Pullback

Pullback is between seasons, but while you wait we recommend one of our sister shows from the Harbinger Media Network; Cited reveals the hidden stories behind the experts that shape our world, and this season they discuss radical environmental thinkers and their dreams for our green future. This is the first episode of their new series, "Green Dreams". Like this? Find more from Cited on their website or your favourite podcast platform! Pullback is a proud member of the Harbinger Media Network

Pullback is breaking for the summer, but we have a bonus episode for our lovely listeners! Kristen is joined by Gregor Wolbring to discuss ways the climate movement could become more inclusive. Gregor is a professor at the University of Calgary's Cumming School of Medicine and part of his impressive academic background includes sustainability, disability, and ability studies. Learn more about the Bristol climate and disability action plan Gregor recommends following A Change in the Climate, a creative contribution to the University of Exeter’s Sensing Climate project researching climate change and disability, led by Dr Sarah Bell and funded via a Philip Leverhulme Prize in Geography. Dr. Sara Bell, mentioned in the episode, is working on the project Sensing Climate, which is placing disabled people at the forefront of the climate crisis. We also encourage listeners to check out The Canadian Disability and Climate Change Network and Strategy Project.

Pullback is breaking for the summer, but we have a bonus episode for our lovely listeners! Kristen is joined by Christina Joy McRorie to discuss her experiences as a youth involved in climate action. Christina is from Treaty 6 territory in Saskatoon, and at the time of this interview she was acting as co-chair on Canada's Environment and Climate Change Youth Council. Pullback is a proud member of the Harbinger Media Network Enjoy our work? Support us on Patreon!

As climate impacts intensify and governments continue to delay action, more people are turning to protest, disruption, and civil disobedience to demand change. But when laws uphold injustice, is breaking them not only justified — but necessary? Today’s guest is Dr. Kimberley Brownlee, Canada Research Chair in Ethics and Political and Social Philosophy at the University of British Columbia. She is also the author of several books, including Conscience and Conviction: The Case for Civil Disobedience. Kimberley explains what civil disobedience is and presents her argument for why it is a moral right and, sometimes, a duty. We also discuss debates on civil disobedience and climate change prompted by the book How to Blow Up a Pipeline and reflect on the current political climate. Pullback is a proud member of the Harbinger Media Network Enjoy our work? Support us on Patreon!

Our global economic system is premised on the idea that gross domestic product needs to constantly grow. But on a finite planet, is green growth possible? And is prosperity possible in a world without growth? Today’s guest is Dr. Tim Jackson, Professor of Sustainable Development at the University of Surrey and Director of the Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity. Tim is a leading researcher on de-growth, and is the author of several books on the subject including Prosperity without Growth, Post Growth - Life After Capitalism, and his latest The Care Economy. Tim explains the problems with our need for constant growth–how it is not only incompatible with a sustainable future but is also bad for our well-being. He also shares what a post growth society premised on a care economy could look like. Pullback is a proud member of the Harbinger Media Network Enjoy our work? Support us on Patreon!

Is tax justice also climate justice? What role does the tax system have in our fight against climate change? We spoke with Franziska Mager, Senior Researcher and Advocacy Lead for Climate and Inequalities at the Tax Justice Network; she leads the Tax Justice Network's work on integrating tax and climate justice approaches in service of reducing inequalities. Franziska explains why taxes are important for climate justice and reprogramming economies off of their dependence on fossil fuels. She also discusses some of the concrete tax measures countries could introduce to solve the climate financing gap while also promoting social and economic justice and correcting climate injustices within and between countries. Pullback is a proud member of the Harbinger Media Network Enjoy our work? Support us on Patreon!

The energy inefficiency in our homes is one of the biggest barriers to meeting our climate targets. Heating and electricity make up a huge portion of our greenhouse gas emissions, and those emissions are rising. At the same time, millions of people live in housing that’s drafty, expensive to heat, unhealthy, or even unsafe. Could retrofitting homes at scale be a climate solution that also improves health, lowers energy costs, and promotes housing justice? We spoke with Abhi Kantamneni, the Director of Action Research with Efficiency Canada, an organization that studies the technology, governance, and business systems influencing Canada’s energy future. Abhi has a decade of experience helping communities across US and Canada use clean and efficient energy to achieve local priorities including improving housing, increasing ‘good jobs’ and reducing poverty. In this conversation, Abhi highlights how much energy is wasted in our homes — often without us realizing. From drafty windows to aging heating systems, many people only make upgrades when something breaks, often in moments of crisis. Abhi makes the case for a coordinated, government-led retrofit strategy that supports renters and homeowners alike — not just to reduce emissions, but to lower energy bills, improve health, and address poverty through climate action. Pullback is a proud member of the Harbinger Media Network Enjoy our work? Support us on Patreon!

