Ever wonder what climate change experts talk about when they get together? The blog Daily Kos gives you a chance to find out -- well, at least to “listen” in on a virtual roundtable discussion with three renowned climate scientists.
Daily Kos sat down for an online chat with Dr. Michael E. Mann, director of Penn State’s Earth System Science Center; Dr. Gavin Schmidt, a climate modeler with NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York; and Dr. Stefan Rahmstorf, an oceanographer with the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.
The three are some of the minds behind the climate change blog RealClimate, on which experts weigh in on various climate news and myths that surface in the media.
The roundtable discussion deals with various matters related to our changing climate, including how quickly it’s changing, how we know human activity is having an impact, why you can’t blame climate change for isolated weather events, and what -- if anything -- can be done to lessen the impacts of global warming.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
Wind, Solar, and Biomass Energy Today
From suburban New Jersey to urban Los Angeles, millions of Americans are powering their homes with clean electricity that doesn't produce any air or global warming pollution. They are filling their gas tanks with fuels that do not increase our dependence on foreign oil or endanger our national security.
How do they do it? It's simple; they tap America's renewable energy resources.
A few decades ago, only back-to-the-land types made serious use of solar panels and windmills, but today renewables have gone mainstream. The latest technology has brought the price of renewables down dramatically, making them more cost-competitive.
Demand is booming -- large utilities, municipal power companies and suburban developments are seeing the value in wind, biomass and solar power.
Wind power is the fastest growing form of electricity generation in the United States, expanding at an average annual rate of more than 20 percent.
Solar energy employs more than 20,000 Americans in high-tech, high-paying jobs. Ethanol producers make 4 billion gallons of fuel a year, equal to 2 percent of our national gasoline use.
This market growth -- and all of the environmental benefits that come with it -- have given clean energy political muscle. Nearly 20 states have passed renewable portfolio standards that require utilities to generate a percentage of electricity from clean energy resources.
Now supporters are pressing for a national standard that would require 20 percent of the country's electricity to come from renewables.
That means wind farms and solar power plants could soon be energizing your home -- and you too will be helping reduce pollution and prevent global warming just by switching on your lights.
How do they do it? It's simple; they tap America's renewable energy resources.
A few decades ago, only back-to-the-land types made serious use of solar panels and windmills, but today renewables have gone mainstream. The latest technology has brought the price of renewables down dramatically, making them more cost-competitive.
Demand is booming -- large utilities, municipal power companies and suburban developments are seeing the value in wind, biomass and solar power.
Wind power is the fastest growing form of electricity generation in the United States, expanding at an average annual rate of more than 20 percent.
Solar energy employs more than 20,000 Americans in high-tech, high-paying jobs. Ethanol producers make 4 billion gallons of fuel a year, equal to 2 percent of our national gasoline use.
This market growth -- and all of the environmental benefits that come with it -- have given clean energy political muscle. Nearly 20 states have passed renewable portfolio standards that require utilities to generate a percentage of electricity from clean energy resources.
Now supporters are pressing for a national standard that would require 20 percent of the country's electricity to come from renewables.
That means wind farms and solar power plants could soon be energizing your home -- and you too will be helping reduce pollution and prevent global warming just by switching on your lights.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Sustainable Energy 101
0 votes
Buzz up!
global green
The goal of the Sustainable Energy Initiative is to build a sustainable energy future through increasing conservation, improving efficiency, and raising the percentage of renewable energy in the nation's overall energy portfolio.
The initiative includes public outreach on energy-efficient practices for homes and businesses, promoting green power, working to establish rigorous energy efficiency standards for federal and state agencies, and advocating for increased investment in renewable energy technologies at the state and federal levels.
About Green Power
Green power is electricity generated from renewable sources. It includes solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, and small hydro. Renewable sources are more environmentally friendly than traditional electricity generation. Unlike fossil fuels they emit little or no air pollution and leave behind no radioactive waste like nuclear. Most importantly, they are naturally replenished by the earth and sun.
* Solar: Converting energy from the sun into electricity using photovoltaic panels and solar thermal plants.
* Wind: Harnessing the power of the wind using turbines (wind power is the fastest growing renewable energy technology).
* Geothermal: Use of steam that lies below the earth's surface to generate electricity.
* Biomass: Releasing solar energy stored in plants and organic matter by burning agricultural waste and other organic matter to generate power.
* Small Hydro: Use of flowing water to power electric turbines (small hydro plants are less than 30 megawatts in size).
Find out more about green power.
What Is Brown Power?
Brown power is power generated from environmentally hostile technology. The vast majority of electricity in the United States comes from coal, nuclear, large hydro, and natural gas plants.
Brown power generators are:
* The single greatest source of air pollution in the United States, contributing to both smog and acid rain.
* The greatest single contributor of global climate change gases including carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide.
Consider these additional facts:
The average California household's annual use of electricity produces the same amount of smog the average car would generate if driven across country from Los Angeles to New York City, and about the same amount of global warming-causing carbon dioxide if that same car was driven a third of the way around the world.
It is estimated that 50,000 people in the United States die each year from heart and lung disease due to air pollution linked to the burning of fossil fuels to generate electricity.
Energy Roadmaps
Global Green USA worked with commercial property owners to create a tool ("Roadmaps") to assist them in deciding how best to incorporate energy-efficient techniques strategies, and equipment in the upgrading of their buildings.
The Roadmaps help building owners and managers to more fully understand the wide range of opportunities and implications of working with consulting energy engineers and Energy Service Companies (ESCOs).
Buzz up!
global green
The goal of the Sustainable Energy Initiative is to build a sustainable energy future through increasing conservation, improving efficiency, and raising the percentage of renewable energy in the nation's overall energy portfolio.
The initiative includes public outreach on energy-efficient practices for homes and businesses, promoting green power, working to establish rigorous energy efficiency standards for federal and state agencies, and advocating for increased investment in renewable energy technologies at the state and federal levels.
About Green Power
Green power is electricity generated from renewable sources. It includes solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, and small hydro. Renewable sources are more environmentally friendly than traditional electricity generation. Unlike fossil fuels they emit little or no air pollution and leave behind no radioactive waste like nuclear. Most importantly, they are naturally replenished by the earth and sun.
* Solar: Converting energy from the sun into electricity using photovoltaic panels and solar thermal plants.
* Wind: Harnessing the power of the wind using turbines (wind power is the fastest growing renewable energy technology).
* Geothermal: Use of steam that lies below the earth's surface to generate electricity.
