Break In Case of Emergency

In the wake of the successful inclusion of a Youth Climate Corps pilot in the 2025 federal budget, Juan Vargas Alba (co-lead of the Youth Climate Corps campaign) interviews community organizer Karina Villada about the myths and scapegoating around immigration, migrant workers and (youth) unemployment.
This episode functions as a resource for young organizers who want to understand issues of immigration and encourages the climate movement to stand in solidarity with the migrant rights movement.
This episode aired on Wednesday, December 17th, 2025.
Credits: Produced by Anjali Appadurai, Juan Vargas Alba and Doug Hamilton-Evans. Hosted by Juan Vargas Alba. Featuring Karina Villada. Music and audio editing by Anjali Appadurai. Artwork by Geoff Smith.

Our special series concludes with a marker that grounds all the others: centring Indigenous rights, title, and leadership. Erin Blondeau speaks with Janelle Lapointe, Serena Mendizabal, and Seth Klein about the transformative potential of Indigenous-led climate action. They discuss energy and food sovereignty, cultural revitalization, and the community-driven projects already charting a different future. They also examine how governments and industry continue to prioritize extraction over Indigenous-led solutions, and what a genuine emergency response rooted in Indigenous sovereignty would require. It’s a powerful closing conversation about justice, leadership, and the pathways we must follow to confront the crisis honestly.
Links & references:
‘Economic reconciliation’ is a false promise for Indigenous peoples - Janelle Lapointe
Canada’s new fast-track laws double down on false promise of ‘economic reconciliation’ - Janelle Lapointe
Sacred Earth website: www.sacredearth.solar 
Yellowhead Institute website: yellowheadinstitute.org 
Why Ksi Lisims LNG Must Be Stopped - Seth Klein (video)
The next big LNG proposal - Ksi Lisims - may be the sleeper climate issue of 2024 - Seth Klein
Indigenous Resistance Against Carbon - Report by Indigenous Environmental Network & Oil Change International on how Indigenous resistance disrupts billions of tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually
More on the 6 Markers of the Climate Emergency:
Watch our video: 6 Markers of Climate Emergency Action  
Listen to all 6 episodes of our special series & the 6-marker overview episode from March 2025.
Learn more about the 6 markers at www.davidsuzukiinstitute.ca/6-markers-of-climate-emergency
Credits:
Produced by Erin Blondeau and Doug Hamilton-Evans. Written and hosted by Erin Blondeau. Music by Anjali Appadurai. Audio editing by Blue Light Studios. Artwork by Geoff Smith.

Episode 1 of our 6-part special series begins with the first marker of the climate emergency: spending what it takes to win. Host Erin Blondeau is joined by Seth Klein and Caroline Brouillette to explore what real, transformative climate investment would look like, drawing parallels to Canada’s WWII mobilization. Together, they break down why today’s spending falls far short, and why committing at least 2% of GDP annually is both doable and necessary. They dig into ending fossil fuel subsidies, taxing windfall profits, and creative revenue tools like aviation pollution charges. It’s a clear-eyed conversation about ambition, urgency, and the choices that define whether we win this fight.
Links & references:
Spending What it Takes: Transformational climate investments for long-term prosperity in Canada - CAN-Rac
Why aren’t we talking about war taxes? - Seth Klein (video)
Why aren’t we talking about war taxes? - Seth Klein
There’s always money for the military. But climate? - Seth Klein (video)
There’s always money for the military. But climate? - Seth Klein
Canada’s Fossil Fuel Funding in 2024 - Environmental Defence 
More on the 6 Markers of the Climate Emergency:
Watch our video: 6 Markers of Climate Emergency Action  
Listen to all 6 episodes of our special series & the 6-marker overview episode from March 2025.
Learn more about the 6 markers at www.davidsuzukiinstitute.ca/6-markers-of-climate-emergency
Credits:
Produced by Erin Blondeau and Doug Hamilton-Evans. Written and hosted by Erin Blondeau. Music by Anjali Appadurai. Audio editing by Blue Light Studios. Artwork by Geoff Smith.

