Should we invest more in green technologies?
conserve | renewable | invest | proceed | maximize
conserve | renewable | invest | proceed | maximize
Sekou is giving a report on renewable energy.
“Scientists say conserving energy is not enough. We need to switch to renewable sources of energy like wind, water, and sun. To maximize our efforts, people around the world must work together.”
Sekou proceeds. “Two scientists named Mark Jacobson and Mark Delucchi have a plan to meet all the world’s energy needs with renewable energy by 2050. Their plan would likely require governments to invest a total of 100 trillion dollars.”
“That sounds amazing!” says Nadia. “But I’ve heard using renewable energy for electricity is expensive. Do you know if our school would be able to switch to renewable energy? If so, how much would it cost?”
“That’s a great question!” Sekou responds. “I did some research on costs for different energy sources. At first, I thought solar power would be too expensive, but then I learned that costs have changed a lot over the years. Look at the graph I found. There might be a renewable energy source that would both decrease our school’s emissions and conserve money!” Sekou showed her classmates the graph she found online.
Which energy source cost changed the most during the years displayed?
Based on the graph, what trends do you notice about energy costs? Do you think that these trends will hold?
Discussion Question:
Discuss what other information Sekou should collect before making a recommendation to her school. What might school leaders want to know?