What On Earth

To mark the show’s anniversary, we ask what Canada has learned about tackling climate change since our debut in 2020, starting with lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic. And, we discuss what climate action could look like over the next five years.

From the Best of What On Earth — Glaciers are rapidly retreating in Canada’s Rockies and that’s making it more hazardous to navigate some alpine routes. In this documentary, we visit Banff National Park to meet guides who are adapting to the different ways climate change is altering a once familiar landscape. Plus, what you need to know about how older people can stay safe in extreme heat.

If Canada wants to be net zero by 2050, more than a million small businesses will have to make the green transition. And while some intrepid business owners are already trying their best to navigate a more eco-friendly path, others say it’s a big ask, especially when many are already struggling to balance the needs of price-wary shoppers with a thin bottom line. We’ll dive into their journey, and learn more about the supports that could change the game.

A year and a half ago, Adrienne Crowder caught an episode we did about a free university course on climate change. She took it, she loved it, and she wanted more. So, she started a network amongst her classmates: ordinary Canadians who support each other to make change in their lives. We hear from many of them, as we kick off special coverage to mark five years of What On Earth.

Ottawa's moves to fast-track resource projects with Bill C-5 are resurfacing concerns about Indigenous consultation. But what does it actually look like when Indigenous people push back against resource projects and take control of climate stewardship on their land? To find out, we head to the heart of Tsleil-Waututh traditional territory near Vancouver. The work they’ve done to restore local ecosystems is not only good for the climate, it's also a way to assert their rights. Then, we'll hear from an Anishinaabe expert who says this is just one example of how taking land back can be climate action.

Don’t have a garden? Adopt a roundabout and plant things for the bees! We meet a TikToker who’s done just that. And then we travel from coast to coast to hear about a push to let sections of city parks grow a little wild. We head to one of these meadows to hear how they attract pollinators, and hear why creating “pollinator pockets” for busy bees and “hairy” moths can be a climate solution across the country – and a patriotic one at that.

This year’s fire season is on track to be one of the worst on record. It’s displacing thousands, including many First Nation communities. We hear from those forced to flee far from home, about the fear they face. We explore the political push to make sure Indigenous communities can take the lead when fires break out. Then, we check in on an Indigenous-led emergency management company that puts this idea into action by supporting evacuees in Toronto.

Meet the ‘cunning foxes,’ student activists who saved the Gachibowli forest in southern India. What On Earth’s youth climate action columnist Aishwarya Puttur shares what she’s heard from protesters who took a stand in defence of a cooling green space in the urban centre of Hyderabad – and what lessons the protest holds for climate action everywhere.

This World Oceans Day, we're sharing a story from The Outlaw Ocean — an urgent look at the migration crisis unfolding in the Mediterranean Sea. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ian Urbina shares insights into how climate change is driving a massive global migration, with 150 million people expected to move in the next 50 years. He follows the story of one rural farmer, a young father from Guinea-Bissau.Find the full series here: https://link.mgln.ai/oo-woe

From scientists to lobbyists to youth risking arrest, meet the people leading the resistance to anti-climate policy in the United States. Since Donald Trump’s second term began, hundreds of pro-climate policies have been rolled back or undermined, leaving many American climate advocates shocked and dismayed. But now, they’re pushing back. We hear about the tactics leaders are using to shift public opinion ahead of the U.S. midterms in 2026. 

Corporate leaders say Canada’s new greenwashing rules are causing companies to pull back on their climate ambitions. We hear from the executive chair of Maple Leaf Foods about what he says is a “greenhushing” effect of the legislation. Then, we hear from a lawyer and a climate advocate about the pros and cons of the federal government’s new law.

For those fleeing the flames, there may not be an easy way out. Canada’s minister of emergency management and community resilience, Eleanor Olszewski, shares how prepared the country is to respond. She also answers to concerns from First Nations on why her department only acted after provinces called for help.

Buildings make up a hefty share of Canada’s emissions. But across the country, communities are looking for ways to curb that impact, and make public structures more resilient to climate change. We take a tour of cool projects from Lytton B.C. to Six Nations of the Grand River Territory. 

