Break In Case of Emergency

In the wake of the successful inclusion of a Youth Climate Corps pilot in the 2025 federal budget, Juan Vargas Alba (co-lead of the Youth Climate Corps campaign) interviews community organizer Karina Villada about the myths and scapegoating around immigration, migrant workers and (youth) unemployment.

This episode functions as a resource for young organizers who want to understand issues of immigration and encourages the climate movement to stand in solidarity with the migrant rights movement.

This episode aired on Wednesday, December 17th, 2025.

Credits: Produced by Anjali Appadurai, Juan Vargas Alba and Doug Hamilton-Evans. Hosted by Juan Vargas Alba. Featuring Karina Villada. Music and audio editing by Anjali Appadurai. Artwork by Geoff Smith.

Our special series concludes with a marker that grounds all the others: centring Indigenous rights, title, and leadership. Erin Blondeau speaks with Janelle Lapointe, Serena Mendizabal, and Seth Klein about the transformative potential of Indigenous-led climate action. They discuss energy and food sovereignty, cultural revitalization, and the community-driven projects already charting a different future. They also examine how governments and industry continue to prioritize extraction over Indigenous-led solutions, and what a genuine emergency response rooted in Indigenous sovereignty would require. It’s a powerful closing conversation about justice, leadership, and the pathways we must follow to confront the crisis honestly.

Links & references:

• ‘Economic reconciliation’ is a false promise for Indigenous peoples - Janelle Lapointe
• Canada’s new fast-track laws double down on false promise of ‘economic reconciliation’ - Janelle Lapointe
• Sacred Earth website: www.sacredearth.solar 
• Yellowhead Institute website: yellowheadinstitute.org 
• Why Ksi Lisims LNG Must Be Stopped - Seth Klein (video)
• The next big LNG proposal - Ksi Lisims - may be the sleeper climate issue of 2024 - Seth Klein
• Indigenous Resistance Against Carbon - Report by Indigenous Environmental Network & Oil Change International on how Indigenous resistance disrupts billions of tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually

More on the 6 Markers of the Climate Emergency:

• Watch our video: 6 Markers of Climate Emergency Action  
• Listen to all 6 episodes of our special series & the 6-marker overview episode from March 2025.
• Learn more about the 6 markers at www.davidsuzukiinstitute.ca/6-markers-of-climate-emergency

Credits:
Produced by Erin Blondeau and Doug Hamilton-Evans. Written and hosted by Erin Blondeau. Music by Anjali Appadurai. Audio editing by Blue Light Studios. Artwork by Geoff Smith.

Episode 5 of this 6-part special series takes on the equity marker: leaving no one behind. Erin Blondeau speaks with economist Jim Stanford, campaigner Anjali Appadurai, and strategist Seth Klein about what just transitions must look like in practice. They explore the realities for fossil fuel workers, the importance of linking climate action to economic fairness, and Canada’s responsibilities globally. Their conversation highlights that climate action succeeds only when it’s grounded in solidarity: supporting workers, expanding public services, addressing inequality, and ensuring that communities most impacted by the crisis are centred in solutions. It’s a reminder that justice isn’t an add-on: it’s the strategy.

Links & references:

• The Fair Shares campaign website: www.climatefairshare.ca
• Support the Fair Shares platform 350.org/canada/fairshare 
• Centre for Future Work website: centreforfuturework.ca 
• The G7 and Canada’s climate fair share - Break in Case of Emergency 
• Enormous Jobs Potential from Energy Transition Investments - Jim Stanford
• Why tackling climate and inequality must go hand-in-hand - Seth Klein
• Testimony to the House of Commons Finance Committee about the need for a Just Transition Transfer - Seth Klein
• Why aren’t we talking about war taxes? - Seth Klein (video) 

More on the 6 Markers of the Climate Emergency:

• Watch our video: 6 Markers of Climate Emergency Action  
• Listen to all 6 episodes of our special series & the 6-marker overview episode from March 2025.
• Learn more about the 6 markers at www.davidsuzukiinstitute.ca/6-markers-of-climate-emergency

Credits:
Produced by Erin Blondeau and Doug Hamilton-Evans. Written and hosted by Erin Blondeau. Music by Anjali Appadurai. Audio editing by Blue Light Studios. Artwork by Geoff Smith.

Episode 4 turns to one of the most foundational markers of emergency leadership: telling the truth. Host Erin Blondeau brings together Donya Ziaee, Chris Hatch, and Seth Klein to examine why honest, urgent communication is essential in a crisis, and why Canada isn’t getting it. They dig into the failures of mainstream media, the rise of independent outlets, and the influence of fossil fuel advertising. The conversation makes the case for clear, evidence-based reporting that includes context, solutions, and a sense of agency, not doom. Truth-telling, they argue, is what allows societies to mobilize, and what’s been missing for far too long.

