Shows
ThinkEnergySummer Rewind: Positive Energy in a Polarized WorldTo address climate change, we must be united, working together towards a common goal. But differing perspectives have created a complex and polarized debate: renewable energy versus fossil fuel versus nuclear power. These discussions require an open mind and constructive dialogue to find solutions that work for all stakeholders. In thinkenergy episode 106, Dr. Monica Gattinger, li, unpacks how we can build a stronger way forward for Canada – together. Related links Positive Energy: https://www.uottawa.ca/research-innovation/positive-energy Positive Energy, Twitter: https://twitter.com/uOttawa_Energy The Institute for Science, Society an...
2023-07-0454 minThinkEnergyPositive Energy in a Polarized WorldTo address climate change, we must be united, working together towards a common goal. But differing perspectives have created a complex and polarized debate: renewable energy versus fossil fuel versus nuclear power. These discussions require an open mind and constructive dialogue to find solutions that work for all stakeholders. In thinkenergy episode 106, Dr. Monica Gattinger, li, unpacks how we can build a stronger way forward for Canada – together. Related links Positive Energy: https://www.uottawa.ca/research-innovation/positive-energy Positive Energy, Twitter: https://twitter.com/uOttawa_Energy The In...
2023-02-2754 min
Positive EnergyMike Cleland and Monica Gattinger on Regulatory DesignThe concepts of regulatory independence and effectiveness are under tremendous pressure. In recent decades, energy-decision makers have had to grapple with a rapidly expanding slate of economic, environmental and social issues. Looking ahead thirty years, Canada is committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Successfully charting this future will depend in considerable measure on whether public energy decision systems – including regulators – are up to the job.
Positive Energy Executive-in-Residence Mike Cleland and Positive Energy Chair Dr. Monica Gattinger are the co-authors of a brand-new report entitled Energy Project Decision Systems for Net Zero: Designing for Functionality, Adap...
2021-11-1020 minPositive EnergyAndrew Pickford on Final Investment DecisionsOver the last forty years, proposals for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) projects have appeared around the globe, with mixed success. Most never obtain adequate funding or permits, but some proceed to a final investment decision and then commissioning. In Canada there are very few academic or public policy studies on LNG investment or which factors influence final investment decisions.
Andrew Pickford's latest research for Positive Energy aims to fill that gap by addressing part of the larger question of “who decides and how?” when it comes to energy projects. He joins the podcast to disc...
2021-10-0618 min
Positive EnergyIan T.D. Thomson on Regulatory IndependenceEnergy regulators have been vital to public policy for over a century, both as hubs of technical expertise and as deliberative bodies capable of looking beyond electoral cycles. Under this paradigm, Canadian regulators have emerged as reputable decision-makers and enforcers of the public interest. The concept of “regulatory independence” is central to this arrangement: independent, arm’s-length, trusted.
But the dynamics inside and outside of the sector are changing. New environmental imperatives, greater calls for public participation, b...
2021-09-0117 minPositive EnergyPatricia Larkin on Regulatory InnovationCanada’s energy regulators are operating in increasingly dynamic contexts that do not lend themselves to a stable and predictable regulatory environment. Institutional and regulatory innovation will be vital to catch up and keep up with the pace of change and multiple competing imperatives.
Where have we seen successful innovations in energy regulatory systems? How can we scale them up across Canada? Our guest is Dr. Patricia Larkin, a Senior Research Associate with Positive Energy. Her latest study explores these questions and is now available on the Positive Energy website.
2021-07-2219 minPositive EnergyPolling Canada: Nik Nanos on climate action and public confidenceHow has COVID-19 affected Canadians' attitudes towards climate action? The sense of urgency appears to be trending up. Nik Nanos returns to the podcast to discuss results from the latest Positive Energy/Nanos quarterly tracking survey, including the appetite for climate ambition and levels of public trust in different information sources.
Full survey results are available here
2021-04-1614 minPositive EnergyDuane Bratt on the past, present and future of energy federalismEnergy and environmental policy cover both provincial and federal jurisdiction, which makes it fertile ground for conflict. In particular, the onset of climate change has intensified disagreements around energy and environmental policy between the provinces and the federal government. Dr. Duane Bratt joins us to discuss the history of energy federalism, the complexities that can arise, and charting a productive path forward.
