Many countries have proposed a Carbon Tax as a means to combat climate change. The principle behind it is that carbon emissions pose an externality to people's health and as such need to priced into the cost of goods. Theoretically, this would encourage people to buy goods that have a lower carbon content, as that would be reflected in a lower price. So whether you are producing steel, oil, gasoline, lumber, mining, etc. regardless of your industry, if you are generating carbon emissions, you need to pay a price on them.   One very popular and outspoken proponent of a carbon tax is Elon Musk. In this episode, we discuss comments Elon recently made about the efficacy of a carbon tax, and his perspective as a billionaire concerned about the planet. We also discuss carbon tax more broadly, in terms of its origins, intended use and implementation, and how the resulting effects will be felt by everyday individuals.    

In this episode we discuss various methods of energy storage for application to a large scale electrical grid.    We cover well known technologies such as battery storage, as well as less prominent forms such as thermal and gravity storage.   With increased incorporation of renewable energies such as wind and solar into the electrical power grid, it is more important now than ever before to consider how we will store energy for when the sun don't shine and the wind don't blow. 

In this episode, we look at a case study that tries to assess the feasibility of powering the Ontario electrical grid with 100% renewable energy, supplemented by battery storage.   With growing integration of renewable energy systems into the mainstream grid, it is crucial to ensure the transition is done such that we do not compromise people's access to electricity. That means, blackouts due to insufficient electrical availability from renewable sources is simply unacceptable.   Western standards have come to the point that we expect instant electricity at the flick of a switch, often forgetting that this is a luxury not afforded to many in the world.   This a subtle game of energy supply and demand that is constantly being played. Changing the rules of the game will lead to unintended negative consequences, as we saw with the power outages in Texas.    This is a challenging and complex subject in which models are often used. We hope to understand and break down these models, as always, from first principles.         

What would an electrical grid powered by solar and wind energy look like? We tried to analyze this problem from a simplistic model, using some basic back-of-the-envelope calculations.   Mainly, we coarsely estimated the land foot print required, if all of Canada's and USA's power were supplied by wind or solar energy.    Of course, the story is not so simple because we can't have the full conversation on sustainability of these technologies, without mentioning energy storage in some form, which we briefly allude to as well.    We also looked at the policy implications associated with any technology and how they impact their application. A great solution executed poorly is no solution at all, hence the coining of the term "unreliables" when some refer to solar and wind power.     This ultimately leads to a comparison of some of the positive and negative aspects of renewable energies, fossil fuels, and nuclear energy. No country has the same make-up of energy and that was evident when we looked at the cost of electricity in China, Germany, Canada, and Kenya in relation to the different forms of energy used to power their respective grids.    Listen for full analysis because some of the answers to the questions above may surprise you!    

Environmental discussions related to global warming and climate change are becoming more frequent.    This was true in the Vice Presidential debate that took place between Kamala Harris and Mike Pence, where global warming, wildfires, forest management, renewable energy, and many such subjects were discussed.   These are complex systems, and of course, politicians on the debate stage have only a few minutes to try to communicate these incredibly delicate subjects. This is unfair to the general public because it does not demonstrate true value to the issues at hand.   We tried to analyze these segments of the debate to see the full picture and understand the issues from first principles.  

The Green New Deal (also known as House Resolution 109) was proposed as a means of addressing carbon emissions and climate change in the United States.    First Principles Podcast tries to take a fair and balanced analysis of the positive and negative aspects of the GND.    We like some of the principles of higher standards of pollutant emissions, however, find the resolution lacks focus and tries to address too many issues.

Planet of the Humans was a documentary recently released by Jeff Gibbs and Michael Moore. It depicts a very gloom future for humanity as a result of our extensive over consumption of resources in an unsustainable manner.  We took a look at the claims made in this piece of art so as to understand whether there is scientific merit or whether we are being fed another doom and gloom narrative. Watch the VIDEO version of this episode on YouTube: https://cutt.ly/YouTube1P   Connect with us on our site: www.FirstPrinciplesPodcast.com   @f1rstPrinciples

The eco anxiety phenomenon has recently been increasingly discussed. We wanted to weigh in on the discussion and talk about our own experiences with the matter and how we have dealt with our own form of eco anxiety. Connect with us at: www.FirstPrinciplesPodcast.com   Subscribe to our YouTube and watch the video version of this podcast: https://cutt.ly/YouTube1P   Twitter: @f1rstprinciples  

We tried to give an honest analysis of the Greta Thunberg speech at the UN and highlighted some things we liked and the things we did not like. On the one hand we admire the courage Greta has to speak in on a global stage, but on the other hand we believe the politicians dishonestly used the teenager to virtue signal to their base. For more in depth written analysis, visit our website www.FirstPrinciplesPodcast.com Connect on twitter @f1rstprinciples   

We looked at the environmental impact of a vegan based diet and one that used crickets for its caloric intake. So if you are strange like us and ever wondered how many crickets you would need in order to sustain yourself, check out this episode and find out! The parameters of analysis chosen as they pertain to environmental impact were the land requirement, CO2 generation, water consumption, and Energy consumption, where available.  For a detailed written analysis of the subject, visit our website www.FirstPrinciplesPodcast.com Connect on twitter @f1rstprinciples