Links & references:

• Zero Carbon - Weekly climate newsletter by Chris Hatch
• Dissecting the climate denial machine: culture wars and the climate countermovement - Break in Case of Emergency
• Mapping right-wing activism, corporate lobbying and climate denialism - Break in Case of Emergency
• Fossil Fuel Ads Make Us Sick - CAPE campaign 
• Quiet Alarm: A Review of the CBC’s Climate Reporting - Report led by SFU's Community-Engaged Research Initiative (CERi) and CEU
• CBC must strengthen its case on climate for our (and its own) survival - Seth Klein (video)
• CBC must strengthen its case on climate for our (and its own) survival - Seth Klein (column)
• Crisis, what crisis? We need a climate emergency information agency - Seth Klein
• Is Suzuki right that it's 'too late'? We are in an era of simultaneous wins and losses - Seth Klein
• The climate movement must shift gears or it's done - Seth Klein
• What do Canadians really think about climate change?: A summary of public opinion research for communicators - Re.Climate

More on the 6 Markers of the Climate Emergency:

• Watch our video: 6 Markers of Climate Emergency Action  
• Listen to all 6 episodes of our special series & the 6-marker overview episode from March 2025.
• Learn more about the 6 markers at www.davidsuzukiinstitute.ca/6-markers-of-climate-emergency

Credits:
Produced by Erin Blondeau and Doug Hamilton-Evans. Written and hosted by Erin Blondeau. Music by Anjali Appadurai. Audio editing by Blue Light Studios. Artwork by Geoff Smith.

In Episode 3, the series confronts a critical shift: moving from voluntary climate action to mandatory rules that match the scale of the crisis. Erin Blondeau and Seth Klein speak with Dr. Melissa Lem, whose experience as a family physician brings urgency and clarity to the conversation. Reflecting on the deadly 2021 heat dome, they discuss mandatory measures like banning fossil fuel advertising and phasing out gas in new buildings. They also highlight the power of community-led responses and the growing leadership of health professionals calling for decisive action. This episode underscores that voluntary approaches are no match for an emergency.

This episode was recorded on August 26, 2025, when entering forests in Nova Scotia was banned while severe forest fires burned through the province.

Links & references:

• Fossil Fuel Ads Make Us Sick - CAPE campaign to ban fossil fuel ads
• Reflections on mandates, from COVID to climate - Seth Klein
• Like we did for tobacco, we must ban false fossil fuel ads - Seth Klein
• Vancouver council's gas plan goes up in smoke after fierce public pushback - Seth Klein 
• Plugged in or left behind? - Chris Hatch column on zero-emission vehicle mandates 
• Axing the EVs: Canadian sales plunge while global sales surge - Barry Saxifrage column on the power of vehicle mandates

More on the 6 Markers of the Climate Emergency:

• Watch our video: 6 Markers of Climate Emergency Action  
• Listen to all 6 episodes of our special series & the 6-marker overview episode from March 2025.
• Learn more about the 6 markers at www.davidsuzukiinstitute.ca/6-markers-of-climate-emergency

Credits:
Produced by Erin Blondeau and Doug Hamilton-Evans. Written and hosted by Erin Blondeau. Music by Anjali Appadurai. Audio editing by Blue Light Studios. Artwork by Geoff Smith.

In episode 2 of our 6-marker series, we turn to the institutions we need for an emergency-scale response. Erin Blondeau speaks with Alex Himelfarb, Linda McQuaig, and Seth Klein about why relying on private incentives hasn’t worked, and how Canada once excelled at building bold public institutions. From Connaught Labs to Ontario Hydro, they revisit the legacy of Crown corporations and imagine what new ones could achieve today: from publicly owned renewables to EV manufacturing to national retrofit programs. They also explore the promise of a Youth Climate Corps. It’s a call for imagination, democratic accountability, and rebuilding the public capacity we’ve allowed to erode.

Links & references:

• Canada Needs a Youth Climate Corps - Climate Emergency Unit (video)
• Learn more about the Youth Climate Corps campaign
• The Sport and Prey of Capitalists - Linda McQuaig
• Breaking Free of Neoliberalism: Canada’s Challenge - Alex Himelfarb

More on the 6 Markers of the Climate Emergency:

• Watch our video: 6 Markers of Climate Emergency Action  
• Listen to all 6 episodes of our special series & the 6-marker overview episode from March 2025.
• Learn more about the 6 markers at www.davidsuzukiinstitute.ca/6-markers-of-climate-emergency

Credits:
Produced by Erin Blondeau and Doug Hamilton-Evans. Written and hosted by Erin Blondeau. Music by Anjali Appadurai. Audio editing by Blue Light Studios. Artwork by Geoff Smith.

