The Bridge with Peter Mansbridge - Your Turn -- One Thing You'd Do To Fight Climate Change

Episode Date: February 8, 2024

Your answers to this week's question -- what's one thing you or your family do to fight climate change? Once again, there are lots of answers from across the country. Some expected, some innovative, some surprising. Plus the Randon Ranter on what for some Canadians may be the country's biggest issue this year.

And hello there, Peter Mansbridge here. You are just moments away from the latest episode of The Bridge. In one answer, you're going to solve climate change. Okay, that may be a in Stratford, Ontario. Yep, this is your turn, and your turn on this day is your answers to this simple question. If there's one thing you've done or you're contemplated doing to help in the fight against climate change, what is that one thing? It could be you, it could be your family, it could be your neighborhood, you name it.

That was the question we rang out on Monday, and believe me, once again, lots of answers from right across the country and we're going to get to them in a minute. First of all, just a quick comment on something. You know, there used to be a time when we thought of auto theft, stolen cars, as something, you know, that happened. But we kind of left it to the local police force to deal with that. But suddenly, in the last few years, it has become not a local issue, not a provincial issue, but a national issue. And now you have politicians scrambling around

saying this is what we'd do to fight auto theft. To the point where there's a national summit on auto theft taking place today in Ottawa. You know, you've got the president of the Treasury Board, Anita Anand, quoted today in Today's Politico, which has some great background on the auto theft story today. The Treasury Board president saying, everyone, everyone has had their car stolen or knows somebody who has had their car stolen.

Well, I don't know whether that's true, but it is certainly a lot more obvious in terms of a discussion point for many Canadians, especially in big cities. I mean, look at the stats that Politico had today. In Toronto, more than 12,000 car thefts were reported last year. That's almost a 25% increase from the year before. And the trends started to take off in, well, right in the middle of the pandemic, 2021. Montreal, 11,000 vehicles stolen. That's up from 9,000 the year before.

So there's no doubt that auto theft has become an issue. Auto theft, carjackings. You remember just last year, there was one of the players on the Toronto Maple Leafs was out with his wife, or soon-to-be wife, and friends in their car, an SUV, and bang, they were, well, not bang, but they were carjacked.

And I think it was a shopping center of a mall or at a movie theater. So I guess technically everybody who's ever heard of Mitch Marner can say, well, I have not my car stolen, but I know somebody who did. Yes, they know Mitch Marner did. He eventually got his car back, I believe. Anyway, it'll be interesting to see what comes of that summit that's going on in Ottawa today.

And it's not just the government. The opposition to Pierre Poliev was popped up in a number of different places in the last week across the country talking about auto theft. Okay, we're talking today about climate change. And the answers that you've provided for the question, name one thing that you or your family are doing or have done or contemplate in doing to deal with climate change.

So let's get going with the answer. So today is Thursday. It's also Random Ranter Day, and the ranter has something very important to talk about today. That's coming up a little later in the show. So we'll start with James Profiti in Toronto. I'm a recent graduate from the mechanical engineering program at the University of Windsor, where I studied a specialization in automotive topics.

As the resident car expert in the family, I take some pride in having convinced close ones to make the switch to plug-in hybrids and hopefully soon to full battery EVs, electric vehicles. My future life's work, I hope, will be working to make an EV industry here in Canada a successful reality by working at one of the several upcoming plants in southwestern Ontario or Quebec. Ben Hendrickson in Yellowknife. The one thing my wife and I do is live without a car. We bike and we walk everywhere.

We do this in yellow knife where temperatures regularly hover below minus 20 in the winter and often drop below minus 30 with even lower temperatures of minus 40. Usually around minus 35 I have to get off the bike and walk. But then cars struggle at that temperature too. Especially if you've got an EV. If I can do it here, people can do it anywhere in Canada, at least for their shorter trips around their neighborhoods, doing day-to-day chores. As someone who's very frugal by nature,

it is a great money saver as I have no vehicle maintenance and also no need for a gym membership. Joanne McNevin in Charlottetown. I try to impact or mitigate the effects of climate change by cycling or walking to work as much as I can. I'm lucky to live within three kilometers of my work, so in nice weather, walking or cycling is easy. It's a little more challenging now with our recent dumping of snow, but still it's doable. Cameron Taylor in Ottawa. My wife and I sold our house in the country on a half acre and moved into the urban core into a smaller home. Because of this, we have been able to go from two cars to one car. We can walk, bicycle, or bus to

