Break In Case of Emergency

Our special series concludes with a marker that grounds all the others: centring Indigenous rights, title, and leadership. Erin Blondeau speaks with Janelle Lapointe, Serena Mendizabal, and Seth Klein about the transformative potential of Indigenous-led climate action. They discuss energy and food sovereignty, cultural revitalization, and the community-driven projects already charting a different future. They also examine how governments and industry continue to prioritize extraction over Indigenous-led solutions, and what a genuine emergency response rooted in Indigenous sovereignty would require. It’s a powerful closing conversation about justice, leadership, and the pathways we must follow to confront the crisis honestly.Links & references:‘Economic reconciliation’ is a false promise for Indigenous peoples - Janelle LapointeCanada’s new fast-track laws double down on false promise of ‘economic reconciliation’ - Janelle LapointeSacred Earth website: www.sacredearth.solar Yellowhead Institute website: yellowheadinstitute.org Why Ksi Lisims LNG Must Be Stopped - Seth Klein (video)The next big LNG proposal - Ksi Lisims - may be the sleeper climate issue of 2024 - Seth KleinIndigenous Resistance Against Carbon - Report by Indigenous Environmental Network & Oil Change International on how Indigenous resistance disrupts billions of tons of greenhouse gas emissions annuallyMore on the 6 Markers of the Climate Emergency:Watch our video: 6 Markers of Climate Emergency Action  Listen to all 6 episodes of our special series & the 6-marker overview episode from March 2025.Learn more about the 6 markers at www.davidsuzukiinstitute.ca/6-markers-of-climate-emergencyCredits:Produced by Erin Blondeau and Doug Hamilton-Evans. Written and hosted by Erin Blondeau. Music by Anjali Appadurai. Audio editing by Blue Light Studios. Artwork by Geoff Smith.

Episode 5 of this 6-part special series takes on the equity marker: leaving no one behind. Erin Blondeau speaks with economist Jim Stanford, campaigner Anjali Appadurai, and strategist Seth Klein about what just transitions must look like in practice. They explore the realities for fossil fuel workers, the importance of linking climate action to economic fairness, and Canada’s responsibilities globally. Their conversation highlights that climate action succeeds only when it’s grounded in solidarity: supporting workers, expanding public services, addressing inequality, and ensuring that communities most impacted by the crisis are centred in solutions. It’s a reminder that justice isn’t an add-on: it’s the strategy.Links & references:The Fair Shares campaign website: www.climatefairshare.caSupport the Fair Shares platform 350.org/canada/fairshare Centre for Future Work website: centreforfuturework.ca The G7 and Canada’s climate fair share - Break in Case of Emergency Enormous Jobs Potential from Energy Transition Investments - Jim StanfordWhy tackling climate and inequality must go hand-in-hand - Seth KleinTestimony to the House of Commons Finance Committee about the need for a Just Transition Transfer - Seth KleinWhy aren’t we talking about war taxes? - Seth Klein (video) More on the 6 Markers of the Climate Emergency:Watch our video: 6 Markers of Climate Emergency Action  Listen to all 6 episodes of our special series & the 6-marker overview episode from March 2025.Learn more about the 6 markers at www.davidsuzukiinstitute.ca/6-markers-of-climate-emergencyCredits:Produced by Erin Blondeau and Doug Hamilton-Evans. Written and hosted by Erin Blondeau. Music by Anjali Appadurai. Audio editing by Blue Light Studios. Artwork by Geoff Smith.

