Alternative Energy

As concerns for global warming rise, so does the need for educated personnel to be able to meet the requirements for the new consciousness. The need for qualified workers in this new field of commerce is essential if it is to succeed.

At present, there are more than seventy ethanol plants that are under construction. In the next year and a half, they will need qualified personnel to staff these plants that are knowledgeable in renewable energy and programs that will increase fuel efficiency. Bismarck State College and Minnesota West are just two of the schools that are answering the call for these new skills.

The call for qualified technicians in this field is rapidly rising and not only are ethanol production facilities getting in on the need for quality education, but colleges across the United States are addressing the issue of needing qualified applicants to take over the reins of finding alternative energy sources for powering our world.

There are many other schools that are getting in on the need for skilled recruits to help run the ethanol production plants that are now in construction. The colleges of the Midwest seem to be more in tune with the skills needed for this new technology and many of the state universities of this region have addressed the need for qualified workers in the area of renewable energy.

The more our education system addresses the problems of using fossil fuels to power our world, the better chance we have of making a new tomorrow for future generations. The industrial age was only a short time ago and if we take the time to address the mistakes we have made towards the earth and its environment, we are sure to come up with a workable solution.

China and India are emerging as Asia’s new powerhouses for gobbling up fossil fuels. Economists and experts agree that this will do nothing to bring down the price for oil any time soon. It has been noted that India and China can account for over 2/3 of the global growth in the demand for oil.

Others are saying that the oil demand in China can equal Saudi Arabia’s total supply. As prices for a barrel of crude oil creep up to $100 or more, there is a real threat to the global economy. The average citizen is paying the price for the situation, and the results are economies all over the world in trouble. While salaries have stayed basically the same, the cost of living has risen dramatically, and more families are finding it harder to pay for their basic needs such as housing, home heating and food.

Rising oil prices produce a ripple effect. The price for transporting goods goes up, and  therefore the price of food goes up. If we don’t address alternative energy sources in the very near future, we may see something as drastic as a global economic recession.

What China and India need to do in order to address this problem, is to explore sources of renewable energy as well as greater efficiency in the way they use fossil fuels now. They can also join the rest of the developed countries in capping emissions that are one of the major causes of global warming.

Countries around the world will have to work together like they have never had to join forces in human history before. If we are to have a planet to leave to future generations, we must all be willing to sit around the table and make concessions and compromises that will positively impact the environment, and leave behind the notion that what each nation does is its own business.

New questions are being asked about switching from oil as a source of energy to the grain needed to create ethanol. Two top publications are raising doubts about whether ethanol is really beneficial to the environment or if it will contribute further to global warming.

These findings will have a huge impact on the United States and the new policies that are being put into effect concerning ethanol production. This is sure to create much controversy and before anyone takes sides, more studies need to be done. In the past two years, the United States has pumped up the production of grain needed to produce ethanol and construction has already begun to change the face of the corn belt region for facilities to produce ethanol.

Ethanol production has affected many areas of the U.S. economy, most notably in the price of food not just here, but abroad as well. Grains that were once used to feed cattle is being redirected into ethanol production. This causes a ripple effect at the grocery store where the price for dairy and beef products have skyrocketed.

We have also diverted much of the corn we exported to other countries to the production of ethanol. This is causing changes in the economy for those countries that relied on the United States corn to feed their masses.

In order for support for ethanol to continue, it needs the backing of the public. The public will be wholeheartedly behind this switch if it can eliminate much of our dependence on foreign oil, have a positive impact on reducing the emission of greenhouse gases and boost agriculture once again.

Before the United States jumps feet first into relying on ethanol as an energy alternative, the public needs to educate themselves on the negative aspects as well as the positive ones. We have long let politicians make our decisions for us without being informed of issues and it is high time we educated ourselves on this very important matter not only to America, but the rest of the world as well.

Because the cost of energy is so high these days, many consumers have taken it upon themselves to try and reduce energy waste in their homes. Their intentions may be good, but the plan in its execution is not. Check to see if you are making any of these common energy saving mistakes that do nothing to save energy or money.

Air Filters

Air filters are a vital aspect to the smooth running of any machinery that uses one. Your car needs to have the filters changed every so many miles, and your vacuum cleaner filter needs to be replaced so that there is enough suction to pick up dust and dirt on floors. The same is true for your furnace. When filters aren’t changed on a regular basis, dust and dirt will clog important workings of the furnace that will prevent it from operating at peak energy efficiency. Not checking your furnace filters not only cost you money while your furnace is in use, it may cause your whole system to fail as a result and this will end up costing you big money.

