Energy vs Climate: How climate is changing our energy systems

There are many takes on the big Carney-Smith energy agreement – we thought you could use one more.The new Canada–Alberta MOU unveiled last Thursday is already generating more chatter than a pipeline hearing, and has set off a fresh round of debate about economy, emissions, and where the country is headed on energy. The hot takes have been flying. Naturally, we couldn’t resist adding our own, so we grabbed the mics the next day to sort through what it all means.And because we weren’t the only ones buzzing after the news dropped, we’re also bringing you five on-the-ground reactions from attendees at EvC Calgary pop-up event the day the announcement landed. You’ll hear those right after ours — a kind of post-MOU tasting flight, if you will.Send us a text (if you'd like a response, please include your email)Energy vs Climate relies on the support of our generous listenersDonate to keep EvC going. Produced by Amit Tandon & Bespoke Podcasts ___Energy vs Climate Podcastwww.energyvsclimate.com Contact us at info@energyvsclimate.com Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn | X/Twitter

For us, delivering content about energy and climate is a labour of love – we put our time towards Energy vs Climate because we feel strongly about the public service benefit of the project. But there are costs for our producer, website, Ed’s manicures, and more. (OK one of those isn’t true.) That's why this show relies on the support of generous donors, like our listeners.Please consider making a one-time or monthly donation to our annual donation campaign. Your generosity directly pays for our production hard costs, and not Ed’s manicures. Further, as a project of the Academy for Sustainable Innovation (Charitable Business Registration Number 789760675R R0001), Energy vs Climate provides a charitable tax receipt for all donations over $10. Many thanks and be well,David, Sara, and EdSend us a text (if you'd like a response, please include your email)Energy vs Climate relies on the support of our generous listenersDonate to keep EvC going. Produced by Amit Tandon & Bespoke Podcasts ___Energy vs Climate Podcastwww.energyvsclimate.com Contact us at info@energyvsclimate.com Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn | X/Twitter

David, Sara, and Ed chat with Dr. Jai Asundi, Executive Director of the Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP), an independent Indian think tank. Dr. Asundi has been leading CSTEP since 2009, connecting data, modeling, and policy to tackle India's energy and climate challenges. They dive into India's electricity grid, the EV revolution, oil and gas dependency, and where energy meets geopolitics.About Our GuestDr Jai Asundi is the Executive Director at the Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP) in Bangalore, India. In the past decade he has been working on variety of problems where science and technology play a dominant role. He is a senior member of the IEEE and holds M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh where he is currently Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Engineering and Public Policy.References available on episode pageSend us a text (if you'd like a response, please include your email)Energy vs Climate relies on the support of our generous listenersDonate to keep EvC going. Produced by Amit Tandon & Bespoke Podcasts ___Energy vs Climate Podcastwww.energyvsclimate.com Contact us at info@energyvsclimate.com Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn | X/Twitter

David, Sara, and Ed join Real Talk with Ryan Jespersen for a live on-air conversation.Their decidedly non-spooky Halloween round-table discussion covered a lot of climate and energy ground, including the G7, critical minerals, carbon capture and storage, and oat milk cream liquor. (Well admittedly that last one is not a climate and energy topic, but if you listen you'll get the reference.)It's live (or was live), it's real, it's Real Talk with the EvC gang!01:04 - The G7 Energy and Environment Ministerial10:07 - Industrial Policy and Canada's Energy Future13:55 - Critical Minerals and Global Competition17:03 - Canada's Emissions and International Responsibility20:06 - The Future of Oil Demand22:54 - The Role of Carbon Capture and Storage32:06 - Challenges in Oil Sands Investment and Climate Skepticism34:40 - Balancing Low Emissions and Affordable Energy38:25 - Impact of Government Policies on Renewable Energy Investment46:01 - Water Resource Management and Climate Responsibility49:05 - Preparing for Natural Disasters and Climate ChangeRyan Jespersen hosts Real Talk, one of Canada's most-downloaded modern talk shows. He recently graced the cover of Edify Magazine as the "Prince of Podcasting." Ryan was named one of Alberta's 50 Most Influential People by Venture Magazine, and was on Avenue's inaugural list of Edmonton's Top 40 Under 40. You'll find him online at ryanjespersen.com, and on Twitter and Instagram (@ryanjespersen).Send us a text (if you'd like a response, please include your email)Energy vs Climate relies on the support of our generous listenersDonate to keep EvC going. Produced by Amit Tandon & Bespoke Podcasts ___Energy vs Climate Podcastwww.energyvsclimate.com Contact us at info@energyvsclimate.com Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn | X/Twitter

Sara & Ed chat with Martin Olszynski about Alberta's mounting energy liability crisis.They discuss the billions in future costs for decommissioning, remediation, and reclamation of oil and gas projects as well as the challenge in accurately quantifying government and public exposure to financial and environmental risk amid profound energy sector disruption. The question isn't whether these liabilities will materialize—it's who pays when they do. It's a lively and wide-ranging conversation that sparked a flood of audience questions.Show Notes available on the episode pageAbout Our Guest:Martin Olszynski is an Associate Professor and the current Chair in Energy, Resources, and Sustainability at the University of Calgary Faculty of Law. Martin's primary research interests are in environmental, natural resources, and water law and policy. He has appeared as a witness in regulatory hearings, committee hearings of both the House of Commons and the Senate, and as counsel before the Supreme Court of Canada. From 2020 to 2025, he was a member of the federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada's advisory council on impact assessment.Energy vs Climate relies on the support of our generous listenersDonate to keep EvC going Send us a text (if you'd like a response, please include your email)Energy vs Climate relies on the support of our generous listenersDonate to keep EvC going. Produced by Amit Tandon & Bespoke Podcasts ___Energy vs Climate Podcastwww.energyvsclimate.com Contact us at info@energyvsclimate.com Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn | X/Twitter

