Initiative #1:

“In 2009, President Obama made a pledge that by 2020, America would reduce its greenhouse gas emissions in the range of 17 percent below 2005 levels if all other major economies agreed to limit their emissions as well. Today, the President remains firmly committed to that goal and to building on the progress of his first term to help put us and the world on a sustainable long-term trajectory.”

Why is this important?

I am a big believer in the concept that goals should not be made, without a general bigger goal in mind. Reducing GHG emissions by any measure is difficult considering we live in a society that thrives off of industrialization, and consumerism, and all of this requires the burning of fossil fuels when it comes to transportation, factories, and creating; however, with this end goal in mind of reducing GHG emissions by 17% by 2020, in a thriving and prosperous Western society, the thriving will continue but in a more efficient manner in relationship to the environment.

What does this do for America?

According to the initiative, America has already doubled their usage of wind, solar, and geothermal energy. The action of doubling these renewable energies not only allows for the reduction of GHG Emissions considering this shift is from a more harmful type of energy, probably with the roots in burning of fossil fuels, but it also creates jobs, and industries.

What does this do for the world?

This may seem pompous, but my intentions here are not to set that aura around this concept, but as a Western society we set an example to society’s that are still developing. Why? Because we have already developed, and although the Kyoto Protocol exists for respected developing society’s to reduce their emissions this reinforces the concept.

 

Initiative #2:

“Enhancing Multilateral Engagement with Major Economies: In 2009, President Obama launched the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, a high-level forum that brings together 17 countries that account for approximately 75 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, in order to support the international climate negotiations and spur cooperative action to combat climate change. The Forum has been successful on both fronts – having contributed significantly to progress in the broader negotiations while also launching the Clean Energy Ministerial to catalyze the development and deployment of clean energy and efficiency solutions. We are proposing that the Forum build on these efforts by launching a major initiative this year focused on further accelerating efficiency gains in the buildings sector, which accounts for approximately one-third of global carbon pollutions from the energy sector.”

Why is this important?

Climate change isn’t something that is just impacting the inhabitants of the United States of America. In all honesty, I feel like we have it a lot better than other places, because there are islands that have had to evacuate and abandon their cultural and native roots to survive due to sea levels rising, and natural disasters have killed thousands upon thousands of innocent people. The reality is American’s are one of the culprits. We aren’t the only ones however, and President Barack Obama trying to initiate a global collective spur of events to reduce emissions sets this overall mood of a collective culture globally which is not seen enough in a world where we have a way of communicating amongst each other.

What does this do for America?

You could say that this action within itself alleviates any tension between America and other nations; however, I just want to make it clear that it’s not all about us. It’s okay for us to do something that will help the world without us getting something extra in return.

 

Obviously this helps us, because climate change impacts us as well, and we will be viewed in high regard for initiating this, but this is irrelevant considering if this is followed through properly, and people live by reducing emissions, this will prolong humanity and other organisms appearance here on earth.

 

What does this do for the world?

What this does for the world is allow more individual’s globally to get jobs, as new up and coming industries involving renewable energy are created. Let me emphasize the concept of a global collective culture however. Collectivistic cultures are cultures in which the needs of the group come over individual needs. Which in this scenario, could mean that the emissions, and climate change might not be impacting me personally, but I will still refrain from using fossil fuels to try not to contribute to the heat wave in lets say South Asia that has killed so many innocent people. America is known for having an individualistic culture, but this shift could benefit the world as we know it.

 

Initiative #3:

“Combatting Short-Lived Climate Pollutants: Pollutants such as methane, black carbon, and many HFCs are relatively short-lived in the atmosphere, but have more potent greenhouse effects than carbon dioxide. In February 2012, the United States launched the Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollution, which has grown to include more than 30 country partners and other key partners such as the World Bank and the U.N. Environment Programme. Major efforts include reducing methane and black carbon from waste and landfills. We are also leading through the Global Methane Initiative, which works with 42 partner countries and an extensive network of over 1,100 private sector participants to reduce methane emissions.”

Why is this important?

It is a problem that is not discussed enough, and there is not enough initiative in regards to addressing it. That’s why this is an essential step. This Coalition is large, in terms of who is apart of it because its breaking countries boundaries so we can unite under one set goal.

What does this do for America?

It not only alleviates tension between nations, but with such a specific task at hand like ridding waste and landfills of black carbon and methane has room for innovation when it comes to machinery and finding a proper way to reduce these emissions from entering the atmosphere.

