What On Earth

Come with us to California where entrepreneurs are sending balloons full of sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere. It’s a form of solar geoengineering known as stratospheric aerosol injection, and the company Make Sunsets isn’t waiting for scientific consensus before they launch. We hear about their business model, and then from the researchers who question both the science and ethics of the practice.

EV fires can be scary and challenging to fight. But they’re not as common as they may seem. Online misinformation and a lack of reliable data can contribute to misconceptions about what happens when an electric vehicle battery fire erupts – and even firefighters aren’t immune.

Have you heard of a 'bike bus'? It's just one of the answers Rachel Sanders found to a listener's concerns about the gridlock that can form around schools.

He's promised to "drill, baby, drill". He's cast doubt on the risks of global warming. And one of his biggest donors is EV magnate Elon Musk. But what does a second Donald Trump presidency really mean for U.S. climate policy – and our warming world? Emily Atkin of the newsletter Heated helps us untangle what's possible over the next four years, and reflects on why climate barely surfaced as an election issue.

The language of COP29 is brain-melting. But these soul-unstirring terms are key to solving climate change. We decode what's really at stake as leaders gather this month in Azerbaijan. Then, we hear how corruption can derail international climate action – and what solutions could help.

With deadly levels of rainfall happening across the world, we see the destruction first-hand and learn how it can be stopped. First, we visit the site of school teacher Sonya McIntyre’s home after an atmospheric river took her life. We then learn how understanding climate systems can prevent future loss of life. 

When some climate-conscious Swifties learned that Canada’s biggest fossil fuel financier, RBC, is an official partner for Taylor Swift’s Eras tour in Vancouver and Toronto, they jumped into action. But can uniting Swifties online translate to change? Or is it a trend that will fizzle over time? Meanwhile, What On Earth youth columnist Aishwarya Puttur breaks down why social media campaigns are on the rise for Gen Zs.

They can be noisy. And smelly. And, as Cate Blanchett (yes, Cate Blanchett!) complains, don’t they just move “leaves from one place to another, only for them to be blown back again"? Gas-powered leaf blowers create a lot of opinions and a lot of emissions. Molly Segal takes us through why they're so particularly polluting and unhealthy. And, she explores the solutions underway — from political bans to incentives for switching to electric.

They might leave you a huge mess, but a "free for now" fire prevention service may be taking hold in Canada. Insurers have started contracting a private company to swoop in and do last-minute fireproofing on homes in B.C. and Alberta. Paul Haavardsrud and Danielle Nerman explain what that looks like, and how this new strategy could keep insurance premiums from going up faster than they already are.

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Come along to the AFN’s annual Climate Gathering where columnist Melina Laboucan-Massimo is teaching Indigenous communities how to transition to clean energy. According to Melina, it's not just about swapping out technologies. Culture and language are key.