6 EC
Semester 1, period 2
5264ECCS6Y
This course focuses on the inseparable links between energy use and climate change and, consequently, the unavoidable connection between energy and environmental policy. The entire course is truly multi-disciplinary, in the sense that the challenges associated with the subject matter of energy and climate change are simultaneously taught from a natural scientific, public policy and general economics perspective. Through an examination of this subject, this course also explores three closely-related themes that exemplify the complexity of the interaction between science and technology on the one hand and economics and public policy on the other hand: the challenges of achieving political acceptance, both nationally and internationally, of scientific consensus in the face of ever-present scientific uncertainty; the extent and the limitations of science as a driving force for public policy; and the role of technological development in influencing political choices.
Literature references
Background material
Sheets of lectures
The course consists of a series of lectures, in which students are expected to play an active role, i.e. prepare presentations and participation in class discussion.
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Activity |
Number of hours |
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Lectures |
18 |
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Self-study: Reading the compulsory and optional literature references |
64 |
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Working on short papers |
28 |
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|
Working on the final short paper |
50 |
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|
Preparing a presentation |
8 |
|
|
Total |
168 |
|
The programme does not have requirements concerning attendance (OER-B).
Additional requirements for this course:
Attendance of the meetings is compulsory. If a student is absent more than once, he/she is in principle excluded from receiving credits for the course, unless it is caused by an explained emergency or an inevitable overlap with the compulsory masters program. At all times the coordinator and corresponding lecturer need to be informed of absence during any of the classes.
| Item and weight | Details | Remarks |
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Final grade | ||
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15% Class participation | ||
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15% Student presentation | ||
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40% Short papers | 2 short papers, 20% each. | |
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30% Final short paper |
Examination
When registered for the course, students are automatically registered for the examination elements of the course, i.e. the grading of the class participation, the student presentation and the three papers. A low score on one examination element can be compensated with higher grades for the others. To complete the course successfully, your weighed grade should be 5.55 minimally.
Second chance
In case (and only in case) the final score is graded below 5.6, an improved version of one of the three papers can be turned in. That is, only when all other required elements of the course have been met, including presence in class and meeting paper deadlines. If this second opportunity is skipped, the deadline for the re-try is not met, or it is met but no overall grade of > 5.5 is achieved, the whole course has to be taken again the following year.
In short, students have two chances to fulfill the requirements for this course:
If students have valid reasons for not being able to meet (one of) the required elements (presence, assignments) they have to send an e-mail to the coordinator to explain the student’s case. If the circumstances are addressed as sufficiently valid, the solution is discussed on an individual basis. Communication about personal circumstances have to take place before the given deadline.
Each student can in principle chose his or her favorite topic from the optional reading list, with the restriction that each topic can only be presented once. Registration operates on a first-come first-choice basis. Students need to register for their presentations before the given date.
Short paper of max. 1000 words (max. 2 pages), based on the topics covered in the lectures of Dr. John van Boxel and Prof. Dr. Marc Davidson, respectively. Each short paper counts for 20% of the total grade and must be based on at least one main publication from the required or optional reading list.
Short paper of max. 1000 words (max. 2 pages), based on one publication from the required, optional or supplementary reading list associated with the lectures by Prof. dr. Marc Davidson.
The 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' applies to this course. This will be monitored carefully. Upon suspicion of fraud or plagiarism the Examinations Board of the programme will be informed. For the 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' see: www.student.uva.nl
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Week |
Lectures |
Deadlines |
|
Week 1 (44) |
Monday 30 Oct 12.00-14.00. Prof. dr. Marc Davidson – Introduction.
Thursday 2 Nov 13.00-15.00. Dr. John van Boxel – The core principles of climate science.
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Week 2 (45) |
Thursday 9 Nov 11.00-13.00 Dr. John van Boxel – Paleoclimatology and the climate history of the earth
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Deadline choice references for pitches Friday 10 Nov 9.00
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Week 3 (46) |
Monday 13 Nov 13.00-15.00 Prof. dr. Marc Davidson – Sustainable energy technology |
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Week 4 (47) |
Tuesday 21 Nov 11.00-13.00 Prof. Dr. Marc Davidson – Ethics and practices of international burden sharing
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Monday 20 Nov 11.00-13.00 and 15:00-17:00 Pitches
Deadline first short paper Tuesday 21 Nov 9.00
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Week 5 (48) |
Monday 27 Nov 11.00-13.00 Prof. dr. Marc Davidson – Cost-benefit analysis, carbon price, discounting and ethics.
Wednesday 29 Nov 15.00-17.00 Prof. Dr. Marc Davidson – Economic policy instruments
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Week 6 (49) |
Monday 4 Dec 13.00-15.00 Dr. Behnam Taebi – Nuclear energy and sustainability |
Deadline second short paper Saturday 9 Dec 9.00
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Week 7 (50) |
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Week 8 (51) |
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Deadline final short paper Tuesday 19 Dec 9.00 |
The schedule for this course is published on DataNose.
While most of the participating students are likely to have done prior studies in the natural, earth or environmental sciences, they are not necessarily expected to possess a background in science and technology in general or in environment or energy science specifically. Readings and lectures provide that background as necessary. In other words, this course is in principle also open for students with a background in e.g. political or social sciences but with an interest in the subject matter of energy and climate change.
The skills we dó expect you to have acquired beforehand is that you are able to demonstrate your ability to interpret used concepts and theories correctly and to argue adequately, reason logically and scientifically, and write clearly and consistently (see Appendix A). This has to be reflected in both your oral assignments (class participation and student presentation) and written assignments (short papers).
Students who have a deficiency in any of those skills, are advised to repair their shortcomings via the Deficiency Skills Labs that we offer:
Both Skills Labs take the form of a self-tuition module (see the Blackboard site of the course Research Workshop of the Master Earth Sciences. For those of you who are not Earth Sciences’ students, contact Dr. Coyan Tromp via j.c.tromp@uva.nl to obtain more information about both these Skills Lab and the one mentioned below).
Moreover, you are advised to participate in the concomitant Skills Lab Writing an Academic Essay, where you will be able to further practice your skills with regard to academic writing.
For those of you who feel they need some extra support on their Presentation Skills, we advise you to do a self-tuition Deficiency Skills Lab on Presentation / Rhetoric, see www.coursera.org/ course/thinkagain.