work, gym, grocery shopping, health appointments, and other regular errands. Malcolm Campbell in Windsor. Our family contribution to fighting global warming was our purchase of a Toyota hybrid RAV4. It uses as little as 5.6 liters of gas per 100 kilometers. It took my now retired internal combustion engine vehicle 10 liters to go 100 kilometers. Deb Greening in Lakeland District of Saskatchewan. That's central Saskatchewan, I think. We try to travel less. We drive a minivan and drive an average of 300 highway kilometers a week. By reducing our speed from the 110 kilometer per hour,

which is the speed limit, to just under 100 kilometers an hour, our onboard computer tells us we consume two liters less fuel for every 100 kilometers driven. That's approximately 717 kgs less in annual emissions. Okay. Daryl Gish, just down the road, Moose Jaw. One of the most prominent actions to lessen my footprint on earth is to travel in my vehicle at 90 kilometers an hour

and even slower if the traffic is light, not the speed limit plus 10 as most do. I see more along the way and there's lots to see on the flatlands. That's true. Ideally, I would not need a vehicle at all, but that's not possible in Saskatchewan. Love those highways in Saskatchewan. I don't know whether this still happens, but when I lived there in the 70s on the single lane highways, you know, you come up behind somebody who's going slower than you are and they kind of pull over, right, onto the well-paved shoulders. They let you by.

You know? It's very courteous. Rachel Evans, writing from Puerto Escondido, Mexico, but she lives in Alliston, Ontario. I have many habits that I'm sure contribute to climate change. But the one lifestyle habit I prioritized over 41 years of work and 13 jobs across two provinces, was to always live within walking distance of my place of employment.

Subsequently, the idea of driving to work remained quite foreign to my children. Neither is reliant on a vehicle and both opt for public transit, cycling, or walking to work. I live in a town where many families have as many cars as there are family members, and I recognize that being able to walk to work is a luxury, but it is one that I prioritized. Michael Patch in Victoria. The biggest impact individuals can have on climate change is to make some simple changes to daily routines. If enough people are doing little things and making smarter choices, it will all add up. In my own case, I try not to drive at all one day a week. On the other days, I plan my routes to accommodate my errands in the most efficient way possible.

All it's taken is a bit of thoughtful planning, and as a bonus, it saves gas. Food was a big topic too in the letters that you wrote, starting with Luke Jenkins in Victoria. The one thing I do to help combat climate change is not eating beef or pork. The burps from the number of farm animals we have on the planet make up a surprisingly large portion of greenhouse gas emissions, particularly methane. I've seen numbers between 10% to as high as 30% of global emissions are due to animal agriculture. I know some of you are laughing at this, but it's true. It is true. You can say you did some quick research and found this from the University of California,

in Davis, California. That's what you could say, and you should say that because cattle are the number one agricultural source of greenhouse gases worldwide, according to that study. Each year, a single cow will belch about 220 pounds of methane. Scientists at the university are looking for ways to make cows more sustainable and less gassy. One way to do that is to make their high-fiber diet easier to digest, so scientists often turn to feed supplements for this purpose. It sounds simple, but finding an affordable and nutritious additive has proved difficult. I bet you didn't know that. I didn't know that.

The average cow can belch about 220 pounds of methane a year? Okay. Now, it's not just cattle that have gas. As Gus Livingston, our resident comedian here at the bridge, as Gus writes from Dunville, Ontario, in the fight against climate change, I'm happy to say that I've halved my intake of

baked beans from 12 cans per week to only 6. Aaron Lazar in Toronto, the most significant modification in my lifestyle for climate change was moving to a vegan lifestyle, or vegan. Twelve years ago, I changed to a vegan diet, as did my wife and our two daughters. On average, vegan diets result in 75% less climate heating emissions,

water pollution, and land use than diets in which more than 100 grams of meat a day are eaten. Vegan diets also cut the destruction of wildlife by 66% and water use by 54%. A plant-based diet has provided the personal added benefit of overall good health, better sleep, and our daughters see all life as being of value without distinction. We do not judge others for their choices. We simply follow what fits our lifestyle, which begins with empathy. Donna Lockhart in Ennismore, Ontario. That's just north of Peterborough, I think.

