Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast What on Earth?

Depending on who you ask, AI could usher in a green utopia – or the apocalypse. Between those two extremes is a much less hypothetical reality: the technology’s huge impact on our environment now. But tech leaders like NVIDIA’s Jensen Huang suggest it's all worth it, because AI can solve climate problems in the future. So when it comes to emissions cuts, what’s AI done for us lately? And what’s at stake for the climate as more and more chatbots come online? 

Guest names: 

Ketan Joshi, climate writer, analyst and advocate

Another What On Earth? episode you might like: Will Alberta data centres really curb their water use? 

Background reading: 

Could AI really 'kill all humans'? Breaking down the dire warnings about the technology's existential risk

What's behind the growing backlash toward AI data centres?

Have you got something to say about this episode? Email us at earth@cbc.ca

This episode includes a clip from the Ezra Klein Show, published by the New York Times, September 2026.

When a meteorologist took a job in Iowa, he was excited to make his forecasts matter to viewers by bringing in climate impacts that were relevant to their lives, like rising costs and energy independence. But then the backlash began, escalating to a death threat. 

He's not the only one. At climate week in New York City, a group of meteorologists gathered to share stories about speaking to often polarized audiences. When facts become political, how can climate change's frontline communicators stick to the science? 

Guests:

John Morales is the Founder & Lead Meteorologist at ClimaData, a weather consulting firm 

Chris Gloninger is a meteorologist and senior climate scientist with the Woods Hole Group

Video:

He talked about climate change in his weather forecast. Then came a death threat

Background reading: 

The Weatherman Who Tried to Bring Climate Science to a Red State

I’ve Been a Meteorologist for 40 Years. Here’s Why I Got Emotional About Hurricane Milton.

Other What On Earth? Episodes you might like:

Is it going to get harder to forecast hurricanes in Canada? 

Have you got something to say about this episode? Email us at earth@cbc.ca

As parliament gets back in session, there’s a lot going on: a trade war, talk of Alberta separation, and international alliances being redrawn. Prime Minister Mark Carney has been clear: he doesn’t think the old climate plan he inherited from the Trudeau government holds up to Canada’s new reality.

So, where does climate fit in what Carney calls the next “world order?” Two of our political journalists break down what we know so far, and what they’re watching for next.

Guests:

• David Thurton is a senior reporter with CBC’s parliamentary bureau in Ottawa
• Aaron Wherry is a senior writer with CBC’s parliamentary bureau in Ottawa

Video:

Are Canada’s climate plans cooked?

Other What On Earth? episodes you might like:

Critics say the math isn’t mathing on Ottawa’s climate plans

Is Canada really a climate leader?

Background reading:

Liberals remove layer of review process for energy projects, backing off bypassing at-risk species protections

Canadians should prepare for a 5 C hotter future, report warns

Carney says Trudeau-era climate plan was 'too expensive' and 'divisive'

Have you got something to say about this episode? Email us at earth@cbc.ca

It’s gonna be a record-breaking few months of weather. A natural surge of warm ocean water is colliding with a planet hotter than at any point in human history – meaning more heat, more floods, more droughts. Some think this Super El Niño offers a window into what climate change will bring, and that it could help us prepare for the decades to come.

Scientist Rosa Vásquez Espinoza takes us to Peru, where the phenomenon begins, and where officials have already declared a state of emergency due to heavy, unseasonal rains causing devastation for communities in the Andes and elsewhere. Then, we hear from Andrew Dessler, climate scientist at Texas A&M University, about how this Super El Niño is interacting with climate change and what this year’s weather could teach us about how to adapt to a warmer world.

And we wrap with what this all means for Canada. Bill Merryfield from Environment and Climate Change Canada answers pressing questions about the season ahead – such as, “should I buy a ski pass?”

Guests:

• Rosa Vásquez Espinoza, founder of Amazon Research Internacional
• Andrew Dessler, Director, Texas Center for Extreme Weather at Texas A&M University
• Bill Merryfield, research scientist with Environment and Climate Change Canada

Video:

I’ve tracked El Niño for years. I’ve never seen this before

Background reading:

'Super' El Niño didn't cause this year's fires and heat waves, but it's about to take us on a 'wild ride'

This episode features a clip from Saturday Night Live, created by Lorne Michaels, performed by Chris Farley, 1997, SNL Studios.

