5 articles of reusable energy

• http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/24/business/businessspecial2/24farmers.html

- Some states in the US have already started using this method. In Vermont, Green Mountain Dairy is one of the four farms that use the methane gas from cow manure and fart and convert it to electricity. They are supplying electricity to 158,000 people in the state. Cow waste produces 250 to 300 kilowatts of electricity daily which is enough to power 300 to 350 houses.  Not only does it help to produce electricity, but it can also be used as a fertilizer and cow bedding. If the waste is pumped through a separator, the manure then can be used efficiently and it saves thousands of dollars by not having to purchase sawdust.

• http://www.foxnews.com/science/2013/11/26/big-methane-burp-cows-refineries-spew-gas/

- It has always been an obstacle to overcome problems of global warming caused by all the methane gas produced by cows and other domestic livestock. By reusing the wasteful products, it can double the prevention of pollution and improve the sanitation and hygiene in our lives. The amount that cows emit methane gas was the double the amount from the previous amount that scientists have calculated, so they are trying to find ways to reuse it efficiently. 

• http://www.carbonfund.org/renewable-energy-and-methane

-  Methane projects could be an extremely effective way to make a clean energy future. It can soothe extreme climate change, reduce various pollution and it also triggers us to develop new technology as well as increase employment. Since it is cheaper than other resources like coal, it can be purchased by many people without having to worry either about the price or global warming. The use of methane is basically the destruction of methane, where all the harmful substances are used to make electricity or other energy sources and the rest that is emitted to the atmosphere does not have any destructive effects. 

• http://blogs.worldwatch.org/revolt/is-%E2%80%9Crenewable-methane%E2%80%9D-energy-storage-an-efficient-enough-option/

- Unlike many renewable resources, like wind and solar, that cannot provide steady and sufficient energy, methane gas can provide the drivers in a single country with a daily amount of 138,000 cubic feet of energy to run the car. Hence it can alleviate extreme climate changes, reduce any pollutions and it also triggers us to develop new technology as well as increase job opportunities to the citizens. The effects of methane on Earth's resources are a lot more hazardous and harmful than what people usually think. Just by reducing the methane emission and reusing it can be very beneficial. 

• http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-12-03-cow-power_x.htm

- Many families that own a farm are marketing and earning money by cows. Their business lately have been somewhat successful and the new laws that were enforced in restricting harmful gas emissions required them to use renewable energy through the methane gas that their livestock produce. It improves the life of its neighbors as well as reduce pollutants that farms produce. Since it is an unlimited resource and quantity, it can constantly supply the farm and other areas with constant energy or electricity.  Even though they have to pay for the electricity used, they produce more than they use so they can sell and run a business that helps them financially and economically. 

Summary:

- It has always been an obstacle to overcome problems of global warming caused by all the methane gas produced by cows and other domestic livestock. By reusing the wasteful products, it can double the prevention of pollution and improve the sanitation and hygiene in our lives. Some states in the US have already started using this method. In Vermont, Green Mountain Dairy is one of the four farms that use the methane gas from cow manure and fart and convert it to electricity. They are supplying electricity to 158,000 people in the state. Cow waste produces 250 to 300 kilowatts of electricity daily which is enough to power 300 to 350 houses. Unlike many renewable resources, like wind and solar, that cannot provide steady and sufficient energy, methane gas can provide the drivers in a single country with a daily amount of 138,000 cubic feet of energy to run the car. Hence it can soothe extreme climate change, reduce various pollution and it also triggers us to develop new technology as well as increase employment.

Reusable form of energy

Methane gas: Cow fart and maure

I chose this topic because it is interesting. I would have never found out that fart or manure from certain animals cause global warming and it has such power that it can be converted to usable energy. To reuse such wastes can be beneficial to the environment and prevent any diseases or contamination of any resources that we need. Even though i do not know how it is properly used or how it is stored and converted to energy, just by knowing the fact that it can help the future, the knowledge of reusable energies will grow and everyone could apply it that could shape a better world.

