99th ESA Annual Meeting (August 10 -- 15, 2014)

OOS 8

Achieving Energy and Ecological Literacies for All: Towards Best Practices in Science Education and Outreach at the Interface

This session is a series of case studies developed by ecologists and educators to improve literacy at the interface between ecology and energy. Recently, energy literacy has become a concern for scientists, policymakers, and educators since energy is central to our lives, and aspects of energy production, transmission, and consumption are often fiercely debated. Examination of these debates often reveals a lack of understanding of key energy principles – especially regarding supply and demand, benefits and risks of energy choices, and concepts relating to sustainability. In particular, the ecological impacts of different forms of energy generation and transmission are often poorly understood by different stakeholders, despite the extensive research of ecologists over the past century. How does one best evaluate the risks and benefits of energy choices, given their distinct environmental impacts on humans and the non-human components of ecosystems? To improve energy literacy, ecologists and other environmental and science educators will present programs suited to various audiences. These include college undergraduates – both science majors and non-majors, and K-12 audiences in formal school settings, or through informal approaches such as youth organizations. This session complements the symposium titled, Achieving Energy and Ecological Literacies for All: Opportunities for Science Education and Outreach at the Interface that takes a more global view of the question of energy literacy, especially as it relates to ecological impacts and sustainability. The Symposium and this Organized Oral are developed and supported by members of ESA’s Education and Environmental Justice Sections, and the Committee on Diversity in Ecology.