She's a CBC science journalist, meteorologist and seismologist. Now she’s taking the helm as the host of your favourite climate change podcast. All summer long, Jo and the team have been cooking up new ideas and stories to help you make sense of our changing world, at a time when the climate is warming and everything else can feel like a hot mess. Have we piqued your interest yet? Good. Here’s a quick rundown of what you can expect from the new season.  

Stephen Nelson tried to keep his friend Mario safe in the 2021 heat dome. But tragically, his friend died – in an old building that wasn’t designed for our warming world. This galvanized Stephen to do more to keep his community safe during extreme heat. We visit Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside to meet the tenants, like Stephen, working together to keep each other cool in a changing climate. 

From the best of What On Earth: A warmer world is great for rats. (Not so much for us). That’s why cities are seeing a climate-linked rise in rodents. Can birth control reverse that? Producer Molly Segal finds out how Chicago, Manhattan and Vancouver are all trying to make things a little less rattier.

The search for survivors is underway after deadly flooding in Nepal and Tibet. But experts around the world are also unpacking what role climate change played in the disaster. We hear from two experts who know the region well, who say people have been warning that something like this was coming as glaciers warm at an alarming rate. And we find out why a better understanding of the impacts of warming on this region could protect lives.

From the best of What On Earth: Bats and wind turbines are both climate darlings. But after Cori Lausen saw a turbine reduce a bat to a "black banana peel," she set out to find another solution. That experience unlocked a years-long search to understand what was happening and how to fix it. The question looms: as we rush to add wind renewables to the grid, will both ever be able to co-exist on the same landscape? 

There was booing and calls of bullsh*t during a recent government town hall in Sturgeon County. It’s where tech giant Meta is building its largest data centre outside of the U.S. Locals have a variety of concerns; we’re zooming in on the promise that this facility will use less water. Can the plans for ‘closed-loop’ cooling help fix AI’s thirstiness? We break down what the tech can do, and what’s really happening at data centres already operating. 

From the best of What on Earth - Online communities are hunting for items that last. At #BI4L, members crowdsource reviews and recommendations to try to find the “best” version of, well, everything – from blenders to husbands (really). It’s all in an effort to save money, AND the climate. 

If you’ve breathed in smoke, or worse, had to flee your home this summer, you might be thinking more about our warming world. Grand Chief Stewart Phillip hopes this season of fire translates to climate action. As wildfire tears through his territory, the First Nations leader is calling on Mark Carney and Danielle Smith to pause a proposed pipeline. At the same time, pollster Shachi Kurl tells us about a surge in climate concern among Canadians this wildfire season. But will the data lead to political change?

It’s made of mycelium and hemp, it’s better for the earth and it’s now available in Canada. CBC’s Anand Ram introduces us to an American woman who laid her father to rest in one of these biodegradable coffins. And we hear how innovations in green burials are comforting options for those who want to honour their loved ones’ environmental values.

From the Best of What On Earth – Wildfire smoke has choked Canadians across the country this summer. Air purifiers are expensive, but there’s a cheaper way to clean your air indoors. We visit a workshop teaching seniors in Vancouver’s Chinatown to build DIY air cleaners, and get some tips for how you can make one yourself.

From the best of What On Earth – You’ve got climate questions, Hannah Ritchie has answers. She’s “Clearing the Air” in her new book, drawing on her expertise as a data scientist to delve into some of the common — and not so common — queries that come up in climate conversations. Her goal isn’t just to shift opinions on climate action, but to also to spark hope at a time when it may feel like the climate fight is a losing battle.

Flood-prone communities are doing everything to keep water out. But as climate-fuelled storms become more severe, some architects say we need to work with water, not fight it. We learn how amphibious engineering kept Bangladeshi kids in school and allowed a Louisiana community to stay afloat.

From the Best of What On Earth – Mother Nature is a real wild child and has a bone to pick with us humans when it comes to how we’ve treated the planet. Punk rock legend Iggy Pop voices her whiskey-soaked rage in the climate podcast “Sweet Little Human.” Its producers hope a little dark humour can help shine a brighter light on our need to address the climate crisis. 

