The Environmental Urbanist: Recent Episodes
Jason Allen
Cities have both a unique responsibility and a unique opportunity to address climate change.A unique responsiblity because almost everything we do in a city is carbon intensive. From paving roads and driving to urban planning that puts tract housing far away from work and school, to incentives and disincentives that drive people away from or towards acitve transportation. Every choice we make living in a city is magnified when it comes to preventing a climate disaster.At the same time, it is far easier to affect change at a municipal level than it is as a provincial or federal level. Communities can band together aided by proximity, and influence the relatively small number of councillors needed to make change. Cities are also where the battle for climate change will be fought, and where policies will be decided.Every week we explore another piece of the cities and climate change puzzle, and work towards a solutions that keep us, and our planet, healthy and thriving.
This is the episode from May of 2021 when Dr Sheila Colla (who passed away recently) came on the show to discuss biodiversity in back yards and saving wild bees. It's Dr Colla at her firebrand best, and I hope you enjoy.
Giuliana Casimirri from Green Venture joins me to share her thoughts on the state of the Environmental Movement in Hamilton, and I end the show with some of my own thoughts on what we need to do moving forward as I ride off into the sunset.
BARC executive director Chris McLaughlin joins me to talk about the state of the environmenal movement in Hamilton in this, my second last show.
Dr Lynda Lukasik joins me for a wide ranging discussion about environmentalism in Hamilton, what we have accomplished recently and what we still need to do.
Rachel Johnson from Smart Commute joins me to talk all about Bike Month and Bike Day coming up. Then Sarah Salmanovitch from Hamilton Bike Share stops in to tell us all about the Adaptive Cycling Program at Gage Park.
Russ from the Royal Hamilton Yacht club joins me to talk about how they are greening an already green sport, and Patricia from Hamilton Falconwatch stops by to talk about how YOU can help save baby peregrine falcons this fledging season.
Jess Rose joins me to talk about her new book, Let's Get Creative, Art for a Healthy Planet about what kids can do to make a difference through art.
Zunaid Khan from the Toronto Field Naturalists to talk about ethical bird watchng and animal photgraphy practices.
Chris McLaughlin and Grace Hunter from BARC join me to talk about the upcoming changes to their online presence, and what prompted the move.
Marvin Gunderman - McMaster University's celebrated 'Bug Man' joins me to talk about the passion project he's been working on for four years since his retirement, and how it could help YOU get better acquainted with the bugs in your life.
Rachel Jones from the Hamilton Naturalist's Club, and the host of Jones Garage on 933 CFMU joins me to talk about how similar the punk scene and the environmental movement are, and why she loves both as much as she does.
Laura Buckley from Wild Carrot Homesteading joins me to learn about fulfilling her longtime dream of owning a farm, and the challenges and joys that came with it.
Katie Job, a horticulturalist and Dahlia grower from St Catharines joins me to talk about the ins and outs of growing these incredibly diverse flowers, and how with a keen eye and a little courage you can get lots of varieties for free!
Also Paul Brown and Mark Anderson, the co-chairs of CycleHamilton join me to talk about the state of cycling in our fair city.
Steph Muma from Silver Creek nursery joins me to talk about all you need to know to get started growing fruit trees.
Natasha Smith from Floral and Brick joins me to talk about growing a cut flower garden, and Natalie Kemp and I chat about her 'leaf of the year' Instagram competition.
Daniel Chong and Paul Shaker join me to talk about Daily School Route, an initiative to encourage families to take the greener - and healthier - way to school.
Victoria Bick from the Dundurn Castle Historic Kitchen Garden joins me to talk about all the new and exciting things they've started since coming back from lockdown.
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Lilly Noble and Don McLean join me to talk about the latest in the provincial government's ongoing greenbelt and urban boundary scandal.
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Join me as I talk with Ann Marie from the amazing Instagram channel @Its_Ann_calling about her joy in being outdoors, and the importance of representation in our outdoor communities.
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Karen Wirsig from Environmental Defence joins me to talk about the province's lacklustre proposal for dealing with our tsunami of bottles and cans. Then David Mivasair and Lillian Blume pop by to discuss how they are doing their part to keep aluminum out of Hamilton's landfills.
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Jenn Baker from Hamilton Naturalists Club joins me talk about Hamilton's Biodiversity Action Plan, and then Noah Stegman from McMaster pops in to discuss some creative ways they are managing invasive species.
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Emily, Helena and Shania - three wonderful McMaster students - join me to talk about their efforts this year to spread the word about the destructive nature of sprawl development and how we have the power to stop it.
Also a bonus chat with the Ontario Clean Air Coalition about how the province is headed in the entirely wrong direction when it comes to power generation.
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Bob Bell, author of Out of the Lymelight, into the Sunlight joins me to talk about his journey from chronic Lyme disease to healing through the power of nature.
