Katie's+Alternate+Energy+Blog

Hello, This page will be a blog of my research on alternate energy. This is the project I'm doing in Science. This page will help the world learn more about alternate energy, their benefits, and where you can learn more about them. Check out the page for updates on my latest findings. Oh, and just warning you, not all of it is science, some of it is just whats going through my head, so count on a lot of sarcasam. Cheers, Katie

1-28-08 Source: Popular Science Article:Charge It Published: 1-20-06 Alternate Energy Type: Electric Summary: Stars in California are raving about the new hybrid cars, but some people atill aren't convinced that hybrid are all that. So the CalCars team has modified a hybrid so it can be plugged into the wall like any electric appliance. Most cars have internal combustion engines, but hybrids have internal combustion engines, and electric engines. The electric engine runs on batteries powered by the gas engine, and by power that is usually lost when breaking. Breaking wastes the most energy, but the hybrid has an electric break that recaptures the lost energy, and uses it to power the engine. The process is called regenerative breaking. The electric engine saves fuel by not only regenerating break power, but also by providing initial acceleration for speeds up to 15, or 20 mph. That saves fuel for the higher highway speeds. The new design of the popular hybrid the Toyota Prius was modified to be capable of running on electricity only. It can be plugged in to any electrical outlet, and extra batteries gather that energy to use later. The new design can go 10 miles at a speed of 35 mph with out needing to turn over to gas. The upgrade would be around 10,000 to 12,000 dollars. CalCars believe that with all the new advances we could see cars getting 500 mpg in no time.

1-29-08 Source: [|www.chevron.com] Article: Creating Renewable Energy for Power Generation Published: 9-4-07 Alternate Energy Type: Geothermal Summary: Geothermal energy is created using the heat of the earth.The process begins with water soaking into the earth near a seismically acive area, the water is heated by the molten rock beneath the surface, and wells can be drilled to send the steam to powerplants. The water that is hot, but has not changed to steam is recycled back into the Earth. Their are only a few locations world wide where their has been geothermal drilling, they are usually around the Ring of Fire in the Pacific, or Iceland which is known for it's many volcanic springs. Geothermal energy provides large amounts of energy, no harmful chemical waste, and is completely renewable. Electricity produced by geothermal energy is one of the most rapidly groing economies in the world.

Source: [|www.chevron.com] Article: Capturing the Sun's Light to Achieve Efficiency Published: 9-4-07 Alternate Energy Type: Solar Summary:Solar radiation can be converted to other useful forms of energy like heat, and electricity through photovoltaic cells made of silicon alloys.Solar cells can convert up to 22% of all solar radiation to other forms of energy, then that energy can be used to heat steam, and make more energy. The skyrocketing energy prices that began rising in 2005 increased the interest in forms of alternate energy. Solar energy is clean, and produces no waste.

1-31-08 Learning all this stuff about alternate energy is great, but it is useless unless you put it to work. Come up with your own ideas to make this world a greener place. Go to the link Make A Difference and send your ideas to state officials, your idea might save the world. The students on Team 8 Blue are working to make creative solutions to energy problems, we're researching alternate energy, and coming up with ways to use it to power the future. We can't do it alone, we need to world to help us! Help Team 8 Blue Save The World!

Source: [|www.chevron.com] Article: Ethanol Published: 9-4-07 Alternate Energy Type: Biofuel Summary: Ethanol, or ethyl alcohol is a form of biofuel that has been used for over a century. The first motor vehicals could be powered by gasoline, or ethanol, but since it was less expensive to manufacture gas from crude oil, it took over as the main fuel. Biofuel, like ethanol is made by burning once living materials like wood, or plant material. Ethanol, is made from corn, sugar cane, and many other common crops.Studies performed by the U.S. Department of Alternate Energy Data Center show that an ethanol based fuel greatly reduces carbon dioxide, and other tail pipe emissons. First-generation ethanol faces multiple limitations for example, the starch-based crops used to make ethanol are also major food sources for people, and livestock. Second-generation ethanol focuses on turning biowaste into fuel, like corn husks, and waste paper as opposed to the parts that are used by people, and livestock.

2-1-08 So far I have researched four out of five renewable energy resources. The last one is hydroelectricity. I couldn't find much about it on the website I used for the other articles, so I turned to [|www.dictionary.com] the reference page is very helpful, and I found out a lot about hydroelectricity, keep reading, and find out what I learned. If you look at Adam's Electric Cars page you can find out more about cars powered by alternate energy like water.