* Biomass: Releasing solar energy stored in plants and organic matter by burning agricultural waste and other organic matter to generate power.
* Small Hydro: Use of flowing water to power electric turbines (small hydro plants are less than 30 megawatts in size).
Find out more about green power.
What Is Brown Power?
Brown power is power generated from environmentally hostile technology. The vast majority of electricity in the United States comes from coal, nuclear, large hydro, and natural gas plants.
Brown power generators are:
* The single greatest source of air pollution in the United States, contributing to both smog and acid rain.
* The greatest single contributor of global climate change gases including carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide.
Consider these additional facts:
The average California household's annual use of electricity produces the same amount of smog the average car would generate if driven across country from Los Angeles to New York City, and about the same amount of global warming-causing carbon dioxide if that same car was driven a third of the way around the world.
It is estimated that 50,000 people in the United States die each year from heart and lung disease due to air pollution linked to the burning of fossil fuels to generate electricity.
Energy Roadmaps
Global Green USA worked with commercial property owners to create a tool ("Roadmaps") to assist them in deciding how best to incorporate energy-efficient techniques strategies, and equipment in the upgrading of their buildings.
The Roadmaps help building owners and managers to more fully understand the wide range of opportunities and implications of working with consulting energy engineers and Energy Service Companies (ESCOs).
Friday, March 26, 2010
Five ways to stop junk mail
Summer’s afterglow is barely gone, but retailers are poised to unleash their steady onslaught of holiday catalogs. If you don’t want your mailbox to bulge with glossy catalogs and other annoying junk mail, read on.
1. Cut the catalogs you receive with Catalog Choice if catalogs are your bugaboo. More than a million people use this free online service which is a sponsored project of the Ecology Center. I’m a member and I find it quite easy to use. Also, the site now has a bunch of e-catalogs you can peruse.
2. DIY if you have the time and like the feeling of accomplishment you’ll experience after making a round of calls to companies whose mailing lists you don’t want to be on anymore.
3. Go to the source by signing on with the Direct Marketer’s Association’s mail preference service. The DMA represents oodles of businesses. For $1 a year DMAchoice allows you to sift through credit, catalog, magazine, and other mail offers and decide what you don’t want. The DMA will keep you off those mailing lists for five years. It claims to have stopped 930 million pieces of direct mail from being sent in the United States last year alone.
4. Take your pick of a variety of companies that do the work for you to stop junk mail of all sorts from darkening your doorstep.
MailStopper (formerly GreenDimes) helps you shed unwanted catalogs and junk mail for $20 a year. Once you join, it plants five trees on your behalf.
41 Pounds, named so because it says the average adult receives 41 pounds of junk mail per year, helps you get rid of 80% to 95% of yours. It will charge $41 for five years, but it donates more than 1/3 of your fee to the environmental or community organization of your choice.
Stop the Junk Mail promises to rid you of 90% of your junk mail for $19.95 per year. It plants a tree for every person who joins.
5. Make a preemptive strike by turning down sweepstakes applications, customer surveys plus warranty cards, and product registrations. Because once you give these places your name and address … you know what they may be sending you.
So choose well and get busy. You’ll help reduce the number of trees felled, energy consumed, carbon emissions, and all the other eco-costs associated with printing, mailing then disposing of junk mail. And remember to recycle the tiny amount of junk mail that does come your way.
1. Cut the catalogs you receive with Catalog Choice if catalogs are your bugaboo. More than a million people use this free online service which is a sponsored project of the Ecology Center. I’m a member and I find it quite easy to use. Also, the site now has a bunch of e-catalogs you can peruse.
2. DIY if you have the time and like the feeling of accomplishment you’ll experience after making a round of calls to companies whose mailing lists you don’t want to be on anymore.
3. Go to the source by signing on with the Direct Marketer’s Association’s mail preference service. The DMA represents oodles of businesses. For $1 a year DMAchoice allows you to sift through credit, catalog, magazine, and other mail offers and decide what you don’t want. The DMA will keep you off those mailing lists for five years. It claims to have stopped 930 million pieces of direct mail from being sent in the United States last year alone.
4. Take your pick of a variety of companies that do the work for you to stop junk mail of all sorts from darkening your doorstep.
MailStopper (formerly GreenDimes) helps you shed unwanted catalogs and junk mail for $20 a year. Once you join, it plants five trees on your behalf.
41 Pounds, named so because it says the average adult receives 41 pounds of junk mail per year, helps you get rid of 80% to 95% of yours. It will charge $41 for five years, but it donates more than 1/3 of your fee to the environmental or community organization of your choice.
Stop the Junk Mail promises to rid you of 90% of your junk mail for $19.95 per year. It plants a tree for every person who joins.
5. Make a preemptive strike by turning down sweepstakes applications, customer surveys plus warranty cards, and product registrations. Because once you give these places your name and address … you know what they may be sending you.
So choose well and get busy. You’ll help reduce the number of trees felled, energy consumed, carbon emissions, and all the other eco-costs associated with printing, mailing then disposing of junk mail. And remember to recycle the tiny amount of junk mail that does come your way.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Move Over, Gasoline: Here Come Biofuels
2 votes
Buzz up!
Clean-burning biofuels, made from plant materials, will power the cars of the future.
Americans love cars. We love the freedom of movement they provide, love cruising down the open highway. But today, it's beyond argument that our gasoline habit is a road to ruin. Voices from across the political spectrum say oil dependence is bad for America's national security, economy and environment.
But what if there were a viable alternative to petroleum? What if there was a cost-competitive, clean-burning, global-warming-busting fuel that could be produced from plants grown right here on American soil?
It may sound too good to be true, but it's not. Scientists, farmers and auto experts agree that biofuels -- fuels made from plant materials -- can help free America from our oil dependence.
Aggressive action to develop biofuels between now and 2015 would position America to produce, by 2050, the equivalent of more than three times as much oil as we currently import from the Persian Gulf.
And if combined with better vehicle efficiency and smart-growth urban planning, biofuels could virtually eliminate our demand for gasoline by 2050.
This is not the stuff of science fiction. The biofuels industry relies on real-world technologies that are improving by leaps and bounds. With technological advances that we could deploy over the next 10 years, biofuels would bring staggering economic and environmental benefits:
* Biofuels can slash global warming pollution. By 2050, biofuels -- especially those known as cellulosic biofuels -- could reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 1.7 billion tons per year. That's equal to more than 80 percent of current transportation-related emissions.
* Biofuels can be cost competitive with gasoline and diesel. By 2015, we could produce biofuels at costs equal to between $0.59 and $0.91 per gallon of gasoline, and $0.86 per gallon of diesel.