It is a well known fact that greenhouse gases cause global warming and this can lead to serious issues, such as destroying several habitats and can jeopardize all animal kind as well as our lives. One main greenhouse gas that is contaminating our environment is methane and this is mostly emitted by cows. Cow fart and manure mainly consists of methane gas and scientists nowadays are baffled by the incredibly large amount of methane emission caused by most domestic livestock. Luckily, many found ways to generate energy from the methane gas. According to the New York Times, a farm in Vermont called Green Mountain Dairy convert the greenhouse gas to electricity. Although it is not common, if the way of use and all that are spread all over the world, we could prevent global warming as well as have more abundant and sufficient energy that we could use without having to worry about the shortage of it.

What in the world (Feb/25)

China smog

• http://edition.cnn.com/2014/02/24/world/asia/beijing-smog-solutions/index.html?hpt=ias_c2
• http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/13/us-china-pollution-idUSBREA1C02D20140213

People in Beijing, also known as Beijingers, are suffering from an intense air pollution that had conquered their atmosphere since last winter. The smog levels are getting worse and heavier each day. The cause of this was seen by China's aggressive economic growth and the factories that has been operating for a long time. According to CNN, China is going to allocate 760 billion yuan ($124.64 billion) to improve the city's air quality by 2017. With their advanced technology, China is trying to get solutions by inventing giant vacuum cleaners to clean the air and skyscraper-mounted sprinklers. Reuters.com announced that China is a "barely suitable" place to live due to smog. By next year, China would have used 3 trillion yuan ($494 billion) and shut 30 most pollution-making factories.


Questions:

1. Where and who passed the anti-homosexuality bill? (http://edition.cnn.com/2014/02/24/world/africa/uganda-homosexuality-interview/index.html?hpt=hp_c1)
2. Who is the missing and wanted man in Ukraine and why is he such a big deal? (http://edition.cnn.com/2014/02/24/world/europe/ukraine-politics/index.html?hpt=wo_c1)
3. how was the most wanted drug lord in the world caught?(http://edition.cnn.com/2014/02/23/world/americas/el-chapo-capture/index.html?hpt=wo_c2)

Alternatives to oil

- What types of alternatives to oil do you know exist? List and write a basic definition of how it creates energy for 6 different alternatives.
- For each of the 6 alternatives to oil find out and write down how much energy do you get back for the energy that is put in to creating/ harnessing or storing the energy?

1. Human/Animal waste- The feces we let out of our body and the used diaper by babies can come in handy. They can be used to make fuel and renewable energy. Not only from the humans but with animal waste, also, could be used to make energy. Their feces can be used as well as guts that are thrown away. For instance, turkey gut can be collected and used to make fuel oil to replace diesel, gasoline, and jet fuel. The guts, head and feathers should be mixed with water and heated for an hour with 500 F at 600 psi to make the alternative fuel.  

- It is said that treating these wastes can produce a fairly large amount of gas and convert it to energy. With the daily wastes, it can produce 1.5million cubic feet of gas and it can fill 1250 tanker trucks.

2. Jellyfish- Many researchers have found out that jellyfish could be used to make alternative fuels. The green fluorescent protein which makes them glow can be used to activate a car. By adding a few chemicals in to the luminescent protein from jellyfish, biological fuel will be created that is beneficial to us as well as the environment.

3. Solar power- The solar paint captures the energy of the sun. Many are inventing a paint-on solar panel that can be put onto a steel panel and cover buildings. Although it is expensive and only covers a limited surface area, it is said by many experts and scientists that solar power is the easiest way to obtain and most effective source of energy provided. It is also calculated that a square foot of solar paint that is used produce the energy of 50 wind farms.

- If the solar paints that are 100 million square meters of a steel building are used to conserve energy for a year, it will produce 4500 gig watts of electricity through the solar cells and this is equivalent to the production of energy of 50 wind farms. The cost of a solar panel that is 3Kw costs 6500 pounds. 

4. Coffee grounds- Coffee been contain a high percentage of oil and this might be a benefit to us in the future. It takes a long to bio degrade, so many countries in Europe like Germany and Switzerland have companies to collect coffee grounds and use it for an efficient energy source: fuel. It consists of significant amount of oil that is in the form of biodiesel. 

- It is said that starbucks wastes 210 million pounds of coffee grounds annually and this can produce 3 million gallons of biodiesel and 90000 tons of fuel pellets.