 

What does this do for the world?

It reduces the emissions and that seem like the main goal at hand, and it will be accomplished successfully through a global pursuit, and that’s what President Obama calls for, which is essential in a global predicament like climate change.

 

Last Remarks

Throughout this, President Barak Obama speaks of change. It’s difficult; however, it is possible with the help of the inhabitants that reside on this earth.

LINKS:

Collectivistic Cultures

President Obama’s Climate Change Plan

Photo

Introduction

        Let me begin by saying that I was not expecting to have a phenomenal time at the Museum of Science; however, I had an amazing time. I absorbed a prodigious amount of information whilst mindlessly retaining it because it was presented in a fun and creative environment. I went with two of my friends who heard I was going to the Museum of Science for class and expressed their ecstatic attitude in regards to the museum and professed how they wanted to tag along as well, so we went together. We focused on the four exhibits for class; however, I would be lying if I said we didn’t attend the Lightning Show or visited several other exhibits. Below I focus on the four that relate to this class, from what they consisted of to how interesting they were.

Investigate

            I’ll be honest and say we spent the least amount of time at this exhibit. Why? There were a lot of young children wanting to use the various amount of activities that explore several fundamental concepts and science, and we felt odd being the 20 year olds in their way, plus I’ll be honest we got a few concerned looks from the children’s parents so we thought it would be best if we left. Within the exhibit “Turn” was very interesting considering it involves closed circuit the minute anyone stands on the rotating platform with a spinning wheel and it delves into the concept of adding torque. The Conservation of Angular Momentum makes it so that as the individual rotates the wheel with the handles attached, the individual starts angular momentum and since there is no external force being added that spurs on the opposite movement to happen on the platform. That’s why when I was on the rotating platform I moved the opposite way. Something that always really confused me is the concept of torque, and “Balance” within this exhibit helped me in the explanation. Considering torque is weight multiplied by distance, and you could physically test this out with masses and balancing them on a seesaw made it an easier concept to understand why distance actually matters. Overall I think Investigate is an amazing exhibit because it engages the youth in science, and it leaves a positive association with concepts in science that is needed in making adolescents eager to learn in a subject that can be difficult for a plethora of children.

Conserve @ Home

            This exhibit delves into the reality of why certain resources are more efficient than others, and it shows the impact of individual’s choices when it comes to cost efficiency, but also to the environment. I think the fact that it doesn’t just focus on the impact it has on humanity is extremely important because children have been brought up in the presence of media that doesn’t cater to empathizing for other organisms and seeing inherent worth in everything. I mean a lot of the information one learns in this exhibit seems pretty basic; however, I will admit that no one ever took the time to teach me this and I went to one of the top public school systems in Massachusetts. One of these facts was that on average each person in America generates 4.4 pounds of trash a day generating 250 million tons of trash in 2010 alone. Isn’t that ridiculous? This exhibit also teaches children’s the importance of being creative, and not throwing away everything, and obviously the importance of recycling of transforming recyclable objects into other entities that reside on this earth. This exhibit also speaks about how light bulbs are important and how some of them are not actually that efficient. For example a Incandescent bulb produces 80 % of heat energy whilst only converting 20% of the energy to the light. This exhibit really makes one question where their money is going, and especially for children’s parents glimpsing these facts seems like it could be really enlightening to them.

Energized

            Energized delves into the reality that there is a lot of potential on this earth for a sustainable future. It focuses primarily on solar energy; however, it does express how not one energy can fulfill all our needs globally; however, with the usage of all of them there is a lot of potential for a prosperous future environmentally. What I learned is that the sun produces about a thousand times the energy we need on this earth; however, we are only utilizing a whopping 1% of that. Why? Partly because solar energy is difficult to utilize in all locations around this earth, and due to the fact that in order to attain enough energy to make it worth wild, you need a lot of room. There is a lot of potential that isn’t being used, and there’s a reason why solar energy is the fastest- growing power technology currently and its expected to augment 30-fold which is amazing, not only because it’s innovative, but it will protect the planet we inhabit. What I thought was really cool about this exhibit is that people could aim this mirror reflecting towards a photovoltaic panel and as the light increases the generator would go faster. For children this was a game, and unfortunately my friends and I act like children so we found this very entertaining. This exhibit was essential in visiting due to how much an individual learns about the potential that resides in solar energy considering we all know it’s renewable, but the average individual doesn’t know enough about the basic mechanisms involved, and why it hasn’t replaced harmful means of getting gas.

