Biotecnología y energía sostenible: estudio de percepciones y actitudes; y propuesta de actividades para Educación Secundaria

Abstract

En el presente Trabajo Fin de Máster por un lado se estudian las percepciones y actitudes sobre la energía sostenible (entendida por la ONU como aquella energía que se produce y se usa de forma que apoye a largo plazo el desarrollo humano en el ámbito social, económico y ecológico) en un grupo de alumnos que cursan 4º de ESO a través de un cuestionario preparado a partir de la literatura y trabajos anteriores, para posteriormente diseñar e implementar un conjunto de actividades teórico–prácticas motivadoras y muy atractivas como parte de la unidad didáctica “Fuentes de Energía y Sostenibilidad” que se ha llevado a cabo en el I.E.S. Rayuela de Móstoles (Madrid). Parte de las actividades propuestas están diseñadas con un enfoque hacia la biotecnología y su papel en la consecución de nuevas fuentes de energía.Products derived from fossil fuels and uranium minerals set up the conventional energy sources. The current energy production system is mainly based on these kinds of non renewable energy sources. Non renewable energy sources are essential on the extraordinary economic development and standard of living, experimented by the population in last decades (AOP, 2002): the wide range of fuels like gasoline and diesel used in cars, kerosene used in aviation or enriched uranium used in fission nuclear reactors has become essential elements of mobility and transport to the dwellers; and the fundamentals on electric power industry. However, Spanish legislation and broadly along de whole world is evolving to a sustainable industrial and energetic development, respectful towards natural environment. Main disadvantages of non renewable energy sources are their limited availability, pollution emissions, increase of greenhouse gases and radioactive products complicated to store (IDEA, 2011). The Kyoto Protocol (UNFCCC, 2008) is an international agreement which commits its signatory countries by setting binding targets for reducing greenhouse gases emissions internationally; the White Book of Renewable Energies and the Europe Directive 2009/28/CE, which sets a 20% renewable energy use to total consumption, are some of the environmental agreements whereby many countries present their national and international concern. The year 2012 was declared by United Nations at the Earth Summit in Río de Janeiro as “the International Year of Sustainable Energy” and one of the most important conclusions was the key to achieving environmental sustainability lies on instruction, in other words, lies on the efficient environmental education. The current year 2014 is the Year of Biotechnology in Spain. How to join biotechnology and sustainable energy? On the one hand, in the present Master’s Thesis (hereinafter TFM) will be studied perceptions and attitudes about sustainable energy (understood by United Nations as the energy which is produced and used on the way to hold human social, economical and ecological development) of a group of secondary school students (fourth grade) using a questionnaire from literature (Aguirre – Bielschowsky et al., 2012) and previous works (García, 2013), to design and implement several theoretical – practical activities, highly attractive and motivational; located on the didactic unit called “Energies Sources and Sustainability” conducted on the Secondary High School Rayuela, in Móstoles (Madrid). Some proposed activities are designed with a prospect to biotechnology and the development of new energy sources