The Energy Challenge

Join Dr. Peter Carter, Paul Beckwith and Regina Valdez as they discuss the urgent need and challenges we face in transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy.

This video was recorded on June 25th, 2021, and published on April 30th, 2022.

Some of the topics discussed:

• How the production of much of the new renewable infrastructure, e.g. solar panels and wind turbines, will make use of fossil fuel energy. This phenomenon is sometimes referred to as the ‘Carbon Burst.’
• The issue of Power density as written about by Vaclav Smil in Power Density Primer is discussed.
• The Energy Return on Energy Investment (EROEI) of Fossil Fuels which are relatively high compared to most renewable forms of energy such as Wind and Solar with the exception of HydroElectric power.
• The unfortunate use of BioEnergy/Biomass such as BECCS today is discussed.
• The use of newer generation Nuclear Fission reactors is discussed.
• How our existing society developed through the use of inexpensive fossil fuel energy.
• Climate Change’s effects on the operation of HydroElectric and Nuclear Fission power plants due to extreme events such as droughts.
• The need to electrify more areas of consumption such as transportation.
• The use of pumped hydro as a form of energy storage.
• The important realization that there is a varying degree of trade-offs between energy generation and environmental damage and the need to do a better job of balancing them.
• The requirement, due to the increasing consequences of climate change, to urgently move away from Fossil Fuels and to consider ramping down our energy use in various ways such as through lifestyle and efficiency.
• How we could use the skill sets involved in drilling for oil and turn it towards developing Geo-Thermal energy.
• The use of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) as one of number of energy generation options.
• The need to for the energy industry to diversify its sources and move away from Fossil Fuels.
• and more. . .

Links:

• Power Density Primer - Vaclav Smil

• Harnessing the Bay of Fundy: New platform has turbines like a boat’s outboard motor

• IEA - United States - Key Energy Statistics - 2020

• IEA - Canada - Key Energy Statistics - 2020

• List of countries by electricity consumption - 2019

• Renewable Baseload Power from a single desert location. Enough for 7 million homes!

• Our Renewable Future: Laying the Path for One Hundred Percent Clean Energy

Regular Panelists:

• Dr. Peter Carter - MD, Expert IPCC Reviewer and the director of the Climate Emergency Institute

• Paul Beckwith - Climate Systems Scientist. Professor at the University of Ottawa’s Paleoclimatology Laboratory as well as at Carleton University

• Regina Valdez - Program Director, Climate Reality Project, NYC. GreenFaith Fellow and LEED Green Associate

Video Production:

• Charles Gregoire – Climate Reality Leader, Electrical Engineer, Webmaster and IT prime for FacingFuture.Earth and the Climate Emergency Forum

• Heidi Brault - Climate Reality Leader, BA(Psychology), Library & Information Technician Diploma - Video production and website assistant - Organizer and convener, Metadata technician, COP26 Team Lead for FacingFuture.Earth and the Climate Emergency Forum.

Attributions:

Background Music:

• Title: Through the City II
• Author: Crowander
• Source: Free Music Archive
• License: BY-NC 4.0

Image and Video:

• Image and Video Attributions