Catching the Wind

            Well this exhibit tells you what it is from the name, but to reiterate this, this delves into wind energy and specifically wind turbines. What really caught my eye about this exhibit is that it talked about the potential of Wind Energy in New England. I think this is extremely important because it speaks to a call for action for the observer visiting this exhibit because it addresses something so local considering there is so potential for it because we have so much wind! I also think its important that it speaks to not the generic concepts and general concepts involved with wind energy, but things people don’t really know. For example I never knew that wind is actually solar energy considering as sunlight hits earth the uneven manner of it creates a temperature difference, which starts moving the air. This seems so mind-blowing to me, but I feel like its something either children don’t know, or you have people like me that are close to their end of adolescencts who forgot. This exhibit delves into the parts of the turbine, which is interesting because you see how its put together, and how each component adds another aspect to the overall execution of creating electricity from a wind turbine. This exhibit essentially taught me the complexity that resides in wind energy and the usage of wind turbines.

Visit The Museum

            It’s worth it: believe me. Yes it might be nerdy, and you might not even love science, but you will learn something and if you go with friends it can be an enjoyable collaborative experience. University life is constant stress, and this can remind you why knowledge doesn’t have to be dry information you learn in a textbook, but something you can find a true passion for. I am forever grateful that I had to go to the Science Museum because I thought I hated science, and now I am sure I don’t.

Introduction

            Through the process of mastering your muse there is a lot of room for failure. Failure can be catastrophic. I mean there is a certain level that should never be transgressed and in respect to nuclear failures we clearly see that line being crossed. I will be speaking of Chernobyl, a mechanical difficulty, and Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which depicts a flaw in humanity.

Chernobyl

Chernobyl, is known infamously in regards to the unfortunate occurrences that took part there in 1986 leaving people in constant fear and in trepidation in regards to the usage of nuclear power; however, this is not about the trepidation, but the event itself. Any catastrophic event such as this one leaves the general public distraught, and although we should not dwell it is important to relive history so the repetition of it never occurs.

According to World Nuclear Association what caused it was simply a flaw within the reactor design. But this simple flaw is attributed to the “killing [of] 30 operators and firemen within three months and several further deaths later. One person was killed immediately and a second died in hospital soon after as a result of injuries received. Another person is reported to have died at the time from a coronary thrombosis^c. Acute radiation syndrome (ARS) was originally diagnosed in 237 people on-site and involved with the clean-up and it was later confirmed in 134 cases. Of these, 28 people died as a result of ARS within a few weeks of the accident” (World Nuclear Association). I’ll admit that quote is lengthy, but there is a reason why it should be held at such a high regard. Innocent lives, are lives lost, and none of them should be neglected to mention. Something as significant as a flaw in the design should not be taken lightly; however, I don’t think it should generalize nuclear energy as a whole.

Obviously World Nuclear Association has a clear bias to emphasize why Nuclear Power is the way to go, just like in the previous post reviewing Pandora’s Promise; however, it’s absurd how they take statistical significance of catastrophic events and shrug it off as if it means nothing. In regards to the article it states how “a large proportion of childhood thyroid cancers diagnosed since the accident is likely to be due to intake of radioactive iodine fallout” (World Nuclear Association). It goes on by expressing how that is the only impact twenty years after in regards to the radioactivity. That in itself is significant and instills a level of trepidation within me.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki

This unfortunately was not an accident in regards to the contraption itself, but from a humanitarian perspective, this is a result of accidents in regards to the execution of certain events. Simply put, humanity can be cruel: “On August 6, 1945, during World War II (1939-45), an American B-29 bomber dropped the world’s first deployed atomic bomb over the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The explosion wiped out 90 percent of the city and immediately killed 80,000 people; tens of thousands more would later die of radiation exposure. Three days later… another A-bomb on Nagasaki, killing an estimated 40,000 people”(History.com). This catastrophic event is in the hands of the humanity that lives upon this earth. Why is this related? Because this is the impending fear within so many Americans, that something like this will happen more often, considering the materials will be easier to find readily available. It’s a whole industry

Can Nuclear Technology Be Safe?

