It’s a bit late, admittedly, but since we don’t control time here on Open Sources Guelph (yet) we’re going to make this Thursday Earth Day, and mark the occasion with a discussion with a couple of local environmental advocates. On top of that, we’ll be talking to another NDP leadership candidate who was in town last week, and we’ll be discussing a pilot project from the Ontario government to give the poor more certainty in these highly uncertain times.
This Thursday, April 27, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:
1) Charlie in Charge. Timmins-James Bay MP Charlie Angus was one of the first “big gets” we had here on Open Sources, and when he was in Guelph last week we made sure to get him again. Angus was in town to rally support for his leadership bid for the Federal New Democrats, the second of the five major candidates to visit the Royal City in the last month. While meeting with a small group of local politicos, we got the chance to talk to Angus about bringing honour back to politics, turning local issues into national priorities, and why simply giving lip service to change isn’t enough anymore.
2) Basic Instinct. Following the example of other jurisdictions, Ontario has decided to experiment with a guaranteed basic income. Three cities in Ontario, including nearby Hamilton and Brantford, have been chosen as test sites for the new initiative that will aim to close the income gap by giving people enough money to live on with none of the usual string attached. It’s a bold move, and one that a lot of anti-poverty activists have been pushing for, but will it make the difference needed for people below the poverty line? Also, is the Wynne government really serious about this, or are they trying to outmanoeuvre the NDP on the left after the New Democrats announced their universal Pharmacare plan?
3) Local Solutions. This past Saturday was Earth Day, and a fairly depressing one given recent events. Any progress meant to address global climate change at an international policy level in the last couple of years seems stymied by the election of a climate denying president in the U.S., and the growing focus on nativist populism in the west. So what are people doing? Returning to local solutions, it seems. We’ll welcome Shayne Ward of Plastic Free Guelph and Susan Carey of Transition Guelph to the show to talk about fighting for environmental justice by doing the little things – banning straws, starting a tool library and repair workshops – and whether there’s still hope in these disappointing times.
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.
Open Sources Guelph 