How Does LED Lighting Work? - LED is short for light-emitting diode. - First introduced in 1962 - LED light functions through the process of electroluminescence, where the electrons find holes in the particular device the LED light is being geared towards, and emits photons. The color of the light depends on the energy of the photon. Advantages and benefits of using LED lighting: - Lower energy consumption - Longer lifetime - Low toxicity - Unlike florescent lights, LED lights don’t use mercury - Versatile: used to light planes, brake lights and turn signals in cars, and traffic lights as well - 75% less energy consumption than traditional lighting - 70—80% more efficient and has an even more dramatic effect
How Do Solar Panels Work?
- Utilizes the basic element of silicone. When it’s completely neutralized, it’s an ideal platform for electron transmission - Also known as photovoltaic module/photovoltaic panel - Panels use photons and energy from the sun to generate electricity, a process also known as photovoltaic effect. - From this, light is split into different wavelength ranges to their corresponding cells in other series - Many households have switched to solar lighting, whether it is with electricity throughout their house or the manner in which they heat their jacuzzis.
In the midst of the Arabian Desert surrounding Abu Dhabi, an architectural firm is in the process of constructing what they claim will be the first carbon-neutral city. The New York Times' Nicolai Ourousoff describes it in the following way: "Designed by Foster & Partners, a firm known for feats of technological wizardry, the city, called Masdar, would be a perfect square, nearly a mile on each side, raised on a 23-foot-high base to capture desert breezes. Beneath its labyrinth of pedestrian streets, a fleet of driverless electric cars would navigate silently through dimly lit tunnels. The project conjured both a walled medieval fortress and an upgraded version of the Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland." Some of the amazing features of this model of sustainable development include sun shades that open automatically as the day begins and close at night, with photovoltaic cells attached to the sun shades to generate electricity. Water, waste, and transport systems operate under the city, in a series of tunnels. No carbon-emitting cars will be allowed to enter the city, and the layout of the streets above ground is at an elevation to catch the desert breezes and constructed at angles to maximize shade. Fittingly, "[Masdar} will be the home to a research institute focused on sustainability and renewable energy." For more on this, just go to the story, "In the Arabian Desert, a Sustainable City Rises."
In preparing for our trip to the farmers' market in Fullerton (corner of Wilshire and Pomona), let's take a look at an interview with Barbara Kingsolver, author of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. Here, she explains what she and her family sought to do: to eat locally, to become more aware of what they were eating, and to grow their own food as well as they could. For more on Kingsolver's book on eating locally, check out her web site at http://www.animalvegetablemiracle.com/
The first video gives a clear example of how easy personal changes that help the environment can be. It illustrates a movement towards green public transportation instead of individual car use and wind and solar energy instead of coal powered energy. Also, this video shows a fun way of communicating real change.
The second video shows the relationship between the industrial economy and the environment. High executives from different companies like Johnson & Johnson, Sony, and The Coca-Cola Company discuss their ability to actually turn a profit with more sustainable practices.
Sustainable energy is the provision of energy such that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Sustainable energy sources are most often regarded as including all renewable sources, such as plant matter, solar power, wind power, wave power, geothermal power and tidal power. It usually also includes technologies that improve energy efficiency. Conventional fission power is sometimes referred to as sustainable, but this is controversial politically due to concerns about peak uranium, radioactive waste disposal and the risks of disaster due to accident, terrorism, or natural disaster.
Nuclear power makes global warming worse. It is not a clean solution to the climate crisis, but instead diverts scarce resources from the green techologies that really work: renewables, conservation, and efficiency technologies that can really can solve the climate crisis while also generating wealth, jobs and economic stability.
Despite the nuclear energy industry's well-funded efforts to convince the public otherwise, uranium fuel for atomic power plants is in limited supply. Like coal, oil and gas, it will soon run out, leaving scores of giant reactors useless and abandoned.
Wind, solar, bio-fuels, and other forms of renewables form a proven, immensely profitable multi-billion dollar industry, with rapid growth on the horizon. In concert with increased efficiency, currently available green power technology can power our entire planet, while solving the global warming problem and guaranteeing our future prosperity.
