To reduce the negative environmental impacts of an ever growing human population and increasing demands for energy as technological advances continue, individual countries, states, cities and even households could shift their energy sources to those that are renewable. However, not all locations are equally amenable to any form of renewable energy. For this Assignment you will assess your own location, existing energy use, the advantages and disadvantages of different energy sources, and ways to reduce energy demand through conservation.
Be sure to explore the following resources to begin your research and to support your ideas with accurate facts. While the provided resources focus on the United States, you are welcome to explore the energy situation within your own state of residence, one that you would like to live in or have visited in the past, or an international location. To focus your discussion, only use one region for your entire argument.
Review the following Assignment resources:
For additional information on different energy sources review the following Science Center Resource:
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 Assignment.
Your paper should include all the following parts.
- Assess your own energy use: Provide five different examples of how you use energy throughout your day. Identify each energy source and whether it is renewable or nonrenewable.
- Using the provided materials, determine, and discuss the renewable source of energy that would be the most and the renewable source of energy that would be the least appropriate for use in your chosen location. Explain how you arrived at your decisions so it is clear why one is the most appropriate and why one is the least appropriate.
- Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the energy sources you currently rely on as well as the two renewable energy sources you identified above. Include both the economic (costs/benefits) and ecological impacts of each.
- In addition to using alternative forms of energy, energy conservation is also a significant way in which ecological impacts can be reduced on the environment. Identify threenew ways in which you can reduce your energy use at home, work, or in other areas you engage in on a regular basis and explain how the changes would reduce your impact on the environment.
Basic Writing Expectations:
- At least 1000 words not counting the title or reference pages
- Include a title page, double space, font size 10 or 12
- Use a minimum of five sources
- Include a highly developed viewpoint/thesis, purpose, and exceptional content
- Demonstrate superior organization: use logic
