More heat, more rats, more problems

It’s gonna be a record-breaking few months of weather. A natural surge of warm ocean water is colliding with a planet hotter than at any point in human history – meaning more heat, more floods, more droughts. Some think this Super El Niño offers a window into what climate change will bring, and that it could help us prepare for the decades to come.Scientist Rosa Vásquez Espinoza takes us to Peru, where the phenomenon begins, and where officials have already declared a state of emergency due to heavy, unseasonal rains causing devastation for communities in the Andes and elsewhere. Then, we hear from Andrew Dessler, climate scientist at Texas A&M University, about how this Super El Niño is interacting with climate change and what this year’s weather could teach us about how to adapt to a warmer world.And we wrap with what this all means for Canada. Bill Merryfield from Environment and Climate Change Canada answers pressing questions about the season ahead – such as, “should I buy a ski pass?”Guests:Rosa Vásquez Espinoza, founder of Amazon Research InternacionalAndrew Dessler, Director, Texas Center for Extreme Weather at Texas A&M UniversityBill Merryfield, research scientist with Environment and Climate Change CanadaVideo: I’ve tracked El Niño for years. I’ve never seen this beforeBackground reading:'Super' El Niño didn't cause this year's fires and heat waves, but it's about to take us on a 'wild ride'This episode features a clip from Saturday Night Live, created by Lorne Michaels, performed by Chris Farley, 1997, SNL Studios.

She's a CBC science journalist, meteorologist and seismologist. Now she’s taking the helm as the host of your favourite climate change podcast. All summer long, Jo and the team have been cooking up new ideas and stories to help you make sense of our changing world, at a time when the climate is warming and everything else can feel like a hot mess. Have we piqued your interest yet? Good. Here’s a quick rundown of what you can expect from the new season.  

Stephen Nelson tried to keep his friend Mario safe in the 2021 heat dome. But tragically, his friend died – in an old building that wasn’t designed for our warming world. This galvanized Stephen to do more to keep his community safe during extreme heat. We visit Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside to meet the tenants, like Stephen, working together to keep each other cool in a changing climate. 

From the best of What On Earth: A warmer world is great for rats. (Not so much for us). That’s why cities are seeing a climate-linked rise in rodents. Can birth control reverse that? Producer Molly Segal finds out how Chicago, Manhattan and Vancouver are all trying to make things a little less rattier.

The search for survivors is underway after deadly flooding in Nepal and Tibet. But experts around the world are also unpacking what role climate change played in the disaster. We hear from two experts who know the region well, who say people have been warning that something like this was coming as glaciers warm at an alarming rate. And we find out why a better understanding of the impacts of warming on this region could protect lives.

From the best of What On Earth: Bats and wind turbines are both climate darlings. But after Cori Lausen saw a turbine reduce a bat to a "black banana peel," she set out to find another solution. That experience unlocked a years-long search to understand what was happening and how to fix it. The question looms: as we rush to add wind renewables to the grid, will both ever be able to co-exist on the same landscape? 

There was booing and calls of bullsh*t during a recent government town hall in Sturgeon County. It’s where tech giant Meta is building its largest data centre outside of the U.S. Locals have a variety of concerns; we’re zooming in on the promise that this facility will use less water. Can the plans for ‘closed-loop’ cooling help fix AI’s thirstiness? We break down what the tech can do, and what’s really happening at data centres already operating. 

From the best of What on Earth - Online communities are hunting for items that last. At #BI4L, members crowdsource reviews and recommendations to try to find the “best” version of, well, everything – from blenders to husbands (really). It’s all in an effort to save money, AND the climate. 

If you’ve breathed in smoke, or worse, had to flee your home this summer, you might be thinking more about our warming world. Grand Chief Stewart Phillip hopes this season of fire translates to climate action. As wildfire tears through his territory, the First Nations leader is calling on Mark Carney and Danielle Smith to pause a proposed pipeline. At the same time, pollster Shachi Kurl tells us about a surge in climate concern among Canadians this wildfire season. But will the data lead to political change?

It’s made of mycelium and hemp, it’s better for the earth and it’s now available in Canada. CBC’s Anand Ram introduces us to an American woman who laid her father to rest in one of these biodegradable coffins. And we hear how innovations in green burials are comforting options for those who want to honour their loved ones’ environmental values.