It took us a moment to catch our breaths after the federal election, but Anjali Appadurai, Seth Klein and Bushra Asghar took a moment to debrief on what the heck happened and what it means for the climate movement. 

Then, we asked Bushra about her experience campaigning as the NDP candidate for Mississauga-Streetsville. While she didn’t win her seat, she’s a champion in our hearts and did some incredible grassroots organizing for climate and social justice in suburban Ontario. Valuable lessons for us all!

This episode aired on May 9, 2025.

Credits:
Hosted by Anjali Appadurai and featuring Seth Klein and Bushra Asghar. Music and audio editing by Anjali Appadurai. Artwork by Geoff Smith. Produced by Doug Hamilton-Evans and Erin Blondeau. 

Learn more at https://www.climateemergencyunit.ca/

With less than a week before the federal election, Alex Cool-Fergus from Climate Action Network Canada joins Seth Klein, Juan Vargas Alba and Doug Hamilton-Evans from the Climate Emergency Unit to break down the climate commitments in each of the major political parties' platforms. We pay special attention to what the Liberals, NDP and Greens have said about implementing a Youth Climate Corps, which could create thousands of good green jobs for young people to address the climate emergency and other crises we face.

Links and references

• Liberal party platform
• Conservative party platform
• NDP platform
• Green platform
• Bloc Quebecois platform
• This Earth Day, the NDP commits to Empowering Young People to Take Action to Fight Climate Change (Statement from Laurel Collins, NDP candidate in the riding of Victoria)
• Youth Climate Corps campaign 
• The Climate Emergency Unit’s analysis and response to the YCC in Liberal, NDP and Green platforms
• Analysis: Conservative election win could add 800m tonnes to Canada’s emissions by 2035 - Carbon Brief

This episode aired on Thursday, April 24.

Credits: Produced by Doug Hamilton-Evans and Anjali Appadurai. Hosted by Doug Hamilton-Evans with guests Juan Vargas Alba and Seth Klein from the Climate Emergency Unit and Alex Cool-Fergus from Climate Action Network Canada. Music and audio editing by Anjali Appadurai. Artwork by Geoff Smith.

In this episode of Break in Case of Emergency, hosts Erin Blondeau and Emiko Newman speak with Geoff Dembicki, global managing editor of DeSmog, to discuss the intricate connections between conservative politics, corporate lobbying, and climate denialism. 

The conversation explores the mapping of Pierre Poilievre’s inner circle, the influence of lobbyists on climate policy and insights from Jordan Peterson’s ARC conference, where right-wing activists strategized against climate action and what they deem “woke” ideology. Dembicki emphasizes the importance of grassroots movements and the need for a united front in countering the climate counter movement, while also highlighting the role of media in shaping public perception.

This episode aired on April 19 2025.

Articles/podcasts mentioned in this episode:

• Poilievre Mapped: His Inner Circle of Lobbyists and Right-wing Activists (Geoff Dembicki, DeSmog, March 25)
• How Jordan Peterson Became a Global Anti-Net Zero Power Broker (Geoff Dembicki, DeSmog, March 24)
• The Takeover: Shock and Awe – Canada’s National Observer (April 7)
• The Takeover: Jordan Peterson Power Broker – Canada’s National Observer (April 9)
• The Takeover: Get Rid of it All – Canada’s National Observer (April 15)
  
  

Credits: Produced by Doug Hamilton-Evans, Emiko Newman, and Erin Blondeau. Hosted by Erin Blondeau and Emiko Newman. Featuring Geoff Dembicki. Music by Anjali Appadurai. Audio editing by Blue Light Studios. Artwork by Geoff Smith.

In this episode of Break in Case of Emergency, host Erin Blondeau is joined by Anjali Appadurai, Juan Vargas Alba, Seth Klein and Alex Cool-Fergus of Climate Action Network Canada to discuss party platforms and climate policy leading up to the federal election.

This round-table style podcast episode explores the lack of attention to climate issues in party platforms, the implications of tax cuts as a response to economic challenges, and the critical need to address immigration policies in the context of climate change.

