Geology 190: Energy and the Environment

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First Day of Class

• You walk into a room and flick a switch to turn on the lights.

• On a sheet of paper, draw everything that must happen to allow the lights to turn on.

Goals of the Course

• Address Grand Challenges

• Cross disciplinary boundaries

Skills

• Critical reading

• Work with and think critically about data

• Write briefs

• Present and defend

Course Structure

• 18 students (6 groups of 3)

• T, Th 10:10–11:55 AM (1.75 hrs)

• Movable tables and chairs

Case Study Format

2. Lecture/activities to introduce scientific background

1. Introduce and choose topics• Legal, economic, ethical, political and social• Preference selection

3. Group work

4. Submit briefs

5. Panel presentations

Week 1T

Introduce and choose topicsLecture/activities

Th Lecture/activities

Week 2T

QuizGroup work; individual group meetings

Th Group work

Week 3

M Submit briefs by 1:00 PM

T Panel presentations (2 groups, 50 min ea)

Th Panel presentations (2 groups, 50 min ea)

Week 4 T Panel presentations (2 groups, 50 min ea)

Evaluation

Briefs: 40%

Presentations: 20%

Panels and participation: 20%

Quizzes: 20%

Briefs

• 1-2 pages text + supporting figures/tables

• Include citations

• Clear, concise position statement

• “Assume your reader is a busy senator with little patience for trying to figure out what’s important; you need to tell her/him.”

Panel Presentations

• 20 minutes

• Questions from panel members

• Questions from rest of class

Case Studies

• Global Warming and Climate Change

• The Carbon Economy

• Future Energy Solutions and Stabilization Wedges

Carbon Economy

1. Hubbert’s Peak: Assessing world oil reserves.

2. Coal: Past, present and future.

3. China and India on the rise.

4. Cap and trade? The economics of regulating CO2.

5. Energy and Politics: The Middle East.

6. Energy and Politics: The rest of the planet.

What’s Next?

• Change to 200-level course w/ lab section

• Prerequisite: One lab science