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What is hydraulic fracturing? Hydraulic fracturing, also called hydro fracking, is a process used to maximize the extraction of underground resources, which includes, oil, natural gas, geothermal energy, and water. Most of the oil and gas industry uses this method, the hydraulic fracturing, to allow oil or natural gas to move more freely from the rock pores so that it can bring the oil or gas to the surface. Why this technology is used by many oil and gas industry? Well, this method can help us decrease our reliance on foreign fuel imports and increases the use of our resources by not wasting it. Also, this can help reduce the national carbon dioxide emissions and turn the environment into a carbon light environment.

However, as being said, there will be concerns for the environment when using hydraulic fracturing. First, “the fractures in the well might extend directly into shallow rock units that are used for drinking water supplies”. Second, “the casing of a well might fail and allow fluids to escape into shallow rocks that are used for drinking water supplies”. Last but not least, “accidental spills of hydraulic fracturing fluid might seep into the ground or contaminate surface water”. Well as being said, the concerns that hydraulic fracturing causes will harm the health of human beings and any other living things. Therefore, for some people, the process might be a “money tree” for them, but for some other people, the hydraulic fracturing might be a “poisonous pill” for them.

References:

http://geology.com/articles/hydraulic-fracturing/

http://water.epa.gov/type/groundwater/uic/class2/hydraulicfracturing/wells_hydrowhat.cfm

http://www.hydraulicfracturing.com/Pages/information.aspx

http://www.api.org/policy-and-issues/policy-items/hf/facts-about-hydraulic-fracturing-and-seismic-activity.aspx

http://iehn.org/overview.naturalgashydraulicfracturing.php

Government now a days is putting pressure on Automobile Industry by increasing the gas mileage. “In August 2012, the Obama administration issued new rules that require auto manufacturers to increase the average efficiency of new cars and trucks to 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025”, reported by New York Times. In other words, United States is now giving pressure for the automobile industry in United States to produce more less super cars, and start developing more electric and plug-in hybrid cars. The purpose of doing it is all because the United States wants to control the carbon-dioxide emission that the car produces. However, this new rule is estimated that the oil consumption will be reduced by 12 billion barrels of oil, and saving an average of $8000 on fuel cost per vehicle by 2025.

Unsatisfied, automobile industry is trying to lower the gas mileage of what the government is expecting from 54.5 to 35.5. Not just President Obama has increased the gas mileage, even former United States president, President Bush, has increased the gas milage in previous years. To meet the expectations, automobile industries have been rolling out new technologies and other innovations to boost the mileage, including advanced powertrain, advanced transmission, and lighter components etc. This has made the gas mileage from previous 20.1 miles per gallon to 23.6 miles per gallon, said by the University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute. However, this might not be a bad news for some automobile industry because they’ve figure out that with smaller cars, they can make a better profit, since smaller cars have a “razor-thin” margin.

 

References:

http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/rick-newman/2012/08/27/tough-government-gas-mileage-rules-good-for-drivers-auto-industry

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/f/fuel_efficiency/index.html

In the robot car experiment, we are using the VI system to understand how to measure the distance the wheels travels and what the speed of the car is. First we’ll have to measure the circumference of the wheel and then compute it into diameter, which in other word, “P*Diameter”. After measuring it, we’ll have to record the distance the car has went. Knowing the distance, we’ll put the distance in the VI system to find the number of wheel turns and the rotation in degrees. Also, we will need to calculate how much error it made. To find the error, we’ll have to subtract the distance of ruler from distance to computer (distance of ruler – distance of computer). In total, we had ran 3 tests, and all the results came out differently as we adjust the numbers on every try. Below is the results that came out.

1. 25cm/1sec         75 power          0.269m (computer)      0.25m (human)     0.529/2=0.259 (Average)       7.33%(error)

2. 16.5cm/1sec      50 power          1.65m (computer)        1.56m (human)       0% (error)

3. 50 power (2 secs)         33.1cm (computer)         33.5cm (human)        66.6/2=33.3 (Average)         1.2% (error)

Hurricane Sandy was the second massive hurricane that had hit the northeastern states in the past two years. Originally, Sandy was just a tropical storm, but due to the climate change and change of water temperature, it has upgraded into a devastating hurricane. As official claims, global warming is the main reason of why a tropical storm, like Sandy, has transformed into a destructive hurricane. Due to global warming, the ice melting condition in Antartica has been speeding up and causing the sea levels getting higher. As researchers reported, the average sea level now a days has been increased 20% between the year 1992 to 2011. Due to the sea level rises, official claims that this can make storm surges and more destructive. However, ice doesn’t melt on his own, but rather, it’s because of the warm temperate. As the temperature becomes warmer, it’s effecting the sea water to heat up, and this will help fuel the storm, and therefore, turning it into a massive and intense storm- hurricane.

Also, a recent study found the sea level of the Us Atlantic Coast, where cities like New York, Norfolk, and Boston are located, is rising up to four times higher and faster than the global average. On the other hand, reports has claimed that a one meter sea level rise in New York will cause from one incident every century to one incident every three years.

Hurricane Sandy has been into an unusual path causing severe damages in New York and New Jersey. Supposed the storm should be traveling from east to west, but the prevailing wind direction has reversed in mid-latitudes. Dr. Jeff Master has also claim that it is unusual that Hurricane Sandy can hit New Jersey in late October where hurricanes usually hit in Septembers and mid-Septembers due to the weaker of jet stream. At the same time, research has been found that 2012 was the warmest year in the United States, therefore, giving and gaining more chance and power for Hurricane Sandy to occur.

Sources:

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2012/10/31/1117091/how-does-climate-change-make-hurricanes-like-sandy-more-destructive/

http://news.discovery.com/earth/global-warming/sea-level-rise-endangers-east-coast-120626.htm

http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=2283

http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/29/world/europe/climate-ice-sheets/index.html

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=hurricane-sandy-spins-up-climate-discussion

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