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Energy Switch Season 1 Episodes
Season 1 Episode Guide
12 Episodes 2022 - 2022
Episode 1
How Should We Respond to Climate Change?
Mon, Oct 3, 2022
Climate change is affecting everyday lives. Record-breaking temperatures, melting ice and more frequent coastal flooding are just some of the intensifying risks communities face as the globe continues to warm. Dr. Steve Koonin, a former U.S. Secretary of Science, and Dr. Michael Greenstone, Director of the Energy Policy Institute at University of Chicago, describe the impacts of climate change.
Episode 2
Future of Natural Gas
Mon, Oct 3, 2022
Dr. Naomi Boness, Managing Director of the Natural Gas Initiative at Stanford University, and Rachel Fakhry, Analyst for the Climate and Clean Air programs at the National Resources Defense Council, delve into the impact of hydraulic fracturing on the energy sector. They discuss how the abundance of gas has led to lower, but not zero, carbon emissions and the role gas plays in replacing coal in power production.
Episode 3
Solar & Wind Power the World? Part 1
Mon, Oct 3, 2022
Robert Bryce, best-selling author, and Leia Guccione, Managing Director of Carbon Free Electricity at RMI, explore the potential for solar and wind to power the world. They discuss how these sources currently contribute only 4% of global electricity, yet scaling them up 25-fold could provide a carbon-free alternative, while highlighting the challenges and opportunities in achieving this goal.
Episode 4
Solar & Wind Power the World? Part 2
Mon, Oct 3, 2022
Leia Guccione, Managing Director of Carbon Free Electricity at RMI, and Robert Bryce, best-selling author, explore the potential for solar and wind power to scale up. They discuss how these sources enjoy favorable public opinion, but concerns over materials, mining, and land use could change this. The conversation delves into whether solar and wind can one day power the world and what challenges they face.
Episode 5
Is Hydrogen our Energy Future?
Mon, Oct 3, 2022
Countries are excited about hydrogen as a way to reduce their CO2 emissions, but costs need to come down and continued technological and manufacturing developments will be required for hydrogen to compete. Dr. Julio Friedmann, a Senior Research Scholar at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, and Dr. Steve Hamburg, the Chief Scientist at the Environmental Defense Fund, discuss.
Episode 6
Investing in our energy future
Mon, Oct 3, 2022
Transitioning the developed world toward lower carbon energies, and the developing world toward having enough energy, are grand and sometimes conflicting challenges. Both will cost trillions of dollars. Where will this money come from? Deborah Byers, Partner and Americas Industry Leader at EY, and Ken Medlock, the Senior Director of the Center for Energy Studies at Rice University, discuss.
Episode 7
New Geopolitics of Energy
Mon, Oct 3, 2022
The world is changing - and so is the world of energy. Many experts think coal, oil and natural gas will remain our largest global energy sources. Meanwhile, solar and wind become more affordable, encouraging their growth worldwide. Secretary Ernie Moniz, the 13th United States Secretary of Energy, and Dr. Daniel Yergin, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, discuss the new geopolitics of energy.
Episode 8
More Nuclear Power? Part 1
Mon, Oct 3, 2022
Nuclear proponents say we can't meet climate goals without expanding the fleet and pursuing new nuclear technologies, while opponents say cost and time are the main issues. Will nuclear power play a role in decarbonizing the electricity sector? Dr. Arjun Makhijani, the President of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, and Michael Shellenberger, a best-selling author, discuss.
Episode 9
More Nuclear Power? Part 2
Mon, Oct 3, 2022
If we are to meet decarbonization targets, each nuclear plant could take over a decade to permit and construct, while alternatives could be deployed in a few years. The conversation continues between Dr. Arjun Makhijani and Michael Shellenberger about whether or not expanding nuclear power will play a significant role in decarbonizing the electricity sector, in the US and globally.
Episode 10
Making Energy More Sustainable
Mon, Oct 3, 2022
Energy sustainability can be grouped into three areas: Environmental: can an energy resource operate in equilibrium with the environment? Sociopolitical: do its benefits enrich broad society? Economic: can it operate profitably to support itself. Dr. Bridget Scanlon, Senior Research Scientist at the Bureau of Economic Geology, and Sean O'Donnell, Partner at Quantum Energy, discuss.
Episode 11
Policies to Reduce CO2
Mon, Oct 3, 2022
Carbon-based fuels provide more than 80% of global energy. To reduce emissions will take time and money. What are the benefits of a carbon tax? Or would it be more effective to encourage carbon-reducing technologies? Dr. Billy Pizer, the Vice President of Research and Policy Engagement at Resources for the Future, and Sasha Mackler, the Executive Director of the Bipartisan Policy Center discuss.
Episode 12
Does the US Need Oil & Gas Industry?
Mon, Oct 3, 2022
The oil and gas industry provides 10 million US jobs and billions to the economy. Cheap, available oil makes transportation and products affordable. Abundant gas has offset coal in power generation, and can balance intermittent renewables. But the economic benefits can be cyclical, and investors in the US and Europe are fleeing due to CO2 concerns and declining returns. Other environmental challenges include methane leaks, water use, and oil spills. Does the US need a thriving oil and gas industry? Or should we more actively transition to lower carbon emission energies. Could a system built on those realistically replace the benefits of oil and gas? Dr. David Victor, a Professor of Innovation and Public Policy at UC San Diego, and Matt Gallagher, former President and CEO of Parsley Energy, weigh in.