bennett  07:55 Love this question. So Re Climate brings together I think I've said it research and practice. And so you have those practitioners who may be doing public engagement campaigns, they may be working for utilities, they may be working in local governments or other kinds of government, they might also be working in advocacy organizations. And so they often don't have the time, or I would argue the luxury of going into, you know, latest academic journals, or even, you know, kind of other thought leaders who are publishing in the field. Why? Because they're busy, they're doing the work. And so, you know, that kind of takes a lot of time to kind of go in and look at the research, track it down, make sense of it? They're also, I would argue, very few who have the time to do an evaluation, like after they've done something, what did we learn from it? You know, What, did we make a difference? You know, what kind of impact are we having, and similarly, just getting together with other folks, right, and talking about it and sharing what they're learning. So that's kind of on the practitioner's side. And so, you know, when we say we bring or convene networks of people together, we're really trying to do that, you know, we're trying to provide resources, synthesize, you know, research, both, perhaps, you know, it's public polling, or maybe it's social science, you know, what's happening in in, that's relevant, but also bringing people together to share with each other and learn with each other. So that's kind of that practitioner side. And, you know, there's also, I would say, sometimes a culture where people feel like they're competing with each other, you know, certainly within the charitable sector. So kind of, I think, for those folks who are coming in, who are kind of in the field, having that support and someone who's doing In the work on their behalf to kind of make sense of synthesize, pull it in together like yours, your five tips here, the things you need to do. That's extremely helpful. And then on the flip side, I think for researchers, you know, they're, they're kind of passionate, there's a reason why they're there thinking or trying to understand, you know, how to better engage people, or what's the right framing, or what are the values or whatever it is, because they're passionate about it. So by being able to kind of bridge from the practitioner world into a more academic or into a research field, we're able to just give people real world challenges. It's like, here's why practitioners are actually struggling with, you're an expert in this, please talk to us about it, or please, you know, this is the kind of information that they need. So, you know, kind of the practitioners, I would say, Bring the complexity of the real world, right, that we're dealing with real people, resource constraints, you know, various kinds of issues and whatnot, whereas researchers bring the kind of precision of being able to look at something with a whole body of understanding behind them to be able to kind of see, well, here's what may be operating within this situation, here's what we know about it. And here are some other kinds of interventions or approaches that we might be able to take. I don't know if that exactly answers your question. Maybe the scientists part, I would say they bring the public trust. Right. So whenever we're polling, you know, consistently, scientists come up on top as having high levels of public trust on climate and energy transition. And so I think that they bring that kind of authenticity. And, you know, they're not there, they're often unpolitical, right? They're not seem to be benefiting, you know, personally from talking about it. So they're really effective messengers. Dan Seguin  11:57 Wondering if you can share some insight into what the average Canadian's knowledge on climate change is? How much do they know about the main causes and the path forward? Amber Bennett  12:14 Well, I would say that Canadians probably know a lot about climate change. But what we measure, it's a little bit different. So when, and I would encourage folks to take a look at some of the reports that we have published on ReClimate.ca The one that I'm, you know, I kind of go back to was published this year, or maybe it was last year. But within these reports, we basically look across 65, or more, either private or publicly available surveys, or public polls or whatnot, and we kind of do it a roll up of okay, so it's not just one survey that has said, this is multiple surveys that are showing kind of trends and themes in in where the Canadian beliefs or attitudes or or mindsets are. So when you do that, and when we looked across, you know, 65, or so what you can see is, is that, even though you have the majority of Canadians that would say yes, climate change is real, and it is happening, almost half of them attribute both natural and manmade causes, you know, attribute the cause of climate change due to natural causes as well as as manmade. And so why is that important, is because when we get into the conversations around solutions, then without the kind of foundational understanding that burning fossil fuels creates pollution, which creates a heat trapping blanket, which is heating our planet, and causing all of these extreme weather events and natural disasters that we're seeing. Without that kind of clear understanding that burning fossil fuels is the cause of climate change. And when you get into the solutions, and what people actually have to do about it, the conversations a bit more, there's a lot of confusion, or there's a lot of room for confusion, which is kind of what we're seeing and I can talk a little bit more about that. So you know, I spend a lot of time in focus groups, and this kind of conversation comes up. So when we talk about solutions in the path forward, you talk about climate change, and you start to have discussions around what you are doing, you know, recycling will often come up, plastics will often come up. There's a whole kind of suite of things that people are doing, but very few people are able to name a particular policy or real intervention that you know, that will address some of the root causes. And we people on this podcast may not be like, Hey, why really. But you know, there are a lot of different people and for many climate change, even though they may be living within the impacts are the, you know, experiencing in their daily lives, they have many other kinds of concerns and priorities that are happening at the same time. So what I would say is that Canadians believe that climate change is happening, there is at least half that are uncertain, or would attribute it to both natural causes, and manmade causes. This kind of understanding of burning fossil fuels, the trapping blanket, you know, that's not well understood by many. And so they're kind of subsequently stopping burning fossil fuels, as a path forward isn't clear, as it could be, or, or should be at this point in time. And maybe the other thing I if you, if you'll let me, the other thing I would say is, is that, you know, Canadians consistently report, when you ask them very high levels of concern about climate change, right? Most people can see forest fires, you know, that's how we are making sense of what climate changes. It is through these kinds of experiences, either directly, or our experiences of seeing, you know, extreme weather and natural disasters. So people are expressing very high levels of concern. But if you ask, unprompted, what are you know, what are the issues that you're most concerned about? It often will address climate change as mentioned Much, much farther down on the list. Right. So, affordability and access to health care, cost of living, housing, there are many other issues that people are faced with and dealing with in their day to day lives. Dan Seguin  17:18 Okay, see the term movable middle mentioned in reports and on the reclaimed site, what is the movable middle? And why is it so important? Amber Bennett  17:34 Great question. And I feel compelled to say that I think that term movable metal is used differently by different people. I think within the context of, you know, the work that we do, it kind of comes out of, you know, some of the themes that I was talking about in the last in in the last question or last answer. It's this idea that, you know, people are kind of undecided. Or they're conflicted about an issue. So they could move either one way or the other, but they're not at the moment. oppositional? Right. So if you think about, you know, a broader population, there is a segment, you know, of Canadians, whose identities are really built around the idea that they don't believe in climate change. They're not going to support, you know, climate action and whatnot. There's also on the other side, a whole group of Canadians whose identity is built around me. I'm a climate activist, and I'm a climate advocate. And you know, and I'm an environmentalist, and so they're on the other side, but most of us just kind of live in the middle. Some are more well informed than others. But for the most part, people are concerned, right in the middle. They have they, you know, when they ask, yes, we want the government to act, we are highly supportive of it. But when it comes down to it, it's this tension around the fact that because they may not be well informed, or not thinking about this, they have many competing priorities. You're kind of undecided, or sometimes they're just conflicted about an issue. Right? Because on the one hand, as an example, yeah, I think we absolutely need renewable energy. We need lots of, you know, solar panels, I just don't want them in my house, or we need lots of, you know, solar, renewable solar farms. I just don't want them all over the landscape that I cherish from my childhood. So there are many things that you know are underneath that are operating underneath for people that kind of create some conflict for them. So people, when we talk About the movable metal, really, I think what's important is to acknowledge that most people are concerned. They want when they support action, but they're undecided, potentially about one particular aspect or issue of it. Or there's some other kind of thing that's happening for them that's creating a conflict. Or they're kind of uninformed. So, you know, I think that you know, why an example? Or rather, I'll back up that uninformed piece is particularly important right now, as we see more and more kinds of organized misinformation and disinformation. Right. So as an example, when I'm in focus groups, I can predict with very, you know, a lot of certainty, what are some of the kinds of key narratives that are coming to the surface where people are kind of undecided? One of them might be, well, EV batteries are actually worse, you know, for the environment than, you know, driving a car, or there's no way that we're going to be able to electrify everything the grids can't support. Or it may be that solar panels actually create more emissions when you produce them than they save in their lifetime. So these kinds of things that are very dominant are kind of recurring pieces of information. And when people who are not thinking about this a lot or deeply, as much as maybe you were, I are people who are listening to this. So when people encounter these, this kind of information or confusion about what are the actual solutions? They really don't know what to think. Right? So like a third of us sit within that category, right? If I actually don't know how to make sense of the information that I'm hearing, right, and I don't trust so much of it. Because I know that, you know, I know about misinformation, I know that I shouldn't be, you know, you know, trusting everything that I hear, etc. So that's kind of the deal with the movable middle, right? So they believe climate change is real and not climate deniers. They just may be conflicted or undecided, or just not, you know, as informed because they're not thinking about it on a daily basis. Dan Seguin  22:32 Now Amber, why is it important for the average communicator, like those in the energy sector, for example, to better understand the strategy behind climate change communications? Amber Bennett  22:45 Yeah, um, I think because climate change is a super wicked problem, and is really complicated. And maybe me rambling on for the past 20 minutes might give folks a sense of the things that, you know, we were trying to think about and grapple with all at the same time. And so I would say that, in other cases, although arguably, I would argue that information, probably doesn't work it in on any issue. But what we do know, is just giving people information, they're not, you know, people can't reason their way into kind of behavior change. So, you know, we live within systems. You know, we live within communities where, you know, we're surrounded by friends and family, we see ourselves as kind of certain types of people. There are all of these kinds of social needs and emotional needs that humans bring to the table, that climate change communications, and I would argue, probably any good communications needs to attend to. So this sense of belonging, right, so I belong to a community. Other people like me think and act this way, or I expect other people like me to think and act this way. Being able to understand even what the problem is can kind of create shared understanding so that people who are making decisions aren't making decisions that don't consider you that kind of shared understanding peace. People need a sense of efficacy, control in their lives, they need some agency, they just don't need someone making all these decisions on their behalf without any involvement. You know, people want to be good people. And to be able to ask questions and to challenge things that are going to impact their lives without being dismissed as a climate denier or shamed or whatnot. And people trust others for different reasons, right. So scientists are highly tuned lasts. politicians aren't big corporations aren't, right. But the ones who are often leading this conversation in public are big corporations and politicians. So all of those are the things that we need to attend to when we think about, you know, climate communications, and because it's such a complicated problem, and extends to so many aspects of our life. And to be fair, there's a lot of organized opposition and strategies to create polarization to create misinformation. There's a lot happening all at the same time. Dan Seguin  25:43 Okay, let me ask you this, what effect does it have to all be on the same page? Amber Bennett  25:51 I often give the analogy of an orchestra, right, where we all have the same song sheet, but we're all playing different instruments. And part of that is, you know, there is a role for the government in setting regulation. And there's a role for activists and advocates to be, you know, opening up new possibilities, holding governments and corporations to account. But actually, we also need businesses to be building out the products and the services and the and the things that we'll be using in our lives. And you need all of these different actors operating all at the same time. And, you know, to live, I guess, within an ecosystem, so I'm very skeptical of how one message is the efficacy of one message, I think that really what is helpful is if people are exposed to and have the ability to make meaning out of climate change, and out of energy transition through many different parts of their lives, and they actually have many different avenues to talk about it and to create, you know, a shared understanding of what they want for their future, or where we're going. Dan Seguin  27:23 Let's move to electrification, and renewable energy. Cool? These are important pieces of the world's response to climate change. For those in the energy sector who have a direct relationship with electricity consumers, is there a certain messaging that we should be sharing with our audiences? Amber Bennett  27:47 Such a great question. I might change, I might have a different thought while I'm making a cup of tea, you know, in a couple of hours from now. But I think that there is a very, goes back to the question that we talked about with literacy. And also goes back to some of the things I mentioned around people needing to have a sense of control in their lives. Right. So what we know from the research is that people's motivation to do something as a whole has a lot less to do with their perception of risk than it does there because their perception of their ability to act, and that that action will make a difference. What people really, I would say, based on all the things that I look at and read and whatnot, want is a place to act that makes sense. And that is relevant to their lives. So I think for folks who work in electrification, work in renewable energy, a part of what we need right now is both to fill in all of the pixels around, like, where are we going? What is this going to look like in my daily life? What are the things that make sense for me to do right now? And how are the things that I'm doing making a