Today on your show our topic is: Part 2 “Oil and gas are in a competition with electrics, hydrogen and SCF (sustainable combustion fuels)”. For decades oil and gas were really the only choice for transportation and energy – heat, propulsion but it appears to be changing to a scenario where oil and gas are in a competition with electrics (chemical reaction and storage), hydrogen and sustainable combustion fuels (SCF).
Halfway through our last show we decided to add this second show because this is a massive topic. For this second part, we decided to:
1. Summarize the first show and then discuss;
2. What will be the outcome in 10 to 30 year’s time?
3. Drill down into some of the new technologies looking at pros and cons?
4. Respond to a strong critique from a listener.
5. And then take a look at how we could transition from now to the future state government, companies and STEM professionals to see if we can glean some sort of a career path forward?
Today on your show our topic is: “Oil and gas are in a competition with electrics, hydrogen and SCF (sustainable combustion fuels)”. For decades oil and gas were really the only choice for transportation and energy – heat, etc but it appears to be changing to a scenario where oil and gas are in a competition with electrics, hydrogen and sustainable combustion fuels (SCF).
Part 1 – Andre Mech. Today we hear from Andre Mech Environmental Engineer who has been a climate change proponent for the past 30 years. Andre was first on the show in January 2020 – “Disruption in the Global Auto Industry” and again in 2021 “Green is Taking off”. Andre works in the areas of electrical generation, emission reduction, energy efficiency project evaluation, project development, finance, management, verification, including carbon offset generation activities to minimizing climate change. He has direct experience with carbon related planning in the commercial institutional building sector, transportation sector and combined heat and power sector. He is a regular speaker at national and international energy conferences. He holds a BEng Mech Eng from the Royal Military College Canada and an MBA from Western University.
Today on your show we focus on Part 2 “The strategic importance of water – an irreplaceable and un-substitutable resource. In Part 1 we covered “The Importance of water to human existence”
Part 2- “The Geopolitical Impact of water scarcity”
For centuries, wars have been fought over resources. The need for land, oil, trade routes and other commodities have all led to deadly conflicts throughout history. But soon we could be seeing more fighting over arguably the most precious resource of all – water. Now to set the stage 97% of earths water is salt and 3% is freshwater. 97% of the fresh water is frozen in ice caps and glaciers so a fraction of a fraction is accessible. As the effects of climate change get worse, and the planet gets hotter and drier, the fight for water is only going to intensify. So – where could we see water wars? And how likely are they to actually happen?
Today on your show we focus on “The strategic importance of water – an irreplaceable and un-substitutable resource –
Part 1 – “The Importance of water to human existence”
Part 2- “The Geopolitical Impact of water scarcity”
We take water for granted – turn on our taps and expect perfectly clean safe water to run. But with climate change no resource stands to be more affected by the arrival of the Anthropocene than fresh water. Finite and increasingly scarce in many parts of the world, fresh water remains the most vital single input for everything from food production, energy generation, and manufacturing to human health, social development, and economic modernization. Unlike oil, water has no substitute, making access to it nothing less than a matter of existential importance to every living creature on Earth.
Today on your show our topic is: “The Future of Food and Agriculture and our ability to feed the world”. Today we address the strategic questions around food. Can we feed the world? How will we feed a growing population given the challenges of climate change, health impacts of food, economics and food costs, and food insecurity? What is the future of food systems and how must we manage our valuable and limited resources? What are the upcoming challenges and opportunities in the world of food and agriculture and the role of economics, policy, technology and climate impact? How do we manage growing and changing consumer demand, supply chain disruptions (example COVID-19 impact and geopolitical disruptions), modifications in farming practices, food and agritech impact on the future of food? How do we address the Increased focus on sustainability, the influence of investors and the impact of market disruptors?
Today on your show our topic is: “Sustainable Aviation – Facts, lies and fiction”
According to NASA, Aviation needs to be sustainable so the environment can be protected, the economy can grow, and people can continue to connect in person quickly across long distances thanks to the marvel of air travel. With today’s aircraft fleet and operational efficiency, the estimated worldwide air traffic in 2050 would require more than 620 megatons of fuel and generate close to 2,000 megatons of carbon dioxide emissions. Now what if we could support the same level of demand while reducing net carbon emissions to zero by 2050? There are three main ways to make aviation sustainable: 1) Efficient aircraft technology – Needing less energy to fly means either using less fuel or, for electric aircraft, less power that must be sourced elsewhere. This means lower lifecycle emissions for the entire time an aircraft is in use. 2) Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). SAF doesn’t release new CO2 into the environment. Additionally, it’s been shown to reduce contrails that can trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere. 3) Operations and infrastructure – Using less energy on the ground or by choice of flight paths also reduces fuel burned and saves money.