Public transit in Canada is facing a crisis. Between chronic underfunding, dwindling ridership, and outdated infrastructure, it's becoming increasingly difficult for urban residents to rely on transit, while rural areas often have no options at all. Could making public transit free be a climate solution that also addresses social inequities? Guests Rubens and Christian are organizers with Climate Justice Montreal, a group pursuing environmental and climate justice through education, mobilization and collective action in solidarity with directly affected communities. Rubens and Christian make the case for why public transit shouldn’t just be affordable - it should be free for all. Free transit reduces carbon emissions, eases traffic congestion, and improves noise and air pollution. It removes financial barriers, helping low-income riders, students, and seniors get where they need to go. This episode explores how a fare-free system isn’t just a dream – it’s a practical step towards more just, sustainable cities. Pullback is a proud member of the Harbinger Media Network Enjoy our work? Support us on Patreon!

Our social safety nets were designed to protect people from “social risks” like illness and unemployment, and to alleviate poverty. But in the era of climate change, do we need to re-boot the social protection system so that it’s adaptive and responsive to climate risks? On today’s episode we spoke with Dr. Meghan Bailey, the Head of Social Protection and Health at the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre. Meghan leads the portfolios on climate-responsive social protection and the climate-health nexus. They are also an adviser on the design of forecast-based financing systems. Meghan holds a PhD on climate change adaptation from the University of Oxford. Meghan explains the need for climate-responsive social protection systems and the promising practices that are already being implemented around the world today – like providing people cash transfers before disaster strikes to prevent people from falling into poverty. Pullback is a proud member of the Harbinger Media Network Enjoy our work? Support us on Patreon!

We know that climate change disproportionately affects those of us who are already struggling. But can climate mitigation and adaptation policy be designed in a way that promotes environmental justice? And if so, how? We speak with Anna Shipp, Principal Policy Associate, and Joseph Schilling, Senior Research Associate, from the Urban Institute’s Research to Action Lab about Justice40 — a Biden-era initiative that directed 40% of federal climate spending benefit equity-deserving communities. The Urban Institute, a nonprofit focused on equity and social mobility, has studied climate justice in depth, including the challenges of implementing Justice40. Although the initiative was repealed under the Trump administration, it remains one of the most ambitious attempts to embed environmental justice into federal climate policy — and offers valuable lessons for future efforts. Pullback is a proud member of the Harbinger Media Network Enjoy our work? Support us on Patreon!

The transition off of fossil fuels is important and needs to happen, but it will affect the livelihoods of oil and gas workers and those in fossil fuel dependent communities. How can we make sure the transition is just and people-centred? We spoke with Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood, a senior researcher at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Hadrian’s work focuses on the social and economic dimensions of Canada’s shift toward a zero-carbon economy, including the necessity of a just transition for vulnerable workers and communities across the country. He is a contributor to the CCPA's Trade and Investment Research Project and Alternative Federal Budget. Hadrian holds a MA in Political Economy from Carleton University. Hadrian explains the concept of a people-centred just transition and the challenges Canada will have to overcome to move away from fossil fuels. We also discussed the policies that are needed to help workers transition into new industries, including the need for green industrial policy. Pullback is a proud member of the Harbinger Media Network Enjoy our work? Support us on Patreon!

Dr. Samantha Montano, an assistant professor of emergency management at Massachusetts Maritime Academy and author of Disasterology: Dispatches From the Frontlines of the Climate Crisis, explains the counterintuitive reality that the people who most need support during a disaster tend to get less government assistance. Listen for her suggestions on how emergency management can be reformed to support disaster justice. Pullback is a proud member of the Harbinger Media Network Enjoy our work? Support us on Patreon!

Welcome to Season 4 of Pullback, where we’ll be focusing entirely on climate justice — what it means, why it matters, and the policies we can implement today to address the crisis and build a fairer world. In this first episode, hosts Kristen and Kyla explore how climate change is already impacting people around the world, including the ways it’s deepening existing inequalities — especially for communities that are already marginalized. Featuring expert insights from Dr. Joan Casey, Associate Professor at the University of Washington in Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences; Dr. Sean Kidd, Associate Professor in Psychiatry at the University of Toronto and a Senior Scientist with the Slaight Family Centre for Youth in Transition at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health; Dr. Ingrid Waldron, Professor and HOPE Chair in Peace and Health at McMaster University; and Stéphane Hallegatte, Senior Climate Change Adviser at the World Bank. Join us as we unpack the connections between climate change and social inequality, and make the case for urgent collective action to build a more just future. Pullback is a proud member of the Harbinger Media Network Enjoy our work? Support us on Patreon!

Kristen and Kyla host their annual end of year quiz featuring friends of the pod Stefan Hostetter, the Director of Programs and Community with the Centre for Social Innovation and co-host of Green Majority Radio, Gordon Katic, host of the award winning Cited podcast series featuring stories about the politics of science and expertise, and Ryan MacRae, an advocate for migrant worker rights featured earlier this season for his work with the Cooper Institute on the report Permanent Jobs, Temporary People. Stefan's charity shout-out: Rainbow Railroad Ryan's charity shout-out: Women of the First Light Gordon's charity shout-out: Fort York Food Bank Pullback is a proud member of the Harbinger Media Network Enjoy our work? Support us on Patreon!

