Energy vs Climate

Send us a textAlberta has declared an intention to attract a new sector to the province – cryptocurrency. But the early experience has been rocky and the significant energy demands of the sector is reason for concern. What are the energy and climate impacts of crypto? Should Alberta and Canada chase this 21st century gold rush? And just how much did Ed and David make in their foray into crypto investing?Ed, David, and Sara discuss the energy and climate implications of crypto on this special podcast-only episode of Energy vs Climate.‌EPISODE NOTES‌@1:00 Easy Answers | Annex Ale Project (not sponsored)@ 4:15 How Crypto Became the New Subprime - The New York Times@7:30 Uncensored Crypto@11:25 Understanding relative metal prices and availability: Combining physical and economic perspectives@17:45 Crypto miners see "stranded" natural gas as a novel energy source - Marketplace@21:30 Alberta sets sights on being new frontier for cryptocurrency entrepreneurs | CBC News@22:25 Bitcoin Operations Fly Under the Radar for Alberta Regulators, Emission Reduction Plans - The Energy Mix@23:43 A bitcoin mining power plant secretly set up shop in Alberta. Now it's being forced to shut down | CBC News@25:00  Cryptocurrency Traders Move Into Carbon Markets - WSJ@40:30 How Taiwan's 'civic hackers' helped find a new way to run the country | Technology | The Guardian‌___Energy vs Climatewww.energyvsclimate.com Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn | X/Twitter

Send us a textIndustrial policy is hot again, back with a new name (mission innovation) and a new target (climate change). Detractors point to past failures and the risk of costly mistakes and argue that governments should avoid picking winners and stick to carbon pricing. Is government-directed innovation a good tool for climate innovation? How can governments do it well? What should they avoid? And what lessons are there for Canada's energy transition?Join David, Sara, Ed, and industrial policy expert Dani Rodrik of Harvard University to discuss government-directed innovation as a tool for decarbonization, on Episode 30 of Energy vs Climate.EPISODE NOTES: @3:15 Dani Rodrik@4:00 Combating Inequality: Rethinking Government's Role@4:34 NDP won’t oppose higher defence spending in exchange for billions on social programs@6:32 A 10-Point Plan to Cut Oil Use – Analysis - IEA @6:41 Nikos Tsafos thread about EU country commitments to fast track energy transition. @7:40 In a World on Fire, Stop Burning Things | The New Yorker and The End of Nature, by Bill McKibben@10:21 Japan discussing Russian oil import ban with U.S. and Europe@16:36 Energy vs Climate: How Solar Became Cheap@20:20 Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency@25:29 Remembering “Solyndra” – How Many $570M Green Energy Failures@26:27 TESLA | Department of Energy@31:00 AOSTRA - Oil Sands - Alberta's Energy Heritage@33:44 Tariffs on Chinese solar panels may hurt Canadian renewables industry - The Globe and Mail@35:00 Clean Fuel Standard - Canada.ca@35:23 California Air Re___Energy vs Climatewww.energyvsclimate.com Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn | X/Twitter

Send us a textDavid, Sara and Ed are back March 23rd with a new episode of Energy vs Climate.  Until then, we'd like to share another podcast with you.Smart Prosperity: The Podcast with Eric Campbell offers fresh takes on the current affairs, business, technology and ideas behind the green economy. With a decidedly Canadian twist. The Smart Prosperity episode we’d like to share with you digs into Carbon capture technology and why climate experts are divided over it. Ed was Eric’s guest on the episode, along with Susannah Pierce, President of Shell Canada and Christina Hoicka, Canada Research Chair in Urban Planning for Climate Change at the University of Victoria.   Fans of EvC’s own carbon capture episode with Stanford’s Sally Benson from season 2 will find this episode builds on our discussion. On the whole, Smart Prosperity: The Podcast covers similar topics to us here at Energy vs Climate, while offering a different perspective, one we hope listeners will find interesting and enlightening. Find it and subscribe wherever you listen. ___Energy vs Climatewww.energyvsclimate.com Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn | X/Twitter

