PREVIEW - Scrubbing the Sky: Inside the Race to Cool the Planet

Energy vs Climate 27.Feb.2025

EvC co-host Ed Whittingham's new series on Carbon Dioxide Removal

Hello everyone,

Ed here with some news to share.

Several years ago my friend Paul McKendrick approached me with an idea for a book about carbon dioxide removal. He had already figured out the title: Scrubbing the Sky. We talked about it over a beer at our local brew pub, after which we rode our bikes home together. My last words to Paul that evening at my back gate were, “If you write the book, I’ll do the podcast version.”

Well, promise made promise kept (as the politicians like to say). Paul’s book came out in 2023, so let’s just say that making the podcast took a little longer than I expected. But here we are.

Today we launch Scrubbing the Sky: Inside the Race to Cool the Planet, a four-part narrative-based podcast that tells the stories of the entrepreneurs, investors and executives behind one carbon removal technology pathway known as Direct Air Capture.

Making Scrubbing the Sky is very different from making an EvC episode. The key difference is that it’s fully scripted rather than a talk show format, and has sound effects and music. It’s been a labour of love - and at times a millstone round my neck – but producer Amit Tandon and I hope you like it.

🎧 You can listen to the series trailer and Episode One now on the EvC feed. You can also subscribe at www.scrubbingthesky.com, or just search on your podcast app of choice.

By now you may have listened to the trailer on the EvC feed. We'll also be sharing the first two episodes so you can sample the series. But to listen to the last two episodes you’ll need to subscribe directly, again at scrubbingthesky.com or by searching for Scrubbing the Sky on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, etc. We’ll be releasing new episodes weekly.