Into the Anthropocene Art Gallery of Ontario

To wrap up our series, we ask our guests from throughout the series: If we’re living in the Anthropocene, is there anything we can do about it? Sarain and Ashley Wallis from Environmental Defence explore our options. What does working towards a sustainable future look like? Living on Mars isn’t exactly an option. For more information: Environmental Defence: www.environmentaldefence.ca. Learn more about your carbon footprint: Visit http://www.footprintcalculator.org/ to calculate your carbon load and learn about other ways to reduce your impact. Thanks so much for listening to our series! This episode was produced by Nadia Abraham, Shiralee Hudson Hill and Matthew Scott at the Art Gallery of Ontario. For more information on the podcast and the Anthropocene exhibition, visit our website: www.ago.ca.

When humans cut down forests, what disappears along with them? The ancient rainforests of Canada’s Pacific coast feature incredible biodiversity and some of the tallest and oldest trees in Canada, perhaps the world. In this episode author Harley Rustad tells the story of a tree that’s probably over 1000 years old (and miraculously still standing). We speak with Ken Wu of the Ancient Forest Alliance, a BC organization working to protect these forests. And we’re also joined by Tla-o-qui-at carver and activist Joe Martin who shares what these trees mean to him and his peoples. Together, these guests transport us into these majestic woodlands—hiking boots optional. For more information: Ancient Forest Alliance: www.ancientforestalliance.org. Harley Rustad and his new book Big Lonely Doug : www.harleyrustad.com. Joe Martin: http://www.tofinotime.com/artists/R-JMfrm.htm. This episode was produced by Nadia Abraham, Shiralee Hudson Hill and Matthew Scott at the Art Gallery of Ontario. For more information on the podcast and the Anthropocene exhibition, visit our website: www.ago.ca.

Human beings have altered life on this planet in ways no single species has before.
In today’s episode, we talk to Dr. Winnie Kiiru, elephant researcher and wildlife biologist, about the endangered African elephant and Kenya’s symbolic 2016 ivory tusk burn. Thousands of species are currently endangered and on the brink of extinction—what will we lose when they are gone? Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker staff writer and author of the Pulitzer prize–winning book The Sixth Extinction, reveals how species loss impacts the planet. Finally, we talk to poet Adam Dickinson, who embarked on a very personal journey into his own body for his latest book, Anatomic, about the unimaginable ways we’ve changed our own biological chemistry. For more information: The Elephant Protection Initiative: https://www.elephantprotectioninitiative.org/. Stop Ivory: http://stopivory.org/. Elizabeth Kolbert, The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250062185. Adam Dickinson, Anatomic: https://chbooks.com/Books/A/Anatomic3. This episode was produced by Nadia Abraham, Shiralee Hudson Hill and Matthew Scott at the Art Gallery of Ontario. For more information on the podcast and the Anthropocene exhibition, visit our website: www.ago.ca.

Over half of the world’s population lives in a city. How do these environments we’ve created for ourselves contribute to the rapidly changing climate? In this episode, we tackle the urban Anthropocene. Sarain speaks with Julia Langer, CEO of the Atmospheric Fund in Toronto, about the role of cities in the fight against climate change, and what “cityzens” can do to help. We also meet Susan Blight, a Toronto-based Anishinaabe artist and activist, who discusses urban indigeneity and reclaiming space in cities through art and language. For more information: The Atmospheric Fund, Transform T.O. Project: http://taf.ca/projects/transformto/. Ogimaa Mikana Project: http://ogimaamikana.tumblr.com/. This episode was produced by Nadia Abraham, Shiralee Hudson Hill and Matthew Scott at the Art Gallery of Ontario. For more information on the podcast and the Anthropocene exhibition, visit our website: www.ago.ca.

Humans now change the Earth’s systems more than all other natural forces combined…but are we all equally responsible?
In this episode, Sarain talks to scholars Zoe Todd and Heather Davis about decolonizing the Anthropocene. Then we break down the term "environmental racism" with Dr. Ingrid Waldron, sociologist and author of There’s Something in the Water, and discuss the effects of climate change in the Arctic with Sheila Watt-Cloutier, an Inuit rights advocate and the author of The Right to be Cold. For more information: Heather Davis and Zoe Todd, On the Importance of a Date, or, Decolonizing the Anthropocene: https://www.acme-journal.org/index.php/acme/article/view/1539. Sheila Watt-Cloutier, The Right to Be Cold-One Woman’s Story of Protecting her Culture, the Arctic, and the Whole Planet: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/417373/the-right-to-be-cold-by-sheila-watt-cloutier/9780143187646. Ingrid R.G. Waldron, There’s Something in the Water-Environmental Racism in Indigenous and Black Communities: https://fernwoodpublishing.ca/book/there8217s-something-in-the-water. The ENRICH Project: https://www.enrichproject.org/. This episode was produced by Nadia Abraham, Shiralee Hudson Hill and Matthew Scott at the Art Gallery of Ontario. For more information on the podcast and the Anthropocene exhibition, visit our website: www.ago.ca.

Dig deeper into the science of the Anthropocene. No PhD required, we promise.
What are the top ten things you need to know now about the science of our changing planet? We talk to Jan Zalasiewicz and Colin Waters, geologists from the Anthropocene Working Group, and Gaia Vince, author of the award-winning book Adventures in the Anthropocene. Warning: You may never look at your pen the same way again. For more information: Anthropocene Working Group: http://quaternary.stratigraphy.org/working-groups/anthropocene/. Gaia Vince’s book, Adventures in the Anthropocene and her other projects: https://wanderinggaia.com/. This episode was produced by Nadia Abraham, Shiralee Hudson Hill and Matthew Scott at the Art Gallery of Ontario. For more information on the podcast and the Anthropocene exhibition, visit our website: www.ago.ca.