THIS WEEK
It's getting hot in here (and in Washington), how EVs could spark the next gold rush, and what solar arrays have in common with blockbuster musicals.
|
|
|
CLIMATE SCIENCE
"About as certain as anything gets"
By now you've probably heard at least a rumbling about a new climate change report that scientists worry may not make it through U.S. Government vetting intact. But do you know what it says that has everyone so worked up—and what Canada had to do with it?
Political dysfunction aside, the main conclusion is what's grabbing the headlines—namely that "human influence" is mostly behind the dramatic warming trends observed since the middle of the last century. As Vox's Dave Roberts explains, "There is, the report says, 'no convincing alternative explanation' for that warming," and that has all eyes turned to Washington to see how the Trump administration will respond.
Meanwhile, Canada's own Katharine Hayhoe—a professor at Texas Tech University, evangelical Christian, and climate scientist who contributed to the report—spoke with CBC about why the report's findings are so explosive in America and why Canada's pending national carbon price is a sensible and practical policy response to this research.
|
|
Music to a miner's ears
To stay ahead of the curve as demand for electric vehicles grows, the world's top mining company BHP Billiton Ltd. is taking steps to dominate nickel sulfate exports—a critical component of batteries for EVs. Meantime, lithium producers are also locking in contracts.
|
|
Putting the ICE on ice
Just as the internal combustion engine made horsepower obsolete, today the "mightiest motor in history" is being sidelined by its sophisticated electric cousin, reports the Economist. So what's in store for Canadians looking to electrifying their wheels? Find out.
|
|
If you build it, jobs will come
Construction crews, electricians and ironworkers—even Alberta's roughnecks—are the face of the new clean economy. Investments in greener infrastructure are expected to create nearly four million direct jobs in the next few decades for skilled trades workers.
|
|
Not a drone, but still pretty cool
While Amazon fine-tunes its drone-delivery technology, a startup in California is rethinking the concept of the delivery van—from the engine up. Chanje's zero-emissions cargo trucks fill a big gap in the freight industry, and could hit the streets (silently) as early as this fall.
|
|
THE DEEP DIVE
A founding father for America's solar revolution?
He's been called the Alexander Hamilton of solar—a catalyst, scholar, contrarian and thought leader at the forefront of America's solar revolution. Varun Sivaram's career path makes the comparison seem reasonable enough, but don't take our word for it. His essay "Unlocking Clean Energy" is this week's long read. If that gets you fired up, his forthcoming book, Taming the Sun, is due out early next year from MIT University Press.
|
|
Is carbon pollution dragging down your investment portfolio? The latest report from Genus Capital Management (a sponsor of Clean Energy Review) explains why you should examine the carbon intensity of companies you invest in. Get it here.
|
|
|
FRONT BURNER
2017 Alberta Climate Summit
Sept. 28, 2017 | Calgary
The third-annual Alberta Climate Summit showcases clean energy innovation and industry opportunities already underway in Alberta. With over 500 attendees ranging from government officials to industry leaders, the Alberta Climate Summit is an opportunity to network in Canada's energy capital. Learn more.
Sept. 22-24, 2017 | B.C. and Ontario
Green Energy Doors Open B.C. 2017
Seeing is believing. Join the British Columbia Sustainable Energy Association this fall as it hosts Green Energy Doors Open, which will showcase clean energy projects from across the province. Learn more. (Live in Ontario? Find events near you.)
Oct. 3-5, 2017 | Montreal
CanWEA 2017: Annual Conference and Exhibition
The Canadian Wind Energy Association's annual conference and exhibition is Canada's premier wind power event of the year. In 2016, 1500 people attended the three-day event, alongside 150 exhibitors and sponsors, 50 speakers and two high-profile ministers. If those numbers blow you away (or toward Montreal), you can learn more.
|
|
|
|
