Powering our Future
Powering our Future
(12) Powering our Future - Karen Lewis, Department of Physics
We live in a world in which there is an ever-increasing demand for energy. At the same time, there is a growing awareness that our current reliance on fossil fuels must come to an end. How can we use the remaining fossil fuels responsibly and minimize their impact on the environment? Of the myriad forms of alternative energy—nuclear, wind, solar, hydroelectric, geothermal, and biomass—which are most viable right here in Ohio? What are the best places in the world to employ these different forms of alternative energy? What can we, individually and as a country, do to reduce our energy consumption? Within the context of these general themes, we will also discuss the anti-nuclear movements in the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster and the current controversy over hydraulic “fracking.” Readings will be drawn from books such as Sustainable Energy Without the Hot Air and The Post Carbon Reader, along with articles from popular news media (including Scientific American), and government reports. To see the process of energy generation firsthand, we will tour local energy generating facilities including the campus coal plan and the Quasar biodigester. Through the readings, and your own research, you will gain the skills to be an informed participant in the decisions of how to power our future.