The temperate rainforests of the West Coast exist because of salmon magic. These fish feed the trees, the trees protect the fish, and everything else that lives under the canopy of the ancient old-growth benefits from this interplay. Protecting these 'salmon forests' from logging and wildfire can have enormous benefits for human life and the climate, according to author Lynda Mapes whose new book is called The Trees are Speaking: Dispatches from the Salmon Forests. And we speak to Tsm’syen scientist Sm'hayetsk Teresa Ryan, about why the key to saving what old-growth is left in Canada could come down to Indigenous leadership. 

When West Sacramento was saved from wildfire in 2022, goats were hailed as heroes. No, they didn’t wield hoses or jump out of helicopters. They just did what goats do: eat everything in sight, including the dry grass and weeds that can fuel wildfires. We head to Northern California where governments are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on goats to create firebreaks. Then, we ask, could they help in Canada, too? 

Wildfire season is here already, with devastating effects in Manitoba. We have some advice for steps you can take now to prepare for heat, smoke and wildfire. There’s a lot you can do to keep yourself, your home and your community safer and more comfortable this summer even if you’re on a tight budget.

Darning socks may not sound like a revolutionary act. But people across the country are embracing the art of mending to push back against clothing waste. We visit Toronto’s second annual Mend In Public Day, and a clothing swap in Victoria, to hear about the personal and political action afoot to curb emissions from the fashion industry.

Drilling into the ground isn’t the only way to source metals for clean energy. You can also get them from castoff phones, laptops and TVs. It’s called urban mining. We speak with Maria Holuszko at UBC’s Urban Mining Innovation Centre about developing more efficient techniques for harvesting the gold, copper and other materials in old electronics. And Craig Wisehart of the Electronic Products Recycling Association takes us to a depot to find out how to drop off your old stuff and where it goes.

Pattie Gonia proves why climate action is a total drag, in the most fabulous way possible. From going viral for hiking in high heels, to performing a climate anthem with acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo Ma and Alaskan Indigenous artist Quinn Christopherson, Wyn Wylie (the artist behind Pattie Gonia’s camp, fierce, red wig and marvellous makeup) is on a mission to bring some joy to the fight to protect the planet – and show that 2SLGBTQ+ people are vital to the quest for climate solutions. 

“Build baby build!” Post-election, the word ‘pipeline’ is popping up again. Mark Carney says he’ll speed up energy project approvals, honour the duty to consult with First Nations and also hit Canada’s climate goals. Eriel Deranger of Indigenous Climate Action worries these promises amount to “doublespeak.” She warns any plans to fast-track projects that impact Indigenous communities could face protest and legal pushback. Keith Brooks of Environmental Defence says the emissions cap and phasing out fossil fuel projects are the path forward.

Canada’s first local state of emergency due to drought was declared on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia in 2022. The shortage was so bad, officials feared the region would run out of water for hospitals and fire departments. And the Coast has been under severe water restrictions for five of the last eight summers, a situation experts warn could become the norm. In her documentary, “Drought in the rainforest,” Liz Hoath with CBC’s audio doc unit tells the story of a community hit hard by rising temperatures and the local government's failure to plan for climate change.

Pope Francis established himself as a leading voice on climate action, but it’s not yet clear how that legacy will be preserved once a new pope is in place. Katharine Hayhoe, Global Chief Scientist of Nature United and Distinguished Professor at Texas Tech, weighs in on Pope Francis’s legacy. Then, we talk to Molly Burhans, cartographer and founder of GoodLands, who is mapping the vast swathes of Catholic Church-owned land around the world to help protect the climate. 

In remote northern communities, diesel is king. But breakthrough solar energy projects are underway that could begin to reduce fossil fuel reliance. This year, the theme of Earth Day is renewable energy, so we’re taking you to Nunavut where people are adding solar panels to small off-grid cabins and others are working on community-scale solar projects — so the diesel generators can finally be turned off and communities can hear silence once again, like their ancestors did.

