Hydrogen fusion

In the basic Hydrogen fusion cycle, four Hydrogen nuclei (protons) come together to make a Helium nucleus. This is the simple version of the story. There are actually electrons, neutrinos and photons involved that make the fusion of Hydrogen into Helium possible.

the most important thing to remember is the fusion cycle can releases power and it can get the energy from our sun. that is why we feel hot on summer days.

 

Nuclear fusion occurs when two atoms fuse together (usually hydrogen) to form a heavier atom (helium), and releasing a vast amount of energy in the process. “This process can only occur at incredibly high temperatures, such as the center of a star (such as our Sun). Every second, the Sun fuses 500 million tons of hydrogen into helium, releasing about 5 million tons of gamma rays that eventually heat and illuminate Earth.” 

Basically, to keep fusion going you need to sustain a temperature of around 11 million degrees Celsius, which requires a huge amount of electricity. Fusion chambers are usually lined with heat-resistant carbon tiles in an attempt to reduce wastage, but the problem is that protons and neutrons escaping from the fusion reaction hit the wall, cool down, and then bounce back into the reaction, reducing the temperature. Electricity must then be used to increase the temperature back to 11 million Celsius.

Lithium Tokamak Experiment (LTX)

 

 

 

http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/123837-500mw-from-half-a-gram-of-hydrogen-the-hunt-for-fusion-power-heats-up/2

http://www.windows2universe.org/sun/Solar_interior/Nuclear_Reactions/Fusion/Fusion_in_stars/H_fusion.html

 

hydro fracking

GNatural gas plays a key role in our nation’s clean energy future. it can use to drill about 500 feet under the ground. The U.S. has vast reserves of natural gas that are commercially viable as a result of advances in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing technologies enabling greater access to gas in shale formations. Responsible development of America’s shale gas resources offers important economic, energy security, and environmental benefits.

Slick water hydraulic fracturing, also known as hydrofracking, is a new development in natural gas extraction. The process was created by Halliburton Inc. (well known for its work in Iraq and elsewhere), Schlumberger Inc., and Messina Inc. This process makes mining for natural gas in dense shale more economically possible, where before it was not.

1. Conceptual sketch to illustrate the concept of horizontal drilling and hydrofracing.

Slick water hydrofracking is different from conventional natural gas drilling in a couple of ways.

First, slick water hydrofracking uses significantly more water than conventional drilling, as well as a “slick water” mixture that is pumped into the shale to fracture the rock and release the gas. Second, there is an increased potential for toxicity and its long-term impacts. Finally, there is the environmental impacts of the drilling: surface and subterranean damage including forestland loss, multiple well sites, groundwater and surface water contamination, habitat and species disturbance, and likely an increased number of access roads to the well sites.

 

 

 

http://www.peacecouncil.net/NOON/hydrofrac/HdryoFrac2.htm

http://www.citizenscampaign.org/campaigns/hydro-fracking.asp

http://www2.epa.gov/hydraulicfracturing

Hurricane Sandy and whether or not it was caused by global warming

I think that Hurricane Sandy it was caused by global warming.

First we have to understand what is global warming and what causes global warming.One of the first things scientists learned is that there are several greenhouse gases responsible for warming, and humans emit them in a variety of ways. Most come from the combustion of fossil fuels in cars, factories and electricity production. The gas responsible for the most warming is carbon dioxide, also called CO2. Other contributors include methane released from landfills and agriculture (especially from the digestive systems of grazing animals), nitrous oxide from fertilizers, gases used for refrigeration and industrial processes, and the loss of forests that would otherwise store CO2. In order to understand the effects of all the gases together, scientists tend to talk about all greenhouse gases in terms of the equivalent amount of CO2. Since 1990, yearly emissions have gone up by about 6 billion metric tons of “carbon dioxide equivalent” worldwide, more than a 20 percent increase.

Photo: Smokestacks

Millions were paralyzed by Hurricane Sandy as the storm swept up the East Coast Monday night into Tuesday. The storm made landfall in New Jersey but shut down federal government offices, public transportation systems, and schools in Washington, D.C. and New York City.

As the disastrous effects of the storm become clear Tuesday, speculation begins as to whether or not the extreme weather event was caused by global warming. The topic remains controversial in the American political landscape, while research shows that climate change does have an effect on the severity and increased frequency in such storms. A recent report from University of Copenhagen’s Centre for Ice and Climate said hurricanes in the southeast Atlantic have become more frequent over the past 90 years, with more storms in years where water temperature is higher.

“You can’t say [global warming] caused any single event, but when we start to see a trend like this, I think it shows that there’s a good chance these hurricanes wouldn’t be happening without warming,” said one of the report’s authors, Aslack Grinsted. “What I show is only correlation, but it’s purely consistent with the hypothesis that warming goes along with more frequent, large hurricanes.”

FE_DA_121030BoatsNYC.jpg

http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2012/10/30/was-hurricane-sandy-caused-by-global-warming

http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming

GMO pros and cons

GMO’s task  is basically improving plants, animals’s genes resisting pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides also GMO can make fruit larger and seedless.  GMO claims this is the solution to humanity’s problem but currently there are many people don not believe their theory.

Genetically modified (GM) barley grown by researchers on a site belonging to Giessen University (Justus-Liebig-Universität) in Germany. The GM barley was investigated for its effects on soil quality.

GMOs are using especial methods that include  DNA technology and cloning. Reproductive cloning technology” generates offspring that are genetically identical to the parent by the transfer of an entire donor nucleus into the enucleated cytoplasm of a host egg.”(Brown University) There was a Sheep named Dolly was the first animal produced using this cloning technique.

Genetically modified organisms are produced using scientific methods that include recombinant DNA technology.

Pros:

The GMO believes that this technology can help to increase the food supply and help underfed nations or assist farmers. Another benefits are it can provide better food and taste. the most important thing is it can improve their resistance of disease so the farmers have more efficient production. since the crops are already resistant so they dont need to use pesticides to protect their crops and weeds. it is good for the environment. the final benefit is that GMO’s are safe for human consumption.

A researcher transferring cells into culture flasks during cloning research.

Cons:

The biggest concern is that there is no enough time to test GMO’s problem.
Another problem is allergic reactions; “genetic modification often mixes or adds proteins that
weren’t indigenous to the original plant, causing new allergic reactions to the human body,”
(according to Brown University.)
Some GMO foods have had antibiotic features added to them so they are resistant to certain
diseases and viruses. When humans eat them, these antibiotics features persist in our bodies
and make actual antibiotic medications less effective, according to Iowa State University. Another risk is that the modified genes may escape into the wild. Brown University warns “if
herbicide resistant genes cross into wild weeds, a super weed that is resistant to herbicides can
be created. Making plants resistant to bacteria can cause bacteria to become stronger and
harder to kill.” (Brown University)

References
– Brown University: What is Genetically Modified Food?
– University of California: San Diego: 20 Questions About GMO Food
– Iowa State University: The Debate on Labeling Genetically Modified Food
– Oklahoma State University: GMO Facts
– Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations: Weighing the GMO
Arguments