The Clear Cut Episode Archive

explains the relationships between industry, government, and society and how they’ve developed over the years. We’ll uncover the green veil of ‘Sustainable Forest Management’, and discuss ways to get to a system that works in the interest of people and nature.

this, and explore some ways to push for a more sustainable system.

does Canada count its greenhouse gas emissions from forestry, and how should it be different? We asked the team at the NRDC and Nature Canada, who have been working on this issue and have published a series of reports, detailing the flaws in Canada’s forest carbon accounting methods and what the forest sector’s emissions really are.

billion dollar industry with important choices to make. We sit down with François Dufresne, president of the Canadian Forest Stewardship Council (FSC Canada) to talk about how Canadian forestry can evolve with the current circumstances, and where forest certification can play a role in the transition.

themes from our previous episodes: forest fires, the rationale behind logging, barriers to policy change and potential solutions! We’ll also discuss some of the burning questions we have and look for answers. If you’re feeling in need of a recap, this is a show you don’t want to miss!

as Treaty Partners, to reflect on Canada’s relationship with First Nations people and the forest, and how we can build a path to better coexistence. In this episode, we sit down with David Flood, Registered Professional Forester and General Manager for Wakhohtoin Development GP, and learn about why forest management in Canada needs to be informed by Indigenous Knowledge, and what meaningful consultation with First Nations Communities truly looks like.

frameworks with respect to Indigenous Peoples in Canada and their challenges. And of course, we dive back into our conversation with David to talk more about meaningful consultation, Canada’s Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and going beyond minimum forestry regulatory guidelines to pursue a better path to coexistence with nature.

of coexistence with Indigenous People and nature. How do we transform our fibre supply to capture the complete value of the forest, and be less wasteful? How can Indigenous innovations and technologies be utilised? What can we do to better respect the forest? Listen to find out!

discuss the “next big idea”. Why is conservation so important for climate change, and where do Canada’s forests fit into that? Listen now to find out! 

limiting our climate policies to just “the smokestack side of the equation.” We gain some insights into the relationship between nature and the modern economy, and the limitations of the burgeoning carbon offset regime. As Harvey and Taylor Swift might say, we’re not “out of the woods yet” when it comes to getting these approaches right.

power be attuned to change? What does that look like in practice? Harvey also bestows us with some much needed hope this episode. Humanity has collectively acted to change for the better before… when? Listen now to find out.

system, and the problematic nature of forest management practices in both British Columbia and Ontario. We also explored the case for a transition strategy of Canada’s fibre economy, and why it’s important that we integrate Indigenous knowledge systems into forest policy. And finally, we discussed the need to connect nature to our climate frameworks, in order to tackle the climate and biodiversity crises’ head on. Janet and Kaya pull together some of their favorite moments from The Clear Cut this year, and why it all matters.

explore in Canada’s forests. 

Nation, and Chapleau Cree First Nation have filed a case against Ontario, asserting the government has degraded the boreal forests in the province and inhibited their livelihoods, violating their treaty rights. We speak with attorney Amy Westland to get  greater context for the case and why it’s so important for moving forward on the path to Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples and the health of our forests.

Cree First Nation. We cover the limitations of Canada’s exercise of consultation with First Nations, and why these cases could be a game-changer for the future of resource management decisions. How can this be to the benefit of our relationship with Indigenous Peoples, our environment, and society as a whole?

What are the cumulative effects of disturbance to their habitat? Tune in to find out!

self-sustaining populations? What are some of the current challenges? All this and more.

unvarnished take on implementation of both the federal Species At Risk Act and Ontario’s Endangered Species Act. In spite of agreements and lofty goals, governments continue to prioritize harmful industrial activities in threatened habitat instead of giving caribou time and space to recover. All is not lost though. Anna shares her passion and drive and how you can make a difference.

role of the federal government, and what has been done so far? All this, and more.

We cover the province’s approach to forest policy, how government and industry see B.C.’s forests as a tool in the renewable energy transition, and what the shocking carbon implications are.

carbon neutral energy source. Does the carbon accounting behind those claims add up? What are some alternative solutions for the future of the forestry industry?

Richard and Tegan also share their experiences at last year’s climate COP in Dubai with us. Find out what it was like to be an observer at the biggest stage for international climate negotiations and how Canada’s forests can be affected.

This week, Michelle Connolly from Conservation North takes us back into the forests of British Columbia. She breaks down for us the severity of B.C.’s industrial logging impacts that her organization has documented through spatial mapping. While logging is advertised as a necessary means to manage B.C.’s forests, including for pests and wildfires, we unpack why fire and pests are actually part of the natural forest cycle.

logging of the province’s natural forests? Who is forestry sustainable for? The planet? The species? Or the companies?
We also get  a sneak peek into Conservation North’s new report on U.K. biofuel producer Drax, and how they’re continuing to source materials from rare old growth forests.

shopping mall, farm or housing development. We don’t count formerly forested areas that are now barren as deforested, if the area remains designated for forestry. But could it, should it be classified as forest degradation? Our own Senior Forest Conservation Manager, Dave Pearce unpacks Wildlands League’s 2019 Logging Scars report on the subject. We discuss the genesis of this pivotal report. What kickstarted our investigation into areas that were still barren 30 years or more after logging? What did we assume going into this, and what did we discover? The findings may surprise you.