Climate hasn’t been a hot topic on the campaign trail, but did it come up in the debates? We hear about that from CBC’s Aaron Wherry. Then, we talk climate policy with NDP candidate Samantha Green. And, we hear what the Conservatives have been saying about climate and energy in this election.

The Green Party aims to be the environmental conscience of parliament. But its popularity has waned as people consider strategic voting in the face of other concerns – and as climate change slips as a priority for voters. We speak to Green Party advisor Daniel Green about how the party is balancing its climate policy with other issues in this election and whether co-leaders Jonathan Pedneault and Elizabeth May can overcome their low poll numbers. We also hear from voters on whether climate is a ballot box priority.

The parties aren’t talking climate much on the campaign trail. But we are - we’ve got tough questions for all of them. First up, Jonathan Wilkinson of the Liberal party. We also talk to voters about why the warming planet isn’t a top priority for them this time.

Japan’s burgeoning wind energy sector is turning to robots to keep the industry moving. They can do work that is trickier and riskier for their human counterparts. CBC’s Cathy Senay takes us on a journey across Japan to find out how.

Students at some of Canada’s top universities are demanding banks stop funding fossil fuel projects and are calling on their schools to cut ties with major financial institutions. What On Earth’s youth climate action columnist Aishwarya Puttur explains the lengths that students are going to – from confronting bank executives to picking up protest signs – to support the cause, racking up some wins in their campaign along the way.

Climate-friendly menstrual products come with a lot of complex considerations, like personal preferences, stigma and cost. We visit a start-up in Nova Scotia that’s making compostable pads. Then – we hear about the policy and social changes that could help make sustainable options more accessible.

How do you include more voices in the climate change conversation? In a diverse country like Canada, there’s a growing need to have a wider variety of languages in the discussion. Climate justice columnist Chúk Odenigbo takes us through the concept of linguistic justice and why it matters.

Carbon pricing is a climate solution, but also a political football. Now that an election is underway and the consumer carbon tax has been scrapped, could the federal industrial price on carbon be the next wedge issue? Kate Ervine from Halifax’s Saint Mary’s University helps us go beyond slogans like “axe the tax” to understand what you should know about the industrial price on carbon.

Kids and veggies don’t always go hand in hand, but this after-school workshop is introducing plant-based cooking to children as a climate solution. It’s called EcoCooks. Producer Nick Logan stopped by a session to meet the kids 9-12 who are learning to make, and appreciate, tasty, vegetable-forward food that also cuts emissions. Then, we learn about other community efforts across Canada to put more veggies in the spotlight and onto plates.  

Peace and neutrality offer the best chance for future climate research in Antarctica. That’s what CBC’s international climate correspondent Susan Ormiston learned aboard HMCS Margaret Brooke – a Canadian naval ship carrying 15 Canadian scientists to the South Pole to learn about the southern ocean’s capacity to continue regulating Earth’s climate. Their research is taking place as growing geopolitical tensions threaten to upset the Antarctic Treaty and hamper future conservation efforts on the continent.

It might not sound like a climate job, but mechanical insulators help make buildings more energy efficient. We head out to meet a young woman who trained in the trade through a program set up by the Youth Climate Corps BC. The group is training young people around British Columbia for a wide variety of good, green jobs and hopes to expand across the country.

Fired climate scientist Tom Di Liberto says lives are at risk from extreme weather as more cuts loom over the U.S. government agency responsible for forecasting and much more. Di Liberto lost his job as part of a massive purge by the Trump administration, and worries the layoffs will not only cost the U.S. more money, but will cripple weather forecasting across the continent, leaving many people vulnerable to natural hazards. 

Canada's oil and gas companies are hoping carbon capture and storage will be a big part of the country’s net zero plans. But shipping CO2 through pipelines to storage facilities can come with risks. We go to rural Mississippi to hear about a rare carbon dioxide pipeline breach that was nearly deadly – and find out what Canada can learn from the incident.

