GG 304: Alternative Energy and Environmental Futures
Course Information - Spring 2004
| Instructor: |
Brynhildur Davidsdottir Office: STO 141; Office hours: Monday, Wednesday 10:00 - 11:00 AM and 2-3 PM. email: bdavids@bu.edu |
| Meeting Time: |
Lecture: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 9:00 - 10:00 AM |
| Classroom Location: |
Lecture: CAS 213 |
| Readings: |
1.World Energy Assessment (WEA), Energy and the Challenge of Sustainability: available at BU bookstore or free of charge online at http://www.undp.org/seed/eap/activities/wea/drafts-frame.html 2. Reading packet: available at STO 141 for $30. |
| Course Objectives: |
To familiarize students with the basic tools used to analyze and assess alternative energy and environmental futures. We will focus on specific issues regarding resource scarcity - availability and demand, energy quality, new technologies and technological change, conventional/renewable/perpetual/alternative energy sources and sustainable energy development. |
| Grading: |
Grades are based on a midterm and a final, a review paper and a project. The review paper is a literature review and should be about 5 pages long (excluding references). The review paper is due the last day of class or April 28th 2004. However, you should work on your paper the entire semester. You need to submit a short proposal in class Feb 4th, and a list of potential papers is due Feb.20th. I will provide a list of potential subjects, but of course you should try to come up with a topic you find interesting. You will work in pairs for the project - where you will develop an energy profile of a specific country - randomly assigned by the instructor. You are to analyze the historical record and use the tools discussed in class to assess how energy use profiles may develop until the year 2030. With this in mind you are to assess the potential for a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions in accordance to the Kyoto protocol. Then you are to prepare a short report (ca. 10 pages) - where you present your analysis. We will spend one week on this project towards the end of the semester. Midterm: 20% Final (cumulative): 30% Proposal and Review Paper: 20% Project: 20% Occasional problem sets and class participation: 10% |
| Incomplete Grades: |
"I" grades are given only when specific work has not been completed AND when the student and instructor have conferred and the instructor has assigned a date within the next 12 months for the work to be completed. The I grade automatically becomes a permanent F if the work is not completed with 12 months from when the incomplete was given. This is CAS policy. |
| Academic Honesty and Copyrights |
Plagiarism and other forms of academic misconduct are serious offenses. I take them very seriously and I expect my students to do likewise. You should read the CAS Academic Conduct Code for further information about specific definitions, procedures, sanctions, etc. Copies of the Code are available in CAS 105. I am required to refer cases of suspected academic misconduct to the CAS Dean's Office. The syllabus, course descriptions, and handouts created by Professor Davidsdottir, and all class lectures, are copyrighted by Boston University and/or Professor Davidsdottir. Except with respect to enrolled students as set forth below, the materials and lectures may not be reproduced in any form or otherwise copied, displayed or distributed, nor should works derived from them be reproduced, copied, displayed or distributed without the written permission of Professor Davidsdottir. Infringement of the copyright in these materials, including any sale or commercial use of notes, summaries, outlines or other