Lesson 3: Energy in North America

January 25, 2016

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Tue, Jan 26

Review:

• Jared Diamond: Guns, Germs and Steel
• Niall Ferguson: 5 Killer Apps
• World Regions (see below)

Presentation:

• Geography of North America
• Industry Hot Spots
  • Wall Street, Silicon Valley, Hollywood, Motor City, Corn Belt, Coal Country, Sin City, Gulf Coast, etc.
• The US is the world’s top energy producer (and consumer)
  • Overtaking Saudi Arabia and Russia in oil and gas production
  • Second only to China in Coal and Electricity production (and consumption)
  • North America is energy king with Canada ranked #5 in oil, #5 in gas, #12 in coal and #6 in electricity
  • Huge shift in the past 5-10 years
• Geography of Energy Sources
  • Fossil Fuels: Natural Gas, Coal and Oil
  • Renewables: Biomass, HydroElectric, Wind, Solar, Geothermal
  • Other: Nuclear
  • Electrical Power Plants
  • US Energy Mapping System

Assignment:

• Learn about Keystone XL
  • Read Economist Archives
  • Pro Keystone XL
    • NYT OpEd by Michael Levi
    • NYT OpEd by Jonathan Waldman
    • CNN OpEd by Alexander Pourbaix
    • USA Today OpEd
  • Anti Keystone XL:
    • Obama Statement
    • NYT OpEd
    • Pipe Dreams (video)

• World Regions
  • Regions according to John Boyer, the Plaid Avenger