For the first time in 22 years, Jimmy MacKinley says he dusted off his science degree and dove headfirst into climate change. The Miramichi comedian, actor and show host hopes a brand-new docuseries, “Jimmy Saves the World,” will spark change and a conversation. “It’s a seven-episode series focused primarily on climate change and environmental issues, with a degree of levity and humour throughout. So we don’t take ourselves too seriously, but it is a serious issue to have a conversation about,” said MacKinley. He says the entire idea came from director, writer and producer Jon Blizzard who wanted to know more about what was happening with the environment. Instead of hitting the books the crew hit the road, speaking to experts across New Brunswick about what they know and what they do to have a greener footprint. “We spoke to our friends at Ducks Unlimited. We spoke with Matt Abbott, he’s down in St. Andrews, a Bay of Fundy keeper, enforcing laws and protecting and preserving the Bay of Fundy to make sure that it stays healthy, not just for the animals but for the plants and seaweed that exist there as well,” he said. “The purpose of this show is not to create eco-anxieties in our communities, it’s to find ways that we can all come together and improve our lives and the dynamic equilibrium and ecosystem that we share.” Episode three, Invasion of the Eco-Snatchers, focuses on the emerald ash bore beetle which is causing havoc on ash trees in parts of the province. MacKinnley spoke with Kristin Elton, who was with the New Brunswick Invasive Species Council at the time. “We were up in Edmonston which is one of the first places they arrived,” said Elton. “You can actually see the effects in the ash trees around that community. So we saw some of those and then we also discussed how some of those impacts to forest from these invasive species have wide ranging impacts to water quality and community health and how they’re all kind of interconnected.” She says, overall, people get tired of hearing the same story and same messaging all the time. Although invasive species is a topic that needs to be discussed, finding new ways to do it, like through this light-hearted docuseries, is a good way to reach a new audience. “We have these ecosystems all throughout Canada, all throughout the world, so some of the core concepts that they’re talking about, you know, the climate change, the carbon cycles, salt marshes, invasive species, these are happening all across Canada and everywhere else. So just because they’re featuring local examples, people can still see how these applies elsewhere,” she said. As for a takeaway, Elton says she hopes people realize what they’re looking at now when they see the impacts on the trees from the beetles and remembers the small ways they can prevent them from spreading – like buying local firewood and not transporting wood out of the community. “I remember just walking through Forrest Hills and I think it’s like 80 per cent ash trees there, so if that species of emerald ash bore makes its way down to Fredericton, so much for shade. It’s going to destroy that shady walk from Forrest Hill to Head Hall at UNB,” said MacKinley. All seven episodes have now been released on Bell Fibe TV1 for people to stream. The entire series covers a wide range of topics including the current state of the food system, carbon emissions and what to do next. While MacKinley says there’s much more to be done, “Jimmy Saves the World” aims to at least start bringing people together to leave a collective greener footprint. “We can all find ways that we can improve our day-to-day in regards to the environment and climate change,” said MacKinley. “I think we can all agree that we want to leave the world better than how we found it.” For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
