If AGW is true, then is it in part a problem of US environmentalists’ own making, for shutting down nuclear?

Wednesday, December 30th, 2009 at  
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Randall E asked:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-nuclear_movement_in_the_United_States

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/04/17/Nuclear.briefing/

In the 1970s anti-nuke activists essentially stopped the growth of nuclear as a source of US power in its tracks. In the 1980s and 1990s, gas-fired and coal-fired power plants, which emit 50X the CO2 levels of nuclear, were constructed. Combined, natural gas and coal generated about 20% more CO2 emissions than oil in the US in 2006.

As of 2006, nuclear power is used to generate about 19% of power consumed in the US. Coal is used to generate 49% and all fossil fuels combined generate 70% of our electricity.

Hydro and other renewables account for just over 9% of our electricity.

Renewables are great. Wind power makes a lot of sense. But for hyrdo and wind to be the answer, we would have to start consuming electricity at levels 40-50% below the present level, which is unrealistic.
Nuclear clearly represents a large part of the answer – - – IF the question is “how can we sharply reduce the CO2 emissions from generating the power that we generate.”

Most AGW proponents claim that it’s not about forcing a “back to nature lifestyle” through taxes or outright restrictions of energy use, so the question isn’t just “how can we reduce CO2 emissions.”

While uranium mining and processing involves some CO2 emissions, so does any mining and processing, and the levels are still a small fraction of the CO2 levels associated with fossil fuels.

If half the power plants constructed in the 1980s through today were instead of gas and coal fired, nuclear, our carbon footprint would be much lower than it is today.

And clearly more would have been built if not for the exaggerated claims and scaremongering of the anti-nuclear movement.

So is it fair to say that, if man-made CO2-driven warming is real, the environmentalists themselves are partly to blame?
waterboarding – I’d consider Jane to be one of the radicals.

Generate your own electricity

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Bio fuels – Are they good?

Monday, January 12th, 2009 at  
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Bio fuels – Are they good?

As the term suggests, bio-fuels are fuels that are formed when biological matter decomposes. The bio-fuels are mostly derived from plants. Bio-fuels exist in all the three states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas.

Difference between bio-fuels and fossil fuels
Bio-fuels are different from fossil fuels in the following ways:
• Fossil fuels take a million years to build whereas bio-fuels can be made extremely fast, in a matter of days.
• Fossil fuels generate huge amounts of pollution. Bio-fuels are comparatively safer.
• Bio-fuels are renewable sources of energy unlike fossil fuels.

Different types of bio-fuels
Bio-fuels have been categorized into four types: first generation, second generation, third generation, and fourth generation.

The first generation bio-fuels are derived from vegetable fats, starch, and sugar, which are in turn derived from food-crops. The first generation fuels are also derived from animal fats. Biogas, bio-diesel, and vegetable oil are some examples of this type of bio-fuels.

The second generation of bio-fuels is mainly derived from waste biomass, thus making it a more balanced option compared to the first-generation bio-fuels. Different kinds of alcohols and diesel generated from wood fall into the category of second generation bio-fuels.

The third generation comprises of bio-fuels derived from algae. Algae are farmed on large scales for creating these bio-fuels. The algae fuels are extremely environment-friendly as they can easily decompose into the soil without harming it.

The bio-fuels in the fourth generation are derived by a method in which micro-organisms are raised to work with carbon dioxide to generate fuel.

Advantages of bio-fuels
Bio-fuels prove advantageous in the following ways:
• Bio-fuels lessen the burden on gradually-vanishing fossil fuels.
• Bio-fuels are environment-friendly. They help reduce carbon emissions into the atmosphere.
• Bio-fuels, especially, bio-diesel prove to be very cost-effective for consumers.

Disadvantages of bio-fuels
Bio-fuels are not bereft of criticism. Though beneficial for the environment, bio-fuels have its disadvantages, paradoxically in the environmental purview. Bio-fuels have received criticism for many reasons, a couple of which are stated below:
• Economists have long debated on the usefulness of first generation bio-fuels when compared to the lack of food they cause. Generating fuel from food crops makes food crops unworthy of human consumption. Some people believe that being a higher priority than fuel, food should not be farmed for making fuels but for human consumption.
• Making bio-fuels require acres of farming land, thus encroaching upon the natural habitat of plants and animals.

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How electricity is produced

Friday, January 9th, 2009 at  
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How electricity is produced

Electrical energy was one of man’s greatest discoveries. It has helped build new civilizations. The large amount of electricity produced has its source in fossil fuels, nuclear fission, water, and wind. This article will explore the different methods of electricity production.

Electricity is churned out by enormous turbines. These turbines need a support to be moved. There are various ways of moving these turbines:

By burning fossil fuels: Electricity is produced when the blades of a turbine are moved by enormous amounts of vapour. This vapour is generated by heating a lot of water in huge furnaces. The water is heated by burning fossil fuels like coal, petroleum, and natural gas. This method releases enormous amounts of carbon dioxide in the air, thus severely polluting our atmosphere. It is important to turn to alternate methods of electricity production for long-term benefits.

By water: You must have heard how dams are constructed to produce electricity. A popular method to produce electricity, a water dams serves two purposes: restricting water bodies and producing electricity. Water dams use the river water to move turbines, helping them produce electricity. Electricity generated this way helps control air pollution; however, this method of electricity production adversely affects the ecosystem in the water bodies.

Water accounts for 90 percent of the world’s electricity generated through renewable resources.

By wind: Electricity is produced when wind energy is converted to electrical energy. Wind mills or wind turbines are used to churn up enormous amounts of wind energy which is then converted into electrical energy.

The latest in wind energy advancement tells us that wind energy is helping create portable cell phone chargers.

By nuclear fission: Yes, nuclear fission does not only make atom bombs, but also helps produce electricity. Nuclear fission causes a chain reaction where the element Uranium is bombarded by neutrons causing it to split. Every time a Uranium nucleus is split, more neutrons are released, causing more splits in the already split Uranium nuclei. The resultant chain reaction generates a lot of heat which is used to heat water the vapour of which eventually moves turbines to create electricity.

By bio-waste: With technological advancements, electricity is also being produced by bio-waste. Bio-gas is a typical way of generating electricity in rural areas in countries like India. In fact, a new technology evolved in the state of Bihar in India that uses human waste to generate electricity.

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