Weblog topical areas, NATS1224 What’s a weblog? [link]
updated 7 Feb 2005 for Weblog level 2
Fri noon, 18 Feb: Topic choice and rationale due at portfolio
Fri noon, 25 Feb: 4 pages text plus references plus any graphics due at portfolio
Tues 01 March: reports begin in class
Weblog Level 2 [100 points] choices:
0. Everyone will be asked to address a final question: what can I do about the energy ‘problem’?
1. You, as Energy Secretary, are called on to propose/explain/defend a 10 point national energy strategy for energy “independence” by 2015… [Address the question: is energy independence achievable?] 2 or 3 person teams allowable on this one, but your grade will sink or swim together
2. Explore the work of any of the many national or international environmental research institutes, and/or environmental policy institutes.
3. Address the questions: What do we need all this energy for? How is it being used, quantitatively?
4. The politics:
In depth examination of aspects
of proposed national energy legislation--
http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/energy/
http://energy.senate.gov/
http://www.eedaily.com/web_landing/sr_eb108_G.htm
http://www.aceee.org/energy/nrglegistatus.htm
http://www.smallplanetinstitute.org/
and many more interest group web sites [be sure to discover/report who backs these]
5. In some cases, taking your Weblog 1 to the next level may be approved, but an extra special rationale will need to be provided. Contact me early if that’s your plan.
6. More ideas:
- how is energy presented in pre-college textbooks, that shapes ideas and opinion of youth?
- how do foreign media portray energy and environment issues?
- some key energy uses are Refrigeration, Lighting: what is their environmental impact?
- exactly how was the $1.2Billion spent that Bush pledged in 2001 for hydrogen power research? Return?
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TOPICS FROM WEBLOG LEVEL 1 – no longer available, off the table
-Arctic National Wildlife Refuge [ANWR]: preserve or drill for oil?
-Evidence for/against climate change and global warming [example: www.sepp.org]
-Ozone – monitoring, depletion, holes, forecasts
What is sustainable? [example:
What is the carrying capacity of Earth in terms of human population?
The energy options/investment opportunities:
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Energy source |
Design options & current use |
Productivity vs Resource Depletion |
Waste issues; EnviroImpacts; NIMBY |
Pricing & Investment Opportunities |
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Coal |
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Greenhouse gases, fly ash, black lung, mine accidents |
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Oil |
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Greenhouse gases |
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Natural gas |
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Greenhouse gases |
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Nuclear -commercial -military [subs] |
Light vs heavy water reactors; pebble bed; helium cooled; fusion? |
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Waste shipment, storage, … |
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Hydrogen |
Fuel cells; High temp. electrolysis |
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Production |
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Hydro |
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Fish impacts |
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Solar voltaics |
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Production toxins |
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Wind |
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Bird impacts |
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Wave/tidal |
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-biomass: -biodiesel.org methanol/ethanol -etc. |
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Storage devices -batteries |
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Conservation! |
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The economics:
-Should the
-Note: Russians approved
-What about the methyl bormide
loophole in the
-Cost/benefit analysis of Colorado Amendment 37 [www.cres-energy.org]
-Note: Requires the state’s largest utilities to obtain 10% of their electricity from renewable energy resources by 2015, & establishes a standard method (net metering) for homeowners and ranchers with small photovoltaic (PV) systems to connect to the power grid.
The politics:
Aspects of
proposed national energy legislation--
http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/energy/
http://energy.senate.gov/
http://www.eedaily.com/web_landing/sr_eb108_G.htm
http://www.aceee.org/energy/nrglegistatus.htm
http://www.smallplanetinstitute.org/
http://www.thetablet.co.uk/cgi-bin/archive_db.cgi/tablet-00946
& many others including international approaches
Screen saver/extra credit activities:
http://www.physics2005.org/events/einsteinathome/index.html