Students get a glimpse of future without oil

Local high school students are on the road to breaking the oil addiction they’re inheriting from their parents’ generation.

Sixteen students at the Colorado Springs School are studying energy for a month, from fossil fuels to renewable resources.

After learning about coal, crude oil, natural gas, nuclear energy, biomass, solar power, wind power, hydrogen and ethanol, the students got their final assignment: design and build a model car powered by a hydrogen fuel cell that travels at least 10 meters (32.81 feet).
Some students plan to make lifestyle changes based on what they’re learning about the dwindling supply of fossil fuels and the Bush administration’s push to reduce the nation’s dependency on foreign energy sources.

West said she’s going to get her bicycle fixed so she can ride instead of drive and look for ways to reduce energy consumption as she heads into a career in biology.

“This really opened my eyes to how much energy we waste,” agreed 11th-grader Robert Kosar. “It’s time to find something else that’ll work for the future.”

The Gazette