People on both sides of the Canada - U.S. border have been choking on smoke in recent weeks, much of it coming from fires burning in Canada's forests. Now, U.S. President Donald Trump is threatening new, fire-related tariffs in retaliation. Climate scientists like Zeke Hausfather say wildfires in Canada’s vast boreal forest are linked to global warming and can't be blamed on just one country. And environmental law expert Godwin Dzah explains, when health hazards cross borders there are ways to hold governments and companies to account. But the question of liability gets hazy when climate change enters the conversation.

Sixteen-year-old Evon Murphy loves thrift shopping. Partly because she enjoys fashion and likes to save money. But also because buying secondhand is one way to reduce the impact of the fashion industry on the climate. We meet up with Evon at a Vancouver thrift store to talk about the stories she’s written for CBC Kids News about emissions from clothing production, and how young people can push for solutions. And we sneak in a little browsing among the leather jackets and band tees while we’re at it.

From the Best of What On Earth – Carter Vigh died when wildfire smoke brought on a severe asthma attack. Now his mom is part of an effort to teach other kids about the risks of smoky days and poor air quality. We hear the case for having these kinds of lessons in classrooms everywhere, as the planet warms, creating the hot, dry conditions that lead to longer lasting and more intense fires. And – we meet Roland, another nine-year-old kid with asthma, to find out how climate change is changing his life. Then, some experts say Canada is not recording heat-related deaths accurately and better data could help save lives during heatwaves.

From the Best of What On Earth – Electric vehicles need lithium for their batteries. But Indigenous communities in Northern Argentina say extracting this critical mineral is harming their water supply. We head down to South America’s 'lithium triangle’ to find out how mining for this important EV component could be doing more harm than good. 

Jesse Winter became a photojournalist so he could be out covering stories. He got more than he bargained for, including documenting the aftermath of a young firefighter’s death. His new book, Wildfire: Dispatches from a Country Ablaze details how climate change, along with decades of poor forest practices, has set the table for devastating fires. We hear about the challenges for Canada’s wildland firefighters, and how communities can learn to adapt to this new reality. CORRECTION (July 13, 2026): This text has been updated to correct Winter's biography.

From the Best of What On Earth – If you're a frequent flier, you may have noticed flights have been getting rockier lately. The potential culprit? Climate change. CBC producer Julia Pagel finds out how warming temperatures are making air turbulence worse, and what can be done about it. But first, she takes us back to 2019, when dozens of passengers were injured after an Air Canada flight bound for Australia hit severe turbulence and had to make an emergency landing. 

As Europe tallies thousands of deaths, there are calls for way more AC. In North America, where a heat dome is disrupting holidays, air conditioning is common — but it can also contribute to inequity and emissions. As a Chief Heat Ambassador, Jane Gilbert is grappling with this paradox. She shares ways to protect lives as climate change heats our world.

What On Earth will continue, but host Laura Lynch is moving on. For the last six years, Laura has brought you climate solutions stories, and before that she covered world events for decades, including the 9/11 attacks and the Arab Spring. Now, Laura is retiring (although she prefers to say heading off to new adventures). Today we celebrate her career through the stories she’s covered and the people from all walks of life she’s interviewed. 

Laura heads out on a boat, searching for grey whales. Plot twist: they find her. We hear why scientists are sounding the alarm about the fate of these massive mammals, and why they think climate change is part of the problem. But researchers and communities on Canada’s west coast have solutions to protect the populations that remain.

Cindy MacDougall calls herself a climate change casualty. If it wasn’t for her husband’s quick action during the 2021 Western Canada heat dome, she might not have survived the disaster. Still, her heart is permanently damaged. We hear what happened, and how she’s working to share the stories of others who suffered. Then, we hear about the progress in British Columbia on the “right to cool” for those most at risk – and about an ambitious plan to make buildings across Canada safer in extreme heat. 

Years after working in smoky, sooty conditions controlling fires, workers can experience the adverse health effects of the job. Proving the link can be difficult. But now in British Columbia, wildland firefighters are getting early cancer screening and expanded workers compensation coverage for cancer. With climate change contributing to the hot, dry conditions that lead to longer, more intense fire seasons, we explore what else can be done to reduce the exposure to carcinogens these front-line workers face. 