difference within, you know, the broader community that I know and love and want to make sure it's safe and prosperous? And all of those things? So I think what we're, what we need, in part, are those people who are responsible for infrastructure, for services, for that kind of daily life to start filling in the pixels of what is this going to mean? Because people get a little stuck on, like, blind faith. We're just going to hand it over and other people make decisions. People want to have a conversation. They want to have a space where they can kind of create a shared understanding, right, like a public imagination of like, where are we going? And what's it going to be like when we get there? And what is it going to need in my daily life? And so I think that there's that part, like, what is this going to look like? And then I think the other part is, what are you asking me to do? And how is it gonna make a difference? For me and for my community, Canadians are very generous, right? They're willing to do stuff, even if it doesn't benefit them, if they really believe that it'll, you know, benefit the broader community or collective good, they'll step up. But I would argue that we haven't done a really good job of giving people tangible, practical, relevant things that do make a difference. Neither have we done a great job of filling out the vision of what this is gonna look like, right? It's kind of a little bit like a cliff at the moment, right? We're all going to transition to renewables. And we haven't filled in, what is that actually going to look like? Right? Am I going to have a gas station at the end of my street? I don't know. What is it going to look like? That's what I would say is storytelling, right? What's the story of what this is? How is this going to happen? And what it will look like when we get there. Dan Seguin  31:27 Okay, Amber. I'm not sure if you're aware, but Hydro Ottawa has committed to being net zero by 2030. Does this kind of messaging resonate with the general public? Are there best practices in how to communicate this type of message in order to influence and maybe even promote change in our community? Amber Bennett  31:51 Well, I would say if we kind of got back to, you know, when we think about Canadians, right, so I think that you've got a little section of folks who sit on one end, who net zero by 2030 makes a lot of sense. They understand what Net Zero is, they understand why you've chosen 2030. They understand what getting to net zero, you know, even means, however, it's likely that a section of those people are kind of skeptical. Why? Because they've been hearing a lot of targets, and not a lot of action, you know, for many, many decades. And then, so that's, you know, that one group, right, we start to see kind of dropping, you know, belief that, you know, it's possible, or that's going to happen. And then you have that whole other group in the middle that I was talking about, where net zero means absolutely nothing. The word the language, net zero means, you know, I'm being a little bit brutal, but it's true, right, where net zero doesn't really mean a whole lot. And, and neither does 2030, or the importance of it. And I think, you know, I sitting in a boardroom or a meeting room the other day, and we're talking about targets, and it really struck me when the person on the other side said, we know that this is ambitious, and we know that it's impossible, but we have to say it, because it's actually what science requires of us. These are not a political target, it's actually a scientific target, that we need to reduce emissions by this amount by this period in time, even if we'll never get there. That's what science requires of us. So I think all that to say, targets, I think are very helpful for administrators, for policy makers, for business leaders, etc. To help, you know, turn the ship, and to help start getting the kind of resourcing and planning and whatnot in place. But for the general public, what they actually want is what we were just talking about, tell me where we're going and tell me what I have to do. And tell me why it makes a difference. Dan Seguin  34:17 Cool, Amber. You were a co-author on an incredibly helpful document entitled, climate messaging that works, talking about energy transition and climate change in Canada, which outlines the concept of message triangle. For me, it was a simple takeaway that could be immediately implemented into any communications surrounding climate change. Could you share the coles note of the message triangle with our listeners? Amber Bennett  34:50 I can, and I would love to. And I suspect that, you know, there'll be parts of what I'm about to say that begin to resonate with some of the past things that I've said or are connected to. So really in a triangle, the underlying principle is that we're trying to create a whole story or a whole narrative for people. And that has a lot to do with how human beings and how we have evolved and how we make sense of the world, we make sense of the world through narrative and through stories. And so when we just give people one piece of something, it doesn't satisfy the way that we have been trained. Since, you know, the, since the beginning to kind of make sense of the world. So what we want to do is we want to give people a challenge that has to either be overcome, or that we're at risk of losing something. So there's a challenge, there's a choice that we have right now that we need to make. And then there's an opportunity. And if we can hit each piece of that triangle, what we're doing is we're creating a whole story for people, which allows them to make sense of why are you taking my time? And why should I listen to you? So you know, as an example, when we talk about the challenge, you know, part of this is really, I think, being more clear about the cause of climate change. But also, what are some of the challenges that we're seeing, that are related to climate change within our communities? You know, I was listening to a CBC program the other day, and there's an entire community in Newfoundland, that's actually moving back from the water. And this is, you know, after the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona and whatnot. So, you know, some of the challenges that we're seeing, what's the challenge that we're trying to overcome? And ideally, I would, right size that at a community scale, right? So people feel overwhelmed when it's my personal individual problem. But if we can begin to talk about this as a community challenge, then people are much more likely to engage because they don't feel like doing it all on their own. Similarly, a choice, right, as communicators, if we're talking specifically to communicators, we often leave out the choice at the moment, what is the call to action? What are you actually trying? What are you asking someone to do? Is it voted a certain way? Is it a conversation? If it takes a particular action, we need something, there's some sort of choice, and there's some sort of action that has to create tension within this story, right? All good stories have a choice that has to be made by the main, you know, character, and then the opportunity. And I think, you know, part of what I've been talking about around, where are we going? What's it going to look like when we get there is that opportunity. So if we're talking about the challenge, is, you know, we're seeing increasing extreme weather, that's because of burning fossil fuels and pollution, the trapping blanket, our choice right now is we need to electrify and that means building infrastructure, the opportunity that we have is at a community scale, both for you know, ourselves and and for others. This kind of, you know, whatever might be the relevance of it right, we'll have a more dependable electricity supply. You know, if we're all in EVs, and we have backup, you know, batteries in our cars, when the power goes out, you know, you've got a little mini generator that you can draw on that gives you electricity, you know, through the storm or something, whatever it might look like. But that's the point is that we're trying to create a full picture for people. We want to talk about, what's the challenge? What's the choice? And what's the opportunity on the other side? Dan Seguin  39:22 Now, climate change has been a hot topic for oh, God, at least 20 years now. Are there any challenges with keeping an audience engaged and interested for so long? Amber Bennett  39:36 Yeah, there's actually a woman out of the States who wrote an article. Her name is Suzanne Moser. And it's something I'm going to botch the title but it's something like, you know, Climate Communications 20 Years Later: What Have We Really Learned? And I think that in fairness, I think we've learned a lot, right? I think most people understand that it's more complicated than just giving people a brochure at this point. And I think that in 20 years, we've done a much better job of crystallizing, what is it that we need to do? However, there's also been 20 years of misinformation, 20 years of broken plans and not, you know, unachieved targets etc. And I was chatting with a woman the other day and, and she's like, because I kind of feel like forest fires and floods and hurricanes are doing the job that we used to do, you know, which is creating alarm and concern and demonstrating like, this is real. And it's a big problem. So I think in 20 years, we've had 20 years more of all of that. But we haven't, you know, but, but rather, I would say the job now in this moment, is the pathway, right? And giving people that kind of those choices, that control, and that sense of agency, that they can do something about it. And we need to get on with the action part, right. So we can't leave people in just concern. Because our minds can only hold so much anxiety and concern at one time, amongst all of the other things that we're concerned and anxious about, you know, climate change is just, you know, even more dreadful, particularly, I think, for younger people. So we can't, you know, people can only stay there for so long before they start to kind of check out because, as I go back, you know, I kind of mentioned it in the beginning. It's like our sense of whether or not we or our sense of motivation, or motivation to act has a lot more to do with our sense of being able to do something about it, rather than the risk that it that it proposes or that it is, so yeah. So, I would say the challenges of keeping people interested or if you can't give them something to do, then, you know, at a certain point, you kind of have to just check out of the conversation until, you know, you get clear about what are you asking me, and I think that this kind of anxiety is a real problem. And so the road for them, this moment really requires us to get much more clear about where we're going in the pathway forward. Dan Seguin  42:52 Okay, Amber, we always end our interviews with some rapid fire questions, and we've got a few for you. Are you ready? Amber Bennett  43:00 Ready to go? Okay, Dan Seguin  43:03 What are you reading right now? Amber Bennett  43:05 Wine Witch on Fire by Natalie Maclean, I think. Dan Seguin  43:09 Okay, now, what would you name your boat? If you had one, maybe you do. Maybe you don't. Amber Bennett  43:17 I don't have one. And it would be a miracle if I ever have one. So I'm going to name it a Miracle. Dan Seguin  43:24 Who is someone that you truly admire? Amber Bennett  43:28 This is kind of really out of left field, but I'm gonna go with it. So during COVID, there was a woman named Trinny Woodall who used to do What Not To Wear on the BBC. It was like one of the original kinds of reality programs, like one of those. And, you know, I'd love to be more philosophical than this. But I admire her because her whole... a) she works so hard, but also she just wants to make women of a certain age or any woman just feel good. And I really just admire someone whose life and business and purpose is really just trying to make other people see the goodness in themselves or to feel better about themselves. So she's, and she's also for any one who's interested. I mean, a social media magician, like she's, she's magic in terms of what she did. She started during COVID and kind of as a comms person, like, Yeah, amazing. Kind of how she has set herself up as an influencer. Dan Seguin  44:42 Okay, Amber, what is the closest thing to real magic that you've witnessed? Amber Bennett  44:51 Magic? Yeah, this is hard. Okay, so just bear with me. Great start! This is not as rapid as you probably want. I'm moving houses. I bought a house. And there were two moments in like, one was do I put an offer in? Or do we put an offer in? And then there was another moment, kind of later on. And in both cases, I was about to say, I was going to pull back and say no, you know, I'm not going to go forward with it. And I kid you not, in that moment, the wind picked up. So in one case, I was outside and the wind picked up and got very, very strong where I was standing. So the first time you know, you can kind of blow it off. It's like, oh, yeah, okay, whatever. That was weird. But it happened twice. It happened a second time. And then the second time where I was, you know, kind of stuck. And, you know, wanting to retreat and I got a little, you know, scared about, you know, kind of taking the leap. And in that second time, the same thing happened, where the winds picked up, and they got a little bit stronger around me. And then they calmed down afterwards. And not in a like, oh, I kind of feel like no, it's kind of little, you know, it was very dramatic. And so anyways, I move houses tomorrow, so I'm gonna just put that out to magic. Not quite sure. It doesn't make a lot of logical sense. Why? Why did we do it? But we're there now. Dan Seguin  46:26 Now, what has been the biggest challenge to you personally, since the pandemic began? Amber Bennett  46:32 Yeah, I'm, like so many parents. And I would argue women in particular, the double bind of having to take care of kids as though I don't work. And work even though I don't have kids. And I think for a lot of parents that was the impossible situation and I don't feel that that's really gone away. Dan Seguin  47:02 This next one I always enjoy. What have you been watching a lot more of on Netflix or TV lately? What's your favorite? In other words, you know, what's your favorite movie or TV show? Amber Bennett  47:17 I love the Peaky Blinders. And I've gone back and I've watched certain episodes again, just because they're so delicious with the costumes and the characters and the whole thing. I'm, yeah, totally enthralled. Yeah, love it.  Okay.Now, lastly, what is exciting you about your industry right now. Um, I think that if anyone were to see my email inbox, they'd be very surprised at, you know, I think communion policy was the king for so long. And I think finally, we're at the point where we're beginning to understand that the public has to be on board, the public actually needs to have informed consent about so many of these choices. And we need a social mandate to ensure that climate action is the third rail, right? You know, if you're going to be a leader in this country, or business operating in this country, then you need to be a climate leader, and you need to be a climate business, it has to be fundamental to all of the decisions that you make, and how you and how you operate. Because science doesn't give us any other choice at this moment. So that's, so I think, the kind of realization that we can have all the technology and all the policy that we want, but if people aren't on board, then it's never going to happen. And so I get to work with very interesting people, unexpected from all walks of life, and you know, different sectors who are beginning to understand that, really, this is something we're going to work on until all of us and those beyond. For many generations, yeah. Dan Seguin  49:12 Now, if our listeners want to learn more about you, Amber, or your organization, how can they connect? Amber Bennett  49:18 Yeah, well, easiest is to go to our website, so Re.Climate, so that's reclimate.ca. And folks can sign up there if they want to, you know, make sure that they get more information on events, and we do lots of, you know, webinars and talks and we release reports and, and whatnot. So that's a great thing to do. And I'm on LinkedIn, and I'm always happy to connect with people on LinkedIn. So Amber Bennett, and I also share lots of things there. that I find interesting. Dan Seguin  49:59 Well, Amber. This is it. We've reached the end of another episode of the thinkenergy podcast. Thank you so much for joining me today. I hope you had a lot of fun. Amber Bennett  50:08 Yeah. Great questions. Great chat. And thank you. Dan Seguin  50:14 Cheers. Thanks for tuning in for another episode of the thinkenergy podcast. Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a review wherever you're listening. And to find out more about today's guests or previous episodes, visit thinkenergypodcast.com I hope you will join us again next time as we spark even more conversations about the energy of tomorrow.