There’s a push to see those responsible for intentional destruction of the environment tried in the International Criminal Court, just like war criminals. Three small island nations have proposed making ecocide a crime like genocide and crimes against humanity. But what would that take – and is there a better way to hold people to account for harming the planet and our climate?

With a looming trade war, local fruits and vegetables are attractive. But at what price? Some consumers are suddenly seeing prices skyrocket. Fruit and vegetable farmers are struggling with climate linked extreme weather events. That’s wrecking harvests and driving up production costs all over the world. But customers can help.

A new space race may affect Earth’s climate. As rocket companies, owned by billionaires like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk, drive the pursuit of energy resources in space, sustainability experts are scrambling to understand the carbon footprint of a quickly ramped up space industry. At the same time, they’re also considering the potential for climate solutions that may exist beyond our planet. It’s a quandary Scottish researcher Andrew Ross Wilson dubs ‘the space sustainability paradox.’

The climate solution that’s heating up across Canada has become an important part of food security and sovereignty. But many are powered by fossil fuels. The City of Fredericton has created a zero emissions greenhouse to grow saplings, and researchers at the University of Windsor are finding more sustainable ways to power them.

People in social housing aren’t always included in conversations about climate solutions. That’s why Zamani Ra is finding ways to draw people from those communities into the environmental movement. The founder of the Toronto-based not-for-profit CEED Canada shares how workshops that start with recycling can make climate action relevant for all.

Sociologist Dana Fisher says disasters like the Los Angeles wildfires and Hurricane Helene can spur community action in the face of the climate crisis. The author of Saving Ourselves: From Climate Shock to Climate Action says individuals coming up with solutions for resilient communities are what give her “apocalyptic optimism.” She shares how we can use the idea in our own personal fight against the climate crisis.

Warmer winters and weird weather have forced organizers of this classic sled dog race to change the route to stay safe in rapidly changing conditions. CBC Whitehorse reporter Cali McTavish takes us to the Yukon Quest starting line in Teslin, where mushers, organizers and Indigenous community members talk about what the race means to them, and how climate change is having an impact.

Meet the people using TikTok to break up with shopping, and learn why they say affordability is propelling them toward more climate-friendly habits, as they take on the social media challenge of a 'No Buy' year. And author Aja Barber shares stories of her own shopping addiction, how she “saw the light” and what happens when a 'No Buy' year turns into a lifestyle.

Millions of new homes may help the housing crisis. But climate change means reconsidering just where all those new developments should go. Waterfront? Maybe not. Nestled up against the forest? Think again. How to build for our climate future. We hear why to build where and a New Brunswick real estate agent shares what clients need to know about buying and selling safely.

It helps farmers and protects against wildfire. “The world needs to know about biochar,” says one scientist. So, what the heck is this charcoal-like, carbon-storing material? We meet a man on Vancouver Island who’s spending his retirement years making it for his neighbours. Then, producer Rachel Sanders finds out what potential this climate solution holds, what the pitfalls may be and what the challenges are with scaling it up.

From hurricanes to wildfires, extreme weather whips up false and misleading information. When people are left vulnerable after a disaster strikes, they may be more susceptible to being misled about the cause of their strife. And that often means pointing fingers at anything but climate change. We’re delving into the murky world of misinformation and disinformation – and looking for ways to separate climate facts from fiction.

What if we told you there’s a way to lower your food costs while also reducing emissions? Apps that connect shoppers with stores and restaurants selling edible food that would otherwise go to waste offer a climate solution that also makes daily life a little more affordable. We’re testing three popular apps to see how they may help combat the problem of food waste and the harmful greenhouse gas emissions it creates.

We used to take insurance for granted. Climate change is upending that. The L.A. wildfires have people talking about the future of home insurance in the face of more climate-charged disasters. We hear from a woman in Nova Scotia who worries about the future of her current home. And, Canada’s once stable insurance sector is facing uncertainty.

Donald Trump wants more oil and less climate action. But can he really turn back the clean energy transition? CBC climate reporter Inayat Singh breaks down Trump's climate policy changes.