Lesson 7 - Critical Analysis of Energy and Sustainability Issues
Lesson 7 - Critical Analysis of Energy and Sustainability IssuesOverview
In this lesson, you will again apply the knowledge that you have gained in Module 1 to analyze one or more energy- and sustainability-related media selections. The selection may come from a variety sources and may be in various forms. Please keep in mind that you may encounter and utilize many of the terms from the first Module in this (and future) Modules, so it would not hurt to review them from time to time. I suggest at least looking over the "Language of Energy and Sustainability" terms and phrases at the ends of each Lesson in Module 1.
You will be presented with multiple themes this week. Pick one theme to analyze. I suggest at least browsing all materials before choosing a theme.
Please note that you will make a Yellowdig discussion board post this week based on the theme you choose.
Note that at the end of the lesson you also have an important assignment due, which is based on your current understanding of issues related to whichever book you choose to read in Module 4. You will base part of your analysis in the following Modules on this submission. Do not forget to do this assignment! It should not take long, as you should not do any reading or other investigation before completing it. It is meant to illustrate your current thinking about these topics, without any additional research. See the Calendar for all due dates.
Lesson Objectives
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
- critically analyze claims made in energy- and/or sustainability-related article(s); and
- analyze information sources that verify or contradict published information.
What is due this lesson?
See the assignment pages for all the specific details.
| Requirement | Submission Location |
|---|---|
| Lesson 7 Yellowdig Discussion Board post on chosen theme | Modules tab > Lesson 7 |
| Lesson 7 Content Analysis: Preliminary Thoughts on Book Topic | Modules tab > Lesson 7 |
Questions?
If you have any general course questions or questions about this lesson's content, please post them to our HAVE A QUESTION? discussion forum located under the Modules tab. I will check that discussion forum regularly to respond as appropriate. While you are there, feel free to post your own responses and comments if you are able to help out a classmate. If you have a question but would like to remain anonymous to the other students, email me through Inbox.
If you have something related to the material that you'd like to share, feel free to post to Yellowdig.
Lesson 7 Media Selections
Lesson 7 Media SelectionsThe goal of this lesson is for you to apply the knowledge you've gained in the first Module to a contemporary artifact in energy and sustainability. Pick one of the themes below to analyze. I strongly suggest taking a look at the assignment details prior to reading and/or listening to it, and before deciding which theme to analyze. This will help frame your thinking and home in on key details. I also suggest at least browsing through each of the selections below in order to make a well-informed choice regarding which theme to analyze.
The assignment is to analyze and post about one of the selections. You are welcome to analyze more than one! It is not necessary, though. You are encouraged to go through each of the selections, as these are all really important contemporary issues. However, your only required to analyze one.
See the discussion prompt on Canvas for some suggestions for post themes. You should be engaging with other students as much as possible. After all, more posts = more points!
Theme 1: The Very Good and Very Bad News on Climate
If you are paying attention, the news about clean energy is, to use a scientific term, all over the place. There is even some debate over what is considered clean, especially with regards to nuclear energy. According to Ember, a global clean energy think tank, clean energy (renewables and nuclear) met all new energy demand in 2025. In fact, clean energy out-generated (887 TWh) the increased demand (849 TWh). About 75% of this was met by solar, with most of the rest from wind (about 24%). Further, fossil fuel electricity generation was flat. On the other hand, federal policy in the United States under the Trump Administration has largely been promoting fossil fuels and pushing against renewable energy development, and of course fossil fuel use being flat is not helping to reduce overall emissions.
In this interview on the Ezra Klein show, Bill McKibben discusses the global and domestic status of the clean energy revolution. He provides a very robust description of clean energy development around the world, as well as some of the historical trends. He also addresses the fraught politics of clean energy. If you choose this topic, base your discussion board post this week on this artifact.
In addition to the podcast, I suggest you at read the Ember article referenced above.
To Read/Listen to Now
- You can find this podcast on most podcast apps, but here is a YouTube video (with a transcript). One nice aspect of this is that you can click on links to access different sections of the interview. If you have an NY Times subscription, you can listen to it and see the transcript here.
Theme 2: The Real Cost of Pollution
In this podcast, we return to Mr. Stephen Dubner and his Freakonomics podcast. (Recall that Lesson 5's behavioral economics section featured a different Freakonomics podcast episode.) The focus of this episode is the hidden economic impacts of particulate air pollution, both on human health and cognitive ability. If it sounds like the episode focuses on externalities, that's because it does! As mentioned in Lesson 2, pollution is a commonly cited example of something that has negative externalities. As you will see in this podcast, researchers (especially environmental economists) have attempted to quantify these negative externalities in order to determine the true cost of air pollution. If you choose this topic, base your discussion board post this week on this artifact.
To Read/Listen to Now
- "This Is Your Brain on Pollution (Update)," from the Freakonomics Radio podcast. As you will see, this is actually a 2022 podcast, but it has been rebroadcast and updated in 2026. You can listen to the podcast by clicking on the link then clicking the "play" button, but the full transcript is also available on the same page. You can also listen to the podcast for free on many podcast apps, including Apple podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.
Theme 3: Degrowth: An Alternative to Late Capitalism
In this podcast, the folks at Vox explore the concept of degrowth, which puts a name to something that we have explored in this course. While there is not one universal definition to point to, degrowth refers to minimizing and/or eliminating the influence of GDP on economic policy and instead pursuing quality of life and sustainable use of natural resources. In order to do this, wealthy countries in particular must stop growing economically, and even shrink. If you choose this topic, base your discussion board post this week on this artifact.
To Read/Listen to Now
In addition to the podcast, you should read through this article and video about degrowth from the World Economic Forum as well as this article from The Conversation. These are meant to help you think about degrowth and its pros and cons.
- "Blame Capitalism: Degrowing pains," from Vox's podcast Today, Explained. You can listen to the podcast by clicking on the "Play," but the full transcript is also available on the same page. You can also access the podcast (along with the rest of the podcasts in the Today, Explained series) here.
Summary and Final Tasks
Summary and Final TasksSummary
Well, that's all she wrote for Lesson 7! After this, you are on your way to Module 4, in which you will analyze an entire book. You should be able to do the following after completing the Lesson 7 activities:
- critically analyze claims made in the energy- and/or sustainability-related artifact(s); and
- analyze information sources that verify or contradict published information.
Reminder - Complete all of the lesson tasks!
Complete all activities in Lesson 7, located under the Modules tab.
For any assignments (e.g., Yellowdig discussion board), it will be helpful to look at the rubric before answering. You will see a button that allows you to view it below the assignment.
These activities are to be done individually and are to represent YOUR OWN WORK. (See Academic Integrity and Research Ethics for a full description of the College's policy related to Academic Integrity and penalties for violation.)
If you have questions about the assignment, please post them to the "HAVE A QUESTION?" Discussion Forum. I am happy to provide clarification and guidance to help you understand the material and questions. Of course, it is best to ask early.