Our family decided to reduce our meat intake. We started out by changing one meal per week to something plant-based. Chili, lentils, beans, or pasta, or vegetable stir-fry, or omelet. Each week we added one more plant-based dish to our meals. We're now mostly plant-based and have meat once a week, usually chicken or fish. Not only do we feel healthier, but I lost 50 pounds and have kept it off for five years. Changing what we eat helps decrease carbon emissions, improve health, and also is way cheaper than buying meat. Carmen Bowles in Quebec City. In my house, we have always tried hard to minimize the waste we produce.

This year, we're focusing on food. We plan our meals much more carefully, only buy what we need, and eat much less meat. Whatever doesn't get eaten goes into the compost. We are not poor. We're eco-friendly. Gordon Shepard writes from Collingwood. That's in Ontario, Georgian Bay. Our one thing is how we shop for the food we eat. We try to purchase groceries that are produced as close to home as possible. There are local dairies everywhere producing great milk, cheese, and other dairy products. There are local bakeries. We pick up fresh fruit locally when in season and freeze it. No California strawberries in our house. And of course, we have great wine, beer, and spirit producers right here in Ontario. Shipping food thousands and thousands of kilometers has a huge

negative impact on our climate. Don Dufour in Ottawa. When grocery shopping, I focus on buying products with minimal packaging, if any at all. Also, for six months over the summer and fall, we participate in a community-supported agriculture program where our fruits and veggies come from a local farm, cutting down on the purchase of imported goods. Leo Bourdon in Ottawa. I grow a garden two seasons out of the year, and I can grow most vegetables and herbs that I would put in a salad right here in my backyard. It costs pocket change to start it from seeds or small plants, doesn't use a whole lot of my time, and

the space needed is negligible. My backyard is smaller than most, yet I have the space to work the land. A few years ago when I lived in an apartment, I grew a garden on my balcony. Marilyn Wallace, from the great sounding community of Fanny Bay in British Columbia. That's on the east coast of Vancouver Island. Every fall, I haul out my ancient canning tools, buy or pick Canadian fruit and get to work. Most of my jars were also used by my mother or my grandmother and over 40 years I have filled them about 2,000 times. Last year I was joined by my son who processed apples he found on wild abandoned trees for his family. Food waste is reduced and except for the tiny l, there's no need for aluminum, fancy packaging, long-distance transport, or complicated recycling.

The jars simply go into the dishwasher. My small gift for the planet. Now, we had a lot of letters this week, and almost all of them came from people doing what they can about climate change. But we did get some outliers, too. Very, very few. But here's a sample. John Minigan writes from Windsor, Ontario. How can you possibly talk about climate change when deep down inside you know there's nothing we can do about it?

Okay, that's your opinion, John. He goes on, our world is simply changing, and it's the natural way of things. The glaciers didn't melt. Global temperature is not out of control. I've actually seen glaciers melting, John, and half a mile away from a glacier, it was melting so hard and so fast

that you could hear the water coming off it. Anyway, global temperatures, or the global temperature is not out of control, and I'm sick and tired of hearing crackpots talk about this. I guess I'm a crackpot, too. It makes my blood boil hearing this nonsense garbage. All right, John, that is your opinion. And so you've had your turn.

Louis Amiot in Montreal. If you take the time to inform yourself on climate history, you'll understand the inertia of climate is strong and the usual causes of dramatic changes in climate are volcanic eruptions, ocean currents changing earth orbit, earth oscillation, changes in the sun. CO2 has an effect on climate, but nothing that could cause a major disaster. Educate yourself. You may come to realize that we all need to do is work together, stop wasting, and consume better. We can't fix this by fighting, taxing, and banning plastic straws.

There's kind of a direct response from Spencer Stinson in Blenheim, Ontario. That's in southwestern Ontario. The single thing I try to do is educate. This doesn't mean demonizing people who are ignorant of the effects of climate change, but encouraging them to learn about how, at a local level, they can have a real impact by changing some simple things they do in their everyday life. In such a vast and diverse country, not everyone's situation is the same. So different solutions work better in different locations. You're here to that, Spencer. Good for you.

And you know what? I've got a lot more answers here. But let's take a quick break because we're kind of at the halfway mark in your answers. Let's take a quick break and then we'll be back with much more right here on Your Turn, the Thursday episode of The Bridge, back after this. And welcome back. You're listening to the Thursday episode of The Bridge. Question of the week this week. Name one thing that you are doing or your family is doing to have an impact on climate change. And we've had lots of good answers already today.

