14 lines
1.2 KiB
Plaintext
14 lines
1.2 KiB
Plaintext
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Dear Editor,
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One of my regular preps at Winona State University is a Science and Social policy class that discusses how energy is used by modern society, and the negative ramifications of different policy choices (coal ash, carbon emissions, Hg in fish, etc). The course is taken by students from across the University. One of the difficult parts of the class - even for our Physics majors - is the wide variety of units the course employs. Everyone has to spend some time learning or remembering how to convert.
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I've begun teaching the class with an initial emphasis on food production - everyone eats, and everyone can relate to the number of Calories in a burrito. I think this is a nice way to start the class, and somewhat unexpectedly, this approach allows us to tackle some ethically challenging issues in food production and allocation.
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In the paper I lay out the introduction to food energy and then walk through two historical/ethical examples, one involving the possible size of the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan, and the second involving the Great (Potato) Famine in Ireland.
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I think the paper is more than 3000 words, but I wasn't sure what to cut out for the story to be coherent. I'd be grateful for your consideration.
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Regards,
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Nathan Moore
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