99-245 Energy: Science, Society and Communication
9 units, Carnegie Mellon University
Energy pervades our lives, influencing our transportation, industry, agriculture, building use, and more. Climate change, national security, resource depletion, air and water quality, biodiversity loss, and other challenges demand new technological and social approaches related to energy, including broader public understanding and engagement. In response, the National Academy of Sciences NAS and National Academy of Engineering NAE recently chose Pittsburgh as the pilot city for its Science and Engineering Ambassadors program, which selects, prepares, and supports local experts to providing the perspective of science and engineering as community members make energy choices in their personal and professional lives. This course links NASNAE Ambassadors and staff, CMU and Pitt students and faculty, and citizens for a series of events on energy topics. Students will review background literature on the energy landscape, read scholarship on energy issues of local concern, and collaborate with partners on public events to communicate energy issues. Through their work, students will increase their own understanding of and ability to engage publicly with energy issues, as well as contribute to the mission of the National Academies and the welfare of our local community. Discussions of technical issues enable students without advanced backgrounds in the engineering and the natural sciences to participate fully. Students from all disciplines, especially the social sciences and humanities, are welcome to join this interdisciplinary course. NOTE The course is scheduled on Tuesday and Thursday evenings for 212 hours. We will meet approximately half of those times. This allows us to respect the academic calendars of both universities, and provides flexibility in scheduling collaborative and independent student work.
Prerequisites: none listed
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