reproductions of lectures, constitutes a violation of the copyright laws and is prohibited. Students enrolled in the course are allowed to share with other enrolled students course materials, notes, and other writings based on the course materials and lectures, but may not do so on a commercial basis or otherwise for payment of any kind. Please note in particular that selling or buying class notes, lecture notes or summaries, or similar materials both violates copyright and interferes with the academic mission of theCollege, and is therefore prohibited in this class and will be considered a violation of the student code of responsibility that is subject to academic sanctions. |
|
DATE |
TOPIC |
READING |
||
|
M |
Jan. |
12 |
Introduction to the course - an introduction to energy |
WEA, chapter 1. |
|
W |
Jan. |
14 |
Historical Energy Transformations - patterns and drivers |
Smil 1994, Chapter 6. |
|
F |
Jan. |
16 |
Historical Energy Transformations - patterns and drivers - The Kyoto protocol |
Smil 1994, Chapter 6. Envirotrust.com OECD 1999, p. 7 - 22. |
|
W |
Jan. |
21 |
Overview of main economic drivers of energy futures and how to analyze their impact on energy use. Bottom up versus top down modeling |
IEA 1998 p.13 - 39. Grubb et al. 1993 pages 432 -447 |
|
F |
Jan. |
23 |
The impact of economic growth, what do we mean by the term economic growth - what is the link between economic growth and energy? |
Barro p. 14 -24. |
|
M |
Jan. |
26 |
The impact of population growth. How do we forecast population growth? |
Cohen 1995, pages 109 - 157. |
|
W |
Jan. |
28 |
The impact of population growth: Forecasting population growth - the link to changes in energy use. |
Cohen 1995, pages 109 - 157. Handout |
|
F |
Jan. |
30 |
The impact of capital. What is capital, how do we account for it what is the relationship between capital and energy? |
BEA 1998 Handout |
|
M |
Feb. |
2 |
The impact of capital. Capital accumulation/discounting/depreciation |
BEA 1998 Fraumeni 1997 |
|
W |
Feb. |
4 |
Measuring energy demand: definitions - different demand measures - SUBMIT A PROPOSAL FOR THE REVEW PAPER |
WEA 29 - 39 Patterson 1996 Grubb et al. p.447 - 451 |
|
F |
Feb. |
6 |
Measuring energy demand: elasticity of energy demand (price and income) - rebound effect |
Dolan and Lindsey p.518 - 529 Laitner 2000 |
|
M |
Feb. |
9 |
Measuring energy demand: drivers of and measuring fuel substitution |
Nicholson chapter 10 |
|
W |
Feb. |
11 |
Measuring energy demand: energy quality |
Cleveland et al. 2000 Handout |
|
F |
Feb. |
13 |
Alternative futures: technological change - definitions - AEEI. |
Azar and Dowlatabadi 1999 Grubb et al. p 451 - 460 |
|
T |
Feb. |
17 |
Learning Curves - Technological substitution |
Yelle 1978 Knapp 1999 Martino 1993 |
|
W |
Feb. |
18 |
Energy Conservation Supply Curves |
Meier et al. 1983 |
|
F |
Feb. |
20 |
Barriers to the diffusion of new technologies - The energy efficiency gap - SUBMIT A LIST OF PAPERS TO BE USED IN REVIEW PAPER |
Grubb 447 - 460. Sutherland 1996 Jaffe and Stavins 1994 |
|
M |
Feb. |
23 |
Measuring energy supply: Hotelling principle - backstop fuels - fuel scarcity |
Griffin and Steele 74 - 84, and 337 - 341. |
|
W |
Feb. |
25 |
Review - questions - answers for midterm |
- |
|
F |
Feb. |
27 |
MIDTERM |
- |
|
M |
March |
1 |
Resource classifications, conventional fossil fuel resources |
WEA p.135 - 150 |
|
W |
March |
3 |
Alternative fossil fuels and advanced fossil energy technologies |
WEA 273 - 306 |
|
F |
March |
5 |
Advanced fossil energy technologies |
WEA 273 - 306 |
|
M-F |
March |
8 -12 |
Spring Recess |
- |
|
M |
March |
15 |
Hydrogen fuel cells |
Handout |
|
W |
March |
17 |
Renewable Energy Sources: Hydropower |
