Cermak Plaza goes Green!

The newest addition to this shopping center is actually not a store. In fact, the newest addition to the shopping center Berwyn, a neighborhood in Chicago, called Cermak Plaza is actually artsy looking turbines. The plaza which already has quirky artwork outside in the parking lot has added to their collection in the form of an alternative energy source. Wind turbines that were fashioned to both reflect light and generate electricty were recently added amongside the sculpture. Tweleve wind turbines now blow in the parking lot everyday creating quick and green energy for the shopping plaza.
Here is the link to the complete article:

Cleaner Air, One Bike at a Time

With most of us being freshmen this year, we didn't have the opportunity to have a car on campus, unless we found some way to jump around the school's usual policy against allowing freshmen students to have cars on campus. However, the year is over and next year will have new opportunites, including the chance to keep a car on campus. But in recent years, Elmhurst College has offered another opportunity to students as well - the Bike Program. As part of a way for Elmhurst College to "go gree", Elmhurst College has started allowing students to reject the opportunity to keep a car on campus and recieve a free bike instead. If the student promises to not bring a motorized vehicle on campus for an entire academic year (with the exception of a temporary winter permit) they will be able to recieve free bikes, helmets and locks. Little do people know, but this opportunity is open to staff as well. For many of the staff this request may be unreasonable, but for some staff that live close enough to the school, this is a nice opportunity for them as well. Not only will riding a bike to school help reduce the amount of gas you use daily (not to mention the extremely high cost of gas these days and all the money you will save) but it will also eliminate any parking troubles and force you to get daily excerise. This was new to me, being a freshman on campus so I looked into it. Something I found out that was interesting and nice to know for us for years to come is, that if you choose to do the bike program numerous years, each additional year you will recieve a free bike tune-up and a $25.00 gift card to spend on any bike accessories you choose. So after a few years, your bike will be able to be decorated to fit your personal style completely...while making Elmhurst a greener campus and reducing the amount of gasoline used yearly. To enroll for the bike program go to this link: http://public.elmhurst.edu/bicycleprogram/43338292.html
Its a great opportunity, so if you haven't already choosen to have a car on campus, you should check it out.

Alternative Energy in Chicago

Solar power is coming to Chicago people! Invenergy, a Chicago wind and solar power company, plans on builing a solar power farm in Illinois. General Electric Co. says that they can demonstrate breakthrough solar power technology with their new thin film solar panels. The solar power farm will use the new panels from General Electric to produce power for Commonweath Edison (announced Dec 16th). They will also use a wind farm located in LaSalle county for power as well. GE said that their new thin fim panels are the most efficient panels on the market in today's society. The company called it, "a huge step toward making more solar available and affordable on a larger scale." Because these panels are so sucessful, GE plans on having a factory that will strickly make these solar panels. It is said that the new solar technology is more efficient by 13% and with each 1% increase in efficiency it inables a 10% cheaper cost. The new GE plant will make enough of these thin film panels, also know as cadmium telluride panels, to power 80,000 homes by the year 2013. The factory will also empoy 400 people in the are which will hopefully help the local economy. Because of this breakthrough, GE will become one of the lead creators of solar panels and will be comepeting against places like First Solar. This shows how involved the city of Chicago is trying to become in the idea of alternative energy, by creating many new solar panels and by using more power from solar energy farms and wind farms.

high purity hydrogen

Researchers at Eindhoven University have developed a cleaner, more efficient way of producing high purity hydrogen from natural gas. Hydrogen is useful because it is a non-polluting, relatively efficient energy carrier. The most common way of producing hydrogen from natural gas is through steam formation, which wastes a lot of energy. Researchers have now developed new technology called "sorption enhanced catalytic reforming of methane.” The process uses a Rhodium-based catalyst, and would allow for the production of hydrogen at a significantly lower temperature and pressure, which results in less wasted energy. If the temperature is between 400-500 degrees and the pressure is around 4.5 bar they “Direct production of high purity hydrogen and fuel conversion greater than 99.5%” can be achieved (Halabi). This seems good to me because it would waste less energy, produce less carbon emissions, and use fewer materials. A downside would be that Rhodium is expensive.



http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110512103946.htm

Biofuels in the aviation industry

I read an article about how the aviation industry is trying to switch to biofuels in an effort to cut gas prices and greenhouse gas emissions. However, researches found large variability in the greenhouse gas emissions of the different biofuels they tested. The article cited MIT, who thought they should not make the switch, at least not as quickly as the aviation industry plans to. They found that when the origins of the biofuel is taken into consideration, what might seem like a promising source of renewable energy might actually be worse for the environment than fossil fuels. Although the article seemed schizophrenic at times, the general feel I got was that the author thought more care needed to be taken when choosing renewable sources of energy, and that industries needed to be thorough and studious, and do the research so they know how green the fuels are before they start to use them.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110511134335.htm

Windfarms Of The Water

A new tecnology is currently under reasearch that will allow humans to generate energy from the waves of the sea. This technology, being named Wing Waves, can generate enough energy to power 200,000 houses with one square mile of wings. All this requires is an ocean coast, a depth of 50ft and a sand floor to be able to install. This pretty much opens up the entire coastline to this new form of alternative energy. Wing Waves as of now have no significant downside as they are very enviromentally friendly, produce electricty from the strongest to the calmest waves and have a huge area of operation. I would not be suprised to see this alternative energy begin to pop up all over the world's coast in the next few years.

