Why do we use fossil fuels?

If fossil fuels are so bad why do we still use them? 

• The guardian (http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/apr/17/why-cant-we-give-up-fossil-fuels)

The author of this article in the guardian argues that even though we use renewable energies or any other "green" alternative, it will emit a certain amount of carbon dioxide that will affect the climate. There have been researches and proven that the temperature of the Earth increases and changes throughout the years and despite using an enormous amount of fossil fuel, the rise in temperature has been constant since the Ice Age. Everyone will need to prioritize and use fossil fuels because using reusable energies take up only a small portion of the world's contribution in helping the environment. Also, the difference in cost is extremely noticeable.

• The New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/04/opinion/the-poor-need-cheap-fossil-fuels.html?action=click&module=Search&region=searchResults%230&version=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fquery.nytimes.com%2Fsearch%2Fsitesearch%2F%3Faction%3Dclick%26region%3DMasthead%26pgtype%3DHomepage%26module%3DSearchSubmit%26contentCollection%3DHomepage%26t%3Dqry32%23%2Ffossil+fuels&_r=0)

According to the New York Times, many people in the world are poor and they are in desperate need to heat their homes and cook and both of them require fossil fuels or coal or any sort of objects that emit carbon dioxide and exacerbate global warming. More than 1.2 billion people in the world live without access to electricity and in order to lift them out of the smoke and darkness of energy poverty, the low-cost fossil fuels should be utilized. By using the cheap resources, it can build on and the poor can use it until we make a global transition into a greener energy future.

• Climatecentral.org (http://www.climatecentral.org/news/fossil-fuels-to-dominate-world-energy-use-through-2040-16284)

Andrew Freedman, a science writer for climate change mentions that carbon dioxide emission and global energy consumption increases and will increase every year. Especially for developing countries, using cheap fossil fuels instead of costly renewable resources can really contribute in their enhancement of their city and and in the nation's economy as well. China and India are two main examples. Even though fossil fuels are limited and finite, after the country is developed and is financially stable to acquire foreign products or expensive things, they can use renewable energy to prevent global warming. Hence, using fossil fuels can be very beneficial to specific areas and can affect the world positively.

What in the world (March 4th)

Article: 

• http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/02/world/asia/china-railway-attack/index.html?hpt=wo_c2
• http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/02/china-train-station-knife-attack-police-suspects

According to CNN, in a Southwest city in China called Kunming, men who were armed with long knives attacked a train station and killed dozens and wounded hundreds. Kunming railway station is one of the largest in China.  Experts believe it was a terrorist attack and the ones who assaulted were members of a separatist group from Xinjiang. The police have killed four of the attackers and one of them were a female suspect who was part of the massacre. Theguardian mentioned that 5 of the assailants who killed at least 29 people and injured more than 130 people are still being searched. It happened on Saturday, at 9pm. The scene was a bloodshed and there were a couple of footage that contained vigorous scenes, but it was all deleted that were uploaded in the internet. Chinese president, Xi Jinping, told security officials to have no mercy and kill the guilty criminals.

Questions: 

• How and how many people died in the Pakistani court? (http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/03/world/asia/pakistan-violence/index.html?hpt=wo_c2)
• Who did North Korea free and why was he captured? (http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/02/world/asia/north-korea-australian-missionary/index.html?hpt=wo_c2)
• Who killed civilians in Nigeria and how were they killed? (http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/02/world/africa/nigeria-blasts/index.html?hpt=wo_c2)

Pros and Cons of methane gas

Pros:

• Burning methane gas only emits half the amount of carbon dioxide compared to burning fossil fuel or oil. 
• Unlike oil or fossil fuel which is very limited, there is an abundant amount of methane gas available since cows let out a lot of fart and manure. 
• A new process was invented to remove the carbon from the methane gas and the leftover, carbon black, could be used for other purposes like tires, printer inks and other products. 
• Methane gas can be transported through pipelines very easily and it is very cost effective. 
• Unlike coal or oil which pollutes the ground and underground liquid, burning methane gas will not affect land and water negatively.
• It is very beneficial to the economy since the country does not have to acquire foreign oil. 

Cons: 

• Methane gas is 21 times more effective in trapping heat than carbon dioxide so there is a high percentage of the tank or container to explode and cause great damage. 
• If it is exposed to humans and is inhaled by us, it can pose a great threat to our health and cause various problems and even death. 
• In order to detect the methane gas, carbon monoxide is added, but this makes it more dangerous and hazardous to our health.
• Once the pipline carrying the methane gas explodes, leaks or breaks, it is very expensive and difficult to repair it. 
• Even though there is a sufficient amount of it, it will not last long and is not profitable in the long-run term. 

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.