A bit of my early morning thoughts from Grand Manan Island Canada during my first adventure at 40. Hurricane Fiona raged around us and set the tone for quite the adventure.

Hurricane Fiona in 2022 prompted us to reflect on the state of climate change on the Island. Join Daniel McRae, Lead Researcher at MacPhail Woods, and Matthew McRae, Executive Director of the Museum & Heritage Foundation as they discuss the many natural (or human) disasters that happened on PEI. Spoiler: brace yourself for a stormy future. Features guest interviews: Dr. Douglas Sobey, Peter Nishimura (Government of PEI - EECA), Donald Jardine (UPEI Climate Lab), Kate MacQuarrie (Government of PEI - EECA), Stuart Hickox (Tree Stories PEI) 

Eine Ferienanlage in Schweden, ein exklusives Guesthouse am Meer in Kanada und Bungalows für Reptilienfreunde in Griechenland. Mit diesen grossen Plänen haben die Schweizer Auswanderer ihre Heimat verlassen. Wie geht es ihnen heute? Das zeigt «Auf und davon – Ein Jahr danach». In Schweden übernahm Familie Rotzler eine alte Ferienanlage mitten im Wald. Nach einem Jahr scheint der Gästebetrieb zu laufen, doch immer wieder stehen für Jonas Reparatur- und Renovationsarbeiten an. Hinzu kommt: Sabrina ist hochschwanger und erwartet bald das vierte Kind. Probleme ohne Ende hatten Barbara Hasenböhler und Thomas Range in Kanada. Ihre riesige Villa direkt am Meer bauten sie in ein exklusives Guesthouse um. Nach einer erfolgreichen Saison mit vielen begeisterten Gästen zieht Hurricane Fiona über Prince Edward Island. Innert Stunden ist ihr Betrieb schwer beschädigt. Mit 24 Giftschlangen und 41 Schildkröten wanderten Anita Thomi und Alain Aegerter nach Griechenland aus. Kaum angekommen, zerstörte ein Waldbrand ihr Wohnhaus. Anstatt aufzugeben, begannen die beiden, das Haus wieder aufzubauen. Nach einem Winter in der unbeschädigten Garage können sie endlich ihr neues Heim beziehen. Doch wie steht es mit den Ferienhäuschen für Reptilienfreunde, die sie eigentlich bauen wollten? Erstausstrahlung: 01.01.2024

Barbara Hasenböhler und Thomas Range haben 2020 ein grosses Anwesen auf Prince Edward Island im Osten Kanadas gekauft. Mit viel Herzblut haben sie die Traumvilla direkt am Meer zu einem Hotel umgebaut. Doch die Auswanderung beginnt mit einem Drama. Barbara Hasenböhler und Thomas Range haben auf einer Rundreise durch Kanada die Insel Prince Edward Island entdeckt. Barbara Hasenböhler mag sich noch gut an den ersten Moment erinnern: «Ich ging damals von der Fähre und fühlte mich sofort pudelwoh!» Die beiden hatten Glück und kauften eine Traumvilla direkt am Meer. Doch die Pandemie macht dem Paar 2020 einen Strich durch die Rechnung. Die beiden sind auf dem Sprung nach Kanada, als das Land die Grenze dicht macht. Über ein Jahr sitzen die beiden in der Schweiz fest. Von da aus beginnen sie mit dem Umbau ihres Anwesens, das ein exklusives Guesthouse werden soll. Steiniger Weg  Als sie endlich in Kanada ankommen, wird Barbaras Kämpfernatur erneut auf die Probe gestellt. Die Baubewilligung verzögert sich und gute Handwerker sind rar. Als der Umbau endlich läuft, bricht sie sich die 47-Jährige auch noch einen Knöchel. Im September fegt Hurricane Fiona über die Insel. Auch die Villa wird in Mitleidenschaft gezogen und muss wieder renoviert werden, sagt Barbara Hasenböhler: «Wir müssen praktisch alle Fenster ersetzten und auch die Dachziegel neu legen.» Trotzdem hat sie ihre positive Einstellung nicht verloren: «Wir sind glücklich hier und haben viel Herzblut in unser Projekt gesteckt. Auch diese Hürde werden schaffen!»

