The Climate Lens

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 HubWebsite: https://www.calgaryclimatehub.caBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/climatehubyyc.bsky.socialMastodon: https://campaign.openworlds.info/@ClimateHubYYCInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/calgaryclimatehub/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/calgaryclimatehub/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@calgaryclimatehubVolunteer! https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/volunteerBecome a Member! https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/membershipDonate! https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/donateSupport 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 HubLex van der Raadt, executive director of Green CalgaryColin Smith, member of the Land Lovers NetworkCelia Lee, executive director of Sustainable CalgaryPhilip Meintzer, conservation specialist at the Alberta Wilderness AssociationKatie Morrison, executive director of the Southern Alberta Chapter of CPAWSNathaniel Schmidt, board member of Nature CalgaryWe 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 HubWebsite: https://www.calgaryclimatehub.caBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/climatehubyyc.bsky.socialMastodon: https://campaign.openworlds.info/@ClimateHubYYCInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/calgaryclimatehub/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/calgaryclimatehub/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@calgaryclimatehubVolunteer! https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/volunteerBecome a Member! https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/membershipDonate! https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/donateSupport 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_7aHCDwOyHlW7aHCDwOyHlWCurrent campaigns: https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/campaigns2024 Youth Climate Bursary recipients: https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/congratulations_to_our_2024_youth_climate_bursary_recipients*****Jeremy Appel: https://x.com/JeremyAppel1025The 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 HubWebsite: https://www.calgaryclimatehub.caBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/climatehubyyc.bsky.socialMastodon: https://campaign.openworlds.info/@ClimateHubYYCInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/calgaryclimatehub/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/calgaryclimatehub/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@calgaryclimatehubVolunteer! https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/volunteerBecome a Member! https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/membershipDonate! https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/donateSupport us on Patreon!

As it relates to climate change and indeed a great many other things the difference between America's latest candidates for world's most powerful person is most regularly described as STARK. VP Kamala Harris' climate plan is largely seen to be a continuance of sitting President Joe Biden's climate policies, the flagship for which is his strategically named Inflation Reduction Act which has been described as the single most substantial piece of climate legislation in US history, providing $370 billion of investment in clean energy infrastructure and putting the world on notice that America was done sleeping on Climate Change.The other choice is former president Donald Trump whose positions on climate change have ranged from outright denial to jokes (are they jokes?) about having a little more beachfront property due to sea level rise. He's denied his involvement with the Project 2025 thinktank but he's also said Project 2025 “lays the groundwork and detailed plans for exactly what our movement will do” which would include repealing Biden's climate work as well as politicizing, scaling down or outright eliminating much of America's early disaster warning systems for being, I suppose too climatey even as climate-Jacked Hurricanes like Helene and now today Milton ravage Florida once again. To help us parse out what this election and a President Harris or President Trump means for our country and for specifically this province I'm very happy to have as a guest for this month's show Lisa Young, professor of Political Science at the University of Calgary and writer of the "What Now?!?" Alberta Politics newsletter on Substack.*****Sources used in this episode: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uJi3obKYwH_ogLB2nIGos3m6GWTmKJmq2gwXOEscTvk/Transcript of the episode: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vwLdybyFAp895CwEOt_V1tRXFmRgTxOW_bbFy59qr_s/*****CALLS TO ACTION!Advocacy Campaign Organizer Workshop: https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/advocacy_campaign_organizer_workshop_2025*****Lisa Young: https://x.com/JLisaYoung"What Now?!?" Alberta Politics newsletter: https://lisayoung.substack.com/*****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 HubWebsite: https://www.calgaryclimatehub.caBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/climatehubyyc.bsky.socialMastodon: https://campaign.openworlds.info/@ClimateHubYYCInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/calgaryclimatehub/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/calgaryclimatehub/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@calgaryclimatehubVolunteer! https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/volunteerBecome a Member! https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/membershipDonate! https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/donateSupport us on Patreon!

