This quick activity will get you thinking about the energy sources with which you are probably most familiar, but will also get you to think about how those energy sources are connected to the Sun.

Have a look at the Energy Sort Worksheet. Are you familiar with any of these energy sources? For each of these energy sources, think about what, if any, connection there is to energy from the Sun.

Historian Alfred Crosby traces the many developments humans have made in the pursuit of being able to get more done with less effort. Fire allowed humans to cook food and harness more nutrition. Agriculture allowed humans to stay put and tend to plants and animals instead of spending all day foraging for them. The steam engine of the Industrial Revolution was the next quantum leap forward in energy. Crosby maintains that humankind’s “appetite” for energy shows no signs of slowing down, and we are running out of the energy sources that brought us to this moment.

This video will give you an overview of the sources of energy humans used before and after the Industrial Revolution. It will also get you thinking about how one of the biggest challenges facing humankind is how we will find more sources of energy to meet our ever-increasing rate of energy consumption.

Preview

Fuel, in some form, is a universal human need. In his book Children of the Sun, Alfred Crosby explores the human quest for energy, and how our growing appetite for energy is leading us to the edge of conventional energy sources. Virtually all of the energy we use today can be traced back to the Sun, from the food we eat to the wood and coal we burn, to fossil fuels that were once plant and animal matter millions of years ago. Today we use about 115 times as much energy as our ancestors did. As our appetite for energy continues to grow, where will we find energy sources to keep up with our increasing demands?

Key Ideas—Factual

Think about the following questions as you watch the video:

1. How does Stan define energy?
2. What is the ultimate source of most human energy?
3. What were some early energy breakthroughs for humans?
4. Why can we think of wind power as being powered by the Sun?
5. Before they were forms of energy we consume, what were oil, coal, and natural gas?
6. Why was the steam engine one of the most important technologies of the Industrial Revolution?
7. Why was electric light such a big deal?
8. What are some things powered by oil?
9. How does the West generate most of its electricity?
10. Why hasn’t nuclear power caught on yet in the United States?

Thinking Conceptually

In his book Children of the Sun, Alfred Crosby states, “most of us in the richer societies can only recall times of immediate access to abundant energy. That abundance tempts us, successfully, to believe, for instance, that having energy flow down lines from far away and illuminate our rooms when we flip the switch is normal rather than miraculous.” (162)

Does this perspective change the way you think about your energy consumption?

Please click here to watch this video. Note that this will take you off the BHP site.

Although we had possessed the scientific knowledge to create nuclear energy for decades, it didn’t gain support from the public or private companies until the 1970s, when the price of oil surged. As our energy needs grow and fossil fuels dwindle, hundreds of nuclear reactors are operating around the world. But the debate rages on as to whether the benefits of nuclear power outweigh the risks.

This video will give you an overview of the history of nuclear power and an idea of how light water reactors work. You will also learn reasons why nuclear power didn’t gain widespread support until the 1970s, and why it continues to be an unpopular energy choice despite its potential. 

Preview

After World War II, scientists and world leaders were determined to harness the power of the atom bomb to benefit civilization instead of destroy it. So why didn’t nuclear power catch on, and will it ever become a popular energy source?

Key Ideas—Factual

Think about the following questions as you watch the video:

1. Where did the technology for nuclear energy originate?
2. Why didn’t we experience the “Atomic Age” in the United States, as was hoped?
3. What were some motivating factors to continue to research and invest in nuclear power?
4. What reignited interest in nuclear power in the early 1970s?
5. How does a nuclear light water reactor work?
6. What are the drawbacks of the light water reactor?
7. How much of the world’s energy demand is met by nuclear power?

Thinking Conceptually

Do you think the risks of radioactive waste and potential environmental crises are worth the rewards of nuclear power? Make sure you provide evidence to back up your claim and be prepared to share your answer with the class.

This article presents several arguments in favor of renewable energy. These energy sources produce vastly lower carbon dioxide than fossil fuels, reduce health threats to the public, and offer economic growth possibilities and stable energy prices. But perhaps the most compelling argument for renewable energy sources is that they are renewable; that is, the source will continue to reappear naturally, such as sunlight, the gravitational pull of water, the heat under the Earth’s crust, wind, and waste products made by plants and animals.

This article will introduce you to a variety of renewable energy sources, and will help you understand some of the benefits of renewable energy technologies.

Skimming for Gist

Can renewable energy resources like solar and wind really power an entire nation? Is renewable energy really safer for humans and the environment? What about the cost of renewable energy compared to the fossil fuels we have come to rely on? This article from the Union of Concerned Scientists answers these questions and reveals other benefits of renewable energy sources.

