

Energy vs Climate: How climate is changing our energy systems
Energy vs Climate | Produced by Amit Tandon & Bespoke Podcasts
Energy vs Climate is a live, interactive webinar and podcast where energy experts David Keith, Sara Hastings-Simon and Ed Whittingham break down the trade-offs and hard truths of the energy transition in Alberta, Canada, and beyond. Guests include scientists, policy experts, and industry leaders discussing the forces reshaping our energy future—from breakthrough renewable technologies to the real-world impact of climate change.www.energyvsclimate.comProduced by Amit Tandon & Bespoke Podcasts
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 29, 2024 • 53min
Buzzkill: Understanding the Shift in Media Perception Towards EVs with Dr. Simon Evans
Dr. Simon Evans, Deputy Editor & Senior Policy Editor at Carbon Brief join co-hosts David, Sara, and Ed, to tease apart EV fact from fiction. About Our Guest:Simon Evans is deputy editor and policy editor at Carbon Brief. Simon covers climate and energy policy. He holds a PhD in biochemistry from Bristol University and previously studied chemistry at Oxford University. Show Notes:(00:02:01) – Factcheck: 21 misleading myths about electric vehicles(00:04:59) – Electric vs. Gas Cars: Is It Cheaper to Drive an EV?(00:06:37) – IPCC Climate Change 2023 Synthesis Report (00:10:30) – Reducing CO2 emissions from passenger cars (00:12:15) – Good Politics Bad Policy – Why governments should end their subsidies for EVs (00:17:25) – U of T researchers model the health benefits of electric cars, find 'large improvement in air quality'(00:18:45) – Roles of diffusion patterns, technological progress, and environmental benefits in determining optimal renewable subsidies in the US (00:20:13) – Politics in the U.S. energy transition: Case studies of solar, wind, biofuels and electric vehicles policy(00:27:20) – Five point plan to protect drivers from a rush to net zero is backed by MPs, motorists & campaigners(00:31:20) – Electric Vehicle Battery Supply Chains(00:37:12) – Alberta Budget 2024: EV groups question fairness of new $200 annual tax(00:43:46) – Yes, frigid weather may reduce your EV battery range. Here's how to prepare(00:48:24) – Hydrogen vs Electric CarsSend us a text (if you'd like a response, please include your email)Follow us on:LinkedInBlueskyX/TwitterInstagramEnergy vs Climate relies on the support of our generous listenersDonate to keep Energy vs Climate goingProduced by Bespoke Podcasts

Mar 13, 2024 • 56min
Energy vs Oilsands: How did we get to 3.5m bbl/day and what do we need to do about it? | with Andrew Leach
Dr. Andrew Leach, energy economist, discusses Canada's oil sands, CO2 emissions, refinery economics, growth plans, and the role of critical minerals in clean energy transitions. Topics include oil market reports, benefits of oil sands to Canadians, net zero goals, GHG emissions intensity, and challenges in the oil sands industry.

Feb 20, 2024 • 55min
History vs Energy - How the history of energy transitions can inform our future with Dr Petra Dolada
Dr. Petra Dolata, an expert in historical transitions, joins the hosts to discuss the history of energy transitions, including policy frameworks, prime movers, energy substitution, and social dimensions. They explore past transitions, peaking moments, and profitable solutions for climate and oil challenges, offering valuable insights for current energy transitions.

Dec 12, 2023 • 58min
Stranger than (Climate) Fiction with Kim Stanley Robinson
What is the role of literature in the climate policy and technology discussion? How does the genre allow us to explore uncomfortable climate scenarios, including those to do with heat death and direct action? While ultimately successful, the path laid out in the book is very bumpy, volatile, and rife with violence – strikingly different from the smooth and orderly transition often offered up by politicians and techno-optimists.On S5E7 of Energy vs Climate, David, Sara, Ed, and New York Times bestselling author Kim Stanley Robinson (of The Ministry for the Future) discuss how science fiction can help us explore different climate scenarios and solutions.EPISODE NOTES@0:21 – Kim Stanley Robinson@0:21 – The Ministry for the Future - Kim Stanley Robinson@3:13 – How hot is too hot for humans? Understanding wet-bulb temperatures@9:00 – Carboncoin @10:25 – The unprecedented Pacific Northwest heatwave of June 2021@13:55 – Karl Popper@18:45 – How to Blow Up a Pipeline - Andreas Malm@20:32 – Dave Foreman @21:30 – Climate protesters throw tomato soup on Van Gogh’s ‘Sunflowers’@27:50 – Who is Wiebo Ludwig? A thunder storm wrapped in the flesh of a man. Part 1@30:52 – Glacier geoengineering to address sea-level rise: A geotechnical approach (Lockley et al, 2020)@31:50 – Solar Geoengineering - should we go there?@39:25 – Empowering Female Climate Change Activists in the Global South: The Path Toward Environmental Social Justice - Peggy Ann Spitzer@44:05 – The Hottest Year @46:10 – Utility of the blockchain for climate mitigation (Chen, 2018)@49:05 – Send us a text (if you'd like a response, please include your email)Follow us on:LinkedInBlueskyX/TwitterInstagramEnergy vs Climate relies on the support of our generous listenersDonate to keep Energy vs Climate goingProduced by Bespoke Podcasts

