Energy Challenges: Development and Climate Change in Global Perspective

Location: Orfalea Center for Global and International Studies Research Cluster Award

PI: Javiera Barandiaran (Global & International Studies)

Co-PIs: Werner Kuhn (Center for Spatial Studies), Lisa Parks (Film & Media Studies), Paul Amar (Global & International Studies), Stephan Miescher (History), Corey Byrnes (East Asian Languages and Cultural Studies).

What are developing countries doing to switch to cleaner energies and with what effects? How are they participating in the rise of new energy challenges? Can they benefit from new energy sources, such as lithium used in electric cars? Or are fossil fuels still black gold, as Brazil’s recent oil discoveries suggest? Orfalea Research Cluster funds are creating a cluster around humanities approaches to energy issues, focused on the intersecting challenges of development and climate change. Participating faculty bring expertise from around the world, with on-going or planned research projects in Ghana, Brazil, Bolivia, and China, and from a range of energy technologies: oil, lithium, hydroelectric, and mobile energy sources. We create cross-departmental collaborations that will inform our research and teaching efforts. The result will be the improved academic capacity to discuss energy choices in environmental, social, and political contexts, as well as in economic and engineering concerns. We will learn about and explore ways in which mapping technologies and spatial data can support humanities-based research on energy issues, and vice versa. These efforts are carried out at a series of cluster meetings in various educational and research settings and will culminate in a conference showcasing a leading researcher in this field that will attract students and faculty from across campus.

Related: Archive News: Energy Challenges: Development and Climate Change in Global Perspective

Tags: clean energy, sustainability, humanities