A policy memo analyzes a public policy problem and makes recommendations about how to solve that
problem. It is written with a particular audience in mind- this audience is often a policymaker such as an
elected official or director of a government agency, but it can also be written for an organization outside
government (like Greenpeace) or for the media and general public.
Write a policy memo on an issue related to the topics discussed in this class:
energy policy and physics. You will complete this assignment in two paris, as explained below.
I
PART 1:
Identify and summarize the topic of your policy memo.
Choose a science &/or energy policy issue related to physics that interests you. The topic of your memo is
very important, so do some research and think carefully about it. You should choose a specific issue that is
of interest to you, that you can understand, that you can find adequate information about, and that is
actually a question with different possible answers. For example, should we drill for oil off the shore of
Florida? Should the EPA set CO2 emissions limits? Should Japan re-start nuclear power plants? Should
power companies pay wholesale or retail rates to buy solar power from customers? Should Amazon cover
all of its warehouses in solar panels?
