Overview

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

An interdisciplinary approach to transforming energy systems in pursuit of sustainable climate and society. Perspectives include thermodynamics, resource potentials, technological potentials, economic evaluation, implementation of transformative public policies, political-economy assessment of policy constraints, national and sub-national governance options, behavioural change potentials, global diplomacy, and pursuit of greater equity within and between countries. Breadth-Social Sciences.

COURSE DETAILS:

This is a breadth course for anyone who wants to better understand our options for addressing the climate threat. It is designed by SFU Distinguished Professor Mark Jaccard, who has been advising governments, environmental advocates, international organizations, communities, and concerned citizens for over three decades on technology and policy solutions for a zero-emission future.

REM 350 focuses on helping students attain a basic understanding in several complementary disciplines. Students explore simple thermodynamic laws to understand energy efficiency and the quality of different energy forms. They learn about the global distribution of energy and mineral resources, as one might in a physical geography course. They gain a functional understanding of key technology and infrastructure options, such as fuel cells, electric vehicles, energy storage, system controls, building design, heat pumps, active transportation, and sustainable urban form. Students learn enough economics to assess investment options such as wind power and energy efficiency, and to understand global energy supply and demand dynamics that affect efforts to phase-out fossil fuels. The course also applies knowledge from multiple social sciences, including sociology, psychology, political science, public policy, communications, and diplomacy to empower students as knowledge mobilizers. In REM 350, students from virtually any field of study learn to assess strategies for overcoming critical flaws in our economic system, institutions, politics and ways of thinking. This is a course for anyone who wants to effectively help address humanity’s great existential challenge

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

The course provides students from diverse backgrounds with an understanding of:

• how humans are disrupting the planet’s energy and material stocks and flows, especially carbon;
• technology, behaviour, infrastructure, built environment and land-use options for reducing this disruption;
• environment, economy and society implications of pursuing these options;
• policy, institutions, and government designs at local, national, and global levels;
• mechanisms of empowering individuals to effectively influence these societal efforts.

Grading

Materials

REQUIRED READING: