Sustainable Energy Innovation
Here is your chance to change the course of history. In this eight-week experience, you will begin developing profitable social and technological innovations to tackle our energy and climate obligations.
Other world-changing innovations have come from centralized programs. For example, the Manhattan Project to develop the atomic bomb was a massive effort, but only a few dozen knew the big picture. Meeting our energy and climate obligations requires a similar, but more wide-ranging, effort. We need thousands of people in thousands of places with thousands of ideas - and the courage to act on them. You are those people!
A few of your predecessors. Click here for their stories.
Why 150 tons?
One estimate is that every 150 tons of CO2 emissions will result in a climate change related death Links to an external site.. Of course, any estimate like this is going to be very rough with lots of assumptions. The actual figure may be higher (but, hey, it may also be lower). Either way, 150 tons gives you a measurable challenge. How many deaths can your innovation prevent? Together, how many deaths can we prevent? Let this be your motivation as you develop your innovations.
$ Funding $
While most of the value provided by this course is in the content, I also have some funding to support your projects as you develop them. So, if there is something you need to buy for your project, please let me know. Of course no guarantees, but in the past I have been able to pay for things such as a solar oven, an infrared camera for energy audits, and travel to speak with experts working on similar projects. Also, at least one project from this course (as voted on by participants) will receive up to $5,000 to continue their project work. You may try to develop a project that requires very little start-up funding, or a project that requires lots of funding. Either type of project is eligible for the $5,000 in seed funding. If your project has a large budget, you can use the seed funding to prepare proposals for larger sources of funding.
Welcome to the course, I'm glad you're here! ~ Leidy Klotz
GET STARTED: Visit the Course Information to read outcomes, objectives and more details about course activities.
NEW TO NETWORK? If this is your first course in Canvas Network, go to Canvas Student Orientation to learn how to configure Canvas to meet your needs and set up your student profile page.
COURSE MATERIALS AND ACTIVITIES: Below, and in the Modules, you can access the course materials that are available just for you. Additional conversation will be on Twitter using #150tons.
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|
| Mon Sep 30, 2013 | Quiz How does education influence your creativity? | due by 9:59pm |
| Assignment Innovation project overview & project archive | due by 9:59pm | |
| Discussion Topic What do you want to take away from this course? | due by 9:59pm | |
| Discussion Topic Who are your partners in this project? | due by 9:59pm | |
| Discussion Topic Your element | due by 9:59pm | |
| Discussion Topic Dreamer, realist, critic | due by 9:59pm | |
| Mon Oct 7, 2013 | Discussion Topic Asking the 5 why's | due by 9:59pm |
| Discussion Topic Biomimicry and your innovation | due by 9:59pm | |
| Quiz How can termites in Africa help you innovate? | due by 9:59pm | |
| Quiz Systems thinking sounds great, but how do you actually do it? | due by 9:59pm | |
| Discussion Topic What is your big idea? | due by 9:59pm | |
| Mon Oct 14, 2013 | Quiz I like, I wish, what if? | due by 9:59pm |
| Discussion Topic Top 10 tasks | due by 9:59pm | |
| Quiz Work together, or just do it yourself? | due by 9:59pm | |
| Mon Oct 21, 2013 | Discussion Topic Choice architecture for your project | due by 9:59pm |
| Quiz Is there free money for your project? | due by 9:59pm | |
| Discussion Topic Policies impacting you | due by 9:59pm | |
| Quiz Why are Austrians more likely to donate their organs? | due by 9:59pm | |
| Mon Oct 28, 2013 | Discussion Topic Business model | due by 9:59pm |
| Discussion Topic How many deaths will you prevent? | due by 9:59pm | |
| Discussion Topic Project advisor | due by 9:59pm | |
| Discussion Topic Your customers | due by 9:59pm | |
| Mon Nov 4, 2013 | Discussion Topic Prototyping | due by 9:59pm |
| Discussion Topic Supporting your project | due by 9:59pm | |
| Discussion Topic Video | due by 9:59pm | |
| Mon Nov 11, 2013 | Discussion Topic Feedback | due by 9:59pm |
| Discussion Topic Overcoming barriers to change for your project | due by 9:59pm | |
| Discussion Topic Subtract something from your project | due by 9:59pm | |
| Quiz What's missing from your innovation? | due by 9:59pm | |
| Quiz Why should you imagine your customers as elephants? | due by 9:59pm | |
| Mon Nov 18, 2013 | Quiz Numbers: Would you work 7 weeks for free to prevent a depression? | due by 9:59pm |
| Quiz Stories: Can mixing diet soda and pop rocks kill you? | due by 9:59pm | |
| Discussion Topic The SUCCESs framework | due by 9:59pm | |
| Discussion Topic Why is your idea worth funding? | due by 9:59pm | |
| Discussion Topic Your gripping statistic | due by 9:59pm | |
| Mon Nov 25, 2013 | Discussion Topic Voting - First Penguin & funded project | due by 9:59pm |
| Discussion Topic Your 150 Tons Hero's Journey | due by 9:59pm | |
| Discussion Topic Video Journals |
This course content is offered under a CC Attribution Non-Commercial
Links to an external site. license. Content in this course can be considered under this license unless otherwise noted.