What role do communicators play in motivating change? Specifically, how can they move their audiences to take action against climate change? In thinkenergy episode 122, we delve into the world of climate communication with Amber Bennett, Deputy Director of Re.Climate. Explore the driving forces, opportunities, and challenges of inspiring climate action—from bridging research to practise to empowering change. Listen in for an insightful conversation on shaping a sustainable future.   Related links   Amber Bennet on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abennettyyc/  Re.Climate: https://reclimate.ca/  Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: https://www.ipcc.ch/ To subscribe using Apple Podcasts:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thinkenergy/id1465129405   To subscribe using Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7wFz7rdR8Gq3f2WOafjxpl   To subscribe on Libsyn: http://thinkenergy.libsyn.com/ --- Subscribe so you don't miss a video: https://www.youtube.com/user/hydroottawalimited   Check out our cool pics on https://www.instagram.com/hydroottawa   More to Learn on https://www.facebook.com/HydroOttawa   Keep up with the Tweets on X (formerly Twitter) https://twitter.com/thinkenergypod --------------- Transcript: Dan Seguin  00:06 This is ThinkEnergy, the podcast that helps you better understand the fast changing world of energy through conversations with game changers, industry leaders, and influencers. So join me, Dan Seguin, as I explore both traditional and unconventional facets of the energy industry. Hey, everyone, welcome back. Did you scroll through the news this morning? How many of those articles that you skim covered a topic related to climate change? I guess it was probably a few. It seems. Every couple of weeks there's a new story dominating the headlines about forest fires, hurricanes, floods, heatwaves, and more, both here in Canada and abroad. We are seeing firsthand the effects of climate change and As consumers, we are receiving information about it. Everywhere we look. Have you ever thought about how you are being communicated to? How is climate change presented? What wording was used? And why? And are their calls to action? How does it make you feel? think not only about news articles you read, but also about documentaries, podcasts, Hollywood movies, right down to your everyday life. Think about the newsletter you receive from your municipality. The assembly instruction on the last piece of furniture you purchase, or this section on your favorite clothing brand, website about their sustainable practice, communications surrounding climate change are pretty much everywhere and the need to be. In June of 2021, the Canadian government introduced the Canadian net zero emission Accountability Act, which puts into legislation Canada's commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. Different companies across the country are making their commitment, much like we did in 2022, when we committed to leading the way to a Smart Energy Future by becoming net zero by 2030. The push on to stop the damaging pollution emitted into the environment on a daily basis, namely caused by burning fossil fuels. Scientists are urging that this is crunch time. So if you haven't already, now is the time to hone in on how and what you are communicating to your customers. So here is today's big question. What role do communicators play in motivating change within their audiences to take action against climate change? Our guest today is Amber Bennett, Deputy Director of Re Climate, Canada's first climate communications and Engagement Center. This new organization launched in 2022 brings together Canada's leading climate communication academics and practitioners, and aims to help communicators create strategies that inspire the public to support climate action. Amber is one of Canada's top climate communication strategists and capacity builder who works with groups across the country bridging gaps between research and practice. She led the groundbreaking Alberta narrative project and supported much of the foundational work to pilot and build reclaim it. Amber, thank you for joining us today.   Amber Bennett  03:54 Thank you for having me.   Dan Seguin  03:56 Amber, maybe you can start by telling us a bit about yourself and Re Climate How did you get into climate communications? How did Re Climate come to be and what does it aim to achieve?   Amber Bennett  04:09 Okay, I'll try to hold all of those questions at once. Well, I am based in Calgary, Alberta, which may seem like an unlikely place for some for the executive director of a Canadian organization or Canadian center focused on climate communications and engagement at Carleton University. But that's where I live with my family. And what to say? Yeah, I mean, I think I've been circling around climate communications for a very, very long time. You know, the the mind has a funny way of making sense of things in retrospect, but I started with a Bachelor of Science and then I moved on to a public relations degree and then I worked with the mayor of Calgary on the one of the I forget which numbered cop, but it was a Copenhagen. And I think that was really the first time I began to think about what, what is climate change and had a certain kind of exposure to the, to the, you know what the challenge was and what not. And when I saw I kind of went on, and I did a master's degree. And it was when I had needed to choose a topic for my master's degree when there was the catastrophic flooding here in Calgary. And there is this, like, amazing paradox where the, you know, Calgary Stampede, which is the epitome, I would say, of the, you know, kind of old boys club. And when that happened, when the floods happened, their motto was come hell or high water come hell or high water, they were going to, you know, produce the show. And at the same time, one of the readings I was doing as a part of my master's program was also titled come hell or high water. And it was really about the science of climate change, and why it is making it so difficult. Why is it so difficult for humans to kind of wrap our heads around it. So fast forward, I completed a master's, and then did a series of really interesting projects. I did some work with a group out of the UK called Climate outreach, which is focused on climate communications and engagement as well. And then started working with a group of people here in Canada to set up a similar center or similar organization that would focus on supporting climate communicators, helping to kind of bring together the research that was happening, as well as the practice. And so that's really why Re Climate it is set up to do, we're really dedicated towards advancing the practice of climate communications and engagement through research, training, offering resources, pulling resources together, strategy, and developing strategy with other types of practitioners, as well as convening networks of both scholars, as well as those people who are kind of out there in the real world doing campaigning and advocacy work and trying to, you know, communicate with citizens and whatnot. So, that's kind of where we're at.   Dan Seguin  07:34 Now, Amber, it sounds like Re Climate, is a very diversified organization that brings together experts in social science, Public Affairs, and science. What kind of professionals work together in this environment? And what does it each bring to the table?   Amber Bennett  07:55 Love this question. So Re Climate brings together I think I've said it research and practice. And so you have those practitioners who may be doing public engagement campaigns, they may be working for utilities, they may be working in local governments or other kinds of government, they might also be working in advocacy organizations. And so they often don't have the time, or I would argue the luxury of going into, you know, latest academic journals, or even, you know, kind of other thought leaders who are publishing in the field. Why? Because they're busy, they're doing the work. And so, you know, that kind of takes a lot of time to kind of go in and look at the research, track it down, make sense of it? They're also, I would argue, very few who have the time to do an evaluation, like after they've done something, what did we learn from it? You know, What, did we make a difference? You know, what kind of impact are we having, and similarly, just getting together with other folks, right, and talking about it and sharing what they're learning. So that's kind of on the practitioner's side. And so, you know, when we say we bring or convene networks of people together, we're really trying to do that, you know, we're trying to provide resources, synthesize, you know, research, both, perhaps, you know, it's public polling, or maybe it's social science, you know, what's happening in in, that's relevant, but also bringing people together to share with each other and learn with each other. So that's kind of that practitioner side. And, you know, there's also, I would say, sometimes a culture where people feel like they're competing with each other, you know, certainly within the charitable sector. So kind of, I think, for those folks who are coming in, who are kind of in the field, having that support and someone who's doing In the work on their behalf to kind of make sense of synthesize, pull it in together like yours, your five tips here, the things you need to do. That's extremely helpful. And then on the flip side, I think for researchers, you know, they're, they're kind of passionate, there's a reason why they're there thinking or trying to understand, you know, how to better engage people, or what's the right framing, or what are the values or whatever it is, because they're passionate about it. So by being able to kind of bridge from the practitioner world into a more academic or into a research field, we're able to just give people real world challenges. It's like, here's why practitioners are actually struggling with, you're an expert in this, please talk to us about it, or please, you know, this is the kind of information that they need. So, you know, kind of the practitioners, I would say, Bring the complexity of the real world, right, that we're dealing with real people, resource constraints, you know, various kinds of issues and whatnot, whereas researchers bring the kind of precision of being able to look at something with a whole body of understanding behind them to be able to kind of see, well, here's what may be operating within this situation, here's what we know about it. And here are some other kinds of interventions or approaches that we might be able to take. I don't know if that exactly answers your question. Maybe the scientists part, I would say they bring the public trust. Right. So whenever we're polling, you know, consistently, scientists come up on top as having high levels of public trust on climate and energy transition. And so I think that they bring that kind of authenticity. And, you know, they're not there, they're often unpolitical, right? They're not seem to be benefiting, you know, personally from talking about it. So they're really effective messengers.   Dan Seguin  11:57 Wondering if you can share some insight into what the average Canadian's knowledge on climate change is? How much do they know about the main causes and the path forward?   Amber Bennett  12:14 Well, I would say that Canadians probably know a lot about climate change. But what we measure, it's a little bit different. So when, and I would encourage folks to take a look at some of the reports that we have published on ReClimate.ca The one that I'm, you know, I kind of go back to was published this year, or maybe it was last year. But within these reports, we basically look across 65, or more, either private or publicly available surveys, or public polls or whatnot, and we kind of do it a roll up of okay, so it's not just one survey that has said, this is multiple surveys that are showing kind of trends and themes in in where the Canadian beliefs or attitudes or or mindsets are. So when you do that, and when we looked across, you know, 65, or so what you can see is, is that, even though you have the majority of Canadians that would say yes, climate change is real, and it is happening, almost half of them attribute both natural and manmade causes, you know, attribute the cause of climate change due to natural causes as well as as manmade. And so why is that important, is because when we get into the conversations around solutions, then without the kind of foundational understanding that burning fossil fuels creates pollution, which creates a heat trapping blanket, which is heating our planet, and causing all of these extreme weather events and natural disasters that we're seeing. Without that kind of clear understanding that burning fossil fuels is the cause of climate change. And when you get into the solutions, and what people actually have to do about it, the conversations a bit more, there's a lot of confusion, or there's a lot of room for confusion, which is kind of what we're seeing and I can talk a little bit more about that. So you know, I spend a lot of time in focus groups, and this kind of conversation comes up. So when we talk about solutions in the path forward, you talk about climate change, and you start to have discussions around what you are doing, you know, recycling will often come up, plastics will often come up. There's a whole kind of suite of things that people are doing, but very few people are able to name a particular policy or real intervention that you know, that will address some of the root causes. And we people on this podcast may not be like, Hey, why really. But you know, there are a lot of different people and for many climate change, even though they may be living within the impacts are the, you know, experiencing in their daily lives, they have many other kinds of concerns and priorities that are happening at the same time. So what I would say is that Canadians believe that climate change is happening, there is at least half that are uncertain, or would attribute it to both natural causes, and manmade causes. This kind of understanding of burning fossil fuels, the trapping blanket, you know, that's not well understood by many. And so they're kind of subsequently stopping burning fossil fuels, as a path forward isn't clear, as it could be, or, or should be at this point in time. And maybe the other thing I if you, if you'll let me, the other thing I would say is, is that, you know, Canadians consistently report, when you ask them very high levels of concern about climate change, right? Most people can see forest fires, you know, that's how we are making sense of what climate changes. It is through these kinds of experiences, either directly, or our experiences of seeing, you know, extreme weather and natural disasters. So people are expressing very high levels of concern. But if you ask, unprompted, what are you know, what are the issues that you're most concerned about? It often will address climate change as mentioned Much, much farther down on the list. Right. So, affordability and access to health care, cost of living, housing, there are many other issues that people are faced with and dealing with in their day to day lives.   Dan Seguin  17:18 Okay, see the term movable middle mentioned in reports and on the reclaimed site, what is the movable middle? And why is it so important?   Amber Bennett  17:34 Great question. And I feel compelled to say that I think that term movable metal is used differently by different people. I think within the context of, you know, the work that we do, it kind of comes out of, you know, some of the themes that I was talking about in the last in in the last question or last answer. It's this idea that, you know, people are kind of undecided. Or they're conflicted about an issue. So they could move either one way or the other, but they're not at the moment. oppositional? Right. So if you think about, you know, a broader population, there is a segment, you know, of Canadians, whose identities are really built around the idea that they don't believe in climate change. They're not going to support, you know, climate action and whatnot. There's also on the other side, a whole group of Canadians whose identity is built around me. I'm a climate activist, and I'm a climate advocate. And you know, and I'm an environmentalist, and so they're on the other side, but most of us just kind of live in the middle. Some are more well informed than others. But for the most part, people are concerned, right in the middle. They have they, you know, when they ask, yes, we want the government to act, we are highly supportive of it. But when it comes down to it, it's this tension around the fact that because they may not be well informed, or not thinking about this, they have many competing priorities. You're kind of undecided, or sometimes they're just conflicted about an issue. Right? Because on the one hand, as an example, yeah, I think we absolutely need renewable energy. We need lots of, you know, solar panels, I just don't want them in my house, or we need lots of, you know, solar, renewable solar farms. I just don't want them all over the landscape that I cherish from my childhood. So there are many things that you know are underneath that are operating underneath for people that kind of create some conflict for them. So people, when we talk About the movable metal, really, I think what's important is to acknowledge that most people are concerned. They want when they support action, but they're undecided, potentially about one particular aspect or issue of it. Or there's some other kind of thing that's happening for them that's creating a conflict. Or they're kind of uninformed. So, you know, I think that you know, why an example? Or rather, I'll back up that uninformed piece is particularly important right now, as we see more and more kinds of organized misinformation and disinformation. Right. So as an example, when I'm in focus groups, I can predict with very, you know, a lot of certainty, what are some of the kinds of key narratives that are coming to the surface where people are kind of undecided? One of them might be, well, EV batteries are actually worse, you know, for the environment than, you know, driving a car, or there's no way that we're going to be able to electrify everything the grids can't support. Or it may be that solar panels actually create more emissions when you produce them than they save in their lifetime. So these kinds of things that are very dominant are kind of recurring pieces of information. And when people who are not thinking about this a lot or deeply, as much as maybe you were, I are people who are listening to this. So when people encounter these, this kind of information or confusion about what are the actual solutions? They really don't know what to think. Right? So like a third of us sit within that category, right? If I actually don't know how to make sense of the information that I'm hearing, right, and I don't trust so much of it. Because I know that, you know, I know about misinformation, I know that I shouldn't be, you know, you know, trusting everything that I hear, etc. So that's kind of the deal with the movable middle, right? So they believe climate change is real and not climate deniers. They just may be conflicted or undecided, or just not, you know, as informed because they're not thinking about it on a daily basis.   Dan Seguin  22:32 Now Amber, why is it important for the average communicator, like those in the energy sector, for example, to better understand the strategy behind climate change communications?   Amber Bennett  22:45 Yeah, um, I think because climate change is a super wicked problem, and is really complicated. And maybe me rambling on for the past 20 minutes might give folks a sense of the things that, you know, we were trying to think about and grapple with all at the same time. And so I would say that, in other cases, although arguably, I would argue that information, probably doesn't work it in on any issue. But what we do know, is just giving people information, they're not, you know, people can't reason their way into kind of behavior change. So, you know, we live within systems. You know, we live within communities where, you know, we're surrounded by friends and family, we see ourselves as kind of certain types of people. There are all of these kinds of social needs and emotional needs that humans bring to the table, that climate change communications, and I would argue, probably any good communications needs to attend to. So this sense of belonging, right, so I belong to a community. Other people like me think and act this way, or I expect other people like me to think and act this way. Being able to understand even what the problem is can kind of create shared understanding so that people who are making decisions aren't making decisions that don't consider you that kind of shared understanding peace. People need a sense of efficacy, control in their lives, they need some agency, they just don't need someone making all these decisions on their behalf without any involvement. You know, people want to be good people. And to be able to ask questions and to challenge things that are going to impact their lives without being dismissed as a climate denier or shamed or whatnot. And people trust others for different reasons, right. So scientists are highly tuned lasts. politicians aren't big corporations aren't, right. But the ones who are often leading this conversation in public are big corporations and politicians. So all of those are the things that we need to attend to when we think about, you know, climate communications, and because it's such a complicated problem, and extends to so many aspects of our life. And to be fair, there's a lot of organized opposition and strategies to create polarization to create misinformation. There's a lot happening all at the same time.   