Wessner Warmup to introduce this activity: https://www.nrel.gov/news/video/transportation-energy-basics-text.html

Purpose: Research can be a long, arduous process. It is also a crucial part of the studio process and can help you generate lots of new, creative ideas and solutions. To get as much access to useful information as possible, we'll each take on a small portion of the research and move onto brainstorming!

Prompt: Work in small teams and choose from the following list: solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal, biomass, or tidal. 

Each group will have about 20 minutes to research and learn about the renewable energy systems, then you will answer the questions below and share your knowledge with the rest of the class. This will be a casual share-out of knowledge. This research will be quick and collaborative. As we shareout, Ms. Wessner will create a precedent map of our findings.

Instructions:

1. Research your selected energy source. A good starting point is this resource: http://www.landartgenerator.org/LAGI-FieldGuideRenewableEnergy-ed2.pdf
2. Jot down 5 key takeaways (useful information, things you didn't know before.) This should be 5 takeaways PER PERSON. (for instance, if there are 3 people in your group you should have 15 facts total)
3. Share your reflections. How does this research inform your ideas about future of transit and personalized mobility?

Related links

1. https://news.mongabay.com/2021/03/new-age-of-sail-looks-to-slash-massive-maritime-carbon-emissions/
   
2. http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/wind-power-profile/
3. http://www.sciencealert.com/the-netherlands-aims-to-have-a-completely-wind-powered-railway-system-by-2018
4. http://www.railjournal.com/index.php/europe/dutch-trains-to-be-wind-powered-from-2018.html
5. http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/wind-power-profile/

How wind turbines work (info-graphic): https://www.saveonenergy.com/how-wind-turbines-work/

At the occasion of #COP26, the UIC presents this Vision 2030, painting the picture of how, given the right action and investment, we can design a better future where rail is the backbone of a sustainable mobility system. 

This inspiring vision, created by UIC Global Rail Sustainability Taskforce, describes a future where we are on track to decarbonise transport and a thriving railway has unleashed many benefits for society. The vision includes a call for action to help design this better future.

https://www.alstom.com/

Imagine a day without vehicles. No cars, buses, trucks, rideshares.

It's almost impossible to imagine, right? Transportation is an integral part of our everyday lives. The average American drives more than 15,000 miles and spends 54 hours stuck in traffic every year. Ouch.

Today, transportation makes up nearly 30% of our energy use in the United States and most of our oil consumption.

We're thinking differently about how to travel in a sustainable way. Introducing the latest in mobility innovation!

https://www.nrel.gov/news/video/transportation-energy-basics-text.html

Batteries made from an electrically conductive mixture the consistency of molasses could help solve a critical piece of the decarbonization puzzle. An interdisciplinary team from MIT has found that an electrochemical technology called a semisolid flow battery can be a cost-competitive form of energy storage and backup for variable renewable energy (VRE) sources such as wind and solar.

https://news.mit.edu/2021/energy-storage-solution-soft-serve-ice-cream-1130