http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/electricity-from-wing-waves/

Algae For Energy

I found this report on some new reasearch on turning common algae into biofuel. At the University of Arkanasas chemical engineers and scientists are looking into butanol. In this process algae would be grown in long tanks from which they would be harvested every week. By drying the algae after harvesting it from the tanks, carbohydrates can be taken and fermented to create butanol. Butanol is more efficient then ethanol and they are also thinking of taking algae from dead water, where it choked the life out the wildlife, in an attempt to restore the waterways which is a plus. This process really does the potentional on making a new biofuel that will take ethanol and help relieve the food crysis as well as help restore the dead waterways.

http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/common-algae-biofuel-butanol-production/

War of the Atoms comic

I thought that this cartoon was pretty clever. Since the atom has lost an electron, he is now considered a positive ion. When he says in the cartoon that he is "positive", it has two meanings. On one hand, it means that he is certain he has been hit and on the other hand it means he is now a positively charged ion.
http://www.lab-initio.com/screen_res/nz220.jpg

Acid Rain Comic

I thought that this comic by T. McCracken was pretty humorous because the woman in it has no idea how acid rain works. While in theory it would make sense to counteract acid rain with alkaline rain (in other words, basic rain), it doesn't work like that. We should definitely worry about acid rain because not only does it poison our drinking water, but it also deteriorates statues and buildings. Acid rain is caused by sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions in the atmosphere.
http://www.mchumor.com/chemistry3_bframe.html

Ionic Bonding Comic

I felt proud of myself for understanding the chemistry principles behind this comic. The characters inside the classroom are metals. They form positive ions. They are attracted to the non-metal negative ions outside the classroom and want to form ionic bonds with them. Enjoy!

The original comic can be found here:

http://msflynn.edublogs.org/tag/chemistry/

Molecular Shape Comic

I thought this was a funny comic that related to what we learned about in class. We spent some time talking about the various molecular shapes. I recognized that methane and nitrate both have a tetrahedral shape. However, I don't know what to call the shape of "bomberman"! Enjoy the comic

The original comic can be found here: http://www.willandbeyond.com/?page=2&tag=art

New Possible Alternative Energy Source

I found this little blurb on using plastics by synthesizing them into crude oil and other fuels. The basis of this is on the abundance of plastic we have; 4 million pounds of plastics were recycled in 2009 and still more are filling up landfills. This news release claims that if this were done then there could be enough material to fuel the equivalent of 6 million cars annually. I think that this is astounding and if the technology could be implemented it would do a lot for the fuel issues we are all experiencing. It would be an interesting idea to watch and see if anything comes of it in the future.

http://www.americanchemistry.com/s_acc/sec_news_article.asp?CID=206&DID=11929

Baseball

I found this comic and it related really well to what our last test covered. It might take a minute to get but it is pretty funny once you get it. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I hope you do too! And for that matter I'm excited I actually understand what hydroxide ions have to do with baseball ;)

Burning Water - A Useful Oxymoron

It is true that one would not typically think it is possible for water to burn, hence being considered an oxymoron. Most believe that water is the absolute opposite to fire, and that any mix of the two would result in the fire being extinguished. That didn't stop a man by the name of John Kanzius from realizing the potential of the seemingly impossible thing when he discovered it back in 2007. Kanzius, a cancer researcher, discovered this phenomenon when he attempted to desalinate water during a test in eliminating cancer cells via radio bombardment. According to National Geographic, Kanzius was suprised to see a small 'spark' when the radio waves interacted with the salt water. Going off a hunch, he lifted a flame to the water's surface and it actually lit the water on fire.

Word spread like wildfire on what was being called the greatest water related discovery of 100 years. Holding the potential for being a huge source of alternative energy and water treatment, this discovery went to Rustum Roy, a university chemist at Penn State, to find how this happens. Roy discovered that as long as the radio waves are trained on the water, it would continue to burn. When the radio waves strike the water, the bonds between the hydrogen and the oxygen begin to weaken, allowing them to burn. When burned the water breaks into hydrogen and oxygen gas with then immediately react back with each other to reform water. Because the salt water oceans cover the majority of the Earth, there is no lack of fuel for this process.

Now, the actual burning of the salt water isn't the new alternative energy, rather it is the hydrogen that is broken off from the water in this process that is so important. Hydrogen is a powerful alternative energy source that is almost never found by itself naturally. This process eliminates the need for expensive hydrogen extraction by other means. This process also rids the water of any chemicals within it, creating clean water from dirty ocean salt water. This process it truly useful and energy efficient. Even though the radio waves also require energy to be made, one could attach the radio emitter to something like a solar panel to limit the amount of fossil fuels being used.

THis discovery is probably one of the most important finding for alternative energy production in such a long time. Still, many things still need to be researched before this process can be used as an energy production technique. That does not deter scientists from becoming hopeful that this will one day become an important part in our energy production.

Links:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/09/070913-burning-water_2.html
http://www.livescience.com/1861-remarkable-discovery-scientists-burn-saltwater.html

Water and Energy Use

This picture shows some of the complexities connecting water use and energy use. The accompanying description on the website describes the connection also and states that energy conservation and water conservation are equally related and saving one can save the other. According to the description, 3% of the US water supply is used to generate power and 13% of our power production goes back to treating water supplies.