Dan Seguin  25:43 Okay, let me ask you this, what effect does it have to all be on the same page?   Amber Bennett  25:51 I often give the analogy of an orchestra, right, where we all have the same song sheet, but we're all playing different instruments. And part of that is, you know, there is a role for the government in setting regulation. And there's a role for activists and advocates to be, you know, opening up new possibilities, holding governments and corporations to account. But actually, we also need businesses to be building out the products and the services and the and the things that we'll be using in our lives. And you need all of these different actors operating all at the same time. And, you know, to live, I guess, within an ecosystem, so I'm very skeptical of how one message is the efficacy of one message, I think that really what is helpful is if people are exposed to and have the ability to make meaning out of climate change, and out of energy transition through many different parts of their lives, and they actually have many different avenues to talk about it and to create, you know, a shared understanding of what they want for their future, or where we're going.   Dan Seguin  27:23 Let's move to electrification, and renewable energy. Cool? These are important pieces of the world's response to climate change. For those in the energy sector who have a direct relationship with electricity consumers, is there a certain messaging that we should be sharing with our audiences?   Amber Bennett  27:47 Such a great question. I might change, I might have a different thought while I'm making a cup of tea, you know, in a couple of hours from now. But I think that there is a very, goes back to the question that we talked about with literacy. And also goes back to some of the things I mentioned around people needing to have a sense of control in their lives. Right. So what we know from the research is that people's motivation to do something as a whole has a lot less to do with their perception of risk than it does there because their perception of their ability to act, and that that action will make a difference. What people really, I would say, based on all the things that I look at and read and whatnot, want is a place to act that makes sense. And that is relevant to their lives. So I think for folks who work in electrification, work in renewable energy, a part of what we need right now is both to fill in all of the pixels around, like, where are we going? What is this going to look like in my daily life? What are the things that make sense for me to do right now? And how are the things that I'm doing making a difference within, you know, the broader community that I know and love and want to make sure it's safe and prosperous? And all of those things? So I think what we're, what we need, in part, are those people who are responsible for infrastructure, for services, for that kind of daily life to start filling in the pixels of what is this going to mean? Because people get a little stuck on, like, blind faith. We're just going to hand it over and other people make decisions. People want to have a conversation. They want to have a space where they can kind of create a shared understanding, right, like a public imagination of like, where are we going? And what's it going to be like when we get there? And what is it going to need in my daily life? And so I think that there's that part, like, what is this going to look like? And then I think the other part is, what are you asking me to do? And how is it gonna make a difference? For me and for my community, Canadians are very generous, right? They're willing to do stuff, even if it doesn't benefit them, if they really believe that it'll, you know, benefit the broader community or collective good, they'll step up. But I would argue that we haven't done a really good job of giving people tangible, practical, relevant things that do make a difference. Neither have we done a great job of filling out the vision of what this is gonna look like, right? It's kind of a little bit like a cliff at the moment, right? We're all going to transition to renewables. And we haven't filled in, what is that actually going to look like? Right? Am I going to have a gas station at the end of my street? I don't know. What is it going to look like? That's what I would say is storytelling, right? What's the story of what this is? How is this going to happen? And what it will look like when we get there.   Dan Seguin  31:27 Okay, Amber. I'm not sure if you're aware, but Hydro Ottawa has committed to being net zero by 2030. Does this kind of messaging resonate with the general public? Are there best practices in how to communicate this type of message in order to influence and maybe even promote change in our community?   Amber Bennett  31:51 Well, I would say if we kind of got back to, you know, when we think about Canadians, right, so I think that you've got a little section of folks who sit on one end, who net zero by 2030 makes a lot of sense. They understand what Net Zero is, they understand why you've chosen 2030. They understand what getting to net zero, you know, even means, however, it's likely that a section of those people are kind of skeptical. Why? Because they've been hearing a lot of targets, and not a lot of action, you know, for many, many decades. And then, so that's, you know, that one group, right, we start to see kind of dropping, you know, belief that, you know, it's possible, or that's going to happen. And then you have that whole other group in the middle that I was talking about, where net zero means absolutely nothing. The word the language, net zero means, you know, I'm being a little bit brutal, but it's true, right, where net zero doesn't really mean a whole lot. And, and neither does 2030, or the importance of it. And I think, you know, I sitting in a boardroom or a meeting room the other day, and we're talking about targets, and it really struck me when the person on the other side said, we know that this is ambitious, and we know that it's impossible, but we have to say it, because it's actually what science requires of us. These are not a political target, it's actually a scientific target, that we need to reduce emissions by this amount by this period in time, even if we'll never get there. That's what science requires of us. So I think all that to say, targets, I think are very helpful for administrators, for policy makers, for business leaders, etc. To help, you know, turn the ship, and to help start getting the kind of resourcing and planning and whatnot in place. But for the general public, what they actually want is what we were just talking about, tell me where we're going and tell me what I have to do. And tell me why it makes a difference.   Dan Seguin  34:17 Cool, Amber. You were a co-author on an incredibly helpful document entitled, climate messaging that works, talking about energy transition and climate change in Canada, which outlines the concept of message triangle. For me, it was a simple takeaway that could be immediately implemented into any communications surrounding climate change. Could you share the coles note of the message triangle with our listeners?   Amber Bennett  34:50 I can, and I would love to. And I suspect that, you know, there'll be parts of what I'm about to say that begin to resonate with some of the past things that I've said or are connected to. So really in a triangle, the underlying principle is that we're trying to create a whole story or a whole narrative for people. And that has a lot to do with how human beings and how we have evolved and how we make sense of the world, we make sense of the world through narrative and through stories. And so when we just give people one piece of something, it doesn't satisfy the way that we have been trained. Since, you know, the, since the beginning to kind of make sense of the world. So what we want to do is we want to give people a challenge that has to either be overcome, or that we're at risk of losing something. So there's a challenge, there's a choice that we have right now that we need to make. And then there's an opportunity. And if we can hit each piece of that triangle, what we're doing is we're creating a whole story for people, which allows them to make sense of why are you taking my time? And why should I listen to you? So you know, as an example, when we talk about the challenge, you know, part of this is really, I think, being more clear about the cause of climate change. But also, what are some of the challenges that we're seeing, that are related to climate change within our communities? You know, I was listening to a CBC program the other day, and there's an entire community in Newfoundland, that's actually moving back from the water. And this is, you know, after the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona and whatnot. So, you know, some of the challenges that we're seeing, what's the challenge that we're trying to overcome? And ideally, I would, right size that at a community scale, right? So people feel overwhelmed when it's my personal individual problem. But if we can begin to talk about this as a community challenge, then people are much more likely to engage because they don't feel like doing it all on their own. Similarly, a choice, right, as communicators, if we're talking specifically to communicators, we often leave out the choice at the moment, what is the call to action? What are you actually trying? What are you asking someone to do? Is it voted a certain way? Is it a conversation? If it takes a particular action, we need something, there's some sort of choice, and there's some sort of action that has to create tension within this story, right? All good stories have a choice that has to be made by the main, you know, character, and then the opportunity. And I think, you know, part of what I've been talking about around, where are we going? What's it going to look like when we get there is that opportunity. So if we're talking about the challenge, is, you know, we're seeing increasing extreme weather, that's because of burning fossil fuels and pollution, the trapping blanket, our choice right now is we need to electrify and that means building infrastructure, the opportunity that we have is at a community scale, both for you know, ourselves and and for others. This kind of, you know, whatever might be the relevance of it right, we'll have a more dependable electricity supply. You know, if we're all in EVs, and we have backup, you know, batteries in our cars, when the power goes out, you know, you've got a little mini generator that you can draw on that gives you electricity, you know, through the storm or something, whatever it might look like. But that's the point is that we're trying to create a full picture for people. We want to talk about, what's the challenge? What's the choice? And what's the opportunity on the other side?   Dan Seguin  39:22 Now, climate change has been a hot topic for oh, God, at least 20 years now. Are there any challenges with keeping an audience engaged and interested for so long?   Amber Bennett  39:36 Yeah, there's actually a woman out of the States who wrote an article. Her name is Suzanne Moser. And it's something I'm going to botch the title but it's something like, you know, Climate Communications 20 Years Later: What Have We Really Learned? And I think that in fairness, I think we've learned a lot, right? I think most people understand that it's more complicated than just giving people a brochure at this point. And I think that in 20 years, we've done a much better job of crystallizing, what is it that we need to do? However, there's also been 20 years of misinformation, 20 years of broken plans and not, you know, unachieved targets etc. And I was chatting with a woman the other day and, and she's like, because I kind of feel like forest fires and floods and hurricanes are doing the job that we used to do, you know, which is creating alarm and concern and demonstrating like, this is real. And it's a big problem. So I think in 20 years, we've had 20 years more of all of that. But we haven't, you know, but, but rather, I would say the job now in this moment, is the pathway, right? And giving people that kind of those choices, that control, and that sense of agency, that they can do something about it. And we need to get on with the action part, right. So we can't leave people in just concern. Because our minds can only hold so much anxiety and concern at one time, amongst all of the other things that we're concerned and anxious about, you know, climate change is just, you know, even more dreadful, particularly, I think, for younger people. So we can't, you know, people can only stay there for so long before they start to kind of check out because, as I go back, you know, I kind of mentioned it in the beginning. It's like our sense of whether or not we or our sense of motivation, or motivation to act has a lot more to do with our sense of being able to do something about it, rather than the risk that it that it proposes or that it is, so yeah. So, I would say the challenges of keeping people interested or if you can't give them something to do, then, you know, at a certain point, you kind of have to just check out of the conversation until, you know, you get clear about what are you asking me, and I think that this kind of anxiety is a real problem. And so the road for them, this moment really requires us to get much more clear about where we're going in the pathway forward.   Dan Seguin  42:52 Okay, Amber, we always end our interviews with some rapid fire questions, and we've got a few for you. Are you ready?   Amber Bennett  43:00 Ready to go? Okay,   Dan Seguin  43:03 What are you reading right now?   Amber Bennett  43:05 Wine Witch on Fire by Natalie Maclean, I think.   Dan Seguin  43:09 Okay, now, what would you name your boat? If you had one, maybe you do. Maybe you don't.   Amber Bennett  43:17 I don't have one. And it would be a miracle if I ever have one. So I'm going to name it a Miracle.   Dan Seguin  43:24 Who is someone that you truly admire?   Amber Bennett  43:28 This is kind of really out of left field, but I'm gonna go with it. So during COVID, there was a woman named Trinny Woodall who used to do What Not To Wear on the BBC. It was like one of the original kinds of reality programs, like one of those. And, you know, I'd love to be more philosophical than this. But I admire her because her whole... a) she works so hard, but also she just wants to make women of a certain age or any woman just feel good. And I really just admire someone whose life and business and purpose is really just trying to make other people see the goodness in themselves or to feel better about themselves. So she's, and she's also for any one who's interested. I mean, a social media magician, like she's, she's magic in terms of what she did. She started during COVID and kind of as a comms person, like, Yeah, amazing. Kind of how she has set herself up as an influencer.   Dan Seguin  44:42 Okay, Amber, what is the closest thing to real magic that you've witnessed?   Amber Bennett  44:51 Magic? Yeah, this is hard. Okay, so just bear with me. Great start! This is not as rapid as you probably want. I'm moving houses. I bought a house. And there were two moments in like, one was do I put an offer in? Or do we put an offer in? And then there was another moment, kind of later on. And in both cases, I was about to say, I was going to pull back and say no, you know, I'm not going to go forward with it. And I kid you not, in that moment, the wind picked up. So in one case, I was outside and the wind picked up and got very, very strong where I was standing. So the first time you know, you can kind of blow it off. It's like, oh, yeah, okay, whatever. That was weird. But it happened twice. It happened a second time. And then the second time where I was, you know, kind of stuck. And, you know, wanting to retreat and I got a little, you know, scared about, you know, kind of taking the leap. And in that second time, the same thing happened, where the winds picked up, and they got a little bit stronger around me. And then they calmed down afterwards. And not in a like, oh, I kind of feel like no, it's kind of little, you know, it was very dramatic. And so anyways, I move houses tomorrow, so I'm gonna just put that out to magic. Not quite sure. It doesn't make a lot of logical sense. Why? Why did we do it? But we're there now.   Dan Seguin  46:26 Now, what has been the biggest challenge to you personally, since the pandemic began?   Amber Bennett  46:32 Yeah, I'm, like so many parents. And I would argue women in particular, the double bind of having to take care of kids as though I don't work. And work even though I don't have kids. And I think for a lot of parents that was the impossible situation and I don't feel that that's really gone away.   Dan Seguin  47:02 This next one I always enjoy. What have you been watching a lot more of on Netflix or TV lately? What's your favorite? In other words, you know, what's your favorite movie or TV show?   Amber Bennett  47:17 I love the Peaky Blinders. And I've gone back and I've watched certain episodes again, just because they're so delicious with the costumes and the characters and the whole thing. I'm, yeah, totally enthralled. Yeah, love it.  Okay.Now, lastly, what is exciting you about your industry right now. Um, I think that if anyone were to see my email inbox, they'd be very surprised at, you know, I think communion policy was the king for so long. And I think finally, we're at the point where we're beginning to understand that the public has to be on board, the public actually needs to have informed consent about so many of these choices. And we need a social mandate to ensure that climate action is the third rail, right? You know, if you're going to be a leader in this country, or business operating in this country, then you need to be a climate leader, and you need to be a climate business, it has to be fundamental to all of the decisions that you make, and how you and how you operate. Because science doesn't give us any other choice at this moment. So that's, so I think, the kind of realization that we can have all the technology and all the policy that we want, but if people aren't on board, then it's never going to happen. And so I get to work with very interesting people, unexpected from all walks of life, and you know, different sectors who are beginning to understand that, really, this is something we're going to work on until all of us and those beyond. For many generations, yeah.   Dan Seguin  49:12 Now, if our listeners want to learn more about you, Amber, or your organization, how can they connect?   Amber Bennett  49:18 Yeah, well, easiest is to go to our website, so Re.Climate, so that's reclimate.ca. And folks can sign up there if they want to, you know, make sure that they get more information on events, and we do lots of, you know, webinars and talks and we release reports and, and whatnot. So that's a great thing to do. And I'm on LinkedIn, and I'm always happy to connect with people on LinkedIn. So Amber Bennett, and I also share lots of things there. that I find interesting.   Dan Seguin  49:59 Well, Amber. This is it. We've reached the end of another episode of the thinkenergy podcast. Thank you so much for joining me today. I hope you had a lot of fun.   Amber Bennett  50:08 Yeah. Great questions. Great chat. And thank you.   Dan Seguin  50:14 Cheers. Thanks for tuning in for another episode of the thinkenergy podcast. Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a review wherever you're listening. And to find out more about today's guests or previous episodes, visit thinkenergypodcast.com I hope you will join us again next time as we spark even more conversations about the energy of tomorrow.  

