EvC Superfan and fellow energy nerd Robert Tremblay turns the tables on Sara and Ed — asking the questions the podcast usually doesn't: how EvC started, the energy transition over the 7 seasons of the show, what's changed, and whether any of it is working. They get into their backgrounds, the EvC origin story (are the rumours about Danielle Smith true?), how the show has evolved, and what they actually think about Canada's climate trajectory. Plus a rapid-fire round... well, at least as rapid-fi...
Apr 16, 2026•55 min
Energy vs Climate X Climate Books Reviews This week we're sharing an episode from Ed's other podcast, Climate Book Reviews , co-hosted with Dr. Roger Thompson of Arizona State University. Their guest is John Vaillant, author of Fire Weather: The Making of a Beast . (US and International - Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World ) Many listeners will know Vaillant from his earlier books The Golden Spruce and The Tiger , both gripping works of narrative nonfiction. In Fire Weather, he turns...
Apr 02, 2026•47 min
The Iran war and the near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz have triggered a major shock to global oil and LNG markets. Roughly 20 million barrels of oil per day normally move through Hormuz. The IEA says nearly all of that has been disrupted. Oil and gas prices have surged sharply; and the disruption extends well beyond oil as Qatari LNG exports have been largely severed. Asia is especially exposed, since most Gulf energy exports flow there. This isn’t just an oil story. It’s a “can people cook d...
Mar 19, 2026•37 min•Season 7Ep. 12
Vijay Gadepally joins Ed and Sara to break down the real energy footprint of AI—and why most people (and companies) are getting it wrong. They discuss: How "agentic" AI systems use an order of magnitude more energy than ChatGPT. Whether efficiency gains can keep pace with exploding usage (spoiler: not yet). The one simple change that could cut AI energy use by 80%. Vijay is Senior Scientist at the MIT Lincoln Laboratory Supercomputing Center and Co-Founder of Bay Compute and Radium Cloud. He stu...
Mar 05, 2026•53 min•Season 7Ep. 11
This episode is different. We're tackling China's energy transition, and instead of David, Sara, and Ed just talking about it, they went out and interviewed different experts on the subject. Why China? Because it's arguably the most important energy story on the planet right now. China is the world's largest emitter. It's also the world's largest investor in clean energy. It manufactures the lion's share of solar panels, batteries, and now electric vehicles in the world. Functionally, what happe...
Feb 19, 2026•1 hr 19 min•Season 7Ep. 10
Recorded live at the Energy Transition Centre in Calgary, David, Sara, and Ed took on one of the toughest questions in Canadian climate politics: what does energy transition actually look like for Alberta? They dug into emissions, economics, diversification, and the uncomfortable trade-offs that tend to get glossed over in public debate. It's a fun conversation with an extended Q&A from the live audience. Just a note, unfortunately we had some mic issues so apologies for any audio hiccups yo...
Feb 05, 2026•1 hr 23 min•Season 7Ep. 9
Can we have guilt-free flying? David, Sara, and Ed chat with Sebastian Eastham, associate professor of sustainable aviation at Imperial College London, about the climate impacts of aviation and what we can actually do about it. The conversation covers immediate levers like contrail avoidance and operational changes that don't require waiting decades for new tech—plus the real potential (and limitations) of sustainable aviation fuels. It's a lively and at times blunt conversation, with sharp audi...
Jan 22, 2026•1 hr•Season 7Ep. 8
You asked — David, Sara, and Ed answered. We're wrapping up the year with our annual Ask EvC Anything episode, touching on topics that pair well with New Year's bubbly: We talk about whether Canada’s climate targets are quietly slipping out of reach, the practicalities and prospects of direct air capture, what a net zero electricity grid in Alberta might actually look like by 2050, whether shiny new materials like metal organic frameworks are breakthrough solutions or just the latest carbon hype...
Dec 31, 2025•48 min•Season 7Ep. 7
A look back at the biggest energy stories of 2025 and some crystal ball gazing about what to watch for in 2026. David, Sara and Ed chat with Robbie Orvis, Senior Director of Modeling & Analysis at Energy Innovation , an American Think Tank. The show was set up to do two things: First, to sort out what genuinely shifted in 2025 and what didn't. Second, to build a 2026 energy and climate watch list that helps separate real transition signals from the noise and the hype. It's a lively conversat...
Dec 11, 2025•59 min•Season 7Ep. 6
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 o...
Dec 02, 2025•43 min
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...
Nov 20, 2025•2 min
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 Guest Dr Jai Asundi is the Executive Director at the Center for Study o...
Nov 19, 2025•46 min•Season 7Ep. 5
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 Environmen...
