GEO 311: Geoscience and Global Concerns is an undergraduate course taught at Stony Brook University during each fall semester. The class meets twice per week, with one session consisting of a lecture and the other, an interactive activity in a computer laboratory that engages the students in exploring real world problems, particularly ones related to energy. A specific concern or issue serves as a focus during each session. The students are asked to develop answers to a series of questions that engage them in identifying causes of the problem, connections with the Earth system, relationships to other problems, and possible solutions on both a global and local scale. The questions are designed to facilitate an integrated view of the Earth system. Examples of topics that the students explore during the laboratory sessions are: 1) fossil fuel reserves and consumption rates and the effect of their use on climate, 2) alternative sources of energy and associated technologies, such as solar photovoltaics, nuclear energy, tidal power, geothermal energy, and wind power, 3) effects of energy from the Earth in the forms of tsunamis, earthquakes, and storms on human populations and infrastructure, and 4) climate change. The selection and scheduling of topics often takes advantage of the occurrence of media attention or events that can serve as case studies. Tools used during the computer sessions include Google Earth, ArcGIS, spreadsheets, and web sites that offer data and maps. The students use Google Earth or ArcGIS to map events such as earthquakes, storms, tsunamis, and changes in the extent of polar ice. Spreadsheets are employed to discern trends in fossil fuel supply and consumption, and to experiment with models that make predictions for the future. We present examples of several of these activities and discuss how they facilitate an understanding of interrelationships within the Earth system.

Teaching about Energy with Google Earth, ArcGIS, and ExcelGlenn A. Richard - Mineral Physics Institute, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-2100, United States

GEO 311: Geoscience and Global ConcernsTopics Covered During Tuesday Computer Sessions—Fall, 2008

September 9, 2008 - Northwest PassageSeptember 16, 2008 - Energy Consumption Rates across the USA and the WorldSeptember 23, 2008 - Overview of Oil Reserves, Production and ConsumptionOctober 7, 2008 - Trends in Oil ConsumptionOctober 14, 2008 - Predictions of World Oil ReservesOctober 21 and 28, 2008 - Selecting Sites for Renewable Energy ProjectsNovember 4, 2008 - The Boxing Day TsunamiNovember 11 and 18, 2008 - Carbon in the AtmosphereNovemner 25, 2008 - Nuclear Half-LivesDecember 2, 2008 - Potential Tidal Energy SitesDecember 9, 2008 - Solar Photovoltaic Energy

Trends in Oil ConsumptionData from BP used to discover trends and predict the future of fossil fuel reserves based on several models

A Structured Academic Controversy: Debate on Nuclear Power

Each student was asked to be prepared to support their assigned position FOR or AGAINST a massiveincrease in the use of Nuclear Power for electricity from two of the following points of view:1. Cost2. Capacity – McCain proposed 45 new nuclear plants. Would this have an impact on US energy capacity?3. Safety4. Waste5. Proliferation

Potential Tidal Energy Sites

Boundary and tidal range data for estuaries used in ArcGIS and Excel to quantify tidal energy for power generation and to assess possible adverse environmental effects

SERC Google Earth User Guidefor Instructors and Students

Selecting Sites for Renewable Energy ProjectsData from the Energy Information Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency used for site selection

Energy in Natural Systems: Boxing Day Tsunami

Wave propagation during Tsunami of December 26, 2004 – Data from USGS and NGDC

Northwest PassageData from the National Snow and Ice Data Center used in Google Earth to assess impacts of the melting of polar ice on shipping routes

Energy Consumption Rates across the USA and the WorldData from the Google Earth Community and BP used to compare state and international rates of energy consumption