Università Roma Tre

The course covers the discovery and exploitation of various sources of energy; it also provides a short analysis of the ancient, medieval and modern era, with a focus on the contemporary age. Steam, electricity, gas, oil, nuclear and renewable sources will be further considered by analyzing the cultural, scientific and technological achievements which have been reached in the 19th century. The climax of the analysis is to show how different sources responded effectively to the need of greater efficiency, representing a significant progress in economics and increasing the possibilities to create new technologies. This process has been causing environmental changes and a more and more radical exploitation of the nature, until the dramatic need of a new environmental policy in the late 20th century.