Energy Policy Presentations

The year is 2020. You work for the United States Department of Energy and the president has asked you to create a presentation to give to Congress on what our future energy policy should be.

Your 4 team members are:

Team Leader/Manager (keeps team on track)

Research Coordinator  (finds info and checks facts)

Graphic Designer (ensures clear and persuasive visuals)

Lead Writer (creates persuasive and professional text)

You must explain the following:

1. Why we need a coherent energy policy.

(consider energy needs, population growth, pollution, the economy, climate change)

2. What our energy future should look like to best meet our needs

(consider short-term and long-terms needs of people and the planet.)

3. What 4 sources of energy should we most rely upon? List a percentage for each and explain why.

4. Summarize your points clearly so very busy members of congress will remember your main points.

******************

Your overall presentation will be graded for persuasiveness and scientific accuracy (10 points)

You must create two visual aids and do a 7 minute presentation.

You must create a PowerPoint (at least 8 slides, but no more than 12) AND a one page handout with your main points on it. (10 points each)

Each person must present at least two slides and will be graded for presentation skills. (eye contact, clearly understanding the material, not reading from notes or slides, speaking loudly and clearly) (10 points)

Save your work often. E-mail your rough drafts to me ( ptdworkin-cantor@gmail.com) AND to all your team members at the end of the period. You will have to work on it outside of class and in class today.

Presentations will be on Thursday, April 26^th at 9:00 SHARP! 

Everything's Cool - Politics of Climate Change

Watch the documentary "Everything's Cool" which is available on Netflix  http://movies.netflix.com/WiPlayer?movieid=70059382
and may be available on YouTube or other sites.

Read the New York Times Movie Review of it which can be found at http://movies.nytimes.com/2007/11/23/movies/23cool.html

Visit
http://www.everythingscool.org/ the website from the film.

and then...

Answer the "EVERYTHING’S COOL" questions – Answer on a separate sheet. Please copy the questions and use full sentences that make sense. Please proofread for clarity – make sure your ideas come through.

1. What is the filmmaker’s point of view? (In other words, what is his position on climate change AND on the way politics is related to it?)

2. Do you think they have presented convincing evidence for the argument they are making? Give one or more examples from the film to support your opinion.

3. As a society, we make decisions through the political process. Do you think science is being considered fairly in the political process? Explain one way you believe the political process could be improved so science could be used better in decision making.

4. What are your overall reactions to this film? Explain at least two things you learned from it. 

Our Ecological Footprint

The following link will take you to a website at which you can calculate your own ecological footprint.  

http://files.earthday.net/footprint/flash.html

Follow the steps below and answer the questions as you work. 

1. Go to the site and select the United States as your location. Why do you think the site gives you different choices of countries and continents? Do you think ecological footprints the same or different in different locations?

2.  Before you begin, predict how many planets it takes to support your lifestyle.

3. When you get started you don’t have to put in your e-mail… just get started. You will have a choice between “Basic Information” and “Detailed Information.” Please select detailed information so you can get an idea of all the factors that go into your footprint.

4. Why do you think the types of meat and dairy foods you eat are important to your footprint?

5. You may not know where your food comes from… If you grow a garden or buy food at a farmers market, it is grown nearby. If you eat fruits and veggies in the winter in Chicago, that produce must have been grown far away. Why do you think the distance your food travels is important to your footprint?

6. Click on the different types of housing to see which is closest to the building in which you live. Why does the type of house or apartment you live in matter? 

7. Would having more people living in your household make your footprint bigger or smaller? Why?  

8. Here in Chicago, most of our energy does NOT come from renewable resources. Our homes are mostly heated with natural gas and our electricity comes mostly from burning coal and nuclear plants. Unless you have solar panels on your home or a wind turbine in your yard you use 0% renewable energy. Just estimate as well as you can when it asks you about how much your household spends on gas and electricity.

9. When you are answering questions about travel, keep in mind that it is about one mile between Armitage and Diversy or between Cicero and Pulaski. Big main streets in Chicago are about a mile apart. A typical large SUV gets about 13 miles per gallon (MPG) and a  small car such as a Honda Civic gets about 20 MPG. A hybrid Prius can get about 40 MPG.

10. Summarize your ecological footprint:

How many Earths?_____ How many acres? _____ Tons of carbon dioxide?_____

Roll over the pie chart to get % for Food ____ Shelter _____ Mobility _____ Goods ____ Services ______

Which 2 areas do you have the most control over? _____________________________________________

11. Explore the site for a few minutes and write about some actions you can take to reduce your footprint.  What is one action you are ready to take?

12. Please comment on your footprint in the comments section of this post.  Was your footprint more or less than you expected? What was most interesting about the questions on the quiz? What was most interesting or surprising about your results?  What changes do you think you will make? Please describe the experience of finding your environmental footprint. Sign your comment with your first name and last initial to get credit.

You can learn more about how the Ecological Footprint idea got started by watching all or part of the movie at the following link. 

http://www.epa.vic.gov.au/ecologicalfootprint/about/documentarydvd.asp

Human Population

By the numbers  from http://www.poodwaddle.com/clocks/worldclock/ :



Poodwaddle.com


Click the link below to check out a great animation about human population growth and why it's happening so fast.
http://www.ined.fr/jeux.php?_movie=/flash/popu2/EN/INED_ANIM.swf&titre=How%20will%20the%20world%20population%20change%20in%20the%20future?&lg=en