Anacortes Senior College

The primary purpose of this course is to provide a basic understanding of the role of energy in every American’s life. This 6-lecture course will contain the following lectures:

L1 will cover the history of energy and begin to discuss how energy is generated today.

L2 will continue with the ways energy is generated today giving a basic understanding of the principles and equipment involved and potential future energy sources.

L3 will discuss trends in U.S. energy generation including future predictions and touch on importing and exporting energy.

L4 will compare U.S. energy use to the rest of the world; in the past, today and looking ahead. It will touch on the challenges that developing countries have with providing sufficient energy per capita.

L5 will discuss how the supply of fresh water, production of meat and crops, fisheries and more have become dependent on energy to meet demand. 

L6 will have the class use what it has learned to create a world map of how much energy each region needs in the future and how various energy sources should be used to provide it.

Instructor: Tim Bertch PhD

 I completed my undergraduate studies at the United States Naval Academy, have an Engineering Masters from the University of Connecticut and earned my Engineering Doctorate at the University of Maryland. Other experiences include commanding a U.S. Navy nuclear submarine, leading the San Diego Wastewater Department with almost 1000 employees and $4B of capital equipment, qualifying as a Professional Engineer, directing a division of General Atomics, holding three patents, authoring several books, and past EMT experience.  Energy is essential to our future as a nation; as are citizens who can differentiate between energy hype and energy reality.