Fossil Fuel Supplies

Go to http://greenwood.cr.usgs.gov/energy/WorldEnergy/DDS-60/. Click on the world maps link, and look at the "World Petroleum Assessment 2000 Regions with Geologic Provinces" (the first map listed).

1. Where are the major petroleum reserves?

2. Why are most of them along coastlines?

3. What might be the environmental risks of oil drilling and shipping in these regions?

4. Where is there no oil? Why might this be? Find the "Executive Summary" on this page.

5. How many barrels of oil and gas are reported to be in world reserves?

6. Where are the greatest volumes of undiscovered oil expected to be found?

7. Why might we not have explored these places already?

You can also find energy information at http://energy.cr.usgs.gov/

Renewable Energy

Go to www.eren.doe.gov, the renewable energy program of the Department of Energy. You'll find that there are lots of resources here for a variety of types of alternative energy. Click on the "Solar" link. Here you can investigate a variety of passive and active solar energy technologies. How many different kinds of solar energy technologies can you find on these pages? Choose one, and (1) identify the obstacles to installing it in your home, and (2) describe how you could use it in your home. Which of the obstacles you listed are large ones, and which do you think you could overcome easily?