Episode 1 of our 6-part special series begins with the first marker of the climate emergency: spending what it takes to win. Host Erin Blondeau is joined by Seth Klein and Caroline Brouillette to explore what real, transformative climate investment would look like, drawing parallels to Canada’s WWII mobilization. Together, they break down why today’s spending falls far short, and why committing at least 2% of GDP annually is both doable and necessary. They dig into ending fossil fuel subsidies, taxing windfall profits, and creative revenue tools like aviation pollution charges. It’s a clear-eyed conversation about ambition, urgency, and the choices that define whether we win this fight.

Links & references:

• Spending What it Takes: Transformational climate investments for long-term prosperity in Canada - CAN-Rac
• Why aren’t we talking about war taxes? - Seth Klein (video)
• Why aren’t we talking about war taxes? - Seth Klein
• There’s always money for the military. But climate? - Seth Klein (video)
• There’s always money for the military. But climate? - Seth Klein
• Canada’s Fossil Fuel Funding in 2024 - Environmental Defence 

More on the 6 Markers of the Climate Emergency:

• Watch our video: 6 Markers of Climate Emergency Action  
• Listen to all 6 episodes of our special series & the 6-marker overview episode from March 2025.
• Learn more about the 6 markers at www.davidsuzukiinstitute.ca/6-markers-of-climate-emergency

Credits:
Produced by Erin Blondeau and Doug Hamilton-Evans. Written and hosted by Erin Blondeau. Music by Anjali Appadurai. Audio editing by Blue Light Studios. Artwork by Geoff Smith.

Anjali Appadurai and Seth Klein are joined by Alex Hemingway (Senior Economist at BC Policy Solutions) to analyze the 2025 federal budget and the thin gruel that is the Climate Competitiveness Strategy. We also talk housing policies, alternative ways to generate revenue and Zohram Mamdani’s win in NYC!

Follow the work of BC Policy Solutions at https://bcpolicy.ca/ and on
- Bluesky
- Facebook
- Instagram
- Linkedin

This episode aired on November 6, 2025. 

Produced by Anjali Appadurai and Doug Hamilton-Evans. Music by Anjali Appadurai. Artwork by Geoff Smith.

In this episode, Anjali Appadurai and Seth Klein sit down with Garth Mullins to explore the interconnectedness of the climate crisis and the overdose crisis, emphasizing the need for solidarity among various social movements. They discuss the metaphor of a conveyor belt leading to societal collapse, the failures of drug prohibition, and the importance of community organizing and coalition building. The conversation highlights the necessity for genuine emergency responses to both crises, advocating for a shift in how society addresses drug use and climate change, ultimately calling for a more inclusive and supportive approach to activism.

This episode aired on September 8 2025.

Links:

Crackdown: Surviving and Resisting the War on Drugs by Garth Mullins: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/700597/crackdown-by-garth-mullins/9780385674898

Crackdown podcast, hosted by Garth Mullins: https://www.crackdownpod.com/

Credits:

Produced by Doug Hamilton-Evans and Anjali Appadurai. Hosted by Anjali Appadurai. Featuring Seth Klein and Garth Mullins. Music by Anjali Appadurai. Audio editing by Blue Light Studios. Artwork by Geoff Smith.

On June 30, Canada officially became an exporter of LNG. Emiko Newman (Coordinator of the BC Climate Emergency Campaign) uses this inauspicious occasion as a jumping off point to tally up the costs of LNG on our environment, climate, health and finances with Kiki Wood (Senior Oil and Gas Campaigner at Stand.earth) and Clark Williams-Derry from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis. 

Tune in for a deep dive into fracking, how exporting LNG will drive up the domestic price of energy and gas as well as some serious mythbusting of the LNG greenwashing machine, including the myth that LNG is a necessary transition fuel that's cleaner than coal (it's really not).

This episode aired on July 24, 2025.

Learn more and get involved at:

• LNG fact sheet from the BC Climate Emergency Campaign 
• Ending Fracking and LNG in BC from Stand.earth 
• Oil/Gas & LNG reports from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis
• Listen to our recent episode on the PRGT pipeline (Spotify, Apple)

Credits: Produced by Emiko Newman and Doug Hamilton-Evans. Hosted by Emiko Newman. Featuring Clark Williams-Derry and Kiki Wood. Music by Anjali Appadurai. Audio editing by Blue Light Studios. Artwork by Geoff Smith.