Over Fall Break, 13 students traveled to Washington, D.C. to study energy policy as part of the 3rd semester of the Center for Social Concern’s Energy Policy, the Environment, and Social Change seminar. The students met with a full range of policy stakeholders in order to better understand the scientific, environmental, economic, geopolitical, and social implications of current energy technologies.
“The Energy Seminar was an intense, eye-opening trip that taught me a lot about the energy situation and everything being done by Senators, staffers, lobbyists, thinkers, and businesspeople in Washington,” said sophomore architecture major, Jackson Bangs. Senior Philosophy major Elena Brandewie concluded, “there is an enormous opportunity for change if the different stakeholders can work together with a unified vision for future sustainability.”
This experiential learning opportunity allowed students to reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of the technology, policies, and economics in order to improve the state of energy use. “It was a very engaging and enriching experience to learn about how energy policy is made, see what different groups stand for, and share discussions with my amazing peers,” said senior Chemical Engineer Carol Matasci.