Host John Whidden introduces a QuickFix from Janice in Calgary encouraging “no mow May” to protect invertebrates, then interviews Sophia, a third-year environmental engineering student focused on drinking water and microplastics. Sophia recommends boiling or filtering water and explains concerns about bottled water, including plastic-related endocrine disruptors and potential bacterial biofilms. She describes her microplastics research on how particle shape affects settling and treatment, noting flat plastics may slip through systems. Sophia also shares her youth transit advocacy, inspired by childhood mobility barriers, which helped make transit free for youth under 13 in Regina and expanded nationally. She discusses involving youth through leadership opportunities and funding strategies, reflects on awards and positivity in climate work, shares her own low-car lifestyle, and outlines steps for better, safer, more frequent transit systems.

00:00 Welcome to the Show

00:27 QuickFix No Mow May

01:25 Meet Sophia

02:03 Drinking Water Tips

03:49 Microplastics Explained

05:55 Reducing Plastic Pollution

07:27 Youth Transit Advocacy

10:41 Scaling Youth Climate Action

13:17 Awards and TEDx Impact

14:47 Staying Hopeful

15:46 Car Free Climate Action

16:10 Building Better Transit

19:01 Hope and Farewellhttps://video.igem.org/w/8QuTT9pE784FakJrccZLYB

https://chem-eng.utoronto.ca/news/igem-toronto-engineering-biology-for-global-impact/

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UPUWBpSS7po

https://www.fesplanet.org/

https://www.poparide.com/en-ca/

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In the 77th episode of Climate Action Figures, host John Whidden welcomes Alice, a Switzerland-based veterinarian who no longer practices clinically and instead works toward One Health through policy and research. Alice explains that veterinary careers extend beyond treating animals into areas like food safety, prevention, research, and education, and describes moving from clinical work in Italy to policy work in Brussels via a veterinary trade association, then to research in Switzerland to build expertise for future policymaking. She outlines One Health as the interdependence of human, animal, and environmental health, citing food systems and climate-driven shifts in vector-borne diseases as examples, and argues that healthy humans depend on healthy environments and animals. Alice compares sustainability in Italy, Belgium, and Switzerland, shares her climate action of saving surplus perishable food through local initiatives, and says hope comes from connecting with committed advocates like Harshita.

00:00 Welcome to Episode 77

00:32 QuickFix Mailbox Hack

00:55 Meet Alice in Switzerland

03:22 Vet Without Patients

04:29 Finding One Health

07:41 Breaking Into Policy

09:38 One Health in Action

12:49 Moving for Sustainability

15:36 Harshita and Youth Advocacy

17:15 Food Saving Climate Action

19:23 Hope and Closing

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John hosts a unique episode of Climate Action Figures featuring his daughter, Twila. The QuickFix highlights “Adopt Don’t Shop,” encouraging pet adoption and volunteering at local shelters. Twila shares her climate actions, including conserving and reusing water (collecting shower warm-up water and catching sink water for plants), thrift shopping, growing herbs, using reusable bags and cups, combining errands into one trip, and installing solar panels. They reflect on John’s long-running environmental habits while Twila was growing up—cool house temperatures, composting, walking to school for rewards, bringing reusable containers to restaurants, and hang-drying laundry for calculated energy savings—along with humorous stories about cooling leftovers outside and wildlife getting into food. Twila says hope comes from friends’ small changes and youth becoming more environmentally aware.

00:00 Meet Twila

00:43 QuickFix Adopt Don’t Shop

02:12 Why Twila Is Here

02:52 Twilas Climate Actions

04:47 Growing Up Eco

05:21 Cold House Stories

06:08 Early Eco Habits

09:03 Walking To School Bribes

11:03 Hang Dry Math

12:34 Twila Grills Dad

14:42 Cooling Food Outside

16:53 Wrap Up Hope

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