And we've had some differing of opinion. But the overwhelming response to this episode, overwhelming response to this episode, has been from people who have chosen to do something because they believe that the fight against climate change is important. You're listening on Sirius XM, Channel 167 Canada Talks, or on your favorite podcast platform. We're glad that you've chosen to join us, no matter what platform you are on. Okay, carrying on with our letters, Christine Ramos writes from Toronto,

My teen daughter, who happens to be the president of the Martin Grove Environment Club, inspired this one. Her club suggests small changes in your everyday life that can impact the environment in a positive way. I've implemented several of those changes at home. Since the rule for your podcast is only one thing, some of you did not remember this, by the way. One letter came in yesterday.

It must have had about 20 things in it that that particular family was doing. Anyway, as Christine says, one thing, here it is. Quite simply, we stopped using paper napkins. Cloth napkins create less waste, leaving a lighter footprint on the earth. I could have just bought some cloth napkins, but instead, because I sew,

I bought some fabric and inexpensively made a week's worth of napkins for our family of four. When I do the weekly laundry, I quickly wash and fold, and we're ready to go for the following week. It's been an economical choice as well. We're saving at least $100 a year if you calculate the cheapest brand of paper napkins. Terry Walsh writes from Grand Bank, Newfoundland, Labrador. Terry's a pharmacist. Pharmacists are helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

by helping patients coordinate refills of their medications and by synchronizing when refills are due. We also coordinate multiple vaccinations into a single appointment, helping to reduce the number of trips patients have to make to the pharmacy, thereby reducing emissions from transit to and from the pharmacy. Ted Stensrud in Saskatoon. 24 solar panels on my house, a plug-in hydroelectric vehicle which allows me to pump not a drop of gas between Easter and Halloween. I made these purchases while staying on budget. The solar panels are in fact an investment in my house like a new roof. In more subtle ways, which you reference in your call-out for letters,

I believe I live a more mindful life when it comes to making consumer choices about what I eat, more local, how I travel, bus, bike, and foot, and other frequent purchases. I view it as my own carbon tax. Derek Dillabo from Ottawa. My main responsibility for affecting climate change is to vote. The governing bodies, federally, provincially, and municipally, have the power to create meaningful policies that can set guidelines,

create laws, spend money, and offer advice on all sorts of programs. I urge anyone to study the policies being offered, hear the debates, read and listen to the experts who have studied and worked in the fields, and decide your vote based on the science and consensus available that the party politician is offering. Please do not vote for the slogans or marketing ploys that you can see on social media

because that's an insult to your intelligence and debases the subject matter. Anastasia Sparling in El Canjon Arriba, Costa Rica. I try to be creative and reuse and repurpose as much as possible. Rarely do I buy anything new. Lorne Meschiznik in Drake, Saskatchewan. That's just, well, that's about 125 clicks east of Saskatoon. And I got to tell you, this one hurts me to read. I've basically quit golfing because golf is a very carbon intensive sport. The water, herbicides, fungicides, pesticides, and fertilizers

used to keep courses maintained is obscene. Also, the burning of fossil fuels to travel to golf courses is an issue. I do go for the odd round on our local course. It has sand greens and no irrigation. I'd never heard of sand greens, but maybe you have. I have. I do. I lived in Saskatchewan. And when I lived there in the mid-70s, there was even a golf course, a little one,

in Regina that had sand greens. You know, a throwback to the drought days. But sand greens. And, you know, you could draw a line in the sand, just follow, let that butt roll down the sand. But yes, that's sand greens. They're not green, of course, but they're brown. Caleb Gibbons in Albert Bridge, Nova Scotia.

It's Cape Breton. Population 159. 120 plus centimeters of snow over four days in the last week or so. Still homebound. As I both consult and teach topics related to sustainable finance, I thought I should lead by example by installing a rooftop solar array on my residence on the Mira River. Or is it the Myra River? I don't know. I'm sorry.

