The Decibel

The Globe and Mail
The Decibel
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1271 episodes

  • The Decibel

    The pressure is on for Canada to meet growing energy demand

    2026-05-08 | 24 mins.
    The war in Iran has radically changed the way that oil and gas moves around the globe. Since the war began, North American energy exports – such as petroleum and liquefied natural gas – have increased. Now, there is pressure on Canada to meet the increased demand.

    The Globe’s energy reporter, Emma Graney, is on the show to explain how some Canadian companies are changing course to try to meet that demand, what’s getting in the way for other Canadian companies to do the same and what all this means for a transition away from fossil fuels.

    Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]

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  • The Decibel

    Saudi Arabia’s vision for its future is crumbling

    2026-05-07 | 23 mins.
    Saudi Arabia has spent a decade pouring billions into investments to modernize their finance, entertainment, sports, technology and tourism industries, to help shift their economy away from oil. Now these efforts, called Vision 2030, are being challenged, in part, by the war in Iran, the missile and drone strikes against Saudi and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

    Doug Saunders is the Globe’s International affairs columnist. He’s on the show today to explain how Saudi’s vision for its future and relationships with other countries are now changing.

    Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]

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  • The Decibel

    Alberta separatist campaign faces legal hurdles

    2026-05-06 | 23 mins.
    This week marked an important milestone in the separatist campaign in Alberta. After months of getting people to sign their petitions to trigger a referendum on independence, the separatist leaders submitted their signatures to Elections Alberta for verification. But Elections Alberta cannot count the signatures right now.

    That’s because of a court injunction that was put in place last month while a judge considers whether the treaty rights of some First Nations have been violated. It’s one of many legal challenges the separatist movement in Alberta is facing. Matthew Scace is a Globe reporter based in Alberta. He’ll explain the two major cases against the separatists, and what the leaders say they’ll do if the courts don’t rule in their favour.

    Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]

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  • The Decibel

    What does Canada gain by hosting the new global defence bank?

    2026-05-05 | 20 mins.
    Canada has spent the last year shoring up defence spending. Now a new multilateral financial institution, the Defence, Security and Resilience Bank, is being established with the promise of offering stable financing to member countries. After months of negotiations, Canada was selected to be the bank’s host country last week.

    Pippa Norman is the Globe’s innovation reporter, and also covers Canada’s defence industry. She’s going to explain what it means for Canada to host the bank and how this move fits into the country’s broader defence strategy.

    Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]

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  • The Decibel

    Canadian professors on how AI is changing education

    2026-05-04 | 27 mins.
    A big issue hangs over university students and professors, and that’s artificial intelligence. There are some rules and guidelines, but professors are largely left on their own to determine how much they want to adopt AI or not – and that’s created a wide range of opinions.

    Today, we hear from five Canadian university professors about how they’re thinking about education and students in the world of AI. We speak with Amanda Perry, professor of literature at Champlain College-Saint Lambert and Concordia University; Matt Dinan, associate professor and director of the Great Books program at St Thomas University in New Brunswick; Sarah Elaine Eaton, professor in the Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary; Adegboyega Ojo, professor and Canada Research Chair in AI Governance at Carleton University; and Mike Welland, professor of Engineering Physics at McMaster University.

    A previous version of the show notes incorrectly identified the Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary.

    Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]

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About The Decibel

Context is everything. Join us Monday to Friday for a Canadian daily news podcast from The Globe and Mail. Explore a story shaping our world, in conversation with reporters, experts, and the people at the centre of the news.
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