BIOMASS COULD PROVIDE 15% OF U.S. ENERGY DEMAND BY 2030
A joint feasibility study conducted by the US Departments of Agriculture and Energy has concluded that the US has the potential to produce a billion dry tons of biomass per year, while still continuing to meet the nation’s food, feed and export demands.
Commercial-scale wind farms, now a $15 billion/year industry, have jumped forward as the world's cheapest and fastest-growing new energy producer.
WIND POWER COULD GENERATE MORE THAN ENOUGH SUSTAINABLE ELECTRICITY TO MEET GLOBAL ENERGY NEEDS
After analyzing more than 8,000 wind-speed measurements to identify the world's wind-power potential for the first time it was found that wind captured at specific locations, if even partially harnessed, can generate more than enough power to satisfy the world's energy demands.
Geothermal technology uses superheated steam from the Earth's core to create energy in more than 20 countries worldwide. The steady 55-degree heat of the Earth's crust also works the building of homes and offices, including large urban skyscrapers. This nature-based technology provides valuable supplemental heat in winter and base-line cooling in summer.
UNTAPPED GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES COULD PROVIDE 25,000 MW OF ELECTRICAL GENERATING CAPACITY
The GEOTHERMAL ENERGY Association (GEA) released data showing the untapped geothermal power potential in the West. This data shows almost 100 undeveloped geothermal power sites. These sites have a total production potential approaching 25,000 MW of electrical generating capacity -- enough to meet more than 70% of California's electricity needs.
RENEWABLE ENERGY BECOMING COST-COMPETITIVE WITH FOSSIL FUELS IN THE U.S.
Renewable energy resources provide just over six percent of total U.S. energy today, but that figure could increase rapidly in the years ahead.
RENEWABLE RESOURCES COULD PROVIDE 99 PERCENT OF U.S. ELECTRICITY GENERATION BY 2020
The Energy Analysis Office (EAO) of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) issued for the Office of Science a DRAFT analysis, for comment, of the technical potential for renewables. EAO's preliminary analysis included a summary table representing near-term and ultimate technical potential for RENEWABLE ENERGY resources (economic and market considerations are not taken into account). The seven-page document is entitled "Near-Term Practical and Ultimate Technical Potential for Renewable Resources."
The representation for the near term potential is given in percentage of electric generation in the United States in 2020. Near-term potential is restricted by near-term challenges, such as infrastructure and reliability problems, electricity storage, and technological ability to use the resource. Nonetheless, the "near-term practical" potential of renewable resources as a percent of U.S. electricity generation in 2020 is estimated to be 99-124 percent, or - in terms of primary energy - as 47-55 quads/year (electricity only).
Photovoltaic (PV) cells, which convert sunlight directly to electricity, can make buildings energy self-sufficient. New breakthroughs are allowing solar features to be integrated into roofing shingles, windows and even paint. Big desert-based power towers and trough-mirror arrays are proving increasingly profitable.
Soy diesel and corn-based ethanol can profitably supplant fossil fuels. Advances using easily grown perennials like switchgrass, hemp, kudzu, algae and a wide range of trees and weeds will make biofuels even cheaper and cleaner.
A recent post by Michael Klare, energy expert, tells the story of a rising China--a nation that has exceeded the U.S. in its consumption of energy. In "China, Energy, and Global Power," Klare outlines the repercussions of this startling new development. He writes,
"One can read this development in many ways: as evidence of China's continuing industrial prowess, of the lingering recession in the United States, of the growing popularity of automobiles in China, even of America's superior energy efficiency as compared to that of China. All of these observations are valid, but all miss the main point: by becoming the world's leading energy consumer, China will also become an ever more dominant international actor and so set the pace in shaping our global future."
Which just goes to show that we are all connected and that our fate lies in our common understanding of the limits of our planet to absorb our many ambitious undertakings. For more on this, go to "China, Energy, and Global Power: Twenty-First Century Energy Superpower."
Often times many propositions go unnoticed until the election, where final decisions are made at the polling place. I would to submit the importance of being an educated and active voter. By not voting after a bit of research, or even not voting at all, many people refuse their simple freedom given to them by the great founders of this country. Important initiatives are on the ballot this November. Below I have listed and given details on (based on/taken from the Official CA Voters Guide) two propositions which may have an effect on the environment.