These prices are competitive with average wholesale prices over the last four years -- $0.91 per gallon for gasoline and $0.85 per gallon for diesel.
* Biofuels will provide a major new source of revenue for farmers. At $40 per dry ton, farmers growing 200 million tons of biomass in 2025 would make a profit of $5.1 billion per year.
And that's just the beginning. Experts believe that farmers could produce six times that amount by 2050.
* Biofuels can provide major air quality benefits. Biofuels contain no sulfur and produce low carbon monoxide, particulate and toxic emissions. Using biofuels should make it easier to reach air pollution reduction targets than using petroleum-based fuels.
* Biofuels offer major land-use benefits. Switchgrass, a promising source of cellulosic biofuel, is a native, perennial prairie grass that has low nitrogen runoff, very low erosion, and increased soil carbon, and also provides good wildlife habitat.
Making Biofuels Happen: An Action Plan
It may seem like gassing up with fuel that's been grown by an Iowa farmer is a long way off. But it isn't. American farmers and refiners are already producing billions of gallons of ethanol from corn.
But to make enough biofuels to slash our oil use, the industry will need to evolve to making cellulosic biofuels -- fuels made from whole plants, not just the corn kernel. To make this next leap, we need to put the right national policies in place.
The federal government should:
* Invest in a package of research, development and demonstration. Producing a cheap and reliable alternative to oil will be lucrative business, but the industry alone will take too long to develop the new technologies needed.
The government can spur the development along -- and ensure that biofuels are affordable for American consumers -- by investing about $1.1 billion between 2006 and 2015 in biofuels development.
* Offer incentives for deploying the first billion gallons of cellulosic biofuels. With oil prices skyrocketing and greenhouse gas emissions piling up, we need to shift to biofuels today, not in the distant future.
To make sure that at least 1 billion gallons of cellulosic biofuels are produced by 2015, the government should offer $1 billion in incentives to production facilities.
* Give consumers a meaningful choice at the pump. Today, drivers have a choice between oil and oil when they wheel up to the gas pump. To change that -- to provide a choice between oil and biofuels -- will take robust markets and infrastructure.
And to that end the government should require that all vehicles sold by 2015 be able to use both traditional fuels and biofuels and that at least one-quarter of gasoline stations have at least one pump dedicated selling to biofuels.
Buzz up!
Clean-burning biofuels, made from plant materials, will power the cars of the future.
Americans love cars. We love the freedom of movement they provide, love cruising down the open highway. But today, it's beyond argument that our gasoline habit is a road to ruin. Voices from across the political spectrum say oil dependence is bad for America's national security, economy and environment.
But what if there were a viable alternative to petroleum? What if there was a cost-competitive, clean-burning, global-warming-busting fuel that could be produced from plants grown right here on American soil?
It may sound too good to be true, but it's not. Scientists, farmers and auto experts agree that biofuels -- fuels made from plant materials -- can help free America from our oil dependence.
Aggressive action to develop biofuels between now and 2015 would position America to produce, by 2050, the equivalent of more than three times as much oil as we currently import from the Persian Gulf.
And if combined with better vehicle efficiency and smart-growth urban planning, biofuels could virtually eliminate our demand for gasoline by 2050.
This is not the stuff of science fiction. The biofuels industry relies on real-world technologies that are improving by leaps and bounds. With technological advances that we could deploy over the next 10 years, biofuels would bring staggering economic and environmental benefits:
* Biofuels can slash global warming pollution. By 2050, biofuels -- especially those known as cellulosic biofuels -- could reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 1.7 billion tons per year. That's equal to more than 80 percent of current transportation-related emissions.
* Biofuels can be cost competitive with gasoline and diesel. By 2015, we could produce biofuels at costs equal to between $0.59 and $0.91 per gallon of gasoline, and $0.86 per gallon of diesel.
These prices are competitive with average wholesale prices over the last four years -- $0.91 per gallon for gasoline and $0.85 per gallon for diesel.
* Biofuels will provide a major new source of revenue for farmers. At $40 per dry ton, farmers growing 200 million tons of biomass in 2025 would make a profit of $5.1 billion per year.
And that's just the beginning. Experts believe that farmers could produce six times that amount by 2050.
* Biofuels can provide major air quality benefits. Biofuels contain no sulfur and produce low carbon monoxide, particulate and toxic emissions. Using biofuels should make it easier to reach air pollution reduction targets than using petroleum-based fuels.
* Biofuels offer major land-use benefits. Switchgrass, a promising source of cellulosic biofuel, is a native, perennial prairie grass that has low nitrogen runoff, very low erosion, and increased soil carbon, and also provides good wildlife habitat.
Making Biofuels Happen: An Action Plan
It may seem like gassing up with fuel that's been grown by an Iowa farmer is a long way off. But it isn't. American farmers and refiners are already producing billions of gallons of ethanol from corn.
But to make enough biofuels to slash our oil use, the industry will need to evolve to making cellulosic biofuels -- fuels made from whole plants, not just the corn kernel. To make this next leap, we need to put the right national policies in place.
The federal government should:
* Invest in a package of research, development and demonstration. Producing a cheap and reliable alternative to oil will be lucrative business, but the industry alone will take too long to develop the new technologies needed.
The government can spur the development along -- and ensure that biofuels are affordable for American consumers -- by investing about $1.1 billion between 2006 and 2015 in biofuels development.
* Offer incentives for deploying the first billion gallons of cellulosic biofuels. With oil prices skyrocketing and greenhouse gas emissions piling up, we need to shift to biofuels today, not in the distant future.
To make sure that at least 1 billion gallons of cellulosic biofuels are produced by 2015, the government should offer $1 billion in incentives to production facilities.
* Give consumers a meaningful choice at the pump. Today, drivers have a choice between oil and oil when they wheel up to the gas pump. To change that -- to provide a choice between oil and biofuels -- will take robust markets and infrastructure.
And to that end the government should require that all vehicles sold by 2015 be able to use both traditional fuels and biofuels and that at least one-quarter of gasoline stations have at least one pump dedicated selling to biofuels.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
nergy vampires: Is it worth it to unplug your electronics?
E
It's common knowledge that appliances continue to draw a small amount of power when they're switched off but still plugged in.
One solution is to unplug electronics and chargers when you aren't using them. Or you can plug cords into a power strip and switch it off whenever you want to cut off all power to appliances.
But many consumers wonder if it's worth the hassle to unplug electronics they aren't using. The answer, of course, depends on your objectives.
