Best CKUA Radio Podcasts (2024)

1
DakhaBrakha | Ethno-Chaos 26:33

5h ago26:33

26:33

DakhaBrakha combines traditional folk and punk, drawing inspiration from their Ukrainian homeland with a global sensibility. Melodies from the ancient past collide with future sounds. They like to describe their style as “ethno-chaos.” At CKUA, we were treated to a visit from touring dignitaries DakhaBrakha while they were on tour. It was the full …

1
381. The End of Coal-fired Generation in Alberta - Now What? 4:00

13h ago4:00

4:00

Alberta phased out its coal-fired electricity in record time representing the largest single action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Canada. The trouble is a lot of the coal was replaced by natural gas which produces 60% of the emissions of coal. Can the fossil fuel-infatuated province also capitalize on its amazing renewable energy resources …

1
381A. King Coal is Dead - Alberta's last coal-fired power plant 4:00

8d ago4:00

4:00

Alberta's last coal-fired power plant stopped burning coal on June 16, 2024 at 10:57 pm. The coal phase-out was originally proposed for 2061, but in 2015 a new target was set for 2030. On June 16 the last lump of coal was burned to produce electricity six years ahead of schedule. The phase-out represents the largest reduction in greenhouse gas emis…

1
380B. Cracking the Geothermal Nut -EAVOR building in Germany 4:00

8d ago4:00

4:00

This is huge! EAVOR believes they've cracked the geothermal nut. Using closed-loop technology they have pioneered a new kind of Geothermal that can be built almost anywhere without uncertainty. We look at EAVOR's pilot project in Alberta and their full-scale geothermal plant in Germany that will provide electricity for 8,000 homes and district heat…

1
The Slackers | The Star We Aim For 42:02

13d ago42:02

42:02

Inspired by the energy, the soul and the message of classic ska, The Slackers have truly become legends themselves over the past 33 years. They first came together in New York City back in the early '90s, and studied at the feet of the masters, including members of Jamaican ska originators the Skatalites, who had relocated to the States. The Slacke…

1
380A. Geothermal breakthrough - heat and power anywhere 4:00

20d ago4:00

4:00

EAVOR has pioneered a new kind of geothermal that can provide heat and power almost anywhere on the planet. This could be the missing link in the energy revolution that could not only help electricity get to net-zero. It also helps solve the even bigger challenge of how to heat buildings with zero emissions.We talk to Jeanine Vany of EAVOR, a compa…

1
Major Love | Majorly Live! 41:22

28d ago41:22

41:22

For our first-ever live Hidden Track Session in front of an audience, we really lucked out! We wanted to do something special that brought artists together with members of the CKUA community for a spontaneous, in-the-moment experience – an intimate and exciting live musical performance alongside a conversation that takes us deeper into the music. W…

1
379B. Green Infill - A 16-Unit Passive House Ready for Northern Climates 4:00

30d ago4:00

4:00

Here's what Green Infill looks like!Built to the super energy efficient Passive House standard this 16-unit townhouse style infill project replaced two underutilized single-family homes in Edmonton, Alberta. The homes require just 10% of the heating energy of a regular home, and have no natural gas or bills.We take a tour of this amazing project wi…

1
379A. Green Infill - Creating desperately needed housing and building community 4:00

1M ago4:00

4:00

This project checks all the boxes. T5M Connect replaced two single-family homes with 16 new units of desperately needed housing and the kicker is it was built to the passive house standard in the mostly northerly city in North America.GreenEnergyFutures.ca CKUA.com PodcastBy David Dodge

1
378B. Gregor Robertson now helping 13,000 cities take action on climate change 4:00

1M ago4:00

4:00

Part 2 - Gregor Robertson, Vancouver's longest-serving mayor set out to create the greenest city in the world. Now he's the Global Ambassador of the Global Covenant of Mayors helping 13,000 other cities take action on climate change.GreenEnergyFutures.ca CKUA.com PodcastFull story GreenEnergyFutures.ca…