Water is often suggested as a better means of energy production, but especially with the world's supply going down due to the melting ice sheets and whatnot discussed in class, I'm not sure this is the best solution. Obviously, all solutions have their downsides but it seems to me water might be an unreliable alternative if the supply is already becoming an issue.

(Click on the picture for the full view)

Also found at:

http://www.eeweek.org/water_and_energy_wise/connection

Nanocarbon Batteries

Researchers in Massachusetts are working on a new kind of battery. This battery, unlike current ones made of toxic metals like cadmium and lead, is made almost entirely of carbon. Essentially, this means it would just degrade after a time, or they could be incinerated though that risks releasing more carbon into the atmosphere. It would be a completely organic material, carbon, though in this case organic does not refer to being grown naturally. The new batteries would not release the heavy metal residue into the environment that current options release.

Another strength of the new development is the power packed into these much smaller batteries; smaller meaning up to ten times smaller. These smaller batteries however, would put out the same amount of energy as the currently used batteries. This means they will save energy. That may seem like an odd statement, but they really do save energy. They will not leak out energy like the batteries available today do when they are not being used. All those batteries sitting around on shelves leak out valuable energy but the new and smaller ones would do this significantly less or perhaps even not at all. Therefore, they would be saving energy by not letting it escape.

The new nanotechnology batteries operate by using carbon nanotubes. These are small wires that create a lot of energy. They are too small to be seen by the naked eye and can only be observed through a microscope. The wires receive a fuel coating and the resulting reaction involves thermopower waves. These waves move from one end of the battery to the other with the high level of energy needed for the operation of the battery. These new batteries could allow for many new developments in portable technology and energy saving fields.

All information in this post was found in the following web article: http://articles.cnn.com/2010-03-12/tech/mit.research.electricity_1_laptop-batteries-mit-researchers-power-electronics?_s=PM:TECH

Tax on Electric Cars?

Recently in the Chicago Sun-Times there was an article about a possible bill being passed in the state of Washington about actually putting a tax on electric cars. For years of the government and state encouraging people to purchase electric cars and hybrid cars because they help reduce the amount of pollution and greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere. Residents used to recieve tax breaks after purchasing a fuel-efficient vehicle. However, the state of Washington is now moving towards a completely opposite bill. They want to charge residents with electric cars a tax fee of one-hundred dollars per year. This would be the nation's first ever tax fee on electric cars. This is due to the fact that electric cars use the roads but do not have to pay the taxes placed on gas to help maintain the roads and help fund construction. On average, people with electric cars save 1,000 dollars a year on fuel. This includes taking the amount of money it costs to fuel electric cars. The average U.S. electricity rate is 12 cents per kWh (price ranges widely across the U.S. from around 3 cents in Washington to about 27 cents in Hawaii) the consumer would still be paying about a quarter as much for fuel costs with gas. Not to mention it can also save people thirty to forty dollars every few months without the need for a mechanic oil change. The Washington democratic state senate representative said, "Electric vehicles pit just as much wear and tear on our roads as gas vehicles. This [bill] simply ensures that they contribute their fair share to the upkeep of our roads" (Chicago Sun-Times). In the long run, even with the one-hundred dollar fee, residents with electric cars will be saving a significant amount of money. Electric cars can save the environment and , even with a possible tax, save money for the consumer.

Sources:
www.plugincars.com
www.suntimes.com

Save Yourself the Trouble! Tips on how to save fuel

These last couple of weeks, I’ve been waking up feeling more and more anxious for summer to grace us with its presence, and I’m sure many of you share the same sentiment. I’ve been constantly checking the weather updates online, hoping that “maybe this week we’ll finally have every single day hit above sixty degrees” and “maybe this week the rain will finally stop”. I guess it’s pretty safe to say I’m completely fed up with spring and am entirely ready for Mother Nature to swing us right into the lazy dog days of beautiful summer. However, there’s one thing that I am dreading this summer: gas prices. Just like every summer, gas prices are on the rise yet again, and this year is especially bad what with the political turmoil roiling in the Middle East. Trust me, I have every notion of cracking out that bicycle and minimalizing my time behind the wheel, but I also have a couple road trips planned, and my twenty-gallon, eighty-dollar-to-fill-up gas tank ominously looms in my driveway. But what can I do? I have no choice but to fill my old Buick with gasoline, I can’t fill it with water or dirt. Thus, I decided to research ways that I can save fuel this summer, and the reason for posting this on an alternative energy blog? It turns out that saving fuel (and therefore reducing CO2 emissions) is actually good for the environment! Using less fuel means filling up less which means less fuel is inadvertently spewed into our atmosphere. But of course, being in Honors Chemistry and the Environment, we all already knew that, didn’t we…
One of the first rules for saving on fuel and reducing emissions into the atmosphere is to slow down while driving. On that note, another good rule of thumb is to accelerate moderately when coming from a red light to a green. If you lay on the gas you will waste fuel and emit carbon dioxide and other particles into the atmosphere that could have otherwise been moderately distributed in less quantities had you accelerated at a moderately slow pace so that the transmission can shift up into the higher gears (when dealing with an automatic vehicle). Shutting off the air conditioning during moderately slow speeds will help fuel usage, but using the air conditioner during high speeds will actually aid in reducing fuel consumption because having the windows open during high speeds will create a lot of resistance on the vehicle and therefore use more fuel to move said vehicle. Keeping the vehicle moving constantly (and not continuously stopping and going), even if it means rolling ever so slowly at a stoplight, will aid in reducing fuel consumption. By keeping the car moving at all times, this stops the need for pure acceleration, and therefore saves fuel. Another tip that I discovered is to make sure your vehicle’s tires have good pressure. If your vehicle’s tires have low air pressure, then that means you are driving dragging those wheels with you, and they are actually bringing you down in the sense that they are creating drag on the car. More drag on the car means more fuel is used to move said car, and more fuel means more money and more harmful emissions into the atmosphere. Checking your air filter can also help save fuel. A dirty air filter can restrict the flow of air into the engine, which can have harmful effects on the car’s performance and economy. One more tip to consider this summer (and always) is to keep the inside of your vehicle clean. Of course, everyone thinks to keep the outside clean, because that’s the part everyone sees, but keeping the inside clean can actually help you to save on fuel. The more unnecessary weight you put on a car, the more drag it will experience while on the road and the more fuel you will use. The lighter you car is, the more economical it is. And of course, there’s always those alternative forms of transportation that don’t require fuel at all: biking, walking, and skating.
Looking at all of these fuel-saving tips, the thing that they all have in common is that they are very doable, and highly effective. Every little bit counts, and if it means that I will save money on those road trips I have planned, as well as reduce harmful emissions into our precious atmosphere, then I’m all for it.
Sources:
http://cars.about.com/od/helpforcarbuyers/tp/ag_top_fuelsave.htm
http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/auto/fuel-efficient/5.asp
http://financialplan.about.com/cs/cars/a/SaveGas.htm

