Energy and the Election: Fall DEC Energy Seminar Series

While often "invisible" in our daily lives, energy intersects with nearly every aspect of human experience, from health to wealth to the environment. As American voters cast their ballots in the November elections, the pandemic, the economy, and the climate will be among the issues at the forefront of their minds. 

This fall, the Dartmouth Energy Collaborative (comprising the Irving Institute, the Revers Center for Energy at Tuck, the Thayer School of Engineering, and the Dartmouth Sustainability Office) is hosting speakers who explore energy-related issues that are impacting – and will be impacted by — the election. 

From the ways in which energy and climate are covered in the media to the social and racial justice implications of energy sourcing and infrastructure to the ways in which the clean energy transition is helping to mobilize a new generation of voters, this term's series brings a range of experts and practitioners to look at how energy shapes the political landscape.

The series kicked off with NHPR energy and climate reporter Annie Ropeik, who shared her insights into the ways journalism has changed its approach to talking about climate change, the evolution of this topic as a campaign issue, and the specifics of how this issue is shaping the New Hampshire gubernatorial race. 

The second speaker, Wändi Bruine de Bruin, a professor of behavioral science and lead of a National Science Foundation study on improving predictions of election polls, shared results from her ongoing research about how scientific communications about energy and climate can be most effective in helping citizens understand the issues. 

The third speaker in the series, Jennie Stephens, a professor at Northeastern University, is slated to give an October 13 talk called "Diversifying Power: Why We Need Antiracist, Feminist Leadership on Climate and Energy," which will examine the need for more inclusive leadership in the energy sector. 

The series wraps up on October 27 with UCSB professor Leah Stokes, who will focus on the ways that special interest groups have hindered progress on the development of energy policies that could lead to a more sustainable and just energy future for all.

DEC Energy Seminars take place online during fall 2020 and are free and open to all. Learn more, view recordings of previous talks, and register at dartgo.org/EnergySeminars.