4,000 homes have residential solar in Nova Scotia. I also have converted to heat pumps. Pays for itself in less than five years. Bill and Barbara Howe in Whitby, Ontario. We've always lived in the city with an urban lifestyle and carbon footprint. In 2008, we moved to a country property that was an early concept of what a greenhouse should look like. It was built in the 1970s. We were a young family with a seven-year-old and a five-year-old. In 2012, we decided to take advantage of the south-facing property and installed a couple of different types of solar panels. We installed two domestic hot water solar panels and 32 photovoltaic solar panels to produce 10 kilowatts of electrical energy. Over the last 12 years,

the results have exceeded our expectations. We've reduced our hot water energy use by 50 percent, and we've been able to produce over 200,000 kilowatts of electricity and offset over 3 million pounds of carbon dioxide production. It only seemed right to us, not only to enjoy the benefits of country living, but to contribute to making our neighborhood a cleaner place to live. John Moreland in Port Wade, Nova Scotia, and that's in the Annapolis Valley. The thing that my partner and I have been doing for 39 years is something that isn't mentioned much, but it saved the Alberta grid from going down in January. Conservation. True, in their case it was enforced, but we had a look at the items in the Alberta Mandatory Alert and they were things that we've always done.

Conservation was always on our minds with any of our life decisions such as as a smaller car, composting, buying good quality, long-lasting products, downsizing our home, solar heat, paddling kayaks, no powerboat, fixing broken stuff. Kim Guerin in British Columbia. I've transitioned away from fast fashion, disposable clothing. The fast fashion industry generates heaps of waste in landfills and releases substantial CO2 emissions. My guiding principle now is purchase fewer items but of superior quality. I keep an eye out for discounts and prefer shopping at consignment or thrift stores.

Once I no longer cherish a garment, I either resell it to recoup some of the expense, or I donate it. Annie Trepannier in Montreal. I completely stopped buying anything containing palm oil. Current palm oil production methods often cause the destruction of carbon-rich tropical forests and peatlands.

It is a major contributor to global warming. It sure takes more time to do the grocery shopping because of the time needed to read the ingredients on every new product I buy. And it's in about half the products on the shelves. That's palm oil. But it's the right half the products on the shelves. That's palm oil. But it's the right thing to do for biodiversity and for the climate. So it is worth it.

And if you check this out, you'll find that Annie's right about palm oil. Yvonne Clifford in Cambridge, Ontario. As a chemistry teacher, I was told many years ago by a great educator to teach about climate change every opportunity I could. So I did just that by adding it to many parts of the chemistry curriculum. I think that we can all agree that when viewing NASA graphs on carbon dioxide increases and the effects on the world, it is not the most uplifting of topics. As such, over the years, many of my students have asked me, Mrs. Clifford, how do you sleep at night? I always

replied, because I teach future scientists like you who are going to be able to solve a lot of the problems we have in the world. Although I don't know the successes of all my students, I do know that many have gone on to do great things for the planet. Now that I'm retired from teaching high school chemistry, I've been given the great privilege to teach future chemistry teachers in the Bachelor of Education program at Brock University. And guess what I encourage those teachers to do in their classrooms? I bet you do.

Edward Hyde in Pembroke, Ontario. I inherited a 100-acre farm property in Ontario that has been fallow for many years. To make the land useful and create carbon capture, I had more than 6,000 trees planted. Other parts of the farm are regenerating forest naturally. As the forest grows, it will be an increasing contributor to carbon capture and will return the land back to a condition that will benefit wildlife and the environment. Travis Moore writes from Ottawa.

I recently stumbled upon a fascinating statistic. It seems that music sensation Taylor Swift has produced 138 tons of carbon dioxide with her private jet in the last three months by traveling to watch her boyfriend play football for the Kansas City Chiefs. Go Chiefs! So in an act of environmental heroism, I've sworn off her music. Why contribute to her carbon footprint when I can send a clear message by not streaming her tunes and contributing to her income. I also take every opportunity to remind my swifty friends of my noble sacrifice. The icy glares they give me in response also serve to combat global warming. Okay, Travis, I assume you do know that Taylor Swift, according to her people, and you know it's been a worldwide tour, isn't she somewhere in Singapore or Tokyo or somewhere right now?

She's been all over the place by jets, and she's going back and forth to watch Travis Kelsey's football games. See how in touch I am with all this stuff? Do you only just sing a few of her songs? I was drunk in the back of the car. I don't know. Sorry. I digress.

But I'm assuming, Travis, that you know that before the tour even started, she paid double the amount of carbon credits that are required for the tour before it kicked off, which her people will say justifies her personal emissions. That would have cost millions and millions of dollars. She's made billions, so it hasn't hurt that much, I don't imagine. But nevertheless, I'll make the criticism,

but you should put in the context too. Gary Gould in Brantford, Ontario writes, One action I've taken to reduce my carbon footprint and mitigate climate change is to take casual walks in heavily treed areas. An average human exhales 2.3 pounds of CO2 per day. Being relatively sedentary, I probably exhale even lower amounts than average. Why take walks in heavily forested areas?

