What I learned from North America's top meteorologists at Climate Week

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Hi, it's Johanna. For almost two decades, I've been talking about climate change through the weather we experience every day. But after spending Climate Week in New York with fellow meteorologists from across North America, one thing is clear: this job is getting deeply personal.

Grabbing a quick moment outside the WNYC radio studio before heading in to record. (Johanna Wagstaffe/CBC)I was invited to join a closed-door workshop in New York City during Climate Week called "Beyond the Forecast: How Trusted Weather Voices Can Help Communities Understand Climate and Extreme Weather." Hosted by the Clinton Global Initiative in partnership with the Eleven Eleven Foundation, the session offered a rare space to talk openly with other broadcast meteorologists about how we communicate climate change.

I mean, this is my bread and butter. For almost two decades, I've been talking about climate change through the everyday weather we experience. I've been grateful to have the support, platforms and formats at CBC to do just that.

Even so, there is a distinct weight to this work — seeing the data play out in real time, knowing the severity of a storm's impact before it hits, and navigating how politicized the term "climate change" has become. Stepping into my new role as the host of CBC's climate podcast What on Earth?, the timing couldn't have been better for this gathering.

Arriving in New York, I loved being recognized by fellow Canadians at Newark Airport — climate advisers from Vancouver headed to the same gathering. It was a nice reminder of why these conferences matter. Bringing people together (despite the carbon footprint of travel) creates a momentum you can't replicate virtually.

Walking from the subway up 5th Avenue toward the conference centre on my first day, I instinctively fell into the fast-paced ebb and flow of the city street. I credit my former Toronto days for my defensive walking skills, but adopting that rhythm makes you feel immediately plugged in. This trip was going to be all about feeling part of something bigger.

Fuelling the Climate Week hustle with an essential New York slice. (Johanna Wagstaffe/CBC)The workshop itself was one I won't soon forget. Nearly every major meteorologist I've watched on U.S. networks was there (plus Bill Nye!). Our scheduled two-hour session ran long — after all, we talk for a living — but it was deeply cathartic. Hearing forecasters from Fox News to CNN to ABC, alongside scientists and policy-makers, open up about the shared challenges of communicating climate risk felt like a rare moment of unity.

1. The connection between weather and climate is undeniable — but the pushback is real

Underlying every discussion in that room was one overarching reality: we are all trying to talk about climate change as station scientists.

The science behind extreme weather is indisputable. But for television forecasters attempting to bring that science into daily broadcasts, the pushback from audiences can be tough — and deeply emotional. While I've been lucky enough to avoid the absolute worst of it, let's just say you never truly develop a thick skin. And knowing what lies ahead when forecasting a devastating storm carries a real weight.

Between sessions, I raced from Midtown down to SOHO to record in the studios at WNYC (New York public radio) — a fun moment of solidarity, hopping from one public broadcaster's home base to another. But the conversation I recorded hit home sharply. I spoke with forecaster Chris Gloninger, who made the difficult decision to leave his TV news career after facing severe harassment and a death threat simply for explaining climate links on air.

But Chris's story was a stark reminder that serving as a trusted voice often comes at a high personal cost. To go "beyond the forecast," weather communicators need more than just thick skin — we need strong community support to keep having these vital conversations safely.

Connecting with forecaster Chris Gloninger during Climate Week in New York. (Johanna Wagstaffe/CBC)2. U.S. and Canadian TV live in different broadcast universes

I attended the workshop alongside only one other Canadian: my friend Mark Robinson from The Weather Network, who I went to meteorology school with! Being there together highlighted how much the U.S. and Canada have in common, and also just how differently our two media markets operate.

American broadcast TV remains deeply traditional, with millions of viewers still tuning in to local 6 o'clock newscasts every night. For U.S. forecasters, that means trying to cram complex climate attribution science into a lightning-fast, two-minute weather window between commercial breaks.

Reunited with fellow Canadian weather broadcaster and storm chaser Mark Robinson from The Weather Network. (Johanna Wagstaffe/CBC)At CBC, as the media landscape has shifted, we've chosen to experiment with meeting audiences where they are. Beyond dedicated space on podcasts like What On Earth? and digital platforms, our local TV markets frequently carve out extra airtime specifically to connect the dots between severe weather and climate change. Having that room to explain why a heat wave or atmospheric river is happening is something I was reminded not to take for granted — because in a tight TV hit, context is often the first thing left on the cutting-room floor. But as more U.S. newsrooms experiment with climate-dedicated segments and digital extras, the potential to inform communities is huge. It shows that when we give trusted weather voices room to breathe, audiences gain a far better understanding of the world shifting around them.

Stepping out of those closed-door rooms in New York, I was reminded that connecting those dots on air isn't always easy, and it certainly isn't always comfortable — but as extreme weather becomes our daily reality, it's a conversation we're more committed than ever to having.

Old issues of What on Earth? are here. The CBC News climate page is here. 