2021-03-1519 minPositive EnergyMonica Gattinger on the roles and responsibilities of energy decision-makersWhat are the respective roles and responsibilities between policymakers, regulators, the courts, municipalities and Indigenous governments when it comes to energy and climate decision-making? Clearly articulating and strengthening these relationships is one of the most pivotal but understudied factors shaping our collective energy and climate future. Dr. Monica Gattinger returns to the podcast to discuss this crucial question, which forms the basis for a new stream of research at Positive Energy.
For more information about Positive Energy, please visit our website.
2021-02-0815 minPositive EnergyThe Australian Energy and Climate Experience: A Discussion with Andrew PickfordPositive Energy research affiliate Andrew Pickford joins Ian T.D. Thomson to discuss Australian experiences of energy issues, federalism and policy debates. He examines similarities and differences between Australia and Canada and how these qualities influence our respective debates, particularly as they relate to the outlook for liquified natural gas.
Andrew Pickford is a Strategic Analyst working between Australia and North America in the areas of strategy, economic analysis and energy with a range of private and public organizations. He is a Senior Fellow at both the International Strategic Studies Association and the University...
2020-05-1340 minPositive EnergyWhat is "Transition"? Dr. Marisa Beck on the Two Realities of Energy and Environmental LeadersIan T. D. Thomson talks with Dr. Marisa Beck, Research Director at the University of Ottawa's Institute for Science, Society and Policy and Positive Energy. The discussion spotlights her latest report for Positive Energy, “What is ‘Transition’? The Two Realities of Energy and Environmental Leaders in Canada”. The paper examines how energy and environmental leaders use and interpret the term “transition”, and observes that differences in their views over how to address climate change constitute two separate “realities”. For more information on the report, please visit the Positive Energy website.
2020-04-2230 min
Disruption DiscoveredA Post-Truth Social Contract — with Jeff KinderThe implicit arrangement between science and society—funding and autonomy in exchange for substantial but unpredictable benefits—is under strain. Canadians are increasingly skeptical that scientists conduct themselves ethically, or that the government is capable of regulating disruptive technologies.
Jeff Kinder discusses what a reinvigorated social contract between science and society could look like, and how finding new ways to involve the public scientific priorities could help to restore public confidence.
Contact the Institute on Governance
2020-04-0817 minDisruption DiscoveredMutant Biofuels — with Kin ChanKeeping global temperatures to safe levels will require unlikely and disruptive discoveries from unexpected places. Medicine is a promising frontier.
Kin Chan discusses his medical research on DNA damage and cancer, and explains how an enzyme that he discovered could eventually help pave the way for a new generation of low-carbon fuels.
Recommendations:
Mechanisms of Mutagenesis by Kin Chan
2020-04-0117 minDisruption DiscoveredCanada’s Front Yard — with Jackie DawsonA melting Arctic is opening up Canadian waters and coastlines to the world. Canada needs a vision for how it will handle this new activity and build out the necessary infrastructure in previously inaccessible locations.
Jackie Dawson explains what a Canadian vision for the Arctic might include, and what makes crafting policy for Canada’s North such a unique challenge.
Recommendations:
Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate by the IPCC
ArcticNet Portal
2020-03-2516 minDisruption DiscoveredAn Unlocked Arctic — with Jackie DawsonThe Arctic is warming at twice the global average. In the Canadian Arctic, it's three times the global average.
Jackie Dawson explains the scale of this transformation, and what a melting Arctic means for the future of trade, geopolitics, and Northern communities.
2020-03-1816 minDisruption DiscoveredBrace for Geoengineering — with Jason BlackstockClimate change is the ultimate disruptor. On timescales that matter for people alive today, it’s a question of slowing climate change down rather than “solving” or “fixing” it. Geoengineering might be our most drastic option.
Jason Blackstock explains the potential scientific and geopolitical implications of geoengineering, and explores future scenarios that will influence the public perception of the technology.
Recommendations:
Geoengineering the Climate: Science, Governance and Uncertainty by the Royal Society
The Planet Remade by Oliver Morton
Publications from the International Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies
Time for a...