A fun, fast-paced, skeptics tour through some of the most talked-about emerging energy technologies. From enhanced geothermal systems to thermal batteries, balcony solar, flying cars, and yes, even space-based solar power – David, Sara, and Ed dig into what’s real, what’s hype, and what might actually move the needle on decarbonization. (00:00) - Cold open(02:08) - Small modular nuclear reactors(09:14) - E-bikes(15:46) - Balcony solar(22:13) - Fusion(28:33) - Thermal batteries(34:56) - Enhanced geothermal(42:04) - Carbon capture and storage capacity(43:19) - Space solar(45:07) - Flying carsA huge thanks to all the listeners who submitted suggestions for this episode!Show Notes & ReferencesAbout Your Co-HostsDavid 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.Send us a text (if you'd like a response, please include your email)Energy vs Climate relies on the support of our generous listenersDonate to keep EvC going. Produced by Amit Tandon & Bespoke Podcasts ___Energy vs Climate Podcastwww.energyvsclimate.com Contact us at info@energyvsclimate.com Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn | X/Twitter

Sara's back for the launch of Season 7 of Energy vs Climate!For our first episode, David, Sara, and Ed discuss whether solar will be the big energy winner. Has solar energy already won? What’s driving its rapid ascent? And what does it mean for energy production and policy here in Canada?Show notes & references available on episode page.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.Energy vs Climate relies on the support of our generous listenersDonate to keep EvC goingSend us a text (if you'd like a response, please include your email)Energy vs Climate relies on the support of our generous listenersDonate to keep EvC going. Produced by Amit Tandon & Bespoke Podcasts ___Energy vs Climate Podcastwww.energyvsclimate.com Contact us at info@energyvsclimate.com Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn | X/Twitter

Send us a text (if you'd like a response, please include your email)Energy vs Climate relies on the support of our generous listenersDonate to keep EvC going. Produced by Amit Tandon & Bespoke Podcasts ___Energy vs Climate Podcastwww.energyvsclimate.com Contact us at info@energyvsclimate.com Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn | X/Twitter

We're sharing another episode of Ed’s podcast Climate Book Reviews with acclaimed Canadian author Don Gillmor on his latest non-fiction work, On Oil.Ed is joined by his regular co-host Dr. Roger Thompson, Director of Writing Programs and Professor at Arizona State University.This episode dives into the sharply drawn and darkly funny world of On Oil, a slim and punchy examination of the most earth-altering industry of our time. Drawing from Gillmor's early years working on Alberta oil rigs and his deep experience as a journalist and novelist, the book traces how oil has shaped not only our landscapes and economies, but also our politics, foreign policy, and our public imagination.It's a lively and wide-ranging conversation with Don about the inspiration behind the book, and how the oil industry—like a character in a novel—is navigating a world in flux.About Our Guest:Don Gillmor is an award-winning Canadian novelist, journalist and children's book author. His journalism and criticism have appeared in The Walrus, where he was a senior editor; Saturday Night and Toronto Life, where he was a contributing editor; and Rolling Stone, GQ, The Globe and Mail and The Toronto Star, among other publications. He has won 12 National Magazine Awards.About Your Hosts:Roger Thompson is a professor and writer at ASU. He began his career working with environmental literature and nature writing and established with Ed Whittingham an environmental internship program in Banff, Alberta for students at a VMI, a military college. His most recent environmental book, No Word for Wilderness: Italy’s Grizzlies and the Race to Save the Rarest Bears on Earth (Ashland Creek), documents the attempts by grassroots activists and university faculty to preserve the Marsican bears of Abruzzo, and it reveals for the first time the mafia’s attempts to use National Parks to fleece EU subsidies.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.Send us a text (if you'd like a response, please include your email)Energy vs Climate relies on the support of our generous listenersDonate to keep EvC going. Produced by Amit Tandon & Bespoke Podcasts ___Energy vs Climate Podcastwww.energyvsclimate.com Contact us at info@energyvsclimate.com Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn | X/Twitter

Ed chats with Jason Walsh, Executive Director of the BlueGreen Alliance (BGA).Jason and his organization recently made headlines for opposing the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act—President Trump's sweeping piece of legislation passed this summer that rolls back many of the clean energy tax credits introduced by the Inflation Reduction Act. While a lot of the climate world focused on the emissions impacts, BGA came out swinging over what they saw as a quiet gutting of labour standards, domestic manufacturing momentum, and the link between public investment and good jobs.Jason and Ed discuss:How the bill reshapes the clean energy landscape Whether it really neuters domestic content rules Politics of climate and labour in an increasingly polarized U.S. And what political durability looks like for climate policy heading into 2026About Our Guest:Jason Walsh is the Executive Director of the BlueGreen Alliance (BGA). Named one of the Washington D.C.’s 500 Most Influential People by the Washingtonian, Walsh has more than twenty-five years of experience at state and federal levels in policy development and advocacy in a range of issue areas—including climate, clean energy, and economic and workforce development—and as a coalition organizer and manager.Walsh previously served in the Obama administration, as the Director of the Office of Strategic Programs in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and as a Senior Policy Advisor in the White House Domestic Policy Council, where he led Obama administration’s efforts to align and scale up federal investments in workers and communities impacted by the shift away from coal in the power sector.Send us a text (if you'd like a response, please include your email)Energy vs Climate relies on the support of our generous listenersDonate to keep EvC going. Produced by Amit Tandon & Bespoke Podcasts ___Energy vs Climate Podcastwww.energyvsclimate.com Contact us at info@energyvsclimate.com Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn | X/Twitter