From the Ground Up

Mike Prebble is a high school teacher in Saskatoon: amongst other things he teaches climate awareness, starting from outdoor education principles. In this episode he tells us about a recent rally for high school students, about the initiatives pursued by the teenagers, and about his own experience and motivation in doing this work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On 2024:May:25, a group of people from various backgrounds got together at Wanuskewin to talk about just transition and visions for a post-transition world in which all peoples' needs are met. For this episode we play a recording of the introduction to the theme given by Blue Green Canada's senior program manager, Jamie Kirkpatrick. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Regular FTGU host Dave Greenfield died last month after a long illness. Dave was deeply committed to peace, justice and ecological integrity, and brought his determination for positive change to the support of numerous campaigns and charities. In this episode friends and fellow activists remember him, and we replay some of the best of his poetry. There will be a memorial meeting for Dave on the af...

Peter and Mark talk about the apparently different plans (both inadequate but one worse than the other) being put forward for Saskatchewan's electricity provision by the provincial government and by SaskPower. They then move on to the Saskatchewan Environmental Society's application to intervene in the legal action being taken against the provincial government, the Crown Investments Corporation an...

Carbon pricing is complex. All the more reason for people to understand it properly so that they are not fooled by propaganda and misinformation. In this episode, Shannon and Mark talk through the two types of carbon pricing in place in Saskatchewan, and address the confusion being promoted by inaccurate labelling on our electricity bills. Shannon has raised SaskPower's corporate misinformation wi...

Following the passing of a muddled and effectively science-denying resolution by the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities, Darrin Qualman,, Director of Climate Crisis Policy and Action with the National Farmers Union, talks about some better ways forward for farming.. The NFU is advocating for establishment of a Canadian Farm Resilience Agency, with ultimately a three-fold purpose: (i)...

Whether we call it natural gas or fossil gas, we are heavily dependent on it. And that's a problem, It's primarily made up of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas which adds to global heating when it leaks or is vented. And when it's burnt for energy it produces carbon dioxide, the principal greenhouse gas. So what do we do, first to reduce our dependence on it and then to wean ourselves off it alto...

Whether we call it natural gas or fossil gas, it's a problem, It's primarily made up of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas which adds to global heating when it leaks or is vented. And when it's burnt for energy it produces carbon dioxide, the principal greenhouse gas. So what do we do, first to reduce our dependence on it and then to wean ourselves off it altogether? What are the non-climate benef...

A bit of a mix this week. An announcement of a series of climate-relevant events in Saskatoon. Then comment on the Saskatchewan government's decision to break the law by refusing to collect carbon pricing revenues. And finally a replay of some of Dave Greenfield's sonnets from December 2022. Links to the events advertised at the beginning: Sustainability speakers series: https://environmentalsocie...

Five years after it was finalised, Saskatoon's GHG emissions reduction policy is at a crossroads. With the council under financial pressure, there have been calls on the council to reduce funding or delay projects identified under the Low Emissions Community Program. However, some projects are already behind schedule, and, while reductions have been achieved, the ability to sustain and accelerate...

In 2021, Amy Snider, together with Russell Charlton and Katherine Arbuthnott, started up EcoStress Sask. In this extended conversation with Mark, Amy talks about the personal experience that led up to this initiative, and describes the work of the organisation. EcoStress Sask may be reached at ecostresssask@gmail.com. More information at https://ecostresssask.ca/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/pri...

A repeat of (most of) an interview with Robin Adair ("The Green Builder") which we ran in 2021. But first some news about municipal and federal programmes to enable energy improvements to homes. Canada Greener Homes programme: https://natural-resources.canada.ca/energy-efficiency/homes/canada-greener-homes-initiative/canada-greener-homes-grant/canada-greener-homes-grant/23441 City of Saskatoon HEL...

Mark talks through some recent news stories and shares some of what he has learnt about the way that the global climate crisis affects another major international crisis - that of forced displacement. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lauren and Mark talk about the progress and the purpose of the court case being pursued by a nationwide group of young people, demanding that the federal government align its climate policy with the science. But first some brief commentary on the averted blackout crisis in Alberta. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lauren and Mark talk about the progress and the purpose of the court case being pursued by a nationwide group of young people, demanding that the federal government align its climate policy with the science. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mark and Dave look back at 2023, with some thoughts as to how to improve things in future years. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At the time of recording, the COP28 climate summit was in turmoil, with both vulnerable low-income states and much of the industrialised world finding COP president Sultan Al Jaber's draft agreement to be unacceptable. But Al Jaber isn't the only leader seeking to impose the agenda of the oil and gas industry on the world at a time of climate emergency: Saskatchewan's own Scott Moe has made a numb...

Elena Sosa Lerin talks about the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence (Nov:25 to Dec:10), and the ways in which environmental stress adds to the risk and incidence of such violence Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Council of Canadians has been working for social and environmental justice and for stronger democracy in Canada since 1985. In this interview, Dave talks with David Condon, CoC board representative for the prairies region. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Gaza under siege and intense bombardment, humanitarian organisations,UN agencies and many others have been calling for a ceasefire. Much as the people of Gaza need that, there is a longer history of suffering, in which environmental and climate impacts are closely intertwined with deprivation of basic human rights under occupation. So this week we are repeating an interview we did in 2018 wit...

Lauren and Mark talk through two recent United Nations reports. Since the 2015 Paris agreement, the UN Environment Programme has been publishing annually the Emissions Gap Report: an annual assessment of progress towards emissions reduction and comparison of policies with what is needed to achieve the Paris goals. For the last few years that report has been complemented by two other reports, which...

New presenter Lauren and old presenter Mark talk a bit about Lauren's experience in youth climate campaigning, and about recent reports showing that the technology needed to address the climate crisis is gaining ground fast - but not yet fast enough. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A continuation from last week's episode. In conversation with Dave, Mark and Chris talk about Christian theological approaches which value the earth. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you're in the Saskatoon area,and want serious action to address the climate crisis, here's an event that could interest you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.