Medically-Assisted Death with Megan Linton

Can euthanasia ever be just in an unjust society? On today’s episode we talked to disabilities justice expert Megan Linton about Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying program: how it works, its limitations, and where expansions may take it. Megan is the host of Invisible Institutions, a documentary podcast exploring the past and present of institutions for people labelled with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Canada.

Canada’s Suicide Prevention Sources
Donate to Michal Kaliszan’s GoFundMe for home care
Contact Sylvia Jones about Michal’s case
Megan recommends the book Bleed by Tracey Lindeman
Get involved with disability justice

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Web 3 With Paris Marx

When the internet started to take off, it was supposed to democratize information. Now everything’s owned by a handful of mega-corporations. Can Web 3 decentralize the internet? Do you have to learn what a Blockchain is? We talk to Paris Marx of the Tech Won’t Save Us podcast about Web 3.0, which some are saying will lead to a more secure, private, and decentralized internet. But others see it as a buzzword, and worry about the environmental and societal impacts of running social networks, game marketplaces, and currencies on the blockchain.

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Ethical Consumption

So, there’s no ethical consumption under capitalism. Does that mean there’s no value to movements like slow fashion, eating local, and fairtrade?

This is the first episode of our new spin on the power we have as individuals. We’ll explore big new ideas and ask: is this a real solution or a distraction?

To introduce our new format, we looked back on the question that animated the first 101 episodes of the podcast: is ethical consumption really possible? Should we try anyway?  

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Year End Quiz 2022

Kristen and Kyla are joined by Executive Director of the Harbinger Media Network Andre Goulet, academic and Ethical Parenting guest Sarah Mistak, and Invisible Institutions' Megan Linton on the annual year end panel quiz. Revisit events of the past year, and the winner receives a donation to their organization of choice.

Megan shouts out Sunshine House in Winnipeg

Andre shouts out The Rover

Sarah shouts out Kids Help Phone

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Water

Kyla and Kristen discuss the ins and outs of water. Topics: what is water, history of water, water footprint, where is all the water going, municipal water treatment, how to make water (with explosions), wetlands, water shortages and advisories, privitization, the bottled water industry, what can be done.

Book recommendation: 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act by Bob Joseph
Podcast recommendation: 2050 Degrees of Change
Leave us a voicemail!
Visit Harbinger Media Network

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Human Trafficking with Marissa Marx of Dressember

Kyla and Kristen are joined by Marissa Marx, the senior director of partnerships and programs with the Dressember foundation to discuss human trafficking. Marissa is responsible for spearheading the Dressember Network, developing Dressember’s programs, and collaborating with ethical brand partners. Prior to joining Dressember, Marissa received her Masters in Human Rights and International Relations with a research focus on gender-based violence in conflict zones. Previously, Marissa worked in academic research and communications & fundraising positions within the non-profit sector. Topics: what is Dressember; what is human trafficking; who is affected; how variable and nuanced every situation is; what happens to survivors after leaving; what supports are needed to combat this issue; misconceptions; what you can do.

We do our best to keep graphic descriptions out of this episode, but please take care of yourself if you are not in a place to be engaging on a subject of forced labour or sexual abuse.

If you or someone you know requires further assistance, please reach out to your local Human Trafficking Hotline. The number in Canada is 1-833-900-1010, or chat with them online.

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Ethical Parenting with Sarah Mistak

Kyla and Kristen are joined by Sarah Mistak to grapple with the challenges of raising a good person in a complicated world. Sarah has a Masters in Global Affairs, and is the mother of a 4 year old and a 2 year old. Topics: talking with kids about biases, privilege, truth and reconciliation, and other difficult subjects; mom culture; modern family limitations and boundaries; navigating a world where everyone wants to buy kids “stuff”; technology; millennial motherhood and guilt; food, clothing, and diaper waste; predatory marketing for new parents; how to trust your gut.

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The Costs of Climate Change

Kristen and Kyla are joined by Sarah Miller, a research associate specializing in climate adaptation with the Canadian Climate Institute to discuss the final report in the Costs of Climate Change series from the CCI, "Damage Control". This report dissects how Canada's economy will be affected by climate change, with a focus on people's well-being and proactive adaptation measures to help mitigate the climate effects we will continue to see over the coming decades.

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Community Building in Small Business with Shop Small Vancouver

In this episode, Kyla and Kristen are joined by Tesla (she/her) with Shop Small Vancouver, a directory and Instagram page that aim to help people engage more in their community by promoting small local businesses and events. Tesla discusses her journey to starting this directory and community page, why she feels like small businesses have discovery issues, and how regular folks can engage more in their own locales.

