GEO 302T Climate and the Energy Transition

GEO 302T Climate and the Energy Transition
Fall 2024, Mon/Wed/Fri 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Unique #26585
JGB 3.120

Peter B. Flemings

Link to Syllabus:  GEO 302T Climate and the Energy Transition

This course will explore one of the greatest challenges of your generation: how can we transition to a carbon neutral world. We will review basic concepts of energy. We will explore the energy balance that controls Earth’s temperature and discuss how our use of fossil fuels has altered this balance. We will review how carbon-based fuels underpinned the industrial revolution, driving an extraordinary increase in living standards. We will then review potential pathways to a carbon neutral future including solar, wind, geothermal, hydrogen, and nuclear. We will visit local sources of energy production including solar, hydroelectric, and natural gas. Through these examples, we will explore the concept of energy density, footprint, and intermittency. We will close with an exploration of possible strategies for how to bridge the gap to a carbon free future.

Students visiting solar farm in Elgin, Tx.

Visiting the Tom Miller dam hydroelectric facility in Austin