This class has been one of the most engaging that I’ve taken during my time at UC. What has changed the most for me is my understanding of the magnitude of the problem. Not just in how much energy we need to generate or how bad climate change could be if left unchecked, but also in how many different perspectives and factors there are to consider. I greatly appreciated the chance to learn about UC’s own part in the energy debate and how an institution of this size makes energy related decisions. Having the UC perspective made many of the topics discussed more tangible and also provided the opportunity for field trips – something I wish more of my other classes would do!

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The global politics of the energy crisis sparked some of the most interesting debate and discussion we had during the class. Thinking about who is going to face the worst consequences of climate change and also who is most responsible brings in ethical and moral dimensions to the topic that I had not previously considered. This even lent a new light to technological questions or hypotheticals like covering the Sahara desert with solar panels. While that might go a long way towards providing humanity with the clean energy it needs, there are technical problems like maintenance of such a massive area of panels, overheating of the solar cells, and transmission to the rest of the world. Furthermore, is it ethical for the world’s biggest polluters to once again drain Africa of its natural resources to solve their own problems? While the continent may also benefit from projects on this scale, I am not convinced that it is ethically justifiable for developed countries to rely on the labour and resources of the developing world to solve problems that they have done so much to create. Especially when there are solutions that could be implemented in their own countries but are being ignored because of political difficulties.

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Overall, this class has provided me with a new framework to think about energy and energy policy, and the information I have learned will fuel future conversations and debates I have on the topic. My understanding of how UC uses and plans for energy has also deepened and that has informed my relationship with the institution today and where I hope it goes in the future.