1
Corb Lund | A Country Past and a Speed Metal Future 36:41

2M ago36:41

36:41

Ever the masterful crafter of musical stories, Corb Lund has just released his eleventh album El Viejo — a new collection that weaves together inventive narratives and introduces us to some compelling characters. On this record we encounter: a veteran card sharp dealing out hard-won wisdom, a down-on-his-luck journeyman MMA fighter, a speed addict …

1
378A. Vancouver's former Mayor Gregor Robertson on Creating the Greenest City in the World 4:00

2M ago4:00

4:00

When Gregor Robertson came up with his campaign slogan of creating the greenest city in the world who knew it would be his most popular focus? He went to become Vancouver's longest-serving Mayor, and although they may not have reached the coveted top spot, they got pretty close. They created a very green building code, increased non-car transportat…

1
377B. Summerside from Zero Energy to 62% Renewable Energy 4:00

2M ago4:00

4:00

PART 2 - Summerside PEI had no electricity generation capacity a decade ago and then did some amazing things. First (in part 1) they added wind power, a smart grid and energy storing furnaces. Then they added AI-powered solar microgrids and a solar and battery farm right in the City. The little City with no generation capacity has achieved 62% loca…

1
The Bros. Landreth | Years Passing By 43:51

2M ago43:51

43:51

The Bros. Landreth return to Hidden Track for a Season 5 Session! When they started their band, it was just an excuse to spend time together, given that the brothers David and Joey Landreth were often embroiled in their careers as top–call players in the Winnipeg music scene. The brothers came together to write some original songs and their first a…

1
377A. Summerside little city with no energy now a leader in renewable energy 4:00

2M ago4:00

4:00

PART 1 - Summerside like the province of PEI had no energy production except expensive backup diesel generators just a decade or so ago. Something had to change. So in an amazing transformation, they set up their own utility, built a wind farm in the city, installed a smart grid and thermal energy storing appliances and got to 42-46% renewable ener…

1
376. EVs are driving down the price of electricity for all consumers 4:00

3M ago4:00

4:00

This sounds counterintuitive, but a new study has found Electric Vehicles (EVs) are driving the price of electricity down and increasing net profits for utilities. Thanks to time-of-use pricing EV owners are shifting their charging habits to non-peak times thus making much more efficient use of existing grid resources. GreenEnergyFutures.ca CKUA.co…

1
The Rural Alberta Advantage | Found a Home Here 27:28

3M ago27:28

27:28

The Rural Alberta Advantage's much-anticipated October 2023 album The Rise & the Fall - their first in a half-dozen years - is once again chock full of Albertan references. However, it has also managed to connect with fans from around the world! Renowned UK newspaper The Independent named it one of their Best Albums of 2023, alongside albums by Oli…

1
375. The Energy Mix - 30,000 stories on climate change - interview wth Mitchell Beer 4:00

3M ago4:00

4:00

Mitchell Beer started The Energy Mix, a media service dedicated to covering climate change 10 years ago long before the conventional media took it seriously. We talk to Beer about climate change, journalism, and his media service which has published 30,000 stories on climate change and climate solutons. GreenEnergyFutures.ca CKUA.com Podcast…

1
Haley Blais | Cracking Wise 26:42

3M ago26:42

26:42

When you think about it, being a YouTuber isn't so different from being a singer-songwriter. In each case, you need to dig deep, be original, authentic and often get incredibly vulnerable – all while the world is looking on. Canadian singer/songwriter Haley Blais has proven truly brilliant in both fields! This hit-YouTuber-turned-award-winning-musi…

1
374. EV Lifecycle Emissions - lower, here, there and everywhere 4:00

3M ago4:00

4:00

EVs produce fewer lifecycle emissions than ICE vehicles in countries with dirty grids or clean grids. A study looked at emissions in five countries including China, the US, UK, Germany and Japan and found EVs produce much lower emissions throughout the life of the vehicle.GreenEnergyFutures.ca CKUA.com Podcast…

1
373B. Alberta's new renewable energy rules - $14 billion in projects at risk? 4:00

