What We Learned From The Tea Party (541)

Stefan starts the show with Rex Tillerson, former Exxon CEO and now Secretary of State for the USA and how this may relate to clean energy investment and other policies in Canada. We also talk about whether or not these disastrous appointments by Trump will embolden the resistance in Canada and abroad on a wide variety of social and economic issues in addition to climate action.

• Former Exxon boss Rex Tillerson will be 'good' for Canada, says Chrystia Freeland
• Why Canada's clean energy investment plummeted in 2016
• How Trump may spur Canada to up its game on climate change

Our interview this week is with Matthew Klippenstein, a chemical engineer turned renewable energy consultant, who chronicles the Canadian electric vehicle market for GreenCarReports.com. Matthew talks to us about EV sales trends in Canada and abroad, Elon Musk idolatry and the hush hush story of the failing oil industry no one seems to know about.

• THE BLOOD BATH CONTINUES IN THE U.S. MAJOR OIL INDUSTRY
• Plug-in electric car sales in Canada, Jan 2017: Volt on top again
• (Matthew's) Canadian EV sales Spreadsheet
• Time for Tesla to Listen (Elon Musk's dark side)
• History of Plug-in electric vehicles in Norway (Comparative Policy)
• Statoil Bails On Canadian Tar Sands Oil, Dives Into Offshore Wind Power
• Statoil sees renewables taking up to 20% of Capex by 2030

In the last section Sabina updates us on the new round of protests and resistance from #NODAPL in response to Trumps executive orders concerning pipelines (he completely coincidentally is invested in) and similar fights with First Nations communities here in Canada.

• Last stand: 'water protectors' return to Standing Rock as drilling set to begin
• Tsilhqot’in Ready for Yet Another Fight if B.C. Grants Mine Exploration Permits Denied by Feds

Bonus Show:

Sabina, Daryn and Kay talk about the imminent threat to current economic and social balance across the planet due to the rapid mechanization of huge sectors of the workforce, and also play a game of 'what if' regarding future theoretical environmental issues of extraterrestrial mining operations.

• Chinese factory replaces 90% of human workers with robots. Production rises by 250%, defects drop by 80%

This Weeks Music:

 Arkells "John Lennon" & Broken Social Scene "Swimmers"

What do you think?

Let us know what you think of what we discussed in the show! Click here to find us on social media, leave us a phone message to play on air or send us an email!