Including Kyoto in electrical engineering curriculum

The paper describes the response to the changing aspirations of first degree electrical engineering students to learn more about energy questions. It begins by reviewing energy use and carbon emissions, with particular emphasis to electricity consumption. Next, the Kyoto Protocol, which imposes to reduce Canadian greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 6% below 1990 levels by 2008-2012 is described. In the year 2000, Canada´s GHG emissions were 20% above the 1990 reference level. So, the gap between Canada´s Kyoto commitment and our total projected emissions is becoming alarmingly large. It is indicated that Canada can reach its target by using classical energy saving mechanisms, as well as Kyoto implementation mechanisms. It is concluded that the implementation of the new teaching material in electrical engineering education can make students able to obtain further insight in energy questions and induce the promotion of technological options for long term sustained emissions reduction.