Send us a textThe cost of solar power has decreased by a factor of 1,000 over the last fifty years, and by a factor of 10,000 since it was first used to power a satellite in the mid-1950s. According to the International Energy Agency, in some sunny regions solar is now the cheapest energy available – cheaper than coal, gas and wind. What have we learned from solar's multi-decade cost curve decline? How did it benefit from a free flow of ideas, equipment and people across national borders? What lessons can we apply to other forms of climatetech, such as energy storage and carbon capture?David, Sara, Ed, and special guest Greg Nemet break down solar’s trajectory on Episode 29 of Energy vs Climate.Episode Notes: @0:47 - IPCC 6: Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability@1:00 - Ukraine War and U.S. Politics Complicate Climate Change Fight@2:15 -  How Solar Energy Became Cheap,  Twitter: @GregNemet@5:56 - There should be no new gas supply contracts with Russia: IEA (cnbc.com)@7:14 - 25. anniversary of the 1973 oil embargo: Energy trends since the first major U.S. energy crisis@15:15 - Inter-technology knowledge spillovers for energy technologies - ScienceDirect@20:00 – Expert Assessments of Future Photovoltaic Technologies@21:00 - The German Feed-in Tariff - futurepolicy.org@32:03 - Evaluating the causes of cost reduction in photovoltaic modules - ScienceDirect@34:50 - U.S. Solar Photovoltaic System and Energy Storage Cost Benchmark: Q1 2020 (nrel.gov)@40:02 - Canadian Solar – Global@54:34 - Low Carbon Fuel Standard - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics@55:17 - WTO Body Confirms Ontario’s Local Content Rules for Renewables Are Discriminatory (powermag.com)___Energy vs Climatewww.energyvsclimate.com Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn | X/Twitter

Send us a textIn the past year the number of companies committing to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 has exploded. With the fifty largest companies by value accounting for 28% of global GDP, corporate action is critically important if we are to avoid dangerous climate change. But what does a net zero commitment for a company mean in practice? What distinguishes the good from greenwashing, and can we even tell from the outside? What are the risks and opportunities for a company making a net zero commitment in the first place?Join David, Sara, Ed, and special guest Dr. Gabrielle Walker, Founder and Director of Valence Solutions, as they journey to net zero on Episode 28 of Energy vs Climate.EPISODE NOTES:@1:10 Dr. Gabrielle Walker, @GabrielleWalk3r@4:20 Offshore wind farms could double as electric charging…@6:20 BMW Group significantly increases use of low-carbon steel@6:39 Fact Sheet: Biden-Harris Administration Advances Cleaner Industrial Sector@7:00 Biden launches ‘Buy Clean’ task force to boost greener manufacturing@7:11 EU set to race ahead of UK in green steel production@8:03 Volvo's Dump Truck Takes Shape From World's First Green Steel - Bloomberg, Mercedez-Benz to use low-carbon steel@16:11 Microsoft announces it will be carbon negative by 2030 - Stories@16:27 Race To Zero Campaign | UNFCCC@28:00 Energy Transitions Commission | Achieving net-zero emissions by 2050@31:02 Carbon Emissions Factor Into Major Oil Sands Shakeup | Climate Central@33:00 IEA says ending new oil and gas exploration today is the only viable climate path@37:16 Fuels: old and new – World Energy Outlook 2021 – Analysis - IEA@38:01 ___Energy vs Climatewww.energyvsclimate.com Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn | X/Twitter

Send us a textOn Episode 27 of EvC, from gas stoves to hot water heaters and furnaces, what might electrifying the home look like in Alberta and Canada? And should we? Guest Bruce Nilles of Climate Imperative helps David, Sara and Ed break down the future of natural gas in the home. @2:10 ecoENERGY for Renewable Power@2:14 AB Emissions reduction programs@2:37 Sierra Club Beyond Coal campaign@3:39 Climate Imperative, @brucenilles@5:07 – Erin O'Toole out | National Post@5:47 – Meat Consumption Pacing Up Climate Change? @16:23 – Residential Indoor Air Quality Guideline, Human Health Risk Assessment for Ambient Nitrogen Dioxide@18:56 – Study: Pollutant Exposures from Natural Gas Cooking Burners@20:48 – NO2 exposure shows causal link with Asthma, Scientists find the climate and health impacts of natural gas stoves are greater than previously thought@28:18 - Effective Kitchen Ventilation for Healthy Zero Net Energy Homes with Natural Gas@32:26 – Berkeley gas hook-up ban appears likely to spread to other California cities@32:13 – America’s Natural Gas Utilities Add One New Customer Every Minute@33:33– California first state to phase out gas-powered lawn equipment , New York City banning natural gas hookups for new buildings @34:30 – ___Energy vs Climatewww.energyvsclimate.com Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn | X/Twitter

Send us a textDavid, Sara and Ed are back next week with a new episode of Energy vs Climate. Until then, we'd like to share another podcast with you.ARC Energy Ideas explores the trends that influence the energy business, including political, environmental, technological, social and economic forces. The show is hosted by Peter Tertzakian and Jackie Forrest of the ARC Energy Research Institute. Jackie and Peter have been thought leaders in the space for years. In fact Peter joined us way back on Episode 3 of Energy vs Climate to discuss the divestment movement.  On Canada Oil and Gas 2022: Another bull run, but different and another IEA report, Peter and Jackie review the ARC Energy Research Institute’s recently released outlook for the Canadian oil and gas economy for 2022, showing just how far things have turned around for the industry since April 2020. They also discuss how differently revenue is being invested compared to previous booms, and dig into the IEA’s most recent report reviewing Canadian energy policy. On the whole, ARC Energy Ideas cover similar topics to us here at Energy vs Climate, while offering a different perspective, one we hope listeners will find interesting and enlightening. ___Energy vs Climatewww.energyvsclimate.com Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn | X/Twitter

