World on Fire

Wildfires burned a record amount of Canada last year, and this year looks no better. In this episode we look at trust, misinformation and climate grief. 

We hear what it’s like to wait, watch and wonder what this new fire season will bring. 

The climate is changing. So are we. On What On Earth, you’ll explore a world of solutions with host Laura Lynch and our team of journalists. In 1970, 20 million people showed up to fight for the environment on the first Earth Day. More than five decades later, is it time for this much tamer global event to return to its radical roots? 

OG organizer Denis Hayes recounts how – amidst other counterculture movements at the time – his team persuaded roughly one in ten Americans to take to the streets. As he approaches 80, Denis offers his singular piece of advice to the next generation of climate leaders. Then, environmental warriors Maria Blancas and Axcelle Campana share ideas on what a reinspired Earth Day could look like – including making it a public holiday.

More episodes of What On Earth are available at: https://link.chtbl.com/TfSVFvOk

We love to hear from our listeners and regularly feature them on the show. Have a question or idea? Email [email protected]

In this episode of World on Fire we’ll meet some of the journalists covering Canada’s worst fire season ever. They’re the people putting a human face on the numbers and trying to make sense of the devastation. We’ll hear their personal stories about the toll it takes on communities and the reporters themselves

For the very first time North America is dealing with heat domes….extreme temperatures, winds and tinder dry conditions igniting out of control wildfires. We’ll take you to Lytton B.C where people have lost everything to the flames, and visit the front lines of wildfire season in the Western United States, where exhausted crews are battling another record breaking year. We’ll hear from the people trying to prepare and save remote communities and find out what has climate experts more concerned than ever. Read more online at cbc.ca/1.6108111

Its been a few months since World on Fire was launched in one of the quietest wildfire seasons in Canada. And then the western United States burst into flames. In episode 6 —The Pyrocene and the Pandemic— we’ll hear from an NPR reporter in Oregon who fled the wildfires not once but twice. We’ll look at how smoke from those fires is affecting us here in Canada and hear first person stories of how this podcast is resonating with people around the world.

When your backyard is burning, is anywhere safe? Surrounded by smoke, flame and fear — we hear from people living through some of their darkest days, the experts who say we should be extremely worried, and the next generation who must make sense of it all. This is the first episode of World on Fire, hosted by Adrienne Lamb and Mike Flannigan.

The Pyrocene. The word was coined to describe a new age of fire that is changing our world. In this episode, we head to the frontlines of wildfires and bushfires around the globe. Hear first-person accounts from the people who run toward the flames, instead of away. Reporters in California and Canada talk about their experiences, and we’ll also hear from survivors of some of the most devastating fires in recent memory. That’s World on Fire, with hosts Adrienne Lamb and Mike Flannigan

Fire doesn’t discriminate. Its damage runs much deeper than places and things. In this episode of World On Fire, we learn about the toll fire takes on our mental and physical health, and the imprint it leaves on our communities. We’ll head to a First Nation in B.C. where members refused to evacuate when fire threatened their homes. Then we’ll go to Fort McMurray, Alberta, where children are dealing with PTSD — even some who moved there after the fires.

Survival drives innovation, and wildfires have driven us to find creative ways to protect ourselves and our communities. People all over the world are inventing new tools, techniques and methods to battle these increasingly devastating fires. Meet some of the people creating a new landscape for firefighting in this episode of World On Fire.