GO SOLAR!

Katzir, A.(n.d). Save Money On Your Power With Solar Roof Shingles. In Alternative Energy Base. Retrieved April 8,2009 from http://www.alternativeenergybase.com/Article/Save-Money-On-Your-Power-With-Solar-Roof-Shingles/889

Solar roof shingles will save you a lot of money. State government has agreed to look into this idea. Solar roof shingles used to be very expensive, but since they have lowered on the price you can find some as low as two hundred dollars. People can get power for a lot cheaper, also these solar shingles are made to last twenty years of power output. Also they can stand up to 80 miles per hour winds. Another great fact is that the shingles come with a warranty incase anything bad intended to happen. If people decide to purchase the solar shingles, they should check with their local and state governments, they might offer some tax credits.

Recycling Cell Phones

WWAY.(2009, April 7). No better time than the present to recycle that old cell phone.

http://wwaytv3.com/no_better_time_present_recycle_old_cell_phone/04/2009

The Environmental Protection Agency has gotten together with all different cell phones companies, to help and encourage people to recycle there old or unwanted cell phones. Every year about 100 million cell phones are thrown away. If the 100 million cell phones were recycled about 18,000 homes would be provided with energy for a year. Cell phone companies last year collected 11 million old phones, with this action taken, energy was saved and 2,000 homes were provided with electricity for a year. Also, if cell phones were recycled it would decrease the air and water pollution. Another reason to recycle your phone is because a lot of cell phone companies donate the phones to charities,for example, Verizon donates them to domestic violence shelters and AT&T for soldiers.

Solar Thermal Power

Solar thermal power just got hotter. (2009, April 8). Mother Nature Network.

http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/energy/stories/solar-thermal-power-just-got-hotter

The hottest new solar power technology being developed today is called the linear Fresnel reflector. Since the price of natural gas keeps going up this company is trying to develop and market the solar thermal technology a lot more. The linear Fresnel reflectors differs from other CSP's, with Fresnels sunlight reflects unto a single, horizontal tubular receiver, although I'm not sure what that means. Other CSP's take many receivers and cost more, but Fresnels lowers costs. Also Fresnels reflectors can squeeze more mirrors then other CSP's, and uses less land.

Greener Earth

Corlette, S.(n.d). Mazda Hydrogen RE(Hybrid): Commitment to a Greener Earth

http://www.alternativeenergybase.com/Article/Mazda-Hydrogen-RE--Hybrid---Commitment-to-a-greener-Earth/715

The Mazda Motor Corporation developed Hydrogen RE (Hydbrid) which was made to contribute to a greener environment. The RX-8 Hydrogen RE has been leased by Mazda to buisness corporations and government bodies since 2006. The dual-fuel system is convenient and it smoothly switches from gasoline and hydrogen fuel. So the ride is still a very nice and smooth one. Also it is powerful and high-speed, it has a larger trunk space, and higher seating capacity. Another feature is that it has a longer period of in-between refueling.

Water for Fuel?

Clemmons, N.C., (April 6) Automatic Hybrid, Inc. Explores Using Hydrogen from Drinking Water to Fuel Cars

http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent.aspx?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/04-06-2009/0005001170&EDATE=

In North Carolina, Automatic hybrid, Inc. is researching that the water that we drink can also power our vehicles and save a lot of money and our environment. Charley Charles, the president of Automatic hybrid, Inc. discovered that about 15% to 20% of the gasoline we put in our car is actually used to drive. The other percent of the energy is wasted through the exhaust via the catalytic converter that releases toxic emissions into our environment. So basically he is saying that if you put 100 dollars worth of gas, you really only use about 15 dollars of the gas to drive. The hydro-oxygen fuel from the drinking water is added, so every bit of the energy from the gasoline is used. However, Charles states that you can't just put water into your gas tank. First a functional hydrogen generating system needs to be installed in the vehicle. The goal is to help people save money on gas and really help improve our environment.

The use Of Energy

Wendell Berry makes a lot of good points in his essay, "The Unsettling of America Culture and Agriculture." We have abused our soil, we do waste our agriculture resources, and we do rely too much on machines that use up non-renewable energy sources. However, as a women who spent the early part of her life on a South American farm that did not have machines, I disagree with Mr. Berry's point that we are better off without machines. He talks a lot about humans bonding with their farm animals. That does happen, but it is back-breaking work plowing a field with an ox or donkey. There are always accidents with farm animals and when one of them dies, you can't just buy a part to fix it. Also, it isn't realistic. If half the farmers went back to stone age farming techniques, the other half who don't would quickly put them out of business.

Berry is right... we do need to use our farm resources more wisely, but it will never be able to go back to the way it used to be.

Water Resources

The article I came across on the EPA website titled Water Resources states that climate change is responsible for the reduction of water resources. In the United States, water resources are becoming limited. This is a horrible, because then that means that places will dry up, deserts will expand, people will not be able to grow crops, and eventually people could die of dehydration or conflicts over water resources.

Water is such an essential part of life that we must protect our resources at all costs. it is nice that we have groups like the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) to help manage this vital resource.

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/effects/water/index.html

Ice Shelf Split? Global Warming?

