Science in the Garage and Basement: Energy and Elements in the Home
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Energy Choices
Energy is an integral part of your lives; you use energy in your homes, at work, and on the road every day. Today, the energy that is used comes primarily from non-renewable fossil fuels, but in recent years there has been an increased interest in renewable energy sources such as solar and wind energy. No matter where the energy is derived from, there are benefits and challenges to its use. No energy resource is perfect—the systems of utilizing these energy sources are inefficient, they cause pollution, and impact both humans and the environment in negative ways. One thing is certain, the most effective way to avoid these downsides is to conserve energy by reducing overall use.
Think about the ways that you use energy in your daily life. From the electricity that charges your computer or cell phone, to the fuel in your car, everyone consumes a great amount of energy each day. But have you considered the following: Where does your energy really come from? How does it impact your world? Can you make simple changes that have a significant net effect on the climate and planet?
Review the following resources to learn about your energy, sources of renewable and non-renewable energy, and energy conservation:
- Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.). Power profiler. Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-and-you/how-clean.html
- Source: U.S. Department of Energy. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://energy.gov/
- Source: U.S. Department of Energy. (n.d.). Energy saver. Retrieved from http://energy.gov/energysaver/energy-saver
- Reading & Resources Chapter 3:
- Wiley Plus Science in the News Video: solar energy
Additionally, you should conduct some outside research of your own to learn of your local energy resources, sources of renewable and non-renewable energy, and energy conservation.
Your paper should address the following questions:
- What energy resources do you currently rely on in your everyday life?
- List and discuss at least three energy resources that are currently being utilized in your regular routine. Be sure to consider the energy that you use at home, during travel, and at work or school.
- What are the origins of the energy sources? Are they renewable or nonrenewable?
- What impacts have been observed on both humans and the environment as a result of increasing energy needs and use? Be sure to discuss both short-term and long-term impacts.
- If you were to seek a new energy resource for your home, what would you choose?
- List specific reasons to justify your choice of an alternative energy resource?
- What challenges do you anticipate in implementing this alternative energy resource?
- How can simple changes make a big impact?
- Discuss three ways to conserve energy in your routine life. Consider home, work, transportation, and consumption of food and goods.
- Include supporting evidence from documented sources on how these methods for conserving energy will help reduce overall consumption of energy.
Your Assignment should be written in an essay format, with an introduction and conclusion. The paper will require you to include details from research including the course materials and sources you locate on your own. Use APA format to cite your sources of information, both within parenthetical citations and also within a reference page at the end of the project.
Basic Writing Expectations:
- A minimum of 1000 words, not counting the title or reference pages
- At least 3 academic resources utilized
- Include a title page, double space, font size 10 or 12
- Include a highly developed viewpoint/thesis, purpose, and exceptional content
- Demonstrate superior organization: use logic
- Free of grammar and spelling errors
- No evidence of plagiarism. Note: no more than 10% of your paper should be directly quoted from any outside source.
- Use the APA style for all in-text citations, references, and essay body
