What On Earth

<p>The climate is changing. So are we. Explore a world of solutions with host Laura Lynch and our team of journalists. We find inspiration in unexpected places, scrutinize new technologies, hold powerful people accountable and join you on the journey to fix this mess. New episodes every Wednesday and Saturday.</p>

How rain buckets with ‘brains’ help warn against landslides

When a deadly landslide hit Sitka, Alaska in 2015, it sparked conversations about safety and risk. The community has an early warning system for tsunamis. Could it work for landslides? Or would another solution have to be developed? Producer Molly Segal finds out. Then -- with climate change increasing the risk of landslides, we hear how sound waves imperceptible to the human ear can tip us off minutes before the hazard occurs in the Pemberton Valley, north of Whistler, B.C.

11-23
29:50

Can we cool Earth by blocking the sun’s rays? And should we?

Come with us to California where entrepreneurs are sending balloons full of sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere. It’s a form of solar geoengineering known as stratospheric aerosol injection, and the company Make Sunsets isn’t waiting for scientific consensus before they launch. We hear about their business model, and then from the researchers who question both the science and ethics of the practice.

11-20
28:28

Separating fact from fiction about EV battery fires

EV fires can be scary and challenging to fight. But they’re not as common as they may seem. Online misinformation and a lack of reliable data can contribute to misconceptions about what happens when an electric vehicle battery fire erupts – and even firefighters aren’t immune.

11-16
30:21

HOW TO: Get kids to school without all those cars

Have you heard of a 'bike bus'? It's just one of the answers Rachel Sanders found to a listener's concerns about the gridlock that can form around schools.

11-13
18:00

So Trump won. What now for climate?

He's promised to "drill, baby, drill". He's cast doubt on the risks of global warming. And one of his biggest donors is EV magnate Elon Musk. But what does a second Donald Trump presidency really mean for U.S. climate policy – and our warming world? Emily Atkin of the newsletter Heated helps us untangle what's possible over the next four years, and reflects on why climate barely surfaced as an election issue.

11-09
28:24

The unsexiest words that could help save the planet

The language of COP29 is brain-melting. But these soul-unstirring terms are key to solving climate change. We decode what's really at stake as leaders gather this month in Azerbaijan. Then, we hear how corruption can derail international climate action – and what solutions could help.

11-06
29:38

Rain, rain won't go away. New landslide risks are here to stay.

With deadly levels of rainfall happening across the world, we see the destruction first-hand and learn how it can be stopped. First, we visit the site of school teacher Sonya McIntyre’s home after an atmospheric river took her life. We then learn how understanding climate systems can prevent future loss of life. 

11-02
28:20

The contest trying to turn Swifties into climate crusaders

When some climate-conscious Swifties learned that Canada’s biggest fossil fuel financier, RBC, is an official partner for Taylor Swift’s Eras tour in Vancouver and Toronto, they jumped into action. But can uniting Swifties online translate to change? Or is it a trend that will fizzle over time? Meanwhile, What On Earth youth columnist Aishwarya Puttur breaks down why social media campaigns are on the rise for Gen Zs.

10-30
32:44

Here’s the climate dirt on leaf blowers

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

10-26
28:50

Why insurers are hiring wildfire SWAT teams (via Cost of Living)

They might leave you a huge mess, but a "free for now" fire prevention service may be taking hold in Canada. Insurers have started contracting a private company to swoop in and do last-minute fireproofing on homes in B.C. and Alberta. Paul Haavardsrud and Danielle Nerman explain what that looks like, and how this new strategy could keep insurance premiums from going up faster than they already are.For more Cost Of Living, find and follow the show wherever you get your podcasts, or here: https://lnk.to/CostOfLiving

10-23
09:34

Meet the woman guiding First Nations away from fossil fuels

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

10-19
24:34

HOW TO: Read a little greener

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

10-16
10:01

A prescription for climate disasters like Milton

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

10-12
17:30

A climate fix that starts with ‘hi-diddly-ho neighborino’

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

10-09
21:11

Drought be dammed! How beavers can help.

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

10-05
25:42

Why two women want the world to see their climate ‘relics’

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

10-02
23:10

Say we 'axe the tax' — then what?

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

09-28
30:49

Trees are so much more than two-by-fours

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

09-25
19:35

What teenagers really need in a climate crisis

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

09-21
29:48

'Drill, baby, drill’ … for green energy

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

09-18
25:49

Douglas Taylor

The Quebec maple syrup producers are pirates. They manipulate prices like a monopoly and they bulshit in calling their product uniquely "organic". It is tree sap with the water boiled off of course it is organic. It can't be anything else. Wow, such equine faeces.

05-24 Reply

foodi

Telling the chief that he needs to "make sacrifices" like that really shows some gall. Cringe worthy, really.

05-29 Reply

Recommend Channels