After lying about the dangers of climate change to Canadians for at least 40 years (and some would say a lot longer), Canada's oil and gas industry's ongoing dangerously dishonest practises were dealt a blow earlier this year with the passage of Bill C59, anti-greenwashing legislation that would see corporate perpetrators facing fines of up to 1 million dollars per day if the false representation continues to be published, handing climate organizations and humankind generally an important if not yet entirely sufficient win. Bill C59 compelled, amongst others, the Pathways Alliance - a coalition of six oil sands companies in Canada, to wipe clean their websites and social networks and Alberta's infamous petroleum propaganda house, aka the Alberta War Room, to close its private corporation facade and get folded into provincial government protection. To tell us how this all came about, where were at and what comes next this month's guests are Dr Leah Temper, the Economic and Health Policy Program Director for CAPE - the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, and our good friend Dr Joe Vipond, CAPE's former president, one of Calgary Climate Hub's founding members, former co-chair and current board member at large.*****Sources used in this episode: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AKtHCrHHBsOS0KfWRtbBvb-rvZEPwy_52KHrfGARQZo/Transcript of the episode: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NWFzMdu_cpc1rthDPKJAVqQrxM2SsAS5H7fF30Xipwg/*****CALLS TO ACTION!Seniors Day 2024 - Day of Action: https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/seniors_day_2024_day_of_action*****Leah Temper: https://twitter.com/latemperJoe Vipond: https://twitter.com/JVipondmdCanadian Association of Physicians for the Environment: https://cape.ca/Bill C59: https://www.parl.ca/DocumentViewer/en/44-1/bill/C-59/royal-assent*****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 HubWebsite: https://www.calgaryclimatehub.caBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/climatehubyyc.bsky.socialMastodon: https://campaign.openworlds.info/@ClimateHubYYCInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/calgaryclimatehub/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/calgaryclimatehub/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@calgaryclimatehubVolunteer! https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/volunteerBecome a Member! https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/membershipDonate! https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/donateSupport us on Patreon!

Under a Forest Management Agreement set up all the way back in 2001 by Alberta's provincial government of the day, a logging company called Spray Lake Sawmills acquired the rights to chop down the equivalent of 2,000 football fields of Kananaskis Country’s Upper Highwood area forests, including a stretch right beside the Highwood River. Since 2001, K-Country has become a beloved natural recreation destination and tourist attraction for cycling, hiking and just connecting with our natural world. Of course we've all become aware of climate change since 2001, making the concept of logging old growth forests that do some of nature's best work at sequestering climate-worsening CO2 as well as storing water to mitigate against both floods and droughts feels like a really wrong-headed and dangerous anachronism. A number of activist organizations, some of which you'll be hearing from today, sprung into action and triggered a logging slowdown which also saw logging company 'Spray Lake Sawmills' change their name to 'West Fraser Cochrane', as well as some 'listening campaigns', the results of which are debatable to say the least. With us for this months show is my co-host Jenny Jeremy, who is amongst a great many other things the co-lead of the Calgary Climate Hub's Kananskis Logging Slowdown Campaign as well as Conservation Science and Program Manager Joshua Killeen of the Southern Alberta chapter of CPAWS (Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society).*****Sources used in this episode: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LG4YznFiiEnNgGOD3Pio_RjViwr-Ep193kePrwyrkRw/Transcript of the episode: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kaRHD6jTyZFmpG-qc6XkJ1BQSG_FxF9Onj9yGkYdpAI/*****CALLS TO ACTION!All-Electric Hub and Spokes: https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/all_electric_hub_and_spokes*****Jenny Yeremiy: https://x.com/JennyYeremiyJoshua Killeen: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/joshkilleenCPAWS - Southern Alberta chapter: https://cpaws-southernalberta.org/ / https://www.instagram.com/cpawssab/Understanding the clearcuts: https://cpaws-southernalberta.org/conservation/sustainable-forestry/defend-alberta-forests/upper-highwood/Support us on Patreon!

How we humans get around and where we are going to and from make up the number 1 and 2 sources of climate-change causing emissions. Addressing where we live, work and play is becoming critical path. We invited Matt Grace to discuss about what the future of housing and construction will look like in Alberta in the context of climate change. Matt has been a Sustainable Buildings and Communities consultant in both the UK and Canada for going on 30 years now, he was the Canada Green Building Council's Green Building Pioneer Award recipient of 2018, he is a past Hub board member and co-chair and is now a current board member of Alberta Ecotrust and Green economy Calgary.*****Sources used in this episode: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BZQ78y5rRpzZ68As2RB0EY8KephuePev2UnKs-1EFxY/Transcript of the episode: https://docs.google.com/document/d/13cva7mjYYEmUHTzg7idTyjIsZJAn1ffsrB0F4ryQxsg/*****CALLS TO ACTION!Hub and Spokes 2024: https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/hub_and_spokes_2024*****Matt Grace: https://www.mattgrace.ca/*****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 HubWebsite: https://www.calgaryclimatehub.caBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/climatehubyyc.bsky.socialMastodon: https://campaign.openworlds.info/@ClimateHubYYCInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/calgaryclimatehub/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/calgaryclimatehub/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@calgaryclimatehubVolunteer! https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/volunteerBecome a Member! https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/membershipDonate! https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/donateSupport us on Patreon!

