This short video reviews how nations and individuals can work together to reduce the emission of CO2. It discusses strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (energy conservation, renewable energies, change in energy use) and the role that government can play in this process.

Hank introduces us to biogeochemical cycles by describing his two favorites: carbon and water. The hydrologic cycle describes how water moves on, above, and below the surface of the Earth, driven by energy supplied by the sun and wind. The carbon cycle does the same... for carbon!

Chapters:
1) Hydrologic Cycle
A) Clouds
B) Runoff
C) Oceans
D) Evapotranspiration

2) Carbon Cycle -
A) Plants -
B) Fossil Fuels -
C) Oceans -
D) Global Warming -

The three fossil fuels are oil, natural gas, and coal. Fossil fuels are hydrocarbons formed from deeply-buried, dead organic material subject to high temperature and pressure for hundreds of millions of years. They are a depletable, non-renewable energy resource.

Fossil fuel combustion (converting chemical energy into heat) powered the Industrial Revolution and is the largest contributor to climate change and air pollution. Significant infrastructure, economic value, geopolitical conflict, and legacy environmental issues are associated with fossil fuels.

This lesson explores if it is normal that world temperatures are rising at the currently observed fast pace.

This video segment highlights how the U.S. military is the single largest user of energy in the nation, but it is also trying to reduce its carbon bootprint. Scenes taped at Fort Irwin and Camp Pendleton show the Army and Marines experimenting with wind and solar in order to reduce the number of fuel convoys that are vulnerable to attack.

In this activity, students conduct a life cycle assessment of energy used and produced in ethanol production, and a life cycle assessment of carbon dioxide used and produced in ethanol production.

Students will receive a written material describing how various well logs can be used in a synergistic way to yield more useful information about possible gas presence in sedimentary layers.

A detailed description of the method is done by the instructor and an example is fully worked in class. Then, either all students receive Figure 3 as a homework or (if possible) each student will receive an individual set of logs. For the latter situation, the student will then make an oral presentation of his/her findings and a class discussion will follow under instructor's guidance. Uses online and/or real-time data Addresses student fear of quantitative aspect and/or inadequate quantitative skills Uses geophysics to solve problems in other fields

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Lessons teach core knowledge about the science of climate change, explore conflicting views, and integrate critical thinking skills. Students will apply knowledge of climate change to a rigorous analysis of media messages through asking and answering questions about accuracy, currency, credibility, sourcing, and bias. Lessons address basic climate science, the causes of climate change, scientific debate and disinformation, the consequences of global warming, the precautionary principle, carbon footprints, moral choices, and the history of global warming in media, science, and politics.

This kit explores how sustainability has been presented in the media with a particular focus on issues related to food, water and agriculture. Each of the 19 lessons integrates media literacy and critical thinking into lessons about different aspect of sustainability. Constant themes throughout the kit include social justice, climate change, energy, economics and unintended consequences.

This video is one of a series produced by the Switch Energy project. It reviews the pros and cons of natural gas as a source of energy.

This homework problem introduces students to Marcellus shale natural gas and how an unconventional reservoir rock can become an attractive hydrocarbon target. It is designed to expand students' understanding of hydrocarbon resources by introducing an unconventional natural gas play. Students explore the technological factors that make conventional source rocks attractive reservoir rocks and how this advance impacts both U.S. energy supply and the environment.

This article provides background information related to natural resources of the poles, and renewable and non-renewable energy.

In this lesson, students will identify the Earth's natural resources and classify them as renewable or non-renewable. They will simulate the distribution of resources and discuss the fairness and effectiveness of the distribution. Students will identify ways that they use and waste natural resources, and they will explore ways that engineers interact with natural resources.

This lesson focuses on the importance of ocean exploration as a way to learn how to capture, control, and distribute renewable ocean energy resources. Students begin by identifying ways the ocean can generate energy and then research one ocean energy source using the Internet. Finally, students build a Micro-Hydro Electric Generator.

An introductory environmental science project tasking students with comparing offshore oil and wind power development.

(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

Data modeling activity using oil reserve and consumption data. Students predict when oil reserves meet or exceed reserves.

(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

This is an active engagement exercise as a capstone exercise in a unit on energy in an Environmental Geology class of non-science majors combining a 'field-based' simulation and 'office-based' geological modeling. It uses readily available supplies and easily constructed equipment that can take 1 or 2 class meetings.

(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

This hands-on activity will provide students with an understanding of the issues that surround environmental clean-up. Students will create their own oil spill, try different methods for cleaning it up, and then discuss the merits of each method in terms of effectiveness (cleanliness) and cost. They will be asked to put themselves in the place of both an environmental engineer and an oil company owner who are responsible for the clean-up.

This introductory video addresses key points as well as pros and cons of oil as an energy source for transportation.

Oil spills have been a persistent problem since the start of the oil industry. Millions of wells and trillions of barrels of oil extracted have resulted in significant environmental impact. Accidents in the complex supply chain release toxic crude and refined oil, posing health risks and requiring costly cleanup. Safety measures have improved, but unreported spills remain a concern.