The Environment in Canada Podcast

In this engaging discussion, the focus is on the dilemma of staying on or leaving oligarch-owned social media platforms. The host emphasizes the importance of building safer digital spaces while strategizing on effective online advocacy for environmental justice. Learn how to tap into denialist tactics to ethically redirect users to alternative platforms. The conversation also dives into the role of AI and the significance of truth in communications, with practical tips on engaging audiences and measuring success through conversions rather than debates.

Dr. Soren Brothers, the Allan and Helaine Schiff Curator of Climate Change at the Royal Ontario Museum, discusses his role in bridging science and public engagement. He explores how emotions impact climate communication, emphasizing the balance of hope and doom. Soren highlights the significance of Crawford Lake in the Anthropocene debate and shares insights on effectively communicating with younger generations. He also delves into the personal and emotional aspects of doing climate science, advocating for local solutions to foster community resilience.

Canada defeating the aggression of the U.S. oligarchy, & their oil & gas-interest friends, will require all of us learning how to communicate more effectively, strategically, & rapidly to counter disinformation. When it comes to disinformation going ‘straight at ’em’ will also require dealing with the extreme inequality that led us to this point, as we covered in last week’s episode: https://www.sierraclub.ca/no-kings-inequality-deregulation/Resources for this Sovereignty Saturdays sub-series episode:Previous episodes: How to Defend Democracy, Sovereignty, & Canada: Resisting U.S. Annexation PART 3 & No Kings Day special: https://www.sierraclub.ca/sovereignty-democracy-canada-annexation/ & https://www.sierraclub.ca/no-kings-inequality-deregulation/Anat Shenker-Osorio & Jessica Murray, Communicating on Climate Change in Your Community (tips on framing): https://www.sierraclub.ca/communicating-on-climate-change/How to talk with others about climate issues using metaphor: https://www.sierraclub. ca/climate-change-family-talk/On Full Spectrum Resistance, Aric McBay & Jessica Murray: https://www.sierraclub.ca/full-spectrum-resistance-podcast/Annexation playbook borrows from climate denial tactics: https://www.nationalobserver.com/2025/03/20/opinion/strategies-climate-denial-canada-annexation-threats"Trump Officials Discussed $500M Alberta Independence Loan, Separatist Claims". "These Fossil Fuel Industry Tactics Are Fueling Democratic Backsliding," CAP.Trump’s ‘Annexation’ of Canada Has Already Begun (Jan, 2025). How Energy Alternatives Help Smother It: https://energymixweekender.substack.com/p/trumps-annexation-of-canada-has-alreadyWhy oil, gas & LNG development is pointless: https://www.sierraclub.ca/lng-national-interest-canada/65% of Canadians (now up to 67%) Want Renewables INSTEAD of Oil & Gas Development: https://www.sierraclub.ca/canadians-renewables-oil-gas/‘Go Straight at ’Em!’: Mission Command, U.S. Naval Institute.Reputation Management, Doorley & Garcia (Book).Comms plan: Situational analysis, Audience analysis, Objectives, Key messages, Strategies, Tactics, Evaluation.Send us your questions at info@sierraclub.ca & sign up for email updates from us: https://www.sierraclub.ca/subscribe-for-updates/Support the showFind out more and take action at sierraclub.ca/take-action/

What lies beneath the waves… shapes everything above them: Exploring the vital links between water ecosystems, climate change, biodiversity, and the Rights of Water. Chevaun Toulouse, Steven J. Cooke, Julie Reimer, Kriss Kevorkian joined host Aishwariya Ravi Shankar for an event on Oct. 1st, 2025. Listen to their conversation here.Pledge to respect, protect, and uphold the rights of water here: https://www.sierraclub.ca/action-item/are-you-ready-to-pledge-for-the-rights-of-water/Find out more about Sierra Club Canada’s Rights of Water campaign here: https://www.sierraclub.ca/action-item/splashing-forward-rights-water/Some past episodes on The Rights of Nature in general:Start Thinking About Things Getting Better with Gilbert Whiteduck & Yenny Vega Cardenas about Rights for the Tenàgàdino Zibi / Gatineau River & Magpie River: https://www.sierraclub.ca/gatineau-river-rights-nature/The More Than Human World with John Borrows: https://www.sierraclub.ca/podcast-with-john-borrows/The Rights of Nature – It’s Weird Not to Acknowledge Them: https://www.sierraclub.ca/nature-rights-law-canada/When the Last Glacier Melted, the World Would Catch on Fire: https://www.sierraclub.ca/glacier-melted-catch-fire/Be sure to send us your questions at info@sierraclub.ca and sign up for email updates from us here: https://www.sierraclub.ca/subscribe-for-updates/And don't forget to take action: https://www.sierraclub.ca/take-action/Support the showFind out more and take action at sierraclub.ca/take-action/

Explore the connection between extreme inequality, environmental deregulation, and the rise of authoritarianism. The discussion highlights how wealth concentration undermines democracy and creates opportunities for corporate profiteering. Smart regulation is presented as essential for innovation and public health. The podcast also delves into the environmental impact of the wealthy and debates wealth limits and redistribution as solutions. Listeners are urged to organize against oligarchy and challenge the narratives contributing to inequality.

The podcast dives into the vital link between energy and democracy, arguing that a renewable energy revolution is essential for Canadian sovereignty. It highlights how the U.S. is attempting to influence Alberta's political landscape and discusses motivations behind fossil fuel corporations. Public support for clean energy in Canada is also emphasized, along with community-led initiatives pushing for change. The urgent need for solidarity between Canada and the U.S. in defending democratic rights is explored, offering actionable steps for Canadians.