Dianne Feinstein obituary, Truck women saved, Willie Dunn cover, Orillia homeless services, Dumbo octopus, Gulf new drilling, Hurricane Fiona chair and more

Clayoquot Sound near Tofino is known for the War in the Woods, a fight over old growth logging. Reporter Emily Vance takes us there to learn about the ways First Nations are re-asserting leadership when it comes to conservation on their traditional territories. Meet Melina Laboucan-Massimo, What On Earth's new Indigenous-led climate solutions columnist. And – marking a year since Hurricane Fiona made landfall on Canada's east coast, Paul Landry in New Brunswick explains why community support is key to surviving the next storm.

Since the devastation of Hurricane Fiona, Rene Roy from the Wreckhouse Press has continued to report on the event, and the shockwaves affecting life for locals who remain in Port aux Basques. He spoke to CBC's Malone Mullin about the changes to the town that he's seen over the past year.

CBC's Malone Mullin talked to Port aux Basques resident Peggy Savery about the devastation Hurricane Fiona had on her home and her family.

In recognition of September as National Preparedness Month, the latest episode of New York City Emergency Management's Spanish podcast ¡Prepárate!, features Ernesto Morales, alerts coordinator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's San Juan, Puerto Rico office. As part of the National Weather Service team in Puerto Rico, Morales coordinates messages before and during weather events impacting the island. On the heels of the one-year anniversary since Hurricane Fiona, Morales stresses that being prepared can save lives and help with response operations by emergency responders.

A solar microgrid kept the lights on in Castañer. Learn more at https://www.yaleclimateconnections.org/

Welcome back to Ahch-To Radio! In today's new episode, we're presenting a collaboration with Eli from the In a Galaxy podcast. Alden & Eli are discussing the ins & outs of Star Wars fandom discourse. The good, the bad, and the weird in between. How do we find balance? How do we engage with nuance? And how do we maintain a personal relationship that leads with love? It's an ongoing conversation we all need to have. Find Eli on Twitter, and keep up with In a Galaxy & In a Galaxy's Epic Confrontations trivia on Twitter & Instagram! Follow @AhchToRadio on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and our YouTube channel! And lastly, find Alden @ThatAldenDiaz on Twitter and Instagram! DONATE to help Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Fiona. Follow the link here, and check out a further list of resources here. Support the What Choice fundraiser, benefitting the National Abortion Federation! Follow What Choice on Twitter as well. Find & support The Amidala Initiative on Twitter, and support the fundraiser benefitting Equality Texas on their GoFundMe page. #TransRightsAreHumanRights Check out the #BlackoutStarWarsEclipse campaign to stand with members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Ahch-To Radio is a Star Wars podcast feed fueled by the love of that galaxy far, far away. Creator & Host Alden Diaz dives into the story & themes through interviews, Star Wars origin stories, analyses, and more. Plus, Ahch-To Radio is also home to our Star Wars Rebels rewatch show, A Rewatch Between Worlds, with Alden & Nicky Kumar!

Last year, Hurricane Fiona knocked out electricity across Puerto Rico and exposed how vulnerable the territory's grid remains. As part of our Reverse Course series, we hear from Puerto Ricans who want to break free from the cycle of destruction by building a decentralized grid powered largely by solar energy. But, as Here & Now's Chris Bentley reports, they say the government is not doing enough to hasten that transition. And we included an extended conversation with Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm. Then, parts of southeast Texas have been facing triple-digit temperatures for three weeks now. Keith Katz, a second-year electrical apprentice and a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 716, talks about how he's handling the extreme heat on the job.

Welcome to a new episode of Ahch-To Radio! Today, we return to the world of STAR WARS VISIONS with one of the directors from Volume 2 of the series: Lucasfilm's LeAndre Thomas! LeAndre is joining the show to talk about directing Lucasfilm's collaboration with D'ART Shtajio, "The Pit." This conversation unpacks so much of the creative process, from the inception of LeAndre's core idea, to the deeper symbolic elements. Enjoy insights into collaborative art, real world influences, Star Wars mythology, and so much more. It was an honor to be able to talk about a film that really reflects our world. Thanks to LeAndre for taking the time! Be sure to keep up with him on Twitter & Instagram, and follow the work of D'ART Shtajio online here, and on their Instagram & Twitter. Follow @AhchToRadio on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and our YouTube channel! And lastly, find Alden @ThatAldenDiaz on Twitter and Instagram! DONATE to help Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Fiona. Follow the link here, and check out a further list of resources here. Support the What Choice fundraiser, benefitting the National Abortion Federation! Follow What Choice on Twitter as well. Find & support The Amidala Initiative on Twitter, and support the fundraiser benefitting Equality Texas on their GoFundMe page. #TransRightsAreHumanRights Check out the #BlackoutStarWarsEclipse campaign to stand with members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Ahch-To Radio is a Star Wars podcast feed fueled by the love of that galaxy far, far away. Creator & Host Alden Diaz dives into the story & themes through interviews, Star Wars origin stories, analyses, and more. Plus, Ahch-To Radio is also home to our Star Wars Rebels rewatch show, A Rewatch Between Worlds, with Alden & Nicky Kumar!

Discover the art of scaling your business with your host, Chaz Wolfe, as he invites real estate tycoon, Juan Carlos Morales to share the secrets behind his astronomical growth. A self-made millionaire, Juan Carlos has spent a decade crafting his niche in the real estate investment and property management sectors. His business recently witnessed an exponential surge, soaring from a comfortable $300,000 annual revenue to a jaw-dropping $1.2 million - a testament to his mastery of the entrepreneurial game.This enlightening episode uncovers the vital characteristics of successful entrepreneurs, strategies to pivot effectively without losing your core essence, ways to steer clear of the “shiny object syndrome,” and how to ensure your team is on the same page with you. Tune in for an invaluable masterclass in entrepreneurship and discover how you can lead your business to unimagined heights!Please note, this episode was recorded on July 5, 2022, before Hurricane Fiona made landfall in Puerto Rico on September 18th.Episode Highlights:[01:44] A glimpse into Juan Carlos' business journey[04:53] The driving force behind Juan Carlos' relentless pursuit of success[06:36] Unraveling Juan Carlos' entrepreneurial odyssey[10:05] The strategic switch to Airbnb properties by Juan Carlos[13:01] Upholding your identity in the face of business success[15:42] Some of Juan Carlos' game-changing decisions[19:50] Chaz asks a favor[22:50] Lessons from a not-so-great decision by Juan Carlos[25:19] The power of mentorship in bolstering confidence[27:30] The single most important metric for Juan Carlos[3028] Exploring the role of networking and masterminding in Juan Carlos' journey[33:27] The one-hour-a-week strategy: Juan Carlos' approach[33:33] The comeback strategy if Juan Carlos were to lose it all[34:42] Connecting with Juan Carlos[35:41] Touching base with Chaz and details on the Gathering The Kings MastermindNotable Quotes“I can operate at a high level if I've got a good view.” - Chaz Wolfe“I want to exploit my potential... I can't stay at home and hope for things to happen.” - Juan Carlos Morales“An entrepreneur is a curious person, loves challenges, and doesn't mind calculated risks.” - Juan Carlos Morales“Fear kicks in the moment your business stops making money.” - Juan Carlos Morales“Once the business started working, I decided to make it run without me.” - Juan Carlos Morales“The best talent that your dollars can afford is a vital investment in your company's future.” - Juan Carlos Morales“Being the star of the show holds you back when you aim bigger.” - Juan Carlos MoralesBooks and Resources Recommended:Savers are Losers Video by Robert Kiyosakihttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uc9jsc6uQw4The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerberhttps://www.amazon.com/Myth-Revisited-Small-Businesses-About/dp/0887307280The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferrisshttps://www.amazon.com/4-Hour-Workweek-Escape-Live-Anywhere/dp/0307465357Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosakihttps://www.amazon.com/Rich-Dad-Poor-Teach-Middle/dp/1612680194100 Million Dollar Offers by Alex Hormozihttps://www.amazon.com/100M-Offers-People-Stupid-Saying/dp/1737475731Let's Connect!Juan Carlos Morales:Website:

Welcome everyone to a new episode of Ahch-To Radio! Today, we return to the world of STAR WARS VISIONS with one of the directors from Volume 2 of the series: Julien Chheng from Studio La Cachette! Julien is joining the show to talk about his work on the French entry in the Visions catalogue, "The Spy Dancer." This conversation unpacks so much in terms of the storytelling process, from creative, real world, & personal perspectives. Enjoy insights into character creation, traditional animation, cultural identity, and beyond. It was an honor to be able to talk with this great artist. Be sure to keep up with Julien on Instagram, and follow the work of Studio La Cachette online on Instagram & Twitter. Follow @AhchToRadio on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and our YouTube channel! And lastly, find Alden @ThatAldenDiaz on Twitter and Instagram! DONATE to help Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Fiona. Follow the link here, and check out a further list of resources here. Support the What Choice fundraiser, benefitting the National Abortion Federation! Follow What Choice on Twitter as well. Find & support The Amidala Initiative on Twitter, and support the fundraiser benefitting Equality Texas on their GoFundMe page. #TransRightsAreHumanRights Check out the #BlackoutStarWarsEclipse campaign to stand with members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Ahch-To Radio is a Star Wars podcast feed fueled by the love of that galaxy far, far away. Creator & Host Alden Diaz dives into the story & themes through interviews, Star Wars origin stories, analyses, and more. Plus, Ahch-To Radio is also home to our Star Wars Rebels rewatch show, A Rewatch Between Worlds, with Alden & Nicky Kumar!

Welcome to a special episode of Ahch-To Radio, presenting the Star Wars Visions Vol. 2 "SITH" roundtable! We were lucky enough to join several other podcasts in a conversation with director Rodrigo Blaas. It's a great listen for anyone that enjoys understanding the creative processes of filmmaking & animation, from the design level, to the character level, and beyond. Culture, themes, and so much more! We hope you enjoy it. Thanks again to our friends at Disney & Lucasfilm for including us. Find @AhchToRadio on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and our YouTube channel! And lastly, find Alden @ThatAldenDiaz on Twitter and Instagram! DONATE to help Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Fiona. Follow the link here, and check out a further list of resources here. Support the What Choice fundraiser, benefitting the National Abortion Federation! Follow What Choice on Twitter as well. Find & support The Amidala Initiative on Twitter, and support the fundraiser benefitting Equality Texas on their GoFundMe page. #TransRightsAreHumanRights Check out the #BlackoutStarWarsEclipse campaign to stand with members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Ahch-To Radio is a Star Wars podcast feed fueled by the love of that galaxy far, far away. Creator & Host Alden Diaz dives into the story & themes through interviews, Star Wars origin stories, analyses, and more. Plus, Ahch-To Radio is also home to our Star Wars Rebels rewatch show, A Rewatch Between Worlds, with Alden & Nicky Kumar!

Welcome to the final installment of The Mandalorian Diaries for Season 3 on Ahch-To Radio! Join Alden for the continued adventures of our favorite father & son, with reflections, analyses, and more. Today we're exploring the SEASON 3 FINALE - Rick Famuyiwa's "Chapter 24: The Return." How does this episode show Din Djarin, Grogu, & Bo-Katan defining the identity of the future? What does Gideon's heinous villain plot represent for the thematic tension of the story? And what can we gather from the concept of "the return" in our mythic arcs? There's so much to explore as the show finds a whole new beginning. Let us know what you think! And remember - everyone deserves to play in the sun. They're the best of us. Find @AhchToRadio on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and our YouTube channel! And lastly, find Alden @ThatAldenDiaz on Twitter and Instagram! DONATE to help Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Fiona. Follow the link here, and check out a further list of resources here. Support the What Choice fundraiser, benefitting the National Abortion Federation! Follow What Choice on Twitter as well. Find & support The Amidala Initiative on Twitter, and support the fundraiser benefitting Equality Texas on their GoFundMe page. #TransRightsAreHumanRights Check out the #BlackoutStarWarsEclipse campaign to stand with members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Ahch-To Radio is a Star Wars podcast feed fueled by the love of that galaxy far, far away. Creator & Host Alden Diaz dives into the story & themes through interviews, Star Wars origin stories, analyses, and more. Plus, Ahch-To Radio is also home to our Star Wars Rebels rewatch show, A Rewatch Between Worlds, with Alden & Nicky Kumar!