3M ago4:00

4:00

In part 2 of our series on Alberta's new renewable energy rules we learn that 57 projects worth $14 billion are potentially at risk. We talk to Jason Wang of the Pembina Institute which just prepared a map overlay showing the potential impact of new restrictions. We also talk to Vittoria Bellissimo of the Canadian Renewable Energy Association about…

1
This Is The Kit | Be Okay 35:02

4M ago35:02

35:02

Careful of Your Keepers, the sixth full-length album by This Is the Kit, ends with the mantra-like benediction of "Be Okay". It's a beautifully delicate place to land, after ten songs that navigate their way through a world full of actions, their equal and opposite reactions, and the inextricably linked, overwhelmingly human dance between beauty an…

1
373A. Alberta's new renewable energy rules - a red tape solution in search of a problem? 4:00

4M ago4:00

4:00

At first glance, new rules for renewable energy development in Alberta seemed ready to block renewable energy from most of the province. Two weeks on some clarifications have been announced. We talk to Vittoria Bellissimo with the Canadian Renewable Energy Association about restrictions on agricultural land, near so-called "pristine viewscapes" and…

1
372. Floating solar filling important niche around the world 4:01

4M ago4:01

4:01

Ciel & Terre is making a splash with floating solar having installed more than 300 projects around the world. It costs just a little more than mounted solar but its helping utilities, companies and municipalities generate renewable energy where there is no land or roof space. We talk to Chris Bartle of Ciel & Terre US about this growing industry. G…

1
371. Alberta lifts moratorium on renewable energy, but are new rules a poison pill for the industry? 4:00

4M ago4:00

4:00

Alberta lifted it's six-month moratorium on renewable energy projects but some critics say new rules amount to a defacto moratorium. This is ironic since Alberta had a booming industry with up to $33 billion in projects under development at the time of the moratorium. We talk to renewable energy expert Dr. Sara Hastings-Simon of the University of C…

1
Sunny War | Punk Rock is a Gateway Drug 33:28

4M ago33:28

33:28

She's truly a study in contrasts – right from her chosen moniker, Sunny War. Her story is an utterly extraordinary one, in terms of both her brilliant musical arc and her often-tumultuous life journey. She spent much of her teens and early 20s as an itinerant busker, living where she could, sometimes hopping trains around the States, experiencing t…

1
370B. RenuWell - Solar on abandoned oil wells powers irrigation 4:00

4M ago4:00

4:00

Part 2 in Green Energy Futures' series on RenuWell, the idea of transforming abandoned oil wells into small solar farms. In this episode, we talk to Trevor Helwig of St. Mary River Irrigation District, the owner of the two RenuWell solar pilot projects. Irrigation and solar are a good match since they both work hardest when the sun shines. GreenEne…

1
370. RenuWell - Transforming abandoned oil wells into solar farms - Part 1 4:00

4M ago4:00

4:00

Of the 466,000 oil and gas wells in Alberta on third are active and 170,000 are suspended or abandoned. What to do? Keith Hirsche was a farm kid from Taber, Alberta and his company RenuWell wrapped up two pilot projects to transform a couple of long-abandoned well sites into small solar farms which are now owned by St. Mary's Irrigation District. W…

1
369. How a small town went net-zero after being told solar wouldn't work 4:00

5M ago4:00

4:00

The town of Raymond, Alberta was told solar wouldn't work on their buildings in their town in southern Alberta.This didn't sit right with them, so they hired new consultants, installed solar everywhere and became the first community in Canada to achieve net-zero electricity. We talk to Greg Robinson of the Town of Raymond about how they did it.Gree…

1
368. Helping Municipalities Adapt to the Impacts of Climate Change Imperative 4:00

5M ago4:00

4:00

Record wildfires, crazy amounts of smoke and poor air quality, droughts, and floods - municipalities are experiencing the impacts of climate change in a big way. Cutting emissions is very important to prevent even worse impacts, but what is a small town or municipality to do to adapt to and avoid some of the bigger impacts of climate change? The Mu…