Source: [|www.dictionary.com] Article: Hydroelectricity The Electric Generation Published:1-4-08 Alternate Energy Type: Hydroelectricity Summary: Hydroelectricity comes from hydropower, or the power of running water. It produces no waste, and no carbon dioxide so it doesn't conribute to global warming. Hydropower currently provides 19% of the world's electricity.Most hydroelectric energy is produced from the potential energy of dammed water driving a turbine, and a generator. The less common version of production is using the kinetic energy of water, like using underwater water wheels in a running river. Their are some disadvantages to hydropower, dams can burst, and people need to be relocated to make room for the power plants. Hydropower may have its advantages, but it also has its disadvantages.

2-4-08 For the past week I have been researching renewable energy resources. Now I'm going to shift to the nonrenewable resources, like oil, coal, natural gas, and nuclear power. Their are also secondary sources like electricity, and hydrogen that are produced by nonrenewable, or renewable energy. Today I'm reading an article about oil.

Source: [|www.eia.doe.gov] Article: Oil (Petroleum) Published:4-2-07 Energy Type:Oil/ Petroleum Summary- Oil is a fossil fuel. Marine organisms from millions of years ago die, and break down. Their remains are covered in mud. Heat, and pressure from the layers of mud turn the remains into crude oil. Oil is usually found in underground reservoirs, scientists and engineers find the reservoirs by taking geo-samples. If an area is promising then they drill. The worlds top crude oil producers are Saudi Arabia, Russia, United States, Iran and China. The top oil producing states are Texas, Alaska, California, Louisiana and Oklahoma. We use oil to make gasoline to power our car, and other machines. Some disadvantages to crude oil are that it is a nonrenewable energy resource, it gives off carbon dioxide when burned so it contributes to global warming, and transporting it is dangerous. Their are oil spills all over the world, they harm the enviorment, and cost thousands of dollars to clean up. Our dependance on crude oil means that we are partial dependant on the Middle East. Our dependance keeps us from moving forward.

2-5-08 Okay, I just finished my article on oil, I didn't have enough time yesterday to work on it. (Tisk, Tisk on me I was talking, and didn't get a whole lot done.) But now I'm hard at work on my blog. Halle still wants to make my page pretty, but its pretty enough as it is. Anyway, Today I'm reading an article about natural gas. I'm not sure if I'll be able to finish, so it might be another 'To Be Continued...' who knows, I'm getting to work.

Source: [|www.eia.doe.gov] Article: Natural Gas Published: 4-10-08 Energy Type: Natural Gas Summary: When oil is made, natural gas is made as well. The main component of natural gas is methane which is composed of one carbon atom, and four hydrogen atoms. Scientists get geo-samples while looking for oil, and usually when they find oil, they find natural gas too. There is a reading in our textbooks about Gas-hydrates which are ice formations of water, and methane, which as I mentioned is the main component in natural gas. They form at depths of 300-800 meters. Gas-hydrates are found in the arctic permafrost, and in marine sediments. Scientists have found two deposits off the coast of the Carolinas that may contain 37 trillion cubic meters of natural methane gas. That is 70 times the amount of natural gas consumed in the United States in one year. Natural gas is stored in pressurized tanks until it is used to heat homes, produce paints, dyes, plastics, medicines, and explosives. Burning natural gas for energy produces greenhouse gasses, not nearly as much as other fuels.

2-11-08 Today we had the PSSAs, they were a whole lot of fun, actually they weren't, but they were over quickly. We have them tomorrow too, but anyway. Okay, seriously. Tomorrow, as in Tuesday at 9:15 Mrs. L is going to be talking to a bunch of other important people and teachers about our Science class. She is going to show them our wiki, and our other cool technological stuff, and she might show this wiki, or even this page to those important people. So I definitely want to make my page nice. Actually I think it's nice already but I could help Mrs. L, and write some stuff in my blog about how awesome our class is. Needless to say today won't be research, but it will be stuff about our science class. Chances are if you found this page you found it through our Team 8 Blue page. That is our class page, where we post class notes, podcasts, voicethreads, videos, powerpoints, and all sorts of other cool stuff. Mrs. L is a great teacher, and she makes class interesting by implementing technology.

3-18-08 Okay, sorry I sort of forgot about my blog, and I sort of didn't have time to work on it. I'm going to be talking a lot about advances in alternate energy, and green power. Today I'm going to talk about an aritcle I read the other day.

