Term Paper

A term paper of 12-20 pages is due by the class period on Tuesday, April 18. It is worth 40% of your course grade. The paper should treat in depth a topic different from the one you explored for your in-class presentation.

The paper should explore a topic pertinent to the themes of the course, treating technological, environmental, and social aspects of the topic. Examples:
- Coal gasification: technology, economics, and environmental consequences
- Renewable production of hydrogen for the hydrogen economy of the 21st century
- Nuclear power in the 21st century: prospects for the revival of the American nuclear power industry
- Nuclear waste disposal: present perils and future pitfalls in the U.S., Russia, and France
- Lovins' soft energy path: prospects and problems
Papers will be judged on
- the careful, fair, and honest treatment of the various sides of the issue;
- the quality of the sources on which they draw, as well as their careful evaluation within the paper;
- the depth and balance of the treatment of both technical and social issues;
- and the quality of written expression.

Timeline

3/23 — Topic identified. Submit a paragraph description outlining the topic and issues you intend to explore.
4/4 — Three sources of high quality identified. These include books, articles published in refereed journals, and government reports.
4/18 — Paper due. Please submit electronically in the WIKI page for your paper (start at Term Paper Central). Acceptable formats: LaTeX, Word-readable, PDF.
4/27 — Peer reviews due in class. Details to follow.