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179 afleveringen, van nieuw naar oud
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The Big Switch: California’s climate czar on banning gas cars
10 mei 2023 · 32 min
Are you a utility or climate tech startup looking to understand how artificial intelligence will shape your company? Come to our one-day event, Transition-AI: Boston on June 15. Our listeners get a 20% discount with the code PSPODS20.
We’re hard at work on a new season of The Big Switch podcast, which will go deep on the impact of the European energy crisis. And this week, we’re featuring an episode from last season.
There’s been a pretty major shake-up in the world of transit decarbonization. Last summer, the California Air Resources Board – a state organization that regulates air quality – approved a rule mandating that by 2035, all new cars sold in California will be zero-emissions. And last month, California approved a ban on diesel by 2036 in heavy-duty transport.
These rules will transform California's transportation market; and deliver some huge climate and health wins along the way. Between now and 2035, the regulation will result in 9.5 million fewer gas-powered cars on the road. California’s not alone in cracking down on gas cars – soon, as many as seventeen other states may follow suit, resulting in a wave of regulation that could change American transit forever.
In this episode, Dr. Melissa Lott talks with Mary Nichols, the former Chair of the California Air Resources Board, about the history and consequences of the rule.
The Carbon Copy is supported by FischTank PR, a public relations, strategic messaging, and social media agency dedicated to elevating the work of climate and clean energy companies. Learn more about FischTank’s approach to cleantech and their services: fischtankpr.com.
The Carbon Copy is brought to you by Sungrow. Now in more than 150 countries, Sungrow’s solutions include inverters for utility-scale, commercial & industrial solar, plus energy storage systems. Learn more at us.sungrowpower.com. Lees meer -
America’s green industrial strategy 2.0
1 mei 2023 · 57 min
Over the last two years, we’ve created the foundation for a green industrial awakening in America — thanks to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act. Collectively, they will leverage hundreds of billions of dollars to support domestic producers.
The green industrial framework is not new, but the policy levers are more powerful than ever. So what makes America’s industrial strategy 2.0 different from the Obama years? What lessons have been learned about what worked and what didn't?
That is what we're unpacking this week, live from the Prelude Climate Summit.
We’re joined by Katherine Hamilton, chair of 38 North; Jigar Shah, director of the Department of Energy’s loan programs office; and Sonia Aggarwal, CEO of Energy Innovation and a former senior advisor to the president.
The Carbon Copy is supported by FischTank PR, a public relations, strategic messaging, and social media agency dedicated to elevating the work of climate and clean energy companies. Learn more about FischTank’s approach to cleantech and their services: fischtankpr.com.
The Carbon Copy is brought to you by Sungrow. Now in more than 150 countries, Sungrow’s solutions include inverters for utility-scale, commercial & industrial solar, plus energy storage systems. Learn more at us.sungrowpower.com. Lees meer -
Creating the ‘energy capitals’ of a decarbonized grid [partner content]
1 mei 2023 · 16 min
The landscape for peaker power plants in New York is changing. Over the next two years, dozens of aging oil- and gas-fired plants will be phased out around New York City, thanks to stronger air quality rules and the state’s climate law.
Under the rules, some of National Grid's peaking generation will shut down permanently, and some will steadily ramp down.
The plan to overhaul these plants is part of National Grid's Northeast clean energy vision – which will create hubs of clean energy projects built with specific local needs in mind. The goal is to make communities the "energy capitals" of a decarbonized grid.
So what will these hubs look like?
In this episode, Will Hazelip, president of National Grid Ventures for the US Northeast, outlines the high stakes for the utility – and the communities it serves.
Will talks with Stephen Lacey about clean energy projects underway, the technology trends guiding investments, and the plan to maximize the local economic impact.
Learn more about National Grid’s efforts to build the clean energy capitals of tomorrow. There, you'll find details about offshore wind, batteries, renewables, and transmission. Lees meer -
Will America’s commercial kitchens go electric?
19 april 2023 · 34 min
Around the US, cities are passing laws to phase fossil gas out of buildings. But the culinary industry is pushing back, saying that gas bans hurt chefs and restaurant owners. This week, the California Restaurant Association successfully won a lawsuit challenging Berkeley's pioneering gas ban.
Chris Galarza is on a mission to show chefs that industrial induction cooking is far superior to gas. He’s the founder of Forward Dining Solutions, a company focused on kitchen electrification. Chris is also the head chef at Chatham University’s Eden Hall campus, where all cooking is electric.
Journalist Miles O’Brien interviewed Chef Galarza as part of his new NOVA documentary airing this month, called Chasing Carbon Zero.
This week: the story of one chef's quest to bring induction cooking to commercial and industrial kitchens around the country. We talk with Miles about what he found in that electric kitchen at Chatham University – and why Chef Galarza thinks induction will soon dominate, even with challenges from the restaurant lobby.
In the second half of the episode, we'll talk about the bigger shifts in broadcast journalism around telling the climate story. Miles is the science correspondent at the PBS NewsHour and a former CNN anchor who has shifted his journalistic focus toward climate solutions. Can TV news rise to the challenge?
The Carbon Copy is supported by FischTank PR, a public relations, strategic messaging, and social media agency dedicated to elevating the work of climate and clean energy companies. Learn more about FischTank’s approach to cleantech and their services: fischtankpr.com.
The Carbon Copy is brought to you by Sungrow. Now in more than 150 countries, Sungrow’s solutions include inverters for utility-scale, commercial & industrial solar, plus energy storage systems. Learn more at us.sungrowpower.com. Lees meer -
From Drilled: The Boom
17 april 2023 · 29 min
We're sharing an episode of a podcast we love, Drilled from our friends over at Critical Frequency. Four years ago, the Drilled podcast asked a question that changed how people thought about climate stories: What if we stopped acting like the climate crisis was inevitable and instead treated it like it truly is… the crime of the century? Now, the original true crime podcast about climate change is back with a new season all about the opportunistic oil industry.
The story is packed with high stakes court cases, intrepid journalists, and a whole lot of intrigue, set in the world's largest oil boom town. Listen to the new season of Drilled. Lees meer -
Live: How AI could supercharge climate tech
12 april 2023 · 55 min
Up until six months ago, artificial intelligence might not have squeaked into the top five areas of climate tech for most people.
But the Cambrian explosion of large language models – led by ChatGPT – has suddenly hooked hundreds of millions of users, offered mind-boggling creative capabilities that have surprised almost everyone, and kicked off an AI arms race in the tech world.
What are the most compelling applications for AI in energy? This week, we feature a live conversation with Priya Donti, MIT professor and executive director of Climate Change AI; Amy Francetic, managing general partner at Buoyant Ventures; and Jesse Morris, CEO of the Energy Web Foundation.
In this episode, recorded at Greentown Labs, we explore the wide range of applications for grid modeling, renewable energy integration, research & development, and product development. We also stretch beyond AI and talk about the wider digital layer that is fundamental to building and maintaining an increasingly electric, distributed energy system.
You can also watch the conversation on video.
This live episode is brought to you by Nexamp. Nexamp is leading the transformation to the new energy economy with proven solar and energy storage solutions that make clean energy more accessible for its customers and partners. Visit nexamp.com to learn more. Lees meer -
What’s driving a surge in renewables opposition?
5 april 2023 · 35 min
In five years, we've tripled the amount of solar capacity connected to America's grid. Wind capacity has grown 60% in the last 5 years. And in just the last year alone, battery capacity has doubled.
But there’s also a surge in opposition to local projects. According to the Sabin Center for Climate Law at Columbia University, there are now 121 local policies that restrict or outright ban wind and solar in 31 states – a nearly 18% increase from 2021. What’s causing it?
The opposition is coming in many different forms. In this episode, we'll focus on two of them: the coordinated spread of disinformation in local Facebook groups, and dark money going to news websites that are protecting utility political power.
