An undergraduate course on critical minerals and environmental justice

Keywords: Energy sovereignty, environmental justice, critical minerals, convergence research
Session Type: Virtual Poster Abstract
Day: Friday
Session Start / End Time: 2/25/2022 03:40 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/25/2022 05:00 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 73

Abstract

A zero-carbon future could be mineral-intensive, with projected demand increases of 500% for some of the minerals required for renewable energy and energy storage. Our research brings together a multidisciplinary team from Fort Lewis College and Colorado School of Mines to investigate environmentally and socially responsible, economically viable critical mineral supply. The central concept of this research presents an outstanding learning opportunity for undergraduate students. We will bring students from Fort Lewis College and Colorado School of Mines together for a collaborative learning experience that traverses the solar supply chain and allows students to integrate environmental justice with solar energy production in a weeklong summer field-based course. The course will emphasize an introduction to critical minerals for a carbon-neutral future, social justice, environmental sustainability, diversity, decolonization, and real-life examples of the solar commodity chain. An explicit goal of the course is to engage underrepresented students in complex problem-solving at the environmental-social-economic nexus. Since nearly half of the students at FLC are Native American or Alaska Native, many have personally experienced contradictory impacts from mining, seeing the jobs created by the industry alongside the detrimental effects of mining to environment and culture. Students with these lived experiences are uniquely poised to lead the extractive sector in a new direction during the energy transition. This poster presentation will focus on learning objectives and pedagogical tools for the summer 2022 field course. This research is funded by National Science Foundation Growing Convergence Research (Grant no. 2120722).