1) Research one source of energy from the list below and prepare to defend its merits to your classmates in one of the following ways:

Transcription

1 Generl Energy Project Reference e 2 energy episodes: Hrvesting the Wind Pving the Wy Growing Energy Energy for Developing World Col/Nucler: Problem or Solution? 1) Reserch one source of energy from the list below nd prepre to defend its merits to your clssmtes in one of the following wys: 1) Crete presenttion to sell this form of energy. 1b) Prepre for clssroom debte where you will hve to defend your form of energy. 1c) Mke commercil (TV or rdio) or n dvertisement to sell your form of energy. 2) You my choose from this list or find your own. Col energy Wtch e 2 energy episode Col & Nucler: Problem or Solution? Nucler energy (pebble bed rector) Wtch e 2 energy episode Col & Nucler: Problem or Solution? Oil (for trnsporttion) Wtch e 2 energy episode Evolution of the Automobile Wind energy Wtch e 2 energy episode Hrvesting the Wind Solr energy Wtch e 2 energy episode Energy for Developing World Hydrogen energy (for trnsporttion) Wtch e 2 energy episode Evolution of the Automobile Ethnol energy (for trnsporttion) Wtch e 2 energy episode Growing Energy Biomss energy Wtch e 2 energy episode Energy for Developing World 3) Some helpful hints for your project: Look into: - The costs initil vs. long-term

2 - Environmentl effects short-term vs. long-term. Does it emit greenhouse gses? Pollutnts? - Accessibility - How much is there? Is it esy to get? Is it renewble? - Timeline for strting production Is it vilble now? When will it be? Mke pros nd cons list. You cn t defend your energy source if you don t know wht the cons re. Listen to your opponent, tke notes, refer to his/her sttements in your response. Wht do the experts sy? Find quotes nd sttistics. Be sure to get few sources to void bised informtion. Use visul ids, chrts, grphs, videos, etc. 4) Shre your work with your peers nd community. Videotpe your presenttion, commercil or debte. Post it on techertube.com nd/or schooltube.com! Online Resources/Links: Ntionl Resources Defense Council - Cliforni Energy Commission - Environmentl Defense

3 e 2 energy Energy for Developing World Bckground Essy Since 1976 Muhmmd Yunus hs been dedicted to fighting poverty nd empowering women in Bngldesh nd the world over. After erning his Ph.D. in Economics from Vnderbilt University in 1969 nd working for few yers in the United Sttes, he returned to Bngldesh to ccept chir in economics t the University of Chittgong in He ws shocked by the poverty nd fmine in his home country nd decided tht economic theories lone were not going to pull the people of Bngldesh out of poverty. But wht would? He recognized tht becuse mny people were too poor to qulify for trditionl bnk lons, they were not being given the opportunity to improve their own economic sitution. He decided tht he would give them tht opportunity nd in doing so invented the concept of micro-credit. He strted by giving smll lon of 27 dollrs to group of crftsmen to help them grow their business. After severl yers, severl lons nd ner-perfect repyment rte, he decided to mke it officil nd founded Grmeen Bnk in Since then, micro-credit hs spred to severl countries nd hs pulled countless people out of desperte poverty. Not only hs he creted bnk tht is selffinncing, mkes profit nd hs lmost 7 million borrowers, but over 95% of those borrowers re women. In this wy, he hs empowered women to strt their own businesses in countries with trditionlly repressive socil nd economic conditions for women. In 2006 Muhmmd Yunus nd Grmeen Bnk were wrded the Nobel Pece Prize for their work towrds creting economic nd socil development from the bottom up. But Muhmmd Yunus did not stop with micro-credit. He hs since recognized the importnce of energy s fctor in economic growth for the poor people of Bngldesh. With over 100 million people without ccess to electricity, rurl Bngldeshis re literlly energy-strved. The few who do hve ccess to energy use kupi or hurricne lmps fueled by kerosene, the fumes from which present significnt helth hzrds. Since 1996, Muhmmd Yunus strted Grmeen Shkti, not-for-profit compny, to promote, develop nd populrize renewble energy technologies in remote res of Bngldesh. By focusing on solr, biogs nd other forms of renewble energy, Grmeen Shkti sees future where rurl households of Bngldesh will hve ccess to environmentlly friendly nd pollution-free energy t ffordble costs. Muhmmd Yunus long-term vision is to eliminte poverty in the world. Whether it s through micro-credit or renewble energy, he continues to find new wys to empower poor people, giving them the opportunities they need to improve their own situtions.

