What On Earth

Some of Ottawa’s signature climate actions could disappear amidst all the political change ahead. We’ll hear what’s at risk – and why – after the Prime Minister’s decision to step aside. Then, what the fires in Los Angeles can teach Canadians about disasters, climate change and insuring their homes.

Sometimes the truth hurts. And when it comes to fighting climate change, we have obstacles ahead – including the likely reality that global temperatures in 2024 will hit 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels. That’s even before Donald Trump’s return to the White House could bring a big shift in climate policies. But that doesn’t mean the fight is over. David Ho, a professor at the University of Hawaii, explains what the next goal should be and how we could get there.

Will the International Court of Justice’s climate ruling be as influential as Beyoncé? Our youth columnist, Aishwarya Puttur thinks so. She joins guest host Michelle Eliot with her outlook for 2025. Then – story producer Dannielle Piper shares feedback from listeners who weighed in about tiny homes.

Happy new year! We’re starting 2025 with a special gift from our friends at Unreserved, “Turtle’s Teachings of Truth” — the third episode in their ongoing Sacred Seven series — which invites us to slow down and consider the world from the perspective of our non-human relations. Today’s episode includes an Anishinaabe creation story, a Turtle clan grandmother’s wisdom, and a close look at a turtle protection program in Toronto. And if you're looking for a new calendar, take a closer look at a turtle's shell. Read more about the turtle’s teachings here: cbc.ca/1.7393114 Listen to more Unreserved podcast episodes here: https://link.mgln.ai/yUGMa3

Houses are getting bigger and so is their carbon footprint. Tiny homes may be the solution. That’s why a group of students has banded together to create one … along with a how-to guide anyone can use to build their own. Follow story producer Dannielle Piper as she learns how this self-sustaining tiny home can set the stage for other future builders.

Today, we’re bringing you a special gift from our friends at IDEAS, “David Suzuki's Survival Guide: A Retrospective.” We think you’ll very quickly understand why it made us think of the Charles Dickens classic, and our own past, present and planet yet-to-be. Listen to more IDEAS podcast episodes here: https://link.mgln.ai/yzu3fa

Environment Canada's top 10 biggest weather stories of the year just dropped. And we got three CBC weather specialists to break it down for you. Learn what’s causing an increase in B.C.’s atmospheric rivers, how Jasper's summer inferno left its landscape changed forever, and why Central Canada bore the brunt of the 2024 hurricane season. Plus – extreme weather is part of the reason insurance costs are rising. What On Earth is on the hunt for solutions.

They’re on billboards, front pages, TV… but do they pass the sniff test? We dig into the facts behind Alberta’s “Scrap the Cap” campaign. Then, heat and drought could be the Grinch that stole one of New Brunswick’s beloved Christmas tree species. CBC Fredericton journalist Danielle McCreadie shares some solutions farmers and industry are eyeing to climate-proof the balsam fir.

Mining projects in northwestern British Columbia are causing tension downstream in Alaska, where three rivers are home to salmon species and eulachon. Southeast Alaskan tribes are fighting to have a say across the border in Canada when it comes to the environmental assessment of mines upstream. With these watersheds already facing climate impacts, and a rush for critical minerals heating up, is cooperating across borders a climate solution?

Home renos are super popular. That means more waste from old houses. But what if you could salvage that waste and turn it into something useful? That’s what one woman did and now other homeowners are doing it, too. CBC climate reporter Emily Chung shows us how old homes are now being deconstructed to dodge the dump and reduce emissions.

Plastic pollution is a climate issue but the world can’t seem to agree on how to deal with it. Those fighting for a global agreement say the longer we wait, the longer future generations will have plastics polluting their environment, their bodies and contributing to climate change. There are solutions, but people from Indigenous communities around the globe say a good deal needs to include their voices. Then, CBC’s International Climate Correspondent Susan Ormiston's conversation with venture capitalist and entrepreneur Tom Rand about the future of clean tech.

There are a lot of ways to travel long distances. You can carpool, take the bus, ride the train…but for international destinations, figuring out the most climate-friendly method can be tricky. After a listener asked for help, What On Earth’s Dannielle Piper goes cruising for answers.

The world is heating up. Money is tight. News is bleak. Are you burning out? Mental health columnist Abhay Singh Sachal gives us a breakdown of what’s behind burnout and how to stop it from stopping you.

A bright white mineral promises to boost crop yields while sucking up atmospheric carbon, and its name is wollastonite. Join CBC Ottawa’s environment and climate reporter Stu Mills as he walks us through why some farmers are cautiously embracing this new mineral, and sprinkling it on their fields.

When a deadly landslide hit Sitka, Alaska in 2015, it sparked conversations about safety and risk. The community has an early warning system for tsunamis. Could it work for landslides? Or would another solution have to be developed? Producer Molly Segal finds out. Then -- with climate change increasing the risk of landslides, we hear how sound waves imperceptible to the human ear can tip us off minutes before the hazard occurs in the Pemberton Valley, north of Whistler, B.C.

Come with us to California where entrepreneurs are sending balloons full of sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere. It’s a form of solar geoengineering known as stratospheric aerosol injection, and the company Make Sunsets isn’t waiting for scientific consensus before they launch. We hear about their business model, and then from the researchers who question both the science and ethics of the practice.

EV fires can be scary and challenging to fight. But they’re not as common as they may seem. Online misinformation and a lack of reliable data can contribute to misconceptions about what happens when an electric vehicle battery fire erupts – and even firefighters aren’t immune.

Have you heard of a 'bike bus'? It's just one of the answers Rachel Sanders found to a listener's concerns about the gridlock that can form around schools.

He's promised to "drill, baby, drill". He's cast doubt on the risks of global warming. And one of his biggest donors is EV magnate Elon Musk. But what does a second Donald Trump presidency really mean for U.S. climate policy – and our warming world? Emily Atkin of the newsletter Heated helps us untangle what's possible over the next four years, and reflects on why climate barely surfaced as an election issue.

The language of COP29 is brain-melting. But these soul-unstirring terms are key to solving climate change. We decode what's really at stake as leaders gather this month in Azerbaijan. Then, we hear how corruption can derail international climate action – and what solutions could help.