Student Worksheet

Activity InstructionsCMS

Where does your energy come from? How does energy affect our environment? In this activity you will investigate the relationship between energy choices and liveability.

Part A: Exploring ‘Liveability’?

Step 1.

Liveability is the qualities of a place that contribute to the quality of life in that place. Different aspects of liveability are important to different people in different ways.

What are your personal views on liveability? Rank the following factors of liveability from 1 (most important to me) to 7 (least important to me). Note: You could also add other factors that you think are important to liveability and rank them alongside those listed below.

Access to nature
Shops
Cafés and restaurants
Good neighbours
Parks
Sports centre
Peace and quiet

Step 2.

Now watch and analyse the following clip about liveability. You can use the table below to guide your analysis of this clip. What does the presenter say about the physical, social and cultural aspects of liveability? What are the ingredients for a liveable city? Record your thoughts in the table.

Part B: How Does Energy Affect Liveability And The Environment?

Step 1.

Energy affects liveability in a number of ways. Think about what you need energy for in your daily life, and what would happen if you had no access to electricity. For example, what would happen if you couldn’t keep food cool, or charge your phone?

Having no access to electricity would have a dramatic effect on your life, and could ultimately affect you in terms of nutrition, health and education. Having no or limited access to electricity is known as 'energy poverty', and is a situation facing many people in Australia and around the world.

You will now investigate fossil fuels, their environmental impacts, and how these affect liveability.

First, consider the following:

From the time of the Industrial Revolution, most energy generation relied on fossil fuels (fossil fuels are natural fuels that were formed in the geological past from the remains of living organisms). The role that energy generation from fossil fuels has played in our modern lives should not be understated; almost all of the things we do and use have their roots in energy sourced from fossil fuels. The problem is, burning fossil fuels to power our modern lives has a range of environmental impacts.

Note: If you want to find out more about the chemical processes and causes of climate change, watch this clip from the 2040 documentary:

Click link to watch: 2040 – Exploring the Themes (Password: 2040_EDU)

Step 2.

Now, complete the following questions by conducting research online to help you find your answers. Consider using the following resources to help you conduct your research:

Fossil Fuel - Britannica Kids

Climate Kids NASA - Energy

1. What are fossil fuels?

2. What is one type of fossil fuel?

3. What is an environmental impact of this fossil fuel, either in sourcing the fuel, transportation or energy production?

4. How does this environmental impact affect liveability?

Part C: Improving Our Environment And Liveability Through Our Energy Choices

Step 1.

Now watch this clip from the 2040 documentary about decentralised energy. The community presented in this clip is from Bangladesh, a country of around 160 million people, 70 million of whom do not have access to grid electricity, with another 60 million having unreliable grid connections (see Lighting Global).

Click to watch: 2040 – Decentralised Energy (Password: 2040_EDU)

Note: If you are unfamiliar with how solar panels work, check out this webpage: https://www.yourhome.gov.au/energy/batteries-and-inverters

Step 2.

Once you have watched the clip, answer the questions below:

Step 3.

Your task now is to compare solar power with the fossil fuel you investigated in Part B of this activity.

You will compare these two energy sources using a range of different factors.

Use the table below to rate each factor for each energy type out of 10 (with 1 being 'poor' and 10 being 'excellent'). You should also add notes to each point to justify the rating given. An extra row has been provided in the table so you can add your own factor if you have one.

Part D: Reflecting On Liveability And Energy

What do you think about liveability and our energy choices? Complete the following sentences:

• I used to think…

• But now I think…

.

Note: The following clip will help you think about the future challenges as well as the future opportunities for our energy future:

Click to watch: 2040 – Energy News Report (Password: 2040_EDU)

Take It Further

Activity 1.

Watch the following clip from the 2040 documentary:

What's Your 2040 - For Energy? (Password: 2040_EDU)

Answer the questions in the table below:

Activity 2.

Create a report to explain the relationship between energy choices and liveability.

Your report should follow this structure:

Introduction - What are you investigating and describing in this report?
Key terms - What is meant by the key terms you use in this report (e.g. liveability, energy, energy choices, sustainability, etc.)?
Body of the report
- What are fossil fuels and what impact do they have on the environment?
- Present your table and justify your ratings of coal and solar power.
Conclusion - Summarise key points and make recommendations on what energy is better for liveability.

You will need to do some research on Google for your report. Follow these search strategies.

Reports need to include supporting images - remember that online images are often subject to copyright. Instead, you could use images from the Cool Australia Digital Library, or you can take your own photos or create your own graphics.

2040 - Connecting Energy Use And Liveability

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