Where does our energy come from? What are the impacts and costs— human, environmental, social, economic, and political—of extracting different forms of energy? What happens to the waste products and by-products of energy extraction and use? How should we plan for energy-related environmental disasters? For energy scarcities? What are the options for alternative energy sources? What are the factors that influence energy consumption? This course provides students with an overview of some of the current social, political, and scientific issues informing the topic of energy within a global context. It will introduce students to major forms of contemporary energy generation, including coal, oil, natural gas, and nuclear fission. Students learn about the production processes involved in various forms of energy extraction and will discuss some of the pressing contemporary economic and political debates around the production, consumption, and conservation of energy. This course will include guest speakers, documentary films, and field trips.
