Title: Examine the environmental effects of the extraction and reliance on fossil fuels.
Course: Sustainability and Renewable Technologies (21053) > Section: Analyzing Environmental Issues

Examination should include specific man-made disasters that have resulted from our use of fossil fuels. Examples of disasters that may be examined include the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico and the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska.

Examination should also include the relationship between climate change and the potential for worsening natural disasters, such as droughts, forest fires, and hurricanes.

Process/Skill Questions:

- What effects do man-made disasters have on society?
- How could climate change worsen the effects of natural disasters? Can man-made disasters ever be fully mitigated? What are the costs of mitigation vs. protection?
- What are the potential costs of climate change vs. the costs of switching to alternative energy sources?
- What were the most notable man-made disasters in the last 5 years?