Larson.MMA.Spring2009.EnergyandWater

1. What is the problem at hand?

The problem at hand is the burning of fossil fuels. Oil, coal and natural gas are the major fossil fuels. They were produced millions of years ago, and once these fossil fuels are used up they are not renewable. Once they are gone, they are gone forever. 86% of global energy comes from fossil fuels. We live in the age of fossil fuel consumption. The problem with the burning of fossil fuels is the pollution and the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. CO2 is the greenhouse gas that is responsible for global warming.



2. What is the major force of this problem?

The major force of this problem is the burning of fossil fuels, the increasing population, the increasing technology and the impact it has on our environment. There is such an equation (I=P x A x T). All of these variables factor the increase of CO2 into our atmosphere. As the population increases the more fossil fuels will be burned. The more technology increases the more energy will be consumed. Another term that is important is per capita. This is the quantity per person. Our temperature has increased 1degree ferniheight from the past 20 years and will increase another degree in the future.

3. What are people doing or not doing with this problem?

People could reduce their waste by recycling and not contributing to the burning of gases. People are using energy efficient light bulbs that share the same brightness but use less energy. To mow your lawn you could use a push mower instead of a mower that requires gas. For a vehicle you could buy a hybrid. Yes, the price of a hybrid is more expensive but in the long run it is better in gas and helps our environment. People are not spreading the word about these environment issues. This is what people need to do. Al Gore tried spreading this issue, and still is with his presentation, “The Inconvenient Truth.” Bush was not a supportive of these environmental issue, and Obama is debating on the future fuel rod site. Well see what happens…



Wind Power

Wind power resources are regional, and the global resources are very large. In Connecticut and Massachusetts alone, the major resources are located off shore. Wind is cost competitive with coal. The average power that can be extracted from the wind depends on the wind power density, the area swept out by the wind turbine rotors and the efficiency of the wind turbine. The equation to go along with this prior statement is power= efficiency x area x wind power density. This table below shows the wind power classification. The second column lists the wind power density.

Wind Power Classes at 50 meters Density (W/m^2) || Average Wind Speed(m/s) ||
 * Class || Average Wind Power
 * 1 Poor || 0-200 || 0.0-5.6 ||
 * 2 Marginal || 200-300 || 5.6-6.4 ||
 * 3 Fair || 300-400 || 6.4-7.0 ||
 * 4 Good || 400-500 || 7.0-7.5 ||
 * 5 Excellent || 500-600 || 7.5-8.0 ||
 * 6 Outstanding || 600-800 || 8.0-8.8 ||
 * 7 Superb || 800+ || 8.8+ ||



How much CO2 does wind power emit or inhibit?

Wind power helps the environment being more “green”. It is a renewable resource so it does not cost any burning of fossil fuels.

How much water could it purify or generate?

With the wind power it does not purify or generate water, but it is mentioned to hurt the water if the wind turbines were placed in the sound; like the Cape Wind Project. Tourists and residential people do not like this because it takes away from the view and creates fog; visualization.

Highlight the best aspects of wind power?

The advantages of wind power would be it is a renewable resource and is carbon neutral. It covers a wide variety of land. Wind power is economically competitive and has a thirty-year lifetime.

How would the critics discuss it?

Critics say that it has a very long life time but is expensive. It is worth the price though. If people use wind turbine the government gives a tax rebate. The costs of building a coal or nuclear power plant amount to the wind turbines but the environmental impacts are very low with the wind turbines.

Critics say that wind power is not so god for the residents living in rural areas. They are afraid they will hear the blades rotating and the blades create a flicker effect in the homes, which is annoying. When setting up these wind turbines it might destroy the fields and farmlands. If it doesn’t make up the world’s fuel/energy supply, explain why?

Wind power does not make up the worlds fuel supply because it is only regional. Also there are some environmental issues such as the fog substance present in the Cape Wind Project, and it is intermittent.

There is an equation that goes along with wind turbines and it is power= efficiency times area times wind power density. So, if you have .25 percent efficiency, times 12 meters squared for the area times 250 meters equals 750 Watts of electricity it produces. Regions that have the wind capacity will help produce enough electricity.

Quotes from scientists

To us these wind farms are a disaster in the countryside, we know their effect on ‘global warming’ is pathetically tiny, but to the Government they are seen as ‘proof positive’ to a gullible populace that something really is being done to reduce CO2 emissions."__ Edward Luscombe, C.Eng., B.Sc. (Eng.), MIEE

Who uses this technology and why?

Twenty-six states since 2006 use wind power. Europe and the United States are the two countries supporting wind turbines, because of the ability to get clean fuel with minor environmental impact. The two most note able disadvantage are bird's hitting the windmill and the visual impact. The main reason people are using wind power is because it is a unlimited resource. Since a majority of these are by the ocean or off land they will always be generating power.

What would it take to get wind power to be bigger, or in a larger scale?

More people would need to be supportive of this idea. They would need to research the costs of how much there saving, plus saving there fossil fuels. Everyone would need to decide to go “green.” Yes, there is a few environmental disadvantages to it, but I think researchers could figure out how to overcome these problems.

Where scientists could build these turbines, the residents in the area should let them. This would be a huge advantage to our environment and a saving to our fossil fuels.

After learning about it how would you change how it’s used?

I definitely would educate residents around me the benefits of wind power versus coal power for electricity. Scientists need to inform, inform, inform everyone around them about how fossil fuels will be depleted and we need to do everything we can to save them. I truly think what is going to happen is a “scare” will occur to change everyone’s mind. No one believes one person; everyone needs to make a change!