The Challenge

In today's world, with populations and economies booming, the demand for energy is rising. A portfolio of energy sources is used to meet this demand. Because there is no perfectly clean, safe, and inexpensive source of energy, the makeup of this portfolio involves tradeoffs of safety, cost, and—of increasing concern—emissions of greenhouse gases such as CO₂. In this lab, your challenge is to try to meet the world's projected energy demand by choosing from the available energy sources, while keeping atmospheric CO₂ under control and avoiding the particular limits and pitfalls associated with each energy source.

Scenario 1

Before the industrial revolution, the world's atmospheric CO₂ levels were below 280 parts per million (ppm). Levels have now risen over 400 ppm. In order to limit the worst effects of climate change, many scientists believe we must keep peak atmospheric CO₂ to no more than double the pre–industrial concentration, or about 550 ppm. Different political, economic, and ecological factions have varying ideas about which energy sources would be most efficient, cost effective, and least harmful to the environment. Using this simulator, you'll try to find the best mix of energy sources in order to keep the total atmospheric CO₂ under 550 ppm.

Energy Lesson 1 Step 1

Energy Lesson 1 Step 2

Energy Lesson 2 Step 1

Energy Lesson 2 Step 2