Episode Details

The video covers a wide range of topics, primarily focusing on environmental issues, education, and indigenous rights. Claire and Shantel discuss the infiltration of fossil fuel industry narratives in education and the outdated standards for special education, respectively. Kevin, Lorne, and Alex emphasize the importance of sustainable land and water management, criticizing current practices and advocating for habitat preservation and green governance. Vanessa introduces the principles of Chinese medicine, highlighting its historical context and diagnostic methods. Jules and Gabrielle address the cultural and spiritual violence inflicted by settler colonialism, stressing the need for ethical participation with indigenous life ways. Karrie Lynn shares a personal narrative about the impact of residential schools and the binary thinking imposed by colonial systems. The conversation underscores the urgency of addressing environmental degradation, updating educational standards, respecting indigenous cultures, and rethinking societal values.

Claire Kraatz | For Our Kids Team Organizer | Educator | Environmental Activist

In a couple of months, a report will show how the fossil fuel industry has infiltrated our classrooms. This is not new because the climate crisis is so extreme now. It is harmful to students to be offered that kind of education.

Shantel Sherwood – Hold My Hand Alberta Founder | Disability Education Activist

Shantel: Everything depends on your admin and the reason that is is because there are no updated standards for special education. That has yet to be done since 2003 with an amendment in 2004, I was part of the fight to end seclusion rooms and restraints. It’s horrific, it’s traumatizing. We need to remove that from schools. No, there’s no space for it, well they put them back in and reinstated. Edmonton has some of the highest uses of seclusion rooms in Alberta.

Claire: It recommends that all schools set up green governance committees including students, teachers, parents and parents. We don’t have to wait for the UCP. I’m tired of waiting for the UCP.

Shantel: I would like to see our province, educators, and everybody on that step of “What’s next? What’s creative?” Let’s try some things. Let’s get crazy versus what the UCP is doing, which is “Let’s go 20 years back” because that never worked, anyways.

Heidi Bergstrom – For Our Kids Alberta, Area Lead | Financial Planning Analyst

I would love to see provincial leadership value kids as kids, not just see them as future adults. I’m in rural Alberta. Putting myself out there as a tree hugger can be a little bit scary sometimes, but I have never had anything negative come towards me from that.

Kevin Van Tighem – Writer | 40-Year Canada Parks Leader | Conservationist

It was not a problem with forest management In Jasper National Park, Jasper National Park spent 30 years reducing fuel around that town and it wasn’t a problem of mountain pine beetles. The forestry industry loves us to freak out over mountain pine beetles because it allows them to throw away the rule books so that they may log even harder. Mountain Pine Beetle spread is a product of climate change. As our winters get milder and our summers get drier and the trees get more stressed, mountain pine beetles will do well. We’ve got to stop living as if there are no consequences to doing whatever we want. Since my primary focus for the last few years has been on water security.

Lorne Fitch – Writer | 50-Year Fish and Wildlife Biologist | Conservationist

Lorne: The problem with the status quo is that quo has long passed its status. We’ve got to stop ignoring the evidence and use that evidence to help us understand where we need to go, particularly with Eastern slopes and as Kevin said, the primary importance of eastern slopes to Albertans and a reminder