Source: [|www.msnbc.com] Article: Sailor Sets off on Wave Powered Boat Published: 3-17-08 Topic: Green Machines Summary: In Honolulu a Japanese sailor Kenichi Horie who has made many nautical achivements. In 1992 he powered a boat by pedaling from Hawaii to Okinawa, and in 1996 he sailed a solar powered boat 10,000 miles from Ecuador to Tokyo. He set sail from from Honolulu on Sunday, aboard the Suntory Mermaid 2. It's a 2 ton yacht made of recycled aluminam cans but it is also wave powered. Of course it won't be as fast as a deisel powered boat,the trip to Japan would take 10 days for a diesel powered boat, but for him it will take 2.5 months. The journey will be 4,000 miles of open ocean, but that is besode the point, the point is that the boat is running on waves. As he left he admitted that he was scared, many things could go wrong, but he said that he still hopes that the shipping industry will convert to green energy. Bon Voyage Kenichi Horie, Bon Voyage!

4-18-08 Oh jez, it's been a whole month since my last blog, some blog this is turning out to be. Well I'm in class right now, and I was just thinking about the fabulous shirt I got at Kohls, it says "Global Warming is Not Cool" I thought it was a great message, and some of the money from buying the shirt is going to enviormental programs throughtout the world. This morning, a girl I know told me she thought that global warming wasn't a big deal, well that got me and my best friend going, because global warming is a very BIG deal. Some people think that global warming doesn't affect us, but it does. Because of the rising sea level, cities like Venice, Italy are going to end up under water sooner than you would think. Every year Venice sinks another centimeter into the ocean. There are so many ways to find out more about global warming, google it, or check out a book at the library. The more you know the more you can do to help the enviorment.

4-23-08 Today in class we composed a letter to our Senators. Our main goal was to make our feelings known about a bill that is going through the Senate. The House of Representatives passed the bill, and now it's up to the Senate, we want this bill passed, it would create an energy conservation program which is exactly what we need. We listed ideas, and issues that are important to us, and out enviorment. For those of you who don't know, yesterday was EARTH DAY!!! I hope you all planted a tree. Trees help filter the air, that's why the air is always fresher in parks. I also hope you smokers out there know you're killing trees, and hurting the enviorment. I'm not sure what things are like in other parts of the world but here in the good old USA, Summeris coming soon, and fuel and energy prices are going to skyrocket, here are a few easy things you can do to help the enviorment, save money, and keep yourself a little more healthy.
 * 1) Open the windows, turn off the lights... Turning off lights is an easy way to conserve energy. Depending on your area the sun can provie enough light that you won't need the lights on. Natural light is good for you, the Vitamin D in sunlight helps you absorb Calcium, for women that is an especially good thing for aging women who can develop Osteoperosis if they don't get enough Calcium.
 * 2) Spend more time outside... Like I said natural light is good for you, and if you're not inside, you won't need the lights on. Not to mention if you're outside, you're most likely doing something active, which is a vital part of staying healthy. Just remember (Sorry if I sound like your mother.) when you go outside wear sunscreen. I was outside all day yesterday, and now I have a nasty sunburn on my shoulders because stupid little me didn't wear sunscreen.
 * 3) Don't smoke, and if you do quit... Smoking not only is bad for you, and every other person forced to breathe in the toxic air, but it's also bad for all of humanity. The noxious cocktail of chemicals in smoke kills plants. If their are no plants to filter the air the carbon dioxide, and other nasty things out of the air, our ozone layer will collapse, and we will all fry. Doesn't sound pleasent does it.
 * 4) Ditch the car, ride your bike, or walk... Cars are expensive, and polluting. Riding your bike, skateboarding, roller blading, all of them are great forms of exercise, and they don't require gas, or produce harmful emmissions. Of course you can't ride your bike from L.A. to N.Y.C. but you can treck it out on those few blocks instead of taking you car.
 * 5) Recycle... I don't think that needs much explination.

5-16-08 I have like eight minutes till Science, see I'm working on this because I have serious writer's block so I can't work on the book I'm writing for Mr. Hood. Oh now I only have seven minutes. Time is running out! So what can I write about in like six minutes? Oh there is gas prices... They are going way up, and the estimate is that in 2010 they will be up to seven dollars a gallon!!! Saudi Arabia needs to lay off, we're doing the best we can, and they could try and meet us halfway by lowering the price on oil. Last I heard it was up to 129 dollars a barrel. KEEP IT GREEN! Gotta go, I'll write more later.

5-20-08 I'm with my mother at her Paramedic class, the only reason I thought of my blog was the truck yard we wound through to get here. A whole chunck of it is devoted to recycling tires off "dead" cars. Let me tell you the pile of tires, and tires scraps was enormous! But it's a good thing that they are bing recycled otherwise they would be lying in a landfill somewhere in PA. Anyway I just wanted to say that. I'd better go now, people are talking to me.\