The Center for Sustainable Energy (ND Energy) at the University of Notre Dame has announced the 16th annual Notre Dame Energy Week Plus from September 11 through September 22, offering a broad range of events for the Notre Dame and surrounding communities to raise awareness about grand challenges in energy.
Some events are exclusively for the Notre Dame community and include activities about food waste and how it converts to energy, exploration of and discussions with alumni on relevant career opportunities for students, and guided tours of local facilities to show sustainable energy solutions in action for students, faculty and staff. Other events include virtual and in-person presentations on topics regarding urban climate change mitigation strategies, carbon capture, and Notre Dame’s sustainability goals, which are free and open to the general public. A complete schedule of events can be viewed at Energy Week 2022.
“We are delighted to offer more than a week’s worth of learning opportunities for students, faculty and staff, and the broader community to increase their understanding of energy production and use, and how energy storage and distribution can help mitigate climate change and improve socioeconomic conditions worldwide,” said Peter C. Burns, the Henry J. Massman Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences and director of ND Energy.
In 2021, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Monthly Energy Review (April 2022), energy consumption in the U.S. totaled 97.33 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu) using energy sources of petroleum (36%), natural gas (32%), renewable energy (12%), coal (11%), and nuclear electric power (8%). The chart here shows the energy consumption by source and end-use sector, demonstrating where additional resources may be needed to fully transition to a clean and sustainable energy future.
This topic is central to other discussions during Energy Week Plus, which also support the University’s sustainability goals and Catholic mission to care for our common home. “We all have a critical role to play in reducing carbon emissions and mitigating climate change,” said Burns. “We continue to experience extreme weather conditions without much warning and the devastation from natural disasters still wreak havoc on our energy infrastructures and systems. Because these are tragedies that affect us all, we need to do whatever we can to ensure the future health, safety, and habitability of our planet.”
There is no better time than now to start learning about energy and the role it plays in mitigating climate change. Attending events during Energy Week Plus will contribute to the educational process and help to develop solutions that will sustain our planet for generations to come.
A snapshot of events is below. All times are in Eastern Time.
- Sunday, September 11 - Monday, September 12, 12-12 p.m, Virtual Film Screening of Wasted! The Story of Food Waste for the Notre Dame community
- Monday, September 12, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Notre Dame Sustainability Expo – exploration of career development opportunities for students
- Tuesday, September 13, 4:30-8:30 p.m., Weigh the Waste Night in North Dining Hall for students
- Wednesday, September 14, 12:30-1:30 p.m., Notre Dame Power Plant Tour for the Notre Dame community; 3:30-4:30 p.m., Crossroads Solar Tour for the Notre Dame community; and 4:30-8:30 p.m., Weigh the Waste Night in South Dining Hall for students
- Thursday, September 15, 12:30-1:30 p.m., Notre Dame Power Plant Tour for the Notre Dame community; 5-6 p.m., The Energy Career Path of an Economics Major (and Energy Studies and Theology Minors) by Kylie Minor ('19) for students; and 6:30-8 p.m., One Ball, One World: Football Under the Climate Microscope for students
- Friday, September 16, 3-4 p.m., Careers in Renewable Energy by Bill Jordan ('85), Luke Lewandowski ('00), and John Moran ('95) for students
- Saturday, September 17, 2:30 p.m., Notre Dame vs. California, “What Would You Fight For?” during halftime, showcasing the scholarly achievements of students and faculty in their fight for renewable energy for all Irish fans!
- Monday, September 19, 8-9 p.m., Virtual, Architecture and Climate Change: Grand Visions in Urban Planning by Dou Zhang, Krupali Uplekar Krusche, and moderated by John Onyango for the Notre Dame community and the general public
- Tuesday, September 20, 7-8 p.m., From Carbon Capture to Artificial Food: The Complexities of Future Choices by Casey O'Brien, Jennifer Tank, Paul Winters, and moderated by Peter C. Burns for the Notre Dame community and the general public
- Wednesday, September 21, 7-8 p.m., Notre Dame’s Commitment to Carbon Neutrality by Paul Kempf for the Notre Dame community and the general public
- Thursday, September 22, 3:30-4:30 p.m., Notre Dame Turbomachinery Laboratory Tour for the Notre Dame community
For questions or more information about Energy Week Plus, please contact Anne Berges Pillai, Education and Outreach Associate Program Director at ND Energy.
About ND Energy
ND Energy is a University Center whose mission is to build a better world by creating new energy technologies and systems and educating individuals to help solve the most critical energy challenges facing the world today. For more information, please visit the ND Energy website at energy.nd.edu or contact Barbara Villarosa, Business and Communications Program Director, at villarosa.2@nd.edu or 574-631-4776.