Episode 4 turns to one of the most foundational markers of emergency leadership: telling the truth. Host Erin Blondeau brings together Donya Ziaee, Chris Hatch, and Seth Klein to examine why honest, urgent communication is essential in a crisis, and why Canada isn’t getting it. They dig into the failures of mainstream media, the rise of independent outlets, and the influence of fossil fuel advertising. The conversation makes the case for clear, evidence-based reporting that includes context, solutions, and a sense of agency, not doom. Truth-telling, they argue, is what allows societies to mobilize, and what’s been missing for far too long.Links & references:Zero Carbon - Weekly climate newsletter by Chris HatchDissecting the climate denial machine: culture wars and the climate countermovement - Break in Case of EmergencyMapping right-wing activism, corporate lobbying and climate denialism - Break in Case of EmergencyFossil Fuel Ads Make Us Sick - CAPE campaign Quiet Alarm: A Review of the CBC’s Climate Reporting - Report led by SFU's Community-Engaged Research Initiative (CERi) and CEUCBC must strengthen its case on climate for our (and its own) survival - Seth Klein (video)CBC must strengthen its case on climate for our (and its own) survival - Seth Klein (column)Crisis, what crisis? We need a climate emergency information agency - Seth KleinIs Suzuki right that it's 'too late'? We are in an era of simultaneous wins and losses - Seth KleinThe climate movement must shift gears or it's done - Seth KleinWhat do Canadians really think about climate change?: A summary of public opinion research for communicators - Re.ClimateMore on the 6 Markers of the Climate Emergency:Watch our video: 6 Markers of Climate Emergency Action  Listen to all 6 episodes of our special series & the 6-marker overview episode from March 2025.Learn more about the 6 markers at www.davidsuzukiinstitute.ca/6-markers-of-climate-emergencyCredits:Produced by Erin Blondeau and Doug Hamilton-Evans. Written and hosted by Erin Blondeau. Music by Anjali Appadurai. Audio editing by Blue Light Studios. Artwork by Geoff Smith.

In Episode 3, the series confronts a critical shift: moving from voluntary climate action to mandatory rules that match the scale of the crisis. Erin Blondeau and Seth Klein speak with Dr. Melissa Lem, whose experience as a family physician brings urgency and clarity to the conversation. Reflecting on the deadly 2021 heat dome, they discuss mandatory measures like banning fossil fuel advertising and phasing out gas in new buildings. They also highlight the power of community-led responses and the growing leadership of health professionals calling for decisive action. This episode underscores that voluntary approaches are no match for an emergency.This episode was recorded on August 26, 2025, when entering forests in Nova Scotia was banned while severe forest fires burned through the province.Links & references:Fossil Fuel Ads Make Us Sick - CAPE campaign to ban fossil fuel adsReflections on mandates, from COVID to climate - Seth KleinLike we did for tobacco, we must ban false fossil fuel ads - Seth KleinVancouver council's gas plan goes up in smoke after fierce public pushback - Seth Klein Plugged in or left behind? - Chris Hatch column on zero-emission vehicle mandates Axing the EVs: Canadian sales plunge while global sales surge - Barry Saxifrage column on the power of vehicle mandatesMore on the 6 Markers of the Climate Emergency:Watch our video: 6 Markers of Climate Emergency Action  Listen to all 6 episodes of our special series & the 6-marker overview episode from March 2025.Learn more about the 6 markers at www.davidsuzukiinstitute.ca/6-markers-of-climate-emergencyCredits:Produced by Erin Blondeau and Doug Hamilton-Evans. Written and hosted by Erin Blondeau. Music by Anjali Appadurai. Audio editing by Blue Light Studios. Artwork by Geoff Smith.

In episode 2 of our 6-marker series, we turn to the institutions we need for an emergency-scale response. Erin Blondeau speaks with Alex Himelfarb, Linda McQuaig, and Seth Klein about why relying on private incentives hasn’t worked, and how Canada once excelled at building bold public institutions. From Connaught Labs to Ontario Hydro, they revisit the legacy of Crown corporations and imagine what new ones could achieve today: from publicly owned renewables to EV manufacturing to national retrofit programs. They also explore the promise of a Youth Climate Corps. It’s a call for imagination, democratic accountability, and rebuilding the public capacity we’ve allowed to erode.Links & references:Canada Needs a Youth Climate Corps - Climate Emergency Unit (video)Learn more about the Youth Climate Corps campaignThe Sport and Prey of Capitalists - Linda McQuaigBreaking Free of Neoliberalism: Canada’s Challenge - Alex HimelfarbMore on the 6 Markers of the Climate Emergency:Watch our video: 6 Markers of Climate Emergency Action  Listen to all 6 episodes of our special series & the 6-marker overview episode from March 2025.Learn more about the 6 markers at www.davidsuzukiinstitute.ca/6-markers-of-climate-emergencyCredits:Produced by Erin Blondeau and Doug Hamilton-Evans. Written and hosted by Erin Blondeau. Music by Anjali Appadurai. Audio editing by Blue Light Studios. Artwork by Geoff Smith.