According to this video, if you want to utilize nuclear technology on a large scale, such as America it is possible. How? With the utilization of containment which exhaust fuels in container remains for long periods of time, and reprocessing that treats the waste so it can be utilized as a reactor again. Reprocessing isn’t utilized in the United States considering our lack of facilities and due to the basis that it is expensive, and there is more room for danger in regards to what can come out of it.
LINKS:

http://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/safety-and-security/safety-of-plants/chernobyl-accident.aspx

http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/bombing-of-hiroshima-and-nagasaki

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7LO8lL4Ai4

 

Well I mean when I first saw this on the syllabus, I was not exactly thrilled on a movie depicting something in the realm of environmental science, but I thought it was inevitable, to get the work done it would be a necessity for me to watch it, and I can attest to the reality of it, which was that I was pleasantly surprised. This documentary consists of environmental science experts that used to be skeptics of Nuclear Energy becoming Pro-Nuclear Energy. It clearly creates a juxtaposition by depicting the opposing side that is anti- nuclear energy; however, did I think it did a sufficient job? No; however, we will delve into that topic later. Overall Pandora’s Promise seems sufficient in utilizing the media to display the propaganda involved in antinuclear effort whilst addressing factual information to back up the stance with the spine that stood on pronuclear energy.

It was an interesting choice to begin with, because by illustrating how the Nuclear Industry as considered dangerous, and the reality that there are alternative uses of energy that can be utilized such as geothermal energy or solar energy boosted the documentary’s credibility. How? There is ethos within the concept of stating a refutational argument is powerful; however, you take it step further when you begin with that refutation. There is certain level of certainty you need to be that sure that you didn’t just turn the audience off by the beginning of the documentary.

To continue on the once known nuclear skeptics speak to the viewer on their personal stories of how their upbringings have molded them into being antinuclear: an aspect of this worth mentioning is that there was certain inclining of views that lead to the environmentalist hippie upbringing of these skeptics or their parents. I feel like this is significant, because it speaks to the reality that this was happening during a time in which the counterculture movement or the New Left was founded on this overall idea of antigovernment. Now, from the perspective of what was going on, that made sense; however, some of the logic was fallible considering drugs run rampant during this movement, and a lot of unhealthy trends had started as a result of this.

What this film did a phenomenal job doing was depicting the reality that the radiation issue is not as apparent, and something that should not be marked by the level of trepidation that it has been marked with, and the entity that time has progressed and we as a society are more prepared. My question here is that this justifying method kind of left me in more apprehension. By no means do I have a view on this certain issue, because I am no expert; however, the debunking of these catastrophic events in order to promote nuclear energy is counterintuitive. It’s powerful how the director of the documentary managed to take modern media and emphasize how it has propagandized Nuclear Energy by utilizing unfamiliar units whilst, not informing the general public with information they can actually utilize.

By the end we’ve realized and this film has called to our attention that we all have a say in what happens to the earth in which we reside on; however, that being said its ludicrous not to mention the mere entity that this film bombarded the viewer with justifications of why nuclear energy is the right energy. There was not enough information on what nuclear energy does, and why it would be the most efficient energy to utilize within America, because this film constantly focused on the negative trying to turn it into a positive.

Overall I would give this film a three out of five. It was not engaging or captivating, but the information within it was resourceful. It gave you an in-depth insight on Nuclear energy and the validity in the statement that it is not safe.

Introduction

            All I’m trying to get across in the mere concept that climate change is occurring and we, as humanity, need to change, and if we decide not to our grandchildren will suffer. People that inhabit this earth are going to suffer, and people who have and are inhabiting this earth currently, will continue to suffer due to us westerners ignorance. Today we will speak of a feasible solution: Geothermal Energy.

What is Geothermal Energy?

            So lets paint a picture. Molten rock called magma resides underneath the earth’s surface, and there is constantly heat produced in that layer. More so than 50,000 times what oil and gas can produce combined. That’s incredible! This is approximately 10,000 meters below the Earth’s surface. Obviously this is not a system in which every place on earth can have the utmost amount of success considering it is richest at tectonic plate boundaries. Now how do us as mere humans tap into that energy? Through a natural “hydrothermal convection” systems, which basically means cool water flows into Earth’s crust, heats up, rises to the surface thus leaving us capturing steam which is utilized for electric generators (How Geothermal Energy Works).

