Season 4, Episode 2: Ben

Host John Whidden welcomes Ben to Climate Action Figures and shares a Quick Fix from Linda advising bamboo and compostable partyware, noting composting challenges without proper bins. Ben describes Edmonton’s Paths for People, which advocates for walking, rolling, and cycling through city council engagement and community events featuring guests like YouTuber CityNerd and author Anna Zivarts, with a key takeaway that about a third of people don’t drive. They discuss tensions and compromises between car and active transportation, Ben’s reasons for biking (enjoyment, cost, environment, parking), and concerns about potential provincial legislation reducing bike lanes and related safety risks. Ben explains the Missing Links campaign crowdsourcing gaps in crossings, sidewalks, and bike infrastructure. He’s starting a master’s in urban and regional planning at the University of Alberta, is a triathlete, and his climate action is driving less by biking or taking transit; his hope comes from more friends starting to bike commute. 00:00 Welcome to the Show 00:25 Quick Fix Compostables 01:17 Meet Paths for People 01:58 Community Events Highlights 02:34 Who Cities Leave Behind 03:11 Cars Versus Bike Lanes 04:17 Why Ben Bikes 05:32 Province Threatens Bike Lanes 07:06 Missing Links Campaign 08:01 Masters in Urban Planning 09:23 Triathlon Side Quest 10:17 Ben's Climate Action 11:09 Hope and Farewell