The conversation also highlights the importance of advocating for Palestinian rights as part of a broader climate justice framework, emphasizing the interconnectedness of these issues in the political discourse leading up to the election.

This episode aired on April 11 2025

Credits:

Produced by Doug Hamilton-Evans and Erin Blondeau. Hosted by Erin Blondeau with guests from the Climate Emergency Unit, Juan Vargas Alba, Seth Klein and Anjali Appadurai. With special guest Alex Cool-Fergus. Music by Anjali Appadurai. Audio editing by Blue Light Studios. Artwork by Geoff Smith.

Chapters:

• 00:00 - Introduction to the Climate Crisis and Election Context
• 01:23 - Party Stances on Climate Change
• 07:10 - Tax Cuts and Economic Policies
• 14:31 - Immigration and Climate Intersections
• 26:58 - Palestinian Rights and Climate Justice

In this special election episode, co-hosts Anjali Appadurai and Erin Blondeau interview siblings Naomi Klein and Seth Klein to discuss the current political climate in Canada leading up to the federal election, unpacking the nuances of a nationalistic response, the role of fossil fuel corporations, and the need for effective and transformative climate policies.

Seth and Naomi provide insights into the shock doctrine, right-wing populism, and what we’re hearing (and not hearing) from the main party leaders. The conversation emphasizes the importance of organizing for climate justice and the need for imaginative policy solutions. The speakers discuss the role of social movements in shaping political vision, the impact of neoliberalism on public imagination, and the question of strategic voting in this federal election.

The discussion also touches on the influence of conspiracy culture on climate action, the significance of Palestinian resistance and global solidarity, and the challenges of fostering internationalism in Canadian politics.

This episode aired on April 4 2025.

Credits:

Produced by Doug Hamilton-Evans, Emiko Newman, Erin Blondeau and Anjali Appadurai. Hosted by Anjali Appadurai and Erin Blondeau. Featuring Naomi Klein and Seth Klein. Music by Anjali Appadurai. Audio editing by Blue Light Studios. Artwork by Geoff Smith.

Host Emiko Newman interviews Mary Stuart and Erin Blondeau about the rise of climate conspiracism. Mary is a masters student in political ecology at the University of Victoria studying right-wing climate denial. Erin Blondeau is the Director of Communications at the Climate Emergency Unit and an independent writer.

Together, they discuss how climate disasters are being reframed as government plots and how carbon pollution is being spun as a benefit to society and to the environment. Emiko, Mary and Erin examine the role of social media in spreading misinformation, especially after Meta's news ban. Real-world community organizing offers our best chance to overcome both climate disasters and the divisive, polarizing conspiracy culture that undermine our fight for climate justice. A liberated world must be for everyone, not just for people on the left-side of the political spectrum. 

This episode aired on March 25 2025.

Articles:

• I Believed Climate Change Was a Lie. Here’s What Changed My Mind, Erin Blondeau
• Influential ‘Freedom Convoy’ group in Alberta is helping B.C.’s far right elect Conservatives ⋆ The Breach, Mary Stuart
• Old News, New Reality: A Year of Meta's News Ban in Canada

Credits:

Produced by Doug Hamilton-Evans, Emiko Newman, and Erin Blondeau. Hosted by Emiko Newman. Featuring Erin Blondeau and Mary Stuart. Music by Anjali Appadurai. Audio editing by Blue Light Studios. Artwork by Geoff Smith.

This episode aired on March 15 2025.

Seth Klein joins host Erin Blondeau to talk about the 6 Markers of Climate Emergency Framework. 

Marker 1: Spend what it takes to win.

Marker 2: Create new institutions to get the job done.

Marker 3: Shift from voluntary & incentive-based policies to mandatory measures.

Marker 4: Tell the truth about the severity of the crisis & communicate urgency.

Marker 5: Leave no one behind.

Marker 6: Indigenous rights & leadership are essential.

Learn more: https://www.climateemergencyunit.ca/emergencymarkersframework

About the 6 Markers of Climate Emergency

We believe that it’s not too late to change the course of the climate emergency and prevent more catastrophic suffering. But to do this, we need the kind of transformational change not seen since the Second World War.

