This video from the U.S. National Academies summarizes the energy challenges the United States faces, including the technological challenges, and the need for changes in consumption and in energy policy.

In this lab activity, students investigate how to prepare a biofuel source for conversion to a combustible product. The activity models how raw materials are refined to process liquid fuels.

Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin rely on blockchain technology and crypto mining, which consume massive amounts of electricity and have significant carbon footprints. The lack of transparency and regulation in the industry raises concerns about the economic, social, and environmental costs associated with crypto mines.

Students conduct a greenhouse gas emission inventory for their college or university as a required part of the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment.

Increased energy use per capita is linked to decreased poverty rates. Modest energy increases can lead to significant poverty reduction, but the relationship is not always linear. Factors like governance and social policies also influence poverty levels. Beyond a certain threshold, further energy increases have diminishing returns.

In this learning activity, students use a web-based carbon calculator to determine their carbon footprint on the basis of their personal and household habits and choices. Students identify which personal activities and household choices produce the most CO2 emissions, compare their carbon footprint to the U.S. and global averages, and identify lifestyle changes they can make to reduce their footprint.

In this video clip from Earth: The Operators' Manual, host Richard Alley discusses China's efforts to develop clean energy technologies and to reduce CO2 in the atmosphere, by building coal plants using CO2 sequestration technology. (scroll down page for video)

This short video discusses where carbon dioxide, the gas that is mainly responsible for warming up our planet and changing the climate, comes from. It discusses how the rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide comes directly from the burning of fossil fuels and indirectly from the human need for energy.

This short video makes the case that rapid climate change affects the whole planet, but individuals can make a difference and make their carbon footprint smaller. Common suggestions are identified for young children to consciously consider what they can do.

Students research electricity, its sources, how energy grids function, how to make grids most efficient, and how to bring different types of energy generation together to diversify grids. Students debate the costs and benefits of moving to a modernized Smart Grid.

This is a STEM activity to learn how different colors absorb light better than others. Vocabulary and investigating questions are included to facilitate discussion, and a rubric is provided for assessment.

Energy access plays a vital role in reducing undernourishment and improving food security. It boosts agricultural productivity, enhances food quality, reduces losses, and enables transportation. However, addressing factors like political instability and poor policies is crucial alongside increasing energy use.

Energy use influences life expectancy. Access to energy services improves well-being and extends lifespan, while deprivation has the opposite effect. Modest energy increases positively impact longevity, especially in low-energy regions. However, beyond a certain point, additional energy use has diminishing returns for life expectancy.

The Human Development Index (HDI) measures overall well-being beyond economic growth, focusing on health, education, and income. Countries with low development levels use less energy, and small energy increases lead to significant HDI improvements. Energy efficiency improvements can be made without compromising quality of life, addressing environmental concerns and promoting equity.

hile higher incomes generally lead to greater life satisfaction, it's not a guarantee. People in countries with high life satisfaction tend to use more energy, which can enhance comfort and mobility. Modest increases in energy use can significantly improve life satisfaction, but there are diminishing returns at higher levels.

While moving up the income ladder is generally accompanied by increased energy use, there are significant variations within income groups. Factors such as the economy's structure, geography, climate, lifestyle, public policy, and consumer attitudes also influence how effectively energy use translates into income.

Population growth does impact energy use, but per capita energy consumption varies greatly across countries due to factors like geography, climate, economic structure, policies, and cultural preferences. Countries with small populations can have high energy consumption, while countries with large populations may use less energy.

In this video from Young Voices for the Planet, four middle-school girls (The Green Team) talk about their efforts to work with their peers to reduce the carbon footprint of their school and how they made the school more energy efficient.

This video illustrates how atmospheric particles, or aerosols (such as black carbon, sulfates, dust, fog), can affect the energy balance of Earth regionally, and the implications for surface temperature warming and cooling.

This online calculator converts from one energy unit to another - from gallons to British thermal units (Btu), kilowatt/hours to megajoules, short tons to metric tons.