Episode 1 of our 6-part special series begins with the first marker of the climate emergency: spending what it takes to win. Host Erin Blondeau is joined by Seth Klein and Caroline Brouillette to explore what real, transformative climate investment would look like, drawing parallels to Canada’s WWII mobilization. Together, they break down why today’s spending falls far short, and why committing at least 2% of GDP annually is both doable and necessary. They dig into ending fossil fuel subsidies, taxing windfall profits, and creative revenue tools like aviation pollution charges. It’s a clear-eyed conversation about ambition, urgency, and the choices that define whether we win this fight.Links & references:Spending What it Takes: Transformational climate investments for long-term prosperity in Canada - CAN-RacWhy aren’t we talking about war taxes? - Seth Klein (video)Why aren’t we talking about war taxes? - Seth KleinThere’s always money for the military. But climate? - Seth Klein (video)There’s always money for the military. But climate? - Seth KleinCanada’s Fossil Fuel Funding in 2024 - Environmental Defence More on the 6 Markers of the Climate Emergency:Watch our video: 6 Markers of Climate Emergency Action  Listen to all 6 episodes of our special series & the 6-marker overview episode from March 2025.Learn more about the 6 markers at www.davidsuzukiinstitute.ca/6-markers-of-climate-emergencyCredits:Produced by Erin Blondeau and Doug Hamilton-Evans. Written and hosted by Erin Blondeau. Music by Anjali Appadurai. Audio editing by Blue Light Studios. Artwork by Geoff Smith.

In this discussion, expert Alex Hemingway, a Senior Economist at BC Policy Solutions, helps unravel the complexities of the 2025 federal budget. He highlights contradictions between lofty goals and cuts to public services. They delve into the limitations of the Climate Competitiveness Strategy and question the effectiveness of private investments in housing. Additionally, they explore untapped revenue potentials like wealth taxes, suggesting that a targeted tax could raise $40 billion in the first year. Political strategies to drive change also come into focus.

Garth Mullins, a prominent harm reduction activist and broadcaster, discusses the overlapping crises of climate change and the overdose epidemic. He emphasizes the necessity for solidarity among social movements to tackle systemic issues. Mullins critiques drug prohibition and highlights the importance of community organizing, advocating for compassionate emergency responses to both crises. The conversation underscores the need for radical reforms and the role of grassroots movements in fostering genuine change and resilience in society.

Kiki Wood, a Senior Oil and Gas Campaigner at Stand.earth, and Clark Williams-Derry, an Energy Finance Analyst at IEEFA, dive into the intricacies of LNG's environmental and financial costs. They tackle the myths of LNG as a cleaner transitional fuel, exposing the environmental toll of fracking and the dangers posed to Indigenous communities. The discussion also covers the financial risks of LNG projects and their potential to raise domestic energy prices. Advocacy and grassroots movements against LNG expansion are emphasized as crucial steps for change.

Kai Nagata, Communications Director at Dogwood, dives into the controversial approval of the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission pipeline. He explores the powerful interests driving these decisions, particularly their impact on Indigenous rights and environmental concerns. Nagata addresses the financial incentives behind liquefied natural gas and the diverse global strategies surrounding it. The discussion highlights local resistance against corporate priorities and reflects on the broader implications for future legislative actions in British Columbia and beyond.