4 For more informtion bout Muhmmd Yunus nd the Grmeen Fmily of Enterprises, visit or To find out more bout renewble energy, visit or To find out more bout the Nobel Pece Prize nd Muhmmd Yunus, visit

5 e 2 energy Energy for Developing World PRE-VIEWING QUESTIONS 1. Wht is micro-credit? Wht re the benefits nd chllenges? 2. How is the importnce of energy fctor in economic growth? 3. Wht re some renewble, lterntive forms of energy to crete electricity nd het? POST-VIEWING QUESTIONS 1. Wht is the problem with using kerosene to fuel lmps? Wht re the lterntives for Bngldeshis? 2. How did ccess to renewble energy help the economic growth of the poorer communities of Bngldesh? 3. The United Ntions stted tht sustinble development implies meeting the needs of the present without compromising the bility of future genertions to meet their own needs. Given this definition do you think the progrms of Grmeen Bnk nd Grmeen Shkti (the non-profit orgniztion) re promoting sustinble development? Why or why not? Use specific exmples.

6 e 2 energy Pving the Wy Bckground Essy The lrgest shre of oil consumed in the United Sttes nerly 70% -- is used by trnsporttion. In Americ lone in 2007 crs will burn through 143 billion gllons of gsoline nd, t current retil prices, fueling up will cost Americns up to $360 billion yer. Crs re not just n Americn problem; they re lso globl one tht s only likely to grow. Currently there re 850 million crs nd trucks trveling on the erth s highwys nd it s projected tht by 2020 the globl number of utomobiles is going to grow to bout 1.1 billion. If you took those crs, prked them end-to-end nd wrpped them round the erth, they would go round it 125 times. Becuse it is unlikely tht the demnd for utomobiles will decrese, we need to find wys to mke them more efficient nd find lterntives to gsoline. Rising oil prices, hiking globl tempertures cused by the emission of greenhouse gses, nd growing conflict in the Middle Est re three of the min problems cused, in prt, by the world s ddiction to utomobiles. While crpooling, relying on public trnsporttion or simply driving less nd wlking more could help to solve these problems, they won t tke us fr enough. In order to slow the negtive effects of the trnsporttion industry, we need to design with the future in mind; we need to design ourselves out of oil dependence. In this episode, Generl Motors unveils The Volt, super-hybrid vehicle nd the fuel cellpowered Sequel, while technology firm Fiberforge shows off the ltest in ultr-lightweight mterils for cr mnufcturing. These re only few of the dvnced technologies being developed for the future of the utomobile industry. Which solution or solutions will emerge s the most cost-efficient, energy-efficient nd ultimtely the most populr crs of the future? For more informtion bout the GM Volt, visit For more informtion bout the GM Sequel, visit For more informtion bout FiberForge, visit

7 e 2 energy Pving the Wy PRE-VIEWING QUESTIONS 1. Wht types of energy currently power crs? Wht types of energy show promise for powering crs in the future? 2. Wht re the chllenges of fueling crs on gsoline, both from n environmentl nd politicl perspective? 3. Wht percentge of the gsoline in cr do you think is used to move it forwrd? 4. It is often sid tht people love their crs. Wht do crs represent in our society? How dependent re you, your fmily nd your city/town on utomobiles? Do you use other forms of trnsporttion? POST-VIEWING QUESTIONS 1. Wht is hybrid vehicle nd how does it function? Wht re the positive spects of owning one? Negtive spects? 2. Wht problems do we currently fce due to our society s dependence on oil? Are there benefits behind our current system? 3. How could using lightweight mterils to mnufcture crs help the environment? 4. Why wouldn t every cr mnufcturer wnt to use lightweight mterils right now? Wht re some of the risks with being the first compny to use new technology? Wht re some of the benefits of being the first?

