David Holmes
Speaker
David Holmes is a retired Carleton University Librarian and university administrator. In the late 1970’s he worked in the National Research Council’s renewable energy project that was part of the ill-fated National Energy Program. He holds a PhD in photochemistry – the study of chemical reactions induced by light.
He has taught at Carleton as an Adjunct Professor and has presented a version of this course in the Learning in Retirement Program both at Carleton and in Almonte.
Fall 2026 Course: "Getting off Fossil Fuels: The Role of Renewable Energy"
Course Description
The recent Iran war and the subsequent closure of the Strait of Hormuz has brought into focus the need to diversify our energy mix and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. After examining the current world energy mix, this course will look at the current and potential future contributions of renewable energy to the world’s overall energy consumption. We will look at the many reasons to reduce our use of fossil fuels and decarbonize our energy system. We will look at the history, present state and future of: wind energy, solar energy, water power, geothermal power and energy from biomass as well as methods for storing energy from intermittent sources. We will also look briefly at nuclear power as an adjunct to renewable sources.