These days, humans are interacting with chatbots powered by artificial intelligence more and more, including for companionship. Can these new tools help a society experiencing a loneliness epidemic, or do they risk deepening isolation? And do they give tech companies even more power? This episode we’re joined by Dr. (Jennifer) Jill Fellows, a faculty member in the philosophy department at Douglas College and host of the feminist tech podcast Cyborg Goddess. Jill explains the history of AI, and introduces philosophical questions about trust, bias, and the reliability of modern AI systems. We discuss the impact of AI on human creativity, whether AI could ever be considered “conscious”, and how AI is affecting our social relationships. Pullback is a proud member of the Harbinger Media Network Enjoy our work? Support us on Patreon!

Rates of anxiety, depression, and chronic illnesses like heart disease are on the rise, and more doctors are looking beyond the medicine cabinet for solutions. Could our healthcare system be missing a simple remedy that’s been right outside our door? In this episode we talk to Dr. Stacy Beller Stryer, a paediatrician and Associate Medical Director for Park RxAmerica. Dr. Stryer does public health work for the US federal government and natureprescribed.org, and she helps to develop programs that educate providers, schools, and park agencies on the benefits of nature and nature prescriptions. Dr. Stryer explains what nature prescriptions are, what they look like in practice, and why doctors are turning to nature to address their patient’s health concerns. We dig into some of the barriers people face in accessing nature, how nature prescriptions intersect with environmental justice and climate resilience, and the role of healthcare providers and community members in advocating for healthier environments. We also recommend this report on Indigenous Youth Mental Health and the Climate Crisis and this report on Perceived Health Benefits of Nature Prescriptions on Employee Health and Wellness Pullback is a proud member of the Harbinger Media Network Enjoy our work? Support us on Patreon!

Universities have faced steep and sustained public funding cutbacks and have adapted by changing the way that they operate. What are the consequences of the de facto privatization of universities for students, researchers, and society? In this episode, we talk to Randy Robinson, Ontario Director for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and co-author of Back from the Brink, a report that explores public funding cuts in Ontario universities. Randy describes the deep provincial funding cuts that have led Ontario universities to hike tuition, especially for international students, while making university jobs more precarious and less permanent. We discuss how this is changing the student experience, reducing research capacity, and hollowing out communities. Pullback is a proud member of the Harbinger Media Network Enjoy our work? Support us on Patreon!

With Loblaws facing criticism for soaring grocery prices and record-high profits during a cost-of-living crisis, can a boycott drive real change? We talk to Emily Johnson, the lead organizer for the Loblaws boycott, and Eric Wickham, a Toronto-based journalist and host of Big Shiny Takes. Emily is a mental health and addictions worker and single mother of two living in the suburbs west of Toronto, and Eric has been working on a year-long investigation on the price of groceries for The Hosier, an independent digital media outlet based in the Greater Toronto Area. We are also joined by Robert Miller, climate activist, organizer, and “spooookiest” friend of the pod, to discuss more solutions to reduce the price of groceries and save Halloween for children nationwide. Want more episodes on the food system? Check out the episode where we go dumpster diving, our episode about Big Ag, or our episode on Food Rescue with Second Harvest. Pullback is a proud member of the Harbinger Media Network Enjoy our work? Support us on Patreon!

You’ve heard of speculative investors pushing up the price of housing, but did you know it’s happening on farms too? With fewer collective protections for farmers, and pressures to sell land and consolidate farms, is the family farm becoming a thing of the past? And is a new form of feudal tenant farming the future? On today’s episode we talk to the Parkland Institute’s Katherine Aske, author of Finance in the Fields: Investors, Lenders, Farmers, and the Future of Farmland in Alberta. We discuss who owns the farmland on the prairies, why ownership models are changing, and what that means for the future of farming – and our food. Farmers are facing immense pressure in a world with fewer collective protections and more unpredictable weather. For small family farms, this can mean going into debt or renting at the whims of the market. And, as Katherine explains, that has big implications for the future of our food. Pullback is a proud member of the Harbinger Media Network Enjoy our work? Support us on Patreon!

With home ownership out of reach for millions of Canadians and no relief in sight, could co-ops be the key to providing affordable, community-driven housing solutions? On today’s episode we talk to Diana Yoon, the Program Manager of Government Relations and Policy at the Co-op Housing Federation of Canada, which represents 2200 co-ops nationwide. In this conversation, Diana explains how housing co-ops work, their history in Canada, and what it would take for co-ops to take on a bigger role in our housing stock. We also discuss the unique benefits of co-ops, including democracy, community ownership, affordability, and long-term stability for residents. We also discuss the report The Impact of Community Housing on Productivity. Pullback is a proud member of the Harbinger Media Network Enjoy our work? Support us on Patreon!