Big Blue Marble Podcast

As global awareness of issues like deforestation, ocean pollution and extreme weather events grows, consumers are looking for more ways to reduce their environmental impact. While businesses are quick to capitalize on the trend, it doesn't necessarily mean their products actually fit the bill.   "Canadians want to find and support genuine eco products, but there are companies that are tricking and lying to us. It is shocking and we need to do a lot more," says Wren Montgomery, Associate Professor of Sustainability, The Ivey Business School at Western University. From misleading claims to exaggerated eco-friendly initiatives, greenwashing is a prevalent issue in today's consumer landscape.   "There is no universal environmental standard. This really is the problem, even for companies who are doing the right thing," concludes Montgomery.   On this episode of The Big Blue Marble Podcast, we reveal how complex greenwashing has become, what you can you do about it and uncover what is means for consumers and the environment in the long run.

The world has officially surpassed a feared warming target across an entire year for the first time on record. The threshold of a 1.5 degree Celsius warming is a crucial long-term measure because additional tipping points become more likely beyond this point.

"Often climate change will feel like its accelerating because the climate is moving past the range of our experience... so much of what we have been doing so far is incremental and what we need to do is transformational," says  Simon Donner, Professor and Climate Scientist at the University of British Columbia.

2023 was scarred with a list of catastrophic events, including unprecedented heatwaves, historic wildfires and floods, but does it only get worse from here? You may be surprised to learn the answer. We will step back and discover what surpassing this warming benchmark means and what is likely to come in the near future. Plus we explore how sea sponges and a never before deployed satellite could help - that's all on this edition of the Big Blue Marble Podcast.

In today's housing market there is a new dimension to consider beyond price, commute time and schools in the neighbourhood - climate risks. As a homeowner, preparing for future costs amidst increasing storms and extreme weather events is crucial.

"Canada exceeded $3 billion in insured damages last year, and uninsured values totaled $9-12 billion," says Kathryn Bakos, Managing Director, Finance and Resilience at the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation Faculty of Environment, University of Waterloo.

On this episode of the Big Blue Marble Podcast we reveal what extreme weather event is the biggest risk to our homes right now, and we discuss how that "perceived" risk alone may not only affect a home's value but also make it harder to sell.

"On average across Canada we saw an 8.2% price reduction and the homes stayed on the market approximately 20 per cent longer," adds Bakos.

From tips on how to future proof your home to insurance limitations, this is one episode every homeowner must hear.

 

 

 

 

The world's largest greenbelt now has a target squarely on its fertile soil.

The Government of Ontario has tabled Bill 23, which will weaken crucial environmental protection and remove public consultation before development. The new law effectively strips taxpayer's rights as community members will no longer be allowed to participate in development decisions that affect their neighborhoods, local farms and natural areas.

 "It is very clear there is no valid public interest justification for expanding beyond the land we have already allocated for growth with our existing boundaries. This makes sense only for turning multi-millionaires into multi-billionaires" says Phil Pothen, Ontario Environment Program Manager at Environmental Defence.

Join me to learn more about Bill 23 and why it could have a disastrous impact on the future of Ontario.

Hands Off The Greenbelt Events

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The biggest and most important annual climate-related conference on the planet will begin this month in Egypt.  "COP 27", unites the world in a collective effort to negotiate global goals for tackling the biggest challenge of our time: climate change. 

"Droughts, floods, storms and wildfires are devastating lives and livelihoods across the globe [and] getting worse by the day. We need climate action on all fronts and we need it now.” says UN secretary general, António Guterres.   In this episode of the Big Blue Marble, we break down the 5 key things you need to know about this conference and most importantly, why you should care and why it matters. Our future literally depends on it.

Bird migrations are one of nature's great wonders - using ancient routes, migratory birds track thousands of kilometres. Sadly, not all are successful as these tiny winged creatures face unprecedented urban dangers. At peak migration, it is estimated that 4 billion birds must navigate through glass-covered cities and other built-up environments across North America.

Glass collisions take a staggering toll on birds, threatening common and rare species alike. Join me as we welcome Michael Mesure, Co-Founder of Flap Canada, as the organization launches its annual Global Bird Rescue initiative. This worldwide event empowers everyday people to make a difference for migrating birds.

"Birds control our insect populations, they distribute seeds, they pollinate plants - when they are gone we are in trouble." says Mesure.

Find out how to make your home bird safe and take part in the Global Bird Rescue October 3-9, 2022, on this episode of the Big Blue Marble.

FLAP Canada

Global Bird Rescue

Bird-Safe Window Marker Tips

Bird Mapper

Guided by an internal compass, Monarch butterflies can determine the position of the sun and the time of day. With this data, the graceful beauties are guided in an annual migration unlike any other. The Monarch's migration sees some of them travel over 4,000 kilometers, from Southern parts of Canada to Mexico. Researchers have studied these insects for decades and have noted alarming changes in both the Eastern and Western populations, with an estimated 80% decline in just 20 years.

Offering some sign of hope - there are optimistic results from a recent butterfly migration count conducted by the Xerces Society, an international non-profit conservation group. The survey has revealed almost 250,000 Western Monarchs in California, compared to historic lows of just a few thousand in previous years. “It is great to see this rebound, it gives us a breath of time to do more planning and get more efforts on the ground, but we are not out of the woods yet,” says Professor Cheryl Schultz from the School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University.

Fly with us on this episode of The Big Blue Marble as we take to the skies to examine the threats impacting the two main migrating populations of Monarchs, why their protection is so important and how you may be able to help from your own home.

Alone and quiet in an undisclosed location in Tasmania, sits Earth’s Black Box. This massive fortified structure is loaded with sophisticated technology that will operate uninterrupted for decades, perhaps centuries. "There is so much data that is going to being recorded, we have set up a list of 500 different measurements that are widely considered to be the most important metrics on the health of our planet relating to human’s involvement to climate change" says Henry Curchod, of The Glue Society, an independent creative collective and a collaborating partner in the black box project.   Like the black box of an airplane that offers answers following a disaster, the goal of Earth’s Black Box is to extend answers on what lead humanity into a climate change catastrophe.   

"We are expecting someone to need this one day," says Curchod. That is the reality we’ll explore as we delve into Earth's Black Box. This project is a scientific and technologic marvel – all meant to tell earth’s story, without us.  

A new, eye opening study is sharing a dirty little secret about the necessary chore of laundry, revealing a never-ending cycle of microfiber pollution. "Dryers are one of the main sources of microfiber pollution in the atmosphere," says Professor Kenneth Leung, lead author of a study published in the journal, Environmental Science & Technology Letters. Leung describes the findings as “essential” for managing microfiber emissions, which are known to harm human health and the environment.

Listen in to this first episode of a new season of The Big Blue Marble Podcast. Together we will explore fibrous pollution coming from your dryer and how you can help prevent it.

Historic, epic, unprecedented, these are just some of the words that were used to describe a heat wave that smothered parts of Western Canada and the US Northwest at the end of June. Trapped within a swath of accompanying heat warnings was the small town of Lytton, north east of British Columbia. The town shot to world infamy when it became one of the hottest places on earth and recorded a high of 49.6 degrees.

"It’s a time issue." says Simon Donner, a Climate Scientist and Professor at the University of British Columbia. "We wait too long to take action to reduce emissions and we also wait to react after an extreme event, to say what we do to prepare for the next one.”

In this episode of the Big Blue Marble, we dive into the heart of what caused the "heat dome" to be so intense and the aftermath in its wake.   We will also find out if another extreme event is possible in the near future.

Here are the links mentioned in this episode.

Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act