Dr. Sarah (Sally) Otto, Dr. Peter Thompson, and CPAWS-BC Campaigner Brynna Kagawa-Visentin talk about a recent report that looks at the changing status of imperiled species in British Columbia over the last 15 years — in the absence of a dedicated provincial species at risk act (or law) — and reveals that species at risk in BC have risen, with most changes in status not reflecting genuine recovery: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.30.679339v1Please note for context that this is a non-peer-reviewed preprint and the manuscript is currently under consideration for publication at a peer-reviewed journal. We also discuss the recent announcement by the Alberta Government of their plans to pitch a new oil pipeline to the West Coast following the AB Government's failure to find a private sector backer - stay tuned to the end! Read Sierra Club Canada's full release on that subject, and the economic futility of a new pipeline, here: https://www.sierraclub.ca/alberta-pipeline-major-projects/Other Resources / Points Regarding Species at Risk:Former report on BC Biodiversity: https://www.sfu.ca/~amooers/scientists4species/Protecting_Biodiversity_in_BC.pdfAssociated paper: https://www.facetsjournal.com/doi/10.1139/facets-2018-0042A recent legal report card on provincial species-at-risk protection (backgrounder on the legal gaps): https://www.facetsjournal.com/doi/10.1139/facets-2023-0229A WWF-Canada report Brynna mentioned regarding grassland birds:https://wwf.ca/media-releases/the-starkest-picture-of-wildlife-loss-in-canada-to-date-wwfs-new-living-planet-report-canada/Dr. Otto points out the huge contribution of tourism to the economy of BC ($9.7 billion of GDP annually), higher than forestry ($1.7B), as well as mining or oil and gas. The importance of a thriving tourist industry, as well as a thriving forestry sector that is sustained by a much smaller land base but focuses on high-end wood products (cabinetry, furniture, heavy duty wood, etc.), would strengthen jobs while moving away from a deforested BC: https://www.destinationbc.ca/news/opinion-british-columbias-tourism-industry-is-an-economic-powerhouse/Other Resources on Pipelines, Oil, and LNG:Canada can and must instead start a rapid transition to a fully renewable economy: https://www.sierraclub.ca/canada-can-go-100-renewable/And here's a link to sources regarding the health impacts of LNG: https://www.sierraclub.ca/lng-national-interest-canada/Be sure to send us your questions at info@sierraclub.ca and sign up for email updates from us here: https://www.sierraclub.ca/subscribe-for-updates/And don't forget to take action: https://www.sierraclub.ca/take-action/Support the showFind out more and take action at sierraclub.ca/take-action/

Gracie Waukechon, a youth tribal activist and member of the Bad River Band, passionately discusses the vital issues surrounding Enbridge's Line 5 pipeline. She highlights how this pipeline threatens Indigenous sovereignty and the ecosystems of the Great Lakes. Gracie shares her personal connection to both the Menominee and Bad River nations and the generational struggle for land protection. She emphasizes the importance of cross-border solidarity and how environmental actions resonate with cultural lifeways, urging listeners to engage in the fight for a safer future.

If you’re listening after September 2025 then check out our general Take Action Page for up to date action items here: https://www.sierraclub.ca/take-action/Ways YOU can take action in September 2025 listed below:Send a message to Prime Minister Carney to stand up for community-based renewable energy, oppose LNG, and pledge to advocate for renewables in your community: https://www.sierraclub.ca/action-item/carney-support-renewable-energy/Our Year-End campaign is centered on hope, and we’d love to hear what it signifies to you. Send us your story to info@sierraclub.ca, and we might feature it in our emails or on social media to celebrate our community and inspire others (stories can also be shared anonymously.)Tell us about your project of national interest (we'll be following up with you in October on these): https://www.sierraclub.ca/action-item/your-project-national-interest/Celebrate, reflect, and take action by sharing a photo of a water area near you: https://www.sierraclub.ca/action-item/splashing-forward-rights-water/And we have new fact sheets for talking to others about Electric vehicles:https://www.sierraclub.ca/canada-electric-vehicles-facts/Wind power: https://www.sierraclub.ca/canada-wind-power-facts/and  why Canada can go 100% renewable: https://www.sierraclub.ca/canada-can-go-100-renewable/Here’s how to effectively communicate with others on the above: https://www.sierraclub.ca/climate-change-family-talk/Playlist of compilation episodes on Rights of Nature (note that these from various points in time):A State with Three Heads: Indigenous Law and the Environment (0:01:55)The Rights of Nature – It’s Weird Not to Acknowledge Them (0:56:22).When the Last Glacier Melted, the World Would Catch on Fire (1:48:457).Urban Bee Populations and Climate Change (2:48:56).The More Than Human World with John Borrows (3:37:12).Start Thinking About Things Getting Better with Gilbert Whiteduck & Yenny Vega Cardenas about Rights for the Tenàgàdino Zibi / Gatineau River & Magpie River. (4:36:39).Be sure to send us more of your podcast questions for future episodes at info@sierraclub.caPhoto above by Heather McKinnon, our Ontario Chapter Director.Support the showFind out more and take action at sierraclub.ca/take-action/

The discussion highlights renewable energy's crucial role in Canada, focusing on wind power and electric vehicles. Misconceptions pushed by oil and gas advocates are debunked, underscoring the benefits of transitioning to cleaner energy. The episode emphasizes making electric vehicles accessible for all economic classes, particularly for used car buyers. Supportive government policies are called for to enhance the availability of affordable EVs, ultimately aiming to reduce transportation costs and tackle climate change head-on.