Nov 06, 2025•1 hr•Season 7Ep. 4
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 t...
Oct 23, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Season 7Ep. 3
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) - Enh...
Oct 03, 2025•57 min•Season 7Ep. 2
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 i...
Sep 18, 2025•56 min•Season 7Ep. 1
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Sep 03, 2025•52 sec
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 an...
Aug 20, 2025•44 min
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, dome...
Aug 07, 2025•34 min
In this latest episode of Ed’s occasional podcast Climate Book Reviews , we dive into the wildly imaginative and disturbingly plausible world of Ashley Shelby ’s acclaimed story collection, Honeymoons in Temporary Locations . Recently named one of Fresh Energy’s Favorite Climate Books of 2025 and shortlisted for the Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize, Shelby’s collection has been praised by Scientific American , Foreword , and the Post and Courier for its biting wit, emotional punch, and genre-bending ...
Jul 24, 2025•46 min
David & Ed chat with renowned scientist, author and Canadian, Dr. Katharine Hayhoe who argues that hope—not doom—is what drives action. Dr. Hayhoe is one of the world’s most prominent climate communicators and known for crossing political, religious, and cultural lines to connect with audiences that most climate advocates can’t or won't reach. It's an engaging discussion that delves into the psychology of despair, the limits of data in changing minds and behaviour, and whether hope still has...
Jul 09, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Season 6Ep. 14
LIVE from the Montreal's Climate Solutions Prize Festival 2025 Na'im Merchant , Executive Director of Carbon Removal Canada and the host of The Carbon Curve podcast, and Grégoire Baillargeon , President of BMO Quebec and Vice Chair of BMO Capital Markets join Ed Whittingham for a panel discussion exploring how Canada can become a global leader in carbon removal. With two podcast hosts and one Bank of Montreal president, Ed, Na'im and Greg pass the host's mic like a baton as they unpack the devel...
Jun 26, 2025•35 min
David & Ed chat with Dr. Rose Mutiso about the tension between energy, climate, and economic development in Africa and the global south. They touch on many topics to do with sub-Saharan Africa, including energy production & consumption, electricity and power grids, and the vast economic inequity that still exists between the global north & south. About Our Guest: Dr. Rose M. Mutiso is a Kenyan scientist, thought leader, and social entrepreneur. She is the Founder & Executive Dire...
Jun 13, 2025•50 min•Season 6Ep. 13
Ed and David chat with special guest Andreas Malm, author of How the World Surrendered to Climate Breakdown and How to Blow Up a Pipeline: Learning to Fight in a World on Fire . They discuss Malm’s critiques of climate inaction—how liberal democracies, fossil capital, and the Global North have collectively abandoned meaningful efforts to stop climate breakdown—and what comes next for movement strategy, the ethics and effectiveness of disruption, and what kind of climate action might actually wor...
May 29, 2025•55 min•Season 6Ep. 12
Ed Whittingham & Roger Thompson discuss Upton Sinclair's classic novel - Oil! We're sharing another episode of Ed's occasional podcast, Climate Book Reviews, this time discussing the book that was the inspiration for the critically acclaimed 2007 movie, There Will Be Blood, starring Daniel Day-Lewis. Ed and co-host Dr. Roger Thompson (Associate Dean and Professor of Writing and Rhetoric at Stony Brook University in New York) chat with Michael Tondry , editor of a critical edition reissue by ...
May 17, 2025•47 min
Energy expert Amy Myers Jaffe returns to EvC to chat with Ed about Energy and Artificial Intelligence. Nearly every aspect of the economy seems to be impacted by the stunningly rapid development of AI. Energy is no exception. Ed and Amy have a wide-ranging discussion that covers a lot of ground and touches on several hot topics, including: How AI is transforming the production, distribution, and consumption of energy; The energy needs of data centers; Whether or not AI is an asset or liability f...
May 02, 2025•51 min•Season 6Ep. 11
There’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 epis...
Apr 17, 2025•47 min
David & 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 Questions Detailed show notes available on episode page Abou...
Apr 04, 2025•58 min•Season 6Ep. 10
Host 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 Wisconsin Klaus Lackner, professor at Arizona State University David Keith, professor at the University of Chicago and a DAC pioneer who founded the company Carbon Engineering Sara Hastings-Si...
Mar 25, 2025•28 min
Host 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 Climeworks Lucy Hargreaves, Corporate Affairs and Climate Policy at Patch Jim McDermott, co-founder and the managing partner of Rusheen Capital Management, LLC David Keith, p...
Mar 18, 2025•27 min