While it's true that an "informed and aggressive approach can reduce standby use by about 30 percent," according to scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, "There are more productive ways to save energy with an investment of an hour."
The upshot? If it's easy for you to unplug chargers and other electronics when you aren't using them, then go for it. And no-one says you have to unplug everything. You might want to choose the biggest energy hogs or items that are easily unplugged.
But don't fret if you find the job too tedious or hard to remember. The following actions are all easy and, in some cases, save you more money with much less effort than stamping out energy vampires.
Pick and choose what works best for you from this list, or try everything for an estimated annual savings of $275.
* Activating the power-save function on your computer is a super-easy way to shave up to $90 a year off your utility bills. Exactly how much you save depends on whether you use a laptop or a CPU and a monitor and how long you currently leave your computer on for.
Low power mode also helps equipment run cooler so it lasts longer. Get into the habit of turning off your monitor when you walk away for 20 minutes and your computer when you leave your desk for more than two hours, and you'll rack up even more savings.
* Reduce the brightness setting of your television. Select the "home" mode because the "retail" or "vivid" mode (the default setting for most TVs) uses up to 25 percent more power, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.
While you're at it, activate the energy- and power-saving modes on your TV and other appliances and save around $43.04 a year.
* Video game consoles, such as the Sony PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Xbox 360, use nearly the same amount of power when they are turned on and left idle as they do when you are actively playing a game or watching a movie.
Save more than $100 a year by remembering to turn off your gaming system whenever you're not using it.
* Switching off unneeded lights will save you $21.04 a year. Does it make sense to turn off the light when you leave a room for a few minutes? Yes for incandescent bulbs. Fifteen minutes is a good rule of thumb for compact fluorescent light bulbs.
Speaking of CFLs, Consumer Reports' tests found that each CFL will save you around $5 a year in electricity costs over a regular bulb.
* Wash your clothes in cold water. You'll reduce your bill by around $18.58 a year and it's better for your clothes.
Even just switching your temperature setting from hot to warm water can cut a load's energy use by half, according to the Department of Energy.
It's common knowledge that appliances continue to draw a small amount of power when they're switched off but still plugged in.
One solution is to unplug electronics and chargers when you aren't using them. Or you can plug cords into a power strip and switch it off whenever you want to cut off all power to appliances.
But many consumers wonder if it's worth the hassle to unplug electronics they aren't using. The answer, of course, depends on your objectives.
While it's true that an "informed and aggressive approach can reduce standby use by about 30 percent," according to scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, "There are more productive ways to save energy with an investment of an hour."
The upshot? If it's easy for you to unplug chargers and other electronics when you aren't using them, then go for it. And no-one says you have to unplug everything. You might want to choose the biggest energy hogs or items that are easily unplugged.
But don't fret if you find the job too tedious or hard to remember. The following actions are all easy and, in some cases, save you more money with much less effort than stamping out energy vampires.
Pick and choose what works best for you from this list, or try everything for an estimated annual savings of $275.
* Activating the power-save function on your computer is a super-easy way to shave up to $90 a year off your utility bills. Exactly how much you save depends on whether you use a laptop or a CPU and a monitor and how long you currently leave your computer on for.
Low power mode also helps equipment run cooler so it lasts longer. Get into the habit of turning off your monitor when you walk away for 20 minutes and your computer when you leave your desk for more than two hours, and you'll rack up even more savings.
* Reduce the brightness setting of your television. Select the "home" mode because the "retail" or "vivid" mode (the default setting for most TVs) uses up to 25 percent more power, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.
While you're at it, activate the energy- and power-saving modes on your TV and other appliances and save around $43.04 a year.
* Video game consoles, such as the Sony PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Xbox 360, use nearly the same amount of power when they are turned on and left idle as they do when you are actively playing a game or watching a movie.
Save more than $100 a year by remembering to turn off your gaming system whenever you're not using it.
* Switching off unneeded lights will save you $21.04 a year. Does it make sense to turn off the light when you leave a room for a few minutes? Yes for incandescent bulbs. Fifteen minutes is a good rule of thumb for compact fluorescent light bulbs.
Speaking of CFLs, Consumer Reports' tests found that each CFL will save you around $5 a year in electricity costs over a regular bulb.
* Wash your clothes in cold water. You'll reduce your bill by around $18.58 a year and it's better for your clothes.
Even just switching your temperature setting from hot to warm water can cut a load's energy use by half, according to the Department of Energy.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Move Over, Gasoline: Here Come Biofuels
0 votes
Buzz up!
Clean-burning biofuels, made from plant materials, will power the cars of the future.
Americans love cars. We love the freedom of movement they provide, love cruising down the open highway. But today, it's beyond argument that our gasoline habit is a road to ruin. Voices from across the political spectrum say oil dependence is bad for America's national security, economy and environment.
But what if there were a viable alternative to petroleum? What if there was a cost-competitive, clean-burning, global-warming-busting fuel that could be produced from plants grown right here on American soil?
It may sound too good to be true, but it's not. Scientists, farmers and auto experts agree that biofuels -- fuels made from plant materials -- can help free America from our oil dependence.
Aggressive action to develop biofuels between now and 2015 would position America to produce, by 2050, the equivalent of more than three times as much oil as we currently import from the Persian Gulf.
And if combined with better vehicle efficiency and smart-growth urban planning, biofuels could virtually eliminate our demand for gasoline by 2050.
This is not the stuff of science fiction. The biofuels industry relies on real-world technologies that are improving by leaps and bounds. With technological advances that we could deploy over the next 10 years, biofuels would bring staggering economic and environmental benefits:
* Biofuels can slash global warming pollution. By 2050, biofuels -- especially those known as cellulosic biofuels -- could reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 1.7 billion tons per year. That's equal to more than 80 percent of current transportation-related emissions.
* Biofuels can be cost competitive with gasoline and diesel. By 2015, we could produce biofuels at costs equal to between $0.59 and $0.91 per gallon of gasoline, and $0.86 per gallon of diesel.
These prices are competitive with average wholesale prices over the last four years -- $0.91 per gallon for gasoline and $0.85 per gallon for diesel.
* Biofuels will provide a major new source of revenue for farmers. At $40 per dry ton, farmers growing 200 million tons of biomass in 2025 would make a profit of $5.1 billion per year.
And that's just the beginning. Experts believe that farmers could produce six times that amount by 2050.
* Biofuels can provide major air quality benefits. Biofuels contain no sulfur and produce low carbon monoxide, particulate and toxic emissions. Using biofuels should make it easier to reach air pollution reduction targets than using petroleum-based fuels.