WEA p. 152 - 156, 165, 251 - 258. |
|
F |
March |
19 |
Renewable Energy Sources: Geo-power |
WEA p. 152 - 156, 165, 251 - 258. |
|
M |
March |
22 |
Renewable Energy Sources: Geo-power |
WEA p. 152 - 156, 165, 251 - 258. |
|
W |
March |
24 |
Renewable Energy Sources: Wind |
WEA p. 163, 230-235 |
|
F |
March |
26 |
Renewable Energy Sources: Solar |
WEA p 162 and 235-251 |
|
M |
March |
29 |
Renewable Energy Sources: Solar |
WEA p 162 and 235-251 |
|
W |
March |
31 |
Renewable Energy Sources: Nuclear |
WEA p 150-153 and 306 - 317 |
|
F |
April |
2 |
Renewable Energy Sources: Nuclear |
WEA p 150-153 and 306 - 317 |
|
M |
April |
5 |
THE PROJECT - we will spend this week working on it - Renewable Energy Sources: Biomass |
|
|
W |
April |
7 |
THE PROJECT - we will spend this week working on it - Renewable Energy Sources: Biomass |
WEA p 156-162 and 222-230- |
|
F |
April |
9 |
THE PROJECT - we will spend this week working on it - Lecture TBA |
|
|
M |
April |
12 |
Project due at/before 5 PM, please hand in electronically (on a disk) as well since we will post the reports on the web.Energy and the Environment |
WEA 63 - 104. |
|
W |
April |
14 |
Energy and the Environment |
WEA 63 - 104. |
|
F |
April |
16 |
Energy and Social Issues |
WEA 39-58 |
|
M |
April |
19 |
Holiday - no class |
|
|
W |
April |
21 |
Sustainable energy development - definition |
WEA 415-447 |
|
F |
April |
23 |
Energy Policies for Sustainable Development |
WEA 415-447 |
|
M |
April |
26 |
Energy Policies for Sustainable Development |
WEA 415-447 |
|
W |
April |
28 |
Review/ questions for final exam |
- |
Readings
Azar and Dowlatabadi, 1999, A review of Technical Change in Assessment of Climate Policy, Annu. Rev. Energy Environ. 24:513-544.
Barro, R.J., 1990 Macroeconomics.
BEA, 1998, Fixed Reproducible tangible wealth in the United States 1925 - 94.
Cleveland et al. 2000, Aggregation and the role of energy in the economy, Ecological Economics, 32:301-317.
Cohen, J., 1995, How many people can the earth support?, Norton and Company, London.
Dolan and Lindsey, 1988, Economics, The Dryden Press.
Envirotrust.com, The Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change: an overview.
Fraumeni, B., 1997, The Measurement of Depreciation in the U.S. National Income and Product Accounts, Survey of Current Business, July 1997.
Griffin J.M and Steele, H. 1986, Energy Economics and Policy, Academic Press College Division.
Grubb et al. 1993, The costs of limiting fossil fuel CO2 emissions: A survey and analysis. Annu. Rev. Energy Environ. 18:397-478.
IEA, 1998, Mapping the Energy Future: Energy Modeling and Climate Change Policy, OECD/IEA.
Jaffe A. and Stavins R., 1994, The energy efficiency gap; what does it mean? Energy Policy 22(10):804 - 810.
Knapp, K.E., 1999, Exploring Energy Technology Substitution for reducing Atmospheric Carbon Emissions, The Energy Journal. 20(2):121 - 143.
Laitner, J. Skip, 2000, Energy efficiency: rebounding to a sound analytical perspective, Energy Policy, 28:471-475.
Martino, J.P., 1994, Technological Forecasting for Decision Making, chapter 4.
Meier A. et al. 1983, Supplying energy through greater efficiency, University of California Press.
OECD, 1999, Action Against Climate Change: The Kyoto protocol and Beyond, OECD.
Patterson, M.G., 1996, What is energy efficiency? Concepts, indicators and methodological issues, Energy Policy 24(5):377-390.
Smil, V., 1994, Energy in World History, Westview Press - chapter 6.
Sutherland, RJ. 1996, The economics of energy conservation policy, Energy Policy 24(4):361-370.
World Energy Assessment (WEA), 2000, Energy and the challenge of Sustainability, UNDP.
Yelle, L.E., 1978, The Learning Curve: Historical Review and Comprehensive Survey.