8 e 2 energy Growing Energy Bckground Essy During the oil crisis of the 1970s, Brzil recognized the vulnerbility of its economy, becuse of its dependence on foreign energy sources. Since tht time the country hs implemented n ethnol industry tht is thriving on ll levels, from production, to distribution t gs sttions, to ntionwide doption of flex-fuel crs. Chnging the entire utomobile industry wsn t esy, but through consistent policies nd dediction to building n infrstructure, Brzil ws ble to emerge s n energy independent country with thriving flex-fuel utomotive industry. Becuse of Brzil s tropicl climte, lrge expnses of lnd, nd n lredy estblished sugr-cne industry, it ws ble to use sugr cne to produce ethnol fuel without creting shortge of sugr cne for other uses. In the erly eighties, the public ws buying ethnol crs, gs sttions were providing ethnol fuel, nd the industry seemed to be responding well to the country s energy needs. But in the lte eighties the ethnol industry nerly perished when oil prices dropped significntly, leving owners of ethnol crs with higher fuel prices nd no choice but to py them. Ethnol fuel production dropped, resulting in shortges nd forcing consumers to think twice before buying ethnol crs. However, Brzil s policies, rnging from tx incentives to mndtes for government vehicles, continued to encourge the estblishment of vibrnt ethnol industry nd the mrket responded. Recognizing tht consumers didn t wnt to be limited to one fuel choice when they purchsed cr, Volkswgen ws the first compny to introduce flex fuel cr tht would run on gsoline or ethnol. After the introduction of flex fuel crs, consumers felt more comfortble purchsing new crs, nd the ethnol industry ws given second chnce. According to Newsweek, s of July of 2007, flex fuel crs mke up more thn 80% of new cr sles in Brzil. Strong federl policies, infrstructure, mnufcturing, nd consumer cceptnce were the keys to longevity tht led to the remrkble success of Brzil s ethnol industry. Wht cn the United Sttes lern from this model? For more informtion bout Flexible Fuel Vehicles, visit

9 e 2 energy Growing Energy PRE-VIEWING QUESTIONS 1. Wht do you know bout ethnol? Where does it come from nd wht is it used for? 2. Where does most of the oil tht we use in the United Sttes come from? Wht problems do we currently fce due to our society s dependence on oil? 3. Why do you think frmers in the United Sttes re sometimes pid to not grow on their lnd? POST-VIEWING QUESTIONS 1. Should the United Sttes consider pursuing ethnol s fuel for crs? Why or why not? 2. Describe the difference between ethnol mde from corn nd ethnol mde from cellulosic sources. Is one preferble to the other? Why or why not? 3. Even though the United Sttes doesn t hve the climte to duplicte how Brzil creted ethnol, cn the United Sttes gin knowledge from the success tht Brzil hs hd with ethnol?

10 e 2 energy Hrvesting the Wind Bckground Essy Wind is the fstest growing renewble energy resource in the world. Denmrk, which gets 20% of its electricity from wind, is leding the world right now, but Germny my soon surpss Denmrk in tht regrd. So where does the United Sttes stnd when it comes to wind energy? Right now the United Sttes gets less thn hlf of 1% of its energy from wind, but t the sme time there is enough wind in the United Sttes to provide 1½ times the energy demnd of the country. Shouldn t more communities be utilizing this clen, renewble energy resource? In the Southwest corner of Minnesot, the Bufflo Ridge region, there is productive nd progressive wind industry tht is not only providing clen energy, but lso economic development nd prosperity to the locl community. Often times communities re resistnt to the implementtion of wind frms on their locl lnd becuse of the esthetic effects on the nturl environment. In Minnesot this hsn t been the cse, becuse it s the community itself tht is building nd benefiting from the wind frms. In mny cses, n outsider will enter community with his/her own contrctors, build wind frm nd leve tking most of the finncil benefits with him/her. How cn this model be chnged to ensure tht the locl community not only supports the building of wind frms but lso reps most of the benefits? Dn Juhl, President of the Woodstock Wind Frm, will describe the process by which he lesed lnd to crete wind frm in the Bufflo Ridge region of Minnesot. When the lndowners noticed the profits tht he ws gining with his wind turbines, they enlisted his help nd expertise to build their own. They instlled two wind turbines nd becme the first frmer-owned commercil wind frm in the stte. They certinly weren t the lst. Now other frmers hve joined forces to ber the finncil burden of instlltion together nd within yer recovered their initil investment. The community wind industry hs grown so much in Minnesot in the lst ten yers tht Suzlon Indi s #1 blde mnufcturer hs opened its first U.S. blde mnufcturing fcility in Pipestone, Minnesot in the hert of Bufflo Ridge. The fcility employs over 300 people right now, number tht will surely continue to grow s the current demnd for bldes in Minnesot is greter thn Suzlon cn produce. For more informtion bout community wind, visit For more informtion bout Dn Juhl nd Woodstock Wind Frm, visit For more informtion bout Suzlon, visit