Episode 5 of this 6-part special series takes on the equity marker: leaving no one behind. Erin Blondeau speaks with economist Jim Stanford, campaigner Anjali Appadurai, and strategist Seth Klein about what just transitions must look like in practice. They explore the realities for fossil fuel workers, the importance of linking climate action to economic fairness, and Canada’s responsibilities globally. Their conversation highlights that climate action succeeds only when it’s grounded in solidarity: supporting workers, expanding public services, addressing inequality, and ensuring that communities most impacted by the crisis are centred in solutions. It’s a reminder that justice isn’t an add-on: it’s the strategy.
Links & references:
The Fair Shares campaign website: www.climatefairshare.ca
Support the Fair Shares platform 350.org/canada/fairshare 
Centre for Future Work website: centreforfuturework.ca 
The G7 and Canada’s climate fair share - Break in Case of Emergency 
Enormous Jobs Potential from Energy Transition Investments - Jim Stanford
Why tackling climate and inequality must go hand-in-hand - Seth Klein
Testimony to the House of Commons Finance Committee about the need for a Just Transition Transfer - Seth Klein
Why aren’t we talking about war taxes? - Seth Klein (video) 
More on the 6 Markers of the Climate Emergency:
Watch our video: 6 Markers of Climate Emergency Action  
Listen to all 6 episodes of our special series & the 6-marker overview episode from March 2025.
Learn more about the 6 markers at www.davidsuzukiinstitute.ca/6-markers-of-climate-emergency
Credits:
Produced by Erin Blondeau and Doug Hamilton-Evans. Written and hosted by Erin Blondeau. Music by Anjali Appadurai. Audio editing by Blue Light Studios. Artwork by Geoff Smith.

Episode 4 turns to one of the most foundational markers of emergency leadership: telling the truth. Host Erin Blondeau brings together Donya Ziaee, Chris Hatch, and Seth Klein to examine why honest, urgent communication is essential in a crisis, and why Canada isn’t getting it. They dig into the failures of mainstream media, the rise of independent outlets, and the influence of fossil fuel advertising. The conversation makes the case for clear, evidence-based reporting that includes context, solutions, and a sense of agency, not doom. Truth-telling, they argue, is what allows societies to mobilize, and what’s been missing for far too long.
Links & references:
Zero Carbon - Weekly climate newsletter by Chris Hatch
Dissecting the climate denial machine: culture wars and the climate countermovement - Break in Case of Emergency
Mapping right-wing activism, corporate lobbying and climate denialism - Break in Case of Emergency
Fossil Fuel Ads Make Us Sick - CAPE campaign 
Quiet Alarm: A Review of the CBC’s Climate Reporting - Report led by SFU's Community-Engaged Research Initiative (CERi) and CEU
CBC must strengthen its case on climate for our (and its own) survival - Seth Klein (video)
CBC must strengthen its case on climate for our (and its own) survival - Seth Klein (column)
Crisis, what crisis? We need a climate emergency information agency - Seth Klein
Is Suzuki right that it's 'too late'? We are in an era of simultaneous wins and losses - Seth Klein
The climate movement must shift gears or it's done - Seth Klein
What do Canadians really think about climate change?: A summary of public opinion research for communicators - Re.Climate
More on the 6 Markers of the Climate Emergency:
Watch our video: 6 Markers of Climate Emergency Action  
Listen to all 6 episodes of our special series & the 6-marker overview episode from March 2025.
Learn more about the 6 markers at www.davidsuzukiinstitute.ca/6-markers-of-climate-emergency
Credits:
Produced by Erin Blondeau and Doug Hamilton-Evans. Written and hosted by Erin Blondeau. Music by Anjali Appadurai. Audio editing by Blue Light Studios. Artwork by Geoff Smith.