5. Cows - Octane gas- Researches by Argentinian scientists have revealed that a single cow that weighs 550 kg lets out 800 to 1000 litres of methane gas each day. Cows have 4 stomachs that are active and they let the cow fart and burp to emit methane. Methane is a gas which burn quickly, unlike carbon dioxide, and it is a much more reactive greenhouse gas. Not only from cows but other domestic animals like sheep, goats and llamas, if the methane was captured by these animals into some tank, it could be an alternative fuel and help run machines and be an effective energy source. 

- A hard of cattle emits an average of 275 litres of pure methane and this can easily keep a refrigerator running for 24 hours.   
6. Urine- Many researchers are trying to develop microbal fuel cells by using specialized bacteria and breaking down products of various types and create energy. British researchers have figured out that urine is rich in nitrogen, chemically active, has compounds that make very good microbal fuel cells. The fuel cells in the urine could also produce electricity as well as clean water.
- Compare two different types in depth and decide which you think is a ‘greener’ solution and why

- Solar power has been considered one of the best alternative energy and is currently used by many countries. Although it is quite costly, it is very helpful to the environment and uses the sun to produce its energy, which we consider as an infinite resource. It could be used anywhere, anytime during the day since the sun provides with unlimited sunrays. It has been long known that cow farts, which most consist of methane, can harm our global climate and many domestic livestocks emit greenhouse gases. If they are used as an alternative to fuel or any other energy source, it can prevent global warming and from damaging the ozone layer. The amount of unwanted gas they produce is deadly and enormous that by using it efficiently could really be beneficial to the Earth as well as out health.
I personally believe that the solar power will be a much more eco-friendly and greener solution than collecting cows' emissions. If we were to use the methane gas, there should be ways to gather the gas without exposing it to the air and try to get the minimum amount of gas triggering global warming; however, there aren't many ways to do it and it could be very risky if the tanks that holds the methane gas explodes. Unlike that, solar panels are just expensive to make and it has no harm to any environment. As it can be used anywhere with the help of sun rays, I think solar power is a 'greener' solution. 

What in the world (Feb 18th)

CVS stores to stop selling tobacco products

• http://edition.cnn.com/2014/02/05/health/cvs-cigarettes/index.html
• http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/02/05/271906167/cvs-to-stop-selling-tobacco-products
• http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/feb/05/cvs-us-drugstore-stop-selling-cigarettes-tobacco

Starting from October 2014, the CVS pharmacy, the largest pharmacy chain in the United States, will stop selling cigarettes and any tobacco products. The CEO of the company believes that ending the sale of cigarettes and tobacco products is the right thing and right path to better health as well as a better community. Even the president Barack Obama, who was a former smoker, praised this move and claimed it will reduce various deaths, cancers and bring down health care costs to the nation. If the selling of cigarettes is ceased, CVS will lose 2 billion dollars every year and the revenues will fluctuate and eventually decrease. However, for a better nation and less health care costs, tobacco products should not be sold. In the mid-20th century, 42%of the population smoke in the United States, whereas only 19% do today. The cessation of selling tobacco will encourage and motivate more people to quit smoking. There have been many advertisements of the cigarettes and cigarette companies have used more than 8 billion dollars on advertising. Therefore, if tobacco is not sold in pharmacies, then they would not have to spend so much money on advertising and increases the sales in other convenience stores.

Ukraine Protests

• http://money.cnn.com/2014/02/03/news/economy/ukraine-currency-politics/index.html?iid=SF_BN_Lead&hpt=ibu_c2
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25182823
• http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/16/us-ukraine-idUSBREA1F05G20140216

Ukraine’s currency has hit the lowest point in over four years as the central bank is unable to support hryvnia (Ukraine’s currency) due to political turmoil. The government of Ukraine is unstable because of protests against the president, who refused to agree on a trade pact with the European Union and the agreement which would have strengthened their cooperation with the EU and build stronger ties with Russia. However, the reason that the president did not sign the contract was simply because they could not afford to. If he did sign the deal, Ukraine would have had massive discounts on natural gas imports and 15 billion dollar worth support package that Russia offered. Since the pact was not concurred, the country has debt and their political as well as economic situation is jeopardizing. This leads to the fall of the price and value of their currency. Also, the central bank is running out of foreign currency reserves. If the value keeps falling, it will be a huge threat to the economy and the unstable currency will hit the banking system, which will affect the wages of the citizens and consumers then increase the cost of debt repayment and servicing. This led the citizens to protest and take violent actions against the government.