Keirstyn Marcucci

EGEE 101H
1/13/15
Overall, I do not know as much as I probably used about energy and the environment as a
whole. Although I took EGEE 102 as a sophomore, I did not retain most of the information from
the class.
Fortunately, I do know some basic things about energy. I understand that we are in
desperate need for new sources of energy instead of relying on coal, natural gas, and oil, as these
non-renewable fossil fuels are starting to deplete. At our current usage, there is enough coal to
last a few decades, but as for natural gas and oil, there is even less time. In order to survive, there
must be a switch to a renewable or green resource in the near future. Solar, hydro, and wind
energy are the most commonly talked about renewable resources.
The current methods we use for energy sources are also causing a lot of damage to the
environment through the release of greenhouse gases, which destroy the o-zone layer. Global
warming is also a huge issue throughout the world, even though some are not willing to admit its
existence, but if we keep burning fossil fuels as we are now, we could end up creating a
devastating environmental problem.
During this class, I would like to hear more about fracking, as it is an issue we hear talked
about often throughout Pennsylvania. There was also talk of starting fracking at the Pittsburgh
airport back in September and I would like to be more informed about this since there is a chance
it could greatly affect me as a Pittsburgh resident. I also have a lot of interest in learning about
the renewable resources we have and how usage for those is growing, especially solar power and
electric cars.