Energy vs Climate cover image

Energy vs Climate

Latest episodes

undefined
Mar 25, 2025 • 28min

Scrubbing the Sky - Episode 4 - Skeptics vs Believers: Is Direct Air Capture Hope or Hype?

Send us a textHost Ed Whittingham closes out Season 1 by examining the case against Direct Air Capture by one its harshest critics, Al Gore, followed by the counterarguments of supporters. Will DAC live up to its hype and potential to help cool a warming planet? Guests include: Greg Nemet, professor at the University of WisconsinKlaus Lackner, professor at Arizona State UniversityDavid Keith, professor at the University of Chicago and a DAC pioneer who founded the company Carbon EngineeringSara Hastings-Simon, professor at the University of CalgaryChristian Theuer, Policy Communications Lead at HeirloomJim McDermott, co-founder and the managing partner of Rusheen Capital Management, LLCÉric St-Pierre, Executive Director of the Trottier Family FoundationLearn more at www.scrubbingthesky.comFollow us on: LinkedIn | Bluesky | YouTube__Produced by Amit Tandon & Bespoke Podcasts.The podcast is part of the Carbon Herald’s podcast network.___Energy vs Climatewww.energyvsclimate.com Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn | X/Twitter
undefined
Mar 18, 2025 • 27min

Scrubbing the Sky - Episode 3 - The Carbon Gold Rush: Tech's Next Frontier

Send us a textHost Ed Whittingham delves into the early days of another pioneering Direct Air Capture (DAC) company, Switzerland’s Climeworks, and its innovative modular approach to deploying its technology. Ed also looks into the developing synergy between the tech sector and carbon removal. Guests include: Jan Wurzbacher, co-founder of ClimeworksLucy Hargreaves, Corporate Affairs and Climate Policy at PatchJim McDermott, co-founder and the managing partner of Rusheen Capital Management, LLCDavid Keith, professor at the University of Chicago and a DAC pioneer who founded the company Carbon EngineeringLearn more at www.scrubbingthesky.comFollow us on: LinkedIn | Bluesky | YouTube__Produced by Amit Tandon & Bespoke Podcasts.The podcast is part of the Carbon Herald’s podcast network.___Energy vs Climatewww.energyvsclimate.com Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn | X/Twitter
undefined
Mar 11, 2025 • 28min

Scrubbing the Sky - Episode 2: Bill Gates & Building a Climate ‘Miracle’

Send us a textHost Ed Whittingham continues the story behind the development of Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology and its potential role in helping to fight climate change. Ed explores the early days of Canadian cleantech company Carbon Engineering, and how it drew the attention of both Bill Gates and Occidental Petroleum. Guests include: Ken Caldeira, senior scientist at Breakthrough EnergyDavid Keith, professor at the University of Chicago and a DAC pioneer who founded the company Carbon EngineeringSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or on your podcast app of choice.Learn more at www.scrubbingthesky.comFollow us on: LinkedIn | Bluesky__Produced by Amit Tandon & Bespoke Podcasts.The podcast is part of the Carbon Herald’s podcast network.A special thanks to our friends at the Challenging Climate podcast which is available wherever you find your podcasts.___Energy vs Climatewww.energyvsclimate.com Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn | X/Twitter
undefined
Mar 7, 2025 • 1h 6min

The USA vs Climate - Trump's New Climate & Energy Policy with Dr. Jesse Jenkins

Send us a textJesse Jenkins, David Keith, and Ed Whittingham break down the key policy reversals, their impact on U.S. emissions, and the broader geopolitical and economic consequences—for Canada and beyond. Plus, audience questions!Full Show notes with links to references on our websiteAbout Our Guest:Jesse D. Jenkins is an assistant professor and macro-scale energy systems engineer at Princeton University with a joint appointment in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and Environment. He leads the Princeton ZERO Lab (Zero-carbon Energy systems Research and Optimization Laboratory), which focuses on improving and applying optimization-based energy systems models to evaluate and optimize low-carbon energy technologies, guide investment and research in innovative energy technologies, and generate insights to improve energy and climate policy and planning decisions. About Your Co-Hosts:David Keith is Professor and Founding Faculty Director, Climate Systems Engineering Initiative at the University of Chicago. He is the founder of Carbon Engineering and was formerly a professor at Harvard University and the University of Calgary. He splits his time between Canmore and Chicago.Sara Hastings-Simon studies energy transitions at the intersection of policy, business, and technology. She’s a policy wonk, a physicist turned management consultant, and a professor at the University of Calgary and Director of the Master of Science in Sustainable Energy Development.Ed Whittingham is a clean energy policy/finance professional specializing in renewable electricity generation and transmission, carbon capture, carbon removal and low carbon transportation. He is a Public Policy Forum fellow and formerly the executive director of the Pembina Institute, a national clean energy think tank.Produced by Amit Tandon & Bespoke Podcasts___Energy vs Climatewww.energyvsclimate.com Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn | X/Twitter
undefined
Feb 27, 2025 • 26min

SNEAK PREVIEW Scrubbing the Sky - Episode 1 - Carbon Removal: Engineering Earth's Cooling

