Today's episode is a special one, as Yuko and Maia interview Seth Klein about his recently released book: A Good War - Mobilizing Canada for the Climate Emergency. Seth has a wealth of experience on climate activism and the political stage of Canada, and his new book is well worth the read for anyone interested in learning how this country in currently dealing (or not dealing) with the climate emergency, and how so much more can and should be done similar to Canada's push for action during the second World War.

For more information on Seth's work and where to purchase his book, visit www.sethklein.ca 

Check out the Climate Emergency Unit https://www.climateemergencyunit.ca/ for information on how to get involved. 

Pacific Seamounts 2021 LIVE DIVE webpage: https://www.oceannetworks.ca/pacific-seamounts-2021

The Pacific Seamounts 2021 story page: https://www.oceannetworks.ca/pacific-seamounts-expedition-2021

Welcome back to another episode of EcoThink! This week, Yuko and Maia discuss Old Growth Forests, regenerative and sustainable forestry, and the new strategic review "A New Future for Old Forests" published last year in 2020. 

In Fairy Creek we are seeing public protest against logging of old growth forest, as people are gathering to blockade logging action from Teal Jones. This forest is one of the last remaining coastal old growth in the province and needs to be protected. We discuss why forests are so crucial to our environment, mental health, and our social identity as British Columbians. 

Sources:

Strategic Review 2020: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/farming-natural-resources-and-industry/forestry/stewardship/old-growth-forests/strategic-review-20200430.pdf

Seeing Rep Map: https://thenarwhal.ca/bc-forests-old-growth-impacts-map/

Ancient Forest Alliance FAQ: https://www.ancientforestalliance.org/learn-more/common-qas-about-bcs-old-growth-forests/

Why Keeping Mature Forests Intact is Key: https://e360.yale.edu/features/why-keeping-mature-forests-intact-is-key-to-the-climate-fight

Old Growth Forests can accumulate carbon in soil: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/314/5804/1417.abstract

Old Growth Forests as Carbon Sinks: https://www.nature.com/articles/nature07276?te=1&nl=climate-fwd:&emc=edit_clim_20200813

The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-hidden-life-of-trees/9781771642484-item.html?s_campaign=goo-DSA_Books&gclid=Cj0KCQjwktKFBhCkARIsAJeDT0h_UfIyzwKR8wkJpuRzX__3-XoOwa4PUDqJeAlPzTbA3Ss2NV4bm98aAj00EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

In this episode, Yuko and Maia sit down to learn from Javan Bernakevitch,  a life and land designer, speaking, writing, teaching and consulting with people, businesses and farms all over the world through All Points Design and RegenerativeLiving.online. He believes if we don't design our lives, they'll be designed for us, and not for our benefit. And, if humans want to have a long life here on our planet we best act like we are part of the ecology. He works to ensure that his client's lives and landscapes get better every year.

Resources:

To learn more about Javan and his work, visit his websites:

https://vergepermaculture.ca/team/javan-k-bernakevitch/

https://allpointsdesign.ca

http://regenerativeliving.online/

In this episode, Maia and Yuko join Dr. Andy MacKinnon in a fascinating discussion about fungi and their role in our ecosystem. As an expert mycologist (mushroom scientist), Dr. MacKinnon shares his knowledge with us on what Fungi are as a group of organisms (surprise, they aren’t closely related to plants at all!), some of their roles in our ecosystems (including the ones that live inside our bodies), and why beneficial fungi are so important for the health of our forests.

If you are interested in picking up some of Dr. MacKinnon’s work on mushrooms and plants of the Pacific Northwest, check out the Plants of Coastal British Columbia guidebook:

https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/product/9781772130096-item.html?s_campaign=goo-Shopping_Smart_Books&gclid=CjwKCAjwj6SEBhAOEiwAvFRuKB0GDs5nLUaemTZJUeIVnLGAwa3XG9LXd0P1Cq3o35PIIVGocu5mbRoCjCQQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

And if you can’t get enough about mushrooms, go pre-order his Royal BC Museum Handbook “Mushrooms of British Columbia”

https://publications.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/product/mushrooms-of-british-columbia/

In this episode, Maia sits down with Dr. Heather Baitz, a clinical psychologist who lives and works on the traditional territory of the Snuneymuxw First Nation in Nanaimo, BC. The interview discussion ranges from Climate Anxiety and Distress and how Dr. Baitz has dealt with these issues in her own life; how community activism and connection are crucial to surmounting feelings of overwhelm and apathy related to the climate crisis, and to Dr. Baitz’s own experience in climate activism. We also discuss the five principles put forward by Project Inside Out for effective environmental action, and some really exciting successes in both the Nanaimo Climate Action Hub and the newly launched BC Climate Action Network. 

*Please note that the BC Climate Action Network is a temporary name and the organization will be updating their official name once it has been approved by the province. Check out their website below for more information.

Resources:

IPCC 1.5 Report: https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/

Project Inside Out: https://projectinsideout.net/guiding-principles/

BC-Climate Emergency Network: https://bcclimateactionnetwork.wordpress.com/

Nanaimo Climate Action Hub: https://www.nanaimoclimateaction.org/ 

Doughnut Economics Model - Kate Raworth: https://www.kateraworth.com/doughnut/ 

BC-Climate Alliance: https://www.bcclimatealliance.ca/

In this episode, Maia and Yuko discuss what we know about the history of Climate Science. Maia reviews her old school notes and does a little digging to blow Yuko’s mind about: Who was the first person to discover the Greenhouse Effect? How did European colonization of the Americas impact climate change? Why are ice cores from Antarctica so cool? Who was the first woman scientist to work on climate change science? How long have scientists known about global warming? And more! 

Quotes:

“Our atmosphere is basically a giant blanket that covers our entire planet.” (Yuko)

“History is flawed in that we don’t have the entire story all the time.” (Maia)

“We’ve had a long recorded history of the climate changing, and this concept was introduced so long ago, and yet we are still debating whether climate change is real?” (Yuko)

Note: Greenhouses were becoming more and more common in England and America in the 1700s and 1800s, so it could very well have been what inspired Fourier to complete his experiments. 

Resources and Useful Links:

Robin Wall Kimmerer “Braiding Sweetgrass”

Quick article discussing the history of Climate Science: https://www.history.com/topics/natural-disasters-and-environment/history-of-climate-change

How colonisation in America impacted the climate: 

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-47063973

Who is Eunice Foote? https://www.climate.gov/news-features/features/happy-200th-birthday-eunice-foote-hidden-climate-science-pioneer

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

https://www.ipcc.ch/

The Keeling Curve

https://keelingcurve.ucsd.edu/

Ice cores in Antarctica from Vostok and Dome-C

http://www.antarcticglaciers.org/glaciers-and-climate/ice-cores/ice-core-basics/