What On Earth CBC Discover & Learn

Could letting young people vote be a climate game changer? We hear from Vancouver teens on whether or not they think they’re ready to vote and whether climate would shape their choice at the ballot box. Then, a Canadian senator and a 17-year-old student share why they’re fighting for a proposed bill making its way through parliament.

In Alaska and Barcelona, money from visitors is paying for heat pumps. What do we owe to the places we go on vacation? We hear how travellers can contribute to climate solutions. And, we answer a listener’s question about whether our beloved maple syrup will disappear in a warming world.

As wildfires rage across the country, we hear how to harness the power of community in the face of danger. And, we share listeners’ response to our interview with two long-time wildland firefighters in Alberta about what they say is a crisis in the ranks.

Soon, a little-known international tribunal will release a precedent setting decision that could force developed nations to do more to protect small island states from the ravages of climate change. A Canadian lawyer represented those tiny countries at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. He shares what’s at stake, along with another member of the legal team - Naima Te Maile Fefita of Tuvalu. Then our listeners get into a lather about the dishes. Hand wash or dishwasher?

Wildfire fighters say working conditions threaten the safety of crew and the public in that province. As climate change leads to more intense forest fires, the people on the front lines say they’re losing team members to other employers and something needs to change.

An Indigenous-owned company in Ontario is making sure evacuations are culturally appropriate, including supporting people to seek refuge on their traplines instead of hotels. Then we ask Canada’s Indigenous Services Minister how Ottawa can make climate emergencies less traumatic for Indigenous communities, and why members of the Peguis First Nation remain displaced two years after a major flood.