Choose a topic in your major (or a topic that particularly interests you) that is related to energy and the environment. Put together a 2-page report of your findings (single-spaced, 1-inch margins), a business proposal, multimedia presentation, a play, etc. You can choose from the list below or come up with your own idea – be creative and have fun!
Groups of up to 4 students are allowed – each student is responsible for 2 pages (e.g. a group of 4 will hand in an 8-page report). You can work alone, choose your own groups, or request to be placed in a group.
Your grade will be based on how well you incorporate 1 – 2 major concepts that we learned (or will learn) during the semester and the accuracy of statements related to these concepts.
5-7 projects will be selected based on comprehensiveness of the project, incorporation of ideas and concepts presented in the course, creativity, presentation, and diversity of format. The selected individuals or groups will have 5 minutes to present their projects on the final day of class (December 12th). Students will vote for their favorite project at the end of the class. The top two teams will be announced and awarded a prize at the beginning of the final exam.
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Major Sample ideas
Anthropology How is climate change affecting a specific group of people in the world and their livelihood?
Architecture Propose a plan to make a building more “green”
Economics How would enforcing a cap on CO2 production affect the economy in developing countries, such as China and India?
How will the global economy be affected if we do not address climate change?
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Educational theatre Write a short skit to teach the audience about a topic related to protecting our environment
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??Finance Take a closer look at the trading of SO2 allowances – are coal plants actively using them? How was the price of an allowance set?
Create a balance sheet to determine how long would it take to recoup the cost of installing a solar cell on your home.
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Food sciences How do our food choices affect our CO2 footprint? (buying locally, vegetarian vs. eating meat, etc.)
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Journalism Write an article about what steps NYU is taking to reduce its CO2 footprint as a university
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History What lessons can we learn from the energy crisis in the 1970s?
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Hotel Management Design a “green” hotel or propose a plan to make a hotel more environmentally-friendly
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Marketing Design an ad campaign to promote a particular renewable energy technology
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Psychology Design a study to understand how our habits affect the choices we make in terms of recycling, foods, conservation, etc.
Social Devise a plan to use renewable technologies to help businesses in entrepreneurship developing countries
