Focus on the social and/or environmental impacts of energy. You can choose to research any particular source of electricity, a transportation fuel, a prime mover, a site of energy extraction, or proposed policy solution to our energy challenges. Choose a topic and research question that you are most interested in.
The paper needs to be organized around a clear and identifiable research question. Some example questions from previous semesters include:
How can ethanol production be more sustainable in the US?
What are the impacts of fracking for oil in California?
What are the risks to water supplies from the Dakota Access pipeline?
What is the potential for geothermal power in California? How has dam construction affected peoples’ livelihoods in China?
What are the social impacts of developing the Bakken shale? How can LED lights contribute to energy efficiency?
What are the benefits from replacing coal with natural gas?
What role will nuclear power play in the future of electricity?
Having a clear research question will help your paper be more organized.
What are the key energy challenges related to the question you will explore?
Draw on the course readings or additional research and be sure to cite any statistics you provide. Then set up your research question.
What is the question you are investigating? Give a quick road map of the rest of paper by the third or fourth paragraph. A few things that might help guide your investigation.
What are the social and technical aspects of your topic?
What are the social aspects of the topic?
What policies or best practices have caused the problems you describe or could be used to come up with solutions?