Major IT Companies' Emissions

Greenpeace evaluates major IT companies' energy use and their efforts to use "green" energy. According to this article, Yahoo! had the best clean energy emissions index at 55.9% and Apple had the worst with 6.7%. It also gives an estimate of the coal intensity, and ratings of the companies' transparency, infrastructure siting, and mitigation strategy. Google, with the second-best clean energy emissions index, also just recently announced significant investments in wind energy.

https://www.greenbiz.com/news/2011/04/21/greenpeace-hails-yahoo-google-akamai-green-power-leadership

The Downside of Alternative Energies

Most of the articles in this blog have been about the benefits of alternative energies. However, there are also many downsides to solar, wind, and hydroelectric powers.

First of all, wind power is useful because it does not produce any air or water pollution. However, there are some major concerns over wind power. The public is concerned about the visibility and noise of the relatively large and unsightly wind turbines. There are also some that note that building wind turbines would cause many wilderness areas to be developed. The large wind turbines take many fossil fuels to make and transport to the field. Lastly, wind power is also one to one and a half times more expensive than the electricity generated from fossil fuels.

Next, solar power is a great source of renewable energy because they generate no emissions while in use. However, just like wind turbines, they require a substantial amount of fossil fuels to make and install. The solar panels also have many ill health effects for those that come into contact with them because of the arsenic and cadmium that are used in the panels. John Holdren also said, "Using sunlight to make electricity with photovoltaic cells remains 3 to 5 times more expensive than fossil-fueled electricity generation, despite very substantial reductions in the costs of photovoltaics over the last two decades."

Geothermal energy has come under fire in the last few years for causing many environmental problems. Acquiring geothermal energy is associated with pollution of water and air as well as unsafe disposal of hazardous wastes. The plants that produce the geothermal energy also need a large amount of water for cooling purposes. This could be a problem for the plants that are not close to a water sources, as they have to haul in the water, most likely using fossil fuels.

Hydropower is often criticized for destruction of natural habitats. In fact, existing dams are often attacked by environmental groups because they sometimes cause some of the native plant and animal species to become endangered. Also, the reservoirs that the dams create often damage existing forests, farmlands, and wildlife habitats. Lastly, hauling the enormous amounts of concrete and other materials that are necessary for construction of the dam uses a large amount of fossil fuels.

Clearly, there is no cure-all type of alternative energy. Every type has its positives and negatives. In the future, some of these negatives must be addressed to ensure that our environment is protected as much as possible.

Sources:
http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/technology_and_impacts/impacts/environmental-impacts-of.html
http://www.masterresource.org/2009/01/john-holdren-on-renewable-energy-problems-part-v-in-a-series-on-obamas-new-science-advisor/

Using Energy Using Cars

I found an interesting article on the same site from which Nicole got the 5 weird alternatives article. The article discussed a man's efforts to use cars and trucks driving over a plate in the road to compress hydraulic tanks under the road to produce power. The efforts are in the prototype stage, but it looks promising!

Read more here:

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/04/truck-traffic-electricity-dragon-station.php

Photovoltaics

Currently, researchers at MIT are developing transparent solar cells. This new technology could enable windows to generate their own electricity without obstructing the view. Photovoltaic cells could be coated onto a pane of standard window glass. These cells could then utilize infrared radiation to create energy, while still allowing visible light to pass through. The energy could then be used to power lights and other devices. Photovoltaics is the direct conversion of light into energy via the photoelectric effect, in which electrically charged particles are released upon the absorption of photons of EM radiation.

The best thing about this development is that it would be significantly less expensive than installing solar panel systems. What makes solar panels so expensive are the installation costs and the glass. But since this new technology would utilize existing infrastructure, the cost of installing them would be significantly lower. Another benefit is that the photovoltaic cells use organism molecules instead of silicon like some other solar cells. Since the energy would be coming directly from the sun, it represents a much cleaner way to get energy than burning carbon-containing fuels. Plus the sun is highly abundant, renewable energy source.