* Biofuels offer major land-use benefits. Switchgrass, a promising source of cellulosic biofuel, is a native, perennial prairie grass that has low nitrogen runoff, very low erosion, and increased soil carbon, and also provides good wildlife habitat.
Making Biofuels Happen: An Action Plan
It may seem like gassing up with fuel that's been grown by an Iowa farmer is a long way off. But it isn't. American farmers and refiners are already producing billions of gallons of ethanol from corn.
But to make enough biofuels to slash our oil use, the industry will need to evolve to making cellulosic biofuels -- fuels made from whole plants, not just the corn kernel. To make this next leap, we need to put the right national policies in place.
The federal government should:
* Invest in a package of research, development and demonstration. Producing a cheap and reliable alternative to oil will be lucrative business, but the industry alone will take too long to develop the new technologies needed.
The government can spur the development along -- and ensure that biofuels are affordable for American consumers -- by investing about $1.1 billion between 2006 and 2015 in biofuels development.
* Offer incentives for deploying the first billion gallons of cellulosic biofuels. With oil prices skyrocketing and greenhouse gas emissions piling up, we need to shift to biofuels today, not in the distant future.
To make sure that at least 1 billion gallons of cellulosic biofuels are produced by 2015, the government should offer $1 billion in incentives to production facilities.
* Give consumers a meaningful choice at the pump. Today, drivers have a choice between oil and oil when they wheel up to the gas pump. To change that -- to provide a choice between oil and biofuels -- will take robust markets and infrastructure.
And to that end the government should require that all vehicles sold by 2015 be able to use both traditional fuels and biofuels and that at least one-quarter of gasoline stations have at least one pump dedicated selling to biofuels.
Buzz up!
Clean-burning biofuels, made from plant materials, will power the cars of the future.
Americans love cars. We love the freedom of movement they provide, love cruising down the open highway. But today, it's beyond argument that our gasoline habit is a road to ruin. Voices from across the political spectrum say oil dependence is bad for America's national security, economy and environment.
But what if there were a viable alternative to petroleum? What if there was a cost-competitive, clean-burning, global-warming-busting fuel that could be produced from plants grown right here on American soil?
It may sound too good to be true, but it's not. Scientists, farmers and auto experts agree that biofuels -- fuels made from plant materials -- can help free America from our oil dependence.
Aggressive action to develop biofuels between now and 2015 would position America to produce, by 2050, the equivalent of more than three times as much oil as we currently import from the Persian Gulf.
And if combined with better vehicle efficiency and smart-growth urban planning, biofuels could virtually eliminate our demand for gasoline by 2050.
This is not the stuff of science fiction. The biofuels industry relies on real-world technologies that are improving by leaps and bounds. With technological advances that we could deploy over the next 10 years, biofuels would bring staggering economic and environmental benefits:
* Biofuels can slash global warming pollution. By 2050, biofuels -- especially those known as cellulosic biofuels -- could reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 1.7 billion tons per year. That's equal to more than 80 percent of current transportation-related emissions.
* Biofuels can be cost competitive with gasoline and diesel. By 2015, we could produce biofuels at costs equal to between $0.59 and $0.91 per gallon of gasoline, and $0.86 per gallon of diesel.
These prices are competitive with average wholesale prices over the last four years -- $0.91 per gallon for gasoline and $0.85 per gallon for diesel.
* Biofuels will provide a major new source of revenue for farmers. At $40 per dry ton, farmers growing 200 million tons of biomass in 2025 would make a profit of $5.1 billion per year.
And that's just the beginning. Experts believe that farmers could produce six times that amount by 2050.
* Biofuels can provide major air quality benefits. Biofuels contain no sulfur and produce low carbon monoxide, particulate and toxic emissions. Using biofuels should make it easier to reach air pollution reduction targets than using petroleum-based fuels.
* Biofuels offer major land-use benefits. Switchgrass, a promising source of cellulosic biofuel, is a native, perennial prairie grass that has low nitrogen runoff, very low erosion, and increased soil carbon, and also provides good wildlife habitat.
Making Biofuels Happen: An Action Plan
It may seem like gassing up with fuel that's been grown by an Iowa farmer is a long way off. But it isn't. American farmers and refiners are already producing billions of gallons of ethanol from corn.
But to make enough biofuels to slash our oil use, the industry will need to evolve to making cellulosic biofuels -- fuels made from whole plants, not just the corn kernel. To make this next leap, we need to put the right national policies in place.
The federal government should:
* Invest in a package of research, development and demonstration. Producing a cheap and reliable alternative to oil will be lucrative business, but the industry alone will take too long to develop the new technologies needed.
The government can spur the development along -- and ensure that biofuels are affordable for American consumers -- by investing about $1.1 billion between 2006 and 2015 in biofuels development.
* Offer incentives for deploying the first billion gallons of cellulosic biofuels. With oil prices skyrocketing and greenhouse gas emissions piling up, we need to shift to biofuels today, not in the distant future.
To make sure that at least 1 billion gallons of cellulosic biofuels are produced by 2015, the government should offer $1 billion in incentives to production facilities.
* Give consumers a meaningful choice at the pump. Today, drivers have a choice between oil and oil when they wheel up to the gas pump. To change that -- to provide a choice between oil and biofuels -- will take robust markets and infrastructure.
And to that end the government should require that all vehicles sold by 2015 be able to use both traditional fuels and biofuels and that at least one-quarter of gasoline stations have at least one pump dedicated selling to biofuels.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Return Carbon to the Ground
0 votes
Buzz up!
Reducing global warming pollution and enhancing oil recovery
Americans need to transform how we produce and consume energy to prevent dangerous global warming. In fact, scientists say that significant carbon dioxide (CO2) reductions should begin within 10 years and that U.S. CO2 emissions should be cut by 50 percent or more by 2050 to avoid the most severe, irreversible effects of heat-trapping pollution. Energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies will be the cornerstones of the solution.
To the extent that coal continues to be used, an important additional strategy is to capture the CO2 emitted from coal-fired power plants and pump it into natural geologic structures deep in the Earth, where it is gradually absorbed.
More than 50 percent of the electricity consumed in the United States is produced from coal. Yet coal has the highest uncontrolled carbon dioxide emission rate of any fuel and is responsible for 33 percent of the U.S. carbon dioxide (as well as other harmful emissions) released into the atmosphere.