It's FRIIIIIDAAAAYYYY and we're swinging for the fence as we talk about GM joining an open source foundation. We also talk about a creative EV use for school buses, as well as new opportunities for soon-to-be vacated Bed Bath and Beyond Stores. GM is taking another step toward software-defined vehicle development by joining the Eclipse Foundation, a global association promoting open-source software. GM aims to facilitate industry-wide standardization for building and connecting applications that connect vehicles to cloud and mobile devices through contributing its proprietary uProtocol technology.Frank Ghenassia, GM's executive chief architect of software-defined vehicles, says a standard software foundation to simplify and expedite development and connectivity. Ghenassia states, "rather than reinvent or try to apply the traditional automotive model that's been successful for hardware-driven features and try to apply that to software development."Let's remember Automakers have a history of joining forces to create innovative platforms and vehicles more efficiently.Toyota and Subaru developed the Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ Ford and Volkswagen collaborated on electric vehicles and autonomous driving technologies. In 2013, BMW and Toyota announced a partnership to develop hydrogen fuel cell systems, sports car platforms, and lightweight technologiesA new partnership in Prince Edward Island in Canada will leverage EV technology in school buses to also provide emergency power. Quebec based Lion Electric is a Canadian-based electric medium- and heavy-duty vehicle manufacturer that produces the nostalgic North American yellow school bus. Last year, the tail end of Hurricane Fiona hit Prince Edward Island with winds of up to 93 mph, knocking out power for almost everyone. The province setup "warming centers" for food, shelter, and phone charging using diesel generators.2 of these busses would have been able to power the center for 3 daysModel 3 (57kwh) F150 Lightning (130) these buses (210) 200 busses have been ordered and 82 will be in service next monthOne company's loss is often another's opportunity. Bed Bath & Beyond's recent bankruptcy and store closures open the door for a retail land grab. With nearly 500 potential spaces nationwide up for grabs, demand for these off-mall locations is high. Deborah Weinswig, CEO of retail real estate industry Coresight Research, says, "I'm not worried at this point because of the fact you've had this tremendous change in terms of demand for physical spaces."Vacancy rates for shopping centers have fallen to a record low, with dollar stores, off-price retailers, and traditional mall players competing for space.Some experts suggest that the easily adaptable spaces could become doctors offices for the quickly expanding medical care businesses of CVS and WalgreensGet the Daily Push Back email at https://www.asotu.com/ JOIN the conversation on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asotu/ Read our most recent email at: https://www.asotu.com/media/push-back-email ASOTU Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/automotivestateoftheunion

Welcome back to The Mandalorian Diaries on Ahch-To Radio! Join Alden for Season 3 of our favorite father & son adventure, with reflections, analyses, and more. Today we're exploring the penultimate episode of the season - Rick Famuyiwa's "Chapter 23: The Spies." How does this installment begin to solidify the ongoing theme of finding a new "way?" How does Grogu represent a future of growth, synthesis, and understanding? And what is the show saying about cultural appropriation through the lens of Gideon's pulpy evil? There's so much to explore here as the characters begin to face their darkest hour. Let us know what you think! And remember - look to the children. They're the best of us. Find @AhchToRadio on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and our YouTube channel! And lastly, find Alden @ThatAldenDiaz on Twitter and Instagram! DONATE to help Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Fiona. Follow the link here, and check out a further list of resources here. Support the What Choice fundraiser, benefitting the National Abortion Federation! Follow What Choice on Twitter as well. Find & support The Amidala Initiative on Twitter, and support the fundraiser benefitting Equality Texas on their GoFundMe page. #TransRightsAreHumanRights Check out the #BlackoutStarWarsEclipse campaign to stand with members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Ahch-To Radio is a Star Wars podcast feed fueled by the love of that galaxy far, far away. Creator & Host Alden Diaz dives into the story & themes through interviews, Star Wars origin stories, analyses, and more. Plus, Ahch-To Radio is also home to our Star Wars Rebels rewatch show, A Rewatch Between Worlds, with Alden & Nicky Kumar!

Welcome back to The Mandalorian Diaries on Ahch-To Radio! Join Alden for Season 3 of our favorite father & son adventure, with reflections, analyses, and more. Today we're exploring Bryce Dallas Howard's "Chapter 22: Guns For Hire." How does this episode embrace the pulpy, political metaphors of Star Wars? How do Din & Bo-Katan face their complex origins AND their greatest potential? And what are Favreau & company saying about forgiveness & progressive ideals? So much to explore with these characters in THE MOST George Lucas episode of them all. Plus, Grogu is a Knight now. That's all you need, honestly. Let us know what you think! And remember - you can support change, or you can hinder it. Learn to let go. Find @AhchToRadio on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and our YouTube channel! And lastly, find Alden @ThatAldenDiaz on Twitter and Instagram! DONATE to help Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Fiona. Follow the link here, and check out a further list of resources here. Support the What Choice fundraiser, benefitting the National Abortion Federation! Follow What Choice on Twitter as well. Find & support The Amidala Initiative on Twitter, and support the fundraiser benefitting Equality Texas on their GoFundMe page. #TransRightsAreHumanRights Check out the #BlackoutStarWarsEclipse campaign to stand with members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Ahch-To Radio is a Star Wars podcast feed fueled by the love of that galaxy far, far away. Creator & Host Alden Diaz dives into the story & themes through interviews, Star Wars origin stories, analyses, and more. Plus, Ahch-To Radio is also home to our Star Wars Rebels rewatch show, A Rewatch Between Worlds, with Alden & Nicky Kumar!

Puerto Rico is recovering from Hurricane Fiona which hit last month. It's also still recovering from Hurricane Maria, which hit more than 5 years ago. So, what's holding back Puerto Rico's recovery?  Adi Martinez-Roman and Deepak Lamba-Nieves join Meghna Chakrabarti.

As a US territory, Puerto Rico is perpetually stuck in limbo. The people there are subject to federal laws but don't have a vote for president or Congress. Which is a major problem when it comes to responding to disasters like Hurricane Fiona, which hit the Island last month. Many Puerto Ricans are deeply frustrated by what they claim has been a slow and inefficient response from a federal government that they have no say in.Some want statehood, some want more autonomy. A small but growing group of people want independence. That group incudes Jaquira Diaz. The author, who recently wrote the essay, "Let Puerto Rico Be Free", for The Atlantic, spoke to NPR's Ailsa Chang.

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden visited Puerto Rico on Monday, weeks after Hurricane Fiona tore through the island. The trip – and the pledges of support – was markedly different from when then-President Trump arrived after Hurricane Maria five years ago.Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva, who is up for re-election in November, is embroiled in another controversy – this time, over a probe targeting a prominent local official, an outspoken critic of the sheriff.And in headlines: UK Prime Minister Liz Truss dropped a plan to slash the tax rate for the wealthy, Native American activist and actor Sacheen Littlefeather has died, and Kim Kardashian settled with the SEC over an alleged cryptocurrency "pump and dump" scheme.Show Notes:KnockLA: "A Tradition of Violence/The History of Deputy Gangs in the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department" – https://knock-la.com/tradition-of-violence-lasd-gang-history/Vote Save America: Every Last Vote – https://votesaveamerica.com/every-last-vote/Crooked Coffee is officially here. Our first blend, What A Morning, is available in medium and dark roasts. Wake up with your own bag at crooked.com/coffeeFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/whataday/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wastes no time diving into debate on the Supreme Court bench. President Biden visits Puerto Rico to survey damage from Hurricane Fiona. And the SEC reaches an agreement on a penalty for Kim Kardashian's promotion of cryptocurrency. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How has Puerto Rico shaped American history? How does the national response to Hurricane Fiona reflect the complex relationship between Puerto Rico and the rest of the United States? Heather and Joanne discuss Puerto Rico's historical trajectory, from Spanish colonization, to the 1900s Insular Cases, to the cultural impact of Rafael Hernández Marin's music and West Side Story.  Join CAFE Insider to listen to “Backstage,” where Heather and Joanne chat each week about the anecdotes and ideas that formed the episode. Head to: cafe.com/history For more historical analysis of current events, sign up for the free weekly CAFE Brief newsletter, featuring Time Machine, a weekly article that dives into an historical event inspired by each episode of Now & Then: cafe.com/brief NOTE: Next week's episode will be released on Wednesday, October 12th. For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/puerto-rico-has-stories-to-tell/ Now & Then is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Florida's death toll from Hurricane Ian soared to at least 74 over the weekend, and hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses still do not have electricity. President Biden plans to visit the state Wednesday, after a stop in Puerto Rico to survey damage from Hurricane Fiona.The Supreme Court begins its new term today, with Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson becoming the first-ever Black woman to serve on the bench. But she joins a divided, conservative-majority court, which is set to hear major cases on affirmative action, voting, and LGBTQ rights.And in headlines: at least 125 people died in the chaos following an Indonesian soccer match, American prisoners were released from Venezuela and Iran, and the makers of Monster energy drinks won a lawsuit against rival Bang Energy for false advertising.Show Notes:Florida Ian Response Fund – http://ianresponse.org/Vote Save America: Every Last Vote – https://votesaveamerica.com/every-last-vote/Crooked Coffee is officially here. Our first blend, What A Morning, is available in medium and dark roasts. Wake up with your own bag at crooked.com/coffeeFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/whataday/For a transcript of this episode, please visit  crooked.com/whataday

On Monday's Mark Levin Show, the U.S has some former Presidents who have done very nasty things and the Department of Justice did nothing at all. In fact, many Attorneys General and federal prosecutors routinely mishandle classified information as they travel in their vehicles, and no one prosecutes them. But Biden's Department of Justice decided to use a SWAT team to raid a pro-life Catholic activist. After a judge threw out the case, AG Merrick Garland picked it up. The family was raided by a SWAT Team with 15 vehicles and all 7 of their small children watched in terror. Then, the White House and its economic advisor are backpedaling on the impending global recession. No matter how hard the Democrats try to spin inflation, the American people know what they're spending at the grocery store and the gas pump. Later, why isn't the media covering the carnage left behind by Hurricane Fiona in Puerto Rico? The media hasn't been focused on talking to FEMA or reporting how many homes still don't have electricity. Why won't the media hold Biden accountable on his disaster response the way they do to Gov Ron DeSantis and others? Afterward, Robert Cahaly, Chief Pollster and Founder of The Trafalgar Group, joins the show to discuss how many polls are creating narratives that affect voters rather than reflect voter sentiment. Cahaly says that recent polls show a sizable Republican advantage on the generic ballot.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

More seniors are aging at home, alone. Today, we’ll explain why the home care worker shortage just went from bad to worse and why we likely blew a chance to fix it. Then, how a 100-year-old law is getting in the way of Puerto Rico recovering from Hurricane Fiona. Plus, spooky airplane sounds. And what’s that really bright star in the sky? Grab your binoculars. You won’t want to miss this! Here’s everything we talked about today: “Seniors are stuck home alone as health aides flee for higher-paying jobs” from The Washington Post “Storm-ravaged Puerto Rico calls on Washington to allow ship carrying fuel to dock” from NBC News “Women now outnumber men in the U.S. college-educated labor force” from Pew Research Center “People are fleeing Puerto Rico, Guam and every other U.S. territory. What gives?” from The Washington Post “Ghoulish moans are haunting the intercoms of American Airlines flights” from The Washington Post “Jupiter’s Exceptionally Close Opposition” from Sky & Telescope This tweet about the National Intelligence Manager for Aviation seal caught our attention Video: “DART’s Impact with Asteroid Dimorphos” With the midterm elections approaching, help us make everyone smarter about the economy. Donate today.

Almost 750 demonstrators were arrested in Russia on Saturday. They were protesting president Vladimir Putin's declaration from last week of a “partial mobilization” or a draft in which some men are being called up to join the war. Plus, Ukraine's response to Putin's nuclear threats.The number of new cases of monkeypox in the U.S. are down significantly since their peak just about a month ago. Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, host of Crooked's “America Dissected,” tells us why.And in headlines: an Arizona judge reinstated a near-total abortion ban from 1864, Hurricane Fiona hit eastern Canada, and Rihanna announced that she will headline next year's Super Bowl halftime show.Show Notes:Vote Save America: Every Last Vote – https://votesaveamerica.com/every-last-vote/Crooked Coffee is officially here. Our first blend, What A Morning, is available in medium roasts. Wake up with your own bag at crooked.com/coffeeFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/whataday/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Global markets tumbled this week, deepening fears of a possible recession ahead. Hurricane Fiona weakens to a post tropical storm as it hits eastern Canada. Some Russian men flee to Turkey as they try to avoid the military call up to fight in Ukraine.