Understanding Content

By the end of the second close read, you should be able to answer the following questions:

1. Describe the sources of some renewable energy resources.
2. What gaseous waste product from coal, oil, and natural gas is a major contributor to global warming?
3. What are some public health impacts of burning fossil fuels?
4. If the United States combined the power of renewable energy sources, would it technically have enough energy to power the entire country without fossil fuels?
5. What are some broad economic benefits of the renewable energy industries?
6. Why is the price of renewable energy decreasing over time?
7. What is an advantage of distributing renewable energy sources, or in other words, using multiple sources of renewable energy?

Thinking Conceptually

In 1839, when the French physicist Edmund Becquerel was only 19 years old, he discovered the photovoltaic effect when he generated a current by shining light on silver chloride connected to platinum electrodes immersed in an acidic solution. Why do you think it has taken so long for humanity to tap into solar and other renewable energy sources?

The leveled cost of energy (LCOE) is an important piece of the energy puzzle. We need the LCOE to be able to compare different sources of energy and make decisions about which energy sources are economically viable to invest in. The LCOE is calculated by dividing the total cost it takes to build, fuel, and maintain a power source over a period of time by the total electrical energy that source produces in that period of time.

In order to understand the obstacles to moving from conventional to renewable sources of energy, you should be aware of the total costs of each form of energy and the impact on long-term and short-term decision making. 

Skimming for Gist

Understanding the cost of energy is about much more than understanding the price you pay at the pump for gasoline, or the cost of purchasing solar panels. There are other expenses that include the cost of the equipment needed to refine oil into gasoline, or to manufacture solar cells as well as the cost of the impact on the environment. This paper summarizes a study from Lazard comparing the costs of several common forms of energy.  

Understanding Content

By the end of the second close read, you should be able to answer the following questions:

1. Why does the cost of electricity differ depending on the source of the power generation?
2. Why do we use the leveled cost of electricity (LCOE)?
3. What are some cost factors that must be considered when calculating the cost of electricity generated by a power plant?
4. Which renewable energies are getting less expensive?

Thinking Conceptually

Ask students how the article supports, extends, or challenges their knowledge about fossil fuels, nuclear energy, and renewable energy sources now that they know more about the leveled cost of electricity.

Please click here to watch this video. Note that this will take you off the BHP site.

Some might say there is “nothing special” about Burlington, Vermont. While it is the largest city in Vermont, it only has 42,000 residents, all of whom rely on electricity on a daily basis. But Burlington stands out because it is powered by renewable energy sources. Besides being progressively minded and wanting to lower greenhouse emissions, the greatest motivator behind the switch was economic, as the city is poised to save millions of dollars for switching to wind, solar, hydro, and biomass energy.

This video will show you that it’s possible for cities to “go green” by telling the story of how one US city switched to renewable resources and is no longer reliant on fossil fuels.

Preview

This video is of a PBS segment about how the city of Burlington, Vermont became the first in the nation to run on renewable energy sources. Although some critics say the city isn’t 100 percent green quite yet, Burlington stands as an example of how a city can free itself from fossil fuel dependency. In addition to Burlington, the following US cities claim to be “green”: Greensburg, Kansas uses a combination of wind and solar; Aspen, Colorado uses hydropower, wind, and landfill gas (the natural gasses created by decomposing materials in landfills); and Kodiak Island, Alaska is 99.7 percent renewably powered, using a combination of wind and hydropower.

Key Ideas—Factual

Think about the following questions as you watch the video:

1. How has the city of Burlington, Vermont become independent from burning fossil fuels?
2. What are some factors that helped Burlington move away from fossil fuels?
3. Will Burlington residents experience rising utility bills as a result of switching to renewable energy?
4. What kinds of renewable energies does Burlington rely upon?
5. What do critics say about Burlington’s claim to be running on 100% renewable energy?

Thinking Conceptually

Do you think cities in general should plan for increasing or decreasing electricity usage? Why? Also, how would you encourage your city or town to find renewable sources of energy?

This activity will give you a chance to use the information you learned in this lesson about different energy sources, their risks and benefits, and their leveled cost of electricity. 

Imagine that your group has been asked to help the town of Elsewhere become independent from fossil fuels over the next twenty years. Your group must come up with a pitch to present to the leaders of Elsewhere to either encourage them to switch from fossil fuels to nuclear energy or to renewable energy sources.

Luckily, Elsewhere has a climate and population very similar to your hometown, so your group is well positioned to present your case to the leadership of Elsewhere. Your group should use the information from this lesson and you can do some research on the Internet if there is time.

Make sure your group’s pitch includes all of the elements listed below and be prepared to present your pitch to the class.

• The type(s) of power plants you recommend that Elsewhere builds or acquires
• What energy sources will be used
• What public safety and health considerations your team has considered
• What environmental risks and benefits your team has considered
• The average leveled cost of electricity (LCOE) of the new source(s)