Syllabus

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course deals with world and U.S. primary energy resources and consumption, including fossil, nuclear, and renewable energy sources. Principles of thermodynamics are reviewed, especially in regard to energy usage efficiency improvement. The environmental effects of energy extraction and consumption, such as SOx, NOx and particulate matter emissions, acid deposition, the greenhouse effect, radioactive waste disposal, are discussed. A term long project involves the energy sources and uses for a particular country and projections of how these sources may be modified to be both more efficient and environmentally friendly.

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of this course you should

1) have an understanding of the physical processes that underlie the production and use of various types of energy;

2) an understanding of the variety of renewable and nonrenewable energy sources and their advantages and limitations;

3) an understanding of the environmental impact of various energy sources;

4) and be able critically assess the appropriate use of various energy sources.

Skills:

At the end of the course you should have acquired the following skills

1) the ability to effectively use the world wide web to acquire reliable data about both energy sources and uses and their environmental impact;

2) and the ability to critically assess energy use within the context of geo-political realities.

GENERAL COURSE INFORMATION:

Student participation is an essential part of the course. Hence attendance is mandatory. Except in the case of personal illness or a death in the immediate family, both of which must be substantiated, the student MUST seek prior approval from the instructor for a class absence. Ski trips, hunting trips, extended weekends, an exam in another course, etc. are NOT legitimate excuses for a class absence. Any special pleading must be done before the missed class, not after. Any un-excused absence will result in a grade of zero being recorded for missed material (including exams).

 

Most Friday class meetings (and other class meetings) will be student discussions and presentations. These will include questions from the textbook and special topics assigned to each student. For each topic several professional papers will be assigned that are relevant to the topic and these will be part of the Friday discussion led by the student facilitator. There will be guest lectures on relevant topics. This is a graduate level course and active student participation is expected.

The student's attention is called to the definitions and regulations regarding cheating and plagiarism. The instructor shall assign a grade of zero to any portion of an exam on which he determines cheating has occurred. Likewise a grade of zero will be assigned to any portion of a laboratory exercise that has been plagiarized.

TEXT: 

Wolfson, R. (2018) Energy, Environment, and Climate. W. W. Norton & Company.

 

The textbook is available as an e-book and the textbook is mandatory for the course.

Additional materials will be handed out during the course and links to useful sites can be found on the Links page of the course web site.

GRADING POLICY:

Two Hour Exams @ 15% each = 30%

 

Final Exam = 30%

 

Homework and class participation = 20%

 

Group presentation semester project = 10%

 

Written report semester project = 10%

 

Modified Grading Rubric due to Covid-19 Pandemic

 

     Two Hour Exams @ 20% each = 40%

 

     Final Exam (Exam III)= 20%

 

     Homework and class participation = 20%

 

     Group presentation semester project = 20%

TERM PROJECT ON COUNTRY ENERGY RESOURCES AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS:

 

The term project consists of two parts: an oral group presentation and individual written reports.

 

• The oral presentation should include appropriate graphics (using PowerPoint) and participation by all members of the group.

 

• The written report summarizing the group project should be between 5 and 10 pages in length and approximately 1500 words in length. The report should also include graphics and tables, as appropriate for the project, and a bibliography.

 

Additionally, each student in the class will write a one paragraph summary of the important take-away points from each group presentation. These paragraph summaries will be treated as a homework exercise. This reqiuremen has been waived.

 

The written report is due on or before the final exam.

CONTACTING THE INSTRUCTOR:

The instructor's Office Hours can be found on the home page of his personal website. The instructor's office is Room 302b in the Olney building. Additional hours are available by appointment. If you have problems, or want to make an appointment, you can reach me either by telephone, 978-934-3907 (I have voice mail) or better yet by e-mail, Nelson_Eby@uml.edu. I log on to my e-mail account when I come in each day and thus will get your message first thing in the morning.