On teaching the transformation of our energy system

We are in the midst of a profound transformation of our energy system that will have deep repercussions into our societies through the changes to how we generate, distribute, handle and use energy. Many disciplines contribute to this transformation, especially engineering, economics and law. Graduates from these disciplines are now often educated in a disciplinary only perspective into this transformation, missing the complexity and wickedness of the underlying problems and lacking basic earth literacy to understand feedbacks between the earth and the energy system. This essay introduces the demands on any future energy system that will enable long term technical civilisations in the earth system. Based on this it provides a short overview of major qualities that a best case future energy system might have. It becomes apparent that a more interdisciplinary approach to teaching/learning will be needed to provide young people with all the necessary skills to participate and enable the transformation from today’s unsustainable and endangering fossil system to this future. These competences are identified and placed in a network that creates a sound base for energy literacy, earth literacy, transformation skills and connecting values, thus expanding beyond the disciplinary knowledge for this transformation. All these competences are deemed necessary for enabling young people and us in our society to create a good future. It is presented as a best case vision for the transformation of modules and especially study programmes. Weather and climate sciences will have a strong supporting role for achieving earth literacy. This earth literacy should become a central anchor for the other strands of transformative ability, for value systems and the orientation of the purpose of disciplinary competence.