180.651.81
Energy, Environment, and Public Health

Discontinued

Location
Internet
Term
4th Term
Department
Environmental Health and Engineering
Credit(s)
2
Academic Year
2023 - 2024
Instruction Method
Asynchronous Online
Auditors Allowed
No
Available to Undergraduate
Yes
Grading Restriction
Letter Grade or Pass/Fail
Course Instructor(s)
Stuart Chaitkin
Contact Name
Stuart Chaitkin
Frequency Schedule
Every Year
Description
In so many ways, the future of energy is at the core of our quest for sustainability. Are you interested in how energy policy choices can have wide-ranging effects on the environment, the economy, and national/international security issues? Are you interested in how public health is affected by how we obtain and use energy? Are you curious about how our use of energy is related to disruptive climate change? Are you curious about what our cheapest and cleanest source of energy is? Are you curious about the best options for a sustainable energy system? Are you curious about what public health practitioners should know about energy policy options?
Explores how our choices about energy acquisition and use are tied directly to economic prosperity, environmental quality, population health, and critical aspects of national and international security. Examines why energy is fundamental to food systems, water systems, industrial activity, whether and how economic growth takes place in developed as well as developing countries, and the degree to which climate change is disruptive. Provides students with the knowledge base and evaluation skills needed to understand why energy is so important and how its negative effects can best be reduced. Discusses the obstacles that slow the adoption of energy policy choices that could enhance health and promote sustainable development around the world.
Learning Objectives
Upon successfully completing this course, students will be able to:
  1. Explain the basic linkages between energy acquisition and consumption and public health
  2. Identify the principal negative impacts associated with energy exploration, generation, and consumption in low-income, resource-poor countries as well as in developed countries
  3. Distinguish between potentially valid and overly hyped claims about energy performance, energy impacts, and energy technologies
  4. Review and critique potential solutions to the biggest energy challenges we face
  5. Explore a range of policy choices for reducing the impacts of energy consumption on public health
Methods of Assessment
This course is evaluated as follows:
  • 16% Participation
  • 18% Written Assignment(s)
  • 16% Discussion
  • 50% Final Exam
Enrollment Restriction
Enrollment restricted to graduate students
Instructor Consent
No consent required