Maxed Out

Bitcoin or Bust (Summer rerun)

Tue, 22 Aug 2023 09:00:24 GMT

Is Bitcoin a legitimate alternative currency? Is it the currency of the disenchanted? Or the hedge against a rocky future? Max Fawcett talks with Bitcoin enthusiast Adam O'Brien about that as well as government overreach, the Ottawa occupation and the seizing of bank accounts.

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Special Episode: Protecting Haida Gwaii

Thu, 10 Aug 2023 19:24:17 GMT

Haida Gwaii is a stretch of islands teeming with life just off the coast of British Columbia. The land, its skies, and the bodies of water around it have been protected for thousands of years by local Haida guardians. Protecting Haida Gwaii is a story about a First Nation that continues the fight for its rights, despite having inhabited the territory for thousands of years.

Read more about Haida Gwaii at Canada’s National Observer.

Written by Brandi Morin

Edited by Zahra Khozema

Cover art by Ata Ojai

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Greedflation and Justflation (Summer rerun)

Tue, 08 Aug 2023 09:00:14 GMT

Greedflation, justflation, and even shrinkflation are the newest terms to describe what we have all been going through financially for the past two years. And on top of this, we have rising interest rates. Is there anything that can be done to ease the pressure? Max speaks to economist Armine Yalnizyan to find out.

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Nuclear Revolution (Summer rerun)

Tue, 25 Jul 2023 09:00:25 GMT

Can nuclear be part of the fight against carbon emissions? In some places, nuclear is back in vogue. Max Fawcett talks with an environmentalist who thinks it is essential for nuclear to be part of the solution because renewables aren't yet at the scale needed to solve the problem. And she's not alone.

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The Urban-Rural Divide (Summer rerun)

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 09:00:06 GMT

The carbon tax is misunderstood and controversial. The federal government's price on polluting is one of its strategies to fight the climate crisis. But is it working? And is it fair? Max Fawcett talks to a Saskatchewan farmer who feels rural Canada and, in particular, agriculture, is being hit too hard by the tax.

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Mobilizing for War (Summer rerun)

Tue, 20 Jun 2023 13:16:58 GMT

Should we treat the climate emergency like a war? Seth Klein thinks so. In his book A Good War: Mobilizing Canada for the Climate Emergency, Klein lays out a comparison between the Second World War and the climate crisis. He argues that we can't win the war unless we work together like we did in the war against the Nazis. Max isn't so sure.

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Egos & Apologies in Alberta Elections

Mon, 05 Jun 2023 15:33:17 GMT

Jeromy Farkas might be called a cautionary tale of politics and political friends. Max talks to the former city councillor and Calgary 2021 mayoral election runner-up about his take on the recent provincial election and the highs and lows of his career in the Conservative circle.

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Bitcoin or Bust

Mon, 22 May 2023 12:22:01 GMT

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Nuclear Revolution

Tue, 09 May 2023 09:00:08 GMT

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The Politics of Pandemics

Tue, 25 Apr 2023 09:00:00 GMT

Janet Bufton believes in libertarianism ⁠— a philosophy that argues for minimal government involvement in people's lives. However, she's thankful for the federal government's intervention during the pandemic. Max Fawcett thinks most libertarians behaved badly during the pandemic by making it about their civil liberties rather than coming together to fight the common enemy ⁠— Covid-19.

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The Rachel Notley Interview

Mon, 10 Apr 2023 20:23:53 GMT

Max Fawcett asks Rachel Notley if the NDP have the policies to win the next Alberta election. The former Premier of Alberta gets into the energy transition, health care and door-knocking. Oh, and she also talks about political interference in the judicial system.

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The LNG Debate

Mon, 27 Mar 2023 23:12:12 GMT

The fossil fuel industry considers Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as a tool for emissions reduction. It is used to replace coal as a power source in many countries. Canada sees exporting LNG as a contribution to meeting our climate commitments. Max Fawcett isn't so sure. And he's talking it through with historian and CEO of Resource Works, Stewart Muir.

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The Firewall Frenemy

Tue, 14 Mar 2023 09:00:00 GMT

Ken Boessenkool has been a Conservative strategist for more than 20 years. He's worked with Canadian politicians like Stephen Harper, Ralph Klein, Christy Clark and Stockwell Day. So, what does he think about the policies of the new kids on the block like Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre?

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The Carbon Capture Conundrum

Tue, 28 Feb 2023 01:25:26 GMT

Some experts say carbon capture is the wrong way to address the climate crisis in Canada and that the government should not fund the fossil fuel industry for this technology. Instead, spending should focus more on renewables. Is it that simple?

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The Unjust Transition

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 21:05:31 GMT

Alberta has been unhappy with Ottawa for a long time. There is a feeling they pay into Canada but don't get enough in return. Some are saying Canada is broken and Alberta should leave the federation. Max speaks to Derek Fildebrandt, a former politician and the head of a major right-leaning provincial publication about whether disconnection is a real solution.

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The Urban-Rural Divide

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 21:38:15 GMT

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The Observer

Mon, 16 Jan 2023 22:50:31 GMT

Canada's National Observer's publisher, Linda Solomon Wood, chats with Max about journalism, how the publication came to be and who really funds his columns.

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Maxed Out Introduces "The Salmon People"

Tue, 27 Dec 2022 10:00:00 GMT

As we unwind into the holidays, we'd like to bring your attention to another Canada’s National Observer creation: This true crime climate podcast is called The Salmon People. The investigation, by Sandra Bartlett, our Managing Producer for podcasts, takes us off the coast of British Columbia, where wild salmon started dying by the millions. We follow an unlikely detective - a whale biologist - Alexandra Morton - who battles against government, industry and multinational corporations to save Canada’s wild salmon population. You can binge the entire series on your favourite podcast streaming platform.

Maxed Out and The Salmon People are made possible by listeners like you. If you’ve supported the podcast already, thank you. If you haven’t, click here to donate what you can to help us keep producing valuable journalism.

Got questions or comments? Email us at producer@nationalobserver.com

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Greedflation and Justflation

Tue, 13 Dec 2022 10:00:00 GMT

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Polarized Politics

Tue, 29 Nov 2022 18:41:58 GMT

A discussion with a former Alberta Progressive cabinet minister on politics, oil and gas (of course!) and Danielle Smith's brand of populism.

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Mobilizing for War

Mon, 14 Nov 2022 23:15:42 GMT

Should we treat the climate emergency like a war? Seth Klein thinks so. In his book A Good War: Mobilizing Canada for the Climate Emergency he lays out a comparison between the Second World War and the Climate Crisis. He argues that we can't win the war unless we work together like we did in the war against the Nazi's.

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