The show emphasized the urgent shift towards clean technologies to combat climate change, driven by extreme weather events and geopolitical tensions like the Ukraine war. Andre Mech highlighted the critical “H-hour” of 2030, by which businesses need a verifiable carbon reduction strategy to stay competitive. He discussed the acceleration of clean tech adoption, the economic risks of stranded assets for companies that fail to adapt, and the growing scrutiny on greenwashing, calling for stricter regulations to ensure genuine carbon neutrality in business practices.
Today on your show our topic is: “Anthropocene Climate Change-The role of an Activist”. We are living in a time many people refer to as the “Anthropocene” geological period. Humans have become the single most influential species on the planet, causing significant global warming and other changes to land, environment, water, organisms and the atmosphere. It is widely accepted that our species, Homo sapiens, have had such a significant impact on Earth and its inhabitants that we will have a lasting – and potentially irreversible – influence on its systems, environment, processes and biodiversity. The Earth is 4.5 billion years old, and modern humans have been around for around a mere 200,000 years. Yet in that time we have fundamentally altered the physical, chemical and biological systems of the planet on which we and all other organisms depend.
Today on your show our topic is: “Scientists are sounding the alarm. Green is taking off” fossil fuels will be replaced by alternatives within 15 years, by a mixture of green fuels and electricity. Some governments are taking strong positions and moving whole economies in totally new directions. Some are moving fast while others are straggling along. Europe has taken bold action, followed by Canada with and the United States. Other countries are lagging. What does this mean for Europe? What does this mean for Canada? What does this mean for the United States? What does it mean for the rest of the world.
The second part of this series continues the discussion on climate change, emphasizing the economic and societal shifts required to address the issue. Hosted by Stephen Armstrong, the episode focuses on how transitioning to sustainable energy and decentralized power systems can create new jobs and industries. The conversation delves into the implications of technological advancements, like electric vehicles and microgrids, for society and the economy.
This episode of Innovation Nation focuses on climate change and its potential impact on the planet and humanity. Hosted by Stephen Armstrong, the show addresses the debate surrounding anthropogenic climate change (man-made) and its effects. The discussion explores the scientific consensus on global warming and how human activities have tipped the balance of Earth’s natural systems. The episode highlights sustainable practices and how shifting away from fossil fuels could improve both environmental and economic outcomes.
Today on your show we focus on “Biomimcry”. Humans are clever, but without intending to, we have created massive sustainability problems for future generations. Fortunately, solutions to these global challenges are all around us. Biomimicry is an approach to innovation that seeks sustainable solutions to human challenges by emulating nature’s time-tested patterns and strategies. The core idea is that nature has already solved many of the problems we are grappling with. Animals, plants, and microbes are the consummate engineers.
This episode of Innovation Nation focuses on resilience planning, discussing how cities and businesses can prepare for future disruptions, whether due to climate change, terrorism, or infrastructure failures. Hosted by Stephen Armstrong, the show explores strategies to ensure systems and cities can withstand and recover from catastrophic events. The conversation highlights the growing importance of resilience planning in the face of increasingly frequent natural disasters and societal disruptions.
This episode focuses on the application of green chemistry to transform the global economy. Hosted by Stephen Armstrong, the discussion covers the potential of green chemistry to manage waste and transition from a petroleum-based economy to a sustainable, resource-recovery economy. The show also addresses why many Canadian university research innovations fail to be commercialized, emphasizing the role of industry and government in overcoming this gap.
Brent Cordner is a qualified industrial designer who lives and works in Toronto. He has taught design and architecture at OCAD, Ryerson and the University of Toronto. He is currently working on a green technology project at the School of Engineering at the University of Toronto. The product, called FLYCORE, is a high performance honeycomb material that is a successful example of Biomimicry.
Alexander Hay is a founding principal of 