We’ll talk with Michael Thomas, author of the Distilled newsletter, who embedded himself with dozens of local Facebook groups devoted to fighting renewables.
And we’ll also speak with Miranda Green, director of investigations at Floodlight, about the coordination of bad information spread on Facebook. Plus, she’ll tell the story of how her team uncovered a new method of influence peddling: utilities propping up news sites that cut down critics.
The Carbon Copy is supported by FischTank PR, a public relations, strategic messaging, and social media agency dedicated to elevating the work of climate and clean energy companies. Learn more about FischTank’s approach to cleantech and their services: fischtankpr.com.
The Carbon Copy is brought to you by Sungrow. Now in more than 150 countries, Sungrow’s solutions include inverters for utility-scale, commercial & industrial solar, plus energy storage systems. Learn more at us.sungrowpower.com. Lees meer -
Live: The most ambitious city energy transition in America
28 maart 2023 · 28 min
In 2021, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s supercomputer found that Los Angeles can hit 100% clean power within a decade and a half. But how will it be implemented in reality – in a way that benefits everyone?
That’s the $86 billion question for the city.
There are many other questions to answer: How will a utility serving four million residents phase out coal and gas, triple its yearly build-out of renewables and batteries, electrify 80% of homes and cars, build new transmission, and ramp up hydrogen and other forms of cutting-edge storage – all by 2035?
This week, we dig into those challenges on stage with Marty Adams, general manager and chief engineer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. The conversation was recorded live at the Intersolar North America conference in Long Beach, California.
Come watch a live episode of The Carbon Copy! Canary Media and Post Script Media are hosting a live event at Greentown Labs in Somerville, Ma. on April 6. record a live episode of The Carbon Copy with some very special guests. Get your tickets today.
The Carbon Copy is supported by FischTank PR, a public relations, strategic messaging, and social media agency dedicated to elevating the work of climate and clean energy companies. Learn more about FischTank’s approach to cleantech and their services: fischtankpr.com.
The Carbon Copy is supported by Scale Microgrids, the distributed energy company dedicated to transforming the way modern energy infrastructure is designed, constructed, and financed. Distributed generation can be complex. Scale makes it easy. Learn more: scalemicrogrids.com. Lees meer -
A bank collapse threatens climate startups
20 maart 2023 · 31 min
Silicon Valley Bank was a mid-sized bank that catered to entrepreneurs in the tech sector. The bank was an early supporter of the climate tech and sustainability space, with over 1,500 clients across the industry.
But things quickly unraveled this month after SVB executives told investors they'd sold off a massive portfolio of mortgage bonds – creating a historic run on the bank and a government takeover.
For a couple days, it looked like many climate startups would lose their cash. They narrowly avoided a complete financial catastrophe after the Federal Reserve stepped in, but now many are pondering the longer-term consequences.
“They were early pioneers in cleantech, what became known as climate tech. They were here from the beginning. We're gonna be missing them for a long time,” explains Prelude Ventures’ Gabriel Kra.
This week, the demise of SVB. What was the bank's role in the industry, and happens with it gone?
We’ll talk with Gabriel Kra, managing director of Prelude Ventures. We’ll also profile two entrepreneurs with money tied up at SVB: Maria Intscher-Owrang, the CEO of Simplifyber; and Bryan Guido Hassin, the CEO of DEXMAT.
Come watch a live episode of The Carbon Copy! Canary Media and Post Script Media are hosting a live event at Greentown Labs in Somerville, Ma. on April 6. record a live episode of The Carbon Copy with some very special guests. Get your tickets today.
The Carbon Copy is supported by FischTank PR, a public relations, strategic messaging, and social media agency dedicated to elevating the work of climate and clean energy companies. Learn more about FischTank’s approach to cleantech and their services: fischtankpr.com.
The Carbon Copy is supported by Scale Microgrids, the distributed energy company dedicated to transforming the way modern energy infrastructure is designed, constructed, and financed. Distributed generation can be complex. Scale makes it easy. Learn more: scalemicrogrids.com. Lees meer -
A rogue geoengineering startup sparks worry
15 maart 2023 · 24 min
A few weeks ago, TIME Magazine staff writer Alejandro de la Garza found himself on the floor of a hotel room in Nevada with two guys trying to cook sulfur dioxide out of a tin can.
Luke Iseman and Andrew Song are the co-founders of Make Sunsets, a startup claiming to be implementing solar geoengineering by launching weather balloons filled with SO2 into the stratosphere.
Their first experimental launch in the Mexican state of Baja resulted in a swift regulatory response from the Mexican government. But when they ran another test launch a few weeks ago just outside of Reno, Nevada, Luke invited Alejandro to meet them.
This week, we speak with Alejandro about his TIME profile of the risky startup. Plus, we talk with geoengineering experts, Dr. Holly Buck and Dr. Kevin Surprise.
“Any single person you talk to in solar geoengineering research, whether they're bullish or against it, they all think that what makes Sunsets doing is a bad idea,” explains Alejandro.
Make Sunsets represents a turning point for the field of geoengineering, when rogue actors are pushing it from academic debate into the real world. Is the company’s recent balloon launch an act of performance art – or an open door to an uncontrolled climate experiment? Lees meerClick here for a full transcript
Come watch a live episode of The Carbon Copy! Canary Media and Post Script Media are hosting a live event at Greentown Labs in Somerville, Ma. on April 6. record a live episode of The Carbon Copy with some very special guests. Get your tickets today.
The Carbon Copy is supported by FischTank PR, a public relations, strategic messaging, and social media agency dedicated to elevating the work of climate and clean energy companies. Learn more about FischTank’s approach to cleantech and their services: fischtankpr.com.
The Carbon Copy is supported by Scale Microgrids, the distributed energy company dedicated to transforming the way modern energy infrastructure is designed, constructed, and financed. Distributed gene… -
Introducing Discarded: Episode 1, David vs. Goliath
13 maart 2023 · 49 min
Discarded is a series from Lemonada Media. If you like The Carbon Copy, then we think you’re going to enjoy Discarded.
The shadow of Goliath is looming over St. James Parish, Louisiana, and it’s called The Sunshine Project. This $9.4 billion proposed petrochemical plant would sprawl across 2,400 acres, pushing up against the community that has lived and died there for generations. Our David is lifelong resident Sharon Lavigne. After teaching special education at the local school for over 30 years, Sharon becomes an accidental activist trying to save her community and its history.
This series is presented in partnership with Only One, the action platform for the planet. Only One is on a mission to restore ocean health and tackle the climate crisis in this generation — with your help. Visit only.one to learn more and get involved. Lees meer -
Are oil & gas majors abandoning clean energy?
8 maart 2023 · 50 min
Come watch a live episode of The Carbon Copy! Canary Media and Post Script Media are hosting a live event at Greentown Labs in Somerville, Ma. on April 6. record a live episode of The Carbon Copy with some very special guests. Get your tickets today.
In 2020, the top five Western oil & gas supermajors – ExxonMobil, BP, Shell, Chevron, and Total – saw combined losses of $76 billion. That was caused by the radical drop in energy consumption when Covid shut down the global economy.
That year, BP CEO Bernard Looney called for a 40% cut in oil & gas production in a decade, and promised to invest billions of dollars each year into renewables.
Two years later, thanks to a war waged by Russia that disrupted supply and a bounceback in global oil demand, high prices brought $200 billion in profits for those companies.
BP just decided that it would invest billions more in oil & gas production, rather than make the drastic cuts it initially proposed. Shell is doing the same, expanding fossil fuel extraction while keeping clean energy investments flat. And even with windfall profits, clean energy only accounts for 5% of oil company capital expenditures globally.
At one point, it seemed like there was a real shift happening in the sector. And now, with the global appetite for oil still growing, the allure of high profits is shifting investments back into extraction.
