Innovation, Power & the Energy Transition
H&G11-10-Wed1
Scott McKnight
This course will take place virtually on Zoom. Participation requires a device (ideally a computer or tablet, rather than a cell phone) with a camera and microphone in good working order and basic familiarity with using Zoom and accessing email.
September 11 - November 13
The energy transition is a power transition. Energy is at the crux of a range of pressing global issues—climate change and the existential threat it poses to countless peoples in many countries; relations between countries (between big energy exporters and big energy importers as well as between energy exporters themselves); war and potential war between countries or within them; inequality, development and economic growth (and growth based on which energy sources and therefore with what depth of carbon footprint); how countries are governed as well as how people are taxed, administered and cared for (or not); and on and on. There are few global issues that do not have energy either at their heart or close nearby. As such, this course will use energy to examine a range of global issues.
Decarbonization—the shift from a fossil fuel-centric energy system to one based on renewables and low-carbon energy—is fast-unfolding, but this transition still has a long way to go. While reducing carbon emissions is our general overarching goal, a fierce geopolitical and industrial competition is also underway, with every major economy now attempting to gain advantage in researching, designing, and manufacturing technologies for the low-carbon economy. Because energy and national power are intimately linked, we will analyze how the transition to a ‘net-zero’ economy has become the latest site of geopolitical competition especially between the US and China, who will gain and who will lose from this transition, and what are the major obstacles standing in the way.
More lecture than facilitated discussion.
This course will use a range of media, including journalism (short- and long-form) as well as alternative media like podcasts and YouTube videos. These materials will be provided on a class website through a course Google Drive and available at the start of the term.
Readings will be no longer than 20 pages, or about an hour in length. Some videos and podcasts may add no more than 30 minutes to this hour allotment for reading. All of these media resources are OPTIONAL.
Scott received his PhD in Political Science from the University of Toronto, where he is now an adjunct lecturer in the political economy of innovation, energy and China. After completing his undergraduate degree in public policy at Carleton University in Ottawa and working for the Governor General of Canada, he completed a Master’s degree in International Relations (in Chinese) at the prestigious Renmin University in Beijing. He later lectured for two years in China on Chinese politics, economy and foreign relations. He frequently provides analysis on Chinese politics and economy for media in Canada. He is fluent in five languages.