11 e 2 energy Hrvesting the Wind PRE-VIEWING QUESTIONS 1. Wht were some of the economic effects on rurl res fter the Industril Revolution? 2. Wht re the benefits of building business (such s wind frm) loclly versus from outside the community? 3. Wht percentge of the power in the United Sttes do you think comes from wind energy? POST-VIEWING QUESTIONS 1. Wht is community wind frm? How is it different thn ny other wind frm? 2. Dn Juhl sys tht community wind is trifect, wht re the three resons tht he thinks this is true? Do you gree? Why or why not? 3. In wht wys hs the blde mnufcturing fcility benefited the community of Pipestone? 4. If we used ll of the wind energy vilble wht percentge of our energy needs could it power?

12 e 2 energy Col nd Nucler: Problem or Solution? Bckground Essy Energy, one of the most fundmentl prts of our universe, is defined s the bility to do work. We use energy to light our cities, power our vehicles, wrm our homes, nd cook our food, mong mny other uses. There re mny sources of energy, including biomss energy (energy from plnts), fossil fuels (col, oil nd nturl gs), hydropower energy, nucler energy, solr energy nd wind energy. Some energy sources re renewble nd some re not. Fossil fuels, like col, oil nd nturl gs, re hydrocrbon deposits tht were formed mny hundreds of billions of yers go. Fossil fuels cnnot be replced, they re non-renewble source of energy becuse once they re gone, they re gone. A renewble energy source is one tht is so bundnt tht we will never exhust the supply or one tht cn esily be replced. Solr energy is renewble resource becuse the sun provides us with n inexhustible supply of solr energy. Biomss energy, which cn be creted from ded trees, swdust or even livestock mnure, is lso renewble resource becuse it cn esily be replced. When fossil fuels re burned to relese the chemicl energy tht is stored within, crbon dioxide (CO 2 ) s well s other gses re relesed into the tmosphere. Since the onset of the Industril Revolution, the burning of fossil fuels nd deforesttion hve cused the concentrtion of greenhouse gses in our tmosphere to significntly increse. These gses trp het in our tmosphere, which hs led to phenomenon clled globl wrming, term used to describe the verge rise in temperture of the Erth s tmosphere ner the surfce, specificlly in the troposphere. This increse in temperture cn cuse chnges in the Erth s climte ptterns s whole, which hs effects on people s helth s well s the nturl environment. Scientists hve observed some of these effects lredy, such s rising se levels, shrinking glciers nd chnges in the rnge nd distribution of plnts nd nimls. In order to reduce the emission of greenhouse gses, we need to find new wys of creting energy tht don t pollute, while lso trying to updte the old methods. Two such updtes of old methods re col-burning plnts using Crbon Cpture nd Sequestrtion (CCS) nd pebble-bed nucler rectors. If CCS proves to be effective, col could be burned nd used for energy without emitting greenhouse gses. If pebble-bed rectors prove to be s cost effective s Andrew Kdk, Professor of the Prctice, Nucler Engineering t MIT, hopes nucler energy could mke resurgence nd be prt of the solution to the energy problem.

13 Should col-burning plnts using CCS be prt of the solution? Are pebble-bed nucler rectors the nswer? Or should we focus ll of our energy on renewble resources? Lern if the experts re hopeful tht the energy problem cn be solved or pessimistic bout our future energy needs. The find out more bout CCS visit: or To find out more bout Andrew Kdk, visit or To find out more bout Pebble-bed nucler rectors, visit or

14 e 2 energy Col nd Nucler: Problem or Solution? PRE-VIEWING QUESTIONS 1. Wht type of energy do you think pollutes the nturl environment the most? The lest? Why? Are there ny energy sources tht don t pollute the environment t ll? 2. Wht re the mjor contributors to globl wrming? 3. Wht issues hve we hd with nucler energy in the pst? How is nucler energy perceived by the public tody? Why? How might tht chnge? POST-VIEWING QUESTIONS 1. Wht is Crbon Cpture Sequestrtion (CSS)? Could it be solution to our current energy problems? Why? 2. Wht re pebble-bed nucler rectors? 3. Wht re long-term gols in terms of energy production nd CO 2 emissions? 4. How cn the government contribute to helping solve the energy issues in the United Sttes?