Winter Cycling & Christmas Tree Debacles

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This week we bring you two wintry archives! First a debate: which is more sustainable? An artificial or a real Christmas tree? Carson Fong finds out! Then winter cycling – sounds scary? Turns out it might not be as awful as it sounds.

Download episode now.

Headlines

The Calgary Board of Education and Bullfrog Power have teamed up to fund ‘Good Day Sunshine’, a recently announced initiative to install five new solar PV systems on Calgary elementary schools. [click here]

Environment and Parks Minister Shannon Phillips announced at the University of Alberta last week that the Alberta Youth Climate Action Council is now live and taking applications for youth aged 18-26 interested in giving feedback on climate change issues across the province. [click here]

A pilot study conducted by Texas State University and Bat Conservation International test-drove some new technology that reduces bat mortality from wind turbines by up to 54%! [click here]

Winter cycling

We take a trip down memory lane and revisit Terra Informers Carson and Trevor’s interview the president of the Winter Cycling Federation, Timo Perälä. Timo’s advice on navigating the mental blocks of winter cycling is perfectly timed with our snowy streets and recently expanded bike network.   

Which is greener?

In another archive, Terra Informer Hamdi explores the environmental debate between artificial and real Christmas trees, and how each stacks up in terms of contributing to climate change.

What’s happening

If you’re celebrating the holidays in the Edmonton area, come visit the U of A Forestry tree sale in the Corbett Hall parking lot near the University of Alberta hospital. Some friendly U of A Foresters will be there to greet you Monday to Friday from 3pm to 9pm and Saturday/Sunday from 9am to 9pm until December 21 or until the trees sell out. 10% of proceeds are donated to the United Way. [click here]

Download program log here.

Photo by: Martin Reis

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Camping, climbing and COP24
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Crypt Lake Trail @ Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta, Canada Photo Credit: Daveynin 

This week on Terra Informa, we dig in to COP24 and follow a conversation between new Terra Informer Kesia and outdoor enthusiast Yuliya Fakhr. Kesia and Yuliya explore the independence and liberation experienced in the Great Outdoors, the connection between spirituality and nature, and what it’s like to be a first-time rock climber. 

Download episode now.

Headlines

A recent study in the journal Nature Communications states the current climate policies of China, Canada, and Russia will drive climatic change of more than five degrees Celsius, resulting in catastrophic warming.  The authors state the metrics presented in the paper “translates the lack of ambition on a global scale to a national scale”, and that these findings should be a motivation for civilians, knowledge-holders, and decision-makers to hold governments accountable.

A new study from School of Planning at the University of Waterloo brings to light the way cars and urban planning often go hand-in-hand with elections and political views. The study discusses the effectiveness of urban planning efforts to make cities more environmentally  sustainable. Canadian researchers find that reliance on cars has led to car-centric urban planning which is further propagated by voters choosing politicians that want to maintain these unsustainable lifestyles.

On November 26 2018, ENvironnement JEUnesse applied to bring a class action against the Canadian government before the Superior Court of Québec on behalf of Quebecers aged 35 and under. They are suing the government for inaction on climate change, in light of the recent recommendation from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to avoid any delay as the Earth’s temperature is on the rise.

COP 24

Delegates and government leaders are meeting this week for COP24, the United Nations’ 24th annual climate conference in Katowice, Poland. This year’s conference is being referred to as “Paris 2.0” because it is expected to deliver the set of rules that will govern the Paris Agreement along with the tools for its effective implementation.

Interestingly, this year you can participate, too. The UN created a “People’s Seat” for you to “virtually sit” and share your views alongside government leaders at the climate talks. To join the effort, tag your thoughts with hashtag #TakeYourSeat on social media.

Civic engagement is critical! Individuals can help by holding our politicians accountable – anything from voting and letter-writing to protesting are ways to demand that your government is working in your interest and the interest of future generations.

Download program log here.

Talking Indigenous-led Environmental Assessment with The Firelight Group

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This week on Terra Informa, we have an interview with Dr. Ginger Gibson, one of the directors and founders of the Firelight Group, an organization that works to support Indigenous peoples and governments defending their rights and their land. Terra Informer Dylan Hall spoke with Ginger about the Firelight Group and the successes they’ve seen, particularly in Indigenous-led environmental review as a route for Indigenous Nations’ to express their right to self-governance despite a colonial Canadian state. More information about the Firelight group can be found at their website: www.thefirelightgroup.com, and the report on Indigenous-led environmental review spoken of in the interview can be found here.