This week: how will this new boom time for oil and gas companies impact investments in clean energy?
Plus, we’ll take stock of some of the hottest emerging sectors, like hydrogen, virtual power plants, and critical minerals recycling.
Jigar Shah and Katherine Hamilton are back on the show this week to dissect all of it. Lees meerClick here for a full transcript.
The Carbon Copy is supported by FischTank PR, a public relations, strategic messaging, and social media agency dedicated to elevating the work of climate and clean energy companies. Learn more about FischTank’s approach to cleantech and their services: fischtankpr.c…
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California's 'white gold' rush (re-run)
1 maart 2023 · 21 min
Come watch a live episode of The Carbon Copy! Canary Media and Post Script Media are hosting a live event at Greentown Labs in Somerville, Ma. on April 6. record a live episode of The Carbon Copy with some very special guests. Get your tickets today.
Batteries are everywhere. In our electronics, our power tools, our electric grid, and in our cars. And almost all those batteries use a lithium-ion chemistry.
To make an all-electric world possible, we're going to need a lot of lithium. Prices are up 400 percent over 2021. And demand is expected to increase fivefold over the next decade.
The Imperial Valley in southern California is home to the Salton Sea, a land-locked body of water that contains vast reserves of lithium. California Governor Gavin Newsom called the region the "Saudi Arabia of Lithium." If mined, it could completely reshape the global supply chain.
But locals who live near the Salton Sea – a region plagued by unemployment and pollution – worry that the rush to extract the resource won't benefit the people living there.
This week on The Carbon Copy: California has ambitious plans to fuel the global EV boom with the Salton Sea’s lithium. But will the people who need it most get left behind?
Guests: Independent reporter Aaron Cantú, who wrote about the Salton Sea’s Lithium industry here. And Luis Olmedo, executive director of Comité Cívico del Valle.
The Carbon Copy is a co-production of Post Script Media and Canary Media.
The Carbon Copy is supported by FischTank PR, a public relations, strategic messaging, and social media agency dedicated to elevating the work of climate and clean energy companies. Learn more about FischTank’s approach to cleantech and their services: fischtankpr.com.
The Carbon Copy is supported by Scale Microgrids, the distributed energy company dedicated to transforming the way modern energy infrastructure is designed, constructed, and financed. Distributed generation can be complex. Scale makes it easy. Learn more: scalemicrogrids.… Lees meer -
Stunning new data on coal vs renewables
22 februari 2023 · 26 min
For the last 12 years, coal generation in America has been in steady decline. In 2022, wind, solar, and hydro collectively generated more electricity than coal plants. There's no escaping it: the coal fleet is getting creaky.
Despite this, hundreds of coal plants are still in operation nationwide. A team of analysts at Energy Innovation and the University of California, Berkeley, wanted to know how many of those aging coal plants are more expensive to run than wind and solar. The results were stunning.
Only one coal plant in America is cheaper to operate than building new renewables. So with 99 percent of coal plants being the more expensive option, it begs the question: why haven’t utilities ditched coal?
This week, we'll speak with Mike O’Boyle, senior director for electricity policy at Energy Innovation, about the nuances of the transition away from coal – and why economics alone aren't enough to push the oldest, dirtiest plants into retirement.
The Carbon Copy is supported by FischTank PR, a public relations, strategic messaging, and social media agency dedicated to elevating the work of climate and clean energy companies. Learn more about FischTank’s approach to cleantech and their services: fischtankpr.com.
The Carbon Copy is supported by Scale Microgrids, the distributed energy company dedicated to transforming the way modern energy infrastructure is designed, constructed, and financed. Distributed generation can be complex. Scale makes it easy. Learn more: scalemicrogrids.com. Lees meer -
A surprising history of gas stove pollution
15 februari 2023 · 26 min
Last month, new research showing that 12 percent of childhood asthma can be linked to gas stoves took over the news cycle. Suddenly, gas stoves were a hot topic on nightly news programs across America.
The study ignited backlash from conservative pundits, especially after a commissioner from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission said stricter regulation of gas stoves was on the table.
But there’s nothing new about the connection between gas stoves and health. The latest findings build off decades of public health research, which most people have never heard of – in part due to a powerful marketing effort by the gas industry.
This week, we dive beyond the outrage cycle and into the data. Guest Brady Seals talks about what 50 years of research tells us about the impact of gas stoves, and how the latest findings will influence the policy push to get gas out of buildings. Lees meerClick here for a full transcript.
The Carbon Copy is supported by FischTank PR, a public relations, strategic messaging, and social media agency dedicated to elevating the work of climate and clean energy companies. Learn more about FischTank’s approach to cleantech and their services: fischtankpr.com.
The Carbon Copy is supported by Scale Microgrids, the distributed energy company dedicated to transforming the way modern energy infrastructure is designed, constructed, and financed. Distributed generation can be complex. Scale makes it easy. Learn more: scalemicrogrids.com. -
A new catalyst for the smart home: electrify everything
8 februari 2023 · 27 min
Visions for the energy-smart home of the future haven’t panned out.
In the mid-2000s, the internet-enabled consumer dashboard was going to be the thing that revolutionized energy in the home. Even Google and Microsoft got in on the action – and then shut down their energy dashboards when no one was using them.
Then came the smart thermostat, pioneered by Nest. Many hoped the rise of smart thermostats marked the start of a wave of technology adoption that would enable millions of energy-aware homes. They have been helpful for demand response programs, but the gadget-centric model hasn't yet unlocked a smart home revolution.
But today, there's a new backdrop that is creating more urgency for the grid-interactive home: electrification.
As we electrify the economy and build more variable renewables, we need buildings to help balance the grid. And after decades of futuristic visions that never materialized, are we finally at a moment when the smart, grid-interactive home is emerging in a meaningful form?
This week, we dug into that question with Canary Media Senior Reporter Julian Spector. Read Julian’s piece on grid-interactive homes here as part of Canary Media’s week-long coverage of the smart home space. Lees meerFor a full transcript, click here.
The Carbon Copy is supported by FischTank PR, a public relations, strategic messaging, and social media agency dedicated to elevating the work of climate and clean energy companies. Learn more about FischTank’s approach to cleantech and their services: fischtankpr.com.
The Carbon Copy is supported by Scale Microgrids, the distributed energy company dedicated to transforming the way modern energy infrastructure is designed, constructed, and financed. Distributed generation can be complex. Scale makes it easy. Learn more: scalemicrogrids.com. -
The greasy truth behind sustainable aviation fuels
1 februari 2023 · 20 min
Canary media senior reporter Maria Gallucci recently took a pretty unconventional road trip – shadowing a truck driver as he drove around New Jersey, sucking grease, beef tallow, and used cooking oil out of dumpsters behind airports and restaurant chains.
This grease will soon be turned into a sustainable aviation fuel known as hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids, or HEFA. With hydrogen and batteries still not ready to move our airplanes, the airline industry is relying on cooking grease to decarbonize. How clean – and how scalable – is it?
Maria Gallucci joins us to explain. You can find her feature story for Canary media here. Lees meerClick here for a full transcript of this episode.
The Carbon Copy is supported by FischTank PR, a public relations, strategic messaging, and social media agency dedicated to elevating the work of climate and clean energy companies. Learn more about FischTank’s approach to cleantech and their services: fischtankpr.com.
The Carbon Copy is supported by Scale Microgrids, the distributed energy company dedicated to transforming the way modern energy infrastructure is designed, constructed, and financed. Distributed generation can be complex. Scale makes it easy. Learn more: scalemicrogrids.com. -
The autonomous car bubble has popped
25 januari 2023 · 28 min
Five years ago, venture investors, tech companies and automakers were pouring tens of billions of dollars into driverless cars. Tesla, General Motors, Lyft, Uber, and Google's Waymo were promising large fleets of robotaxis with fully autonomous vehicles by the turn of the decade.
