Making Climate Change Connections: Robert and Eric interview Curt Hull who the program manager at Climate Change Connection. He is a professional engineer who works on policy and solutions to address climate change right here in Manitoba. With Climate Change Connection, Curt works with groups involved in active transportation, public transportation, sustainable buildings, sustainable energy, and local food and agriculture. He also is focused on sustainability projects with northern Manitoba First Nations communities. Recently, he contributed to the Manitoba’s Road to Resilience: A community climate action pathway to a fossil fuel free future. (repeat)

Curt talks of the strategy to live fossil free, a strategy that is available in the recent Manitoba’s Road to Resilience document available online. Robert talks with Curt about how to address climate change in Manitoba. Robert likes the idea district energy systems using biomass and heat pumps to displace natural gas used for addressing building heat loads. As part of the strategy, he is working on, Manitoba needs to add more wind generation, better manage energy exports, add some solar, and battery storage. This plan will require to double the electrical generation in the province. Using fossil fuels for heat and transportation accounts for almost 60% of our GHG emissions in Manitoba which could be eliminated, as we need to find local solution rather than import fossil fuels. He notes that Manitoba is producing more greenhouse gases compared to 2005.

Manitoba aims to transition to a fossil-fuel free future, and Climate Change Connection's "Road to Resilience" report provides a framework for achieving this ambitious goal. The most significant hurdle identified is heating buildings without relying on natural gas. To overcome this, a multi-pronged approach is necessary, encompassing deep energy retrofits for existing structures, the implementation of district geothermal heating systems, increased wind energy generation, improved energy management practices, and the development of effective energy storage solutions. While the Manitoba government has been criticized for its slow response to climate change, there is a recognized need for greater public awareness and education surrounding available solutions. Despite these challenges, there is optimism that Manitoba can successfully transition to a clean energy future by implementing these strategies and increasing public engagement.