When Hurricane Maria hit in 2017, it destroyed Puerto Rico's power grid, leaving vast swathes of the island in the dark and claiming almost 3,000 lives. $9.5 billion was set aside to rejuvenate the island's power grid and the government-run utility company was taken over by a private one. But five years later, before Hurricane Fiona even hit, the island lost electricity. How could this happen—again?  Guest: Gloria Gonzalez is the Deputy Energy Editor at POLITICO If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you'll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Russian President Putin announces a partial military mobilization of army reservists. Migrant advocates have sued Florida Governor Ron DeSantis over his political stunt that relocated migrants from Texas to Massachusetts. One community in Puerto Rico faces a daunting recovery after flooding from Hurricane Fiona. **This episode has been updated with an accurate pronunciation of Yesenia Nazario.

The legal battle over sensitive government documents seized from Mar-a-Lago continued on Tuesday, as lawyers for Donald Trump and the Justice Department met for the first hearing overseen by the special master appointed to review the materials.The midterm elections are fast approaching and a lot of candidates and organizations are vying for financial support. Shaniqua McClendon, Crooked's political director, shows us how you can make a difference with your donations – even if you don't have a lot to give.And in headlines: separatist regions in Ukraine moved closer to holding referendums to join Russia, Hurricane Fiona hit the Turks and Caicos islands, and world leaders gathered in New York for this year's United Nations General Assembly.Show Notes:Vote Save America: Every Last Vote – https://votesaveamerica.com/every-last-vote/Crooked Coffee is officially here. Our first blend, What A Morning, is available in medium and dark roasts. Wake up with your own bag at crooked.com/coffeeFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/whataday/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday 

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has allocated billions of dollars to Puerto Rico to help it rebuild from Hurricane Maria with more resilient infrastructure. Five years after the storm, only a tiny fraction of it has been spent, and Hurricane Fiona has again left much of the island in the dark.NPR's Adrian Florido explains how Fiona has left some Puerto Ricans feeling like their recovery has gone "back to zero."Sergio Marxuach, with The Center for a New Economy, a Puerto Rican think tank, explains why the island's power grid is so fragile, despite dedicated federal funding to improve it.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

Puerto Rico faces an island-wide blackout after Hurricane Fiona caused serious flash floods and mudslides. Health experts weigh in on President Biden's statement that the pandemic is over. Johnson and Johnson is in federal court, over its attempt to use bankruptcy to avoid an onslaught of lawsuits.

Queen Elizabeth II was laid to rest Monday, marking the end of the ten days of public mourning since her death on September 8th.President Biden said in an interview that the pandemic is "over,” prompting swift criticism from public health officials. Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, host of Crooked's “America Dissected,” tells us, there's still work to be done.And in headlines: Hurricane Fiona left more destruction in the Caribbean, a Russian missile struck near another Ukrainian nuclear plant, and Adnan Syed, whose murder case was featured on the "Serial" podcast, was freed from prison.Show Notes:Vote Save America: Fuck Bans Action Plan – https://votesaveamerica.com/roe/Crooked Coffee is officially here. Our first blend, What A Morning, is available in medium and dark roasts. Wake up with your own bag at crooked.com/coffeeFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/whataday/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Serial's Adnan Syed freed, former WXYZ anchor Vic Faust goes off on a co-worker, Adam Levine responds to cheating claims & new women come forward, Lady Gaga ugly "crying", Drew Crime, Tom Brady admits Gisele's affecting his play, and we go on a Rock Hudson deep dive.Music: Adam Levine admits he flirted with women, but denies cheating on his wife More women with vocal fry expose their flirty messages with the Maroon 5 singer. Lil Baby had to cancel a concert because he needed a mental health break & his "body gave out" on him... from partying too hard. Nobody really cares about the Win Butler story. Tory Lanez is in more trouble. Elton John is going to perform at the White House. Britney Spears is looking to settle with Tri-Star and her dad.Grab your EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal by going to nordvpn.com/dams to get up a Huge Discount off your NordVPN Plan + 4 months for free! It's completely risk free with Nord's 30-day money-back guarantee.The verified Michael Jackson Twitter page shouts out Aidan Hutchinson and Woodward Sports.The results are in and 69% of those polled do NOT bring their pillows on vacation with them.Former Ch. 7 sports anchor and current St. Louis radio host Vic Faust has a total meltdown against his female co-host. It was recorded, leaked and people are mad.Podcast star Adnan Syed is all the rage today. Some listeners are totally done with us because we think Adnan is the killer.We appreciate the 47 pictures of The Mike & Jon billboards sent to the Bonerline, but it's not our show. Call of text 209-66-Boner to express your opinion.57-year-old Brooke Shields wants you to know that she's still hot.Tom Brady pretty much confirms that Gisele is screwing up his performance this year.Kanye West wants you to know he isn't selling his music catalog... because it doesn't appear to be his to sell. In other news, he's never read a book in his life.Drew Crime: Drew tells the tale of Alex Ewing and the 1984 Hammer Murders. Video of Sherri Papini's interrogation is out. Tudor Chirila finally busted for a 1972 murder in Hawaii. Jussie Smollett maintains his innocence.Puerto Rico got destroyed by Hurricane Fiona, but nobody knew about it because Queen Elizabeth dominated the news cycle.The USA has traded with the Taliban for Mark Frerichs. BUT WHAT ABOUT BRITTNEY GRINER!?!?Lady Gaga "cries" after canceling a show early in Miami due to weather.The case against Tiffany Haddish and Aries Spears has been dismissed.RIP Maury Wills.FYI: Rock Hudson died of AIDS. Liberace too.Aaron Carter thinks he's the next Johnny Depp. He's not.Bill Maher is coming town. He allegedly will be joining us this week.Social media is dumb, but we're on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (Drew and Mike Show, Marc Fellhauer, Trudi Daniels and BranDon).

Hurricane Fiona carves a path of destruction and leaves millions in the dark as the entire island of Puerto Rico loses power. Queen Elizabeth is brought to her final resting place alongside Prince Philip. And another major interest rate hike could be on the way in an attempt to help curb inflation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For years, China has been forecast to overtake the U.S. as the world’s top economic superpower. But recently, the second-largest economy has been slowing under its zero-COVID policy. There’s also problems in its housing market, and its currency, the yuan, is falling. On the show, Jennifer Pak, Marketplace’s China correspondent, makes us smart about China’s standing in the global economy and whether it’s still on track to topple the U.S. from the top spot. In the News Fix: Supply chain problems aren’t over, and neither is the pandemic. Plus, Hurricane Fiona is still on a tear. Then, are Make Me Smart listeners trolling the hosts? We’ll also hear about a potential solution to the beer shortage. Fizzless beer, anyone? We’re calling on all cicerones out there! Here’s everything we talked about today: “China's Economy Won't Overtake the U.S., Some Now Predict” from The Wall Street Journal Marketplace’s Jennifer Pak is a must-follow on IG and Twitter. “Ford Selloff Deepens After Warning of $1 Billion in Extra Costs” from Bloomberg “Hurricane Fiona slams Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico; three dead” from Reuters “What's Driving Greg Abbott's Escalating Migrant Busing Scheme?” from Texas Monthly “Texas Sheriff Launches Investigation Into Migrant Flights to Martha’s Vineyard” from NBC Dallas-Fort Worth “The United States of Cussing: Every U.S. State’s Favorite Swear Word” from WordTips Join us tomorrow for Whaddya Wanna Know Wednesday. Submit your question about money, business or the economy at makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voice mail at 508-U-B-SMART.

In this edition of Trends-Atlantic Slave Trade, Miles and super producer Becca discuss Don Lemon getting a "lesson' in the Slave Trade, the impact of Hurricane Fiona on Puerto Rico, an update on the MAGA sweatfest, the GTA VI leaks, the Nyquil Chicken challenge, and SNL hemmoraging cast members! A few ways to help Puerto Rico: shareworthy.co The Cut: How to help Puerto Rico after Hurricane FionaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hurricane Fiona is ravaging Puerto Rico and has caused an island-wide blackout. The Young Turks interview Olayemi Olurin on prison abolition. Starbucks is being greedy again and withholding more benefits from its workers. President Biden is in hot water because he told 60 Minutes “The pandemic is over.”Host: Ana Kasparian, Cenk Uygur Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico five years ago. Recovery in many ways had just begun when Fiona hit the island. Today on “Post Reports,” we talk to Arelis R. Hernández about why the recovery has been stymied, and how another storm could complicate it further. Read more:Hurricane Maria cleaved Puerto Rican memory. There was one kind of life before the storm, and an entirely different life that emerged in its wake. Before the storm, the Caribbean island archipelago was teetering economically and unraveling politically. In the five years since, there have been ongoing blackouts, protests, earthquakes and a global pandemic. Puerto Ricans have moved from powerlessness to precarity.As the anniversary approached, The Washington Post went back to visit those who opened up their homes then, to show us their lives now. Hurricane Fiona — which hit Puerto Rico on Sunday, destroying homes, roads and bridges — was still days away. But even before that, much of the post-Maria recovery work had just begun. Arelis R. Hernández reports. Read the latest live updates on Hurricane Fiona here. You can also listen to an Opinion piece from Lin-Manuel Miranda and his father about how to get Puerto Rico help now. Miranda is the creator of “Hamilton” and “In The Heights,” and his father, Luis A. Miranda Jr., is a philanthropist and political strategist.

Funeral services are held for Britain's Queen Elizabeth II. Hurricane Fiona pummels Puerto Rico. President Biden says the U.S. will defend Taiwan if China stages an "unprecedented attack" on the island.

The entire island of Puerto Rico is without power after Hurricane Fiona made landfall on Sunday. More than 3 million people are in the dark, nearly five years to the day that Hurricane Maria struck.State officials in Alabama said they are not ready to use “nitrogen hypoxia” to execute people on death row – for now. They had planned to execute an inmate this week using the new and untested method, but will instead opt for lethal injection.And in headlines: world leaders arrive in London for Queen Elizabeth II's funeral, Virginia put out new school guidelines targeting trans students, and a federal judge appointed a special master to review the documents recovered from Mar-a-Lago.Show Notes:Bad Bunny: El Apagón - Aquí Vive Gente (Official Video) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TCX_Aqzoo4The Atlantic: "Dead to Rights: What did the state of Alabama do to Joe Nathan James in the three hours before his execution?" – https://tinyurl.com/mr3x2dshVote Save America: Fuck Bans Action Plan – https://votesaveamerica.com/roe/Crooked Coffee is officially here. Our first blend, What A Morning, is available in medium and dark roasts. Wake up with your own bag at crooked.com/coffeeFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/whataday/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday 

Almost five years after Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico is reeling (again) after Hurricane Fiona flooded large parts of the island and left it in the dark. We’ll talk about the big mess behind Puerto Rico’s energy problems. Plus, John Kerry: People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. And, is a beer shortage on the horizon? Here’s everything we talked about: Puerto Rico’s Power System Heads Toward Litigation for Debt Deal from Bloomberg “Hurricane Fiona Exposes Puerto Rico's Failure to Fix Frail Power Grid” from Bloomberg “Here's How Much a New Monthly Mortgage Payment Has Surged in 10 US Metros” from Bloomberg “U.S. climate envoy Kerry calls on African nations to help curb emissions” from Reuters “Scientists have calculated how many ants are on Earth. The number is so big, it’s ‘unimaginable.’” from The Washington Post “Brace for the coming beer shortage” from Axios If you’ve got a question, comment or suggestion, let us know. We’re at makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voice message at 508-U-B-SMART.

We go to Puerto Rico for an update on damage from Hurricane Fiona; How the climate crisis has worsened the magnitude of tropical storms; What Black Britons think of mourning the queen. Get Democracy Now! delivered right to your inbox. Sign up for the Daily Digest: democracynow.org/subscribe

In a private ceremony, the Queen is interred alongside her parents, husband and sister. Also, two people killed in Iran following demonsrations sparked by the death of a young woman detained for allegedly dressing immodestly, and Hurricane Fiona hits the Dominican Republic.

In this edition of Magnus CarlsTrend, Jack and Miles discuss the hot goss on Adam Levine, Hurricane Fiona making landfall in Puerto Rico, "Messy" Magnus Carlsen's rematch resignation, the Queen's funeral, South Carolina's Title IX recognition ceremony being ruined by Shane Beamer, and Adnan Syed getting relesased from prison!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.