COURSE DESCRIPTION AND APPLICATION INFORMATION
| Course Name | Code | Semester | T+A+L (hour/week) | Type (C / O) | Local Credit | ECTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Energy and Sustainability | KHAS 1228 | Spring | 03+00+00 | Elective | 3 | 5 |
| Academic Unit: | Department of Common Courses – Core Program |
| Mode of Delivery: | Face to face |
| Prerequisites: | - |
| Language of Instruction: | English |
| Level of Course Unit: | Undergraduate |
| Course Coordinator: | - - |
| Course Objectives: | This course aims to achieve two goals: (1) help students learn how to live in a more sustainable world as a responsible citizen and, perhaps more importantly, (2) teach them how to identify and act on opportunities to be the next generation of energy leaders in their future careers. Since KHAS 1228 is an interdisciplinary course and addresses topics of inquiry from multiple perspectives, it appeals to students with diverse disciplinary backgrounds. |
| Course Contents: | Sustainability is the new buzzword for the 21st century, and for good reason: the major actors across the global community now agree that the transition to a sustainable world is inevitable. Fighting climate change is the most essential element of achieving sustainability, and it is impossible to sustain the earth’s natural resources without harnessing green energy. National governments have signed several international agreements that seek to foster a sustainable future, from the Millennium Development Goals of 2000 to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Accords of 2015. The targets of these initiatives were first put into action through the European Green Deal in 2020. Although contrasting ideas exist about the future of “sustainable energy for all,” the world is progressing towards these goals, with encouraging signs that energy is becoming more sustainable and widely available. |
| Learning Outcomes of the Course Unit (LO): |
|
| Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods: | Lectures & Writing-Discussion Sessions ● 60-90 min. of lectures per week ● 90 min of group discussions per week Reading and Writing Sessions ● reading and writing tasks completed individually ● 1. quizzes, 2. response paper, 2. poster presentation |
WEEKLY SUBJECTS AND RELATED PREPARATIONS
| Week | Subjects | Related Preperation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction (Ediger): Course description; Syllabus and logistics; Course overview; Importance of energy; Substitution of energy sources; Energy challenges of the 21st century; Energy transition; Definition and main pillars of sustainability; Sustainable energy development. | |
| 2 | Definition and History of Sustainability (Ediger): Defining sustainability; History of sustainability; Classical and neoclassical economists; Early conservationists; Evolution of exhaustibility and inexhaustibility concepts; Carrying capacity and environmentalists; Limits to growth; Bruntland Report; Millennium Development Goals, Agenda for Sustainable Development and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). | Studying the course slides, reading the assigned articles,and preparing for the in-class group discussions |
| 3 | Sustainable Development Goals (Ediger): Examining 17 SDGs: (1) No poverty, (2) Zero hunger, (3) Good health and well-being, (4) Quality education, (5) Gender equality, (6) Clean water and sanitation, (7) Affordable and clean energy, (8) Decent work and economic growth, (9) Industry, innovation and infrastructure, (10) Reduced inequality, (11) Sustainable cities and communities, (12) Responsible consumption and production, (13) Climate action, (14) Life below water, (15) Life on land, (16) Peace, justice, and strong institutions, and (17) Partnerships for the goals; What to do to live more sustainably. | Studying the course slides, reading the assigned articles,and preparing for the in-class group discussions |
| 4 | Global Climate Change (Ediger): Defining and recognizing global climate change; Evidence and causes of climate change; Human influence and energy use; Potential consequences of climate change; International initiatives; Emission reduction mechanisms and targets; Paris Climate Accords of 2015. | Studying the course slides, reading the assigned articles,and preparing for the in-class group discussions |
| 5 | Energy and Sources (Ediger): Energy as an interdisciplinary science; Definition and type of energy; Thermodynamics and energy conversion; Classification of Energy Systems; Energy carrier; Primary, secondary, and final energy; Power plants; Thermal and mechanical power plants, steam, and gas turbines; Electricity; power generation, transmission, and distribution; Carbon cycle and energy sources; Classification of energy sources; Fossil fuels and renewable energy. | Studying the course slides, reading the assigned articles,and preparing for the in-class group discussions |
| 6 | Sustainable Energy Development (Ediger): Renewability and advantages/disadvantages of renewables; Intermittency and energy storage; Efficiency improvements and cost reduction; Technologies for heat to electricity (biomass, geothermal); Technologies for solar heat and photovoltaic (solar heat and PV); Technologies for converting mechanical energy to electricity (hydropower, wind, tides/currents). | Studying the course slides, reading the assigned articles,and preparing for the in-class group discussions |
| 7 | Midterm Week and Kadir Has Commemoration Ceremony | Reviewing the course material |
| 8 | International Sustainability Policies and Practices in Energy (Bowlus): International perspectives on energy and sustainability; Global strategies for sustainable energy; Sustainability, government, and business; Energy, sustainability and society; Global alliance and competition for sustainable energy; Global leadership in energy transition and renewable energy; Sustainable energy policy indicators; Global challenges for a sustainable future. | Studying the course slides, reading the assigned articles,and preparing for the in-class group discussions |