The people of Calgary might be surprised to find out that our beloved city is actually tied for dead last in Canada as it relates to tree canopy and just like so many other things, there's a strong disparity between our wealthiest and whitest neighbourhoods and those with lower household incomes and larger BIPOC communities. This is called Tree Equity and it's another important piece of the Climate Justice conversation. The good news is, like all things in the climate world, there are solutions and smart people on the ground working on the problem. We have 4 of them with us here today from the Calgary Climate Hub's mighty, mighty Nature Node.*****Sources used in this episode: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OVi5tz0iyxBJtylfSgR4nEvrDgYUcMga7EnR12ZMIew/Transcript of the episode: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aB7FlqVkHEYtlg1_e_R2cqLQciUWz7TB5kD9mj-BzOY/*****CALLS TO ACTION!Forests For Calgary: https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/forests_for_calgaryCalgary Tree Equity Tool and Tree Planting Guide: https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/calgary_tree_equityYouth Climate Activism Bursary: https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/youth_climate_activism_bursaryHub and Spokes 2024: https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/hub_and_spokes_2024*****Heather Addy: https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/heather_addySaadiq Mohiuddin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saadiqmohiuddin/Rob Miller: https://x.com/winexusDruh Farrell: https://x.com/DruhFarrell*****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 HubWebsite: https://www.calgaryclimatehub.caBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/climatehubyyc.bsky.socialMastodon: https://campaign.openworlds.info/@ClimateHubYYCInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/calgaryclimatehub/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/calgaryclimatehub/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@calgaryclimatehubVolunteer! https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/volunteerBecome a Member! https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/membershipDonate! https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/donateSupport us on Patreon!

The Climate Lens will now be broadcasted every fourth Wednesday of the month on CJSW, the excellent student radio of the University of Calgary! You can find the page of the show here but don't worry, we will continue to be available as a podcast on existing platforms.Listen to CJSW on 90.9 FM in the Calgary area, on their website or using their app available for iOS and Android.Support us on Patreon!

Bill 20, a new policy announced by the Alberta government on Thursday April 25th 2024 at least on it's face doesn't have anything to do with climate change. But if you are an organization like the Calgary Climate Hub whose entire reason for being is to promote climate action at the municipal level, this affects you, and in consequence everybody in the province. To discuss this, we are receiving Molli Bennett of the Alberta Talks Initiative and the Alberta Environmental Network, who we already had the pleasure to invite in two other episodes about the net-zero strategy in Alberta and logging plans for West Bragg Creek.*****Sources used in this episode: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1p0V7ja6jgTL-rhY6YezlNSQ2CS29J0Bo9bX6XAk9InI/Transcript of the episode: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OAbcBlWzJ9JG7Kb7Z2tI_vx7-4lSMZx9fPPBn3ix_LA/*****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*****CALLS TO ACTION!Forests For Calgary: https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/forests_for_calgaryCalgary Tree Equity and Tree Planting Guide: https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/calgary_tree_equityMini Forest Tree Planting - Bowness Community Association - June 15th 2024 - Register here: https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/mini_forest_tree_planting_june_20240615*****Molli Bennett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/molli-bennett-666a36ba/Alberta Talks: https://albertatalks.ca/Alberta Environmental Network: https://aenweb.ca/****Calgary Climate HubWebsite: https://www.calgaryclimatehub.caTwitter: https://twitter.com/ClimateHubYYCInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/calgaryclimatehub/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/calgaryclimatehub/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzh9NWUmvSzpOsa7ReTs83QBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/climatehubyyc.bsky.socialMastodon: https://campaign.openworlds.info/@ClimateHubYYCVolunteer! https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/volunteerBecome a Member! https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/membershipDonate! https://www.calgaryclimatehub.ca/donateSupport us on Patreon!