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The Nutmeg's Curse with Alexandra Sundarsingh

Kristen and Kyla are joined by food, migration, and labour historian Alexandra Sundarsingh in a reading of The Nutmeg’s Curse: Parables for a Planet in Crisis by Amitav Ghosh. From the publisher; “The Nutmeg’s Curse argues that the dynamics of climate change today are rooted in a centuries-old geopolitical order constructed by Western colonialism.” Lex, Kristen, and Kyla discuss more abstract ideas of ethics than usual, including the difference between vitalistic and mechanistic viewings of the world, how the history of colonialism and resource domination can be followed through to the race-based climate issues of today, and how important it is to understand our past in order to fully recognize our present and envision a better future. A great discussion on ethics even if you have not read the book (although it’s worth a read!)

Want more Lex? Listen to one of our very first episodes, all about sugar!

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Roasting Coffee with Manic Pixie Dream Coffee

Kristen and Kyla are joined by Manic Pixie Dream Coffee’s Kristen and Casey to discuss the ins and outs of coffee roasting. Topics: what is coffee roasting; how can coffee be ethically sourced; what is it like to run a small business; how can businesses better support the communities they source from; is it better to buy small or to buy Fair Trade.

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Reacts: 2040 and Planet of the Humans

Kristen and Kyla are joined by activist and friend of the pod Robert Miller to discuss two very different films: Planet of the Humans (we watched it so you wouldn't have to) and 2040 (Kyla's new favourite documentary)! You are encouraged to watch 2040, but Planet of the Humans isn't even worth hate-watching. Topics: climate denial tactics in action; what to do if you liked Planet of the Humans (it's OK to have a change of heart); all of the cool technologies explored in 2040; is it OK to love a film full of dad jokes? (yes).

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Climate Deniers Part Two

Kristen and Kyla discuss how to recognize prominent forms of climate denial, where climate denial started and where it is now, and what you can do to push back.

Check out this great episode from How to Save a Planet for a guide to deep canvassing.

And one more from this great pod on how to talk to your loved ones about climate change.

Leave us a voicemail

Visit Harbinger Media Network

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Environment and Children's Wellbeing with Terence Hamilton of UNICEF Canada

Kyla is joined by Terence Hamilton, domestic policy specialist focusing on child rights, health equality, and social justice with UNICEF Canada, or the United Nations Children’s Fund. UNICEF was established after world war 2 and works for child rights and well being. UNICEF helps children through natural disasters and humanitarian crises, and works to build global health and welfare systems that provide essential services, education, and safe environments for children and their families. Terence tells Kyla about the Innocenti Report Card 17, which focuses on the following questions: How do environmental factors affect children’s well-being? How are many of the world’s richest countries faring in terms of providing a healthy environment in which children can live, develop and thrive? What actions can these countries take to improve the environments in which children live? There’s a focus on Canada’s place in the report card, though Kyla urges everyone to read the general report as well.

Other links from this episode:
Join the Halloween Walk-a-thon
Canadian Youth taking Federal Government to court for climate justice
Check out the beautiful animations on UNICEF’s Places and Spaces page
C-210 has been proposed to lower the voting age from 18 to 16.

Terence’s call to action: Talk to the young people in your lives about these issues and really listen to what they have to say.

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Reacts: Doughnut Economics with Megan Linton

Kristen and Kyla are joined by Megan Linton, host of Invisible Institutions, to discuss the book “Doughnut Economics: 7 Ways To Think Like a 21st-Century Economist” by Kate Raworth. The book focuses on seven ways in which mainstream economics has failed humanity and paints a picture of a world where a just society lives within the means of our planet - and that picture looks like a doughnut!

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Road to Nowhere with Paris Marx

This week, Kyla and Kristen are joined by Paris Marx, the host of Tech Won't Save Us, a weekly podcast that critiques the worldview of Silicon Valley. Paris has been published by NBC News, CBC News, Toronto Star, Jacobin, Tribune, OneZero, Canadian Dimension, and more. Paris holds a Master's degree in Geography and will be talking to us about their new book, “Road to Nowhere: What Silicon Valley Gets Wrong about the Future of Transportation”. This book explores the history of transportation and the current problems with tech in transport, with a focus on Silicon Valley and their visions of the future.

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Reacts: Surveillance Capitalism (And How to Destroy It)

Kristen and Kyla are joined by activist Robert Miller to discuss Corey Doctorow’s book “How to Destroy Surveillance Capitalism”. For extra credit Kyla and Kristen also tried to read Shoshana Zuboff’s “The Age of Surveillance Capitalism”, as Doctorow wrote his piece in large part as a response to Zuboff’s. Topics: what is surveillance capitalism; what are the harms of surveillance capitalism; what would a world without surveillance capitalism look like.

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