Closing Vents in Empty Rooms

You may think that closing the vents to prevent heat from reaching empty rooms is a smart way to save on your energy bills. The furnace will have no way to know that vents are closed, and will pump out just as much heat as before. There is also the danger that the cold air in the closed off rooms will cool the house, therefore making the furnace work even harder to keep the house warm.

There are plenty of other energy blunders you are making, so the best thing for you to do is to research the many ways you can save energy in the home. There are tips available that will help you save money not only in the winter, but guide you along paths that will save money and energy usage in the warmer weather months as well.

People have different opinions on what is causing global warming. In the past, the focus was on whether global warming was really happening or not. Now that the world leaders and the masses have been presented with irrefutable evidence that global warming is definitely happening, it seems there are still those who refuse to take some of the responsibility for what is happening in and to our planet today.

The authors of the book are Fred Singer and Dennis Avery. They are members of the nature-taking-its-course group. Though the earth has cycles in which the climate can change such as a new ice age or the natural effect of nature and global warming, if you look at the rapid rate that global warming has spread during the last century, you can’t help but see that man has had much to do with the acceleration we are seeing now.

The authors seek to reassure the readers that global warming is unstoppable, and has nothing to do with mankind. They try to convince the reader that this is a natural cycle that occurs every fifteen years or so. They also go on to say that this is not a dangerous process and it too shall pass.

Though you may not agree with the author’s opinions, it is always good to arm yourself with knowledge. Being informed of facts regarding global warming myths can actually help, as you may be able to convince the naysayer when they see the real facts in black and white.

The book is bound to be popular reading for those oil tycoons and cynical others who say we are all worrying for naught. But even those in the green community should give it a read to see what the other side thinks and why.

Most people are aware that there is sometimes inaccuracy in the facts that the press report to their readers. There are others that take what is told to them with a grain of salt. Sometimes these inaccuracies, or lies if you prefer, can do a lot of damage because people take this misinformation as fact.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in the debate about nuclear power. Because the goal to find an alternative energy source to power our world is foremost, there has been much discussion of a possible “nuclear renaissance.”

The World Information Service on Energy or WISE has taken the time to clear up some of the more blatantly false statements that have been made. They are concerned that these falsehoods will take hold in the mind of the people as fact, as they are repeated over and over again. The danger lies in the fact that these nuclear lies will be quoted and repeated so many times, that in time they become many people’s truth.

One such misconception is that nuclear power plants do not emit CO2. It was Vice President of the United States, Dick Cheney that made this statement to reporters from CNN. That is a blatant falsehood. There is plenty of CO2 emitted when uranium is milled and mined as well as in the construction of the nuclear power plant. If you take the whole cycle of fuel into account, it is said that nuclear power gives off as much as five times as much carbon dioxide as a renewable energy source.

Another false fact floating around is that energy from nuclear power is cheaper than other sources. This fact is based on the production costs of nuclear power. They forgot to include the huge cost of capital that is involved in creating nuclear power. It wasn’t until the government deregulated nuclear power that the consumer bailed out the nuclear utilities by paying “stranded costs.”

Heavy pressure is being put on scientists across the globe to find alternative energy sources from a variety of resources. We talk about wind and solar power, and we study biofuels, but there is also another alternative that should be probed. Geothermal energy, though as yet is not plentiful enough to take the place of other energy sources, can be used to generate electricity. Geothermal energy is sustainable, and is naturally occurring too.

Geothermal energy comes from deep within the earth. It uses the heat that the planet already has, and can produce enough steam to run a turbine in order to generate electricity. The core temperature of the earth is said to be around 4000 degrees Celsius. The mantle that surrounds this core is only around 45 miles below the surface depending upon the location. The temperature there is said to be about 375 Celsius.  Currently, we can’t reach these depths, so how can we harness this energy?

Geothermal hotspots are places where features of a volcano can be found. The mantle that sends its internal heat from the depths of the earth in this area is less thick so that the heat can reach the outer crusts. There are well known geothermal hotspots such as the geysers that can be found at Yellowstone, Iceland’s hot springs and Hawaii’s volcanic islands. Spots such as these can be used to create electricity easily.

