Unit24: Energy Policy and Environmental Issues in the US and in the UK:
Intro:
Nowadays, climate change is one of the most serious issues. What with a rising number of natural disasters and and scientific evidence of climate change, politicians have to take a stand on the
matter. We will thus try and study the energy policy implemented in the US and in the UK, not to mention its underlying stakes.
Survival kit:
Webquest (cf EC1/Unit7):
THE CLIMATE CHANGE DEBATE IN THE US AND IN THE UK:
A) Natural disasters:
1-ESL.com
2- Browse Google to find out the answers!
3- Live blog
B) Green issues and climate change:
1-Green issues
2-The Signs of climate change: EPA.gov, nwf.org
3-The Causes of climate change: edugreen, NASA
4-From 'Global warming' to 'Climate change':
skip it for now, we will do this together!
C) The Climate change debate:
1-Climate change advocates:
- Celebrities:
Leonardo Di Caprio's 2014 UN speech
Al Gore's position: link1, link2
Michael Bloomberg's new
functions
- Obama and Cameron:
The Obama administration: 2015 State Of the Union address
David Cameron's stance: The Guardian1, The Guardian2
- Famous organizations:
WWF
Greenpeace
UN climate summits: link1, link2, link3
2-Climate skeptics:
Climate change deniers have won (The Guardian)
Climate skeptics in Australia1, Climate skeptics in Australia2, Is Australia the least
environmentally-friendly government?
Useful links and videos:
ENERGY POLICY IN THE US: [Step1]
A) US energy policy and the Obama administration:
Energy Policy Information Center
B) Fracking (hydraulic fracturing):
C) Burning issues in the US:
The Keystone Pipeline (Transcanada Pipeline)
ENERGY POLICY IN THE UK: [Step2]
A) UK energy policy: main targets:
Department of energy and climate change
B) Renewable energies in the UK:
World's largest offshore windfarm opens in Thames estuary: "London Array"
C) Cameron's defence of fracking:
Fracking to boost UK's economy, David Cameron says
Cameron urges fracking opponents to 'get on board'
Cameron goes all out for shale with tax boost for councils willing to approve projects
COMPANIES AND ECOLOGY/GREEN POLICIES: [Step3]
"Coca-Cola is not a fair-trade organization", Prezi
"The Top 33 companies for the Environment by Industry", Forbes
"Ten Global companies that are environmentally-friendly", Virgin
"Companies going green in 2019", Conserve-Energy-Future
"Why industry is going green on the quiet", Forbes
Starbucks's green cup controversy, explained (cf Unit9/Step4), Vox
Monsanto and whitewashing (cf Unit9/Step4), Carey Gillam
"Going green might be worth it for businesses", Sustainability Times
Go further:
-
General knowledge:
"Preppers" (cf Unit7)
Carbon footprint: definition, what is your
carbon footprint? / carbon map
The
EPA: the US Environmental Protection Agency
2009 UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
Climate Change Act anniversary in the UK (The Guardian)
"Beds are Burning": a committed song to raise awareness (check out the video ->)
After Ever After (a Disney Parody)
- Movies:
An Inconvenient Truth (2006)
Gasland (2010)