Proposal
Improving Education on Energy
Resources and Environmental Policy
As global economies pump greenhouse gases and other
emissions into the atmosphere, causing a variety of
negative environmental impacts, the supply of non-renewable
fossil fuels that the world relies on for energy is
being rapidly consumed. In order to address this unsustainable
situation, improved education regarding the associated
issues, including climate change is a critical need.
Through expanded education about the environmental,
economic and social impacts of the changing climate,
we will reach a point of literacy at which students
are better able to assess what is being done to counteract
these effects and what more there is to do in the line
of policy and technology. This project explores some
of the methods of teaching climate change issues with
a focus on alternative and renewable energy resources
and the relevant public policy issues. Students will
begin the semester with an exploration of climate change
and other impacts of our energy consumption patterns.
They will explore issues of energy usage and sustainability
for the growing world population, taking into account
the developing market for alternative and renewable
energy. After understanding the technology and capacity
of these systems, students will begin to address the
problems of policy-making for international environmental
regulations. Articles like “The Tragedy of the
Commons,” written by Garrett Hardin provide a
base for thinking about governing that which cannot
be owned such as the atmosphere. Through hands-on module
and project development, like “Fish Banks, Ltd.,”
a role playing game and microcosm for sustainability
created by Dennis L. Meadows, students will learn about
depletion and other issues facing the world’s
shared resources. Students will be asked to think about
their own impact on the environment and by the end of
the semester, students learn to use HOMER, an energy
modeling program designed by the National Renewable
Energy Laboratory, to assess personalized questions
about energy use at home, on campus or in the community.
Through carefully selected readings and current events
we are developing a curriculum that will enable students
to begin to understand and address this multi-dimensional
issue in order to work toward solutions.
Summary
As global economies pump greenhouse gases
and other emissions into the atmosphere, causing a variety
of negative environmental impacts, the supply of non-renewable
fossil fuels that the world relies on for energy is
being rapidly consumed. In order to address this unsustainable
situation, improved education regarding the associated
issues, including climate change is a critical need.
Through expanded education about the environmental,
economic and social impacts of the changing climate,
we will reach a point of literacy at which students
are better able to assess what is being done to counteract
these effects and what more there is to do in the line
of policy and technology. This project explores some
of the methods of teaching climate change issues with
a focus on alternative and renewable energy resources
and the relevant public policy issues. Students will
begin the semester with an exploration of climate change
and other impacts of our energy consumption patterns.
They will explore issues of energy usage and sustainability
for the growing world population, taking into account
the developing market for alternative and renewable
energy. After understanding the technology and capacity
of these systems, students will begin to address the
problems of policy-making for international environmental
regulations. Articles like “The Tragedy of the
Commons,” written by Garrett Hardin provide a
base for thinking about governing that which cannot
be owned such as the atmosphere. Through hands-on module
and project development, like “Fish Banks, Ltd.,”
a role playing game and microcosm for sustainability
created by Dennis L. Meadows, students will learn about
depletion and other issues facing the world’s
shared resources. Students will be asked to think about
their own impact on the environment and by the end of
the semester they will have a better understanding of
the difficulties we will face in the transition to our
renewable energy future. Through carefully selected
readings and current events we are developing a curriculum
that will enable students to begin to understand and
address this multi-dimensional issue in order to work
toward solutions.
Poster
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