When I first began to think of research questions I decided to think about topics that interested me.  I then came to the conclusion that I should write on a topic related to my major, marine science.  This led me to a wide range of ideas, many of which could be answered by a simple Google search.  As I delved deeper into possible topics I then came across a largely relevant, globally inclusive, and highly debatable topic; the concept of wave or tidal energy.  This topic is one that relates to my studies in school due to its relevance to my major. I decided that gaining a much greater knowledge such a topic like this one could be highly useful to me as I continue on through college and into a professional career.  The concept of wave energy affects my values because of the confliction between environmental responsibility and fiscal responsibility.  Personally, I have done a project in high school on this topic but that was before I had even decided that marine science was what I wanted to study in college.  I am qualified to write about this because I have already learned a large amount about the ocean and waves in my college experience.

The first article I found from an international news source discusses how the first power plant in the world is relying solely on the power of waves for its source of energy.  This plant is located off the coast of Portugal, an area of Earth that receives some of the greatest amount of wave action. 

The major values at stake for this article are displaying how this form of energy has been successful in one instance.  The author addresses how this power plant has provided energy for a large number of homes on the coast of Portugal. Also discussed is factors that would affect the installation of wave farms and how much energy could be produced.

The author may be biased in his assessment of viability of using multiple wave farms to produce energy to power all of Portugal, something like that would be impossible for many reasons. The amount of space that would be taken up by wave energy devices would not only affect marine ecosystems, but also would be a large eyesore along coasts. 

The New York Times article I found discusses the growing possibility for large scale use of wave and tidal energy to power homes in many areas of the world.  The author gives examples of wave energy farms around the British Isles, as well as a tidal energy production station in the East River in New York state.

Major interests at stake are the production of clean renewable energy with little to no negative environmental impact.  The author is concerned with maximum energy being produced without harming the environment in any detrimental fashion.  The author also talks about the costs of such devices being installed and the history of the development of wave energy devices.

The author is biased in that she states repeatedly how these devices should be installed on many coasts around the world as soon as possible, but the technology of the devices used to generate energy from waves needs much more development before large scale usage can begin, despite the ever increasing need for more energy with less negative environmental impact. 

The third source I found is an informative source from Renewable Northwest. It talks in great detail how wave energy works and possible production along American coasts as well as the environmental impacts of such devices. The author also displays through images a few images examples of some prototype designs for wave energy generators.

Major values at stake are the production of a sustainable, clean energy source with minimal negative environmental effects and harm.  Discussed in detail are the positive aspects of wave energy, some negatives are mentioned but not in great detail. This was surprising, considering the source is an advocate for renewable energy.

The source is very much biased towards the vast expansion of renewable energy around the world, so they display primarily the positives of this energy source while hardly addressing negatives. Taking all of this into account, this source can be useful, but only when taken with a grain of salt.

This research question is arguable from different viewpoints as there is such a large confliction between many factors.  There is always the question of whether the amount of energy produced is worth the great costs of creating, installing, and running wave energy generators.  Also playing a part is environmental impacts not only on the physical ocean floor and shores, but to marine life and their living habits. In addition to this, the problem with these devices possibly being large eyesores could be detrimental to tourism in areas where these devices are installed.  Some source advocated for installation while others believe the negatives outweigh the positives.  These different perspectives affected my viewpoint slightly but I honestly feel like I need to do more research before deciding if wave energy could be the energy source of the future, or at least a main player in the renewable energy game.