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Today's episode is all recordings I made out and about in Hamilton over the past few weeks, including at a controlled burn at the McMaster teaching forest, and the banding of Hamilton's resident Peregrine Falcon chicks.
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Chris MacQuarrie from Environment Canada joins me to talk about the Woolly Hemlock Adelgid that has recently arrived in Hamilton, and poses a threat to local hemlock forests.
Then Laura Buckley from Environment Hamilton and I chat about the upcoming Open Streets even in June and what there will be to see and do on King St that day.
I talk to Dr Lynda Lukasik about her new role as the Director of Climate Strategy at City Hall, and what she hopes to accomplish and how. Then I go to Greece and talk to Dr Elisa Savelli about her recent article in Nature about the real cause of the water crises in cities around the world.
The second part of my conversation with Diana Beresford-Kroeger where she brings Celtic and traditional indigenous wisdom to the discussion.
Join me for my conversation with the legendary botanist and environmental scientist Diana Beresford-Kroeger as we discuss tree and forests, and their preservation, and all the amazing things they do for us. This is part one of two parts.
Giulian Cassimiri from Green Venture joins me to talk about the marvel that are Miywaki forests - we have some right here in Hamilton and they plan to make more of them. Then the Christa Jackson from Hamilton Falconwatch joins me to talk about McKeevor and Judson, our resident Peregrines.
Kelly Sue from Birder Brain joins me to talk about the role birding can play in treating mental health concerns. I also pop into the hunger strike at McMaster and check in on three of the students who hadn't eaten at that point in 8 days.
Today's episode features two interviews. First with Lynn Bestari of Yorklands Green Hub, which is a reclaimed natural area in Guelph where volunteers are attempting to turn it into an urban national park.
The second is with Nate Wallace of Environmental Defence talking about the letter sent by 15 environmental organizations to the federal finance minister calling for predictable, sustained funding for public transit.
It's the fundraising show, and Phil Pothen from Environmental Defence joins me to talk about their lawsuit against the provincial government. Then Adan Amer and Adeola Egbeyemi join me to talk about their work on a fossil free city plan and their bombshell to council that they can raise the property taxes on the pipeline lands through Hamilton.
Deyo (Teri) Morrow joins me to talk about the traditional foods of the Haudenosaunee and how access to food or it's absence can strip us of our culture, or restore it.
Landscape designer Candy Venning and avid gardener Lennox Toppin join me to talk about the types of plants and shrubs you can plant to get butterflies, birds, moths, all sorts of creatures. It's Candy and Lennox's annual visit to the show and is not to be missed.
Kelly McKinney joins me to tackle the question of whether you can garden your way out of food inflation? Does it make sense to start growing your own when produce is becoming too expensive to buy?
Michael Albanese joins me from Avesi Stormwater to talk about rain gardens and how to make the most of the water falling on your property. I also have an update about Seedy Saturday and some info about other events in Hamilton this week.
A command performance of my interview with Jenna Butler about her Governor General's Award short listed book Revery, A Year of Bees, which was just long listed for Canada Reads.
Wildlife enthusiast Mike Digout, from Mikes Photos and Videos of Beavers fame joins me to talk about the beaver family living in basically downtown Saskatoon that he has been photographing and sharing with his 80,000 Facebook followers for a few years now.
Emma Metheringham is the purveyor of @the_elephant_in_my_wardrobe on Instagram, a 30 year veteran of the fashion industry who is now focused on its sustainability. She joined me from her home in London to talk about how fashion has changed, and how it needs to keep changing.
Veterinary epidemiologist David Waltner-Toews joins me to talk about his new book, A Conspiracy of Chickens and the year of his life in lockdown learning the ins and out of raising urban hens.
Psychotherapist Eric WIndhorst joins me to discuss climate grief/climate anxiety, what it is, and what you can do if you are experiencing it.
Jenni Leforestier joins me to talk about the Ford government's plan to build a zombie highway that will pave over sensitive ecosystems for the benefit of a small number of developers.
I dig into the vaults for today's show, a rebroadcast of the Christmas Eve show in 2019, and my talk with Ralph Benmergui about sprituality and the environment.
Beth Pratt from the National Wildlife Federation joins me for a charming and delightful conversation about mountain lion P-22, Los Angeles' most famous cougar. ;)
Craig Cassar joined me in October to talk about his hopes and dreams for a more environmentally friendly city council, and Charlie Briggs joins me to talk about the Hamilton Naturalist Club and what's in store as they head into their second century of activity and advocacy.
Nancy Hurst from Stop Sprawl #HamOnt joins me to talk about Bill 23's attack on the environment, affordable housing, the greenbelt and wetlands, and what you can do about it.
https://greenbeltpromise.ca/
www.ssho.ca
SaveOurStreamsHamilton.org
Award winning documentary producer and director Victoria Lean joins me to talk about her latest film, debuting this Friday at 9:00 on CBC. It's about the difficult choice many young people are facing about whether to have a baby in a world of climate grief and uncertainty. Lean's documentary handles the issue in an inclusive and thoughtful way. Listen to our conversation here.