The downside is that the efficiency level is not yet up to par with existing solar panel technology. The highest efficiency that the solar cells have been able to reach is 1.7%. They’re hoping they can get it up to 12%, but even that would not be very efficient. This inefficiency occurs because some of the enrgy is reflected by the cell and some of the energy is transformed into heat. Another concern is that because the technology is so new, they have not yet been able to establish the lifetime of the photovoltaic cells.

Another downside is that the sun does not shine everywhere always. The energy can be stored using batteries for use at night, but this is still an inconvenience. The researcher at MIT see photovoltaics as one of a variety of green energy sources that will be needed to make the transition away from fossil fuel towards clean, carbon-free energy. I like the idea of this, but it is too early to see how effective it will be.

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2002/solarcells/
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2011/transparent-solar-windows-0415.html

Solar Energy

Starting with the basics, solar power, like any other fuel source, has its advantages and disadvantages. The obvious advantage is that the sun provides an unlimited resource. There is more than enough solar energy to sustain the Earth’s energy demands. Specifically, every hour, the sun delivers as much energy to the Earth as the entire population uses in a year. Also, solar power is clean and safe. However, the sun only shines in certain places at certain times. Thus, for solar power to be used as a primary source of power, it must be coupled with an alternative or a means must be found for reserving the power for rainy days. Furthermore, the startup costs of utilizing solar power deter people from using this resource. It is expensive to create the solar panels and solar cells which intercept the sun’s rays.

For solar panels to work, photons from the sun must strike the electrons within the solar panel and turn them into conduction electrons. This allows the electrons to carry an electrical charge. The electrical charge is extracted through the semi-conductive materials in the solar panel.

Recently, some intriguing advances have been made in solar energy. At TU Delft (a Dutch University), they discovered that amorphous silicon provides an alternative to crystalline silicon. Crystalline silicon is an expensive material that is used in most solar cells. When made with amorphous silicon, the solar cells can be produced at a fraction of the thickness and consequently at a fraction of the cost. Still, the process of making the solar cells (regardless of the type of silicon) is slow and contributes to the cost. Because of this, Michael Wank (PhD supervisor of TU Delft) examined an alternative production technique. This advances are exciting news when it comes to making solar cells affordable.

Unfortunately, I found that although the US was once the world’s leading producer of solar cells, we have fallen behind in production and now rank 5th. We are also lagging in solar installation. This is mainly because other countries have become devoted to the solar energy cause by enforcing stringent renewable energy requirements. Ironically, Japan and Germany, the highest ranking countries in installation, receive significantly less sunshine than the United States. By enforcing higher restrictions for global warming, the United States can be a competitive part of the solar energy market.

This post is based on the following sources:

http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=23052&s_src=ggad&gclid=CMvl54bwgagCFYS8KgodpGINqQ

http://www.clean-energy-ideas.com/articles/how_solar_power_works.html

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110317102557.htm

The Potential of Solar Power

Here is an interesting infographic that I found about how much energy the sun produces. This demonstrates that if we could develop an extremely efficient way to harness the sun's energy, we would have many of our energy needs met. (http://solarenergyfactsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/solar-energy-infographic.gif)

**I know that the photo is a little large to be viewed on the blog itself, but if you click on the photo it will take you to the site where the infographic can be viewed in full.**

California's New Alternative Energy Law

Recently there was a new energy mandate signed into law in California by the Governor Jerry Brown. This mandate is the most aggressive clean energy standard in the nation. “… Requires the state’s utilities to get 33 percent of their electricity from renewable sources like geothermal, wind and solar by 2020” (Hull). This is a high standards bill but the details are being questioned by some. For example there are many permits needed and so the projects could be delayed and this would increase prices. However the law also contains provisions that are supposed to protect consumers from what is happening with the rising fuel prices and requires the approval of renewable energy contracts (Hull). In the article there is several different renewable energy sources cited but the two expected to make up the vast majority of new contracts in the coming years is solar and wind power.

Solar power is a powerful, inexhaustible and clean source of energy. “Every hour the sun delivers as much energy to the Earth as all humanity uses in a year” (Environmental Defense Fund). With this in mind one could wonder why we don’t use that energy as our only source. However, it is more complex to harness the energy in a widespread and inexpensive way. Because solar power is dependent on the sun, if the sun does not shine there is no power. Since the sun doesn’t shine every day all day there needs to be back up electricity and therefore other sources of power still need to be used. Not only this, but solar power is expensive making it undesirable to most. In recent years the price has decreased making the power a more likely method and hence the prediction for it to become a more preferred method.

The second predicted method to become a major source of power in new contracts is wind power. Wind power is considered a type of solar energy because wind is the product of uneven hearting of the atmosphere by the sun. Today it is possible to drive through a wind farm where there are hundreds of huge wind turbines converting wind into energy. “The wind turns the blades, which spin a shaft, which connects to a generator and makes electricity” (US Department of Energy). Because it is wind it is a clean fuel source and so doesn’t pollute the air. The wind supply in the United States is abundant because wind cannot be used up, it is a renewable power. It is also one of the cheapest forms of renewable energy available today. Even though this is true the initial investment for a wind farm is higher than fossil-fueled generators making it more difficult for someone to invest in the wind energy. Most signs point to wind power plants as being successful but many are simply concerned about the noise of the turbines. Which is the worse consequence, noise or pollution?