Propositions:
21ESTABLISHES $18 ANNUAL VEHICLE LICENSE SURCHARGE TO HELP FUND STATE PARKS AND WILDLIFE PROGRAMS. GRANTS SURCHARGED VEHICLES FREE ADMISSION TO ALL STATE PARKS.
This proposition idea is really creative and gives an incentive to add an extra tax. It was put on the ballot by a voter petition and promotes conservation and preservation of our precious state parks. By giving people an extra reason to go to and witness the beauty of nature, people have a larger incentive to want to preserve our natural environments. It would raise over $500 million dollars but after all of the necessary deductions, about half would go to the parks. The big question is wheter or not we are willing to add another tax to ourselves in the current economic atmosphere.
23
suspends implementation of air pollution control law (ab 32) requiring major sources of emissions to report and reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause globalwarming, until unemployment drops to 5.5 percent or less for full year. initiative statute.
This is another intelligent prop that was added by a petition of voters. It would prevent Assembly Bill from coming in to effect, "until unemployment rates drop to 5.5% or less for a full year." This would allow families to get back on their feet without getting more taxes added to them. The most important thing to do right now is preserve current jobs while making more. The Bill it would suspend has been argued to possibly cause higher unemployment and a lack of new jobs. With California having one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation, 12.2%, it is important to foster jobs rather than cut them. This prop does not take away the AB 23 but just puts it on hold.
In yet another posting from "Climate Denial Crock," Peter Sinclair refutes claims that the arctic ice is on a rebound (as predicted by Watts Up with That) with interviews and data from climate scientists. It's always good to see undeniable evidence presented in such a compelling manner.
In a delightful yet informative rebuttal of climate denial crock, Peter Sinclair, the author of this video, counters the assertion that CO2 is plant food with climate scientists' empirical data regarding the growth of CO2 and the corresponding increase in temperature worldwide. For more "Climate Denial Crock" videos, just go to "Climate Denial Crock of the Week." Seems the deniers keep climate scientists pretty busy, refuting sixth grade reasoning with actual data and reality-based observations.
Sometimes humor says it best. Here's Jon Stewart with his take on why the past eight presidents have never succeeded in making good on their promises to help America become energy independent. Enjoy.
Deforestation and its effect on animals and plants; the other victims in this environmental crisis
·Deforestation is a process of clearing of forests by logging or through a popular process called
“slash and burn”
o“Slash and Burn”- In third world countries “slash and burn” is a process in which trees are cut down and the remains are burned. The ashes are used for fertilizer however the soil from slash and burn is left infertile.
·Forests are important because not only do they benefit people by turning the carbon in our environment into oxygen, blocking the sun’s heat, preventing erosion and land slides, and making soil fertile, but they also provide a natural habitat and a home for 50 to 90 percent of all organisms here on Earth.
o90 percent are primates
oThe other 50 million animals are animals that can only survive in a rainforest habitat.
oTropical forests contain 70 to 90 percent of all world species
·So why should we care about the animals and plants in the forest?
o25% of medicines come from the forest, and there’s still many yet to be discovered
§Meaning that by destroying the forest, animals, and the plants that live in them we will also be destroying the cures for many of the diseases that are affecting many people in our society today.
oAnimals and plants provide genetic resources -> it is important that we have bio diversity here on our planet. If animals are to become extinct then that we would have also lost these valuable genetic resources and bio diversity.
oWe are responsible for the lives of animals, plants, and the forests they live in because their existence in a sense enables our existence
What is happening right now:
1.We are losing 50 to 100 animals and plant species each day
a.We are creating what is called an extinction debt, which we will pay for with the inability to sustain our civilization
2.The protection of remaining forests might not be enough to prevent current extinctions because they are the result of logging and habitat loss created in the past
a.Later on we will see the irreversible damage to species we have created from the deforestation that we have created now.
b.Future generations will experience a greater loss of species because of the consumption of our natural environment that we create each and every day.