Paul Shaker from CivicPlan and Chris McLaughlin from Bay Area Restoration Council joined me to talk about their interactive map of Chedoke Creek, and we ran out of time for the radio show to cover what they really wanted to talk about, which was the impact that recent Ford Government decisions will have on the long term health of our waterways, our food supply, and our urban plan. This is the podcast with the bonus content that wouldn't fit on the radio show.
Winnipeg author Ariel Gordon joins me to talk about the fate of her beloved boulevard elm, and Lesia Mockrycke comes on to update us on her monument trees project.
Glenn, Susan, Ed and Don return to finish their story of the abandoned GM Plant on Ontario street, and and who knew how toxic the site was and when.
Also, Ian Borsuk from Environment Hamilton joins me to talk about how companies like GM are able to evade their responsibilities, and how we can prevent this sort of thing from happening in Hamilton.
In 2010, GM abandoned an industrial site in the heart of St Catharines. It was purchased soon after by Bayshore Group, a developer who soon abandoned it as well. What did they know? More importantly, what did the City and the Ministry of Environment know, and why did both of them keep telling residents that everything was fine? Meanwhile nearby residents are contracting rare forms of cancer, and highly toxic chemicals are leaching into 12 Mile Creek.
Nearby residents Susan and Glenn, along with Don and Ed from the Coalition for a Better St Catharines join me to talk about what happened, and what they learned. The First of two parts.
Harleen Sandhu and Sumedha Ray joined me to talk about their experience as summer students with the Bay Area Restoration Council, and the benefits of a summer spent outdoors, and what gives them hope.
While we all know we need to protect and save wild bees, for some the allure of having their own backyard honeybee hive is irresistible. Not so fast, says Luc Peters of Hamilton's Humble Bee urban apiary. There are lots of things to know beforehand, and Luc shares a few of them with us.
Laurie Nielsen joins me to talk about her route to producing less than 2kg of landfill garbage a year. Spoiler: it's not recycling, it's smart shopping.
And Laura Buckley from Wild Carrot Homesteading pops in to share her top tips on reducing food waste, and managing excess with a young family.
Sarah Harmer joined me in August of 2021 to talk about the seemingly never ending fight to save Mount Nemo in Burlington from becoming another gravel pit.
The Clinton Global Initiative is meeting for the first time in 7 years two weeks from now to discuss the greatest issues facing our planet, including climate change, and how we make a just transition to a low carbon economy.
Mayuri Ghosh, CGI's Director of Climate Resilience joined me to discuss the upcoming meetings.
David Suzuki and Tara Cullis join me while on the road to Toronto to discuss their play at Luminato, and the lessons learned about changing public opinion over a lifetime of activism.
Chris McLaughlin of the Bay Area Restoration Council joins me to talk about the successful capping of the coal tar deposits at Randle Reef, and we end up having a conversation about how you define success when it comes to the environment. We've been destroying our ecosystem in Southern Ontario for over 200 years. Why do we expect fixing that to be instant? A fascinating conversation you're sure to enjoy.
Craig Cassar and Nancy Hurst joined me in January to discuss Save our Streams and the fight to protect the Garner Wetland.
Environmental journalist JB McKinnon joins me to talk about his book, The Day the World Stops Shopping, and how it's solving consumption, more than just fossil fuels, that will lead us out of the crisis.
I'm joined by Chantal Theijn from Hobbitstee Wildlife Refugre to talk about what to do if you encounter a baby bird! And then Lesley Samson from Coyote Watch Canada has some myths to dispel about urban coyotes and foxes.
Carrie Regenstrief from Sudbury Shared Harvest joins me to talk about their food forest, and the steps it took to create it: Not only the planting considerations, but the political ones as well.
Chris Gilmour from Chris Outdoors joins me to talk about planning for extreme weather and disasters in an urban setting, in advance of his course in Guelph in June.
I'm also joined briefly by Hamilton's Peter Ormond who shares some of the Earth Day giveaways he's doing this month.
Lorraine Johnson and Dr Sheila Colla join me to talk about their new book, A Garden for the Rusty Patch Bumblebee. Everything you wanted to know about how to garden to attract native pollinators in southern Ontario.
Maude Barlow joins me to discuss her new book, Still Hopeful, Lessons from a Lifetime of Activism. After several decades on the front lines of social justice causes, in a world that at first glance seems increasingly awful, Barlow lays out the case for remaining hopeful about our future as a society and a planet, and she gives some concrete tips on how to do so.
Senator Hassan Yussuff joins me to talk about his work as the co-chair of the Just Transition Task Force for coal industry workers in Canada.
Graham Flint from the Reform Gravel Mining Coalition joins me to talk about the excessive number of gravel mining permits in Ontario, and what is driving the constant increase.