With this all in mind California now has to consider all types of alternative energy, costs of them and how to reach this 33 percent mark. Many are worried of costs and delays because of permits but it seems as if the CPUC has it under control. “We’ll make sure that ratepayers are protected” (Florio). If this law is enforced California will be an example for the nation. Some of the benefits also include economic ones such as increasing the number of jobs. The solar plant intended to be built is expected to create 350 jobs. Not only is this good for the environment but it would also help to boost the economy. The law has it’s downsides but there is a lot to factor into a standard such as this. Either way the idea of using more alternative energy is a step in the right direction. Whether it is upheld or goes as planned will be the real test of a law such as this.

http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_17828401?source=most_emailed&nclick_check=1

http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=23052&s_src=ggad&gclid=CLzp7L2gmKgCFYjsKgodi2XuDg

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/wind_ad.html

Chemistry Joke

Completly random I know but I was on stumble-upon and came across this. :) Enjoy!

Cars: “We Shouldn't Become Vegetarians, Yet.”

Gas prices are rising and due to the conflicts in the oil-rich regions of the world, they don’t show any sign of coming back down. In response we humans began to do what we always do when our resources begin to look scarce, improvise and invent. So we begin to devise new ways for automotives to use less of our precious fuel and begin to switch to cleaner alternative fuel. Thus the idea of ethanol is born and with it we hope to find the answers of our fuel crisis. However, despite the growing popularity of ethanol, in this day and age it is most definitely not the answers to our problems, in fact it might even create more issues then solve.

In order to understand why this otherwise ideal fuel alternative is not the best for this time and age, one must understand what ethanol is. Ethanol is an alcohol formed from the anaerobic fermenting of either a type of sugar or a grain. Ethanol is found mostly in alcohol beverages such as beer. The two most common sources of ethanol as of now are sugar beets and corn. While other sources could be used, these two plants show the highest potential for ethanol production. Its chemical composition is very similar to that of petrol or the gas we use to power our vehicles. It has a good amount of oxygen in its composition which allows it to burn more cleanly then petrol. Because of all these things ethanol seems like the ideal choice of an alternative fuel for gasoline but there are many things that point to it not being the best idea as of now.

Mainly there are two reasons why focusing more on ethanol as an alternative fuel is a bad choice. The first reason is the amount of fuel it actually takes to produce the produce and then convert it into ethanol. This whole process, while it seems like its saving energy at the end, really is not. This process actually causes net loss in energy and while ethanol is seen as a great alternative to gasoline, it uses what it replaces to be created. The second major issue is how we would be able to grow enough corn and regulate it so that the fields don’t become barren from overuse. Corn fields take multiple years to get the nutrients back to that it can produce corn again. Also currently there are issues with the abrupt rise in food prices. If we were to start dedicating tons of acres of fields of corn to ethanol production, the prices would go even higher. With the economy as it is and the rising of gas prices, the additional rise of food will be more devastating. And it is for these reasons, though ethanol was a good idea, it is not suited for this time and circumstances.

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-efficiency/alternative-fuels/ethanol-facts1.htm
http://www.aboutmyplanet.com/alternative-energy/ethanol-fuel/

Hydrogen Fuel

As I began to research alternative energy, hydrogen fuel is one source that caught my eye since I don't know very much about how it works and how it is used, only that people are trying to utilize it as a fuel source in cars. I was curious to find out how hydrogen fuel works. Hydrogen fuel is typically produced through fuel cells, which has an electrolyte in between an anode and cathode. Hydrogen molecules enter at the anode, and the protons pass through the electrolyte while the electrons are directed through an external circuit which generates an electrical current. Oxygen molecules enter at the cathode, where they react with the protons and electrons of hydrogen. The products of the reaction are water and heat.

Like any alternative fuel, it has its advantages and disadvantages, specifically when it comes to its use in cars. An advantage is that it produces no pollutants; its only byproduct is water. It can be produced domestically, reducing dependence on foreign oil. However, it has some obstacles it must overcome before it can be widely used. It poses a risk to drivers when they’re refueling their cars, since there is a chance that the hydrogen can combust with oxygen which causes the pump to burst into flames. Secondly, hydrogen does not exist naturally, so it takes energy to produce and it is expensive to produce. Currently, it's only manufactured at a few sites. Because of the manufacturing costs, fuel cell cars are not affordable for consumers. Thirdly, compared to the same volume of gasoline, hydrogen has much less energy, so it is difficult to create cars that with effective on board storage that will get far in between fill ups.

It is also interesting to note some recent developments that have been made regarding hydrogen fuel. Cella Energy has developed electrospraying, in which hydrogen is absorbed in microscopic sponges. What this technological jargon means for consumers is that refueling can now be safer. The sponges can be exposed to the air, so there is less concern about hydrogen combusting when drivers stop to refuel their cars. Also, another advance in hydrogen storage was made at Los Alamos National Laboratory which addresses the limited amount of fuel that can be stored in a car’s fuel tank. They discovered that ammonia borane has a high hydrogen storage capacity. This new storage system would allow hydrogen powered cars to pass the US Department of Energy’s benchmark requiring that the cars can be driven at least 300 miles on a single tank. Also contributing to the efficiency is that the ammonia borane can be regenerated into a usable form within the fuel tank. This crucial factor increases the practicality of hydrogen cars.

Through this research I have discovered that although hydrogen power has made leaps and bounds, there are still many steps that need to be taken to improve its development.

