Energy vs Climate

Send us a textThere’s something in Carbon Removal for everyone — are we building enduring relationships to advance the sector?A bonus EvC episode - on February 27, 2025, EvC co-host Ed Whittingham hosted a panel discussion at Carbon Removal Canada's Carbon Removal Day in Ottawa. They cover a number of topics including the changing political headwinds in the US, efforts to bolster investment in Canada, and silicon valley's interest in CDR. Plus, they take a few audience questions.Detailed show notes on episode page.About Our Guests:Lucy Hargreaves is the VP of Corporate Affairs & Policy at Patch, a SF-based carbon markets platform that’s accelerating investment into global climate action at scale. Beyond her work at Patch, Lucy is part of the core team driving Build Canada and Canada Spends, volunteer-led initiatives focused on helping Canadian entrepreneurs share their ideas for a bolder, richer, freer country and making government spending more accessible and transparent.  Daniel Kelter is Carbon Removal Canada’s Director of Government Relations, a strategic policy advisor who excels at connecting political insight with industry challenges. With experience working alongside Members of Parliament and navigating the intricacies of hard-to-decarbonize sectors like fertilizer and steel, Daniel has been instrumental in crafting advocacy strategies that forge strong government-industry partnerships."Jorden Dye is the director for the Business Renewables Centre-Canada and the Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) Centre, both initiatives of the Pembina Institute focused on accelerating climate action through corporate procurement. His work includes leading a community of over 60 participating organizations across Canada to spur renewable energy development and developing educational resources to introduce carbon dioxide removal to new audiences.Produced by Amit Tandon & Bespoke Podcasts___Energy vs Climatewww.energyvsclimate.com Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn | X/Twitter

Send us a textDavid & Ed chat with Dr. Holly Buck about Conspiratorial-Environmentalism’s connection to climate & geoengineering; the anti-vax movement; and what it tells us about mainstream environmentalism & climate politics.(03:08) Skip Intro(09:12) David's personal experience with Conspiratorial-Environmentalism(27:15) Social Media and monetization(38:58) What do we do when environmentalists turn to conspiracies?(46:33) Audience QuestionsDetailed show notes available on episode page About Our Guest:Holly Jean Buck is an Associate Professor of Environment and Sustainability at the University at Buffalo. She is an environmental social scientist and human geographer whose research focuses on public engagement with emerging climate and energy technologies. She holds a Ph.D in Development Sociology from Cornell University, and is the author of the books Ending Fossil Fuels: Why Net Zero Is Not Enough and After Geoengineering. Currently, she is a 2024-25 Radcliffe-Salata Climate Justice Fellow at Harvard University.About Your EvC 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!