2020-03-1124 minDisruption DiscoveredThe Unpredictability of National Security — with Mark SalterNations constantly make decisions about national security in the face of uncertainty or incomplete information. The outcomes of these decisions are often unpredictable, and success is often invisible.
Mark Salter explains how the national security apparatus is built to withstand disruption and why Canadians’ sense of what constitutes a national security threat is a reflection of our culture and values.
Recommendations:
Slow Violence and the Environmentalism of the Poor by Rob Nixon
The Right to be Cold by Sheila Watt-Cloutier
2020-03-0422 minPositive EnergyPolling Canada: Stephen Bird and Erick Lachapelle on Polarization over Energy and Environment in Canada (Part 2)Ian T. D. Thomson talks with Positive Energy Faculty Affiliates Professor Stephen Bird of Clarkson University and Professor Erick Lachapelle of the Université de Montréal. Their latest survey report, co-authored with Dr. Monica Gattinger, examines the extent of polarization over energy and environmental issues in Canada. This includes distinguishing between polarized and fragmented opinion on key topics like the national carbon tax, pipelines and energy transition. The survey assesses attitudes towards energy and environment across several demographic groupings, including political affiliation, region and age.
For more information on Positive Energy's public opinion survey research, please visit th...
2020-03-0327 minPositive EnergyPolling Canada: Stephen Bird and Erick Lachapelle on Polarization over Energy and Environment in Canada (Part 1)Ian T. D. Thomson talks with Positive Energy Faculty Affiliates Professor Stephen Bird of Clarkson University and Professor Erick Lachapelle of the Université de Montréal. Their latest survey report, co-authored with Dr. Monica Gattinger, examines the extent of polarization over energy and environmental issues in Canada. This includes distinguishing between polarized and fragmented opinion on key topics like the national carbon tax, pipelines and energy transition. The survey assesses attitudes towards energy and environment across several demographic groupings, including political affiliation, region and age.
For more information on Positive Energy's public opinion survey research, please visit th...
2020-03-0221 minDisruption DiscoveredDeweaponizing Misinformation — with Kimberly GirlingMisinformation is influencing public opinion, decision making, and even geopolitics. And it’s not just coming from Facebook and Twitter—it’s coming from our political leaders. Yet our ability to detect misinformation is diminishing.
Kimberly Girling discusses the disruptive influence of misinformation on societies, and explains what individuals can do to help stem the tide of misinformation.
Recommendations:
Why I’m done saying ‘fake news’ by Katie Gibbs
Truth Toolkit: How to Combat Misinformation by Evidence for Democracy
Too Dumb for Democracy? by David Moscrop
2020-02-2621 minDisruption DiscoveredChina Conundrums — with Margaret McCuaig-JohnstonCanada-China relations are in uncharted territory. To understand the current tangle of trade disputes and hostage diplomacy, it helps to go back to the beginning.
Margaret McCuaig-Johnston traces Canada's relationship with China back to the establishment of formal diplomatic ties in 1970, discusses China's scientific ambitions, and lays out the stakes of Huawei's 5G bid.
Recommendations:
The Third Revolution by Elizabeth Economy
Two Tears on the Window by Julia and Kevin Garratt
2020-02-1922 minDisruption DiscoveredBig Data, Big Agriculture — with Kelly BronsonBig data can dramatically improve decision-making, but the design and imagining of what we can and should use big data for is happening largely outside of the purview of public debate.
Kelly Bronson explains big data's arrival in the public sphere and—using Canada’s agricultural sector as case study—discusses how the use of big data is pushing us towards specific types of food production, and how more inclusive and effective use of big data can produce better social outcomes.
Recommendations:
Custodians of the Internet by Tarleton Gilles...
2020-02-1224 minPositive EnergyAddressing Polarization over Energy and Climate: Duane Bratt on Alberta's Climate Leadership Plan (Part 2)Ian T. D. Thomson continues his interview with Positive Energy Research Team member Duane Bratt, Professor and Chair of the Department of Economics, Justice, and Policy Studies at Mount Royal University. Dr. Bratt discusses the legacy of Alberta's Climate Leadership Plan (CLP), including its ongoing influence on federal climate policies. Positive Energy will publish Dr. Bratt’s case study in the coming weeks as part of its ‘What Works’ case study series exploring various efforts to address polarization over energy and climate.
