This is based on Prof. Antonoff’s Assignment 3 from F’15. Let me know if you think any material deserves more discussion, or if any material should receive less attention. Edw.
1. List petroleum supply & consumption (in quads or millions of barrels per day & percentages of total) for the seven EIA regions of the world. Rank the five highest consumer regions & the five highest supplier regions, & comment on the most apparent disparities or similarities between the rankings.
2. Let’s turn our attention to alternative, renewable energy sources. Refer to the DOE’s link to the EIA’s Energy Explained:
https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/renewable-sources/
You will find graphics showing the US consumption of renewable sources by clicking on the “Basics” tab. Prepare a table listing the renewables and tabulate the percentage of each renewable source’s share of the total renewable usage. Click on the “Types & Usage” tab for explanations of each type of renewable energy source.
3. Refer to the link to a discussion by David J.C. MacKay, which Prof. Antonoff entitled "On Numbers and Nonsense." Read MacKay’s commentary. This is just a reading assignment. There are no further questions to answer on this reading.
4. Video: Refer to the link to a video talk by Amory Lovins, entitled: "A 40 Year Plan for Energy." Lovins gave this talk at a TED Conference in March, 2012. The talk is based on information in his recent book, "Reinventing Fire." In it he lays out a program for freeing ourselves from the use of petroleum. Lovins is Founder, CEO and Chief Scientist of the Rocky Mountain Institute, a highly regarded environmental and energy research center. Lovins was a 1993 recipient of the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship Award. Write a brief summary or critique (1 or 2 paragraphs) of the ideas presented by Lovins. Do you believe his plan is achievable? We will view a more recent presentation by Lovins later.