Dec 4, 2023 • 1h 2min
Energy vs IEA Oil and Gas Scenarios
Published each year, the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) World Energy Outlook (WEO) is a leading source of scenario-based analysis of global energy demand and supply. This year, as the global energy crisis shows signs of calming, the WEO finds a peak in fossil fuels before 2030 across all scenarios. The result has been met with skepticism by some politicians in Canada, with Alberta’s Premier Danielle Smith going so far as to question the credibility of the organization. A follow-on special report from the IEA on the oil and gas industry in net zero transitions, released on November 23, offers additional insights on the role of oil and gas producers in achieving a decarbonized global energy sector.David, Sara, Ed, and the International Energy Agency’s Chief Energy Economist, Tim Gould discuss the findings of these IEA reports and the implications for Canada and its natural resources on Season 5, Episode 6 of Energy vs Climate.EPISODE NOTES @3:20 – World Energy Outlook 2023@6:10 – Oil and gas industry faces moment of truth – and opportunity to adapt – as clean energy transitions advance@9:45 – Electric Vehicles @10:53 – China’s electric vehicle surge will shock global markets@14:06 – Oil demand to begin long-term decline this decade, according to new Pembina report@24:01 – Oil Companies Are Preparing for a Lucrative Decline@24:26 – Building Momentum Toward Net Zero @29:05 – Canada’s Energy Future 2023 @32:50 – The Place of Energy Security in the National Security Framework: An Assessment Approach@42:26 – Canada introduces framework to cap greenhouse gas pollution from oil and gas sector@45:34 – Minister Guilbeault announces Canada’s draft methane regulations to support cleaner energy and climate action@46:40 – World Energy Investment 20Send us a text (if you'd like a response, please include your email)Follow us on:LinkedInBlueskyX/TwitterInstagramEnergy vs Climate relies on the support of our generous listenersDonate to keep Energy vs Climate goingProduced by Bespoke Podcasts

Nov 30, 2023 • 1h 13min
Energy vs Carbon Removal
The podcast discusses carbon removal as a critical tool in reducing CO2 concentrations, challenges in commercializing CDR technology, sustainable aviation fuel, implications for climate policy, virtual Power Purchase Agreements, and the race to cool the planet.

Nov 10, 2023 • 51min
Building for Sustainability - What Really Matters
Key topics in the podcast include carbon sink and low-carbon building materials, transition to electrification for home heating, progress in green cement technology, challenges of technological change for sustainability, incentives for green energy, natural gas bans in the U.S., and balancing energy efficiency, climate action, and affordability in housing development.

Oct 29, 2023 • 55min
Transmission vs Climate
The podcast discusses the challenges and opportunities in building long-distance transmission lines in North America. It explores the growth of renewable energy in Texas, the advantages of DC systems for transmission, and the challenges in energy generation planning. It also covers diverse efforts in renewable energy, collaboration between Alberta and BC, European interest in reducing dependence on Russian gas, and comparing North America and Europe's resource mix and transmission.

Oct 20, 2023 • 50min
BONUS | Nils Gilman on avocado politics and climate security from Challenging Climate
Hey everyone, Ed here. David, Sara and Ed will be back next week with an episode about electricity interties in the clean energy system. Until then we’d like to share another podcast with you that we think might be of interest, called Challenging Climate. Hosted by Jesse Reynolds and Pete Irvine, Challenging Climate tackles tough questions about the science, technology, economics and politics of climate change. Their topics range from climate modelling, persuasive narratives, national security, international development and even biotech. Jesse, Pete and their guests cover similar topics to what we cover 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. Send us a text (if you'd like a response, please include your email)Follow us on:LinkedInBlueskyX/TwitterInstagramEnergy vs Climate relies on the support of our generous listenersDonate to keep Energy vs Climate goingProduced by Bespoke Podcasts

Oct 5, 2023 • 58min
Energy vs 1.5°C - Breaking Down the 1.5C Warming Target
Since the Paris Agreement coming into force in 2016, world leaders have increasingly emphasized the need to keep warming to the 1.5°C target by the end of this century, in order to avoid more dangerous impacts from climate change. Yet temperature readings around the globe show that the world has already warmed by roughly 1°C on average above pre-industrial levels. Many models suggest we will very likely exceed 1.5°C of warming, possibly in the next 5-10 years, in the absence of aggressive worldwide action to reduce emissions and (perhaps) engineer the climate. While we have made much progress, unfortunately the world is nowhere close to that level of action. So does the 1.5°C target still make sense if overshoot seems almost certain? Is it a science-based target or a political target - and even a reasonable and just target in the first place? Is the target about holding the line at 1.5°C or getting it back down to 1.5°C by 2100? When are we likely to exceed it, how will we know, and what will be the physical and political consequences of missing it?On S5E2 of Energy vs Climate, David, Sara, Ed, and climate scientist Zeke Hausfather of Stripe and Berkeley Earth discuss all things 1.5°C.EPISODE NOTES0:36 – Key Aspects of the Paris Agreement 1:23 – Climate Change: Global Temperature 2:16 – Zeke Hausfather - Berkeley Earth 5:37 - Earth likely to cross critical climate thresholds even if emissions decline, Stanford study finds 7:07 – 10 Big Findings from the 2023 IPCC Report on Climate Change 8:25 – Adrien Abécassis - COP 27 Debrief 10:16 – The Berkeley Earth Land/Ocean Temperature Record - Rohde and Hausfather (2020) 12:21 – Near-term acceleration in the rate of temperature change - Smith, et al (2015)15:05 – How low-sulphur shipping rules are affecting global warming 15:12 – Send us a text (if you'd like a response, please include your email)Follow us on:LinkedInBlueskyX/TwitterInstagramEnergy vs Climate relies on the support of our generous listenersDonate to keep Energy vs Climate goingProduced by Bespoke Podcasts


