Respone to classmate's blog

All classmates’ blog are so nice, but I especially like the blog, "Go Green." Actually, the blog title "Go Green" is attractive to me and is filled with unique ideas and energy information on the blog. Even though she has many things written down on her blog, she has one post that was very interesting. One man is drinking the polluted water, not clean. Basically, we really need clean water for living, but then we do not much care the significant of water. This one post causes me to think again about that we have responsible to preserve nature today.

http://savetheworld-energy.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2010-04-06T14%3A18%3A00-07%3A00&max-results=7

Thoreau

"Where I lived and What I lived for"by Henry David Thoreau is about his experience in the woods. He mentions, "Children, who play life, discern its true law and relations more clearly than men, who fail to live it worthily, but who think that they are wiser by experience, that is, by failure."(Thoreau,1954) He states that children, who play life, live with lightness unlike us, who live with complicated adn seriousness life. I think he wants to say that we need to turn inot simplicity with nature by using less energy resource, as we take off complicated life.

Thoreau, David H.(2007). where I lived and What I lived for. In S. Cohen, 50 essays: a portable anthology. Boston: Bedford/St.Martin's

Respone to change climate

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvG2XptIEJk

US President -elect Barack Obama gave the first of his weekly addresses to the nation and declared that he mentioned American leadership on climate change.

Economic growth in China

According to this article, China has rapid economic growth about 10% per year and has been fufiiled by an annual energy growth rate of greater than 10% from 2001 to 2005. This in turn has led to the construction of one to two GWe of electrical making capacity per week over the period with the vast majority of the power plants using coal. China has equaled the carbon consumption rate of United States at 6 billion tonnes per year in 2006, far sooner than was expected due to the energy growth.

Levine, M. (2008). Energy Efficiency in China: Glorious History, Uncertain Future. AIP Conference Proceedings, 1044(1), 15-27. doi:10.1063/1.2993717.

How can we reduce wasting energy?

There are lots of ways to reduce our wasting energy in our life through the resources.
1. Turn off when you are not using.
2. Cover pots; thaw frozen foods before cooking; plan meals carefully.
3. Wash full loads; use cold water.
4. Walk; ride in carpools; ride a bike; keep car in good running condition.
5. Short shower instead of deep bath; take shorter shower.
6. Install storm doors; keep doors closed when using heat or air conditioning; install wather stripping.
7. Set at 68 degrees in winter and turn down at night by wearing warm clothes; set at 78 degrees in summer by wearing cool clothes.
8. Close flue when not in use; install glass firescreen that can be closed when fireplace is not in use.
9. Close draperies at night; put shutters, blinds, or drapes on all windows; install storm windows.
10. Do not use several heavy users at the same time.

Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, Science, Technology and EnergyDivision Energv Savers Activity Book With the Energy Robots. Montgomery, AL: Author, n d.(p.17) (Address 3465 Norman Bridge Road, Montgomery, AL 36105.)

Energy usage

As fossil fuel energy are making many problems such as changing climate and greenhouse gas emission, many nations and governments suggest other energy resources which are clean, emission free, and renewable energy like solar, wind, and ocean energy by nature. Therefore, through this chart, how energy usage is increasing in each year. According to this chart, the rapid growth of energy usage has increased since 2004 abruptly. In addition, I could know how renewable energy in limelight today.

http://www.xanterra.com/Renewable-Energy-378.html

Wind energy

The wind energy converts kinetic energy into electircal and mechanical enrgy. The amount of wind energy depends on the turbine's sizd and the wind speed. It supplies about 10,655 kilowatthours (kWh) of electircity each year, as an average USA household use. However, it has several disadvantages that it kills the birds, and then it causes bad environmental impacts. Also, it produces a noisy like whooshing sounds.

http://www.awea.org/fag/wwt_basics.html

http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy05osti/37657.pdf

Hybrid cars

Go to check the advantage of hybric car to see the explaning why hybrid cars has profits.

Solar energy

Solar energy is produced by the sun. Solar energy has many advantages, especially, if solar energy were to replace the forms of energy being used in the United States today. Several countries in the Middle East has already been starting to use Solar Energy and they are even placing solar panels on the houses currently. In addition, it is environmentally friendly, independent enery, and saving meoney. However, the production of solar energy is influenced by the presence of clouds or pollution in the air, so the energy could be limited when it encounters these weather. It also require large area to aquire the good level of effectiency.

http://www.is.njit.edu/competition/2009/Cat2_2_Winner_Group142/index.html

http://www.facts-about-solar-energy.com/solar-energy-advantages-disadvantages.html

Biomass energy

Biomass energy is one of the common alternative energy. Basically, it is derived from the organic matters, such as dead plants, animal by products, and general wastes by burning them. Its cost is low, and it accounts for about 15% world's total energy supplies. In addition, biomass energy can reduce the global warming and greenhouse gas emissions. Because biomass releases about the same amount of carbon dioxide as fossil fuels, it helps close carbon dioxide cycle. As we struggle the issues like global warming and greenhouse effect, the biomass is one of the important way that helps prevent problems.
http://aq48.dnraq.state.ia.us/prairie/Biomass_En.htm
http://www.altenergy.org/renewables/biomass.html

Wendell Berry's essay

After reading the “The Unsettling of America Culture and Agriculture”, I could think again the fact that humans can not create energy and all energy comes from the earth. Berry stated the difference between humans energy in our body and the energy that is made by humans. Our body can be recycled when we use energy, but the energy which is produced by humans can not be recycled. He emphasized the importance of soil for human and the earth. All energy supplies and resources come from the soil to meet for us, so we really need to protect soil of the earth because it is one of the important circles of our life; healthy soil makes healthy humans.

ARD

According to http://sustainableink.org/, there is American Recycles Day(ARD), which is a recognized day, focusing on the three things: reuse, reduce,and recycle. They encourage people to recycle and buy recycled products. The purpose of the day is for saving energy and recovering earth.

Hydroelectric power

Hydroelectric power depends on the global cycle of water; "evaporating from lakes and oceans, forming clouds, precipitating as rain or snow, then flowing back down to the ocean." The common method of hydropower is a dam. Basically, water is blocked, so there is only one way that it can go out through turbines as needed to meet energy demands. Today, between 7 and 9% of the United States electricity comes from hydro energy and 19 percent of the total electricity in the world. However, hydropower remains highly controversial because it has bad impact on local land and water resources.

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/energy-environment/hydroelectric-power/index.html?scp=1-spot&sq=hydroelectric%20power&st=cse

BP calculator

According to BP calculator, my energy usage for the year is 26,509 kwh and the usage of carbon is 30.6 tonnes per year. Through BP calculator, I can know how much energy I use and how much energy I waste right now. For example, I don’t like to sleep in the dark and silence, so I usually turn on the light, computer, or radio. BP calculator causes me to save energy by changing my bad habits, so I will try to save energy as much energy as I need. Do you want to know how much energy you are using? Go to http://www.bp.com/iframe.do?categoryId=9027929&contentId=7050956 ,and check yours.

Limited energy

There are lots of sorts of energy around us, such as electronic, fuel, and natural resources. Most energy is created by earth, the storage place of energy. However, the natural resources are limited to use and the people's unlimited wants and comsumption are increasing, as they are decreasing the limited resources and supply. Today, the world encounters new issues about how to save energy and how to make recycled energy, and many countries are trying to find new alternative and renewable energy in limited resources. According to the article, renewable energy now accounts for 9.5 percent of the nation's electricity supply, but it is not enough even with the assistance by government.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/18/weekinreview/18galbraith.html?scp=7&sq=alternative%20energy&st=cse