Check out our podcast and radio show.   In our latest episode: When a meteorologist took a job in Iowa, he was excited to make his forecasts matter to viewers by bringing in climate impacts that were relevant to their lives, like rising costs and energy independence. But then the backlash began, escalating to a death threat. 

He's not the only one. At climate week in New York City, a group of meteorologists gathered to share stories about speaking to often polarized audiences. When facts become political, how can climate change's frontline communicators stick to the science?

What On Earth? drops new podcast episodes every Wednesday and Saturday. You can find them on your favourite podcast app or on demand at CBC Listen. The radio show airs Sundays at 11 a.m., 11:30 a.m. in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Check the CBC News Climate Dashboard for live updates on record-breaking weather and current conditions across the country. Set your location to find out how today's temperatures compare to historical trends.

Reader feedbackLast week, we told you about a unique air quality meets wearable art project that's trying to bring awareness about dangerous pollutants especially when we can't see them. 

Edwina Hylton wrote in with an important point: "In the eventuality that the device shows serious pollution, what is the person wearing the device supposed to do? Fine to know things are bad, but if there isn't a reasonable alternative, what is the point in collecting the information?" 

While not always equitable or within reach, some experts we've spoken to over the years have said awareness gives a power of choice to take action, like wearing a mask or moving indoors. 

And, for some, like reader Maureen Moffat, awareness is a click away. She writes, "I check the air quality daily on the net. Easy." 

Got questions, comments, or just want to share something? Write us at whatonearth@cbc.ca (and send photos there, too!)

The Big Picture: Progress on the world's nature goalsFour years ago, Canada welcomed negotiators from around the world to strike a historic deal on protecting nature. The conference was supposed to be in China, but it was 2022 and the COVID-weary government there had decided not to host. 

So the meeting reverted to Montreal, which hosts the secretariat of the UN treaty that governs biological diversity, and I jumped on a train to go cover it. Canada led negotiations to land a new global target: protecting 30 per cent of lands and oceans by 2030. And it decided to lead by example by embarking on its own ambitious conservation agenda.

Here's a map of Canada's protected spaces. Canada has protected about 14 per cent of its lands and 15.5 per cent of its oceans so far.

And a new assessment says there's progress internationally — the world will reach 27 per cent protection on land by 2030. For oceans, protection will only reach 12 per cent. I spoke to Steven Guilbeault, Canada's former environment minister and the guy who helped land that deal in Montreal, about why we are falling short — and also why he's still optimistic countries will ramp up the fight against biodiversity loss.

Mycelium meatballs? How one Vancouver company is farming fungi to combat meat costsVancouver-based company Maia Farms has figured out a way to grow and harvest mycelium — the hidden, underground root-like networks of fungus that give rise to mushrooms. (Monia Blanchet/Radio-Canada)If fermented liquid fungus from a bioreactor doesn't sound like your idea of a delicious meal, the folks at Maia Farms say, don't knock it 'til you've tried it.

The Vancouver-based company has figured out a way to grow and harvest mycelium — the hidden, underground root-like networks of fungus that give rise to mushrooms.

"The bioreactor allows us to control the environment in which the mycelium are grown," said chief innovation officer Sean Lacoursiere.

"It allows us to keep everything moving and grooving and it also allows us to aerate and provide all the oxygen that the mushroom will need."

The result is a food product that can be mixed with different protein sources to add bulk and enhance a meal's nutritional profile.

While mushroom products are often used in meat substitutes, one of Maia's target markets is the meat industry itself.

"We can add a lot of nutritional, taste and texture benefits while reducing the amount of meat that's required," Lacoursiere said.

The offering couldn't be timelier for restaurateurs and other food retailers struggling to keep costs down as the price of meat soars.

According to Canada Beef, retail beef averaged $28 per kilogram in April, up 15 per cent from a year ago and close to a record high.

Maia Farms' director of food science and innovation Karen McAfee said mycelium could replace between 25 and 40 per cent of the meat in items like sausage rolls, meatballs and burger patties.

"It can help retain moisture… it can also help with the high level of umami flavour," she said.

The benefits of hiding mushrooms in your meat go beyond the financial.

"From our estimates, we produce around two kilograms of carbon dioxide per kilogram of material," Lacoursiere said.

According to a 2024 report by the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, one kilogram of consumed boneless beef in Canada produces 32.8 kilograms of carbon dioxide.

The same amount also requires 1,912 litres of water, almost four times the 500 litres Maia reports in its process.

"I don't think people really comprehend just how much of a difference this type of product can make," he said.

While meat alternatives are readily available in Canadian supermarkets, sales in the sector have been declining for several years.

Lacoursiere is hoping Maia has what it takes to buck the trend.

"The whole goal of our company here is to produce mycelium at large scales, at a very cost competitive level. And we're already seeing that," he said.

"It's an oyster mushroom. It's been eaten for hundreds, if not thousands of years. It's delicious. We just found a way to grow it in a submerged liquid state."

Thanks for reading. If you have questions, criticisms or story tips, please send them to whatonearth@cbc.ca.

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