Future Dilemmas: Energy, Food & Water
IDIS 491 – 3 credit hours
Course Instructor: Robert Doyle (physics & engineering)
Frostburg State University
University Honors Program
Maureen Connelly, Director
Course Description: Our human civilization’s prospects are rather troubled. We are rapidly using up easily extracted fossil fuels, the legacy of hundreds of millions of years of buried plant and animal matter. Each year, fossil fuel combustion puts increasing amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, beyond the capacity of our plants and oceans to absorb it. The shift to renewable energy sources is achingly slow, particularly in industrial countries that use much more energy per capita than the developing world. Considering the sluggish pace of change, what are the likely energy sources in the mid-21st century? Since our steady supply of food relies on large amounts of fossil fuels for growing and transporting food, what foods will be available when energy costs are much higher? With increasing human populations across the globe, how will the available supplies of fresh water be stretched, particularly in developing countries with poor-quality water and rapid population growth. “Future Dilemmas” will use two texts, “The Party Is Over” by Richard Heinberg and “Plan B: 2.0” by Lester R. Brown. The first text outlines the central laws of energy, our history of energy extraction and likely scenarios of the future if our energy sources are not altered. “Plan B: 2.0” by Brown outlines strategies that will take our society towards sustainable living in regard to energy, food and water.
Texts
Richard Heinberg. 2005. The Party Is Over: Oil, War and the Fate of Industrial
Societies. New Society Books.
Lester R. Brown. 2006. Plan B 2.0: Rescuing a Planet Under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble. Norton.
Syllabus
| Date | Topic |
|---|---|
| Week 1 |
Course Opening - Planetarium Presentation: "Report on Planet Earth," Class Discussion For next class, read "Introduction," The Party Is Over; go over discussion questions |
| Week 2 |
Student Questionnaire; Watch “The End of Suburbia” documentary, featuring For next 2 classes, read The Party is Over Chapter One ("Energy, Nature & Society) |
| Week 3 |
Thermodynamic Basics; Life forms in terms of mobility, energy sources;Ecology essentials including 1/10, carrying capacity, cycles, types of species |
| Week 4 |
Ways that humans have expanded their carrying capacity: takeover, tools, Discussion Questions, followed by group discussion/presentations Prepare for next 2 classes by preparing answers to discussion questions |
| Week 5 |
Agricultural Era; Coal; Electrification; The Two Phases of Petroleum; Energy in |
|
Week 6 |
The Oil Era – Part One 1950-1980; Part Two 1980 to 9/11/01 Prepare for next class by preparing answers to discussion questions |
| Week 7 |
9/11; Iraq War and outcome; M. King Hubbert; Predictions for peak oil; For next class, read The Party is Over Ch. 4 ("Non-Petroleum Energy Sources") |
| Week 8 |
Conventional energy sources – Natural gas, coal and nuclear |
| Week 9 |
Other sources – wind, photovoltaic, hydrogen, hydroelectric, geothermal, fusion; Discussion Questions followed by group discussion and group presentations For next class, read The Party is Over Ch. 5 ("Adjusting to Low Energy Way of Life") |
| Week 10 |
Basic needs – food, heat/cool, transportation, environment, health & information |
| Week 11 |
National, political, & social consequences; Global upheavals with energy decline Discussion Questions followed by group discussion and group presentations Prepare for next 2 classes by preparing answers to discussion questions |
| Week 12 |
Managed shrinkage applied to home, community, nation, and globe |
| Week 13 |
A plea for realism; Saudi enigma; Oil reserve games; Latest studies; Hope for |
| Week 14 |
Short story due on 2059 family, Midterm Exam on Party’s Over – Intro, Chs.1-6 For next class, read Plan B 2.0 – Chapter One ("A New World") |
| Week 15 |
Midterm return; Humanity’s demands on nature vs. nature’s regeneration; Prepare for next class by preparing answers to discussion questions |
| Week 16 |
Descending water levels; Dwindling rivers & lakes; Effects on agriculture & fish Prepare for next class by preparing answers to discussion questions |
| Week 17 |
Rising temperatures; Melting glaciers & polar ice; Sea rise; Storm strengthening Prepare for next class by preparing answers to discussion questions |
| Week 18 |
Shrinking forests; Topsoil loss; Collapsing fisheries; Disappearing species Prepare for next class by preparing answers to discussion questions |
| Week 19 | Our social divisions; Health challenges; Resource conflicts & refugees Discussion Questions followed by group discussion and group presentations |
| Week 20 |
Exam on Plan B 2.0, Chs.1,3,4,5, 6 Prepare for next class by preparing answers to discussion questions |
| Week 21 |
Universal basic education; Stabilizing population; Improving health; HIV/AIDS; Prepare for next class by preparing answers to discussion questions |
| Week 22 |
Bringing back forests; Water needs for nature; Restoring fisheries; Prepare for next class by preparing answers to discussion questions |
| Week 23 |
Improving land productivity; Better use of water; Getting more protein; Prepare for next class by preparing answers to discussion questions |
| Week 24 |
Higher energy efficiency; Harnessing the wind; Hybrid cars; Solar cells; Prepare for next class by preparing answers to discussion questions |
| Week 25 |
City ecology; Better urban transport; City farming; Reducing urban water use; Prepare for next class by preparing answers to discussion questions |
| Week 26 |
Shifting taxes; Subsidies; Ecolabeling (natural products); Material recycling; Prepare for next class by preparing answers to discussion questions |
| Week 27 | Tipping points in the environment; Mobilization to assure the future; What individuals can do; Discussion Questions & Group Presentations |
| Week 28 | Short story on family in 2109 due; Exam on Plan B 2.0 Chs.7-13 |
Grading Policy:
In most regular classes (24), there will be a set of discussion questions on the readings posted on Blackboard that relate to the reading for that class as well as group presentations based on situations related to the readings. A student may earn up to 10 points per class for his/her contribution to the discussion and group presentations. These class points will be posted on blackboard.
There are 3 exams each worth 100 points.
There are 2 short stories of at least 2,000 words where a family is portrayed in the context of the material presented in the text readings. Each typed short story will be graded on clarity, creativity, and the usual norms for papers. Each short story is worth up to 50 points. Both the short story scores and test scores will be posted in a timely manner on Blackboard.
The maximum point total will be 240+300+100 = 640. To allow for a few absences, the point totals for the final course grades are adjusted to:
Above 539 = A
539-480 = B
479-420 = C
419-360 = D
Below 360 = F
Paper Policy: Papers are due on dates given in syllabus. Since the papers are based more on a grasp of the readings than a laborious process of citing references, multiple drafts, etc. there will be no extensions. The papers are submitted as typed, double-spaced pages numbered with a title and author name prominently displayed on top of page 1. If there are a number of characters, it would be helpful to a have a list of characters, with each character briefly described, particularly in terms of their relation to each other. In exceptional cases, the papers may be sent electronically to the instructor the day of the previous class (before paper is due).
Contact person: Robert Doyle, RDoyle@frostburg.edu