Send us a textEvC co-host Ed Whittingham's new series on Carbon Dioxide RemovalHost Ed Whittingham dives into the world of Direct Air Capture (DAC), a technology that extracts carbon dioxide directly from the ambient air. Ed explores the early history of carbon dioxide removal, why it could be useful in fighting climate change, and challenges the technology has faced along the way. Guests include: Klaus Lackner, professor at Arizona State University and often referred to as the “Grandfather of DAC”David Keith, professor at the University of Chicago and a DAC pioneer who founded the company Carbon Engineering Paul McKendrick, author of the book that inspired this series  Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or on your podcast app of choice.Learn more at www.scrubbingthesky.comFollow us on: LinkedIn | Bluesky__Produced by Amit Tandon & Bespoke Podcasts.The podcast is part of the Carbon Herald’s podcast network.___Energy vs Climatewww.energyvsclimate.com Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn | X/Twitter
undefined
Feb 21, 2025 • 2min

Trailer - Scrubbing the Sky: Inside the Race to Cool the Planet

Send us a textThe race to remove carbon is on. This is the inside story.🌎 Scrubbing the Sky: Inside the Race to Cool the Planet drops early March 🌎 This narrative podcast series takes listeners through one of the most ambitious climate efforts ever attempted: removing carbon from the atmosphere.Join EvC's co-host Ed Whittingham as he uncovers the story behind carbon removal —the companies racing to scale it, the challenges they face, and what it means for our future.📲Subscribe on Apple: https://bit.ly/3EH9ihj 📲Subscribe on Spotify: https://bit.ly/3EHDVn7 Learn more at www.scrubbingthesky.comFollow Scrubbing the Sky on: LinkedIn | Bluesky | YouTubeProduced by Amit Tandon & Bespoke Podcasts.Scrubbing the Sky is part of the Carbon Herald podcast network.___Energy vs Climatewww.energyvsclimate.com Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn | X/Twitter
undefined
Feb 3, 2025 • 30min

Green Giving: Climate Philanthropy

Send us a textEd chats with four movers & shakers in Canadian climate philanthropy.On Nov. 13, 2024, nine prominent Canadian family foundations, including EvC's David Keith’s, announced a combined pledge of $405 million, all dedicated to accelerating Canada’s shift to a low-carbon economy. They touch on: Why this financial commitment occurred and why now The challenges facing climate advocacy today and in the near futureWhat needs to succeed in the next 3-5 years How philanthropy should respond when governments start to roll back key pieces of climate and environmental legislation - just like what we’re seeing already happening in the US post-inauguration.About Our Guests:(01:23) Claire Seaborn is an expert advisor to the Clean Economy Fund, former Chief of Staff to Energy and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson, and now a lawyer practicing at Torys LLP.(08:39) Devika Shah is the Executive Director of Environment Funders Canada, an umbrella organization for environmental foundations.(15:17) Bruce Lourie is President of the Ivey Foundation, one of the largest climate funders in the country.(20:55) Eric St-Pierre is the Executive Director of the Trottier Family Foundation, also one of Canada’s largest climate funders.Detailed show notes on episode page...___Energy vs Climatewww.energyvsclimate.com Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn | X/Twitter
undefined
21 snips
Dec 27, 2024 • 48min

Ask EvC Anything - 2024

Curious about the future of carbon capture? The hosts delve into the economic viability of direct air capture versus traditional methods and scrutinize the challenges in the oil industry's transition. They tackle pressing questions about achieving net zero by 2050, comparing carbon removal and solar geoengineering strategies. Additionally, insightful discussions highlight the interconnected crises of climate change and biodiversity, emphasizing the stakes for vulnerable regions. Get ready for a thought-provoking look at tech innovations and policy shifts in the energy landscape!
undefined
7 snips
Dec 10, 2024 • 53min

New York Times Columnist David Wallace-Wells: In Conversation on EvC

David Wallace-Wells, a columnist for The New York Times and author of the bestseller "The Uninhabitable Earth," joins for a thought-provoking discussion. They explore the potential fallout from the recent U.S. election on climate policy and shifting global dynamics. Wallace-Wells analyzes the state of climate activism, the perils of communicating climate risks without causing alarm, and highlights China’s pivotal role in green technology. They also answer listener questions, diving into the intricacies of air pollution and the need for innovative climate solutions.
undefined
Dec 3, 2024 • 2min

Ed's #GivingTuesday Fundraising Pitch for Energy vs Climate

Send us a textSupport Energy vs Climate on #GivingTuesdayEnergy vs Climate is a labour of love – we hosts don't draw a salary from the show because we feel strongly about the public service benefit of the project.But, we still have production costs. So, we're asking one last time for you to please consider making a one-time or monthly donation in our only annual donation campaign. Thanks in part to last year's generous supporters, just yesterday we recorded a show with New York Times columnist David Wallace-Wells. It was a terrific conversation (thanks to all who sent in questions), and we look forward to dropping it on our feed in the next few days. We're nearly at our goal of $5000 - by helping us to reach this goal, you're helping to keep Energy vs Climate on the air.Thanks so much everyone. Now back to EvC's irregularly scheduled programming.-Ed, Sara and David___Energy vs Climatewww.energyvsclimate.com Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn | X/Twitter

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
App store bannerPlay store banner

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export

Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode