Educational Media Reviews Online

This video provides information on various technologies currently available in the United Kingdom to make cars lighter without comprising safety features. Environmental concerns and traffic flow problems currently of interest in the UK are also highlighted and discussed. The city of Edinburgh, Scotland, and some of its solutions to this problem is featured as well. Currently, three solutions to these problems have been explored, and are examined in this video: electronic cars, hybrid cars, and electrolysis/fuel cell cars. Electronic cars and engines are virtually maintenance-free, but government entities would have to provide incentives for purchase as well as recharging stations across the country for this option to work. Hybrid cars, using both diesel and electronic power, would provide a cut in vehicle emissions and an increase in vehicle performance, but again the issues of recharging stations and proper maintenance in a dual-power source engine are issues. Finally, electrolysis/fuel cell cars are much more complex and difficult to build and maintain, but proper governmental and corporate support would be crucial to the success of this and any of the other options.

This video highlights global concerns with fossil fuel consumption and pollution, even though the focus is on the UK. There are some good 3-D graphics that explain the various fuel possibilities listed above, and the video is informative and educational. I would recommend this video to K-12 classes on issues in ecology, technology, and society.