What On Earth

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 mi...

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 practi...

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 ele...

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.

With deadly levels of rainfall happening across the world, we see the destruction first-hand and learn how it can be stopped. First, we visit the site of school teacher Sonya McIntyre’s home after an atmospheric river took her life. We then learn how understanding climate systems can prevent future loss of life. 

When some climate-conscious Swifties learned that Canada’s biggest fossil fuel financier, RBC, is an official partner for Taylor Swift’s Eras tour in Vancouver and Toronto, they jumped into action. But can uniting Swifties online translate to change? Or is it a trend that will fizzle over time? Meanwhile, What On Earth youth columnist Aishwarya Puttur breaks down why social media campaigns are on...

They can be noisy. And smelly. And, as Cate Blanchett (yes, Cate Blanchett!) complains, don’t they just move “leaves from one place to another, only for them to be blown back again"? Gas-powered leaf blowers create a lot of opinions and a lot of emissions. Molly Segal takes us through why they're so particularly polluting and unhealthy. And, she explores the solutions underway — from political ban...

They might leave you a huge mess, but a "free for now" fire prevention service may be taking hold in Canada. Insurers have started contracting a private company to swoop in and do last-minute fireproofing on homes in B.C. and Alberta. Paul Haavardsrud and Danielle Nerman explain what that looks like, and how this new strategy could keep insurance premiums from going up faster than they already are...

Come along to the AFN’s annual Climate Gathering where columnist Melina Laboucan-Massimo is teaching Indigenous communities how to transition to clean energy. According to Melina, it's not just about swapping out technologies. Culture and language are key.

Is there a climate cost to your reading habit? A listener asks about the emissions of paper books versus e-readers, and we go looking for answers.

Florida has been hit by a one-two-punch. But death and injury can come long after the winds subside. A doctor details the many ways hurricanes can disrupt health care, something he witnessed first-hand as a responder to Hurricane Katrina. Now, he's training a new generation of medical professionals willing to speak out about climate change as a "health risk".

When natural disasters hit home, knowing your neighbours could be a lifeline. Edmonton is leading the way in creating climate resilience on a hyperlocal level. We hear how something as simple as a neighbourhood bonfire can build support networks, and mobilize communities to fight climate change.

They’re an iconic symbol of Canada. But are they also role models for climate adaptation? CBC producer Allison Dempster introduces us to the people trying to mimic beavers by building their own dams to restore the water table. And we hear about a close encounter with a surprising ending.

A stuffed dalmatian. An album of precious photos. A scorched doorknob. These are some of the personal items on display recently at Climate Week NYC. Meghan Fandrich and Diana Boston travelled to New York City from Lytton and Merritt, B.C., to share these remnants of the fire and flood that devastated their communities. They tell us why they hope the exhibit can make climate disaster tangible, and...

Fair warning in the age of three word slogans: today we're talking about the complex policies behind the politics. If ever there was a time to dive deep into climate plans — it's now. Simon Donner, co-chair of the independent Net Zero Advisory Body, walks us through new ways Canada could cut emissions. Then the CBC’s Aaron Wherry breaks down the politics of a cornerstone climate policy. How did th...

As an orphaned child in Ireland, Diana Beresford-Kroeger was educated in Druid philosophy that taught her to respect trees. Now, at age 80, she's weaving those learnings with her decades of scientific study into a new book “Our Green Heart”. Then, we hear from a climate champion nominated by a listener who took up Diana's challenge to connect kids to nature.

Spoiler: it’s not Chem 11. We hear how a B.C. science teacher learned to support her students after the 2021 atmospheric river. Now, she’s teaching other teachers how to do the same. Then, we head to Toronto to hear how young Muslims are connecting with nature, and learning to make change, thanks to the group Green Ummah.

The future may be green for drillers looking for work outside the oil industry. Demand is growing for geothermal heat pumps and that requires people with the skills to drill deep below ground and harness energy to heat and cool homes. It turns out drilling is a sustainable job, in more ways than one.

Conservation photographer Neil Ever Osborne was on a dream expedition to see emperor penguins in Antarctica, but the images he brought back are haunting. Now, in a new exhibit in Toronto, Neil says he's trying to "put these images to work" for the planet. Meanwhile in Vancouver, three choreographers aim to express their inexpressible frustration about climate change… through dance.

Money from the oil and gas industry could be limiting the scope of climate solutions universities and other institutions dig into, according to a group of academics. They reviewed papers, news coverage and watchdog reports from around the world, including Canada and say it’s time for more transparency about who is footing the bill and what the implications of industry involvement could be.

We take you behind the scenes of Overheated, a special series we put together with a couple of sister shows: Quirks & Quarks and White Coat, Black Art. Each of us tells a specific story of how heat will change everything, from neighbourhood microclimates to the rise of “hot work.”

Yukon First Nations are leaders in protecting a keystone species threatened by warming waters. Join us in Whitehorse where we meet people demanding better care for irreplaceable Chinook salmon. This story is our contribution to Overheated, a special series we put together with two of our sister shows: Quirks & Quarks and White Coat, Black Art. Each of us tells a specific story of how heat will...