Overall Course Description
Energy production and associated climate change are among the most important and complex issues facing communities, economies, and ecosystems in the Rocky Mountain West. Montana has abundant quantities of coal, natural gas, and other hydrocarbon resources, which have the potential to accelerate global warming if developed. At the same time, Montana, with vast agricultural plains and abundant wind, sun, and geothermal resources, is well positioned to produce clean, renewable energy. Montana offers a key location to explore a range of energy developments and climate change impacts that will shape significant aspects of our economic, cultural, and ecological futures. This course takes place on a bicycle tour of Montana. We will start at the oil refineries and coalfired power plant in the industrial core of Billings. Then we will pedal North and West through grasslands and island mountain ranges on the central plains, visiting biomass, wind energy, solar, geothermal and hydroelectric facilities along the way. We will visit the state center of energy and climate policy debates in Helena. We’ll then head North to Browning and over the Continental Divide in Glacier National Park, spending time with climate scientists and park managers in Glacier before continuing to our course-ending public presentation in Whitefish.

Traveling by bicycle demonstrates the energy required for transportation, and allows students to move at a pace that connects them to landscapes and communities affected by climate change and our societal energy choices. Our focus is on the many possibilities for creating a sustainable energy system and future climate for the state and the Rocky Mountain region.

The central academic assignments on this course involve meetings with course speakers, assigned reading, and sharing our experiences and learning in open forums using electronic media and public presentations.