The Climate Lens

Brent Toderian, a leading Canadian urbanist, has influenced the future of sustainable city planning for decades. In this discussion, he emphasizes the critical role of urban development in achieving climate goals, especially with the upcoming COP30 summit. Toderian breaks down the innovative '15-minute city' concept, debunking myths and advocating for accessible neighborhoods. He also stresses the importance of civic engagement in local climate action, urging citizens to hold politicians accountable during elections for a prosperous, climate-smart future.

Geoff Dembicki, an investigative journalist and author of The Petroleum Papers, dives deep into Big Oil's deceitful history regarding climate change. He reveals the industry's internal knowledge versus its public stance, highlighting their sabotage of effective reforms. Dembicki critically analyzes the contentious carbon capture technology, particularly a significant $16.5 billion project in Alberta, questioning its effectiveness and true motives. The discussion emphasizes the need for active citizen engagement, stressing that real change requires collective action beyond just political promises.

Dr. Joe Vipond, a medical doctor and co-founder of the Calgary Climate Hub, discusses the pressing issue of wildfires in Canada amid the push for fewer regulations on oil and gas development. He emphasizes the need for the climate movement to stay active and reshape narratives away from a petrostate perspective. Vipond critiques the media's ties to the oil industry, urging for independent journalism. He also highlights the importance of public involvement in climate policy and advocates for community initiatives to combat climate change effectively.

In this episode of The Climate Lens, we feature Hannah Muhajarine from Climate Reality Canada about the National Climate League, a volunteer-driven report that tracks and compares how Canadian cities are tackling the climate crisis. From innovative policies in Nanaimo and Halifax, to Calgary’s strengths and weaknesses, the NCL provides a clear, data-backed snapshot of municipal climate progress. Learn how local action stacks up across Canada, why cities are critical to climate solutions, and how you can use this report to spark real change in your community. ***** Sources used in this episode: Climate Reality Canada: https://www.climatereality.ca The National Climate League 2024 Standings: https://theclimaterealityproject.app.box.com/s/jw30lpua7r7wsl53wxoaopwm5tx35zdh Transcript of the episode: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QFx0zJZt4WnKiMUYmsRQKB8HWSi6As6IYki7jxvXSWY/edit?usp=sharing   Hannah Muhajarine Calgary Climate Hub: Join, Donate, Volunteer! ***** If you appreciate what we're doing here at the Climate Lens one way you could help out is become a member of our Patreon for just 5 bucks a month at https://www.patreon.com/TheClimateLens or make a one time donation via the Calgary Climate Hub website at https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/92219 **** Calgary Climate Hub Website: https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/climatehubyyc.bsky.social Mastodon: https://campaign.openworlds.info/@ClimateHubYYC Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calgaryclimatehub/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/calgaryclimatehub/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@calgaryclimatehub Volunteer! https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/volunteer Become a Member! https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/membership Donate! https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/donate Support us on Patreon!

It's always easy to shrug things off by saying "well that's just how things have always been" except, when it comes to our entirely human constructed global economic system it's categorically untrue. It has NOT always been like this. Our current model which is increasingly shrinking the world's middle class, making the poor poorer, the rich richer and the world increasingly on fire is just ONE now demonstrably failing human made system. Others economic systems systems have existed before and will exist on this planet again. In 2025 it's way past time we started exploring them. This month's guest is Lindsay McLaren, Professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary and a Research Associate with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and member of the Advisory Board of the Parkland Institute. ***** Sources used in this episode: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1p-y5HrsyYbvbzpu_7povU725OyCw7Pc_N90PGZCmTZE/edit?usp=sharing Transcript of the episode: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1C8Zqp9ti9WZlzB2y7CFVSIJxdngiQaIrpPHOi8ob_RU/edit?usp=sharing ***** Linday McLaren: https://www.parklandinstitute.ca/lmclaren ***** If you appreciate what we're doing here at the Climate Lens one way you could help out is become a member of our Patreon for just 5 bucks a month at https://www.patreon.com/TheClimateLens or make a one time donation via the Calgary Climate Hub website at https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/92219 **** Calgary Climate Hub Website: https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/climatehubyyc.bsky.social Mastodon: https://campaign.openworlds.info/@ClimateHubYYC Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calgaryclimatehub/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/calgaryclimatehub/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@calgaryclimatehub Volunteer! https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/volunteer Become a Member! https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/membership Donate! https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/donate Support us on Patreon!

