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News from the Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society at Dartmouth

Dartmouth students participating in the winterim Energy Immersion Trip to the Gulf Coast tour a Texas refinery. Photo credit: Laura Braasch.

Message from the Director

A wise friend once told me that only when our deepest beliefs are tested will we know if they remain true. These past months have been a test unlike any other in our collective lifetimes.

COVID-19 has rapidly changed the way we live, work, socialize, and support one another. The lasting ramifications for our societies and shared futures remain unclear. Yet the "great reveal" that has happened when everything stops...from the clear air in my home town of Los Angeles to views of the Himalayas from nearby towns to the quiet in cities around the world... highlights some of the costs of our current energy systems.

It also highlights that the need for collective action in addressing large-scale global problems is clearer than ever before. Many have written on the challenges of addressing COVID-19 and climate change (for example, here, here, and here). While I can see the similarities, I am also acutely aware of the differences. But one thing is clear: both individual and collective actions are necessary for any solution.

At the Irving Institute, we have been working to support the Dartmouth community and develop interactive programming to continue the energy and society conversations. We have all been inspired by student and community interest in our web-based offerings, and I have been grateful to see the Dartmouth community come together to support one another during these times. Our alumni's generosity towards the Institute, current students, and each other has been inspirational, as evidenced in our new Alumni Sparks program which will feature different members of the 3,700 Dartmouth alumni community who work in the energy sector.

Thank you all for your engagement, support, and hard work towards a world where energy can be used to support society.

~ Elizabeth

Looking Back: Winterim and Winter Term 2020

The winterim and winter 2020 terms at Dartmouth were busy ones for the Irving Institute, with a range of programs and learning opportunities. Here are some highlights.

Gulf Coast Energy Immersion Trip

The group touring the Afalatcha Swamp in Louisiana. Photo credit: Laura Braasch

Twelve Dartmouth students and staff traveled to Texas and Louisiana to learn first-hand about energy production in the Gulf Coast of the United States. The group visited refineries, renewable energy production sites, and the communities that shape and are shaped by energy production in the region. Learn more about the trip.

Dartmouth Energy Collaborative Energy Lunch Seminar Series

Students participating in the February 20 DEC Energy World Cafe. Photo credit: Alberto Paniagua.

Our popular bi-weekly lunch series continued to draw large, engaged groups of campus and surrounding community members eager to expand their understanding of energy and society topics. During winter term we learned about the Dartmouth Energy System from Rosi Kerr; explored Irving Institute seed grant-funded projects with Professors Ian Baker, Mary Albert, and Laura Ogden; and heard from Tuck students about Hawaii’s effort to transition to 100% renewable energy. In addition to our traditional lunch talks, we hosted our first “World Cafe”-style energy lunch, where students shared their energy-related research, travel, and projects with the audience. Read more about the Energy World Cafe.

Campus Visitors

Assistant Professor Lynn Badia at her Feb. 25 talk at Dartmouth.

Professor Alberto Lamadrid from Lehigh University visited campus on February 20, and gave a public talk about the impact of extreme events on energy users and operators. On February 25, Professor Lynn Badia of the University of Colorado gave a public talk on the concept of “unlimited energy” and its socio-political context. You can read a student report about Professor Badia’s talk here.

In the Classroom: Elizabeth Wilson's ENVS12: Energy and Environment Class

Professor Wilson and students in the winter 2020 ENVS 12: Energy and Environment class

Professor of Environmental Studies Elizabeth Wilson taught ENVS12: Energy and Environment during winter 2020. The course gave students a foundation in energy and its technical, environmental, and political context and culminated in student groups presenting a short video to support a specific policy proposal. Read more.

Looking Ahead: Spring Term 2020

The coronavirus pandemic has had a profound impact on the world, including the way we connect, teach, and learn. We’re grateful to everyone in our engaged and flexible energy community for your participation and contributions to our spring roster of remote opportunities and events. We hope we’ll see you at some – or all! – of our spring events. Learn more about what we're up to this spring below.

DEC Energy Seminars Go Online Alternate Tuesdays at 12:15 p.m.

A screenshot from Professor Elizabeth Wilson's recent DEC Energy Seminar.

While we aren't able to serve pizza, our DEC Energy Lunch series continues this spring term via Zoom. Our first online seminar featured Institute Director Elizabeth Wilson discussing the chapter she co-authored in a new book, Earth 2020: An Insider’s Guide to a Rapidly Changing Planet. An archived video is available here.

On May 5, we will welcome Darren Peers ’96, TU’01, Senior VP at Capital Group, whose talk, “Near-term Dislocations and Longer Term Challenges of Energy Procurement,” will explore the implications of the unprecedented imbalance in energy supply and demand. Learn more and register.

Alumni Sparks Energy Careers Conversations: Wednesdays at 8 p.m.

Dan Kalafatas ’96 spoke to students during the April 22 Alumni Sparks conversation.

Each week, the Irving Institute hosts a Dartmouth alum who works in the energy sector to talk about their career path and answer student questions about the current job market in energy and more. So far we have heard from Dan Kalafatas ’96, chair of 3Degrees and Institute advisory board member, and Meghan Duff ’15, project manager at the Association for Energy Affordability. On May 6, Institute Advisory Board Chair Scott Fisher ’93, TH’93, ’TU98, will share his perspective with students. Archived videos of these conversations as well as a list of upcoming speakers are available here.

Earth 2020 Discussion Panels: May 4 and 7

The Irving Institute is hosting a series of online panel discussions about a new open-access book, Earth 2020: An Insider’s Guide to a Rapidly Changing Planet. The panels, co-moderated by Philippe Tortell (University of British Columbia and editor of the book) and Elizabeth Wilson (Institute director and contributing author to the book), invite other contributing authors to speak about their chapters and answer audience questions about the past, present, and future of the planet in the 50 years since the first Earth Day. Learn more.