The Sunday Magazine for November 29, 2020
This week on The Sunday Magazine with host Piya Chattopadhyay:
Health law expert examines the role of chief medical officers of health
Lorian Hardcastle says it's time to start taking a harder look at this country's chief medical officers of health. They are imbued with powers, but politics seem to be keeping them on the sidelines more often than not. In the wake of a scathing auditor general's report in Ontario and new safety measures and leaked recordings revealing tensions in Alberta, Hardcastle, an associate professor of health law and policy at the University of Calgary, speaks with Chattopadhyay about the evolution of Canada's public health laws, what powers the chief medical officers of health wield, and whether the country is approaching a tipping point when it comes to who should run the pandemic response.
How the pandemic is reshaping our understanding of risk
The COVID-19 pandemic is turning everyday life into an exercise in constant risk assessment. Philosophy professor Mark Kingwell says it's also showing us just how unevenly risk is distributed in our society. He speaks with Chattopadhyay about what this time is showing us about the changing nature of risk, and why we need to reckon with it to build a truly just world.
Word Processing: Zozobra
The various crises of our day have left many of us feeling anxious, disoriented and uncertain about the ground we stand on. Carlos Alberto Sanchez, professor of philosophy at San Jose State University, says Mexican philosophy has a concept to describe how we're all feeling: "zozobra". In the latest installment of our ongoing language segment Word Processing, he breaks down the meaning of "zozobra", its Mexican roots and universal relevance, and how it can help us get through a turbulent time.
Soccer star Megan Rapinoe on the duty and responsibility of pro athletes
In her new memoir One Life, American soccer star Megan Rapinoe tells the story of how she went from playing on a boys' team as a kid to captaining the U.S. women's team and being named FIFA's best female player of the year. With that platform, she's also become an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ rights, equal pay and racial justice. Rapinoe speaks with Chattopadhyay about the duty and responsibility she believes comes with a job in pro sports, how she became the athlete and advocate she is today, and the people who inspired her along the way.
Renowned scientist argues for the rights of soil
Globally-renowned soil scientist Rattan Lal joins Chattopadhyay to discuss his mission to make soil (don't call it dirt!) top of mind in the fight to save the planet and its inhabitants. For Lal, soil is a living thing and it deserves the same rights and protections extended to animals and other life forms. Lal will take us through his 50-year career, which has spanned four continents, and tell us what makes soil so special, what role it can play in combatting climate change, what needs to happen to protect it, and how to balance all the demands we put on the ground beneath our feet.
