Commons Sense: Reclaiming common sense for a livable future.
common sense
common sense
common sense
Why, at this moment, are there references to common sense as shorthand for the market economy everywhere we look? Can we reclaim common sense to create the conditions for a livable future in a climate-changed world? In this podcast, we consider common sense through the lens of the commons—the physical, natural, and cultural resources we all share – the land, water, and air; public education and public transit; shared conversations and collective action. Listen in as we explore with our guests alternatives to our current course of rising carbon emissions.
From the episodes...
Considering ourselves as a collective is the only way forward in a climate-changed future.
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- Candis Callison
Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Journalism, Media, and Public Discourse, University of British Columbia
Common sense is the most political of all categories.
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- Imre Szeman
Director of the Institute for Environment, Conservation, and Sustainability, University of Toronto
The commons gives us a way to think otherwise.
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- Stephanie LeMenager
Professor of English and Environmental Studies, University of Oregon
- Astra Taylor
Filmmaker, Writer, and Activist
I see common sense as something that is actually in motion.
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I could see the common sense changing very quickly.
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- Larry Glickman
Professor of American Studies, Cornell University
The atmosphere is the biggest commons that we can imagine.
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- Bill McKibben
Author, Educator, Environmentalist, and Co-founder of 350.org
Meet The Team
Barbara Leckie
Barbara Leckie is a professor in the Department of English and the Institute for the Comparative Study of Literature, Art, and Culture at Carleton University, Ottawa. She is the author of Climate Change, Interrupted: Representation and the Remaking of Time (Stanford UP, 2022) and Open Houses: Poverty, the Architectural Idea, and the Novel in Nineteenth-Century Britain (U of Penn P, 2018) as well as several articles and edited collections. Her current work focuses on collectivity, collaboration, and co-writing in response to the climate crisis. She is also Academic Director of Re.Climate: Centre for Climate Communication and Public Engagement.
Mary Stinson - Producer
For more than three decades Mary Stinson was an arts and culture producer with CBC Radio. She was also senior producer for ‘Writers & Company,’ a literary program that looked at the work and life of some of the world’s most remarkable writers. A life-long radio fan, Mary continues to listen to whatever she can get her ears on.
Joel Westheimer
Joel Westheimer is Professor of Democracy and Education at the University of Ottawa and an Education columnist for CBC Radio. His books include Among Schoolteachers: Autonomy and Ideology in Teachers’ Work; Pledging Allegiance: The Politics of Patriotism in American Schools (forward by Howard Zinn); and What Kind of Citizen? Educating our Children for the Common Good. His current work focuses on youth perceptions of democracy at a time of rising populist nationalism. He is a regular contributor to newspapers and magazines including The Washington Post, The Toronto Star, and The Globe and Mail.
Rheanna Philipp - Technical Producer
Rheanna Philipp is an audio producer, technician, and journalist with expertise in sound design, storytelling, and podcast production. With experience in radio, documentary podcasting, and trauma-informed journalism, she is passionate about using sound to make complex ideas accessible and engaging. Rheanna also co-produces Help Me I’m Bleeding, a podcast currently in production that explores menstruation and hormonal health through expert interviews and personal narratives. She has worked on many projects exploring public discourse, advocacy, and social change. Rheanna is committed to using audio to amplify critical conversations and diverse voices.