Energy touches our lives in countless ways and its costs are felt when we fill up at the gas pump, pay our home heating bills, and keep our businesses running. Our country faces the challenge of developing an energy portfolio that addresses these concerns while still providing sufficient, affordable energy reserves for the nation. This collection analyzes the potential of a wide range of technologies for generation, distribution, and conservation of energy. These reports are necessary in assessing associated impacts and projected costs of increased energy efficiency, coal-fired power generation, nuclear power, renewable energy, oil and natural gas, and alternative transportation fuels.
Climate change is occurring, is caused largely by human activities, and poses significant risks for a broad range of human and natural systems. Human activities largely determine the evolution of the Earth's climate, which not only impact the next few decades, but the coming centuries and millennia. This collection emphasizes the importance of 21st century choices regarding long-term climate stabilization through improving understanding of the causes and consequences of climate change and expanding the options available to limit the magnitude of climate change.
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are cultural achievements that reflect our humanity, power our economy, and constitute fundamental aspects of our lives that contribute to our nation's competitiveness. This collection considers difference school models of STEM education, highlights research on effective STEM education practices, and identifies conditions that promote and limit school success in STEM. These reports are essential for all educators, policy makers, decision makers in school districts, government agencies, curriculum developers, and parent and education advocacy groups.
A quarter of deaths worldwide are caused by infectious organisms. As new infectious diseases are continuing to emerge in new locations around the globe, it is essential society understands the environmental, human health, and ecological impacts cause by infectious diseases. This collection provides an overview of infectious disease, including the biology, history, the future trends of widespread and harmful infections, and what we need to do individually, and as a society, to address this growing global challenge.
