Energy, Environment, and Society
I thought I had an idea of energy and renewables and their relationships in society prior to taking this class. I was quickly shown that I had a rudimental understanding of almost everything pertaining to energy and that the entire system is far more complex than I wished. (For if it were simpler, it would be much easier to fix.)
A layer that was entirely new to me is that sometimes the system is to blame. We discussed systemic flaws in class and this perspective really changed my thought process. Meaning, for instance, instead of looking at the technical issues with solar panels, the bigger, systematic issue is that people think that if it rains at all solar panels won’t be worth the money, so they invest in other things. Coming from an engineering background has allowed me the technical knowledge to look at the specific energy generation/storage technologies and the science behind their design and operation but has hindered my ability to look at the system of the energy industry and how the choices people make play into the bigger problem.
I also really enjoyed discussions that revolved around the policy environment and how that differed between the United States and Scotland. Politically, Scotland is much more supportive of greener energy solutions than the United States. On the trip we were discussing lobbying and the officials we met with seemed appalled that big companies could buy votes in Congress. There are lots of intricacies here, as with all politics, which is part of why I thought it was so interesting. I think there are some things we can learn from Scotland. There are also some things we could learn from the United Kingdom, as a larger part of the picture, because in my mind I liken that relationship to something similar to the relationship between states (say California) to the national government. This topic was the main reason I signed up for the course, and it did not disappoint in class discussions or relevant visits during the study tour portion.
After taking this course, I will strive to make more conscious decisions at the very least. In some ways the system limits how green I can actually get and still operate relatively normally in society. However, I will make a more conscious effort to do the really simple things like turn off my air conditioning when I don’t need it, shut off all the lights and not leaving my phone on the charger far longer than it needs to be. Since the politics of energy interest me, I will likely continue to stay relatively up to date on what is going on in the United States. Hypothetically, if I were given the opportunity to get more involved in that sector of our government and advocate for change I would relish that opportunity. We talked in class about the gap in knowledge between politicians and academia/science and if I were able to start to bridge that gap I would size the day.
A layer that was entirely new to me is that sometimes the system is to blame. We discussed systemic flaws in class and this perspective really changed my thought process. Meaning, for instance, instead of looking at the technical issues with solar panels, the bigger, systematic issue is that people think that if it rains at all solar panels won’t be worth the money, so they invest in other things. Coming from an engineering background has allowed me the technical knowledge to look at the specific energy generation/storage technologies and the science behind their design and operation but has hindered my ability to look at the system of the energy industry and how the choices people make play into the bigger problem.
I also really enjoyed discussions that revolved around the policy environment and how that differed between the United States and Scotland. Politically, Scotland is much more supportive of greener energy solutions than the United States. On the trip we were discussing lobbying and the officials we met with seemed appalled that big companies could buy votes in Congress. There are lots of intricacies here, as with all politics, which is part of why I thought it was so interesting. I think there are some things we can learn from Scotland. There are also some things we could learn from the United Kingdom, as a larger part of the picture, because in my mind I liken that relationship to something similar to the relationship between states (say California) to the national government. This topic was the main reason I signed up for the course, and it did not disappoint in class discussions or relevant visits during the study tour portion.
After taking this course, I will strive to make more conscious decisions at the very least. In some ways the system limits how green I can actually get and still operate relatively normally in society. However, I will make a more conscious effort to do the really simple things like turn off my air conditioning when I don’t need it, shut off all the lights and not leaving my phone on the charger far longer than it needs to be. Since the politics of energy interest me, I will likely continue to stay relatively up to date on what is going on in the United States. Hypothetically, if I were given the opportunity to get more involved in that sector of our government and advocate for change I would relish that opportunity. We talked in class about the gap in knowledge between politicians and academia/science and if I were able to start to bridge that gap I would size the day.
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