Course description
Students in this course learn how to analyze emerging innovative technologies and practices comprehensively, how to assess their climate change and health impacts, recommendations to facilitate their implementation, and how to use green and social financial instruments to foster equitable social development while decreasing community vulnerabilities and increasing climate change resilience. Among some of the technologies and practices analyzed are advanced low-energy desalination systems, rainwater traps, advanced sustainable aquaculture systems, sustainable irrigation and soil reforming for sustainable agriculture, techniques to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in meat and protein production, biodegradable solar systems, bladeless wind generation technologies, microalgae farming for food and fuels, biodegradable plastics manufacturing, plasma gasification of agricultural and municipal waste for electricity generation, carbon capture and sequestration technologies in power plants, lithium extraction from fossil saltwater in fracking operations, advanced hydrogen production systems using renewable energies, and advanced electric vehicles and geoengineering technologies. Students also assess community vulnerabilities and recommend risk reduction technologies and practices to increase resilience. Additionally, students learn how to monetize health, environmental, and social benefits for each technology or sustainable practice to use municipal bonds, green financing mechanisms from banks, carbon offset exchanges, and some government grants to fund their implementation in the community.