| 9 | European Green Deal and Sustainable Energy (Bowlus): Antecedents to the EGD; Green New Deal and European Green Deal; Emissions targets by 2030, 2050, and 2060; Linear economy and circular economy; Industrial symbiosis; Carbon border-adjustment mechanisms; Emission-trading systems. | Studying the course slides, reading the assigned articles,and preparing for the in-class group discussions |
| 10 | Geopolitics and Sustainability Challenges (Bowlus): Energy transition and green energy revolution; The new energy world; Fossil fuel era; Achieving climate change goals; Changing geography; New geopolitical opportunities. | Studying the course slides, reading the assigned articles,and preparing for the in-class group discussions |
| 11 | Social Dimension of Sustainable Energy Development (Bowlus): Definition and history of energy equity, energy injustice, and energy poverty; Energy as a human right; Racial, economic, and social inequities; Energy equity and disadvantaged communities; Energy injustice and living in older, energy inefficient homes and apartments; Energy vulnerability and poverty; High energy bills, negatively impacting peoples’ health and well-being. | Studying the course slides, reading the assigned articles,and preparing for the in-class group discussions |
| 12 | Fossil Fuel Lobbying and Greenwashing (Bowlus): Definition and history of fossil fuel lobby; Their effects on governmental policy and policies related to environment and climate action; Fossil fuel lobbyists in the US and the EU; Fossil fuel lobbyists at COP26 (Glasgow, UK) and COP27 (Sharm El-Sheik, Egypt); Fossil Fuel Lobbies and the Ukraine War; definition and history of greenwashing; Classical examples of Chevron and Dupont campaigns; BP and Statoil’s logos. | Studying the course slides, reading the assigned articles,and preparing for the in-class group discussions |
| 13 | Discussion on Presentations (Ediger and Bowlus): Discussing paper proposals and selecting topics; Discussions of draft presentations; How to give a good presentation. | Studying the course slides, reading the assigned articles,and preparing for the in-class group discussions |
| 14 | Presentations (Ediger and Bowlus): All students will give a 15-minute presentation about a topic of their choosing that relates to the course content. | Preparing the final presentation |
At Kadir Has University, a Semester is 14 weeks; The weeks 15 and 16 are reserved for final exams.
REQUIRED AND RECOMMENDED READING
| 1) Volkan Ş. Ediger, 2021, Global Energy Use. In: Brinkmann R. (ed) The Palgrave Handbook of Global Sustainability. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, p. 1-21. ISBN: 978-3-030-38948-2. https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-3-030-38948-2_12-1 2) Daniel Thomas Mollenkamp, 2021, Sustainability, Investopedia, https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/sustainability.asp 3) Olufemi Adedeji, Okocha Reuben, Olufemi Olatoye, 2014, Global Climate Change, Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection, 2: 114-122. https://www.scirp.org/pdf/GEP_2014042109284451.pdf 4) Valérie Masson-Delmotte et. al., Eds. 2021, Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis, Working Group I Contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_WGI_SPM_final.pdf 5) Michael Woodbridge, 2015, From MDGs to SDGs: What are the Sustainable Development Goals? ICLEI Briefing Sheet - Urban Issues, No. 01. https://www.local2030.org/library/251/From-MDGs-to-SDGs-What-are-the-Sustainable-Development-Goals.pdf 6) UN Environmental Programme, 2016, Issue brief: SDG 7.https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/25762/SDG7_Brief.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y 7) Environmental Coalition on Standards, 2020, “Standards in the time of the European Green Deal,” https://ecostandard.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/ECOS-PAPER-Standards-in-the-time-of-the-European-Green-Deal.pdf. 8) Mark Leonard, Jean Pisani-Ferry, Jeremy Shapiro, Simone Tagliapietra, Guntram Wolff, 2021, The Geopolitics of the European Green Deal, European Council on Foreign Relations, 1-14, https://ecfr.eu/wp-content/uploads/The-geopolitics-of-the-European-Green-Deal.pdf. 9) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL, U.S. DOE), 2001, Renewable Energy: An Overview, DOE/GO-102001-1102, FS175. https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy01osti/27955.pdf 10) Nada Kh. M. A. Alrikabi, 2014, Renewable Energy Types, Journal of Clean Energy Technologies, 2(1): 61-64. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272908999_Renewable_Energy_Types 11) International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), 2019, A New World: The Geopolitics of the Energy Transformation, 14-69, https://www.irena.org/-/media/Files/IRENA/Agency/Publication/2019/Jan/Global_ commission_geopolitics_new_world_2019.pdf 12) Nemanja Popovic, 2020, “The Energy Relationship Between Russia and the European Union,” E-International Relations. https://www.e-ir.info/pdf/81925 |
OTHER COURSE RESOURCES
| Lecture slides |
ASSESSMENT METHODS AND CRITERIA
| Semester Requirements | Number | Percentage of Grade (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Attendance / Participation | 1 | 10 |
| Other Practices (seminar, studio critics, workshop etc.) | 1 | 30 |
| Midterms / Oral Exams / Quizes | 5 | 10 |
| Final Exam | 1 | 50 |
| Total: | 8 | 100 |
WORKLOAD
| Events | Count | Duration (Hours) | Total Workload (hour) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Course Hours | 15 | 3 | 45 |
| Other Practices (seminar,studio critics,workshop, etc.) | 1 | 20 | 20 |
| Midterms / Oral Exams / Quizes | 5 | 3 | 15 |
| Final Exam | 1 | 45 | 45 |
| Total Workload (hour): | 125 | ||
1 ECTS = 25 Hours Workload
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES (LO) AND PROGRAM QUALIFICATIONS (PQ)
| # | PQ1 | PQ2 | PQ3 | PQ4 | PQ5 | PQ6 | PQ7 | PQ8 | PQ9 | PQ10 |
| LO1 | ||||||||||
| LO2 | ||||||||||
| LO3 | ||||||||||
| LO4 | ||||||||||
| LO5 | ||||||||||
| LO6 | ||||||||||
| LO7 | ||||||||||
| LO8 |
Contribution: 1 Low, 2 Average, 3 High