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Green Initiative in the Campus Followed by Curriculum Development of a Course Concentrating on Selected Choices of Alternative Energy Sources in EET Program in Terms of Global Economic and Environmental Impacts.

Abstract

‘Greening the work place’ is not just a used term today but a homely speech. As the world’s thirst for energy continues to grow, there is an urgent demand for a well trained workforce to develop, process, utilize and manage alternative energy sources in an environmentally and economically feasible way. The recent price hikes in energy have accelerated the decade long desire of the public to reduce dependency on foreign fossil fuels and ensure a sustainable energy supply for this nation. Obviously the quest for an alternative to fossil fuels will add to the growing global effort to combat climate change. Proper use of energy is considered as one of the biggest problem of the world; therefore, technical students must be familiar with the clean energy sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, biofuels etc.

Since the middle of 2008, Northwestern State University at Natchitoches, LA has taken on an initiative to promote a green, healthy, and environmentally friendly campus. In order to make this process more attractive and meaningful I will offer one survey course online for all disciplines in alternative energy during summer 2010. The second course will be offered in classroom environment during spring 2011 with more technical stuffs suitable for EET and IET students. The author will justify the concentration on solar, wind and geothermal energies over other alternative energy sources through economic aspects and environmental issues. A comparison study in this field with some Asian countries will also be discussed.

Simultaneously, business and industry are increasingly seeking graduates with appropriate background and training in this emerging and lucrative field of alternative energy. The improving economy and alternative energy sources are combining to create a brighter employment outlook for engineers and technologists in energy engineering. The experts are expecting a solar market tornado as it has transformed into a worldwide movement and the growth will be around US$ 30 billion and US$ 200 billion in 2010 and 2020 respectively. Students will be motivated by understanding that a career in renewable energy is both rewarding and a positive contribution to the fight against global warming. The impact of alternative energy on global economy is undeniable and its proper use is highly desirable.

Introduction

United States consumes almost one quarter of world’s total consumption of energy. 85 percent of it comes from fossil fuels. Starting in 1973, the oil embargo of the West by the OPEC, (Oil Producing and exporting countries) cartel and the last year’s price hike of oil served as a wakeup call for the United Sates. However, we failed to get energy independence because of the lack of proper energy policy. The demand of energy is increasing rapidly due to the rising living standards and expanding population in countries around the world 1.

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Islam, R. (2010, June), Green Initiative In Campus Followed By Curriculum Development Of A Course Concentrating On Selected Choices Of Alternative Energy Sources In Eet Program In Terms Of Global And Environmental Impacts. Paper presented at 2010 Annual Conference & Exposition, Louisville, Kentucky. 10.18260/1-2--16180