A single mature tree absorbs 48 pounds of CO2 per year. So after a simple 20 walks in a year, I become carbon neutral. So hug your nearest tree for taking CO2 and giving us the very air we breathe. Lawrence and Pat Braul right from Calgary. Our innovation, solar-powered clothes dryer. Yes, we hang our wash outside in the sun. The sweet smell of clean laundry is enhanced by fresh air. They sent pictures to prove it too, right?

You know, I'm old enough to remember a time when I was growing up in Ottawa. And I would have been like seven or eight years old, I guess, when these memories started to stick. For some reason, Monday was kind of the accepted day to do your laundry, and this is before clothes dryers, or certainly before the mass use of clothes dryers. And so every Monday you'd walk to school, you'd walk home, and backyards would have clotheslines filled with laundry,

drying in the sun. Summer, spring, fall, winter, you name it. Mondays were for laundry. And you know, you're right, Lawrence and Pat, there is a certain smell to that laundry hanging on the line. And you smell it as a kid. And there's nothing like putting on clothes that are being dried outside versus dried in a tumbler.

So, good on you. Art Bell writes from Burlington, Vermont. Art's still connected to Canada because he grew up in Brantford and so he's always interested in Canadian stuff. He's been a long-time listener to the bridge. When our city mandated composting two years ago, I was a bit shocked how much I could compost every week and could therefore keep out of landfill. And the compost is used as an energy source. Andrew Seto in Caledon, Ontario. Every chance I get, I encourage my young children

to enjoy the outdoor world, especially wild spaces. The more they grow up having positive experiences in nature, the more they will care for these spaces in the future. This summer, I hope to get my four-year-old twins on their first canoe trip in Algonquin Park. Wow, there's an image for you. Okay, here's the last letter this week in the competition to determine which letter.

It's not the best letter. It's sort of the letter that kind of impressed me most. Anyway, here's the last letter of all those that have come in this week that got picked to go on the show today. Anne Eaton in Cambridge, Ontario writes, the most impactful thing that I'm able to do for climate change is to instill a love of the outdoors, nature, and our planet in my young son. With camping adventures, lots of outdoor play, and trips in our beautiful country, my hope is that I foster a deep love of our natural world in him, and that because of that love,

he chooses to protect nature ferociously. Great letters once again. I'm going to have to think about this decision of which one's going to get a signed copy of one of my books. And the best time to think about this is while I'm also listening to, you guessed it, The Random Ranter. Now, remember The Ranter. I mention this every once in a while,

especially for new listeners. The Random Ranter lives somewhere on the prairies. We used to say somewhere in western Canada, but it's pretty clear he lives on the prairies. So to me, the prairies, they kind of start in the very extreme edges of northwestern Ontario. They go across Manitoba. They go across Saskatchewan. to start in the very extreme edges of Northwestern Ontario. They go across Manitoba.

They go across Saskatchewan. And they go across to the foothills of the Rockies in Alberta. So he lives somewhere there. All right? We've never identified the random ranter. He's anonymous. He gets the protection of anonymity on this program. He's the only one who does.

And I've kind of given it to him to add to the mystique of the random ranter. But as I've said often, he's just a guy, just an ordinary guy. Has an ordinary job. Works really hard. Works a long week. But he thinks about stuff all the time, and he has his rants.

He doesn't work for any political party. He's not a member of any political party. He's just a guy. And this week, he's going to rant on. So let's see what, in fact, the random ranter has picked for this week. You know, Valentine's Day is just around the corner, so I want to send out some love to a group of people who don't get enough of it.

Prairie farmers. I think we largely take them for granted. So for just a moment, I want you to stop and think about what their lives must be like. I mean, I don't know about you, but every now and then I like to fool myself into thinking that I'm in control of my own outcomes. But farmers, they don't get that luxury ever. Farming is not a job. I wouldn't even call it a career. It's an all-in lifestyle of hard work and risk. There's no sleeping in. There's no calling in sick. If you don't do it, it won't get done. And unlike most things in life, all that hard work and sacrifice, all the careful planning, it comes with no guarantees because all the blood, sweat, and tears in the world won't control the markets or global events or transportation issues.

