The coal, oil, and natural gas sources which power our society will at some point be depleted. Anticipating this, we must change how our industrial society operates.
This class is not about environmental activism. It won’t assign blame for our current situation or address temperature increases or climate migration. We will discuss how to make our energy-dependent society more sustainable.
- How do we currently use energy?
- Is sustainable energy even possible?
- How is energy use described?
- Can we rely on renewable energy sources like sun and wind?
The class assumes some basic math and chemistry.
Recommended readings: E. L. Cussler and A. Bhown, How to Talk about Sustainable Energy, Cambridge (in press; free to class participants); D. B. Rutledge, Energy: Supply and Demand, Cambridge, 2020; D. J. C. MacKay, Sustainable Energy Without the Hot Air, UIT Cambridge, 2009
