You are invited to participate in the
North American Young Generation in Nuclear Essay Contest!
Eligibility: High School Student (Grades 9-12)
Due Date: March 3, 2017
Prizes: First place - laptop (Lenovo Yoga 900 or comparable)
Second place - Chromebook
In addition, all top 3 finalists will receive science books, the board game Power Grid, and a copy of the documentary Pandora's Promise.
Essay Prompt: Research energy sources and climate change. Propose an informed energy solution that limits climate change, allows developed countries to maintain their standard of living, and can provide reliable electricity to the 1.2 billion people currently without.ac.cess to power. Proposed energy solution should consider the environmental and practical benefits and consequences of baseload (e.g. nuclear, fossil, hydro) versus intermittent (e.g. wind or solar) sources.
Requirements:
• In this essay, define baseload and intermittent electricity sources.
• Use at least 3 different reliable sources for your research and cite these sources.
• Essay must be between 1000 and 1500 words.
Optional Topics (questions to get you thinking!):
- What is the cause of global warming?
- Where do carbon emissions come from?
- How is electricity made?
- Can electricity be stored?
- How much electricity do we need? How much do we use?
- Could electric cars factor into the solution?
- All electricity generation sources generate waste. How do we deal with this waste?
- (chemical, materials, carbon, radioactive materials)
- What is the average electricity price in the United States?
- Why is a diverse energy portfolio important?
- What are the limitations of each electricity generation source?
Grading: Essays will be graded on meeting the above requirements, content & logical conclusions drawn from reliable sources, and grammar.
Submission: email PDF version to naygn.essay@gmail.com
Questions: email amanda.lang@duke-energy.com
Please visit our website at http://naygn.org/committees/public-information/student-education/ for more information about this contest and about NAYGN.