Headlines

85 people have been arrested after protesters occupied five bridges in London, England on Saturday, November 17th in one of the largest acts of civil disobedience in UK history. The blockade was organized as part of a campaign run by Extinction Rebellion, a new group that aims to force governments to recognize and treat the threats of climate change and extinction as a crisis. Extinction Rebellion has organized various other acts of protest during the month of November, resulting in an additional 60 people being arrested for acts of civil disobedience. This Saturday was the climax of two weeks of protest, with approximately six thousand people taking part in the campaign. The group is calling for governments to reduce carbon emissions to zero by 2025 and to establish a “citizens assembly” to device an emergency plan of action. Extinction Rebellion now has offices based in central London and has eleven international events planned to take place in Canada, the United States, Germany, Australia, and France.
More information here: https://rebellion.earth/
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Download program log here

Photo by Forest and Kim Starr

PINHOLE CAMERAS AND CHANGING OCEANS
Terra Informa Nov 20 blog photo

Credit to Timkal for the image

This week we dive into an interview with Natalie Baird, a Masters student using participatory art methods to document Inuit knowledge in Canada’s north, and explore how this knowledge can be applied to climate change. Natalie’s work takes place in Pangnirtung – an Inuit community in Nunavut, located on Baffin Island. In the interview, Hannah and Natalie talk about sharing local knowledge, the accessibility of climate change science, how to make a pinhole camera, and much more. Headlines include the launch of the brand new Energy Efficiency Canada program, and the announcement of new (and much-needed) funding for conservation of Species at Risk. 

Download episode now.

Headlines

Efficiency Canada launched this week, aiming to be the “National Voice for an Energy Efficient Economy”. Efficiency Canada is a multidisciplinary agency focusing on advocacy and communication in regards to pushing for renewables in Canada. The project was started by Carleton University. With a focus on economic growth in the lens of renewable resources, the organization has already released a report of 2019 budget priorities for the federal government.

On November 9th the government of Canada released news they are committing over $9 million to almost 100, local-level conservation projects. over the next 3 years. Half of the projects will be funded by the Aboriginal Fund for Species at Risk, which works with Indigenous communities to implement the Species at Risk Act.

Download program log here

Thinking Like A Plant

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What is it like to be a plant? Do plants make choices? Do they have free will or personality? Do they….think? This week on Terra Informa, we turn to Charly Blais’ interview with Megan Ljubotina, a graduate student at the University of Alberta, to find out about the ways plants make decisions to improve their vitality, survival and fitness. Ljubotina focuses on plant behaviour and the ways plants make decisions to improve their vitality, survival and fitness.

 

Download episode now.

Headlines

The Government of Ontario is in the process of carrying out public consultation to hear citizens’ thoughts on permits that allow bottling of Ontario’s water, particularly used by multi-national corporation Nestlé. Share your thoughts on the proposed extension of the moratorium on new permits or permits for increased water quantities here. More on this story can be found here and here.

The City of Edmonton has released its climate change adaptation and action plan and will be presenting it to city council’s executive committee on November 13th. [click here]

In global news, research out of the United Nations says the ozone layer is showing signs of continuing recovery from destructive pollutants and is likely to heal fully by 2060.[click here]

Download program log here.

Photo: M. Martin Vicente (Flickr)

The Most Terra-fying FunDrive Yet!

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This week we’re bringing you a ~ spooky ~ recap of our FunDrive episode that aired LIVE in Edmonton last week. FunDrive is CJSR 88.5fm’s annual fundraiser and thanks to you we surpassed our goal! For this show, we summoned the ghosts of past terra informers and reminisced with these apparitions about the best parts of community radio and podcasting!


Download episode now.

Headlines

A Toronto-based company called Genecis is hoping to make biodegradable plastics a reality, while keeping them cheap enough to use in throw-away items like coffee cups, straws, and other packaging.  [click here]

According to a map produced by researchers from the University of Queensland and the Wildlife Conservation Society, just five countries hold 70% of the world’s last wilderness including Australia, the US, Brazil, Russia, and Canada. [click here]

Ghosts of Terra Informa’s Past

Last week was our annual CJSR FunDrive! What a success! Thanks to all of you, we broke our $1500 goal and raised over $1600! 

