CMSC 29520/39520, BPRO 29520, ENST 29520, CEGU 29520: Sustainability and Computing
Autumn 2023, TuTh, 1100am-1230pm, Location TBD
Once a darling the computing industry has come under fire in “techlash” brings a spotlight to its negative environmental and societal impacts. We focus on understanding computing’s environmental impact, and productive and substantial (not greenwashing) actions that can be taken to reduce it.
Objective: Expose the students to a sophisticated view of how computing affects the environment, and how it can become more sustainable through action in several dimensions, including technology invention and design, business/ecosystem structure, individual and government action Students will be empower with the intellectual tools to understand and act with insight on these issues in their professional careers.
The course consists of 4-5 modules. Each of these delves into an important area of sustainability that bears on computing. The current plan includes the following modules:
- Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence:
- Fundamentals, Negative Environmental Impact, Mushrooming use
- Efficiency and Jevon's Paradox
- Balanced use, Greening Serving
- Carbon footprint of models and data
- Power Grid, Renewable Generators, and Cloud Data Centers
- Power Grid fundamentals (markets, dispatch, integrating distributed generation)
- Renewable Generators and Challenges to Decarbonizing the Power Grid, the myth of the Zero-carbon Grid
- Zero Carbon Cloud
- Adapting loads to Accelerate Decarbonization: Challenges, Datacenter Opportunities
- Lifecycle Analysis and Computing Ecosystems
- Manufacturing, Use, and After-life impacts. Measurement and attribution as a tool for understanding and shaping.
- Circularity in Ecosystem and Economy
- Fast Fashion and Economic Incentives: why do we need new iPhones?
- Profit, services, and luxury good pricing.
- Software and Hardware design for sustainability: responsibilities of technologists and opportunities for impact.
- Software design, deployment, and operation: Opportunities for Sustainability
- Hardware design, manufacturing, and operation: Opportunities for Sustainability
- Datacenter, site selection, design, and operation: Opportunities for Sustainability
The course will be taught by Professor Andrew A Chien, but also feature experts from varied technical areas including
- AI/ML and Cloud ( Ralf Herbrich , Hasso-Plattner Institute)
- Power Grid and Renewables ( Line Roald , Univ Wisconsin-Madison)
- Life-cycle Analsis, and Economics community ( Arman Shehabi , Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory)
- Sanjay Krishnan, University of Chicago
The course is offered as BPRO 29520, CMSC 29520/39520, ENST 29520, CEGU 29520.
Canvas for this course is HERE
Syllabus
Coursework: In-class Discussion, Exercises, Readings, Assignments, and a Project
Students will be expected to keep up with readings and contribute to in-class discussions. There will be several in-class games/exercises.
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