The Human-Energy Landscape: History and Path to Renewables

Energy touches all aspects of the human experience and is central to nearly every global challenge the world faces today, from raising the standards of living around the world to the existential threat of climate change. This lecture gives an overview of the global energy landscape and answers questions such as, “Where does our energy come from and what is its ultimate fate,” “How is energy consumed and produced by humans around the world,” “What is the history of human energy use," and "Why do we use the energy sources that we do today, and what could our energy future look like?”