Oil and gas bosses have known exactly what climate change is, its relationship to their product and exactly how dire it would all get for going on 50 years now, at a minimum. Also well established and irrefutable during this time was their collective organized response, which was to first deny climate change itself, create doubt around the science (just like tobacco companies did with lung cancer & cigarettes), slow walk the solutions and create doubt around them as well, shift the blame to the individual and pretend to be partners in working to fix climate change while making everything even worse and raking in record profits while they do it. It's bad enough they did it to the rest of us for so long but a new report entitled "Polluting Education - the Influence of Fossil Fuels on Children;s education in Canada" reveals that oil and gas companies have been applying these very same tactics to school children across Canada who may not yet have the tools to critically assess them for what they are, many of whom would have never even heard of let alone understood words like indoctrination, disinformation and propaganda. With us today is report co-author, independent researcher and climate activist in Toronto Anne Keary, Retired Alberta science teacher Tylene Appel and For Our Kids activist (which is a parent-led climate change advocacy organization) and longtime Hub friend Claire Kraatz. ***** Sources used in this episode: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JFcPxMwjUAeBBuR4McExSACuDMoxkdZKiXdoGMz5RIk/ Transcript of the episode: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1z-1mQT8qtpd05zfROzi1sxyKV5-LNOyExu4mBpBNpKg/ ***** The Influence of Fossil Fuels on Children’s Education in Canada: https://assets.nationbuilder.com/forourkids/pages/2782/attachments/original/1739848766/PollutingEducation_ReportSummary.pdf?1739848766 Anne Keary: https://www.eeon.org/anne-keary Claire Kraatz: https://x.com/Claire_Kraatz ***** If you appreciate what we're doing here at the Climate Lens one way you could help out is become a member of our Patreon for just 5 bucks a month at https://www.patreon.com/TheClimateLens or make a one time donation via the Calgary Climate Hub website at https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/92219 **** Calgary Climate Hub Website: https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/climatehubyyc.bsky.social Mastodon: https://campaign.openworlds.info/@ClimateHubYYC Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calgaryclimatehub/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/calgaryclimatehub/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@calgaryclimatehub Volunteer! https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/volunteer Become a Member! https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/membership Donate! https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/donate Support us on Patreon!

Veteran climate activist Tzeporah Berman shares lessons from 30 years of advocacy, including her role on Alberta’s Oil Sands Advisory Group. We discuss the energy transition, the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, and how lessons from policy-making in Alberta can shape the world. ***** Sources used in this episode: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1a54YSAVq-1XENy28k5zL33Jjt2QmrOZVwDfEc9Xlh3Q/edit?usp=sharing ***** Transcript of the episode: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kqbwXhVcaHgDQcLJ12f5sbX8nXOp8KpmCntPZaW26bE/edit?usp=drive_link ***** Fossil Fuel Non Proliferation Treaty Stand.Earth ***** Calgary Climate Hub Website: https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calgaryclimatehub/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/calgaryclimatehub/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzh9NWUmvSzpOsa7ReTs83Q Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/climatehubyyc.bsky.social Mastodon: https://campaign.openworlds.info/@ClimateHubYYC Volunteer! https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/volunteer Become a Member! https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/membership Support us on Patreon!

As Alberta Energy Regulator holds hearings on the Grassy Mountain coal project, rancher Laura Laing calls out the broken promises that brought this mining project back from the dead. Please note that this episode was recorded before Alberta's Ministry of Energy announced the reversal of the moratorium on open-pit coal mining on the Eastern Slopes on Monday January 20th, 2025. ***** Sources used in this episode: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Hru0UQr6F0FifxXhrDgIBV5JoUwUuPMF6s-qoyRFYkE/ Transcript of the episode: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1l46J5FYcInCERj35Hyz6hc9_kKK_q-ShjLImSkLE_IQ/ ***** Save the Mountains - Website: https://www.savethemountains.ca/ Save the Mountains - Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/savethemountainrange ***** If you appreciate what we're doing here at the Climate Lens one way you could help out is become a member of our Patreon for just 5 bucks a month at https://www.patreon.com/TheClimateLens or make a one time donation via the Calgary Climate Hub website at https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/92219 **** Calgary Climate Hub Website: https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/climatehubyyc.bsky.social Mastodon: https://campaign.openworlds.info/@ClimateHubYYC Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calgaryclimatehub/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/calgaryclimatehub/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@calgaryclimatehub Volunteer! https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/volunteer Become a Member! https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/membership Donate! https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/donate Support us on Patreon!

