Fall 2023
TR 1-2:30
Units: Register for 12 units
Blanket HASS-S petition has been approved for this subject.

Lauren Bonilla (Course 21A)
Prof. Mike Short (Course 22)

This class explores and experiments with pathways of decarbonization at the million-person scale through an interdisciplinary “anthro-engineering” approach.  By putting people first, we examine how user-centric design, holistic ally and stakeholder inclusion, responding to cultural and political constraints on clean energy issues, and working in and with diverse groups on open-ended problems can create impactful and equitable changes in energy systems.  Students engage with anthropological approaches to energy, development, sustainability, and climate-related issues while simultaneously exploring the possibilities for practical, real-world intervention into an energy landscape dominated by fossil fuels.

This is a project-based class that is part of a larger, multi-year effort focused on prototyping a locally specific, culturally acceptable, and socio-economically viable reusable energy source for use in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia – the coldest and most polluted capital city on Earth.  Our goal is to target climate change while enhancing human-well-being and energy autonomy at the same time.  Students will gain experience with ethnographic methods, research and engineering design, and cross-disciplinary and cross-continental collaboration.  The opportunity to travel to Mongolia during IAP may be available.  Students from all academic backgrounds are welcome to join.