We will look at choices which can be envisioned for meeting the future energy needs of the United States and the rest of our planet, and evaluate their strengths and weaknesses. It takes a long time before any new technology can be implemented so that choices made today will affect your children and grandchildren. This seminar will explore the basic physics of energy sources, the technologies we might employ, and will highlight some of the intertwined public policy issues. The first half of the course will survey possible energy technologies, and develop an appreciation of the underlying physics to provide some quantitative estimates of the trade-offs. In the second half of the course the seminar members (as individuals or in groups) will be asked to prepare a discussion and paper on a selected technology, or on a related public policy choice.
We are enthusiastic about having an enrollment of students with diverse interests and backgrounds because we think that the opportunity for those with technology interests to work with those with policy interests will provide unpredictable insights. An inquiring mind but no previous expertise or course prerequisites are required. We hope that attendees will learn to appreciate the need to bring quantitative estimates to the policy options in order to make rational choices for a sustainable world energy economy.
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We will use both lecture and discussion formats. We are arranging local field trips to see some of the energy technologies and learn from local experts.