Climate advocacy has taken a beating in 2024, from a disastrous American election to a disappointing COP29. It’s at times like these that we need our community more than ever, and boy, did they show up. Today the Climate Lens brings together Albertans working in environmental non-profits to share how they took their first steps to become the changemakers they are today. Our guests today: Heather Addy, co-chair of the Calgary Climate Hub Lex van der Raadt, executive director of Green Calgary Colin Smith, member of the Land Lovers Network Celia Lee, executive director of Sustainable Calgary Philip Meintzer, conservation specialist at the Alberta Wilderness Association Katie Morrison, executive director of the Southern Alberta Chapter of CPAWS Nathaniel Schmidt, board member of Nature Calgary We would also like to thank the Arusha Centre for funding this episode and supporting connections between our organizations. ***** Transcript of the episode: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1x-UYo1qkHZOa8yuudUY6JFORKcRdtoEAuYtmEpp7Xv0/ ***** CALLS TO ACTION! Current campaigns: https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/campaigns ***** If you appreciate what we're doing here at the Climate Lens one way you could help out is become a member of our Patreon for just 5 bucks a month at https://www.patreon.com/TheClimateLens or make a one time donation via the Calgary Climate Hub website at https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/92219 **** Calgary Climate Hub Website: https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/climatehubyyc.bsky.social Mastodon: https://campaign.openworlds.info/@ClimateHubYYC Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calgaryclimatehub/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/calgaryclimatehub/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@calgaryclimatehub Volunteer! https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/volunteer Become a Member! https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/membership Donate! https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/donate Support us on Patreon!

All too often, Alberta shows itself to be Canada's capital of climate denialism, disinformation, and outright non-science foolishness. Somehow, in fall of 2024, it got worse than ever with government threats of further crippling actions against our formerly best-in-country renewable energy industry. The launching of yet another multimillion dollar nationwide disinformation campaign against federal climate policy, this one called Scrap the Cap and funding brand new lows at the AGM for our province's governing party, where members voted overwhelmingly in favor of a resolution that would scrap Alberta's decarbonization goals, remove the designation of carbon dioxide as a pollutant, and recognize prime climate change culprit CO2 as a foundational nutrient for all life on Earth. To help us cut through Alberta's latest state sponsored dump truck load of disinformation, denialism, and just flat out lies, I'm happy to have on as this month's guest, Alberta journalist and author Jeremy Appel from The Orchard on Substack, for which you can and indeed should subscribe. ***** Sources used in this episode: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1i5LvsRrtB1yXupWNTg9znr84bTMJGWfogd9oT0S1JyA/ Transcript of the episode: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HkDIfUZ_TR23-eNZCPH96Y8bCjxIkv9byIsjtCsQPKI/ ***** CALLS TO ACTION! Fundraising drive: https://give.crowdfunding.alberta.ca/calgaryclimatehub2024?ref=ab_7aHCDwOyHlW7aHCDwOyHlW Current campaigns: https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/campaigns 2024 Youth Climate Bursary recipients: https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/congratulations_to_our_2024_youth_climate_bursary_recipients ***** Jeremy Appel: https://x.com/JeremyAppel1025 The Orchard: https://www.readtheorchard.org/ ***** If you appreciate what we're doing here at the Climate Lens one way you could help out is become a member of our Patreon for just 5 bucks a month at https://www.patreon.com/TheClimateLens or make a one time donation via the Calgary Climate Hub website at https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/92219 **** Calgary Climate Hub Website: https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/climatehubyyc.bsky.social Mastodon: https://campaign.openworlds.info/@ClimateHubYYC Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calgaryclimatehub/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/calgaryclimatehub/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@calgaryclimatehub Volunteer! https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/volunteer Become a Member! https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/membership Donate! https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/donate Support us on Patreon!