logo
episode-header-image
Yesterday
25m 11s

These young Canadians are suing their co...

CBC
About this episode


This week, Jo goes inside the courtroom as an historic climate lawsuit gets underway in Vancouver. Fifteen young Canadians have hauled the federal government to court, arguing its response to climate change violates their constitutional rights. We find out what the case could actually mean for Canada’s climate plans. 


Guests: 

  • Leandrea Reeves, one of the 15 plaintiffs in the La Rose v. His Majesty the King lawsuit
  • David Wu, one of the lawyers for the plaintiffs
  • Julien Beaulieu, co-founder of the Canadian Climate Litigation Observatory and researcher at the Grantham Research Institute


Another What On Earth? episode you might like: 


Eco-thugs be warned! You could be charged with ecocide 


Background reading: 


Historic lawsuit challenging government over climate inaction begins trial hearings


Have you got something to say about this episode? Email us at earth@cbc.ca


This episode includes a clip of Patrick Stewart speaking on Empire Magazine’s YouTube channel, published on September 9, 2009.



Up next
Oct 24
There’s a bat housing crisis and the solutions are adorable
Sixty-five bats dropped dead inside a home custom-built to protect them. What went wrong? For bat moms looking for a place to raise their pups, it’s not the rent that’s through the roof, it’s the temperature. But bat people are busy building them safer homes: from tiny condos wit ... Show More
25m 11s
Oct 17
The seaweed invasion so big you can see it from space
Mountains of sargassum seaweed are choking Caribbean beaches. It’s so dangerous it’s shut down a school. Scientists point the finger at climate change, but solutions are on the horizon. We head to the tropics to learn about a WALL-E inspired robot vacuum and a seaweed-powered car ... Show More
25m 11s
Oct 10
Is Alberta separatism fueling Ottawa’s pipeline plans?
Alberta has the country on tenterhooks as the province votes on whether to consider splitting from Canada. At least one separatist leader says the threat to leave is serving as leverage for the oil industry. Others in the province say investment in renewable energy is already tak ... Show More
25m 10s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2025
Newbie | Getting Off the Metro
<p>Squeeze your way to the front of the line for this useful Mandarin podcast. Today, we&#39;re explaining how to negotiate your way through a crowded Chinese subway car. Whether you take the metro to work, or even if you&#39;re just a fan of public transportation, this Chinese l ... Show More
13m 35s
Jul 2023
Why More Travelers Are Taking the Bus
More Americans are bypassing the airport and instead taking a bus to get to their destination. WSJ’s Ethan M. Steinberg joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss the shift and how bus travel compares to taking a flight. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for in ... Show More
8m 10s
Sep 2023
Reasons Revisited: On the buses
All aboard! Last weekend, Greater Manchester made history as the first place outside London to bring its bus system into public control. Since 1986 - when buses were deregulated - fares have almost doubled, routes have been cut and fewer people are taking the bus. The Bee Network ... Show More
14m 30s
Mar 2023
City Limits: Should public transit be free?
Transit agencies nationwide are facing an existential crisis. Washington, DC’s city council has a paradoxical solution: make subways and buses free. This episode was produced by Amanda Lewellyn, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Paul Robert Mou ... Show More
26m 6s
Feb 2020
Missing the Bus
<p>If you heard that there was a piece of technology that could do away with traffic jams, make cities more equitable, and help us solve climate change, you might think about driverless cars, or hyperloops or any of the other new transportation technologies that get lots of hype ... Show More
35m 46s
May 2007
Get Me to the Train Station (On Time)
Are you planning or considering taking a trip by train? Do you want to avoid having to deal with parking and traffic? In today's podcast, we're going to get you to the train station - on time. All aboard for today's lesson, where we teach important vocabulary and expressions deal ... Show More
5m 35s
Aug 2024
All Aboard! More Travelers Choose Trains Over Cars and Planes
As the nation’s airports and highways become more congested, more Americans are choosing to travel by rail. Wall Street Journal reporter Jacob Passy joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss the pros and cons—as well as the cost—of train travel. Sign up for the WSJ's free Markets A.M. ne ... Show More
8m 59s
May 2023
Newbie | Giving up a Seat
<p>In a place where an empty seat on public transportation is about as uncommon as toilet paper in the bathroom, it&#39;s understandable why there is a certain &quot;scrimmage&quot; of sorts when the bus doors fling open to the weary throngs. In this podcast, a pleasant turn of e ... Show More
14m 8s