What is Energy vs Climate?
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.
Alberta is an oil and gas-rich province in a natural resource-dependent country with high environmental ambitions. It’s a “canary in the coal mine” for the collision between climate and jobs. But we hope it can serve as a model for successfully managing that disruption.
Climate politics is too-often dominated by elite happy talk around IPCC targets. Yet, year after year, emissions have crept ever upwards. Now Greta is calling out the hypocrisy of boomers, rightly demanding that action replace talk.
Energy vs. Climate is your no-nonsense discussion source for the nuanced reality we face. We’ll cover news and speak with guests from industry, government and civil society. You won’t always agree with us, but if you care about our energy future, this series is for you.
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.
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Who Are We?
David Keith David Keith has worked near the interface of climate science, energy technology, and public policy since 1990. Keith is Professor of Geophysical Sciences and founding faculty director of the Climate Systems Engineering initiative at the University of Chicago. Best known for his work on the science, technology, and public policy of solar geoengineering, Keith led the development of Harvard’s Solar Geoengineering Research Program before moving to Chicago in 2023. Keith founded Carbon Engineering, a Canadian company developing technology to capture CO2 from ambient air. He teaches science and technology policy, climate science, and solar geoengineering. Keith has written for the public through numerous opinion pieces and wrote the book A Case for Climate Engineering.
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 where she teaches in the Energy Science program, and co-leads the Net Zero Electricity Research Initiative. She has a particular interest in the mid-transition.
Ed Whittingham isn’t a physicist but is a passionate environmental professional. His background in climate change, energy policy, corporate sustainability and cleantech finance has been developed through 25 years of working collaboratively with companies, governments, universities and non-governmental organizations in Canada and internationally. He is the founder of Advance Carbon Removal, a coalition advancing demand side solutions for carbon removal in Canada. He is also the former CEO of the Pembina Institute, Canada’s widely respected energy/environment NGO. Ed was named one of Alberta’s 50 Most Influential People in 2016, and has been profiled in the Globe and Mail and the Financial Post. His op-eds have been published in newspapers and magazines across Canada and internationally.
“This webinar/podcast series is consistently excellent: interesting, insightful and serious without being dull. I love how the discussion is always brought back to Canada in general and Alberta in particular - a great proxy for challenges and opportunities of the Energy Transition.”
-Erik Mielke, SVP, Global Head of Corporate Research, Wood Mackenzie
“I am so grateful for this new podcast series Energy vs Climate. Smart debate around the science, policy and business of various climate solutions and transition pathways that can help to shed light on the complexity of the choice we have before us. Plus, it offers Canadian context.”
-Emma Rogers, Senior Manager, Sustainable Business and Operations, RBC
“I have been a regular follower of the Energy vs. Climate series and think it’s wonderfully thought-provoking”
-Charles DeLand, Associate Director, Research, C.D. Howe Institute
“I never miss an episode."
-Safeeya Faruqui, Operations and Engagement Specialist, Canadian Institute for Climate Choices
"I like the format you’ve chosen with the pro, neutral and anti positions. It’s effective and thoughtful and probably makes each of you more considerate all round."
-John Gorman, CEO, Canadian Nuclear Association
“There's nothing else like you in Canada. You're the Canadian version of The Energy Gang that I've been looking for.”
-Jonathan Frank, Head of Clean Energy, VanCity Community Investment Bank
Energy vs Climate is produced with support from the North Family Foundation, the Consecon Foundation and our generous listeners.