Download Report updated July 16, 2013

GW INTRO for MONDAY CLASS: Course# GEOG 2134
Energy Resources
Monday’s 5:10 – 7:00 PM Elliott School 212
Professor Scott Sklar
Email: solarsklar@ aol.com
Phone service: 202-347-2214 (my DC office)
Afternoons after 2:30 PM: 703-522-3049
COURSE BOOKS –
Two books - Brittle Power by Amory and Hunter Lovins -- Download for free at:
http://www.rmi.org/rmi/Library/S82-03_BrittlePowerEnergyStrategy
Buy "The World is Flat" by Thomas Friedman ($16 soft cover) Read pages 9-12
summarizes eras of globalization moving us "flat" The read entire Chapter 2 page
51-199 "Ten Forces the Flatten the World" Now
Lexus and the Olive Tree by Thomas Friedman
Hot, Flat and Crowded by Thomas Friedman
CLASS SCHEDULE – HOMEWORK DUE ON DATE NOTED
Monday, August 31sth –
Homework: Download “Brittle Power” and read Chapters 1 – 3 (Actually
due on September 8th)
U.S. ENERGY SECTOR VULNERABILITIES TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND
EXTREME WEATHER This report—part of the Administration’s efforts to
support national climate change adaptation planning through the
Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force and Strategic
Sustainability Planning process established under Executive Order 13514
and to advance the U.S. Department of Energy’s goal of promoting energy
security—examines current and potential future impacts of these climate
trends on the U.S. energy sector. Report updated July 16, 2013.
http://energy.gov/downloads/us-energy-sector-vulnerabilities-climatechange-and-extreme-weather
National Academy of Sciences Warns Nuclear Industry's Safety Measures
Are 'Inadequate':
The Hill, by Laura Barron-Lopez, July 24, 2014
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/213296-report-nuclear-industryssafety-measures-are-inadequate
The U.S. nuclear industry is not prepared to prevent or handle the catastrophic
damage a natural disaster could wreak on a nuclear power plant, according to a
new report from the National Academy of Sciences. The problem is that U.S.
safety regulations are focused on an operator's ability to respond to "specified
failures" or "design-basis-events," like equipment failures, loss of power, or the
inability to cool the reactor core.
READINGS REQUIRED – TEST & TERM PAPER DATES:
Monday, August 31st - Intro class – class requirements – news update –
energy and environment overview
Monday, September 7st – no class (holiday)
Homework: Read “Hot, Flat and Crowded”
Part 1 ending on page 59 (note: will be discussed on the 9\14 class)
Monday, September 14th –
Homework: Read “The World is Flat” Read pages 9-12 summarizes eras of
globalization moving us "flat”, then read entire Chapter 2 page 51-199 "Ten
Forces the Flatten the World"
Monday, September 21st –
Homework: Read “Lexus and the Olive Tree”
First Two Chapters – summary paragraphs of major issues of each chapter
Monday, September 28th –
Homework: Distributed Generation
Unlocking DG Value: A PURPA-based approach to promoting DG
growth, (http://www.irecusa.org/2013/05/new-irec-concept-paper-takesfresh-look-at-decadesold-dg-policy/) explores benefits that can be
quantified and incorporated into the development of PURPA-based
avoided cost rates. A comprehensive PURPA-based approach to DG
policy design would incorporate many as-yet-unquantified benefits of
exports to the distribution system, including line-loss avoidance; the ability
to make smaller capacity additions that more closely follow incremental
load changes; the deferral or avoidance of utility capital expenditures; and
the environmental benefits of displacing fossil-based resources.
Companies Unplug From the Electric Grid, Delivering a Jolt to Utilities:
Wall Street Journal, by Rebecca Smith & Cassandra Sweet, September 17,
2013
http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB1000142412788732490630457903672193097
2500-lMyQjAxMTAzMDEwODExNDgyWj.html?mod=wsj_valettop_email
From big-box retailers to high-tech manufacturers, more companies across
the country are producing their own power. Since 2006, the number of
electricity-generation units at commercial and industrial sites has more
than quadrupled to roughly 40,000 from about 10,000, according to federal
statistics. Experts say the trend is gaining momentum, spurred by falling
prices for solar panels and natural gas, as well as a fear that power outages
caused by major storms will become more common. On-site generation
still accounts for less than 5% of U.S. electricity production. But it is
peeling off some of the bulk sales that utilities find especially profitable.
