In this lecture, Kristen Averyt from the University of Colorado Boulder gives a lecture on the link between water and energy, also known as the Water-Energy Nexus. Learn about how water can generate power. This video is part of the Water in the Western US project.
Kristen Averyt is the Associate Director for Science at the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at the University of Colorado Boulder. She was formerly the Director of the NOAA-funded Western Water Assessment, also based in Colorado. Kristen received her Ph.D. in Geological and Environmental Sciences from Stanford University. She has earned several awards and honors, including a Fulbright Fellowship to New Zealand (1998), and a NOAA Congressional Fellowship (2005), during which she worked in the US Senate.
Water in the Western US is a free course, “Water in the Western United States,” offered through the platform Coursera, runs for five weeks, accommodates flexible schedules, and requires a total of 15 hours to complete. The course’s five modules are open for learners to complete at any time.
Over a dozen experts in water management, policy, and research contributed to the course to help learners consider the scientific, legal, political, and cultural issues impacting water and climate in the Western United States. Building on this foundational understanding of climate and water in the West, students examine the Colorado River Basin as a case study and conclude the class with a deeper understanding of controversial water issues faced in the American West.