In 2017, Ford took a big swing. The company invested $1 billion in Argo AI, a startup developing level-four driverless systems. Later, VW entered the partnership. The automakers promised to make a fully autonomous car by 2021.
But in October of last year, VW pulled out of the partnership. Ford said it would shut down the driverless car program, taking a $2.7 billion loss.
So how did we get to a point where a promising startup valued at $7 billion is being written off by automakers? And what does it say about the viability of fully-autonomous cars?
Journalist Ed Neidermeyer says Ford's shutdown of Argo AI was due to inflated expectations – which exposed a mismatch in business models.
“I think it's very easy to look at this and say, ‘shutting down Argo AI was an admission that this technology doesn't work…or was a scam. And you look out on social media and people are taking that lesson away – and I think that's the wrong lesson.”
This week, we speak with Ed about the real lessons behind the setbacks for autonomous cars: the mismatch between our fantasies and the reality of the technology. Lees meerFull transcript here
The Carbon Copy is supported by FischTank PR, a public relations, strategic messaging, and social media agency dedicated to elevating the work of climate and clean energy companies. Learn more about FischTank’s approach to cleantech and their services: fischtankpr.com.
The Carbon Copy is supported by Scale Microgrids, the distributed energy company dedicated to transforming the way modern energy infrastructure is designed, constructed, and financed. Distributed generation can be complex. Scale makes it easy. Learn more: scalemicrogrids.com. -
The make-or-break moment for America’s energy transition
19 januari 2023 · 40 min
America enters 2023 faced with two opposing realities: greenhouse gas emissions are going up, but the opportunity to slash those emissions has never been better.
Heat-trapping gasses in the U.S. rose again last year, according to the Rhodium Group. Even though renewables outpaced coal on the grid, emissions climbed in the buildings, heavy industry, and transportation sectors.
Passage of the Inflation Reduction Act could reverse that trend over the next decade. The law, which was the result of years of political pressure and behind-the-scenes dealmaking, devotes nearly $370 billion to domestic clean energy deployment. It could cut emissions by 40% by 2030.
But now the real work begins.
On this week’s episode of The Carbon Copy, Jigar Shah and Katherine Hamilton join host Stephen Lacey to talk about the new era for climate solutions deployment in America. The three former co-hosts reunite for some real-talk about the stakes ahead for implementing the IRA.
The Carbon Copy is supported by FischTank PR, a public relations, strategic messaging, and social media agency dedicated to elevating the work of climate and clean energy companies. Learn more about FischTank’s approach to cleantech and their services: fischtankpr.com.
The Carbon Copy is supported by Scale Microgrids, the distributed energy company dedicated to transforming the way modern energy infrastructure is designed, constructed, and financed. Distributed generation can be complex. Scale makes it easy. Learn more: scalemicrogrids.com. Lees meer -
The great electrician shortage
11 januari 2023 · 28 min
To decarbonize our economy, we need to electrify everything. That means installing millions of heat pumps, EV chargers, electric water heaters, and rooftop solar panels.
But there’s one big problem: finding the electricians to make it happen. Electricians across the country are flooded with demand – and just as demand is skyrocketing, the field is also continuing to age out.
This week, in a special collaboration with Grist, guest contributor Emily Pontecorvo tries to answer the question – where are all the electricians? And can we train enough to meet our climate goals? Read her story here.
A lightly edited full transcript is available here
The Carbon Copy is supported by FischTank PR, a public relations, strategic messaging, and social media agency dedicated to elevating the work of climate and clean energy companies. Learn more about FischTank’s approach to cleantech and their services: fischtankpr.com.
The Carbon Copy is supported by Scale Microgrids, the distributed energy company dedicated to transforming the way modern energy infrastructure is designed, constructed, and financed. Distributed generation can be complex. Scale makes it easy. Learn more: scalemicrogrids.com. Lees meer -
Programming note: we're making changes to the show
14 december 2022 · 5 min
This week, Stephen provides some end-of-year updates on the new focus of The Carbon Copy.
We’ll be taking a pause until mid-January while we prepare to relaunch the show. In 2023, we’ll be focusing much more tightly on the business, tech, and policy forces that are shaping climate solutions. You asked, we listened!
Thanks for listening. We’ll catch you in January. Lees meer -
A breakout year for carbon removal?
6 december 2022 · 37 min
This is the final week of our listener survey. Fill it out for a chance to win a $100 Patagonia gift card.
And don’t forget to donate to Canary Media to support in-depth journalism on the energy transition!
In the last year, venture investments in carbon removal have doubled. Top tech companies are buying credits or taking equity stakes in cutting-edge projects to pull carbon out of the air and oceans.
And it’s not just propellerheads who are talking to themselves about the technology – a new wave of young talent is taking notice.
Was 2023 the breakout year for engineered carbon removal?
“We were all holed up in Covid lockdown. And we get out and suddenly everybody’s like ‘talk to me about carbon,’ says Julio Friedmann, the chief scientist at Carbon Direct.
This week: the state of carbon removal. There is no way we can hit net-zero emissions without stripping lots of carbon out of the air.
We’ll hear from Julio Friedmann about the scientific urgency, tech advancements, and barriers to scale. And we’ll hear from Microsoft’s Rafael Broze about how the company is investing in the carbon-removal space. Lees meerFor a lightly edited transcript of this episode, click here.
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Gas stations vs utilities: battle for the future of charging
23 november 2022 · 23 min
We want your feedback! Fill out our listener survey for a chance to win a $100 Patagonia gift card.
Join us on November 30 for a live, virtual episode of Climavores. Come ask a question about food, nutrition, and eating for the climate.
The age of the electric vehicle is coming, and it’s going to transform more than just the auto industry. EVs are also set to remake the fueling industry. But who will own the electric charging future?
That is the question that journalist David Ferris, reporter for POLITICO’s E&E news, started asking himself a couple years ago. When he started to look into it, he found a simmering tension that is turning into an all-out clash between two pillars of the American energy economy: the electric utility and the gas station.
For over a century, gas stations have been a prominent feature of our car-centric landscape. Meanwhile, the provision of electricity has long been the domain of utilities. The EV is bringing these two titans of the energy industry into conflict for the first time, and the battle over who will sell those electrons is already starting to get nasty.
You can read Ferris’ story on the contested future of EV charging here. Lees meer -
A reality check on corporate sustainability
16 november 2022 · 26 min
We want your feedback! Fill out our listener survey for a chance to win a $100 Patagonia gift card.
Join us on November 30 for a live, virtual episode of Climavores. Come ask a question about food, nutrition, and eating for the climate.
There’s no doubt that corporations are thinking differently about climate risk and action. But are they making real progress?
This week, we have two conversations on the murkiness of corporate sustainability.
We’ll talk with Siduja Rangarajan, a senior investigative data reporter, about the creative accounting that is inflating the emissions reductions of large companies. She and journalist Ben Elgin recently dug through 6,000 climate reports – and found that the world’s biggest companies may be failing to account for 24 million cars worth of emissions.
We’ll also hear from Joel Makower, co-founder of GreenBiz Group and co-host of the GreenBiz 350 podcast. He’s been covering corporate sustainability for nearly three decades. We talk about what is actually making an impact in corporate sustainability – and what is still holding it back. Lees meer -
The Ike Dike: the biggest civil engineering project in US history
9 november 2022 · 37 min
As the cost of living with hurricanes grows, coastal cities across the country are starting to ask the trillion dollar question: what can we build to protect ourselves, and how much are we willing to pay?
This week, producer Alexandria Herr takes us to Texas, where the largest civil engineering project in U.S. history may soon put those questions to the test. The Houston area is a sitting duck for a hurricane that scientists say could cause an environmental and economic catastrophe. But the $31 billion “Ike Dike,” approved this summer by the House and Senate, would help protect the region. Will it be enough to prevent disaster?
