Please follow the instructions for the expected content, it will be graded by looking for these points.
This paper is worth 10 points.
The problem: Economically valuable resources (such as oil or metals) can reach a peak consumption because the increasing demand is eventually tempered by the decrease in availability. (This will be discussed in class.) Several of the patterns of use related to this are:
peak and decline (such as The Hubbert Bubble or Hubbert's Peak)
resource switching (Figure 17-34 in the book and also link)
recycling to delay the decrease (Figure 15-16 in the book)
The point of your paper is to address the environmental and economic issues related to the decrease in resource availability and, in fact, trend toward scarcity. We are actively searching for "renewable" or "green" substitutes for these resources. For example, we are replacing fossil fuel with bio-diesel, and petro-plastics with corn-plastics. This maybe a step in the right direction but will it solve our environmental problems or just move them somewhere else. Remember what Wendell Berry says about three types of solutions (and I'm paraphrasing drastically here) : 1- don't really solve it, 2) moves the problem elsewhere, 3) solves the problem in the pattern of which it was created. Are recycling and using renewable resources just examples of 1 & 2 or do they really solve the problem?
In this paper, explain how you would address the problem critically, don't just provide a simple solution.
Address:
If you get stuck, please email me about your ideas, and I'll give you a little guidance.
Your paper will be graded with the following general rubric with the points for each in parentheses:
Content
(3) description of peak resource use, resource switching and recycling
(2) how renewable substitutes for these would change that pattern
Analysis
(3) your plan for critical analysis of the environmental impact of more use of renewable energy and materials
Details
(1) overall readability of the paper and was it engaging
(1) no spelling or grammar errors