Introduction
"The will to act — that's a renewable resource — let's do it."
Al Gore, February 25, 2007
Former vice president, Al Gore, made the above statement when accepting an Academy Award for his documentary An Inconvenient Truth. It is a point well taken. Humans posses the energy and ability to affect change and that energy is a limitless renewable resource. Whether our ideas are big or small, they can all add up to a change in how we live, which can improve the world in which we live. The issue of global warming bypasses any questions as to how much petroleum energy is left for the world to use. CO 2 emissions must be reduced and every individual can play a role in that reduction. The focus of this curriculum unit will be on architectural alternatives in home construction using solar energy. Our studies will culminate with a look at Earthships. These homes present what appears to be the most all-inclusive use of alternative applications using solar energy.
Solar energy is a topic that I think will grab the imaginations of my students. As 7 th graders who, for the most part, live in apartments, the discussion of houses heated and operated by the sun will be a totally new topic. Once our study begins I anticipate difficulties getting them back on track for the rest of our regular studies. That's fine. We will have sparked an interest in a field that is the next "dot.com.>" era as they consider future career choices. President George W. Bush mentioned renewable energy in the 2007 State of the Union address. Some of the large energy companies, such as Shell Oil and BP (British Petroleum) are actively involving themselves in renewable and alternative energy research. In fact, Shell Oil is using Shell Energy and Shell Global Solutions to describe their corporate structure. The purpose of this unit is to use architecture to introduce my students to this topic of renewable and alternative energy, which is quickly becoming a part of our mainstream dialogue.
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