There is no such thing as “clean coal”: coal production, processing, and transportation practices scar the landscape and foul the water, harming people and ecosystems that range from Appalachian coal-field communities to Western ranchers. Although Clean Air Act standards helped reduce sulfur and nitrogen emissions somewhat, carbon dioxide emissions from power plants increased by 27 percent since 1990, and there is no end in sight unless emission limits are put into force.
More than 100 new conventional coal-fired power plants are in various stages of development throughout the United States. By 2030, the Department of Energy projects that the equivalent of 450 new large (300 MW) coal-fired power plants will be completed.
With a lifetime of more than 60 years, these plants will produce more than 60 billion tons of CO2 in total—10 times the current annual emissions from all sources—enough to effectively foreclose the option to prevent dangerous
Buzz up!
Reducing global warming pollution and enhancing oil recovery
Americans need to transform how we produce and consume energy to prevent dangerous global warming. In fact, scientists say that significant carbon dioxide (CO2) reductions should begin within 10 years and that U.S. CO2 emissions should be cut by 50 percent or more by 2050 to avoid the most severe, irreversible effects of heat-trapping pollution. Energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies will be the cornerstones of the solution.
To the extent that coal continues to be used, an important additional strategy is to capture the CO2 emitted from coal-fired power plants and pump it into natural geologic structures deep in the Earth, where it is gradually absorbed.
More than 50 percent of the electricity consumed in the United States is produced from coal. Yet coal has the highest uncontrolled carbon dioxide emission rate of any fuel and is responsible for 33 percent of the U.S. carbon dioxide (as well as other harmful emissions) released into the atmosphere.
There is no such thing as “clean coal”: coal production, processing, and transportation practices scar the landscape and foul the water, harming people and ecosystems that range from Appalachian coal-field communities to Western ranchers. Although Clean Air Act standards helped reduce sulfur and nitrogen emissions somewhat, carbon dioxide emissions from power plants increased by 27 percent since 1990, and there is no end in sight unless emission limits are put into force.
More than 100 new conventional coal-fired power plants are in various stages of development throughout the United States. By 2030, the Department of Energy projects that the equivalent of 450 new large (300 MW) coal-fired power plants will be completed.
With a lifetime of more than 60 years, these plants will produce more than 60 billion tons of CO2 in total—10 times the current annual emissions from all sources—enough to effectively foreclose the option to prevent dangerous
Sunday, March 14, 2010
lHeat-resistant algae could help threatened cora
Warmer ocean temperatures pose a serious threat to corals around the world. Warmer waters typically kill the brown or green algae that a reef depends on for food, leading to bleaching and death of the reefs, but Penn State scientists have found some algae are not affected by rising temperatures, buying their coral partners some time.
Heat-resistant algae have been found in the Andaman Sea in the Indian Ocean as well as in spots in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. Scientists aren't sure if the resilient algae can save corals -- the algae may not be able to be imported to coral reefs where it doesn't naturally occur and there are other things threatening coral, including rising ocean acidification, pollution and bottom-trawling fishing. Considering all of that, the algae may be just a temporary life-preserver.
But some scientists think warmer waters may encourage the growth of these algae, benefiting the reefs they occupy over the long-term. Continued research will be needed, but this discovery does offer a glimmer of hope for the world's coral.
Heat-resistant algae have been found in the Andaman Sea in the Indian Ocean as well as in spots in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. Scientists aren't sure if the resilient algae can save corals -- the algae may not be able to be imported to coral reefs where it doesn't naturally occur and there are other things threatening coral, including rising ocean acidification, pollution and bottom-trawling fishing. Considering all of that, the algae may be just a temporary life-preserver.
But some scientists think warmer waters may encourage the growth of these algae, benefiting the reefs they occupy over the long-term. Continued research will be needed, but this discovery does offer a glimmer of hope for the world's coral.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Hummus among us
If you’re always looking for a low-fat, high-protein, delicious, and versatile snack, then look no further. Let us discuss hummus.
With its main ingredients being chickpeas, tahini (crushed sesame seeds), garlic, and lemon juice, hummus is an excellent source of dietary fibre, protein, zinc, iron, and foliates. Combine hummus with vegetables, whether as a dip or on a salad, or as a spread on sandwiches.
Hummus is a great, healthy alternative to other high-fat dips, dressings, and spreads like mayonnaise or sour cream. As a plant-derived protein, it is also a sustainable source of protein to incorporate into your diet.
Incorporating rich vegetable-proteins, such as chickpeas, into your diet is also a delicious way to reduce your carbon footprint. So the next time you’re trying to think of a nice, light afternoon snack, try whipping out some corn chips to enjoy with a bowl of hummus.
Buy or make?
With its origins in the Middle East, pre-made hummus is sometimes available in food stores throughout North America. However, it is also very simple to make yourself. Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, can be bought pre-cooked and preserved in cans at most grocery stores.
If you have a little bit more time and would like to avoid preservatives, chickpeas can be found in their raw form at most bulk-food stores and health food stores. Soak these beans in water for 24 hours, then cook them for a couple hours and they are ready to go!
For those of you with a green thumb, you can grow chickpeas yourself in your garden or in a sunny window.
If you’ve never given hummus a taste, give it a try! You may be surprised at just how delicious a chickpea spread can be…
Christie’s Lip-Smacking Hummus:
Ingredients:
* 2 cups of chickpeas
* 1/3 cup water
* Juice of 2 lemons
* ½ cup tahini
* 2 cloves garlic, crushed
* ½ tsp. salt
* Cayenne pepper
* Fresh cilantro or parsley (optional)
Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Sprinkle with cayenne pepper, and cilantro or parsley.
With its main ingredients being chickpeas, tahini (crushed sesame seeds), garlic, and lemon juice, hummus is an excellent source of dietary fibre, protein, zinc, iron, and foliates. Combine hummus with vegetables, whether as a dip or on a salad, or as a spread on sandwiches.
Hummus is a great, healthy alternative to other high-fat dips, dressings, and spreads like mayonnaise or sour cream. As a plant-derived protein, it is also a sustainable source of protein to incorporate into your diet.
Incorporating rich vegetable-proteins, such as chickpeas, into your diet is also a delicious way to reduce your carbon footprint. So the next time you’re trying to think of a nice, light afternoon snack, try whipping out some corn chips to enjoy with a bowl of hummus.
Buy or make?
With its origins in the Middle East, pre-made hummus is sometimes available in food stores throughout North America. However, it is also very simple to make yourself. Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, can be bought pre-cooked and preserved in cans at most grocery stores.
