What On Earth CBC Discover & Learn

Yep, we’re naming names! We meet a researcher who combed through millions of pieces of plastic trash and traced half of the branded items back to just 56 companies. We hear the case for why manufacturers should be responsible for their plastic products and how addressing this can help lower CO2 emissions to tackle the climate crisis. And – we dish the dirt on cleaning your plates, cutlery and more after a listener wrote in to ask: is the dishwasher or washing by hand better for the planet?

Their eco-anxiety is real, and they're helping each other with it even as adults play it down. We hear from two high schoolers in New Brunswick who are finding ways to cope — and even educating the willing grownups in their lives. And our mental health columnist Abhay Singh Sachal is worried about gaps he sees in modern psychology education. If tomorrow's therapists aren't climate aware, they risk "dismissing or downplaying" a key concern for their youngest clients. Plus, listeners weigh in on ways to reuse old clothes and linens — from creating a Dolly Parton-style bedsheet to Schitt's Creek dolls.

In 1970, 20 million people showed up to fight for the environment on the first Earth Day. But more than five decades later – is it time for this much tamer global event to return to its radical roots? Organizer Denis Hayes recounts how – amidst other counterculture movements at the time – he transformed Earth Day from a campus teach-in to a national protest. As he approaches 80, Denis offers his best OG advice to the next generation of climate leaders. Then, environmental warriors Maria Blancas and Axcelle Campana share ideas on what a revamped Earth Day could look like – including making it a public holiday.

The climate is changing. So are we. Twice a week we take you across Canada and around the world, in search of climate solutions.

We love to hear from our listeners and regularly feature them on the show. Have a question? Email Earth@cbc.ca

Scientists are editing the DNA of canola, and more, to survive with less rain. Can this help farmers adapt to climate change? And – if you’re stressed about the climate cost of the clothes and linens that have reached the end of their life, we have the scoop on what to do with those old jeans and torn bed sheets.

Join us on a hunt to discover the lost waterways hidden below the streets of Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, and find out how bringing creeks and rivers back to the surface can help our cities adapt to a changing world.