1
367. Energy Managers Help small towns and cities save energy and money 4:00

5M ago4:00

4:00

Many small towns and municipalities want to do energy efficiency projects or install solar and save money, but most have neither the money, expertise or the capacity to figure it all out. The Municipal Climate Change Action Centre in Alberta knows this so they created a program that has helped small towns and municipalities hire 26 energy managers …

1
366B. Municipalities take climate action with a little help from their friends 4:00

5M ago4:00

4:00

This week we head off to three small towns: Pincher Creek, Raymond and Leduc Alberta to learn about what they are doing to take climate action. We find them embracing energy efficiency, solar, electric vehicles and climate adaptation actions and it's all thanks to support from a little-known organization called the Municipal Climate Change Action C…

1
366A. MCCAC Helping municipalities save energy, money and emissions 4:00

6M ago4:00

4:00

You may not have heard of the Municipal Climate Change Action Centre (MCCAC), but you may have seen their work.They have helped more than 150 communities in Alberta complete 878 climate actions including energy efficiency, installing EV chargers, solar, and electric vehicles and even climate risk assessments and resiliency plans for towns.We talk t…

1
365. Deploy Energy Storage, Save $600m, Head for Net-Zero 4:00

6M ago4:00

4:00

How energy storage can be used to get the grid to net-zero using mostly existing infrastructure. For folks who want to preserve the old centralized grid, the sky is falling. However according to James Bererton an expert in low-carbon energy we can get fossil fuel-based grids like Alberta's most of the way to net-zero using current infrastructure, e…

1
364. Decentralised Energy Canada at 20 - An interview with Anouk Kendall 4:00

6M ago4:00

4:00

Decentralised Energy Canada is 20 years old. We talk to innovator and founder Anouk Kendall about how her organization went from being an advocate for decentralized energy such as solar that didn't exist then to today when its members represent billions in revenue and are busy building the resilient and affordable decentralized electricity grid of …

1
363. The Year of the Heat Pump 4:00

6M ago4:00

4:00

Heat pumps are the future of heating and cooling. We found them heating and cooling in net-zero homes, in water heaters and clothes dryers and now there are models rated to -35C. The reasons are quite simple: they are incredibly energy efficient, and since they run on electricity it's pretty easy to run them and produce few or no emissions.GreenEne…

1
362. Bow Valley Green Energy Coop Takes Flight 4:00

7M ago4:00

4:00

The Bow Valley Green Energy Cooperative in Canmore, Alberta has just wrapped up its fourth solar project in just a few years. This is blazing fast progress for green energy cooperatives in Canada that must navigate a network of challenging provincial electrical systems.We talk to Jeff Roberts about the coops success getting started in the shadow of…

1
A Hidden Track Holiday | Join the Chorus 38:47

7M ago38:47

38:47

'Tis the season to be jolly! This holiday season, CKUA's Hidden Track team busted out the stockings, tinsel and trees, festooned CKUA’s cozy music library with festive décor, and invited a few musical friends over for a special holiday episode! Our guests brought with them some heartfelt reflections on the Yuletide season, some beautiful live perfo…

1
Hidden Track | Be Part of Something (Year End Wrap 2023) 58:06

7M ago58:06

58:06

It's been an amazing Season 4 here at Hidden Track. We've had visits with an astounding array of inspired artists, ranging from local heroes to global greats; from a reigning Polaris Prize winner to a newly minted Grammy Award winner; from hip-hop to hardcore punk to homespun folk. It's been such a wild 2023! So wild, in fact, that we felt the need…

1
Young Fathers | Up from the Underground 40:52

8M ago40:52

40:52

Made in a basement studio littered with instruments and synth gear, Young Fathers’ new album Heavy Heavy was created entirely by the three members of the band - with the exception of a single guest vocal from a friend. The album features layer upon layer of voices and instruments, creating a sonic maelstrom of dynamics, moods and textures. And whil…

