Big Blue Marble Podcast

Ticks are on the move, going to places they have never been recorded before - due to our warming planet. On this episode of the Big Blue Marble, it's all tick talk, including where the tiny creatures will most likely "latch" on to you, how fast they are spreading and what to do if you've been bitten.

Unwind, connect with nature and improve health with the scientifically proven benefits of forest bathing. The ancient Japanese practice of "Shin Rin Yoku" can help reduce blood pressure, stress levels and pulse rate. In the midst of this unprecedented chaos, this may be just the thing we all need right now.

"We have nurtured ourselves to be in an incessantly low level state of fight or flight. Our nervous systems, our bodies were not designed to be in that constant state of stress, and it's bad for us," says David Motzenbecker, a certified forest therapy guide.

On this episode of The Big Blue Marble we take a calming walk through the woods to discover just how easy it is to see and feel the remarkable benefits of forest bathing.

Millions of children and teens around the world have rallied in support of the Climate Strike movement started by Swedish teen, Greta Thunberg. For some, these protests are an opportunity to take control and express feelings of anger, fear and despair as the threat of an uncertain future on earth causes distress in many. These stressors are appearing more pervasive in youths than most adults realize.

Climate change and mental health researcher, Dr. Katie Hayes, says that, "Children and youth are seeing the state of climate devastation with eyes wide open, and they are are also seeing slow action to really address the issue. For many youth, its feelings of worry, sadness and they are struggling with optimism." Thankfully, there is hope, says Dr. Hayes, "Climate change and mental health is an all hands on deck issue, it can't be done by one person, one parent, one school, one doctor and increasingly we are seeing the tools to support professionals."

On this episode of The Big Blue Marble, we explore the prevalence of eco-anxiety in kids, and most importantly, how we can support them, including resources that offer help.

You may not see it, but a strong and silent killer is just a breath away.

What's worse, millions of people contribute to creating one of the most significant sources of not only air pollution, but also greenhouse gases, daily. Your car ride into work is generating minute particles of poison, and pending your "rush hour'', you are likely strapped into a sea of it.

"We look at Bejing or Delhi smog and think that's air pollution, in fact, invisible smog can be just as dangerous and cause thousands of death." says Tim Smedley, environmental journalist and author. According to the World Health Organization, one third of all deaths from stroke, lung cancer and heart disease are caused by air pollution. "Anywhere in the world, where there is stuff being burned, whether that's fuel in an engine or solid fuel in a fire, that's causing air pollution that is dangerous to our health," adds Smedley.

This episode of The Big Blue Marble may have you rethinking your commute, or throwing another log on that cozy looking wood-burning stove. That, plus you are guaranteed to have a different perspective on the many ships at sea. Join me as we set sail for another trip around the Big Blue Marble.

Stories of badly injured, traumatized and dehydrated, Australian wildlife have captured attention the world over. Weeks after news of the devastation broke, animal rescue teams continue to do what they can to save animals from record-breaking fires across the island continent.

Fueled by a warming planet, unprecedented summer heat and parched outback, there was an inferno of chaos and destruction, never before seen in the world. What is perhaps most disturbing, is that this tragic scenario was expected. Martine Maron is a Professor of Conservation Ecology and Environmental Management at the University of Queensland, she says the Australian government knew this tragedy was possible – for over a decade. "This was predicted in a government report in 2008, which directly stated there would be an increase in number of extreme fire weather days, and should be directly observable by 2020."

The result has been catastrophic damage to the vast flora and fauna of the Australia wild. A billion animals, some that are not found anywhere else in the world, have been killed in the fires, pushing many to the brink of extinction. Says Maron, "That estimate is likely to be a conservative estimate, that number excludes all of the invertebrates, frogs, and fish. That's the next group we are worried about."

On this edition of The Big Blue Marble, we discover how devastating the ecological scars of this season's fires will be and what the future might hold for one of the most biologically diverse nations on the planet.

Seventy percent of the earth's surface is covered by ocean water, with more than 90 per cent of the world's living space contained within. Yet, to this day, only ten per cent of our oceans have been studied - leaving the majority virtually unexplored. What we do know - humans are reaching into the depths, despite never having been there. "For a long time we thought we couldn't damage it, that dilution was the solution. Now eight million metric tons of plastic are flowing into the ocean every year," says George Leonard, Chief Scientist at the Ocean Conservancy.

According to Leonard, about thirty percent of fish counts have plastic in their stomach when caught. Various forms of the substance has been found in the deepest waters of the Marianas Trench, all the way to the Arctic, Antarctic and beyond.

On this episode of the Big Blue Marble, we set sail for the most mysterious part of the planet and we will dive through the great Pacific garbage patch. Beyond that, we explore how far reaching our human touch is - including what is a surprise discovery.

It was formed over 240,000 years ago during the Great Glaciation, and today is the largest icefield in the Canadian Rockies, covering over 200 square km. Located along the Alberta/BC Border, the ice is a significant barometer of the climate crisis. The Columbia Icefield is home to one of the most visited Glaciers in North America. Hundreds of thousands of visitors, discover and witness an epic change each year. The ice is retreating faster than ever, but the story here is not just the loss of a piece of Canada's iconic landscape, which is problematic in itself, it's what's occurring as a result of it.

"There's actually a reservoir of pollutants that have been in the atmosphere over the last several decades to a century or so stored in those Icefields" says Martin Sharp, Glaciologist, and science professor at the University of Alberta.

The melting is opening a vault of lethal contaminants, creating a crisis unlike any other. Find out just how far the water flows on this episode of the Big Blue Marble.

Around the world, warmer temperatures are creating a whole host of health challenges, and at our current state, researchers warn that climate change will affect every single stage of a child's life.

On this episode of the Big Blue Marble, Anwar Knight welcomes medical journalist, Dr. Amitha Kalaichandran, to give is a check up on how climate change is making us sick.

"A warmer planet means more potential for death and illnesses related to higher temperatures. it means lower air quality, especially in densely populated areas. mosquitoes, ticks, and other carriers of infectious diseases can cover a wider geographic range and for a longer span of the year", says Dr. Kalaichandran.

From heat stress, to asthma, and even a possible link between air pollution and miscarriages, this episode gives you lots to think about. It's an eye opening examination that ranges from personal health and well being, to the health care system that will be even more challenged to provide due to our changing planet.