Guests: Lees meerKiah Collier, you can read the Peabody award winning reporting on the potential impacts of a hurricane on the Houston area for Propublica and the Texas Tribune here.
Dr. Bill Merrell is a professor emeritus at Texas A&M University at Galveston.
Dr. Jim Blackburn is a professor in the practice of environmental law at Rice and co-director of the Severe Storm Prediction, Education & Evacuation from Disasters Center.
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New York’s clean energy puzzle
2 november 2022 · 46 min
New York has a puzzle that it needs to solve – fast. In less than a decade, the state is aiming to radically increase renewable electricity generation, all while helping New Yorkers electrify their homes and businesses.
The state's ambitious policy plan for 70% renewables by 2050 will succeed or fail based on how it can develop the supporting infrastructure, like transmission, ports, and batteries.
So how will the nuts and bolts of New York's energy transition play out?
This week, we have a panel from our recent live event with Canary Media addressing exactly that question, featuring leading reporters covering decarbonization and energy markets in New York: Canary Media journalist Maria Gallucci; The City journalist Samantha Maldonado; and Politico journalist Marie French.
This episode is brought to you by Rise Light & Power, the owner of Ravenswood Generating, New York City’s largest power plant. By repurposing existing infrastructure and replacing fossil fuel generation in the heart of New York City, Renewable Ravenswood makes it easier and more cost effective to meet New York’s ambitious climate goals. Learn more.
We’re also brought to you by, Sealed. Sealed uses air sealing and insulation to keep the outside out. They can also upgrade your heating system. If you don't save energy with Sealed, they don't get paid. Learn more. Lees meer -
The ‘ecological ponzi scheme’ putting Florida at risk
24 oktober 2022 · 22 min
Michael Grunwald is an energy and climate journalist who lives in south Florida. He loves Florida. But he also loves to poke fun at Florida's poor planning. In 2017, he wrote a piece for POLITICO about Cape Coral -- the boomtown built on swampland that is uniquely vulnerable to hurricanes.
Cape Coral is a city of 200,000 people in Southwest Florida. It's basically a wetland, nestled next to Fort Myers – one of the fastest growing areas in the country.
Construction of Cape Coral started in the late 1950s. It was the vision of two brothers who got wealthy peddling baldness tonic from wool grease. They knew how to sell anything, including a city built on water.
And then, in late September, Hurricane Ian rolled in. The near-category 5 hurricane knocked out the city's water supply, electricity, and left most houses underwater. Mike wrote an update to that piece, reminding readers about the “fantasy” propping up Southwest Florida.
This week, We talk with Mike Grunwald about Florida's unwillingness to plan for climate change – and what a nearby solar-powered city that weathered Hurricane Ian tells us about what's possible. Lees meer -
From empty concrete to offshore wind hub?
13 oktober 2022 · 23 min
This week, producer Alexandria Herr takes a trip to Sunset Park, Brooklyn, and gets a peek into the future. What is now an empty stretch of concrete sandwiched between a Costco and the Upper New York Harbor will soon be transformed into a hub of green industry: a facility to assemble offshore wind turbines.
Norwegian energy giant Equinor has designated the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal as the future hub of its offshore wind operations. Community leaders in Sunset Park, a neighborhood that has long faced a multitude of environmental justice issues, are hoping that the project will bring workforce development and green energy jobs to the community.
Canary journalist Maria Gallucci brings us her reporting on the project in Sunset Park, and how it might be a model for how communities facing environmental justice issues can lead the green industries of the future. You can read her story here.
The Carbon Copy is a co-production of Post Script Media and Canary Media. Lees meer -
Patagonia’s founder gives away the company for climate
5 oktober 2022 · 34 min
In mid-September, the outdoor clothing company Patagonia posted a 10-second video on Instagram featuring Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard. The camera zooms in on Chouinard writing one sentence in a notebook: "Earth is now our only shareholder.”
It was an understated clip unveiling an unprecedented move: Chouinard is giving away his company to an entity that will steer all profits into climate solutions.
The move will funnel $100 million a year into climate-positive investments, make Patagonia a powerful force in climate philanthropy, and establish a new model for corporate sustainability.
This week: we explore corporate sustainability from the perspective of the fashion industry, featuring the co-hosts of Hot Buttons.
We'll start with a conversation on Patagonia's move to turn the company into a corporate vehicle for climate solutions. And then, we’ll dig deeper into fashion law. Is better labeling the key to cleaning up one of the dirtiest industries on earth?
Don’t miss our live episode of Climavores in New York City on October 20! Sign up here for a night of live audio and networking with top voices in climate journalism. Lees meer -
Puerto Rico’s preventable grid disaster
29 september 2022 · 19 min
Don’t miss our live episode of Climavores in New York City on October 20! Sign up here for a night of live audio and networking with top voices in climate journalism.
On September 18, almost exactly five years after Hurricane Maria wiped out Puerto Rico's electric grid, Hurricane Fiona once again pushed the island’s electric system to failure.
Earlier this year, we brought Canary Media reporter Maria Gallucci on the show to talk about Puerto Rico’s grid failures in the months and years after Hurricane Maria – and the boom in grassroots solar projects as a response.
She’s been reporting on Fiona's aftermath. Sadly, it's a similar story to Hurricane Maria. Nearly two weeks after the storm, one third of the island's residents still don't have access to power, and many are still lacking water.
But the storyline has changed for some. There are now tens of thousands more solar and battery systems on the island. And there were communities that kept the lights on.
This week, we're talking about Fiona's impact on Puerto Rico's grid system – why it’s still broken, and how solar and batteries could help fix it.
Guest: Maria Galluci, a reporter at Canary Media. You can read her latest reporting here.
The Carbon Copy is a co-production of Post Script Media and Canary Media.
The Carbon Copy is supported by GridX. GridX provides invaluable business insight that improves the uptake of the programs, products and services needed to decarbonize. Delivering on our clean energy future is complex. GridX exists to simplify the journey. Learn more.
The Carbon Copy is brought to you by KORE Power. KORE Power is the leading U.S.-based developer of battery cell technology for the clean energy industry. KORE Power is proud to offer a functional solution to real-world problems and fulfill market demand to deliver a zero-carbon future. Learn more at www.korepower.com. Lees meer -
Drought is surfacing lost relics around the world
21 september 2022 · 21 min
Don’t miss our live episode of Climavores in New York City on October 20! Sign up here for a night of live audio and networking with top voices in climate journalism.
One third of the world is currently facing water stress. The horn of Africa is in the middle of a devastating drought, putting millions at risk of famine. In China, low water levels are causing cuts to hydropower in Sichuan Province. Two thirds of Europe is currently under some kind of drought warning, making it the worst in 500 years in that region.
Drought will only become more severe in some regions as the climate continues to warm. The United Nations estimates that drought frequency has increased by a third already since the year 2000. Ongoing drought has dire implications for everything ranging from food security to manufacturing, energy production, and health.
This week, we’re bringing you a story about the unexpected consequence of drought – how it's revealing secrets previously lost beneath the waterline.
Falling water levels are reshaping landscapes around the world. As rivers and reservoirs recede, historical relics are coming to the surface. This week, we speak to reporter Dharna Noor about the dinosaur tracks, historical artifacts, and even human remains that are being unveiled as the drought progresses.
Dharna Noor is a reporter and digital producer at the Boston Globe. You can read her article here.
The Carbon Copy is a co-production of Post Script Media and Canary Media.
The Carbon Copy is supported by GridX. GridX provides invaluable business insight that improves the uptake of the programs, products and services needed to decarbonize. Delivering on our clean energy future is complex. GridX exists to simplify the journey. Learn more.
