Celebrating 10 Wonderful Years of Public Education!

Session 3: Week 5

Monday (Group Project)

Clean Energy

Cars fueled by ethanol made from corn. Electric power produced from woody biomass. Wind and solar energy being used as key alternatives to our reliance on carbon-emitting fossil fuels. These are just a few ways clean energy technologies are making a difference on Earth.

From small, individual-use products to large-scale systems, new innovations are needed to move our planet to a sustainable future. Are you up for the challenge?

The Clean Energy category includes products or ideas that address energy efficiency; energy storage; solar, geothermal and wind energy; biomass fuels; as well as any other renewable energy solutions.

Tuesday (California Energy Crisis)

http://sciencenetlinks.com/lessons/energy-the-us-in-crisis/

Read:http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/blackout/california/s...

Discussion Questions

What are the major factors that caused the crisis?
What are the social impacts of these decisions?
What are the possible economic impacts?
How does politics impact this situation?
What were the decisions made that helped create this situation?
What steps can California take to remedy this crisis?
Do you know of any energy-efficient technologies that can be used to conserve electricity?

Assignment (one page):

You are on a committee that will evaluate the potential of deregulating your community's energy systems. Your job is to make recommendations based on the lessons learned in California. You need to present and justify your recommendation in a clear manner that is easy to understand. Cite reasons and examples in your recommendation. Include recommendations that involve decisions at levels ranging from personal to governmental. Discuss any possible trade-offs.

Wednesday (Develop a Breaking News Story)

A reaction to the California Energy Crisis from one of three perspectives

- Past (1970s): before the crisis

- Present (1990s-2000s): During and immediately after the crisis

- Future (20-30 years in the future): Years down the road

Decide what you think the attitude of the people would be during the crisis and write an article in response to the that during the time zone that you chose.

Thursday (My Carbon Footprint)

http://footprint.stanford.edu/calculate.html

Friday

Complete Carbon Footprint Activity

Once you complete your footprint,use the date to formulate a graph highlighting your individual CO2 emissions and then post to your portfolio