UNSW Handbook Course - Energy and its Politics

Energy and its Politics - HPSC2750


	Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
	School: School of History and Philosophy
	Course Outline: See below
	Campus: Kensington Campus
	Career: Undergraduate
	Units of Credit: 6
	EFTSL: 0.125 (more info)
	Contact Hours per Week: 3
	Enrolment Requirements:
	Prerequisite: 36 units of credit
	Equivalent: SCTS3128
	Fee Band: 2 (more info)
	Further Information: See Class Timetable

Description

Energy is fundamental to our way of life. Global energy use continues to expand, straining resources and increasing pollution. Australia has resolved to provide 2% extra electricity from clean renewable sources by 2010 yet Denmark is on track to provide 20% from these sources by 2003. There is currently intense jockeying between countries over these matters. Explores energy options, analysing the economic, political, environmental and technical constraints upon them, in light of major current imperatives - climate change and the deregulation of the energy industry. Emphasises matters such as the viability of solar energy and the future of nuclear power.

Learning Outcomes

In this course students will:

Gain both an outline appreciation of the technical characteristics of energy technologies and the broader socio-political and economic factors involved in the development and implementation of these technologies
Gain both the knowledge to enable them to constructively participate in contemporary energy policy debates, notably those regarding climate change and technological responses to it, and the skills to contribute to public policy debates more broadly.

Assessment

Tutorial presentation - 10%
Two tutorial papers - 20%
Participation - 10%
Major essay (2500 words) - 40%

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