This post is based on the following sources:

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/hydrogen.shtml

http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/technology/hydrogen-fuel/

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-20049733-48.html

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110321093701.htm

Hydropower: The Hoover Dam

A few years ago, my family took a week-long trip to Nevada and Arizona. While driving from Nevada to Arizona, we stopped at the Hoover Dam for a few minutes and took pictures and marveled at the sheer size of the dam. However, while I was there, I never realized how much clean, renewable energy that the the Hoover Dam generates for our country.

The Hoover Dam is a great source of clean and renewable hydropower. The Hoover Dam began construction in 1931 and was completed in 1936. At the time, it generated more electric power than anywhere else in the world and was the largest concrete structure. Most of the energy produced by the Hoover Dam goes to one of four places, Met Water District of Southern California, the state of Nevada, the state of Arizona, or Los Angeles, California.

The Hoover Dam has many important functions for the surrounding areas, as well as the environment. The dam releases no greenhouse gases, except for the gases that were released during its construction. It also manages the Colorado River, prevents floods, and provides farmers with a regular water supply.

The Hoover Dam generates electricity using hydropower. Hydropower is the power generated by moving water. Dams are often built on a large river, so the water falls down from the top of the dam. At the bottom of the dam, the water rotates a large turbine, which results in energy production in a generator. Approximately 20% of the world's power is generated by hydropower.

There are two major factors that determine how much power will be generated by the dam: the amount of water and the height that it falls. Because Hoover Dam is so tall (approximately 726 feet) and is situated on a large river (the Colorado River) it provides a relatively large amount of energy that could be used to power all of Los Angeles, California.

The major proponents of hydropower argue that it is a great source of energy because it is free and readily found in nature. It also does not use up water in its production of energy, rather it just moves it. The people that argue against hydropower note that changing the way that the water flows greatly disrupts fish migration and disrupts the natural system. For example, because of building the Hoover Dam about four species of fish are considered endangered as a result.


http://www.enviro-news.com/article/hoover_dam_nevada.html
http://www.benefits-of-recycling.com/alternativeenergywater.html

For more information on hydropower:
http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=hydropower_home-basics-k.cfm
http://www.lenntech.com/water-energy-faq.htm

Thinking outside the box: wacky but effective alternative fuel sources

So I’m researching alternative fuel sources online, and I come across this one website titled “Five of the World’s Weirdest Alternative Fuel Sources”. Of course, being the naively curious college freshman that I am, I click on the link, thinking it’s going to be some dumb practical joke on someone’s Twitter or personal blog. Well it turns out the site was a blog, but the information it totally legitimate! The blog is maintained by a company called Ecoble, which was created by Australian software engineer Brett Stark. Ecoble aims to raise online awareness of environmental problems and to propose solutions for these problems. Anyway, Stark’s threads on his Ecoble blog talk about strange alternative fuel sources and how they are actually completely viable options that could potentially be used in the very near future.
One of the proposed alternative fuel sources, believe it or not, is the use of dirty diapers! Basically, it has been proposed by one company that with the right machinery, 30,000 tons of dirty diapers can be annually transformed into over 10,000 tons of synthetic diesel fuel, and at a cost of just 50 cents per liter. Of course, diapers are not the only landfill material being thought of as a possible source for alternative fuel, but because of their constant output and mass quantities barraging landfills worldwide, diapers are a great item to start with. The supply, in theory, would be endless, and the transformation process these diapers go through into becoming synthetic fuels would be done in a closed system, therefore no harmful emissions will pollute the atmosphere!
Another alternative fuel source listed by Stark is confiscated alcoholic beverages. Every year, about 200,000 gallons of smuggled alcohol is caught by authorities before it can illegally make its way into Sweden. However, instead of throwing all of this alcohol away, the authorities have come up with a way to use this alcohol as an alternative fuel source. Through the mixture of certain alcoholic cocktails, buses and trains are powered with the resulting fuel source. As we discussed in class, yet another more popular method of attaining fuel sources comes from the siphoning of methane gas from garbage dumps. In fact, recently researches have even gone as far as proposing that garbage dumps be kept under more of a closed system so as to produce as much methane gas as possible so more fuel can be harvested. If you really think about it, there are so many everyday objects that can be used to quench our seemingly-insatiable thirst to find the best alternative fuel source out there…sometimes we just have to think outside the box a little bit.
http://ecoble.com/2007/12/02/five-of-the-worlds-weirdest-alternative-fuel-sources/
http://www.imaginelifestyles.com/luxuryliving/2010/10/top-8-strange-alternative-fuels
http://www.fromtheworkbench.com/top-5-strange-alternative-energy-sources/

Nuclear Energy as an Alternative Energy Source

There are many proposed solutions to the issue of pollution, all sorts of types of alternate energy but there is a catch to all of them. Wind power is not consistent, solar power is inconsistent and expensive to build the necessary resources, geothermic can be a pollutant if not done right and is not long term, hydroelectric is expensive and needs a powerful flow of water, biofuels require a lot of natural resources and then hydrogen takes more to produce than it is currently worth. Then we come to the question of why not use nuclear energy? Nuclear energy has many advantages with two major disadvantages being the waste and health issues that come from producing the powerful energy.

