Informações principais
Sobre o conteúdo
This course is designed to introduce students to the issues of energy in the 21st century – including food and fuels – which are inseparably linked – and will discuss energy production and utilization from the biology, engineering, economics, climate science, and social science perspectives. This course will cover the current production and utilization of energy, as well as the consequences of this use, examining finite fossil energy reserves, how food and energy are linked, impacts on the environment and climate, and the social and economic impacts of our present energy and food production and use. After the introductory lectures, we will examine the emerging field of sustainable energy, fuel and food production, emphasizing the importance of developing energy efficient and sustainable methods of production, and how these new technologies can contribute to replacing the diminishing supplies of fossil fuels, and reduce the consequences of carbon dioxide release into the environment. This course will also cover the importance of creating a sustainable energy future for all societies including those of the developing world. Lectures will be prepared and delivered by leading UC San Diego and Scripps Institution of Oceanography faculty and industry professionals across these areas of expertise.
Programa de estudos
- Week 1 - General Course Materials
Course overview materials, including syllabus, lecturer information, grading criteria, and external notices and resources. - Week 1 - Introduction to Energy
Introduces the basics of energy, covers finite energy sources like petroleum, looks at how energy and food are related, and examines the scale of current and future energy consumption and what renewable energy options can meet that demand. - Week 2 - Physical Energy Sources
Looks at some of the alternative energy options from the physical sciences domain, including wind energy, photovoltaic and photothermal energy, and nuclear energy. It also covers energy storage and electric vehicles, and energy efficiency and smart grid techno... - Week 3 - Introduction to Biological Energy Sources
Provides an overview of the different biological energy sources including plants and algae. It explains what biofuels are, how they are produced, and the pros and cons of different biological sources. - Week 4 - Plant Biofuel
Discusses various plant-based fuels including corn ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, and jatropha biodiesel. It will cover the different technologies used, the pros and cons of each source, and current production around the world. - Week 5 - Algae Biofuel
Examines different algae used for biofuel production including cyanobacteria, diatoms, and green algae. It looks at how these organisms are different and why they are used to produce biofuels and bio-products. Additionally, the module covers the different too... - Week 6 - Biofuel Production and Downstream Processing
Covers the chemistry of biodiesel, looks at the different thermochemical processes used to convert biomass to fuel, and examines renewable biogas. It also looks at the production process of algae biofuel, how and why nutrient utilization and recycling is impor... - Week 7 - Social Issues, Economics, and Politics
Examines how energy production and use affects the economy, our wellbeing, and our heath. It will also look at how energy impacts the poorest communities, the external costs of traditional energy, and how we can regulate energy and incentivize renewable energy... - Week 8 - Climate Change
Looks at the history of research on how carbon dioxide causes climate change, the key points of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s reporting, and how climate change is portrayed in the media. Also, it discusses the importance of decreasing Short-l... - Week 9 - Office Hours
Recordings of live office hours from Dr. Mayfield and other course lecturers.
Instrutores
Dr. Stephen Mayfield
Professor of Molecular Biology
University of California San Diego
Criador do conteúdo
A Universidade da Califórnia em San Diego é uma universidade pública de investigação em San Diego, Califórnia. Fundada em 1960 perto do já existente Scripps Institution of Oceanography, a UC San Diego é o mais meridional dos dez campus da Universidade da Califórnia e oferece mais de 200 programas de graduação e pós-graduação, matriculando 33.096 alunos de graduação e 9.872 alunos de pós-graduação.
A UC San Diego é considerada uma das melhores universidades do mundo. Várias publicações classificaram os Departamentos de Ciências Biológicas e Ciências da Computação da UC San Diego entre os 10 melhores do mundo.
Plataforma
A Coursera é uma empresa digital que oferece um curso on-line massivo e aberto, fundado pelos professores de computação Andrew Ng e Daphne Koller Stanford University, localizado em Mountain View, Califórnia.
O Coursera trabalha com as melhores universidades e organizações para disponibilizar alguns dos seus cursos on-line e oferece cursos em várias disciplinas, incluindo: física, engenharia, humanidades, medicina, biologia, ciências sociais, matemática, negócios, ciência da computação, marketing digital, ciência de dados. e outros assuntos.Cours
Very good introduction to renewable energies. Some parts are a little outdated.
Very good introduction to renewable energies. Some parts are a little outdated.