Natural Sciences 191CNS10 - FYS-Dam It All: Rivers and Ren

Dams are everywhere. Did you know that our local Connecticut River Watershed has over 1,000 dams? The largest of these dams have powered everything from paper mills to supercomputers, and are celebrated as being a renewable resource. Dams may even appear to be part of the natural landscape. But what is nature? Are our rivers truly renewable? And what do the histories of hydropower teach us about the direction of energy development today? In this course, we will explore the uses of large-scale dams, their environmental impacts, and the role they may play in powering our renewable energy future.

Open to Natural Sciences Freshman with a declared major or on the Natural Sciences Exploratory Track. Freshmen Only