How a faster energy transition brings hope to the climate conversation
There’s every reason to be alarmed that climate change is accelerating. But we often hear less about how quickly and widely the energy transition is gaining momentum in most parts of the world. Solar and wind energy, energy storage, heat pumps, energy efficiency…they’re all practical and affordable, they’re receiving twice as much investment as fossil fuels, and the energy shock brought on by the war on Iran is speeding up the shift.
Except that’s not the message we’re hearing in Canada, where news coverage and government policy are pushing toward expanded production of fossil fuels that most of the world will no longer need or want.
Instead of investing our scarce time, attention, and dollars in new pipelines and gas export terminals, we can focus on a new climate economy that delivers better, more reliable returns for investors, safer, more resilient communities, a more sovereign, economically diversified Canada, and a realistic chance of getting the climate emergency under control. But if we don’t seize this moment, Canada will fall further behind.
Join Energi Media and The Energy Mix for a live podcast with audience Q&A that digs deep on:
• How the rise of renewable electricity and the clean climate economy is bringing an end to the era of fossil fuels; • How the energy price shock will lead to faster, deeper carbon cuts, particularly in the energy-importing countries that are home to nearly three-quarters of the world’s population; • The implications for all of us—as investors, communities, and everyday citizens; • Why Canada has missed the memo so far; • What each of us can do to land the message.
About the Host: Markham Hislop is an energy journalist and CEO of Energi Media, which is now in its 18th year of operation. The other partner in the company is his spouse, Jo Ann, who is responsible for all video and audio production, as well as graphic design. This is a seminal moment in history. Energi Media is stepping up to do its part in the Canadian conversation about energy and climate change, as well as related discussions around politics and democracy.
Mitchell Beer is Publisher of The Energy Mix, a non-profit community news site and e-digest on energy and climate change. He traces his background in clean energy back to 1977, in climate change to 1997, and delivered a TEDx Ottawa talk in 2019 on how to build wider community support for faster, deeper carbon cuts. A favourite memory is building a model wind turbine out of wooden stir sticks with his then-11-year-old daughter, and improv comedy practices have sometimes been the best part of his week.
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