Break In Case of Emergency

In the wake of the successful inclusion of a Youth Climate Corps pilot in the 2025 federal budget, Juan Vargas Alba (co-lead of the Youth Climate Corps campaign) interviews community organizer Karina Villada about the myths and scapegoating around immigration, migrant workers and (youth) unemployment. This episode functions as a resource for young organizers who want to understand issues of immigr...

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 differen...

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 g...

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 adver...

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...

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 wh...

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...

Anjali Appadurai and Seth Klein are joined by Alex Hemingway (Senior Economist at BC Policy Solutions) to analyze the 2025 federal budget and the thin gruel that is the Climate Competitiveness Strategy. We also talk housing policies, alternative ways to generate revenue and Zohram Mamdani’s win in NYC! Follow the work of BC Policy Solutions at https://bcpolicy.ca/ and on - Bluesky - Facebook - Ins...

In this episode, Anjali Appadurai and Seth Klein sit down with Garth Mullins to explore the interconnectedness of the climate crisis and the overdose crisis, emphasizing the need for solidarity among various social movements. They discuss the metaphor of a conveyor belt leading to societal collapse, the failures of drug prohibition, and the importance of community organizing and coalition building...

On June 30, Canada officially became an exporter of LNG. Emiko Newman (Coordinator of the BC Climate Emergency Campaign) uses this inauspicious occasion as a jumping off point to tally up the costs of LNG on our environment, climate, health and finances with Kiki Wood (Senior Oil and Gas Campaigner at Stand.earth) and Clark Williams-Derry from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analy...

With the approval of the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission (PRGT) pipeline and the passing of Bills 14 and 15 in B.C., Emiko Newman spoke with Kai Nagata, the northern pipeline campaigner at Dogwood, about the powerful interests behind these decisions and the resistance that has risen up in response. This episode was recorded on June 17 and was published on June 25. Credits : Produced by Emiko Newman...

With the uninspired wrap-up of the recent G7 Leaders Summit in Alberta, we wonder: what are these summits even meant for, and how can we use their spotlight on international cooperation to advocate for real systems change? Anjali Appadurai and Doug Hamilton-Evans chat about the issues on the table at the recent Summit, as well as our newly-launched Fair Shares Platform and why the climate movement...

It took us a moment to catch our breaths after the federal election, but Anjali Appadurai, Seth Klein and Bushra Asghar took a moment to debrief on what the heck happened and what it means for the climate movement.  Then, we asked Bushra about her experience campaigning as the NDP candidate for Mississauga-Streetsville. While she didn’t win her seat, she’s a champion in our hearts and did some inc...

With less than a week before the federal election, Alex Cool-Fergus from Climate Action Network Canada joins Seth Klein, Juan Vargas Alba and Doug Hamilton-Evans from the Climate Emergency Unit to break down the climate commitments in each of the major political parties' platforms. We pay special attention to what the Liberals, NDP and Greens have said about implementing a Youth Climate Corps...

In this episode of Break in Case of Emergency , hosts Erin Blondeau and Emiko Newman speak with Geoff Dembicki , global managing editor of DeSmog , to discuss the intricate connections between conservative politics, corporate lobbying, and climate denialism.  The conversation explores the mapping of Pierre Poilievre’s inner circle, the influence of lobbyists on climate policy and insights from Jor...

In this episode of Break in Case of Emergency , host Erin Blondeau is joined by Anjali Appadurai, Juan Vargas Alba, Seth Klein and Alex Cool-Fergus of Climate Action Network Canada to discuss party platforms and climate policy leading up to the federal election. This round-table style podcast episode explores the lack of attention to climate issues in party platforms, the implications of tax cuts...

In this special election episode, co-hosts Anjali Appadurai and Erin Blondeau interview siblings Naomi Klein and Seth Klein to discuss the current political climate in Canada leading up to the federal election, unpacking the nuances of a nationalistic response, the role of fossil fuel corporations, and the need for effective and transformative climate policies. Seth and Naomi provide insights into...

Host Emiko Newman interviews Mary Stuart and Erin Blondeau about the rise of climate conspiracism. Mary is a masters student in political ecology at the University of Victoria studying right-wing climate denial. Erin Blondeau is the Director of Communications at the Climate Emergency Unit and an independent writer. Together, they discuss how climate disasters are being reframed as government plots...

This episode aired on March 15 2025. Seth Klein joins host Erin Blondeau to talk about the 6 Markers of Climate Emergency Framework.  Marker 1: Spend what it takes to win. Marker 2: Create new institutions to get the job done. Marker 3: Shift from voluntary & incentive-based policies to mandatory measures. Marker 4: Tell the truth about the severity of the crisis & communicate urgency. Mar...

This episode aired on February 19 2025. In this first episode of Break In Case of Emergency , host Erin Blondeau sits down with Emiko Newman, Coordinator of the BC Climate Emergency Campaign, to examine British Columbia's climate action record. Despite thinking of itself as a climate leader, BC received failing grades in a recent progress report that evaluated the province's response to...

This episode aired on February 19 2025. In this timely episode, host Erin Blondeau discusses Ontario's surprise early election with climate organizers Bushra Asghar, Zoe Keary-Matzner, and Karishma Porwal, coming up on February 27 . The conversation unpacks Doug Ford's political strategy of calling an election 16 months early while positioning himself as a “patriotic” leader in response...

This episode aired on February 14 2025.  In this special preview episode, join Emiko Newman and Erin Blondeau for a conversation about the origins of the Break In Case of Emergency podcast and the Climate Emergency Unit. Erin and Emiko discuss why the CEU team decided to embark on this podcast journey, touching on Seth Klein's climate book “A Good War: Mobilizing Canada for the Climate Emerge...

This episode aired on February 14 2025.  Global average temperatures are skyrocketing. Communities are being wiped out by wildfires, floods, droughts, storms and other unnatural disasters. We are living the climate emergency. Through candid discussions with frontline activists, community leaders, and climate justice organizers, Break In Case of Emergency explores what it really means to treat clim...