2020-02-1123 minPositive EnergyAddressing Polarization over Energy and Climate: Duane Bratt on Alberta's Climate Leadership Plan (Part 1)Ian T. D. Thomson interviews Positive Energy Research Team member Duane Bratt, Professor and Chair of the Department of Economics, Justice, and Policy Studies at Mount Royal University. Dr. Bratt discusses the history of the Alberta Climate Leadership Plan (CLP): an ambitious policy program developed by the previous NDP government to address climate change in the oil and gas-rich province. Positive Energy will publish Dr. Bratt’s case study in the coming weeks as part of its ‘What Works’ case study series exploring various efforts to address polarization over energy and climate.
2020-02-1027 minDisruption DiscoveredHow Do We Know Something Is True — with Marc SanerWe live in an era of information abundance. But converting information into knowledge and applying that knowledge to improve society are massive tasks.
Marc Saner explains the challenge of turning increasingly complex scientific knowledge into tangible benefits, what it means to seek knowledge responsibly, and how Canada can better use expertise to make decisions in the public interest.
Recommendations:
Rashomon by Akira Kurosawa
Difficult Conversations by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton and Sheila Heen
2020-02-0518 min2020-01-2800 minPositive EnergyPolling Canada: Nik Nanos talks Public and Expert Opinion on Energy and ClimateIan T. D. Thomson interviews Nik Nanos, Chair and CEO of Nanos Research and Chair of Positive Energy's Advisory Council. Mr. Nanos discusses two opinion surveys developed by Nanos Research in collaboration with Positive Energy. One survey examines Canadian public opinion on climate and energy issues; the other explores expert opinion on the topics.
2020-01-2342 minPositive EnergyGo Big or Go Home: The Future of Canadian Energy—with Monica Gattinger, Mike Cleland, Chris Henderson, Shannon Joseph, Tonja Leach and Shawn McCarthy.Earlier this month, Positive Energy hosted a debate to examine and address polarization in Canadian politics, in particular its effects on energy decision-making. The question: Can Canada better meet its future energy, environmental, social and economic needs with large projects and system-wide approaches, or local projects and community approaches? The debate featured four experts with diverse and extensive experience on energy issues across Canada. Arguing for large projects and system-wide approaches were Mike Cleland, Senior Fellow with Positive Energy, and Shannon Joseph, Vice President of Government Relations for the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers. Arguing for local...
2019-12-131h 25Positive EnergyPolling Canada: Nik Nanos Presents Canadians’ Opinions on Energy and EnvironmentToday on the program, Nik Nanos’ keynote address from Positive Energy’s October 7th Conference is highlighted. Entitled “DIVIDED? Polarization and Canada’s Energy Future in an Age of Climate Change”, The conference convened senior leaders from business, government, Indigenous communities, civil society and the academy to examine and address polarization in Canadian politics, in particular its effects on energy decision-making.
Nik Nanos is the Chair and CEO of Nanos Research as well as Chair of the University of Ottawa’s Positive Energy Initiative. In his keynote, Mr. Nanos highlighted new survey research. This survey work - now availa...
2019-12-0342 minPositive EnergyWhat's in a word? Michael Cleland on Canada's energy vocabularyIan T. D. Thomson talks with Michael Cleland, Senior Fellow, Positive Energy, uOttawa, about his latest article for Energy Regulation Quarterly. Mr. Cleland discusses Canada’s climate change history, the importance of vocabulary used in Canada’s energy debate, and the evolving role of institutions in climate and energy policy.
Read Mr. Cleland's piece, co-authored with Positive Energy Chair Monica Gattinger
2019-10-3130 minPositive EnergyMonica Gattinger on polarization in an age of climate changeWelcome to the new Positive Energy podcast.
In our debut episode, Ian T.D. Thomson talks with Professor Monica Gattinger, Chair of Positive Energy and Director of the Institute for Science, Society and Policy, University of Ottawa, about why Canada’s dialogue around energy and climate issues has become polarized—and what we can do about it.
For more on Positive Energy's new report, Canada’s Energy Future in an Age of Climate Change, please visit the Positive Energy website.
2019-09-2434 min