BLS Environmental Science

• Statistics show that less developed countries use far less energy per capita than developed countries. Explain why this is so. Please be specific and cite examples.

• Between 1980 and 1999, gasoline prices in the
United States declined considerably relative to inflation, and then rose dramatically in the
2000s. Predict what they will do in the next 10 years, and rationalize your prediction.

• Suppose your region is facing power shortages
(brownouts). How would you propose solving the problem? Defend your proposed solution on both economic and environmental grounds.

Cradle to the Grave
Impacts of Fossil Fuels
• List all the environmental impacts that occur during the “life span” of gasoline—that is, from exploratory drilling to the consumption of gasoline in your car.

• Explore the positions of the following regarding an increase in CAFE requirements: the fossil fuel industry, the automobilemanufacturing companies, the steel industry,
Congress, the Union of Concerned Scientists, and the National Academy of Sciences. How do they differ, and why?
• Corporate Average Fuel Economy