What on Earth?

As Vancouverites see people watering their lawns during a drought, it’s a question they’re asking themselves. While cities in British Columbia take drastic measures to limit water use, Laura heads to the watershed to learn how conservation can help keep the taps on. But it’s not the only approach that Canadians are using to tackle water shortages. In south central Manitoba, a modified wetland is forcing people to work with nature instead of against it.

Tessel Middag wants her sport to be a force for good. But she says that’s hard to imagine when FIFA’s “Major Worldwide Partner” for the 2026 World Cup is Saudi state oil company, Aramco. And it’s not just Tessel. Advocates like Frank Huisingh feel uneasy watching athletes compete in extreme heat while flanked by advertisements for the globe's leading oil corporation. But as the world continues to warm, can advocates convince football’s governing body to ditch oil and gas sponsorships, and make way for climate-conscious partnerships?

Can a weekly fire weather outlook help Canadian communities learn to live with fire? Mike Flannigan, wildfire forecaster and professor at Thompson Rivers University, thinks so. A weekly forecast is one of the things that gives him hope that people across Canada can be better prepared to respond to wildfire risk this summer as conditions start to look like “Dante’s circles of hell.” Then – we hear how the Abegweit First Nation has a new deal with the P.E.I. and federal governments to make its own decisions about managing emergencies like wildfire. 

Farmers are using an old trick as a new way to grow food and reduce emissions. Lightning sparked inside a box helps create fertilizer with less cost to the planet. But it’s controversial, with critics calling it “snake oil.” Those who love it say the proof is in the plants they harvest. Story producer Jennifer Wilson digs into whether lightning in a box is the real thing.

Indigenous communities across the country are charging ahead with renewables. Melina Laboucan-Massimo brings news from Indigenous Clean Energy’s training program, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year. But even as young leaders learn about solar and wind power, there are growing worries that government funding to help communities make the transition may not continue. Then, a scientist weighs in on Ottawa’s proposal to streamline environmental assessments for major projects.

A system from another era was the inspiration for a modern-day solution to the pileup of plastic in the world. The milkman once delivered cold bottles of milk to the doorsteps of homes and took the empty ones away. So what happened to the idea? CBC producer Peter Mitton delivers the (non-plastic) goods in his feature documentary. 

Donald Trump claimed on social media that climate scientists were “WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!” about their global warming projections. But climate scientist Zeke Hausfather says the experts were not wrong, and the new projections are not entirely bad news. The world has made some progress in reducing emissions, though he says we still have a long way to go when it comes to stabilizing the climate. Then, tips on how to protect yourself – and your home – from heat, smoke and wildfire while not breaking the budget.

Twelve-year-old Kiké Dueck once had such bad climate anxiety that they didn’t want to eat or go to school. But then they found a solution. Kiké got involved in lobbying Regina city hall for greener transit and even joined a legal case to try to stop Saskatchewan’s support of coal plants. Kiké is not the only child taking the government to task - and to court. In fact, Kiké is part of a group led by What On Earth’s mental health columnist, Abhay Singh Sachal, that teaches young people how to understand their emotions about climate change and channel them into organized activism and community action.

Ten years ago this month the Horse River Wildfire burned through Fort McMurray and into the Canadian consciousness. We hear why experts say it’s the fire that taught us nowhere is safe, even busy urban centres. And, from the best of What On Earth: The Yukon government is betting on a first-in-Canada solution to help protect Whitehorse from wildfire: a permanent fuel break made of trees. But, the process takes a lot of work, starting with harvesting tiny seeds.

Hop on board an electric school bus in Richmond B.C. and meet a driver who says “once you start driving them, you don’t want to go back.” So why aren’t more kids across Canada riding to school on these quieter and cleaner buses? Producer Nick Logan takes a spin through the successes and ongoing challenges with electrifying Canada’s school bus fleets. Then, we hear from an EV advocate about the policy changes needed to speed the transition.