This time on the Plutopia podcast, climate scientist Michael Tobis, our man in the Great White North, joins us to talk about U.S.-Canadian relations. As Canadians go to the polls this week to elect new members of Parliament, the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on Canadian tariffs and trade loom large. Michael describes how Trump’s aggressive rhetoric and trade policies have unified Canadians, strengthened national identity, and fueled a widespread desire to disengage economically from the U.S. He explains that while Canada has long relied on exporting resources like minerals, oil, and grain to the U.S., Trump’s actions have triggered a re-evaluation of these ties. Canadians are increasingly wary of American politics, committed to preserving their universal healthcare system, and prepared to resist any attempt at annexation. Tobis also highlights the deep cultural and economic interconnections between the two countries, the vulnerabilities created by globalization, and the stark contrasts in political stability, health care, and social safety nets. The conversation expands into broader concerns about trade, climate change, and the unpredictable impacts of populist movements, ultimately emphasizing that Canada’s relationship with the U.S. has been irrevocably altered.

Michael Tobis:

Nobody was kicking them out of Greenland. Nobody’s kicking them out of the north of Canada. Nobody was saying you guys can’t have our minerals. What we live on is shipping you guys our minerals. That’s why we’re a prosperous country. It’s because you guys want our minerals and we ship them. You want our grain and our oil and we ship them. What we’ve learned is that we’ve abandoned our manufacturing sector and a lot of the high-tech sector to America. And now that we’re saying, and I really can’t overemphasize how widespread this is. People do not want to do business with the United States.