Our youth climate action columnist Aishwarya Puttur says yes it can. She’s seen young people in the entertainment industry taking up the climate cause lately – from local film festivals to the United Nations – and shares stories about how she’s seen this type of storytelling make a difference.

As Vancouverites see people watering their lawns during a drought, it’s a question they’re asking themselves. While cities in British Columbia take drastic measures to limit water use, Laura heads to the watershed to learn how conservation can help keep the taps on. But it’s not the only approach that Canadians are using to tackle water shortages. In south central Manitoba, a modified wetland is forcing people to work with nature instead of against it.

Tessel Middag wants her sport to be a force for good. But she says that’s hard to imagine when FIFA’s “Major Worldwide Partner” for the 2026 World Cup is Saudi state oil company, Aramco. And it’s not just Tessel. Advocates like Frank Huisingh feel uneasy watching athletes compete in extreme heat while flanked by advertisements for the globe's leading oil corporation. But as the world continues to warm, can advocates convince football’s governing body to ditch oil and gas sponsorships, and make way for climate-conscious partnerships?

Can a weekly fire weather outlook help Canadian communities learn to live with fire? Mike Flannigan, wildfire forecaster and professor at Thompson Rivers University, thinks so. A weekly forecast is one of the things that gives him hope that people across Canada can be better prepared to respond to wildfire risk this summer as conditions start to look like “Dante’s circles of hell.” Then – we hear how the Abegweit First Nation has a new deal with the P.E.I. and federal governments to make its own decisions about managing emergencies like wildfire. 

Farmers are using an old trick as a new way to grow food and reduce emissions. Lightning sparked inside a box helps create fertilizer with less cost to the planet. But it’s controversial, with critics calling it “snake oil.” Those who love it say the proof is in the plants they harvest. Story producer Jennifer Wilson digs into whether lightning in a box is the real thing.

Indigenous communities across the country are charging ahead with renewables. Melina Laboucan-Massimo brings news from Indigenous Clean Energy’s training program, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year. But even as young leaders learn about solar and wind power, there are growing worries that government funding to help communities make the transition may not continue. Then, a scientist weighs in on Ottawa’s proposal to streamline environmental assessments for major projects.

A system from another era was the inspiration for a modern-day solution to the pileup of plastic in the world. The milkman once delivered cold bottles of milk to the doorsteps of homes and took the empty ones away. So what happened to the idea? CBC producer Peter Mitton delivers the (non-plastic) goods in his feature documentary. 

Donald Trump claimed on social media that climate scientists were “WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!” about their global warming projections. But climate scientist Zeke Hausfather says the experts were not wrong, and the new projections are not entirely bad news. The world has made some progress in reducing emissions, though he says we still have a long way to go when it comes to stabilizing the climate. Then, tips on how to protect yourself – and your home – from heat, smoke and wildfire while not breaking the budget.

Twelve-year-old Kiké Dueck once had such bad climate anxiety that they didn’t want to eat or go to school. But then they found a solution. Kiké got involved in lobbying Regina city hall for greener transit and even joined a legal case to try to stop Saskatchewan’s support of coal plants. Kiké is not the only child taking the government to task - and to court. In fact, Kiké is part of a group led by What On Earth’s mental health columnist, Abhay Singh Sachal, that teaches young people how to understand their emotions about climate change and channel them into organized activism and community action.

Ten years ago this month the Horse River Wildfire burned through Fort McMurray and into the Canadian consciousness. We hear why experts say it’s the fire that taught us nowhere is safe, even busy urban centres. And, from the best of What On Earth: The Yukon government is betting on a first-in-Canada solution to help protect Whitehorse from wildfire: a permanent fuel break made of trees. But, the process takes a lot of work, starting with harvesting tiny seeds.

Hop on board an electric school bus in Richmond B.C. and meet a driver who says “once you start driving them, you don’t want to go back.” So why aren’t more kids across Canada riding to school on these quieter and cleaner buses? Producer Nick Logan takes a spin through the successes and ongoing challenges with electrifying Canada’s school bus fleets. Then, we hear from an EV advocate about the policy changes needed to speed the transition.