Any energy source that can take the burden of fossil fuels should definitely be explored. As the temperature rises around the globe and the icecaps begin to melt, more research and funding has to be put into finding viable alternative energy resources. Geothermal energy can be one way we can ease the carbon footprint that our present society is leaving upon our very vulnerable planet.

We have been hearing ethanol being bandied about on the news lately. Most of us know that it is made from corn; but that is about as far as our knowledge of it goes when it comes to ethanol. Ethanol is also known by the names of grain alcohol, ethyl alcohol and EtOH. It is a clear fluid, devoid of color.

Ethanol has a chemical compound that stays the same, no matter if it is made from corn as it is in the U.S., or from sugar cane in Brazil. Ethanol can be made from materials that are cellulosic as well, but sugar and corn are the primary ingredients used for ethanol at present.

The United States Department of Energy is researching the most efficient ways to break down such cellulosic materials such as old newspapers, crop residue, wood, grapes from a vineyard and grass, down to the sugar components in order to ferment ethanol. Ethanol is considered to be a renewable source of energy that can be produced domestically, and lessens our dependence on foreign oil.

Ethanol was once thought by early automakers including Henry Ford to be the primary source of fuel around the globe. It wasn’t until gasoline became readily available to the masses that the focus shifted from ethanol. Think of what the world would be today if we had stayed on the ethanol fuel path. It is said that one gallon of ethanol has 1/3 less energy than does a gallon of gas.

Ethanol is considered to be a high octane fuel. This means that your car will run with more power using less energy. Octane is a substance that helps to prevent knocking and pinging in combustion engines. Using a mixture of gasoline and ethanol can be used for those engines deemed high performance as well.

Finding alternative energy sources to power our world should be at the top of everyone’s list all across the globe. We depend on our earth for sustenance and protection, and if we don’t begin to change the way we do things, there will be nothing left in 50 years.

Muscle cars - they are a boy’s rite of passage. Boys rarely have a passion for anything the way they have a fascination for their race cars. It seems with the new emissions legislation as well as the pressure on carmakers to ensure that all cars manufactured in the future have energy efficiency of at least thirty five miles per gallon, the life of muscle cars seems to be at an end. For cars that go from zero to sixty in under four seconds, this may be a challenge.

Even the biggest of the SUVs will have to comply with new energy regulations.  This is welcome news.  It’s about time something was done to stop cars like the Hummer from taking over our roads. It isn’t enough that the people who buy them can afford to fuel them; we need to think towards the future and conserving the fossil fuels we use.

Some car companies are planning to introduce cars like the ZR1 made by GM that only gets 24 miles on the highway and just 15 miles in the city, but most makers are making plans to change the way they create their automobiles. As the energy crisis and the cost of fuel continue to rise, automakers will have to address this issue.

Some makers of previous muscle cars are making the shift to all new technology for their cars. They are looking into hybrid drivetrains and how alternative fuels can increase their sales in the future as more and more consumers begin to look for ways to not only save on energy usage, but the prohibitive cost as well.

If you are interested in saving the environment, you will avoid those cars that give you only a few miles per gallon, and get on the new bandwagon of protecting the environment and cutting your personal usage of fossil fuels.

With all the focus on alternative energy sources, why are we not looking more into converting the wind into power? It is not as if it’s a new idea or has never been tried before. We know that you can successfully harness the wind in order to convert it into power.

Many feel the reason that the possibilities of wind power have not been explored further is because of the prohibitive cost of setting it up. There are significant costs to the start up of a wind farm, though once the initial set up costs have been met, it is said to be one of the cheapest sources of electricity there is to maintain.

The advantages of wind power over other alternative energies are that it is a renewable energy source. Unlike ethanol which must be produced, wind is free for the taking, and can be readily supplied. Currently, wind only accounts for a very minuscule total of energy used worldwide, and Germany is said to be the top producer.

Denmark is said to produce 20 % of their electricity using wind power. The Department of Energy has stated that by using wind farms offshore, we would have enough power for the whole country.

There is enormous potential with the use of wind power. Just like solar energy, wind power is not getting enough exposure. Instead of focusing on ethanol and biodiesel fuel sources, we should be looking towards the naturally occurring wind for a clean and renewable source of energy.

There are regions of the United States that are ripe for wind power. The winds blow mightily upon the Great Plains of America, and there would be no more beautiful vision than the spectacular sight of windmills turning busily in the sky as they power the electricity that lights our homes and warms our world.