ENERGY RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION: RESEARCH PAPERS IN INTRODUCTORY COURSES

Global climate change and energy shortages and prices are hot topics. Citizens, including future leaders now in college, should learn as much as possible not only about fossil fuels and alternative energy but also about conservation. In an introductory course students are assigned two topics for research papers. For the one assigned every semester, the choice is “first come, first served” on choosing from 30 topics including bio-fuels, solar, geothermal, nuclear, fossil fuels (the big 3 and others), water, wind, and many more (e.g., hydrogen, cogeneration, fuel cells, insulation). The papers are written, edited, rewritten, emailed to the class listserv, presented orally, and published (one per week) in the local newspaper. All students write on the same topic for the second paper, but the topic changes each semester. For this paper, the students are asked to write a complete environmental analysis, with emphasis on energy, but also consideration of pollution, jobs, ecosystems, etc. Topics include: coal vs. nuclear to get us through the next few decades; plastic vs. paper and other wood products; flying commercially vs. driving a personal vehicle; wine vs. beer, if both are produced in the same place. The research may be followed by discussion and/or debate. Individual students often change their minds, determining that, considering many factors, nuclear is safer than coal, or that plastic sequesters carbon and helps to shorten the oil age. Flying vs. driving depends on flight distance vs. number of people and vehicle gas mileage, but the students still drive to Mardi Gras. Students do not change their drinking habits just because they figure that commercial beer brewing is more energy intensive than wine making.