We got a glimpse into emergency mode during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the government failed to sufficiently hit Marker 5 (leave no one behind.)

As explained in Seth’s book, the Canadian government took extraordinary measures during the Second World War to ensure that it successfully navigated and confronted the rise of fascism. During the war, the government hit Markers 1 through 4 big time, and partially hit Marker 5.

These war-time measures worked once, and can be used again to fight the most dangerous threat we have ever faced: the climate crisis. But, it can’t be overstated how important it is to expand on the war-time measures of WWII to empower historically excluded populations of today and nurture a more just society for our future generations.

When asking people to enlist in a grand societal undertaking, we have to make a commitment to them that the society that will emerge from the other end of that effort will be more just and fair than the one they are leaving behind.

Credits:

Written and produced by Erin Blondeau and Doug Hamilton-Evans. Hosted by Erin Blondeau with special guest Seth Klein. Music by Anjali Appadurai. Audio editing by Blue Light Studios. Artwork by Geoff Smith. 

Learn more at climateemergencyunit.ca/podcast

This episode aired on February 19 2025.

In this timely episode, host Erin Blondeau discusses Ontario's surprise early election with climate organizers Bushra Asghar, Zoe Keary-Matzner, and Karishma Porwal, coming up on February 27. The conversation unpacks Doug Ford's political strategy of calling an election 16 months early while positioning himself as a “patriotic” leader in response to Trump's tariff threats.

The discussion analyzes each provincial party's climate record and positions in Ontario. Zoe provides an update on her landmark youth-led climate lawsuit against the Ontario government, now potentially heading to the Supreme Court of Canada.

Bushra, Zoe and Karishma also critically examine Ford's "Ontario Corps" volunteer disaster response program, contrasting it with their vision for a properly funded Youth Climate Corps that would create meaningful climate jobs. Throughout, they explore whether climate concerns are resonating with voters amid competing crises of housing affordability, healthcare, and inflation - arguing that these issues are fundamentally interconnected.

Produced by Erin Blondeau and Doug Hamilton-Evans, featuring Bushra Asghar, Karishma Porwal, Zoe Keary-Matzner. Music by Anjali Appadurai. Audio editing by Blue Light Studios. Artwork by Geoff Smith. 

Learn more at climateemergencyunit.ca/podcast

Learn more about the Youth Climate Corps

Read the Youth Climate Corps campaign's statement on Ford's volunteer Ontario Corps program

This episode aired on February 19 2025.

In this first episode of Break In Case of Emergency, host Erin Blondeau sits down with Emiko Newman, Coordinator of the BC Climate Emergency Campaign, to examine British Columbia's climate action record. Despite thinking of itself as a climate leader, BC received failing grades in a recent progress report that evaluated the province's response to the climate emergency.

Emiko breaks down why BC's emissions have increased while the European Union has achieved a 36% reduction below 1990 levels, and how BC's commitment to liquefied natural gas (LNG) expansion undermines its climate goals and directly contributes to rising costs through increased utility bills and climate disaster impacts.

Break In Case of Emergency is a podcast about mobilizing Canada for the climate crisis, focused on audacious climate solutions rooted in justice and workers' rights.

Written and produced by Erin Blondeau, Doug Hamilton-Evans and Emiko Newman. Music by Anjali Appadurai. Audio editing by Blue Light Studios. Artwork by Geoff Smith. 

Learn more at climateemergencyunit.ca/podcast

This episode aired on February 14 2025. 

In this special preview episode, join Emiko Newman and Erin Blondeau for a conversation about the origins of the Break In Case of Emergency podcast and the Climate Emergency Unit. Erin and Emiko discuss why the CEU team decided to embark on this podcast journey, touching on Seth Klein's climate book “A Good War: Mobilizing Canada for the Climate Emergency”, which sparked the formation of the Climate Emergency Unit and inspired this podcast.

Produced by Erin Blondeau, featuring Emiko Newman. Music by Anjali Appadurai. Audio editing by Bluelight Studios. Artwork by Geoff Smith. 

Learn more at climateemergencyunit.ca/podcast