With the current nuclear issues in Japan there is a focus on the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear power plants. Nuclear energy is created through the fission or fusion of atoms and the reaction developed from this action is used as energy. Nuclear energy is one of the most powerful and so not as many plants would be necessary for the desired amount of energy needed. Environmentally this energy is clean. After a plant closes, however, there still is the concern for waste. For years after a nuclear plant is shut down there needs to be guards surrounding the waste so none gets out. The waste cannot be transported to one location without fears of it being released on the way there, or the people in that location protesting against nuclear waste being stored there.

For some time now a Germany-wide project sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi) has been developing to find a geological repository for the waste. Recently there has been a breakthrough with using clay stone. This natural clay holds a great potential for hopes of permanently disposing of nuclear waste. Opalinus clay found in Switzerland was made into cylinders and in these was pore water with radioactive neptunium or plutonium. Chemists found, “The batch experiments show that radioactive plutonium in the oxidation state IV is nearly totally absorbed on Opalinus Clay, leaving almost no plutonium in the aqueous solution. In the case of neptunium (V), the corresponding ratio is 60:40. However, if neptunium is reduced to neptunium (IV) by iron minerals present in the clay, a near 100 percent sorption of neptunium on the clay is observed.” (Science Daily)

What this means is the clay is potentially a source of containment for the nuclear waste getting rid of that specific issue. With getting rid of the issue of waste leaves only the issue of a meltdown. Meltdowns leading to high or long term radiation can lead to certain cancers and respiratory issues. Health issues are an issue especially concerning the potential meltdown of a plant now seen in Japan and that can be seen in history as well. The area around Chernobyl, the site of a major 1986 nuclear meltdown, has just started being resettled in the last year. With this kind of consequence to a meltdown means major expenses. Another issue is the health dangers. Depending on the level of radiation released effects could be cancer and other dangerous issues. With these issues there is a controversy on using nuclear power. It is the most effective but can have some of the most dangerous long term consequences. So do we continue to use it or abandon the idea and focus on other means of energy?

Sources:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110308075849.htm

http://typesofalternativeenergy.com/

http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/chernobyl/inf07.html

I recently read an article in the Washington Post about natural gas drilling in Wyoming, and how the industry is becoming more profitable in the region. And now little dinky Cheyenne is seeing smog levels usually only seen in major urban centers like LA. When I think Cheyenne, I think cold, so I personally was surprised that they were having this problem. It’s the sunnier, urban areas that you usually associate with smog and haze.
People in the area have been complaining about bloody noses, watery eyes, and shortness of breath, which has been attributed to the high levels of ozone in the atmosphere over Cheyenne, which is higher than even the worse LA days. The drilling of the oil releases nitrogen oxide and VOCs. The article explained that the release of these chemicals, combined with the snow on the ground, sunshine, and temperature inversion are creating the high levels of tropospheric ozone, so it is only a problem in the winter.
The article cited that two days last week, ozone levels in the region rose above the highest levels ever recorded in the most populous U.S. cities (Gruver). On the bright side, Wyoming has an unemployment rate of 6.4%, one of the lowest in the nation (Gruver). But are the economic gains worth the trade-off in terms of human health. I say no.
Last Wednesday the ozone levels reached 124 ppb. The EPA’s limit for healthy ozone levels is only 75 ppb. The worse day in LA last year was 114 ppb (Gruver). I think that a city exceeding the ozone limit by 49 ppb, especially in a city as small as Cheyenne is definitely a problem. The gas officials claim that are “working hard to curb smog by reducing truck traffic and switching to drilling rigs with pollution control equipment” (Gruver). But clearly they are not working fast enough.
People should be allowed to go outside freely and not have to worry about their health or getting a nosebleed. Wyoming is generally an outdoorsy place, so the warnings to stay inside must be hard to take.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/08/AR2011030802905.html

A Few Problems with Wind Farms

Wind farms look like a very promising source for energy. However, they are not without their problems. Wind turbines stir the air bringing down the higher-level air and bringing up the lower-level air and mixing them together. This creates a cooling effect during the day and a warming effect during the night. In some regions, where winds are stronger at night and the warming effect dominates, some frost protection is provided and the growing season for crops may be locally and shortly extended (3). The warm air coming down is not always beneficial, however. The warm winds being brought closer to the surface can cause the evaporation of the moisture in the soil and cause problems for crops. This may lead to increased costs for irrigation (2). Also, in coastal areas, where the day winds are stronger and the cooling effect dominates, problems can occur (3).

Crops are not the only things affected by the stirring of the air caused by the turbines. Weather radars are also affected and the results can be dangerous. During storms, the turbulence caused by the wind turbines appears on the radar in the same way a tornado would. This is picked up by the computerized systems and warnings can be sent out when nothing is there. The weather forecasters often catch these mistakes and cancel the alerts. However, when forecasters are the ones making quick decisions, though frequently erring on the side of caution, may easily spot the signal and disregard it as a wind turbine when it may actually be a sever weather pattern (1).

One researcher suggests that replacing the routers that the blades spin around with more efficient and updated ones will significantly help the turbulence given off by the turbines (2). Also, some researchers have pointed out that the problems are increased when the farms are within 11 miles of the radar stations, which can be solved by working with the farm owners to move into locations that will have less effect on the radars. However, since both wind farmers and meteorologists both desire the same locations due to high elevations and flat clear lands being optimal for both purposes, this arrangement is a frequent problem (1).

All information above was found in the following articles:

1. http://www.thestar.com/sciencetech/article/686890

2. http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2005/1012-wind_farms_impacting_weather.htm

3. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101005121726.htm