Backcountry skier Hannah Hughes realized she couldn’t fight the wall of snow when it hit her. She survived but the experience has her rethinking her relationship with risk, and she isn’t alone. The 2025-2026 ski season has been a brutal year for avalanche-related deaths in parts of the world. Some scientists say climate change is now one more factor to consider when heading out into the backcountry. What On Earth’s Molly Segal explores how climate is colliding with the increasingly popular sport of backcountry skiing.

Tired of stories about bleak, hopeless futures? You’re not alone. Writers are ditching dystopian narratives for a fresh take on climate fiction. Enter ‘thrutopia,’ a new genre that aims to chart a middle path through the worst impacts of climate change. And maybe even envision a future where humanity both survives and thrives. Climate writer Sanjana Sekhar and media watcher Lucy Stone talk about getting more ‘thrutopia’ onto screens and bookshelves.

Nations gathered in Colombia to chart a path to a cleaner future. Many say this ‘coalition of the willing’ could speed the transition away from fossil fuels. But there are those who say that Canada’s lack of ambition will mean we’re left behind in the switch to renewables. And others who say global Indigenous voices still don’t have enough sway in the climate fight.

She became famous for her work that said trees communicate through a forest web. But Suzanne Simard’s research also faced backlash. Not only is she defending her work as a scientist, she’s back with a new book expanding on it. Together with Tsimshian scientist Teresa Ryan, Kwakwaka’wakw artist and hereditary chief Rande Cook, and lawyer Chris Rusnak, she takes to the stage at UBC with our own Laura Lynch to talk about forests, trees and how to combine western and Indigenous science, along with the law, to make the case for change that helps the climate.

After a year in office, climate minister Julie Dabrusin says she’s proud of her record. But critics say more pipelines, less progress on emissions cuts and other moves overshadow efforts to protect nature and boost renewable energy. We challenge the minister’s claims that her government is making Canada “climate competitive.”

Coral reefs support marine life — and livelihoods. But bleaching caused by warming oceans is putting both under threat. Fishing communities in Mauritius and Seychelles are feeling it more than almost anywhere else. But there are ambitious efforts underway in these island nations to restore some of what’s been lost, to protect the health of the ecosystems and the local economies.

Climate change is melting away winter, but a new documentary summons the magic of the most Canadian of frozen delights: the outdoor skating rink. For Earth Day, we speak with the filmmaker behind Icemakers about why he was driven to share stories about the people who spend hours each winter making ice for their families and communities – a job that’s getting harder with warmer winters. And we meet a Winnipeg man who turns his backyard rinks into a climate change conversation starter.

And Beth Gardiner says industry hopes you won’t notice. So what does it take to fight back? That’s the number one question the journalist asks in her new book, Plastic Inc.: The Secret History and Shocking Future of Big Oil’s Biggest Bet. She traces the history of how and why the industry has ramped up plastic production, and how we can ditch all but the most essential plastic in our lives.

“What’s there to worry about?” That’s what Alberta rancher Teresa Patry thought when her family agreed to oil wells on their property. But that changed when she, her family and her animals started experiencing a variety of health issues. And she says the province’s energy regulator is not doing enough to address her concerns. We hear about the potential links between health problems and oil and gas production. Then, we hear about a coalition of landowners, environmental groups and others working to push the oil industry to clean up its mess – for the health of communities and the climate. 

From the Best of What On Earth – Don’t have a garden? Adopt a roundabout and plant things for the bees! We meet a TikToker who’s done just that. And then we travel from coast to coast to hear about a push to let sections of city parks grow a little wild. We head to one of these meadows to hear how they attract pollinators, and hear why creating “pollinator pockets” for busy bees and “hairy” moths can be a climate solution across the country – and a patriotic one at that.

Canada faces a climate conundrum when it comes to the military. To maintain northern sovereignty, defence needs to adapt quickly to the warming Arctic. But even before the recent boost in investment, the military was already the single largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the federal government. So how can Canada defend the North and stick to its climate goals at the same time? Then, we hear about Canada’s new $3.8 billion investment plan to protect nature.