DEPLETION OF FOSSIL FUELS
INTRODUCTION
Petroleum is the lifeblood of our civilization, but industry experts predict that the world's oil supply will reach its maximum production and midpoint of depletion sometime around the year 2010. Fossil fuels are currently the primary source of the cheap energy that powers our modern Industrial Civilization. Many economists and geologists warn that cheap oil will begin to run out in perhaps 10 years. Non-renewable, fossil fuels take millions of years to form, so for all intents and purposes they are finite and, ultimately, exhaustible energy resources. While few would deny that the consumption of fossil fuels will eventually lead to their exhaustion, how and when the various fuels will decline remain uncertain. The main problem is lack of resources due to overpopulation or over consumption in the developed world. Either too many people consume a few resources, or a few people each consume too many resources both totaling a lot of resources. The ecological systems from which the developing world derives their food, water, and energy can not be sustained with an increasing demand from an increasing population. If the demand keeps increasing the systems will eventually collapse. As the systems collapse the population which is a part of these systems will collapse.
TASKS
The resource base from which the technically more adept developed world
derives their food, water, and energy will eventually be depleted in such a way
that the production rates will fall due to physical restrictions. You work for the
environmental protection agency and you want to find the best solution for this
growing problem by focusing on how the U.S is affected by fossil fuel
depletion. T his goal will be
accomplished by using the 6-step public policy approach to write a three page
written report and give an oral presentation on the effects of depletion of
resources on ecological systems and the environment.
1. Define
the problem and possible effects on the
2. Gather evidence
events that contribute to depleting fossil fuels (war on
3. Identify
causes of fossil fuel depletion
4. Evaluate
a policy used by the U.S government to prevent further depletion of
this
international
resource.
5. Develop
solutions to help the U.S government save this non-renewable resource.
6. Select
best solution to be used to assist in limiting wasteful use of fossil
fuels.
Process:
You will be placed in groups
of four
You will use websites as
sources of information on fossil fuel depletion.
As groups, you will discuss
current policies used to limit drilling for oil.
Using the information
gathered, you will generate a new public policy concerning fossil fuel
depletion using the public policy analyst steps.
You will present this new
policy to other groups in the form of an oral presentation.
You will also generate a
three- page paper identifying the problem and suggesting possible solutions.
Evaluation:
Your grade will be determined
using 75% of your score from your written report and 25% of your score from
your oral presentation.
The rubric below demonstrates the criteria you will be scored on for the oral presentation.
|
55% |
75% |
100% |
INFORMATIVE |
Lacks information |
Informative |
Very informative |
GRAMMAR |
Grammatically challenged |
Very few grammatical errors |
Excellent punctuation and grammar usage |
The rubric chart below
demonstrates the method you will be scored on for the written report.
|
Excellent |
Satisfactory |
Needs Improvement |
Unsatisfactory |
SPEECH |
Loud and clear |
Understandable |
Inconsistent volume levels |
Unintelligible |
EYE CONTACT |
Makes good eye contact |
Makes adequate eye contact |
Makes very little eye contact |
Makes no eye contact |
ORGANIIZATION |
Well organized |
Organization |
Needs Organization |
Unorganized |
VISUAL AIDS |
Effective visual aids used |
Used related visual aids |
Visual aid not related |
Lacks visual aid |
SUBJECT MATTER |
Covered in totality |
Covered adequately |
Lacks information |
Does not cover subject |
|
|
|
|
|
Standards:
This web quest focuses on the
following New York State Science and English Language Arts Standards.
Science Standard 4
Students will understand and
apply scientific concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the physical
setting and living environment and recognize the historical development of
ideas in science.
English Language Arts Standard 1
As listeners and readers,
students will collect data, facts, and ideas, discover
relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and use knowledge generated from
oral, written, and electronically produced texts. As speakers and writers, they
will use oral and written language to acquire, interpret, apply, and transmit
information.
Conclusion
As a result of research and
analysis of the data on fossil fuel depletion, you will not only discover the
current government policies that exist but also use the scientific method
process to come up with new and improved policies.
Resources:
Here is a list of a few
websites that may prove helpful in researching the topic of fossil fuel
depletion.
1.
http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/bestsol.html
2.
www.iea.org
3.
www.hubbertpeak.com/hubbert/index.html
4.
www.hubbertpeak.com/summary.htm
5.
www.hubbertpeak.com/hubbert/index.html