Month: April 2016

From November 30th 2015 to December 12th 2015, the United Nations Climate Change Conference was held in Paris, France. This marked the 21st meeting of this conference which had the European Union and 185 nation participating all with their own representatives. Called the Paris Agreement it focuses on dealing with greenhouse gas emissions mitigation, adaptation and finance starting in the year 2020. Currently the agreement has not yet entered into force but was adopted on the final day of the conference. As Earth Day approaches (April 22nd) the agreement will be open for signatures with 120 states expected to sign the agreement. 

“The objective of the conference was to achieve for the first in 20 years a binding and universal agreement on climate for all the nations in the world.” As well as one of the most influential people keying in on the conference Pope Francis published an encyclical called Laudato si’ intended to influence those regarding the matter of climate change and to be against it.

The goal of the conference was that greenhouse gas emissions to be reduce for the outcome of limiting the increasing global temperature. Currently since the 17th Conference which was held in 2010 the increase is set at 2°C above pre industrial levels. The delegates pledged to reduce this and keep it below 2°C without an increase, however many believed that there would be no guarantee of this.

Each of the 195 countries which committed to the Paris agreement states that they will “reduce emissions as part of the method for reducing greenhouse gas.” Also stated to “reduce their carbon output as soon as possible to do their best to keep global warming well below 2°C.” In addition islands such as the Pacific, the Seychelles and the Philippines stated that they were threatened by the rising sea level and had proposed a goal of 1.5°C, however, it was settled as 2°C. 

France’s Foreign Minister, Laurent Fabius stated that the Paris agreement was “ambitious and balanced” and a “historic turning point in reducing global warming.”

Obama released a statement regarding the Paris agreement in which he stated “in my first inaugural address, I committed this country to the tireless task of combating climate change and protecting this plant for future generations.Two weeks ago, in Paris, I said before the world that we needed a strong global agreement to accomplish this goal — an enduring agreement that reduces global carbon pollution and sets the world on a course to a low-carbon future. A few hours ago, we succeeded.  We came together around the strong agreement the world needed.  We met the moment.” 

https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/12/12/statement-president-paris-climate-agreement

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Agreement

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_United_Nations_Climate_Change_Conference

Currently the gas prices and government standards have caused a change to be put in place regarding fuel efficient cars. Many years ago fuel efficient cars were extremely unpopular however, in recent years many companies such as Toyota, BMW & Ford have now started to focus on fuel efficient cars, the style and the size in order to attract a new market. The auto industry is currently looking to cut greenhouse gasses in half by producing more hybrid cars. With many private investors and the government supporting research and development the aim of helping consumers save money through this is key and also reducing the production of petroleum. Currently the inciting factor for having a fuel efficient car is the savings it can bring in the long run and the benefits to the environment. Kelly Blue Book presents the top 10 most fuel efficient cars under $25,000 and emphasizes on style to make it more appealing for the consumer. The EPA states that 1 in every 10 cars on the road do not meet the federal requirements put in place for fuel efficiency. 

In addition fuel efficient cars such as hybrids have become extremely popular over the years, especially in London where a hybrid car saves you money. Back in London where I grew up, congestion charge was implemented in 2003 for any moving vehicle that drove into central London. The radius of the congestion charge zone is currently 2.7km with an £11.50 daily charge ($16). However, a new law implemented that any fuel efficient car would be given a 100% discount from the congestion charge, over the years there was a rise in London of those purchasing hybrid cars to avoid the congestion charge fee. 

http://www.kbb.com/car-reviews-and-news/top-10/highest-mpg-cars-under-25000-2015/2000011743-10/?r=613538365310389900

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_efficiency

https://www3.epa.gov/fueleconomy/regulations.htm

In our group meeting on Monday and Wednesday last week we discussed possible ideas of what we would do for our final project. We selected a project which we found online which compares nonrenewable and renewable fuels. If we had gone along with this project we would have been determining if the energy in a biofuel is equivalent to the energy found in a nonrenewable fuel such as petroleum. However, we were unable to follow through with this project as it consisted of the use of fire, which our professor was not comfortable with. After further discussion, we found another project that would be suitable that uses a hot stove top, this experiment is to build a model of a geothermal power plant so we can understand what exactly geothermal energy is. According to renewableenergyworld.com geothermal energy is the heat from the Earth, which makes it clean and sustainable. Currently we are gathering materials for our project and hope to get started on Monday. 

Sources

http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair projects/project_ideas/Energy_p030.shtml#procedure

http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_ideas/Energy_p023.shtml#procedure

Our class assignment was to visit the Museum of Science. I looked at the exhibition called Conserve at Home which shows different methods of how you are able to conserve energy at home. The exhibition has several displays that show you in the mock up home how energy is consumed through different appliances such as a washing machine. The exhibition showed how much energy we consumed by simply using these everyday appliances. In addition to the energy consumption the exhibition displayed how heat escapes from the house which is resulting in energy being wasted and using more than need be. I also visited the Catching the Wind exhibition which displays how wind can be turned into green energy. The exhibition features five small turbines that transform wind into energy and also track the production. Another exhibition that I visited was Energized, which “focuses on sunlight, wind, moving water, and other self-replenishing sources that generate cleaner energy with fewer negative side effects.” 

All these exhibitions gave myself a better understanding of renewable energy and the different forms which are available. Our experiment is to determine whether a biofuel is equivalent to the energy used by a nonrenewable fuel. Overall the trip to the Museum of Science was very insightful.