Course Syllabus

JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "NS 230"
COURSE NAME: "Energy and the Environment"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Summer Session I 2012

SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Toossi Reza
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: MTWTH 16:00-18:00
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES:
OFFICE HOURS: MW 15:00-16:00

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Course Aims
are to provide students with a thorough understanding of laws of thermodynamics, energy conservation, and environmental issues related to use of energy.

SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
Major Course Topics:

Basic concepts and definitions: Energy, work, and heat. Units and forms, Conservation of energy, Order and disorder, entropy, the perpetual motion machines and the Carnot principle..

Energy Forms: Fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas), nuclear energy, wind energy, ocean and tides, Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion, geothermal, hydroelectric, and solar.

Environment: Air and Water Pollution, population growth, CO, NOx and HC emission from cars, toxins in the atmosphere, acid rain, greenhouse warming, ozone depletion, and municipal and nuclear wastes, Global and regional treaties. Indoor air pollution

Political and Economical Impacts: Oil and politics of war, Middle East conflicts and impact on future petroleum resources, Cartels and OPEC pricing policies, Economical analysis of environmental damage.

Sustainability: Defining sustainability, role of technology, a blueprint for a sustainable future.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Course Objectives
The specific knowledge and skills the students will obtain from this course are delineated below:

1. A broad knowledge of the available renewable sources of energy in the world, and their implication on the political, social, and economic shape of the future.

2. An understanding of the basic principles of energy conservation, and the principal laws governing the production of energy and its use. Students will be given numerous examples describing the First and Second Laws of Thermodynamics and the manner in which they affect our daily life.

3. An understanding of the way various thermal systems operate. Examples will include several types of heat engines, refrigerators and heat pumps.

4. An understanding of the way the present energy systems operate. In particular a review of coal, gas, petroleum, biofuel, nuclear, solar, wind, hydroelectric, and geothermal sources will be made and the limitations in each technology will be discussed.

5. An understanding of the practical alternatives for answering present and future energy needs.

6. Familiarity with the environmental impacts of various energy alternatives. The basic concepts relating to solid wastes, greenhouse effects, acid rain, and ozone depletion are presented, and practical means of reducing these adverse effects are discussed.

7. Familiarity with various aspects of air pollution, as they are related to health, material response, and vegetation.

8. Familiarity with the origins and fate of air pollutants. Various requirements and emission standards will be discussed, and control strategies for particulate and gaseous emissions will be analyzed.

9. A limited but essential knowledge of the cultural, political, and legal issues as related to the global energy sources, and environmental regulations.

TEXTBOOK:

Book Title	Author	Publisher	ISBN number	Library Call Number	Comments	Format	Local Bookstore	Online Purchase
Energy and the Environment: Choices and Challenges in a Changing World	Toossi, Reza	Verve Publishers, Inc.	978-0-578-06843-5

REQUIRED RESERVED READING:

NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:

NONE

GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:

Assignment	Guidelines	Weight
Midterm 1		20
Midterm 2		20
Final		25
Homework		20
Term paper		10
Attendance		5

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:

A: Work of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.

B: This is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.

There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluate theory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture and reference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.

C: This is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.

D: This level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.

Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.

F: This work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.

-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:

ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
All scheduled classes are mandatory. You are allowed only one unjustified absence, and two excused absences.

You must always be punctual; late arrival will be noted and may affect your final grade. All classes start promptly at 4:00 pm.

ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.

STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.

SCHEDULE

Week	Topic	Chapter
May 21	Energy Fundamentals, Resources *Energy: 5000 BC until 2100 AD*	1
	Hydro and WindEnergy *Kinetic and Potential Energies*	3-4
	Movie: World in Balance Movie: Geothermal, Water, and Wind
May 28	Biomass, and Solar Energy Sources *Harnessing the Nature*	6, 10
May 28	*Movie: Solar Energy*
June 4	Midterm (June 4) Energy from Fossil Fuels, Petroleum, Natural Gas, and Coal *The Gulf War, The OPEC*	7
	Environmental Impacts: Global Warming, Sources of Pollution *The Kyoto Treaty*	8
	*Movie: A Crude Awakening*
June 11	First and Second Laws of Thermodynamics *Do our politicians understand the basic laws of thermodynamics?*	5
June 11	Transportation *Mass transit, hybrid or fuel cell?*	14
	Movie: The End of Suburbia Essay Due (June 13)
June 18	Nuclear Energy: Fission and Fusion *Iran* *and North Korea: Behind the headlines*	11
June 18	Roadmap to a Sustainable Future Do I have to answer my child? Final (June 21)	16