My cousin Bruce in front of a glacier near Whittier

People have been discussing global warming for a long time now. A satellite picture showed that an ice strip that held Wilkins Ice Shelf together had snapped off the Antarctic Peninsula. The ice bridge has held a huge Antarctic ice shelf in place for hundreds of years. Many people will see this as yet another reason to jump on the global warming bandwagon, but the fact is, glaciers and ice shelves have been retreating for centuries, long before cars and the Industrial Revolution. Let's take a look at Alaska for a minute, it used be covered by glaciers and its a beautiful place to live. The glaciers melting here was a good thing! However, researchers might be right, the ice melting could be global warming, but nobody really knows for sure. The main problem I have with all the pollution we put into the air is that we all have to breathe it! For this reason, I am all for reducing global air pollution and improving air quality.

http://news.xnihuanet.com/english/2009-04/06/content_11136997

Biomass Resource Map

I chose this Biomass Map because I had never heard of it before and it was something new and interesting. My dictionary defined biomass as "plant material, vegetation specifically as a source of fuel or energy." The website that I came across shows many different types of maps, such as wind, solar, and geothermal energy maps. The Biomass Map, though, was interesting to me because as I studied it you could see that in the midwestern part of the United States there is a lot of biomass potential for renewable energy sources. As I understand it, animal and plant waste gives off lots of untapped energy, mostly in the form of gases. Wouldn't it be wonderful if this waste could be used to produce electricity or other forms of usable energy? Maybe someday the gases released in our huge landfills and dumps will be used to power our cities!

http://www.nrel.gov/

My Shocking Results in the BP Calculator

http:www.bp.com/iframe.do?categoryld=902311&&contentld=7045317

My results in the Bp calculator was 56822 kwh per year. At first glance at this number it might seem as a lot, but living in a household of eight people explains a lot. We need a big vehicle because of our big family and most of the time more than half go to school. So instead of using up a lot of gas and using two cars, we use one vehicle and we fit the whole family in it. It would be great if car companies would develop a fuel efficient, affordable vehicle that can fit a large family, but so far this has not happened. We also live in Chugiak and a lot of our business is in Anchorage, for example, I take classes at UAA, and my dad and my little brothers and sisters go to Government Hill Elementary school. We still try to combine trips as much as possible.

Clean Energy Corps

This article is about the CEC, this corporation is saying that many people are loosing their jobs. However if they focus on environmental jobs,also known as "green jobs", more jobs will be available and new ones will be developed.

Some of the ways the CEC would do are:

"*Directly engage millions of America in diverse service, service learning, and volunteer work related to climate protection.

* Work with employers,unions,educators, and community organizations to put more Americans particularly the low- income and unemployed, on green-collar career pathways-providing them the training,credentials,work experience job placements, and other essentials elements for good and secure jobs in the clean energy economy."

I think that this corporation is doing a great thing by supplying ways for people to help out with the environment, and by giving the community new and more improved jobs.

http://www.greenjobsnow.com/about/clean-energy-corps

I thought that Alex's blog called "Fast, the furious, and eco conscious..." was interesting and eye catching. However his details on the subject of cars running on electricity was kind of weak. I wanted to know more because that topic is something that mostly everyone should consider, but I was left only knowing so little.

Some of the questions I would like answered would be:

* Would this car be more efficient here in Alaska with our weather conditions? and why?

* Is it a car that we might see more of in the future?

http://energyessential.blogspot.com/

Global Warming (Earth Hour)

Before December of 2009, people of the world decided to take action in Global Warming by participating in "earth hour". Earth hour is when people of the world turn off their lights and energy sources for an hour.

Here is a strong quote that describes it all and its an affect on the worlds energy:

"In 2009, Earth Hour was taken to the next level, with the goal of 1 billion casting their vote for Earth. Unlike any election in history, it is not about what country you're from, but instead what planet you're from. VOTE EARTH is a global call to action every individual, every business, and every community - a call to stand up and take control of the future of our planet. We all have to vote, and every single vote counts. Together we can take control of the future of our planet, for the future generations."

I personally participated and agree with this statement because I believe global warming is a serious issue in the world. We live in alaska, a place where it snows 6 months out of the 12, but this year our snowfall was delayed about 2 months I do believe thats due to global warming. For example, our polar bears are becoming extinct, due to the warm whether(global warming) melting their home land on ice burgs.

http://www.earthhour.org/about/

htt://www.topbulb.com/find/energy_saving_light_bulbs.asp

Fluorescent light bulbs

Fluorescent light bulbs save more energy then standard light bulbs by 70 percent. Lighting uses roughly 10 to 20 percent of the energy in commecial buildings. By using the fluorescent light bulb you will be reducing that percentage.

So therefore,

A 9w compacct fluorescent light bulb is the same as using a 40w standard light bulb

A 13w is the same as 60w

And a 23w is the same as a 100w.

By that information I came across proves that you can save energy by switching to Fluorescent bulbs. I know my family does because we use them ourselves.

In 2008 we began to see need for change

Thomas Friedman is trying to tell us that we need a change now, because if we dont then our world will just die. We keep trying to fine new inventions because we are becoming lazy to do things. We can recycle cans or paper, but we are too lazy to even do that. We tend to litter with out thinking about what happens to the ozone. One of our big problems is our trees. We keep cuttin them down for buildings that we dont really need. The less trees we have the less oxygen we will have. Thomas also uses the example of fisheries, they tend to fish too much, and sooner or later they will be short on fish. Also Friedman states that America buys their products from China, and thats fine. However America tends to buy more then what they need. If America didn't then they would have more money to help the economy. America is becoming more and more greedy and that is hurting all of us.