SOC 71045 Conestoga College Sustainable Energy Case Report

SOC71045 Science, Technology, & SocietyAssignment Winter 2022
Sustainable Energy – Academic Poster
Canada is a highly industrialized country. Many of our technologies are powered by electricity.
As our population grows, and demands for electricity increase, questions arise about whether
our current electricity generation/use system is sustainable.
For this assignment, you are required to research and create an academic poster to report on a
topic – a form of electricity generation technology – and discuss sustainability.
An academic poster is not artwork. It is a format that can be used to share research findings in
an interesting and concise way – it is like a visual essay with words and graphics. Your
academic poster can include figures, diagrams and /or tables (yours) or sourced data (if
copyright allows). An academic poster should enable others to understand your research and
show your knowledge and analysis of a topic. Your academic poster must be produced on ONE
custom-sized PowerPoint slide measuring standard academic poster size 48 x 36 inches (1 inch
=2.54 cm) (you don’t have to print it). It can be in portrait or landscape orientation.
Choose a topic from ONE of the following:
Biofuels (e.g., biogas,
ethanol and more)
Nuclear (fission, heavy
water, light water
reactors, CANDU
reactors, SMRs -small
modular reactors)
Nuclear (Fusion)
Hydro (dams, rivers,
waterfalls, municipal
water, wave, tides)
Geothermal (power
plants, domestic or
commercial in situ smaller
scale geothermal units)
Petroleum derivatives
(gasoline, diesel, or
kerosene)
Natural Gas
Solar – photovoltaics
Propane (from natural
gas or petroleum)
Wind
Hydrogen
Coal
In the poster provide section headings and add subsections as appropriate to your topic:
• Introduction & overview
• Topic-specific information (this may span several sections).
• Key risks and challenges
• Analysis
• Sustainability
• Recommendations
• Conclusion
• References
Winter 2022
SOC71045 Science, Technology, & Society
Demonstrate your ability to meet course and learning outcomes and share your research
findings and analysis. Be sure to reference all sources (including any figures, diagrams,
photos, and pictures) both in-text and with a references list. PDF your completed file and
upload it to the Assignment folder in eConestoga.
Refer to the rubric for guidance regarding standards and expectations. Submit your poster to the
Assignment Drop Box in eConestoga by the due date.
Some questions to think about (you may think of more, and some may not apply to your topic):
• How is electricity generated?
• How does electricity get transported from the source of production to the user?
• Can electricity be stored? Is storage a problem?
• Is the source fuel for this type of electricity renewable or non-renewable?
• Is the source ‘fuel’ readily available and sustainable?
• What are the capital outlay and/or operational costs?
• Does this form of electricity harm the environment? How?
• What are some of the benefits of this form of electricity generation?
• What are some of the drawbacks of this form of electricity?
• Is there any waste? What happens to it?
• Are there geographical advantages or disadvantages for this form?
• Is the electricity weather dependent or seasonal?
• Cost of production/selling price?
• Consumer preferences.
This assignment contributes towards meeting the required course outcome #2
Examine the concept of industrialization and the use of energy, in order to propose measures to
mitigate negative impacts, protect the environment, and move towards sustainability.
You may find the following links helpful.
How to Create a Research Poster in PowerPoint – YouTube
Poster 2.cdr (conestogac.on.ca) (See this link for an example of an academic poster. It uses
portrait orientation, but landscape orientation is also OK)
Winter 2022
SOC71045 Science, Technology, & Society
Assignment Winter 2022
Sustainable Energy – Academic Poster
Canada is a highly industrialized country. Many of our technologies are powered by electricity.
As our population grows, and demands for electricity increase, questions arise about whether
our current electricity generation/use system is sustainable.
For this assignment, you are required to research and create an academic poster to report on a
topic – a form of electricity generation technology – and discuss sustainability.
An academic poster is not artwork. It is a format that can be used to share research findings in
an interesting and concise way – it is like a visual essay with words and graphics. Your
academic poster can include figures, diagrams and /or tables (yours) or sourced data (if
copyright allows). An academic poster should enable others to understand your research and
show your knowledge and analysis of a topic. Your academic poster must be produced on ONE
custom-sized PowerPoint slide measuring standard academic poster size 48 x 36 inches (1 inch
=2.54 cm) (you don’t have to print it). It can be in portrait or landscape orientation.
Choose a topic from ONE of the following:
Biofuels (e.g., biogas,
ethanol and more)
Nuclear (fission, heavy
water, light water
reactors, CANDU
reactors, SMRs -small
modular reactors)
Nuclear (Fusion)
Hydro (dams, rivers,
waterfalls, municipal
water, wave, tides)
Geothermal (power
plants, domestic or
commercial in situ smaller
scale geothermal units)
Petroleum derivatives
(gasoline, diesel, or
kerosene)
Natural Gas
Solar – photovoltaics
Propane (from natural
gas or petroleum)
Wind
Hydrogen
Coal
In the poster provide section headings and add subsections as appropriate to your topic:
• Introduction & overview
• Topic-specific information (this may span several sections).
• Key risks and challenges
• Analysis
• Sustainability
• Recommendations
• Conclusion
• References
Winter 2022
SOC71045 Science, Technology, & Society
Demonstrate your ability to meet course and learning outcomes and share your research
findings and analysis. Be sure to reference all sources (including any figures, diagrams,
photos, and pictures) both in-text and with a references list. PDF your completed file.
Refer to the rubric for guidance regarding standards and expectations. Submit your poster to the
Assignment Drop Box in eConestoga by the due date.
Some questions to think about (you may think of more, and some may not apply to your topic):
• How is electricity generated?
• How does electricity get transported from the source of production to the user?
• Can electricity be stored? Is storage a problem?
• Is the source fuel for this type of electricity renewable or non-renewable?
• Is the source ‘fuel’ readily available and sustainable?
• What are the capital outlay and/or operational costs?
• Does this form of electricity harm the environment? How?
• What are some of the benefits of this form of electricity generation?
• What are some of the drawbacks of this form of electricity?
• Is there any waste? What happens to it?
• Are there geographical advantages or disadvantages for this form?
• Is the electricity weather dependent or seasonal?
• Cost of production/selling price?
• Consumer preferences.
This assignment contributes towards meeting the required course outcome #2
Examine the concept of industrialization and the use of energy, in order to propose measures to
mitigate negative impacts, protect the environment, and move towards sustainability.
You may find the following links helpful.
How to Create a Research Poster in PowerPoint – YouTube
Poster 2.cdr (conestogac.on.ca) (See this link for an example of an academic poster. It uses
portrait orientation, but landscape orientation is also OK)
Winter 2022