ERPE 200 Energy and the Environment

Prerequisites: Introductory calculus, physics, chemistry, thermodynamics. Possible futures of humanity based on current trends. Analyses based on laws of mass and energy conservation and thermodynamics to evaluate overall efficiencies of major human energy supply schemes: fossil, solar, wind, and biomass. Irreversible linear processes, and sustainable/unsustainable cycles. Relationship between ecosystems (ancient and new), their energy storage and throughput, and energy production and its side effects. Analysis of inadequate economic theories that hamper understanding of the relationship between human economy and the Earth's economy (ecology). Most course assignments will be done in MATLAB

Credits

3