3.Even though some animals are not yet completely extinct, their low population is enough to bring their species to their demise, especially for animals that travel in packs or herds because it becomes difficult for them to find food and a mate, stagnating their cycle of reproduction
4.The same is happening for plants. As species of plants become rarer and more spread apart, it becomes difficult for plants to pollinate and reproduce. Just as it is seen in animals in danger of extinction, the cycle of reproduction for plants is also becoming stagnant.
Mass Production Factories
Factories are overexploiting animal production to meet the demands of the ever growing population. We are growing at about 250,000 people per day! Can you believe how quickly that is? No wonder these factories are becoming so prominent. Yet the worst part is that these factories are not doing us, the animals or the environment any good.
First and for most, the animals are badly mistreated. They are crammed into spaces so farmers can maximize output while minimizing cost. Which essentially is what this economy is all about is it not? Secondly these animals are fed antibiotics to kill bacteria which would kill the animals. This way the
animals can reach the desired “plumpness” or weight so that they will sell on the market. However some animals become so large they actually die because they cripple themselves and can’t move so they die of starvation.
Humans are affected not only through the environmental consequences but because people eat this meat. It is full of antibiotics and who knows what else. How will humans know in what way this affects their body? Since these procedures are only recent then is this the generation that will learn the long term effects of this?
Environmentally this creates such a huge problem. First of all, animals just as the rest of nature are not meant to be one single type. It is supposed to be diverse yet we are breeding the same animals over and over. Eventually earth will reject this and create massive issues such as the loss of many species.
Another big issue which I want to focus on the most is that these factories are not paying any attention as to where their toxic dumps go into. These factories are not regulated and therefore seem to be able to dump it anywhere even though they are affecting people. One story on NPR news stated this issue and said that “rural wells that provide drinking and bathing water for farm families [are] being contaminated by farm runoff.” Then it goes on to say that these contaminants which are placed onto the fields are not regulated by the Clean Water Act of 1972. Why can this be so if these pollutants cause e. coli and other bad bacteria and in some cases it has caused grave issues. One example is in Morrison, Wisconsin where the people are greatly endangered by the waste deriving from these factories and polluting the farm water as well as the water that the citizens drink and bathe. People in that city have come out with chronic diarrhea, stomach illnesses and severe ear infections because of the issues in the water.
The Competitive Enterprise Institute produced two 60-second television spots focusing on the alleged global warming crisis and the calls by some environmental groups and politicians for reduced energy use. The ads aired in 14 U.S. cities from May 18 to May 28, 2006. How effective do you think this one is? What rhetorical strategies do you see them using?
5. Spread of disease As the temperature increases, more disease carrying insects are drawn to the areas.
4. Warmer waters and more hurricanes As the temperature of oceans rises, so will the probability of more frequent and stronger hurricanes.
3. Increased probability and intensity of droughts and heat waves Global warming brings out the extremes of the climate so if it’s usually hot, it will be over the top.
2. Economic consequences All the damages from the other reasons increase the need for the government to spend money.
1. Polar icecaps melting The ice caps melting is a four-pronged danger.
First, it will raise sea levels.
Second, melting ice caps will throw the global ecosystem out of balance. The ice caps are fresh water, and when they melt they will desalinate the ocean. The desalinization of the gulf current will mess up ocean currents, which regulate temperatures.
Third, temperature rises and changing landscapes in the arctic circle will endanger several species of animals. Only the most adaptable will survive.
Fourth, global warming could snowball with the ice caps gone. Ice caps are white, and reflect sunlight, much of which is reflected back into space, further cooling Earth. If the ice caps melt, the only reflector is the ocean. Darker colors absorb sunlight, further warming the Earth.
The video above is an interesting ad recently posted on Climate Progress, the blog that follows developments in climate change news. As you watch the ad, consider your response to the way in which the car manufacturer promotes its product. How do you find yourself reacting? How would you analyze Nissan's use of rhetorical strategies to sell this new car? Successful? If so, why? If not, why not?
Here is the animated video on The Story of Stuff that we viewed in class on Thursday, September 9. What did you think of Annie Leonard's use of animation to convey her message about the materials cycle? Does the animation make this too childish, or is this still appropriate for a range of audiences? Is she talking down to college-level audiences, or is this material sufficiently new to make her presentation still interesting? Would you use animation for any of your presentations? Something to think about.
