Smart Prosperity: The Podcast

Green recovery from COVID?
Fifteen months in to COVID-19, countries around the world have spent trillions on relief, corporate bail-outs and economic stimulus. Is that spending putting us on pace for a green recovery, or a historically dirty one? 

Canada’s new X-Prize winner
Two weeks ago, Nova Scotia’s Carbon Cure took home the top prize in X-Prize’s latest $20-million competition. Jennifer Wagner talks about the company’s unique technology that plugs carbon pollution into concrete.
 
For more info and links, go to podcast.smartprosperity.ca

To divest or not to divest?
The fossil fuel divestment movement is gaining momentum around the world. But is taking pension and personal investment money out of the oil and gas sector having the desired effect?

The second-hand clothing economy
Look out, this isn’t your mom and dad’s neighbourhood thrift store! The second-hand clothing market is set to hit $64 billion by 2024. And it’s a critical foil for the massive environmental impacts of fast fashion. 

More info and links at: podcast.smartprosperity.ca

1.   Is this the end of carbon tax politics? [min 1:08]
Last week, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the federal government’s right to enforce a minimum price on greenhouse gas emissions. Four political insiders and one lawyer that argued the case consider the ramifications.  

• Gerry Butts – Vice Chairman of Eurasia Group & Former Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
• Ken Boessenkool – Professor at the Max Bell School, McGill University & Former Chief of Staff to BC Premier Christy Clark and Former Advisor to Prime Minister Stephen Harper
• Dianne Saxe – Deputy Leader of the Green Party of Ontario & Former Environmental Commissioner of Ontario
• Brian Topp – Founding Partner at GT & Company, & Former Chief of Staff to Alberta Premier Rachel Notley
• Stewart Elgie – Executive Chair at Smart Prosperity Institute & Counsel representing the Ecofiscal Commission at the Supreme Court

2.   How close is “carbon removal” to reality? [min 9:45]
World-leading expert, Dr. Jennifer Wilcox, shares the price tag for removing carbon from the air, and what needs to happen for costs to come down. And then a Canadian carbon removal innovator shares his excitement.    

• Dr. Jennifer Wilcox – Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Office of Fossil Energy at the US Department of Energy & Presidential Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering and Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania (on leave)
• Mike Kelland – CEO, Planetary Hydrogen

3.   60-Second Report: “Waste Prevention: The Environmental and Economic Benefits for Canada” [min 20:20]

• Mayor Jack Froese – Mayor of the Township of Langley (BC) & Chair, National Zero Waste Council

4.  “Five Other Things Happening in the Green Economy This Week” [min 22:01]

• Mike Moffatt – Senior Director of Policy, Smart Prosperity Institute

For more info and links to: podcast.smartprosperity.ca 

1.     A plan for cutting pollution from cars and trucks [min 1:45]
Canadians drive the dirtiest cars on the planet, making transportation the second biggest source of climate pollution. There’s a three-step solution. 

•  Merran Smith – Executive Director, Clean Energy Canada & Co-chair of the B.C. government’s Climate Solutions Council 

2.     The problem with carbon offsets [min 10:56]
Does paying two dollars to plant a tree undo the emissions of your last flight or of driving your car? 

•  Nic Rivers – Associate Professor & Canada Research Chair in Climate and Energy Policy, University of Ottawa

3.     60-Second Report: “Reality Check: Carbon Emissions Inventory in the GTHA” [min 20:47]

• Maryam Shekarrizfard – Carbon & Co-Benefits Quantification Manager, The Atmospheric Fund

4.     “Five Other Things Happening in the Green Economy This Week” [min 22:28]

• Mike Moffatt – Senior Director of Policy, Smart Prosperity Institute

For links and other materials, go to: podcast.smartprosperity.ca

1.     Growing food without growing emissions [min 1:04]
Agriculture accounts for 10% of Canada’s (and the world’s) total climate pollution – thanks to methane emissions from animal manure, Nitrous oxide emissions from fertilizer, and Carbon dioxide emissions from machinery. Can a change in farming practices turn agriculture into a climate solution? 

• Karen Ross – Director, Farmers for Climate Solutions
• Brent Preston – Co-owner, The New Farm
   

2.     The economics of public transit [min 13:25]
How does one of the most environmentally-friendly commuting options make ends meet? And what happens after COVID?