If you have a little bit more time and would like to avoid preservatives, chickpeas can be found in their raw form at most bulk-food stores and health food stores. Soak these beans in water for 24 hours, then cook them for a couple hours and they are ready to go!
For those of you with a green thumb, you can grow chickpeas yourself in your garden or in a sunny window.
If you’ve never given hummus a taste, give it a try! You may be surprised at just how delicious a chickpea spread can be…
Christie’s Lip-Smacking Hummus:
Ingredients:
* 2 cups of chickpeas
* 1/3 cup water
* Juice of 2 lemons
* ½ cup tahini
* 2 cloves garlic, crushed
* ½ tsp. salt
* Cayenne pepper
* Fresh cilantro or parsley (optional)
Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Sprinkle with cayenne pepper, and cilantro or parsley.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
How to better reuse and recycle old electronics
How much is a ton of old recycled phones worth? $15,000, thanks to the silver, gold, palladium and copper used in each phone. (That's about $2.50 in precious metals per phone.)
The value of e-waste was the topic at the world's first-ever e-waste academy, where a more urgent questions were like these: How does Peru manage to refurbish more than 85% of the old computers it imports, while the rate is 20% in Nigeria, Pakistan, and Ghana? How can China police its estimated 2 million "backyard" e-waste recyclers, so that they aren't incinerating old devices to recover precious metals, releasing toxic pollution in the process? How can discarded electronics from North America, Europe and Japan benefit schools and small businesses in Africa, Asia, and South America?
The goal of the organizer, Solving the E-Waste Problem (which goes by the acronym StEP), is to boost recycling and reuse rates, while protecting third world countries from the hazards that can accompany both e-waste recycling and dumping.
The conclusion: "Processes and policies governing the reuse and recycling of electronic products need to be standardized worldwide to stem and reverse the growing problem of illegal and harmful e-waste processing practices in developing countries."
"Millions of old devices in North America and Europe could easily double their typical three or four year 'first life' by being put to use in classrooms and small business offices across Africa, South America and Asia," says Ramzy Kahhat of Arizona State University, who advocates a return deposit on electronics similar to that used on carbonated beverage containers in many states, so that devices are recycled promptly while they're still most useful to a new user. "An old Pentium II computer with an open-source operating system like Linux can run faster than some of the latest new models on store shelves."
If you're ready to recycle an old cell phone, laptop, iPhone, digital camera, or other electronic device and want to harvest some cash in exchange for the precious metals or years of life it embodies, one option is NextWorth, which will pay you for your old phone (or at least cover the cost of shipping it, if the company deems the item has no value). The trade-in value of devices ranges as high as $340, and averages $25 or $30.
Other options include Dyscern, a 2009 Heart of Green award winner, and these four charity cell phone recyclers.
The value of e-waste was the topic at the world's first-ever e-waste academy, where a more urgent questions were like these: How does Peru manage to refurbish more than 85% of the old computers it imports, while the rate is 20% in Nigeria, Pakistan, and Ghana? How can China police its estimated 2 million "backyard" e-waste recyclers, so that they aren't incinerating old devices to recover precious metals, releasing toxic pollution in the process? How can discarded electronics from North America, Europe and Japan benefit schools and small businesses in Africa, Asia, and South America?
The goal of the organizer, Solving the E-Waste Problem (which goes by the acronym StEP), is to boost recycling and reuse rates, while protecting third world countries from the hazards that can accompany both e-waste recycling and dumping.
The conclusion: "Processes and policies governing the reuse and recycling of electronic products need to be standardized worldwide to stem and reverse the growing problem of illegal and harmful e-waste processing practices in developing countries."
"Millions of old devices in North America and Europe could easily double their typical three or four year 'first life' by being put to use in classrooms and small business offices across Africa, South America and Asia," says Ramzy Kahhat of Arizona State University, who advocates a return deposit on electronics similar to that used on carbonated beverage containers in many states, so that devices are recycled promptly while they're still most useful to a new user. "An old Pentium II computer with an open-source operating system like Linux can run faster than some of the latest new models on store shelves."
If you're ready to recycle an old cell phone, laptop, iPhone, digital camera, or other electronic device and want to harvest some cash in exchange for the precious metals or years of life it embodies, one option is NextWorth, which will pay you for your old phone (or at least cover the cost of shipping it, if the company deems the item has no value). The trade-in value of devices ranges as high as $340, and averages $25 or $30.
Other options include Dyscern, a 2009 Heart of Green award winner, and these four charity cell phone recyclers.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Getting rid of old stuff
Wondering what to do with all the old stuff now that you've gotten a bunch of new things for the holidays?
Resist the urge to cram your closets with junk you'll never use again or send perfectly useful things to the landfill. Here's how you can donate, give away, recycle, sell, or trade old items.
Electronics
Most of us already have a stockpile of old electronics we don't know what to do with. Luckily, it's easier and easier to responsibly get rid of old gadgets. Don't forget to take your personal info off of cell phones and computers first.
* Many major consumer electronics manufacturers, such as Dell and Apple, will take back their old products.
* A growing number of retailers have extensive free recycling programs or trade-in options (where you get store credit when you bring in old electronics). Best Buy, Staples, and Radio Shack have in-store and online programs that are worth checking out.
* Donate old cell phones and computers directly to a charity in need. Some Goodwill locations accept computer equipment in any condition for refurbishing or responsible recycling. Your old cell phone, PDA, or MP3 can benefit a charity of your choice through CollectiveGood.
* Try selling your old gadgets at Gazelle.
Sports equipment: Donate to schools, youth programs, Salvation Army, and Goodwill. Or see if you can trade it in for new gear at Play It Again Sports.
CDs, DVDs, video games: You can drop off CDs and DVDs at any Best Buy store in the U.S. Just look for the free kiosk just inside the front door. GreenDisc recycles CDs, DVDs, and video and audio tapes and their cases. You can swap, music, DVDs, or video games by mail through Swaptree, SwapaDVD, SwapaCD, and Game Trading Zone.
Kids stuff: Donate old toys to a nearby children's hospital, daycare center, or Goodwill. Trade (or sell) kids' stuff you no longer want at Tots Swap Shop, Kizoodle, Swap Baby Goods, or Hand-Me-Downs.
Books: Ask your local library, school, or hospital if they can use books you no longer need. Otherwise, consider sending them to the Global Literacy Project, which distributes books to communities, libraries, and schools around the world. There are also several websites that are dedicated to helping you swap old books into new reading material.
Clothing: It's well-known that you can donate old clothes to the Salvation Army and Goodwill. And women's business attire can go to Dress for Success. You can also trade what you no longer wear at Swapstyle or Swap-O-Rama-Rama.
