Daily Video
August 9, 2012Will Natural Gas Power the Future?
Colorado, like many other states around the country, gets most of its energy from burning coal. Skeptics have criticized coal for being a pollutant, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has increased regulations on emissions from electric power plants, thereby making companies scale back their involvement with coal.
In order to meet the EPA guidelines, some power plants in Colorado are converting some of their plants to burn natural gas instead of coal, and shutting some coal-burning plants down altogether.
Natural gas is currently cheaper than coal and more environmentally friendly. It was therefore an easy decision for U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar to endorse as a centerpiece of his platform for America’s energy future.
At the same time, the low prices of natural gas are making it difficult for renewable energy sources like wind and solar to make a case for being cost-effective. While environmentalists are worried that the push for natural gas will simply get us hooked on another fossil fuel, Salazar says that the government will continue to pursue both gas and renewable energy sources going forward.
However, change may be slow and coal companies are not willing to give up their market share to newcomers. It is estimated that at the end of the decade, 48% of our energy will still come from coal-fired plants, but natural gas and renewables will make up a larger market share than ever before.
Quotes
“I think it will become a centerpiece of our energy portfolio for the next century for a lot of reasons. It’s one of the greatest opportunities we see for both our economic security, our national security and our environmental security.” – Ken Salazar, Interior Secretary.
“The bar just got a bit higher for the entrance of some of these new and alternative technologies into the energy mix.” -Dan Arvizu, National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
Warm Up Questions
1. What is coal? What does it do?
2. What is a fossil fuel? Can you name any?3. What is a renewable energy resource?
Discussion Questions
1. Do you think natural gas is the way forward for energy? Why or why not?
2. What makes renewable energy sources more expensive in the short term? Do you think the investment will pay off later? Why or why not?
Additional Resources
Keystone Pipeline Fuels Debate Over Energy Policy
Cap and Trade is Major Feature of Energy Bill
Lesson Plan: Exploring Alternative Energy Sources
Tags:
Related Stories
Tooltip of related stories
More Videos
Tooltip of more video block
Submit Your Student Voice
More Videos
-
Classroom Resource: Regina King’s directorial debut examines meeting of civil rights voices
Discuss the film One Night in Miami and the reasons it was made Continue reading
-
Daily News Lesson: Recovery may take months even as more help reaches storm-hit Texas
What do you think federal and local authorities should do in response to an emergency like the storms in Texas? Continue reading
-
Classroom Resource: NASA rover lands on Mars, resuming search for remnants of life
Discuss the significance of NASA’s latest mission to Mars. Continue reading
-
Classroom Resource: Is the recent wave of severe weather across the U.S. a harbinger for climate change?
Discuss the extreme winter weather this week and how it might be linked to climate change Continue reading
-
News Roundup: Trump acquitted, but majority votes to convict
Discuss the impeachment trial and other events from the past week Continue reading