ATEEC/MIT-LFEE LEARNING MODULES:

Technology and Environmental Decisionmaking
A critical-thinking approach to 7 environmental challenges

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The Advanced Technology Environmental Education Center (ATEEC) and the Laboratory for Energy and the Environment (LFEE) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) present a seven-module CD-ROM for college and high school instructors.  Each module offers a closer look at an important environmental issue, plus resources and activities for use in the classroom.

The instructional modules result from an innovative partnership between a research institution and a community college to incorporate cutting-edge research into undergraduate and high school course materials.  This dynamic learning tool allows for a better prepared and energized faculty, attracts more students, and justifies investing in continued research.

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"We must take every opportunity to get knowledge into the hands of people who can use it, and this project is an excellent start to doing just that."

                  --Jeffrey Steinfeld, Professor of Chemistry, MIT

MTBE:  From America's Most Wanted to Most Unwanted Gasoline Additive.  When methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) was added to gasoline, advocates saw it as a means of helping to solve air pollution problems in the U.S.  But after years of leaks from underground storage tanks put MTBE in the nation's ground water, everyone is asking how we failed to foresee the potential for water pollution.  A look at the complex process of environmental decisionmaking using MTBE as a case study.

Climate Change.  A resource to help you and your students understand, evaluate, and respond to the complex issues related to climate change.  Discover what we know about climate change, who evaluates and interprets that information, how climate change affects individuals and society, and how to adapt to and reduce climate change.

Air Quality.  Using excerpts from Air Quality in the Mexico Megacity, a research text edited by Nobel laureate Prof. Mario Molina and Dr. Luisa Molina, the module explores current air quality challenges and solutions.  Air quality research is framed as a multi-disciplinary venture, using perspectives from technical, natural, and social sciences to contribute to successful environmental decisions.

Round Rivers.  The quality of our local water supplies is inextricably linked to the quality of regional and even global water supply systems.  This module looks at the interconnectivity of surface water systems and the impact of agricultural nonpoint source (NPS) contamination on those systems.  A case study features the hypoxia in the northern Gulf of Mexico's "dead zone" and provides examples of the scientific principles discussed in the module.

Troubled Waters Underground.  Half of the drinking water in the U.S. -- and that includes more than 95 percent of the nation's rural drinking water -- comes from underground sources of water, or ground water.  But how safe IS the nation's drinking water?  This module looks at ground water quality and how it can be affected by industrial point source chemical contamination.  A case study of Woburn, Massachusetts -- the same scenario featured in the book and film, A Civil Action -- illustrates this important issue. 

Driving in the 21st Century:  The Future of the Automobile.  While the automobile provides us with convenient, personalized transportation, it also contributes to pollution, climate change, and dependence on foreign oil.  Investigate some of the new technologies being developed to make automobiles cleaner and less dependent on gasoline, including hybrid-electric vehicles, fuel cell vehicles, and alternative fuels.  Discussion also includes the automobile's impact on society and alternatives to personal auto use.

Environmental Decisionmaking.  This module examines the complex nature of environmental policies, including our society's decisionmaking structures, the myriad stakeholders involved, and the decisionmaking tools used in the process.  Examples from the other modules and additional resources illustrate the difficulties of devising sound environmental policy in light of scientific uncertainty, differing economic and political perspectives, and technological challenges.

This CD is an effective learning tool designed to reinforce student understanding in these high school and college classes:

For more information, contact:
ATEEC
500 Belmont Road
Bettendorf, IA  52722
Ph: 563.441.4097 or 800.850.5443
Fx: 563.441.4080
Email: ateec@eicc.edu
Web site: www.ateec.org

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Technology and Environmental Decisionmaking
A critical-thinking approach to 7 environmental challenges

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