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How much land does it take to power the world?

Key Ideas

As this video progresses, key ideas will be introduced to invoke discussion.

Key Ideas

Think about the following questions as you watch the video


  1. 00:30 What are some of the land requirements for different power sources (fossil fuels, nuclear, renewables)?
  2. 01:09 How much space is needed from two different power sources to light a 10-watt light bulb?
  3. 02:34 What does it mean to say that different power sources are “monopolizing the spaces they occupy to very different extents?”
  4. 02:54 Why does our current power infrastructure work best when energy is created close to where it is needed? What are some options for updating our infrastructure to use more renewable energy sources?
  5. 03:38 What are some reasons we keep using fossil fuels to generate electricity when we have more sustainable options?
  6. 04:14 Explain why no single source will be able to power the entire world while eliminating greenhouse gas emissions.