Iceland’s Role In Geothermal Energy

            Iceland is considered to be the pioneer in terms of its usage of geothermal energy for heating the general publics homes. 1/4^th of the countries total electricity production is rooted in Geothermal Energy and here’s why. When people say renewable energy source we automatically assume that it’s obviously a positive thing whilst undermining the actually meaning that resides within it (Clean Energy). A renewable energy source can be utilized excessively and still make its way back whilst also reducing your GHG Emissions in comparison to burning fossil fuels. In Iceland they made it work by utilizing “Stepwise development” which “takes into consideration the individual conditions of each geothermal system, and minimizes the long-term production cost. The cost of drilling is a substantial component both in the exploration and the development of geothermal fields” (Sustainable Utilization). Why is this essentially so significant? Because in the society in which we reside money is the end goal seemingly. This is essentially important in order to grow a tenacious grasp on our future as humanity in general.

Last Remarks

            According to Geothermal Energy in Iceland, Liquid rock is close to the surface in Island, and that natural system is in which no greenhouse gasses are produced which being geothermal energy. Drilling into a volcano is risky, but the steam is captured into pipes which in turn are transported into turbines thus producing electricity. Geothermal energy will not only work in Iceland considering in Western United States Projects have begun to form. Geothermal source’s can be found almost anywhere, because molten rock is in the core everywhere. Why is Iceland significant? With liquid hydrogen and geothermal energy it concludes that economic growth can be rooted the utilization of environmental technologies and free enterprise. Wildlife is thriving in Iceland, and we tend to over complicate things in which are right below us thus creating an innovative simplistic society with the use of what could have been within our past (Geothermal Energy in Iceland).

LINKS:

 

Clean Energy

 

How Geothermal Energy Works

 

Sustainable Utilization

 

Geothermal Energy in Iceland

 

 

Intro Into Thermoelectrics

              Thermoelectric Devices are rooted within its name itself! Think about it. What components make up thermoelectric as a word? Therm à Electric. Does that give you hint? Well its having or relating with the process of directly converting temperature into electrical power.

The Thermoelectric effect is the direct conversion of temperature to electric power. This can also be seen through the shift from electric power to temperature. There is a continuous current within the conductors, thus creating a full loop. What causes this to happen? Well it’s the thermoelectric EMF, or voltage, which highlights the temperature between two metals or semiconductors. To a side note is in order to measure the magnitude of a respected induced thermoelectric voltage as a result of one of the temperature difference of a particular material one must utilize the Seeback coefficient. The formula for this is S= Change in V/ change in T (Powerpoint). Why is this important? How does this relate to us? Well we waste a lot more heat than we should, and Thermoelectric Devices create a feasible solution to lead society in the right direction to using energy more efficiently, something civilization is in dire need for.

How do Thermoelectric Generators Work?

It is important to remember the fundamental aspect that if a heat source is available, a thermoelectric device can function as a power generator. In terms of carriers, hot carriers defuse from hot to cold whilst cold carriers diffuse from the cold to hot. Utilizing the picture below the heat source drives electrons from the n-type element toward the cool side, creating a current. Holes in the p-type will flow in the direction to the current. With the utilization of that current, the current itself powers a load. This in turn converts thermal to electrical energy. Charge flows through the n-type element, crosses the metallic interconnect, and passes the p-type element (Powerpoint).

Where Do We See This Applied in Our Everyday Lives?

Have you ever driven a car? Have you seen a factory? Have you seen a Thermal or Nuclear Power Plant? Well all of these produce so much energy that goes to waste unfortunately. We use a lot of energy within America and globally; however, it’s ludicrous not to be held accountable for the energy lost, or the wasted heat. Thermoelectric concepts that come into play by offering electrical energy, thus utilizing more energy than we would have, thus being a seemingly infallible solution. It’s like recycling considering the reutilization of products that is mindlessly going to waste (Powerpoint). In fact it is recycling. Now where do we see thermoelectric devices being utilized? It is used in every aspect of society in which we utilize energy. To name a few it is used on ships, aircrafts, gas turbines, and industrial machinery. Why? It takes excess heat to improve energy and it’s environmentally sound. It’s a win win situation (New Thermoelectric Semiconductor).

The Take Away

In short we tend to complicate things more than they need to be complicated. Now my stance on this is that it seems like one aspect of energy that society is actually doing right considering we should be utilizing all the energy we have, thus inclining us not to burn a prodigious amount of fossil fuels when we have extra heat that we can convert to energy; however, we must look at the complexity that resides within this concept as a whole. The reality is, it isn’t that complex. As depicted in this video this concept easy to mimic with entities an individual can find within their home. Lets diminish the need to complicate things that don’t need to be complicated.

 

LINKS:

Powerpoint

New Thermoelectric Semiconductor

Video