1. In general, how much energy do Americans consume in comparison to other nations of the world?
2. Author Bertram Wolfe claims that the Bush-Cheney energy plan is designed to meet our future energy needs, but only in the near term.
- How does the administration plan address these needs?
- Part of the plan relies on tapping the Alaskan oil reserves. This proposal has caused heated debate between proponents and critics. Where are these reserves located in Alaska? What controversy surrounds this plan?
- Identify two major problems associated with the use of fossil fuels.
- One possible alternative to fossil fuels the author mentions is hydroelectric power. Why are many environmental groups opposed to this energy source?
- Other options he discusses are solar and wind power, but they also have considerable drawbacks. What are they?
3. "With the coming need for expansion of clean energy, no solution appears possible without a major worldwide expansion of nuclear energy," Wolfe writes.
a. What obstacles to the development of nuclear energy does the author cite?
b. How does Wolfe argue that the Three Mile Island accident was a "success"?
c. Identify and explain the major advantages and disadvantages of nuclear energy.
d. What is a breeder reactor? What are its negative and positive qualities?
4. As as been noted, Americans use a disproportionate portion of the world’s energy. For this assignment, keep an "energy diary" of your approximate daily energy consumption (based on the table below) in kilowatt-hours of electricity, gallons of gas, and cubic feet of natural gas. The author stresses conservation; are there areas where you can cut down?