Send us a textDavid, Sara, Ed, and special guest Professor Jody Freeman of Harvard Law School break down what the first year of the Biden Administration means for Canadian energy and climate policy.EPISODE NOTES@1:32  @JodyFreemanHLS@2:46 Top-emitting Alberta oilsands site got government relief from pollution payments@6:47 Reframing incentives for climate policy@13:06 American Leadership on Clean Cars@13:29 U.S Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan@13:58 EPA power plant rules @14:27 Joe Biden wants America to lead the world against the climate crisis. @14:57 Clean Electricity: A Net-Zero Grid By 2035@21:02 Conservative Supermajority on the Supreme Court@22:35 Democrats are on track to lose big in 2022@23:13 US inflation surges to 30-year high@25:29 Supreme Court Move Could Stymie EPA Regulation@28:27 Supreme Court of Canada upholds the constitutionality of federal carbon pricing legislation@29:54 Summary of the Clean Air Act@34:31 How we passed the clean power plan target a decade early@36:14 Tesla Loan Program@38:53 Renewable Portfolio Standards@44:10 US tax credit encourages investment in carbon capture and storage@49:09 ___Energy vs Climatewww.energyvsclimate.com Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn | X/Twitter

Send us a textOn Episode 25 of Energy vs Climate, David, Sara and Ed tackle a topic they often get questions about: how to get into the low-carbon energy field. They share advice for people looking to start or transition their careers from a variety of professionals across sectors, and offer stories of their own paths to working in low-carbon energy. EPISODE NOTES:@2:00 Jeremy Barretto - Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP@4:18 Duncan Kenyon - Hilversum Sustainability Consulting@5:53 Jackie Forrest - Arc Energy Research Institute @8:45 Mike Kelland - Planetary Hydrogen @10:30 – My Climate Journey, Work on Climate, Air Miners, Breakthrough Energy Fellows Program, Carbon 180 Fellowship Program@13:25 Leap and Google Nest Launch Smart-Thermostat-to-Energy-Market Offering @15:00 Janice Tran - Kanin Energy @ 16:15 Creative Destruction Lab@18:43 Tim Weis - University of Alberta@23:20 Meredith Adler - Student Energy @24:30 Future Skills Council Report from the Government of Canada@25:40 MSc in Sustainable Energy Development at the UofC @32:30 Measuring Temperature in Space: Airborne interferometer for atmospheric emission and solar absorption@38:20  Dr. David Schindler Aquatic Scientist@42:22 Dr. Jim Sandercock - NAIT@43:55 Julia-Marie Becker - RBC @45:00 Eric St Pierre - Trottier Family Foundation@46:45 Terri-Lynn Duque - ENMAX power @48:30 David Kelly Founder - SkyFireEnergy @49:44 Anna Stukas - Carbon Engineering @ 51:45 The Citizen’s Guide ___Energy vs Climatewww.energyvsclimate.com Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn | X/Twitter

Send us a textOn Episode 24 of Energy vs Climate, David, Sara and Ed are joined by Rolling Stone contributing editor and author Jeff Goodell, to discuss the impacts of heat on humans, the topic of Jeff’s current book project. From heat-wave deaths, to reduced ability to learn, to the effect on economic input, who will suffer the most, and what does it mean for the politics of the energy transition? EPISODE NOTES@ 0:54 B.C. heat wave leads to 11-hour ambulance wait time, spike in sudden deaths@ 1:07 The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson review – how to solve the climate crisis@ 1:46 New York Times Review: The Water will come: Rising Seas, sinking cities and the remaking of the civilized world@ 2:53 Mortality risk attributable to high and low ambient temperature: a multicountry observational study@5:21 One extra day > 32C in first trimester --> 50$ less income at age 30.@5:59 Global non-linear effect of temperature on economic production@6:24 Hot Temperature and High Stakes Exams: Evidence from New York City Public Schools@ 15:05 Global heating ‘may lead to epidemic of kidney disease’@ 15:51Death toll exceeded 70,000 in Europe during the summer of 2003@ 17:03 The 2021 report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: code red for a healthy future@ 18:32 At COP26, 100000 march for climate justice@19:49 Mortality during the catastrophic 2021 heat dome@ 20:54 Sebastian Perez Did Not Have to Die@ 24:51 OSHA - Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings Rulemaking@27:53 The health costs of climate change from CICC@36:10 United Nations COP16 Cancun Agreements@58:11 ___Energy vs Climatewww.energyvsclimate.com Bluesky | YouTube | LinkedIn | X/Twitter