The Carbon Copy is brought to you by KORE Power. KORE Power is the leading U.S.-based developer of battery cell technology for the clean energy industry. KORE Power is proud to offer a functional solution to real-world problems and fulfill market demand to… Lees meer -
Should we eat bugs, farmed fish, or soy?
15 september 2022 · 57 min
Don’t miss our live episode of Climavores in New York City on October 20! Sign up here for a night of live audio and networking with top voices in climate journalism.
This week, we’re featuring an episode of Climavores. Climavores is a show for eaters who are trying to navigate the complex relationship between healthy food and a healthy planet. Journalists Tamar Haspel and Mike Grunwald are trying to figure it out, too.
Each week, Tamar and Mike explore the complicated, confusing, and surprising relationship between food and the environment. Climavores cuts through hype and ideology, explore the stories behind our perceptions of food, and empower listeners to make food choices that are actually good for the planet.
We are featuring a live episode of Climavores in New York City on October 20. Tamar and Mike will be joined by reporters from Canary Media, POLITICO, and Post Script Media for a night of live audio and networking. Come ask a question! Lees meer -
The ‘tax on God’ dilemma for utilities [partner content]
14 september 2022 · 12 min
Years back, a major municipal utility in the U.S. rolled out a new time-of-use rate for commercial customers. At first, everything seemed fine. Then, customers in one category suddenly began seeing a huge spike in their bills: churches.
“They were getting hit with a demand charge and their bills were four, five times what they” had previously been, explains GridX CEO Chris Black.
The price of electricity used to be static. Today, rates are a real-time tool to manage demand on a grid that is being transformed by renewables, batteries and electric cars — and increasingly stressed by extreme weather events.
Nearly 70% of the country has some kind of time-of-use rate in place. But only 7% of customers are actively taking advantage of them. Why is that? And as time-of-use rates expand, how do we avoid the "tax on God" conundrum?
“We have to get it right. We have to figure out how to make all of this more accessible...and better for consumers,” says Black.
In this episode, Chris Black makes the case that dynamic rate design is one of the most important tools for decarbonizing the grid.
This episode was produced in partnership with GridX. Delivering on the clean energy future is complex. GridX exists to simplify the journey. Learn more. Lees meer -
Why heat waves become deadly
7 september 2022 · 28 min
Over Labor Day weekend, California was blanketed by a record-breaking heatwave. Fresno reached 113 degrees Fahrenheit, Sacramento, 114 degrees Fahrenheit. The state asked residents to cut their power use, and only narrowly avoided blackouts.
Heatwaves are the deadliest weather event in the United States every year. Extreme heat is an environmental justice issue, as it affects low-income and communities of color disproportionately. This week on the show, producer Alexandria Herr took a deep dive to try to understand how heat waves become so deadly, and how cities can protect people from the heat.
She spoke to Dr. Erik Klinenberg, a sociologist whose work on the 1995 heat wave in Chicago helped understand how heat waves cause cities to break down. When he looked at that heat wave, he found a mystery: a handful of neighborhoods, with the same demographics, but with vastly different mortality rates from the heat.
The answer to that mystery is key to understanding how heat waves become so deadly – and those lessons are being used by people working to protect communities from extreme heat today.
Guests: Lees meerDr. Erik Klinenberg is a professor of sociology at New York University and the author of Heat Wave.
Sonal Jessel is the Director of Policy at WEACT. You can read their audit of New York City cooling centers here.
Danielle Renwick is the editor of Nexus Media News. You can read her work on how U.S. cities are preparing for extreme heat here.
The Carbon Copy is a co-production of Post Script Media and Canary Media.
The Carbon Copy is supported by GridX. GridX provides invaluable business insight that improves the uptake of the programs, products and services needed to decarbonize. Delivering on our clean energy future is complex. GridX exists to simplify the journey. Learn more.
The Carbon Copy is brought to you by KORE Power. KORE Power is the leading U.S.-based developer of battery cell technology for the clean energy industry. KORE Power is proud to offer a functiona… -
The Big Switch: The Race to Green Steel
31 augustus 2022 · 28 min
This week, we’re presenting an episode of The Big Switch, a narrative show from Columbia University about how to decarbonize the economy.
Steel goes into pretty much everything around us – from buildings and bridges to the furniture in our homes. And decarbonizing the steel industry is essential because we need steel to decarbonize the world. Think about it. Solar panels, electric vehicles, even our power grid; steel goes into everything we need to fight climate change.
But there’s a problem. Steel manufacturing uses a lot of fossil fuels. It’s responsible for 8 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
In this episode, Dr. Melissa Lott breaks down the race to green, zero-carbon steel. It’s a competition among four key technologies: recycling, carbon capture and storage (CCS), electrolysis, and — everyone’s current favorite — hydrogen. Or, as we call it in this episode, the Usain Bolt of technology.
The Carbon Copy is a co-production of Post Script Media and Canary Media.
The Carbon Copy is supported by GridX. GridX provides invaluable business insight that improves the uptake of the programs, products and services needed to decarbonize. Delivering on our clean energy future is complex. GridX exists to simplify the journey. Learn more.
The Carbon Copy is brought to you by KORE Power. KORE Power is the leading U.S.-based developer of battery cell technology for the clean energy industry. KORE Power is proud to offer a functional solution to real-world problems and fulfill market demand to deliver a zero-carbon future. Learn more at www.korepower.com. Lees meer -
The frontline of water conflicts: ranching
24 augustus 2022 · 24 min
Western states are experiencing a megadrought. Water levels at Lake Mead and Lake Powell are falling hundreds of feet, and shortages on the Colorado River mean that Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico are facing cuts to their water use.
But these aren't the only reserves that are under threat – hundreds of feet underground, the drought is impacting our water security in ways we can't even see.
The Ogallala Aquifer is the biggest aquifer in America, and one of the largest in the world. In addition to providing drinking water for almost two million people, the aquifer supports about $35 billion in agricultural production every year. But the aquifer is drying up in many regions – and that’s creating new conflicts over water rights.
This week, Melodie Edwards, host of the podcast The Modern West, brings us to the front lines of the Western water wars. We go to Laramie County, Wyoming, where a group of ranchers are fighting permits for high capacity wells – and changing the state’s water law in the process.
The Carbon Copy is a co-production of Post Script Media and Canary Media.
The Carbon Copy is supported by GridX. GridX provides invaluable business insight that improves the uptake of the programs, products and services needed to decarbonize. Delivering on our clean energy future is complex. GridX exists to simplify the journey. Learn more.
The Carbon Copy is brought to you by KORE Power. KORE Power is the leading U.S.-based developer of battery cell technology for the clean energy industry. KORE Power is proud to offer a functional solution to real-world problems and fulfill market demand to deliver a zero-carbon future. Learn more at www.korepower.com. Lees meer -
America is finally doing something big on climate
10 augustus 2022 · 22 min
Just a few weeks ago, the Biden administration’s historic climate package looked like it was on the brink of ruin after Senator Joe Manchin walked away from negotiations for a second time.
But behind the scenes, backdoor negotiations were underway. At the end of last month, Manchin and Schumer announced they had made a deal – and on Sunday, the Senate passed major climate legislation for the first time in American history.
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 has over $360 billion for energy and climate provisions. It’s a historic opportunity to supercharge clean energy and give the country a fighting chance at slashing emissions in time to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.
So what’s in the bill? And what comes next?
Guest: Katherine Hamilton is chair of 38 North Solutions.
The Carbon Copy is a co-production of Post Script Media and Canary Media.
The Carbon Copy is supported by GridX. GridX provides invaluable business insight that improves the uptake of the programs, products and services needed to decarbonize. Delivering on our clean energy future is complex. GridX exists to simplify the journey. Learn more.
