In this abridged January 2026 bonus episode of The Clean Energy Show, Brian Stockton and James Whittingham kick off the first podcast of 2026 with a packed update on clean tech, transportation, and air quality trends shaping the global energy transition.

The show begins with developments in electric shipping, including Norway's autonomous container ship Yara Birkeland and testing of the world's largest battery-electric ferry, which will carry more than 2,000 passengers between Argentina and Uruguay. Listener mail sparks a brief but heated debate over whether corn is a vegetable, grain, or something else entirely.

The main stories focus on dramatic improvements in Beijing's air quality, with PM2.5 pollution levels down nearly 75% since 2013, driven largely by China's rapid adoption of electric vehicles. The hosts also break down how BYD has surpassed Tesla as the world's largest EV seller, why Tesla's sales declined in 2025, and how brutal competition inside China is squeezing margins for everyone involved.

Other highlights include China's claim of producing the world's first 100% recyclable wind turbine blade, signs that low-cost Chinese EVs could enter the U.S. market as early as 2027, and a wide-ranging Lightning Round covering batteries, heat pumps, solar growth, robotics, and plastics.

The episode closes with a troubling investigation into toxic air contamination aboard commercial airplanes — a hidden pollution problem affecting crews and passengers alike.

For the full, unabridged bonus episode, visit https://patreon.com/cleanenergypod and support the show.

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James breaks down the ongoing American EV culture wars, why they feel stuck, and how much is political theatre vs. real-world data.

We're off this week for the holidays so we're playing our Patreon bonus episode from a month ago because we think it has some great stories in it.

The hosts dig into the latest numbers showing EVs gaining traction globally—and why the economic case keeps getting harder to ignore.

A look at why countries are hoarding minerals like lithium and nickel, what it means for future supply chains, and who's preparing well (and who isn't).

Brian brings up Rivian's unexpected new gadget—a "smart" bike helmet—and the hosts try to figure out why an EV truck company is branching out.

A discussion about why corn farming is causing more climate trouble than most people think, including fertilizer emissions and long-term soil issues.

The hosts explore ideas and innovations that reduce nitrous-oxide emissions, improve soil health, and make food systems more sustainable.

Wrapping up with the Finnish energy-storage breakthrough that stores heat in giant silos of sand—cheap, renewable, and surprisingly effective.

Back next week with a new show!

Contact Us

cleanenergyshow@gmail.com or leave us an online voicemail: http://speakpipe.com/clean

Support The Clean Energy Show

Join the Clean Club on our Patreon Page to receive perks for supporting the podcast and our planet!

Our PayPal Donate Page offers one-time or regular donations.

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Copyright 2025 Sneeze Media.

A look back at the biggest clean energy developments of 2025 — and we reveal why electric trucking in China may be the most important story of the year. We break down record global growth in solar, wind, and EV adoption, explain how renewables are now outpacing fossil fuels in new investment, and explore why China's rising clean power generation is finally pushing its CO₂ emissions lower even as electricity demand grows CES 293 - Google Docs.

(Letters are being held over until our next bonus episode.)

The show also checks in on Norway, the world's EV laboratory, where electric vehicles now dominate both new sales and the overall vehicle fleet. The hosts discuss what Norway's data tells us about the future of gas, diesel, hybrids, and plug-in hybrids — and what it means for automakers still betting on combustion engines. Other highlights include a major San Francisco power outage, Volkswagen shelving the ID. Buzz in the U.S., and encouraging new data suggesting the world may have passed peak air pollution.

Links mentioned

• San Francisco power outage (CNN): https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/21/us/outage-sf-power-san-francisco

• Norway EV market update (CleanTechnica): https://cleantechnica.com/2025/12/22/evs-take-98-4-share-in-norway-bev-fleet-overtakes-diesel/

• World may have passed peak air pollution (Our World in Data): https://ourworldindata.org/data-insights/the-world-has-probably-passed-peak-air-pollution

• Volkswagen shelves ID. Buzz in the U.S. (Electrek): https://electrek.co/2025/12/19/volkswagen-shelves-electric-minibus-for-us-not-forever/ CES 293 - Google Docs

• Global EV sales are projected to hit 20 million vehicles in 2026

Contact Us

cleanenergyshow@gmail.com or leave us an online voicemail: http://speakpipe.com/clean

Support The Clean Energy Show

Join the Clean Club on our Patreon Page to receive perks for supporting the podcast and our planet!

Our PayPal Donate Page offers one-time or regular donations.

Store

Visit The Clean Energy Show Store for T-shirts, hats, and more!.

Copyright 2025 Sneeze Media.