1
Arlo Maverick | Continue On My Mission 34:21

8M ago34:21

34:21

Arlo Maverick seems to be on a mission to ensure that Edmonton takes its place as a destination to be reckoned with on the hip-hop map. An award-winning artist, Arlo is a well-loved pillar of the hip-hop community here in Alberta. He's also toured all the way to the other side of the world and back, winning himself global fans and forging a wide ne…

1
361. Full Interview - Richard Allen of United Hydrogen 27:43

8M ago27:43

27:43

FULL INTERVIEW - We sit down with Richard Allen, the chair of United Hydrogen, a conglomerate of 37 hydrogen companies working together to bring to market hydrogen solutions on the road the net-zero. We talk about the role, advantages and challenges of using hydrogen to reduce emissions in transport, buildings and industry. GreenEnergyFutures.ca CK…

1
361A. United Hydrogen Conglomerate Sets Sights on H2 4:00

8M ago4:00

4:00

United Hydrogen is a conglomerate of 37 hydrogen companies based in Australia that has set it's sights on finding the solutions to help the world get to net-zero. Oh, they also are keen to take advantage of the hydrogen market, expected to reach $201 billion by 2025. We talk to United Hydrogen chair Richard Allen about solutions, challenges and the…

1
360. Red Deer Energy Innovation Fair is back! 4:00

9M ago4:00

4:00

The Red Deer Renewable Energy Fairs were a hit in Red Deer, Alberta until COVID deep-sixed the popular event. But the event is back reincarnated as the Energy Innovation Fair. We talk to organizers Rene Michalak of ReThink Red Deer and Chelsah Thomas of Sol Invictus Energy Services about the line-up for the free event being held on Saturday, Octobe…

1
Dan Mangan | It's Cool to Care 44:27

9M ago44:27

44:27

Dan Mangan is fond of summing up his whole approach to a creative life in music with a simple axion: "It's cool to care." Dan models that approach in everything he does. Whether he's starting his own label, Madic Records, or co-founding community concert platform, Side Door Access; acting as a longtime vocal advocate for the de-stigmatization of di…

1
359. Build Efficient, Retrofit Smart & Measure Energy Use 4:00

9M ago4:00

4:00

Norquest College is like many educational institutions. Budgets are tight, and capacity is often lacking, but by being smart about building new buildings, combining efforts with renovations to old buildings and by measuring energy use Norquest College is finding innovative ways to save big bucks on energy costs. We take a tour with the facilities m…

1
Ariel Posen | Restless by Design 43:58

9M ago43:58

43:58

Many first knew Ariel Posen as the mind-bendingly gifted guitar player with fellow Winnipeg act, The Bros. Landreth. Over the years, he’s lent his six-string talents to a wildly eclectic array of artists, ranging from John Mayer to Tom Jones. Ariel Posen’s international stature as a rising guitar star became so substantial that it came as something…

1
358. Natural Solutions to Climate Change - Edmonton is Planting 2 million Trees 4:00

9M ago4:00

4:00

Edmonton wants to plant 2 million trees as part of its climate change strategy - so how are they doing? We take a walk in Edmonton's extensive forest canopy to find out. Turns out they're on track and it could transform Edmonton. Changing for Climate SeriesGreenEnergyFutures.caBy David Dodge

1
357. Community League Climate Action - Sarah Delano 4:00

10M ago4:00

4:00

There are 162 community leagues in Edmonton. Sarah Delano is with Parkdale Cromdale and she says they are taking action for climate change in many small ways from growing and foraging for local food, creating local art and putting solar on their community league hall. We take a walk with Sarah to learn more. Changing for ClimateGreenEnergyFutures.c…

1
356. Hydrogen's Role in a Net-Zero Future 4:00

10M ago4:00

4:00

We talk a lot about making electricity net-zero, but as Greg Caldwell explains 80% of the energy we use is in a gaseous form. Greg works for ATCO on hydrogen and he believes hydrogen can play a big role in decarbonizing our economy. We explore how hydrogen is made, what it can do and the role it can play. Changing for Climate SeriesGreenEnergyFutur…

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