NATS 1051 - Energy Issues and Solutions

1. Explain and give examples of the following science concepts and principles:
   • diversity and complexity in systems (ecological, energy, economic, or investment) generally leads to stability while simplicity in these systems generally leads to instability.
   • the percentage transfer of energy through ecosystem trophic levels from plants to second-level carnivores.
   • the relationship between human cultures, population densities, technological development, environmental degradation, and the energy levels (hunter-gatherer, primitive agriculturists, advanced agriculturists, and industrial) people are living at.
   • exponential growth of variables such as non-renewable energy resource use or human populations.
   • conservation of mass law and its relationship to recycling.
   • conservation of energy law and the second law of thermodynamics and their relationship to energy efficiency and non-renewable energy sources.
   • heat conduction laws and the factors that determine the rate of heat conduction through building materials.
2. Describe relationships between human population growth and non-renewable energy consumption, environmental degradation, and pollution.
3. Describe the major fuel sources used in the U.S.: petroleum, natural gas, coal, nuclear, and hydroelectric and discuss the advantages, disadvantages, and issues associated with each of these fuels.
4. Discuss the relationships between U.S. water and energy issues and how water issues place restrictions upon energy use and development.
5. Discuss issues associated with the transmission of primary energy sources such as petroleum, coal, natural gas, and nuclear, and secondary sources such as electricity and hydrogen gas.
6. Describe several methods for improving energy efficiency in the industrial, commercial, transportation, and residential markets.
7. Describe and give examples of the following alternative energy sources (perpetual, renewable, and non-renewable) to our existing fuels: solar electric proposals, solar space heating (both active and passive) systems, solar hot water heating methods, wind-generated electricity, geothermal electricity, fusion electricity, OTEC electricity, garbage and trash electricity or steam, tidal and low-head hydro electricity, and the use of biomass for generating electricity, producing a synthetic gas, creating liquid transportation fuels, or space heating (including ethanol, peat, wood, and crop residue).
8. Suggest changes in U.S. energy policy including a) new or expanded state and federal legislation, b) methods of energy education, c) sources and types of public information necessary to make your energy policy recommendations.
9. Discuss energy issues using the language of science including such terms and concepts as ecosystems, atomic model, isotopes, radioactive decay, heat conduction, energy efficiency, renewable, pollution, gasohol, and co-generation.
10. Interpret and explain the meaning of graphical representations of energy data.

1. Relationships of human population growth, energy consumption and environmental degradation
2. Issues associated with major U.S. fuels including petroleum, natural gas, coal, nuclear and hydroelectric
3. Solutions to energy issues including energy efficiency and alternative energy proposals
4. Energy policy and human worldviews