The Carbon Copy is brought to you by KORE Power. KORE Power is the leading U.S.-based developer of battery cell technology for the clean energy industry. KORE Power is proud to offer a functional solution to real-world problems and fulfill market demand to deliver a zero-carbon future. Learn more at www.korepower.com. Lees meer -
How bad will Europe's gas crisis get?
3 augustus 2022 · 50 min
This week, we feature an interview from our friends at Columbia Energy Exchange.
Europe’s gas crisis has entered a scary new phase. Last week, the biggest pipeline carrying Russian gas into Germany was closed for maintenance. And many in Europe fear the Russians will keep Nord Stream 1 closed indefinitely – putting further pressure on gas supply in the colder months.
Europeans are burning more coal, scrambling for new sources of gas, and committing to lots of renewable energy in a frantic attempt to slash reliance on Russian fossil fuels. But there are real questions about how quickly those solutions will shift the balance of power.
Meanwhile, gas prices are soaring in markets around the world – leading to fears about recession and long-lasting economic impacts. What are the possible scenarios that could play out?
This week, Columbia Energy Exchange host Jason Bordoff sits down with Anne-Sophie Corbeau and Dr. Tatiana Mitrova to explain the state of gas markets.
Anne-Sophie Corbeau is a Global Research Scholar at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs; Dr. Tatiana Mitrova is a Research Fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy.
The Carbon Copy is brought to you by KORE Power. KORE Power is the leading U.S.-based developer of battery cell technology for the clean energy industry. KORE Power is proud to offer a functional solution to real-world problems and fulfill market demand to deliver a zero-carbon future. Learn more at www.korepower.com.
The Carbon Copy is supported by GridX. GridX provides invaluable business insight that improves the uptake of the programs, products and services needed to decarbonize. Delivering on our clean energy future is complex. GridX exists to simplify the journey. Learn more. Lees meer -
A heat limit ‘no meteorologist thought we would cross’
27 juli 2022 · 28 min
Last Tuesday, the thermometer at London's Heathrow airport clocked in at 104 degrees Fahrenheit, or 40.2 degrees Celsius. The airport runway melted. More than a dozen wildfires broke out across London, while tens of thousands evacuated from wildfires in Spain, France, and Portugal.
And a lot of meteorologists didn't quite believe it – including Axios' Andrew Freedman.
“A high of 104 degrees has always been this limit that no meteorologist ever thought would be crossed in their lifetime in the UK,” says Freedman.
Europe isn't ready for heat like this. And new research shows western Europe is seeing a 3 to 4 times increase in heat waves compared to anywhere else in the northern midlatitudes. And none of this would be possible without climate change.
This week, we're talking about the extreme heat that gripped Europe – how climate scientists understand it, and the best ways to convey this new reality.
Guest: Andrew Freedman, a climate and energy reporter at Axios. Read his coverage of the heat wave.
The Carbon Copy is a co-production of Post Script Media and Canary Media.
The Carbon Copy is supported by GridX. GridX provides invaluable business insight that improves the uptake of the programs, products and services needed to decarbonize. Delivering on our clean energy future is complex. GridX exists to simplify the journey. Learn more. Lees meer -
Are Biden’s climate ambitions in Congress dead?
20 juli 2022 · 24 min
On the Carbon Copy podcast this week:
The hits to President Biden's climate ambitions keep on coming. Two years ago, Biden put forward a $2 trillion climate plan. After Democrats failed to move a bill forward last year, that package was whittled down to $300 billion.
This spring was supposed to be the moment that package passed. And then spring turned into summer. Now, as lawmakers prepare to clear out and head off for their August break, it looks like the passage of a climate bill of any size is unlikely — thanks to West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin (D).
Senator Manchin has nearly killed his party's chance of doing something big on climate. The window of opportunity for legislation is closing — and it could bring a painful end to Biden's stalled agenda. What options are left?
The Carbon Copy is a co-production of Post Script Media and Canary Media.
The Carbon Copy is supported by GridX. GridX provides invaluable business insight that improves the uptake of the programs, products and services needed to decarbonize. Delivering on our clean energy future is complex. GridX exists to simplify the journey. Learn more. Lees meer -
The climate wild card: permafrost
13 juli 2022 · 21 min
In the global north, 15% of the earth’s surface is covered in permafrost. Permafrost is a frozen layer of rocks, soil, ice and partially decomposed plants – and it's a massive carbon sink.
Permafrost contains 1.5 trillion tons of carbon. That's twice the amount currently in our atmosphere. And, no surprise, climate change is melting it at an accelerated rate.
The decline of permafrost is bad for the atmosphere and for Arctic communities. And because it’s historically been so difficult to predict, the climate impact is not being considered by policymakers.
New research could change our understanding of the problem. This week, we’ll talk with a scientist who’s trying to fill the gaps in our knowledge about the climate impact of permafrost.
Guest: Dr. Sue Natali, an arctic ecologist who leads the Woodwell Climate Arctic Program. Read about her Permafrost Pathways research.
The Carbon Copy is a co-production of Post Script Media and Canary Media.
The Carbon Copy is supported by GridX. GridX provides invaluable business insight that improves the uptake of the programs, products and services needed to decarbonize. Delivering on our clean energy future is complex. GridX exists to simplify the journey. Learn more. Lees meer -
The people-centric transition to zero emissions [Partner content]
12 juli 2022 · 22 min
The term of art for climate goals in the utility business is "net-zero." It's an accounting term. It means on balance, an electric utility is removing as much carbon from the atmosphere as it's adding.
But how do you get to actual zero emissions? To eliminate them from the grid entirely?
That is what the Sacramento Municipal Utility District – known as SMUD – is trying to do by 2030. But it can’t hit that target without the help of customers.
So what would the customer-empowered energy transition look like?
In this episode, produced in collaboration with Oracle Energy and Water, we're exploring how technology advancements and the urgency of climate change are putting customers at the center of decarbonization.
Stephen Lacey sat down with SMUD CEO Paul Lau and Oracle’s Matt O'Keefe to talk about the trend.
To learn more about Oracle’s vision, visit go.oracle.com/energyofeveryone. Lees meer -
Hot Buttons: Is recycled plastic clothing a lie?
5 juli 2022 · 37 min
This week, we’re offering up an episode of Post Script Media's new podcast, Hot Buttons.
Your Instagram and TikTok feed are probably littered with feel-good ads for clothes and shoes made from recycled bottles. But they aren’t the solution you think.
In this episode, co-hosts Christina Binkley, Rachel Kibbe and Shilla Kim-Parker dig into the greenwashing behind clothes made from plastic.
If you like what you hear, subscribe anywhere you get your podcasts.
Hot Buttons is a production of Post Script Media. The show is hosted by Christina Binkley, Rachel Kibbe, and Shilla Kim-Parker. Follow the show on Twitter. Lees meer -
How bad is the Supreme Court’s decision on climate?
1 juli 2022 · 19 min
It was a particularly busy – and consequential – June for the Supreme Court.
In a 6-3 ruling, the Court decided that the Environmental Protection Agency has overstepped its authority in regulating heat trapping gasses from power plants.
This is an odd case involving an interpretation of a 1970s law that set the foundation for a climate regulation that doesn't even exist. In this episode, we’ll look at what led to the Supreme Court to take up the case.
Now that the high court has restricted how America's environmental cop can enforce climate pollution rules, how severe are the consequences? And where can federal agencies continue to make progress?
Guest: Niina Farah, Climate Law and Policy Reporter @ E&E news.
The Carbon Copy is a co-production of Post Script Media and Canary Media.
The Carbon Copy is supported by GridX. GridX provides invaluable business insight that improves the uptake of the programs, products and services needed to decarbonize. Delivering on our clean energy future is complex. GridX exists to simplify the journey. Learn more. Lees meer -
One weird trick to decarbonize your home
29 juni 2022 · 21 min
Heat pumps are the hot new thing in climate tech right now. The fastest way we can slash emissions out of the economy is to electrify as much as possible. And the fastest way to electrify is to deploy heat pumps.