Monday, October 5th –
Homework: Sustainability readings:
Neumayer (1999) UN paper:
(http://www.google.com/#hl=en&expIds=17259,28035&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=
sustainability+neumayer+1999&cp=28&pf=p&sclient=psy&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=s
ustainability+neumayer+1999&gs_rfai=&pbx=1&fp=a20cfd04ba3c5cf9)
VALUING THE EARTH: Economics, Ecology, Ethics Herman E. Daly and
Kenneth N. Townsend (1993) (http://dieoff.org/page37.htm)
NOTE: SUNDAY, OCTOBER, MANDATORY – FIELD TRIP SUNDAY
OCTOBER 4th – 10:30 AM TWO ZERO ENERGY BUILDINGS
– 706 NORTH IVY ST, ARLINGTON, VA 22201 - 2 BLOCKS
FROM THE CLARENDON METRO (ORANGE LINE)
Monday, October 12th –
Homework: Economics readings:
iBelieve web site (http://www.ibelieve.co.th/2010/09/18/) Economist
Edward Barbier (1987) venn diagram
Economics & Development in the Third World
(http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=03NeLzVsC8C&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=sustainable+development+economists&ots=I1z8
LgR8u1&sig=6Uveo0z7AGw3QPtWVZ_DLZAW3o#v=onepage&q=sustainable%20development%20economists&f=f
alse)
Monday, October 19th – MIDTERM
(TAKE HOME DUE AT 10\26 CLASS))
Homework: Technology readings: Google study, ASES, study,
Greenpeace (DLR) study, and IPCC Renewable study (from list I gave
you) – know Executive Summaries
Monday, October 26th – 80-page report, “Energy Demands on
Water Resources: Report to Congress on the Interdependency of Energy and
Water,” prepared by Sandia National Laboratory with support from the
National Energy Technology Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory, is
available at www.sandia.gov/energy-water/docs/121-RptToCongressEWwEIAcomments-FINAL.pdf.
Monday, November 2nd –
Homework: International readings: water, energy, development –
Agenda 21 (http://www.un.org/esa/dsd/agenda21/)
UN Water for Life
(http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/unpublications.html)
Select either publication (‘Protecting Development Gains’, and ‘Wealth of
Waste’)
Department of Energy Releases Water-Energy Nexus Report:
U.S. Department of Energy, June 18, 2014
http://www.energy.gov/articles/department-energy-releases-water-energy-nexusreport
The U.S. Department of Energy has released a new report, "The Water-Energy
Nexus: Challenge and Opportunities," noting that water and energy systems are
tightly intertwined. Water is used in all phases of energy production and
electricity generation.
Monday, November 9th –
Homework: Environmental readings – Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act,
Global Climate Change:
Clean Air Act (CAA)
(The Plain English Guide to the Clean Air Act provides a brief introduction
www.epa.gov/air/caa/peg/)
Clean Water Act (CWA)
Summary of CWA | Laws & Regulations | US EPA The Clean Water Act (CWA)
establishes the basic structure for regulating discharges of pollutants into the
waters of the United States and regulating www.epa.gov/lawsregs/laws/cwa.html
Global Climate Change
Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States - Home, Print · E-mail ...
It focuses on climate change impacts in different regions of the U.S. and on
...www.globalchange.gov/publications/reports/.../us-impacts
Monday, November 16th – MIDTERM PAPERS DUE
Homework: Political readings – Energy Bills (EPACT’05, EISA’07, ARRA’09)
EPACT PDF (USDOE)
(http://www1.eere.energy.gov/femp/pdfs/energy06_shearercarrsain.pdf)
EISA (Wikipedia)
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_Independence_and_Security_Act_of_2007)
ARRA Energy Provisions (ACORE)
(http://www.acore.org/files/images/email/acore_stimulus_overview.pdf)
Monday, November 23rd –
Homework: Local governments: Interconnection, Tax Incentives, System
Benefit Trust Funds, Renewable Energy Portfolio (and Electric) Standards,
and ICLEI cities
www.dsireusa.org and www.iclei.org and www.cleanenergystates.korg
Monday, November 30th th –
Homework: Resources (water ores), Networks (telecommunications,
water/sewage/fuel pipelines, cable and satellite, internet, electric utility and
natural gas, and transportation (rail, airport, rivers, and roadways)
Water Fact Sheet (http://www.nationalatlas.gov/articles/water/a_wateruse.html)
Monday, December 7th – LAST CLASS: “Pulling it All Together” class –
Prof Sklar - FINAL HANDED OUT (TAKE HOME) Due COB Wednesday,
December 10th to [email protected] (FILE MUST BE LABELED: Last
name, First name, GEO_2134. 12_10_14.docx”
Homework: Readings: Gandhi. Lovins, Hayes,
Gandhi (Revelance of Gandhian Thought in 21st Century
(http://books.google.com/books?id=lmJnWrjnfjMC&pg=PA204&dq=sustain
able+development+ghandi&hl=en&ei=5fsfTe7bPMKC8gb2scX_DQ&sa=X
&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage
&q&f=false)
Lovins (Natural Capitalism)
(http://books.google.com/books?id=KiepOn7khp0C&pg=PA109&dq=lovins
+green+economics&hl=en&ei=rvwfTZKVM8OqlAeBptH7Cw&sa=X&oi=boo
k_result&ct=result&resnum=7&sqi=2&ved=0CEcQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q
=lovins%20green%20economics&f=false)
Hayes (Rays of Hope)
(http://books.google.com/books?id=nSTJUNbkp4C&pg=PA213&dq=sustainable+development+dennis+hayes&hl=
en&ei=Lf0fTYKBH8OBlAeRmuSnDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&res
num=5&sqi=2&ved=0CDwQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q&f=false)
FINAL EXAMS- December 11 – 19th – Will be a take-home exam
To be e-mailed to: [email protected], with ‘docx’ file labled
‘Last name_First name.Final_6224.12_15.15.docx’