Shoes: Soles4Souls collects gently worn shoes and distributes them to the needy. Drop off your old shoes at a nearby donation location or mail them to one of its distribution centers. If your athletic shoes are too worn out to donate, then Nike will recycle them into a material that's used in sports surfaces, playgrounds, and new products.
Of course, you can also give away many things on Freecycle, or sell your old castaways on Craiglist or eBay.
Resist the urge to cram your closets with junk you'll never use again or send perfectly useful things to the landfill. Here's how you can donate, give away, recycle, sell, or trade old items.
Electronics
Most of us already have a stockpile of old electronics we don't know what to do with. Luckily, it's easier and easier to responsibly get rid of old gadgets. Don't forget to take your personal info off of cell phones and computers first.
* Many major consumer electronics manufacturers, such as Dell and Apple, will take back their old products.
* A growing number of retailers have extensive free recycling programs or trade-in options (where you get store credit when you bring in old electronics). Best Buy, Staples, and Radio Shack have in-store and online programs that are worth checking out.
* Donate old cell phones and computers directly to a charity in need. Some Goodwill locations accept computer equipment in any condition for refurbishing or responsible recycling. Your old cell phone, PDA, or MP3 can benefit a charity of your choice through CollectiveGood.
* Try selling your old gadgets at Gazelle.
Sports equipment: Donate to schools, youth programs, Salvation Army, and Goodwill. Or see if you can trade it in for new gear at Play It Again Sports.
CDs, DVDs, video games: You can drop off CDs and DVDs at any Best Buy store in the U.S. Just look for the free kiosk just inside the front door. GreenDisc recycles CDs, DVDs, and video and audio tapes and their cases. You can swap, music, DVDs, or video games by mail through Swaptree, SwapaDVD, SwapaCD, and Game Trading Zone.
Kids stuff: Donate old toys to a nearby children's hospital, daycare center, or Goodwill. Trade (or sell) kids' stuff you no longer want at Tots Swap Shop, Kizoodle, Swap Baby Goods, or Hand-Me-Downs.
Books: Ask your local library, school, or hospital if they can use books you no longer need. Otherwise, consider sending them to the Global Literacy Project, which distributes books to communities, libraries, and schools around the world. There are also several websites that are dedicated to helping you swap old books into new reading material.
Clothing: It's well-known that you can donate old clothes to the Salvation Army and Goodwill. And women's business attire can go to Dress for Success. You can also trade what you no longer wear at Swapstyle or Swap-O-Rama-Rama.
Shoes: Soles4Souls collects gently worn shoes and distributes them to the needy. Drop off your old shoes at a nearby donation location or mail them to one of its distribution centers. If your athletic shoes are too worn out to donate, then Nike will recycle them into a material that's used in sports surfaces, playgrounds, and new products.
Of course, you can also give away many things on Freecycle, or sell your old castaways on Craiglist or eBay.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Just What Is a Greenhouse Gas, Anyhow?
They're in the news almost as much as Brad and Angelina, and you know they have something to do with global warming. But what exactly is a greenhouse gas? In a nutshell, they're gases in the atmosphere—both naturally occurring and caused by humans—that absorb and emit radiation.
Ultraviolet radiation and sunlight hit the Earth and its atmosphere. Most of this is reflected back into outer space, thanks to the ozone layer, clouds, and ice on the Earth's surface. Approximately 25 percent is absorbed by the planet, and is then re-emitted as infrared radiation. Some of this re-emitted radiation is absorbed by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, exciting the molecules and causing them to emit the radiation back to the planet again, as heat.
The more of these gas molecules there are in the atmosphere, the more infrared radiation can be absorbed and sent back to the Earth's surface. Increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the air will result in an increase of infrared radiation being trapped and re-emitted.
The greenhouse gases that we have the widest understanding about are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs, used for aerosols). CO2 currently contributes the most to the greenhouse effect – the amount of radiation being trapped and re-emitted by greenhouse gases – but the other gases combined will soon be as important to the greenhouse effect as CO2.
These gases are increasing in concentration in the atmosphere, and they have higher rates of absorption of infrared radiation. CFCs, for instance, can absorb 20,000 times as much heat as CO2. However, international decisions to curb CFC emissions have helped stabilize CFC levels in the air.
Greenhouse gases are not, inherently, a bad thing. In fact, they help make this planet livable. Without them, the average temperature of the Earth's surface would be slightly less than 0 degrees Fahrenheit! With the greenhouse effect, the average surface temperature is 59 degrees Fahrenheit. But the growing concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has the power to raise the average temperature.
Ultraviolet radiation and sunlight hit the Earth and its atmosphere. Most of this is reflected back into outer space, thanks to the ozone layer, clouds, and ice on the Earth's surface. Approximately 25 percent is absorbed by the planet, and is then re-emitted as infrared radiation. Some of this re-emitted radiation is absorbed by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, exciting the molecules and causing them to emit the radiation back to the planet again, as heat.
The more of these gas molecules there are in the atmosphere, the more infrared radiation can be absorbed and sent back to the Earth's surface. Increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the air will result in an increase of infrared radiation being trapped and re-emitted.
The greenhouse gases that we have the widest understanding about are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs, used for aerosols). CO2 currently contributes the most to the greenhouse effect – the amount of radiation being trapped and re-emitted by greenhouse gases – but the other gases combined will soon be as important to the greenhouse effect as CO2.
These gases are increasing in concentration in the atmosphere, and they have higher rates of absorption of infrared radiation. CFCs, for instance, can absorb 20,000 times as much heat as CO2. However, international decisions to curb CFC emissions have helped stabilize CFC levels in the air.
Greenhouse gases are not, inherently, a bad thing. In fact, they help make this planet livable. Without them, the average temperature of the Earth's surface would be slightly less than 0 degrees Fahrenheit! With the greenhouse effect, the average surface temperature is 59 degrees Fahrenheit. But the growing concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has the power to raise the average temperature.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
freeloader solar charger
This looks like it covers all the bases with connectors... a great idea. Plus it will store the power for up to 3 months, so you can charge the solar powered charger anytime, stick it in our pocket and have it ready when you need it - even on a cloudy day or inside. It will also charge via usb cable.
according to the website, it will charge an ipod for 18 hours, a mobile phone for 44 hours and a psp for 2.5 hours... that's pretty impressive!
according to the website, it will charge an ipod for 18 hours, a mobile phone for 44 hours and a psp for 2.5 hours... that's pretty impressive!
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