The FunDrive is CJSR’s annual fundraising event where volunteers collect pledges from listeners, fans, friends, and family to help support this awesome local and independent radio station. It is because of your generosity that keeps community radio alive! The money raised during FunDrive goes towards running, maintaining or replacing the equipment we use at the station, and also helps to provide amazing training opportunities so that new volunteers with no experience can learn all sorts of skills like recording, interviewing, or mixing music.

What’s Happening

Green Drinks will be hosted by The Local Good at the Yellowhead Brewery on Wednesday, November 7 at 7:00pm. The evening’s theme, YEG Allies, will feature facilitated discussions around indigenous relations and treaties, supporting the LGBTQ2S+ community, feminism, antiracism, and mental health. [click here]

Photo: Carter Gorzitza and Amanda Rooney at the CJSR Headquarters for World Domination. Taken from the Terra Informa Facebook page. [click here]

Download program log here.

Sassy Bats and Boss Moss
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Photo Credit to Dasha Gaian (Flickr)

This week on Terra Informa, we get batty for Calgary Bat Week with an archive discussing the challenges faced by our flying furry friends, plus we re-air an interview with Edmonton’s resident Moss Man, Dr. René Bellend, about the boss that is moss!

Living with Bats

In the spring of 2017, Terra Informers Lauren, Charly, and Amanda attended an event called “Living With Bats”, put on by the Alberta Community Bat Program. The group of Terra Informers spoke with Erin Lowe of the Alberta Community Bat Program, and asked her about general bat info, how to attract bats to your neighbourhood, and to highlight some of the challenges being faced by bats today. 

Moss Mysteries

Let it not be said that that green fuzzy stuff you see around is less fascinating that other, more impressively plumed species of flora. Our second archive piece from March 2015 puts the spotlight on moss, the sometimes-unsung hero for many nature enthusiasts. Terra Informer Tasmia Nishat spoke with Edmonton’s own “Moss Man,” Dr. René Bellend, a professor in the department of Renewable Resources at the University of Alberta.  They chat about why Dr. Bellend is so passionate about these plants, and why it can be legally difficult to protect rare mosses.

What’s Happening

If you live in the Edmonton area, there’s a free documentary screening happening on Thursday, November 1st at the Princess Theatre. “Human Flow” is the title of a documentary by internationally-renowned artist Ai Weiwei that captures images of the astounding, and often tragic, journeys of human migration across the world fuelled by famine, war, and climate change. Doctors without Borders are hosting the event, and will lead a discussion before the film about the many challenges that people face when forced to leave the place they called home. RSVP via Eventbrite.

Trailer:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVZGyTdk_BY&feature=youtu.be

Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/film-screening-human-flow-registration-50874855061?aff=efbeventtix&fbclid=IwAR356zH-dyZqtJY5_yx1IhM3KAm0Ym7rbwzaX6ZhxnOQMv7hFbmVTxMZA-k

Download program log here.

Inside the IPCC with Debra Robertson

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Photo by: The Conversation

This week on Terra Informa, we look back at the past two weeks of climate change news with the release of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ’s most recent “Special Report,” which discusses the impacts of an increased mean global temperature of 1.5 degrees Celsius. We follow this with an archived interview with an IPCC working group co-chair from last March when we covered the panel’s cities and climate change conference here in Edmonton.

Download episode now. 

A Conversation with IPCC Co-Chair Debra Robertson

To provide us with some insight into the IPCC, how it works and what challenges the panel faces, this week we bring you an interview from March 2018 when we covered the IPCC conference on Cities and Climate Change. Terra Informer Dylan Hall speaks with Debra Roberts, Co-Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s second working group, titled ‘Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability’. The two discuss the IPCC as an organization, bridging science and practice, the importance of informality, and encouraging activism.

Resources from this week’s episode:

Trudeau Government Urged to Step Up Climate Action In Emergency Debate [click here]

Transcribed Notes of the Emergency House of Commons Debate [click here]

IPCC Special Report [click here]

Download program log.