• Marco D’Angelo – President & CEO, Canadian Urban Transit Association
  
  

3.     60-Second Report: "Canada in a Changing Climate: Regional Perspectives Report – Prairie Provinces” [min 20:37]

• David Sauchyn – Director, Prairie Adaptation Research Collaborative and Professor of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of Regina

4.     “Five Other Things Happening in the Green Economy This Week” [min 22:22]

•  Mike Moffatt – Senior Director of Policy, Smart Prosperity Institute

For more info and links,  go to: podcast.smartprosperity.ca

1.     There must be 60 ways to hit “net zero” [min 1:13]
Last November, Canada joined more than 100 countries in pledging to achieve net-zero emissions by the year 2050. Is it even possible? A much-anticipated report now tells us how Canada could get there.

• Jason Dion – Mitigation Research Director, Canadian Institute for Climate Choices

2.     The technology that changes everything [min 11:42]
Up until now, the world’s #1 solution for fighting climate change has been to cut down the amount of pollution we’re dumping into the atmosphere. A new and emerging suite of technologies will now let us suck existing pollution out of the atmosphere. What does it look like and how big a role can it play? 

• Devin Todd – Researcher in Residence for Negative Emissions Technologies, Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions

3.     60-Second Report: "Employment Transitions and the Phase-Out of Fossil Fuels” [min 20:26]

• Dale Marshall – National Program Manager, Environmental Defence
  
  

4.   “Five Other Things Happening in the Green Economy This Week” [min 22:15]

• Mike Moffatt – Senior Director of Policy, Smart Prosperity Institute

For more info and links, go to podcast.smartprosperity.ca

1.   What green technologies will break out in the new decade? [min 1:24]

What’s going to be the next Tesla? The next solar panel? Canada’s biggest green technology investor tells us what’s coming down the innovation pipeline that will solve environmental problems while creating big business opportunities. 

• Leah Lawrence – President & CEO, Sustainable Development Technology Canada
  
  

2.   Can the world’s biggest food and beverage company phase out plastic pollution? [min 11:17]

Over the past 60 years, plastics have transformed our economy. But the pollution that comes out the other end is piling up in oceans, neighbourhoods and landfills. The businesses signing on to the new Canada Plastics Pact want to change that.

• Catherine O’Brien – Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Nestlé Canada
  
  

 3.     60-Second Report: "Reconciliation and self-determination through renewable energy?"[min 20:07]

• Christina Hoicka – Associate Professor, York University
  
  

4.     “Five Other Things Happening in the Clean Economy This Week” [min 22:00]

•  Alice-Irene Whittaker – Director of Communications, Smart Prosperity Institute

For more details and links, visit: podcast.smartprosperity.ca

1.     What to expect from the Biden climate agenda in the first year

Can Joe Biden live up to his climate plan? We mark the inauguration of the 46th president of the United States with a panel of three US policy insiders, who forecast how the “most ambitious climate agenda ever” will make ground in the first year.

• Ana Unruh-Cohen, US House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis
• Tim Profeta, Duke University 
• Joe Kruger, Georgetown Climate Center at Georgetown University 

2.     “5 (Other) Things Happening in the Green Economy This Week”

Alice Irene Whittaker stands in for Mike Moffatt to report on the other big news in the green economy. 

• Alice-Irene Whittaker, Smart Prosperity Institute [min 20:50]

For more details and links, visit: podcast.smartprosperity.ca

1.     What to watch for in  2021

Three trusted green economy experts with a knack for seeing the big picture share the top 2 things they think will rock the green economy in 2021.

• Mike De Souza, Global News [min 2:00]
• Priyanka Lloyd, Green Economy Canada [min 7:45] 
• Bruce Lourie, Ivey Foundation [min 14:50]
   

2.     “5 (Other) Things Happening in the Green Economy This Year”

Mike Moffatt returns with a special new-year edition of his regular run down of everything else happening in the green economy right now. 

• Mike Moffatt, Smart Prosperity Institute [min 20:50]

 For more details and links, visit: podcast.smartprosperity.ca

1.    2020 Green Economy News Mash-up [min. 1:14]

A montage of this year’s green economy news stories, with credit to news clips from CBC News, Global News, CBC Power & Politics, CTV News, BNN-Bloomberg, BBC News, Fox News, CNBC, Reuters, and Al Jazeera.

2.    Panel: The Biggest Green Economy News Stories of 2020 [min. 3:42]
Four of Canada’s top journalists and media commentators share their thoughts on the year’s most important stories for the green economy. 

• Heather Scoffield, Toronto Star
• Adam Radwanski, The Globe and Mail
• Mia Rabson, The Canadian Press
• Shawn McCarthy, Freelance

For more details and links, visit: podcast.smartprosperity.ca