Episode 37: In Conversation with Daniel Bleakley, creator of Coal Miners Driving Teslas
This week on the podcast, I chat with Daniel Bleakley, tech entrepreneur, engineer, environmental advocate, and creator of viral web series Coal Miners Driving Teslas. Daniel returned to his hometown of Clermont in North Queensland, driving his Tesla 2,000 km (1,243 mi) from his current home in Melbourne. Clermont also happens to be a major hub for Australia's coal industry, and Daniel knows many people employed in the sector. He gives friends and family (and anyone interested) a drive of his Tesla Model 3 performance, and for every single person, this is their first experience of an electric car. We talk about the inspiration behind this series, renewable energy and climate activism, the social inequality behind emissions in Australia, and just what you can do to advocate for cleaner air and cleaner vehicles.
Daniel's links
Coal Miners Driving Teslas in the media
Timecodes are below, or you can use the chapters in the video above
00:00 Introduction
00:33 The concept behind Coal Miners Driving Teslas YouTube series
04:28 Traveling home: Melbourne to Clermont
06:24 Even mining companies are turning to renewables
07:07 Australian politics - is there an alternative if you want climate action?
09:42 Australia's transition to renewables
12:03 coal and gas jobs - how do we transition?
17:16 EV and renewables - let's consider the local impacts
19:17 EV advocacy through Coal Miners Driving Teslas
22:34 Decarbonising transportation
25:48 Emissions are an issue of social inequality
29:28 Norway as an example of a fossil fuel addicted country turning around
31:55 What can you do to make a difference?