The LOC.GOV Wise Guide : Projecting the Environment

Environmental issues are important to today’s youth and this interest is reflected in their science fair projects. Science fair administrators estimate an increase in the number of environmental projects submitted by students ,with 40 percent of all projects directly relating to the environment. These projects highlight growing concerns about sustainability, climate change, and the effects of pollution on air, water, and vegetation. They also serve to educate the students’ peers and others about the environment.

Chemical prospecting for oil becomes more and more important. As the war goes on the demand for oil increases. Petroleum engineers call chemical prospecting the first scientific approach to the detection of oil in the earth. The big glass condensers, with which these engineering students are working with a professor of geophysics, are used in a soil analysis test. The percentage of wax left as residue at the end of the experiment indicates the nearness of petroleum to the site from which the soil sample was taken. Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colo. 1942

The Science, Technology and Business Division has updated its Science Tracer Bullet on Environmental Science Projects to provide sources to assist middle-school students and teachers in planning, preparing, and executing environmental science fair projects. Sources in other areas of science are listed in Science Fair Projects. More specialized titles are listed in Space Science Projects and Science Projects in Biology.

What's a Tracer Bullet? The Tracer Bullet series contains research guides that help you locate information on science and technology subjects with brief introductions to the topics, lists of resources and strategies for finding more. Many of the resources listed in these guides can be found in your local library. From “Automotive Safety” to “Wind Power,” the Tracer Bullets can save many hours of research time on a variety of scientific topics.

The division also offers subject-specific guides that not only provide links to corresponding Science Tracer Bullets but also Internet resources, specific bibliographies and Science Reference Guides, which are intended to help researchers navigate the Library's catalogs and introduce basic reference sources.

A. Environment! 1970. Prints and Photographs Division. Reproduction Information: Call No.: POS 6 - U.S., no. 975 (C size) <P&P>[P&P]

B. Chemical prospecting for oil becomes more and more important. As the war goes on the demand for oil increases. Petroleum engineers call chemical prospecting the first scientific approach to the detection of oil in the earth. The big glass condensers, with which these engineering students are working with a professor of geophysics, are used in a soil analysis test. The percentage of wax left as residue at the end of the experiment indicates the nearness of petroleum to the site from which the soil sample was taken. Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colo. 1942. Prints and Photographs Division. Reproduction Information: Reproduction No.: LC-USE6-D-008686 (b&w film nitrate neg.); Call No.: LC-USE6- D-008686 [P&P]