And on top of that, even if everything falls perfectly into place, mother nature can swoop in and take it all away in the blink of an eye. But none of that stops farmers. They keep going back for more because it's the life they know. And I'm guessing it's the life they love, which has me a bit worried, frankly, because this year the outlook cannot be good. Look, I'm no farmer, but I've been out looking for myself. And you know what I'm seeing? A lot of bare fields. And it's not just in my neck of the woods either. It's everywhere out west. And with the worst of winter already behind us, there's no snowpack on the prairies.

Now, don't get me wrong. I really don't mind seeing my lawn at the beginning of February. But I'm not a farmer. I don't need to grow a crop or feed a herd of cattle. As a city slicker, I'd like to think I'm pretty immune to drought. But I may just be fooling myself. Because this drought is starting to take its toll on more than just farmers. Water shortages are hitting communities across the prairies. And it's going to affect everything from watering your lawn to the oil and gas industry. And while the prairies, and it's going to affect everything from watering your lawn to the oil

and gas industry. And while the prairies are getting the worst of it, we're not the only ones. If you look at a map of the current drought conditions, you'll see they stretch from Labrador to Vancouver Island. So this is a story that is going to affect everyone in a number of ways. I mean, it's so bad right now. Hydroelectric superpowers, BC and Manitoba, are having to fire up their natural gas generating plants because river levels are so low. If you look forward to a good steak once in a while, you'll be paying a lot more for it because the forecast for Alberta beef, it's bleak. And when this rolls over into fire season, we're all going to be feeling the pain of this drought in our lungs. It's not going to be pretty,

but then who knows? There's plenty of winter left to go. Maybe mother nature will come through with an epic snowstorm or two. I kind of doubt it, but I'm sure there's a whole lot of farmers betting on it. There you go. The Random Ranter with some wise knowledge and advice. You know, for the majority of the people in this country who live in cities, look out there. Look into rural Canada. Look at what they're facing unless things change. So

when the ranter mentioned this to me the other day, I said go for it. Just go for it. And the next time if you're a city slicker that you happen to be driving in the country think about it. Look out at those fields that you're passing by.

I pass by a lot of them, back and forth between Toronto and Stratford. And, you know, there's concern that we should all have. And the next time you see a farmer looking up at the sky, you'll know what he's thinking or she's thinking. Okay. That's going to wrap things up for this week's version of Your Turn and the Random Ranter. It's been a treat. It's been a treat and an honor to read your letters. And I know I butcher some of the words and don't get all the names right. But I love the fact that you sit down and think about the question of the week. And you've given so many answers.

And each week it's a treat. I know there's some familiar names in here, people who tend to write every week or almost every week, but there are lots of new people that I haven't heard from before in three or four years of this podcast. It's a treat for me to read what's on your mind. We don't always agree. You know that. But we try to give a variety of regions.

We like to be diverse geographically and otherwise in the selection we pick. I'd say about, I'm guessing here, probably somewhere around 30, 40% of the letters that come in end up on the air. They're all red though. So I want you to know that. But it's a space and time requirement, obviously. Well, I guess I got to tell you who the winner is, right? I do. Here's your winner. And, you know, there were at least a half a dozen that we kind of sectioned off here to think, this is a possible winner. I just want to read them one more time.

And so here's the one that I've chosen for this week. It comes from Pembroke, Ontario. It comes from Edward Hyde, who said, I inherited a 100-acre farm property in Ontario that has been fallow for many years. To make the land useful and create carbon capture, I had more than 6,000 trees planted. Other parts of the farm are regenerating forests naturally. Love this. I love this.

Most of us will never get the opportunity to donate a 100 acre farm. Well, it's not donate really, but it's donating to the cause. Right? By planting trees and contributing to carbon capture. So there you go, Edward. Send me a new email with your postal address, and I will get you out a copy of one of my books.

Not sure which one, but each week I pick something out of the four that I've written so far, including a couple of them with my good friend Mark Bulgich. So send me your postal address, and I'll get that off in the mail to you in the next few days. All right, that's it for this week. I can't believe I almost forgot to do that. But that is it for this week.

Tomorrow, it's Good Talk with Chantelle Hebert and Bruce Anderson. As we say, there's always lots to talk about on Good Talk, and there will be lots to talk about tomorrow. You can be sure of that. Okay, well, until then, I'm Peter Mansbridge in Stratford, Ontario, this week. Thanks so much for listening, and we'll talk to you again in 24 hours.