Energy

Hit Puerto Rico as a category four hurricane.
Initial reported deaths: 64; later updated to nearly 3,000 due to poor healthcare provisions.
Economic losses: approximately $94 billion.
Devastated Puerto Rico's electric grid.

Affected critical infrastructure: power and water access.
Harvard researchers' estimate of average outage duration: 84 days without power and 68 days without water.
Jose Sepulveda's family example highlights prolonged power outages affecting health and living conditions.
Migration: 14% of Puerto Rico's population left post-hurricane, many not returning.

Key components: power plants, transformers, transmission lines.
Discussion of AC (Alternating Current) vs. DC (Direct Current): efficiency in long-distance electricity transmission.
Historical context: Edison (DC) vs. Tesla (AC) rivalry.

Voltage, amperage, and wattage are crucial terminologies associated with grid efficiency.
Production of electricity involves turbines activated by various energy sources (e.g., fossil fuels, renewables).
Challenge: balancing generation with consumer demand to prevent blackouts.

Majority of electricity produced in the U.S. comes from thermal power plants using fossil fuels.
Renewable sources are less than 15% of energy consumption.

Thermal power: steam created by heating water, spinning turbines to generate electricity.
Highlighted the necessity for a resilient grid capable of meeting real-time energy demands.

Environmental issues associated with far-off energy production sites.
Justice implications concerning energy production, usage, and environmental impacts.
Puerto Rico’s pre-hurricane economic struggles tied to its energy infrastructure.

High electricity costs stem from dependency on imported fuels (coal, oil, natural gas).
Economic constraints hinder investments for energy infrastructure improvements.
Discussed mismanagement and corruption within the Puerto Rican Power Authority (PREPA).

Definition: combustible deposits formed from ancient organisms (coal, oil, natural gas).
Nonrenewable due to the lengthy formation process.
Environmental impact and health risks tied to fossil fuel production.

Declining use due to economic, environmental concerns: air pollution, job loss in mining.
Future reliance may be limited but varied by region.

Major contributors to the global energy supply.
Concerns over geopolitical conflicts driven by uneven distribution.
Technological advances in extraction methods (i.e., fracking) raise environmental and health questions.

Introduction to the concept of heat pumps as an efficient sustainable energy solution.
How heat pumps work: heating and cooling by transferring heat.
Benefits: efficiency, potential to reduce emissions dramatically.

Oil production and use are projected to increase due to several reasons:

Global Energy Demand: As developing countries industrialize and urbanize, their energy needs grow significantly.
Economic Growth: Rising economies lead to greater consumption of energy, particularly in sectors dependent on oil, such as transportation and manufacturing.
Technological Advances: Innovations in extraction methods, such as fracking, have made it easier and more cost-effective to produce oil.
Geopolitical Factors: Fluctuations in oil supply and regional conflicts can lead to increased reliance on oil as countries seek to ensure their energy security.
Continued Dependence: Many sectors still heavily depend on oil for energy, despite the push for renewable alternatives, leading to sustained demand.