If we want to decarbonize our homes quickly, we need to start replacing existing HVAC systems. A good place to start: installing heat pumps instead of conventional central air conditioners.
Turns out, the cost of making a two-way heat pump instead of an air conditioning unit is only a few hundred dollars per unit. What if the government incentivized manufacturers to make the switch?
Every minute, 12 central air conditioning units are installed or swapped out at homes across America. That's 18,000 per week. Turning those one-way AC units into two-way heat pumps could help electrify millions of homes every year. A new federal bill could be the answer.
Guests: Lees meerNate “the house whisperer” Adams, CEO of HVAC 2.0.
Alexander Gard-Murray, a Political Economist at Brown University's Climate Solutions Lab.
The Carbon Copy is a co-production of Post Script Media and Canary Media.
The Carbon Copy is supported by Nextracker. Nextracker’s technology platform has delivered more than 50 gigawatts of zero-emission solar power plants across the globe. Nextracker is developing a data-driven framework to become the most sustainable solar tracker company in the world – with a focus on a truly transparent supply chain. Visit nextracker.com/sustainability to learn more.
The Carbon Copy is supported by Scale Microgrid Solutions, your comprehensive source for all distributed energy financing. Distributed generation can be complex. Scale makes financing it easy. Visit scalecapitalsolutions.com to learn more. -
Catalyst: Will the bear market hurt clean energy?
22 juni 2022 · 49 min
A version of this episode originally ran on Catalyst w/ Shayle Kann.
Stock markets are in decline. Inflation is on the rise. Interest rates are up. Private tech companies are laying off workers.
Is this the long-awaited market correction that never quite materialized during the bull market of the last 13 years?
And what does it mean for climate tech?
In this episode, Shayle talks to Saloni Multani, a partner at Galvanize Climate Solutions and former chief financial officer for Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign.
Shayle and Saloni place the current moment in historical context. They cover the recent wave of low-cost capital that poured into climate tech and the low interest rates that gave renewables an advantage over fossil-fuel investments.
The Carbon Copy is a co-production of Post Script Media and Canary Media.
The Carbon Copy is supported by Nextracker. Nextracker’s technology platform has delivered more than 50 gigawatts of zero-emission solar power plants across the globe. Nextracker is developing a data-driven framework to become the most sustainable solar tracker company in the world – with a focus on a truly transparent supply chain. Visit nextracker.com/sustainability to learn more.
The Carbon Copy is supported by Scale Microgrid Solutions, your comprehensive source for all distributed energy financing. Distributed generation can be complex. Scale makes financing it easy. Visit scalecapitalsolutions.com to learn more. Lees meer -
The battery recycling boom
15 juni 2022 · 20 min
We’re more than three months into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and you don’t have to look far beyond your local gas station to see the global impact – the average price of a gallon of gasoline topped $5 this week.
The conflict has complicated the flow of energy at a time when supply chains were already jumbled up because of COVID. But it’s not just oil. The war is leaving its mark on all kinds of commodities – including the global supplies of minerals and metals.
Geopolitical shifts are causing high spikes in prices of lithium and nickel, two key components of the lithium-ion batteries used in electric cars.
But this supply mess could actually be boosting a positive trend in the battery space: Battery recycling.
This week: Batteries are a pillar of the zero-carbon economy. But are they sustainable? And will technical advancements and geopolitical shifts alter the battery-based economy for the better?
Guests:
Julian Spector is a Senior Reporter with Canary Media. Check out his latest report on battery recycling. And you can access all of Canary’s recycling week coverage here.
The Carbon Copy is a co-production of Post Script Media and Canary Media.
The Carbon Copy is supported by Nextracker. Nextracker’s technology platform has delivered more than 50 gigawatts of zero-emission solar power plants across the globe. Nextracker is developing a data-driven framework to become the most sustainable solar tracker company in the world – with a focus on a truly transparent supply chain. Visit nextracker.com/sustainability to learn more.
The Carbon Copy is supported by Scale Microgrid Solutions, your comprehensive source for all distributed energy financing. Distributed generation can be complex. Scale makes financing it easy. Visit scalecapitalsolutions.com to learn more. Lees meer -
Introducing Hot Buttons: a new show about sustainable fashion
14 juni 2022 · 6 min
We're presenting a trailer for our newest show from Post Script Media, called Hot Buttons.
The demand for sustainability has come for the fashion industry. Christina Binkley, Rachel Kibbe, and Shilla Kim-Parker are here to talk about it.
Hot Buttons features weekly observations and lively debate about the future of the fashion industry as it reckons with its impact on the climate, natural resources, and worker rights. It's about the culture of fashion, the high-stakes decisions inside the industry, and how we rethink the very idea of growth.
Subscribe to Hot Buttons on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere you get podcasts. Episodes drop every Thursday starting June 16. Lees meer -
The tension over Puerto Rico’s energy future
8 juni 2022 · 27 min
Five years ago, Puerto Rico's grid was decimated by Hurricane Maria. Out of the destruction, many hoped that Puerto Rico's new grid could be built around solar and batteries – replacing centralized gas, coal, and oil plants connected with remote transmission lines.
That’s not how the recovery played out. Today, Puerto Rico still relies heavily on centralized fossil fuels. And the island’s utility is still facing long blackouts and accusations of mismanagement.
But a bottom-up movement has emerged supporting tens of thousands of rooftop solar and battery installations. These systems are being installed with minimal support from the government.
Will this distributed energy help make Puerto Rico more resilient? Or will the island lock in more fossil fuels?
We'll speak with Canary Media reporter Maria Gallucci, who just got back from a reporting trip there. Read her feature.
The Carbon Copy is a co-production of Post Script Media and Canary Media.
The Carbon Copy is supported by Nextracker. Nextracker’s technology platform has delivered more than 50 gigawatts of zero-emission solar power plants across the globe. Nextracker is developing a data-driven framework to become the most sustainable solar tracker company in the world – with a focus on a truly transparent supply chain. Visit nextracker.com/sustainability to learn more.
The Carbon Copy is supported by Scale Microgrid Solutions, your comprehensive source for all distributed energy financing. Distributed generation can be complex. Scale makes financing it easy. Visit scalecapitalsolutions.com to learn more. Lees meer -
The obscure federal agency hindering climate legislation
1 juni 2022 · 23 min
In December 2021, Senator Joe Manchin appeared on Fox News to announce that he would not vote for Joe Biden’s signature climate plan, Build Back Better. The reason he cited? A score given by the Congressional Budget Office.
The Congressional Budget Office – or CBO for short – is the most important government agency you’ve never heard of. It acts as a budget referee, giving legislation a score on how it will impact the economy and the federal budget. Senator Chuck Grassley once called the CBO “God” on Capitol Hill. Its scores determine which legislation passes and which legislation dies.
But there’s one big catch. The CBO is systematically leaving out the impacts of climate change and carbon pollution on the economy – and stacking the deck against climate legislation. Lawmakers have the power to change it. Will they?
Guests: Lees meerDr. Mark Paul is an assistant professor of economics and environmental studies at New College of Florida. You can read his article about the CBO in Noema.
The Carbon Copy is a co-production of Post Script Media and Canary Media.
The Carbon Copy is supported by Nextracker. Nextracker’s technology platform has delivered more than 50 gigawatts of zero-emission solar power plants across the globe. Nextracker is developing a data-driven framework to become the most sustainable solar tracker company in the world – with a focus on a truly transparent supply chain. Visit nextracker.com/sustainability to learn more.
The Carbon Copy is supported by Scale Microgrid Solutions, your comprehensive source for all distributed energy financing. Distributed generation can be complex. Scale makes financing it easy. Visit scalecapitalsolutions.com to learn more.