Energy Geotechnology Dr.J.Carlos Santamarina Octover 22, 2025. 1:30-2:30 PM
This presentation focused on the point that we still need energy as a society, but we need to find other sources of energy that aren't fossil fuels. Dr. Santamarina presents what might be options as a replacement for the source of energy. He first proposes the strategy of limiting our carbon use, although he explains that that's simply not possible at this point. Every system that tries to limit its carbon use doesn't take into account the entire carbon cycle production. The first power systems he proposed are the renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, and hydro. Although we still don't have the battery technology to store this energy efficiently. Another source he brought up was nuclear fusion, although it is really expensive and is still being researched now. He goes through many more techniques, alongside their flaws and consequences. Ending that there's not a particular way or energy source that can replace fossil fuels completely. He doesn't go into detail about what he thinks the answer is at the end, like I assumed. Although to me it felt like he was implying that we need to use a multitude of these techniques to balance out each other's flaws. He also mentioned the importance of tackling inequality and pushing for further education for women. Trying to get people to focus on society as a whole and not just one solution or technique to solve climate change.
I did find his presentation really interesting, especially when he introduced the new techniques for energy sources that I didn't know about. Although I did find his presentation a little negative, I understand the topic isn't a very wholesome thing to talk about, but I don't agree that the situation is hopeless. The main thing he targeted was the carbon-neutral goal by 2050, which he says is just mathematically impossible. Calculating the carbon we're using now, and even if we try to limit it to our bare needs, we still wouldn't be carbon neutral. So starting off the presentation like that made me think that this was going to be a direct type of presentation introducing research. Which he does talk about since it is very useful and a potential way to gather energy more efficiently. Although the presentation as a whole wasn't like that, it surprised me in the middle, but he introduced the carbon circle and lifetime of everything. He talked about how you should really focus on how something got to be and include that in its carbon emissions. For example, you may try to just eat vegetables, which is better for keeping emissions low, although you should still count the labor that went into growing them, the transportation, and the carbon coming from that as well as you getting the vegetables. So it's important to know the entire circle that the carbon footprint is coming from. I thought that was a very good message and thought process to have for the present time.