14% of the forest is not regenerated after one cycle of full-tree harvesting. While that may not seem like a significant impact to the forest, Dave explains why this isn’t the case. In addition to reducing our resilience to climate change, logging scars spell serious trouble for biodiversity as well.  We give context to degradation in Canada’s forests and why there’s a need for higher quality data to better understand the impacts of logging on the landscape. Check out the Logging Scars webpage to read the report and see the eye-opening images.

forests and forest sector for 33 years.” But do these annual reports truly accomplish this promise? This year, 8 environmental organizations released their own report, The State of the Forest in Canada: Seeing Through the Spin, to challenge many of the conclusions in the government’s annual report. We sit down with the David Suzuki Foundation’s Rachel Plotkin and the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Dr. Julee Boan to discuss the details of this investigation. Why is the government’s annual report inadequate? What is missing, and what are the ramifications?

forest industry seems to have a convoluted relationship with species at risk- specifically caribou, since much of their habitat overlaps with forest areas where harvesting takes place. Julee and Rachel break down the two narratives that are simultaneously taking place. One behind closed doors that seems to understand the science and is amenable to protecting this indicator species, another in the public arena that paints caribou conservation as a threat to economic health. Are economic and environmental values inherently at odds? Or as Rachel says, is there “room for both”?

already started. Experts are warning of another series of catastrophic impacts. What is driving these unprecedented, longer wildfire seasons? Is there something missing in the public narrative? In this episode, we’re looking for answers. This week, we set the stage for our wildfire inquiry by asking some of the pressing questions with a fire ecologist expert. We sit down with Jen Baron from the University of British Columbia for some insights. What are the main drivers? What is the role of forest management policies, and is there a disconnect between the two?

Now we turn our focus to strategies for managing those factors within our control.
We know wildfires are driven by topography, climate, and the availability of fuel. While we can’t alter a forest’s underlying topography, we can reduce the carbon emissions fueling climate change. And in the short term, we can improve forest management practices, such as fire suppression and clearcutting, to prevent an increase in flammable material. With Jen, we explore tools that can break the cycle of a century of fire suppression. What are the opportunities for forestry and what is missing from the public discourse on wildfires?

standards and ethics on those platforms. As a result, information about wildfires, forestry and forests from respected media sources is not shareable via social media. We sit down with Joan Baxter from the Halifax Examiner about her recent article on the growing problem of greenwashing in an age of digital information sharing.  We discuss the Forest Products Association’s (FPAC) ‘Forestry for the Future’ advertising campaign that’s been proliferating across social media. Joan breaks down how this could be problematic in the absence of independent journalism on Canada’s forests available on those platforms. How can those concerned about Canada’s forests and climate become better at identifying industry public relations materials?

ecologically destructive practices hidden behind sustainability claims. We learn about how Joan’s investigation into Canada’s logging industry helped uncover a web of corporate consolidation that has been aided by funding from taxpayers. We also discuss her book, The Mill: Fifty Years of Pulp and Protest, the story of taxpayer support for the Northern Pulp Mill in Nova Scotia and its history of “environmental racism” and public protests.

in cities too? The shade of a tree canopy provides cooling in the city and trees help manage drought and floods. This week we sit down with Kim Statham, the City of Toronto’s Director of Urban Forestry to learn more.
Kim talks about what urban forestry is and her office’s role of managing, stewarding, and developing programming for Toronto’s urban forest. We discuss some of the challenges the city’s canopy is facing, what opportunities are available, and the programs the city is undertaking to meet its canopy cover goals and promote the urban landscape’s biodiversity and climate resilience.

a step back, and contextualize these issues more broadly. Kim discusses Toronto’s participation in the United Nations Environment Program, where cities from around the world collaborate to promote ecological restoration and facilitate knowledge exchange. In addition to the role cities play on the international stage to reach our climate and biodiversity goals, Kim explains how subnational governments can contribute through building both physical ecological corridors and relational ones. We also learn about how Toronto’s approach to urban forestry has earned its status as a leader in this arena.

EUDR is likely the most significant, but not the only, law or rule proposed by governments around the world to ‘clean up’ their supply chains when it comes to forest and agricultural products. Policymakers are increasingly working to do their part to meet global climate and biodiversity targets. Where does Canada, and its purported leadership in sustainable forest management, fit in? We sit down with Etelle Higonnet, who has been an advisor to the European Union on the EUDR. She explains the EU law and the other “family” of regulations on deforestation and forest degradation free products. We discuss the importance and implications of these rules, as well as the response from the Canadian government and forest industry groups. What are Canada’s arguments against these rules? Why are they making them? And what opportunities do these laws provide that we could be missing out on?

the water going to Hudson Bay, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Pacific Coast. This week we head back to western Canada to talk with Executive Director Katie Morrison and Conservation Science & Programs Manager Josh Killeen of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society’s (CPAWS) Southern Alberta Chapter. With the confluence of the mountains in the west, the grasslands to the east, and boreal forests in the north, there is a wide range of diversity in Alberta’s Rocky Mountains, including a 50 kilometer strip of forest that holds an incredible amount of biodiversity. In addition to the amazing nature in Alberta, the province also has a long history of natural resource extraction — especially as it hosts the fourth largest forestry industry in Canada. Josh and Katie take us on a tour of the region they work in, and set the stage to understand challenges facing these areas. What does forest management look like, and what are its impacts?

Chapter. Last week they painted the landscape of Alberta’s headwaters for us. We learned about the incredible value of this region to the wildlife, species, and many communities (across the continent!) who depend on them. This week we explore some of the challenges these lands are facing in greater depth. How does the underlying approach to forest management make it difficult for protection? What is the government’s role? And what are the opportunities, particularly unique to this landscape, that could result in better outcomes for all?

Topics include: misguided industry responses to fire suppression, deceptive practices, greenwashing and pathways to a reimagined future for forestry management in Canada.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Kaya for taking us on an exploratory journey of Canada’s forests and forestry practices.

Thank you for listening!