Learn About Biofuels!

A biofuel is any fuel derived from biological matter.  Here are some examples:

GASOLINE & PETROLEUM
The most commonly used biofuel today - made from biomass that died millions of years ago (think dinosaurs and ancient jungle growth!)  Also, the leading cause of global warming.  Hmmm...  What are some other options?

CORN
Yup, fuel made from corn!  Emissions are lower, but not by much.  Growing all that corn may also require more energy than it actually produces.

SUGAR CANE
A totally sweet fuel!  Fuels made from sugar cane crops can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 56%!  A big success so far in Brazil.

SWITCHGRASS
This amazing plant turned biofuel can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90%!  Some kinds of switchgrass can also remove CO2 from the atmosphere and store it in the ground.

USED COOKING GREASE
The cooking oil used to deep fry things like french fries and chicken wings can be recycled into fuel!  Fuel made from used cooking grease releases fewer gases and is a great way to REUSE something that would have been thrown away.

KELP
Scientists have recently found that seaweed can be used for fuel as well.  Breaking down the sugars in kelp can create five times as much ethanol as corn.

EARTH HOUR - MARCH 27 - 8:30PM

This Saturday March 27th, you can take part in the World Wildlife Fund's "Earth Hour" by switching off the lights in your home for one hour - from 8:30pm until 9:30pm.

"Earth Hour" is a symbolic gesture meant to raise awareness about the effects of global climate change.  This Saturday night, you can join hundreds of millions of people across the globe by turning off electric devices in your house.  And hopefully you'll remember to conserve energy every day by turning off the lights when you leave the room, unplugging electric devices that aren't in use and purchasing energy efficient technology the next time you're in the market for a new appliance.

Here are some other places that will be switching off their lights this weekend:

- The Empire State Building

- Las Vegas Strip

- Broadway Theatre Marquees

- United Nations Headquarters

- Golden Gate Bridge

- Eiffel Tower

- Sydney Opera House

- Seattle's Space Needle

And many more!

Send a clear message to your neighbors that you care about climate change and want to see more investment in clean energy sources for a better tomorrow!  So turn off the TV and computer, light some candles (with your parents' permission of course!) and spend some quality time with your loved ones during Earth Hour this year.

WHAT IS GLOBAL WARMING?

"Global climate change" or "global warming" began with the Industrial Revolution.  Scientists say that global warming is primarily caused by the "greenhouse gas effect."  Greenhouse gases are the toxins (mostly CO2) released into the air when we burn fossil fuels--oil, coal and natural gas.  Another contributor to global climate change is deforestation (the destruction of trees), illustrated in the photograph below.

During the Industrial Revolution, lots of amazing new technology came along and we've been inventing cool things ever since!  But all this new technology--things like trains, cars, lightbulbs, computers, airplanes and electric toothbrushes--need energy to make them go!  The energy we use to power our cars and our homes comes mostly from burning fossil fuels.  It took millions of years for fossil fuels to be created, but humans have burned much of them up in just a few hundred years and the Earth can't handle it!

The more CO2 we have in the air, the more oceans try to suck it up to balance it out.  The more CO2 the oceans suck up, the warmer they become.  The warmer the oceans become, the more strange weather and wacky temperatures we get!  Strange weather leads to dangerous situations for humans.  Wacky temperature changes leads to the inability of many species of plants and animals to adapt quickly enough, which can lead to extinction.

On land, trees are an amazing natural way to get rid of CO2.  Plants soak up CO2 and store it for energy.  The combination of the greenhouse effect and deforestation has created a problem twice the size!

Obvious solutions:  1) PLANT TREES!  2) STOP BURNING FOSSIL FUELS!

More on global climate change to come!

BOOK RECOMMENDATION

For anyone interested in learning about climate change, I suggest this excellent book by Laurie David and Cambria Gordon called “The Down-to-Earth Guide to Global Warming” from Scholastic.

It’s got tons of great illustrations and the information inside is written in a way that is easy for kids to understand.  Check it out at your local library or get your own copy today to find out more about this important topic!

WHAT IS CLEAN COAL?

According to the United Nations Panel on Climate Change, the burning of coal is a major contributor to global warming.  In response to this, coal companies have started advertising “clean coal” technology.  But what is it?  And is it a good energy source for the future?

Clean coal technology can mean several different things, but the most common definition is that instead of releasing CO2 into the air after burning coal, the carbon dioxide is stored underground.

ADVANTAGES

·      Carbon dioxide is not immediately released into the atmosphere.

·      Supplies of coal are available to us now.

DISADVANTAGES

·      Carbon dioxide that is “hidden” could possibly leak into the atmosphere anyway or into our ground water, unless it is closely monitored!

·      Major environmental problems result from mining the coal in the first place.

·      Pollutants still exist, but just released in a different way.

This sounds like a similar problem I talked about with nuclear technology.  The poisonous remnants of creating the energy still exist, we just hide them in a place that seems to be less harmful (for the time being.)  Sounds like another temporary solution to a much bigger problem!

Did you know that last year, private companies spent 35 million dollars advertising “clean coal” technology?  If there really is no way to get clean energy from the burning of coal, then why is so much money being spent advertising a myth?  Does it make us feel better if we think burning coal is clean? 


Did you know that the United States only has enough coal reserves to last us for the next 200 years?  If coal is another limited resource, why spend so much money pretending to make it clean instead of investing in new technology that is actually clean?

NUCLEAR POWER - PROS AND CONS

Scientists have attributed global warming to the burning of fossil fuels.  One energy technology that does NOT emit greenhouse gases is nuclear power.

Last week, I went on a tour of the Science and Nature Center at a Nuclear Power Plant with my dad.  Here is some information about the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear power!

ABOVE:  A TYPICAL NUCLEAR REACTOR COOLING TOWER

ADVANTAGES:

·      Does not add to the greenhouse effect (no smoke or carbon dioxide!)

·      Just a small amount of fuel can produce a very large amount of energy.  (One ton of Uranium produces more energy than is produced by several MILLION tons of coal or barrels of oil!)

·      Produces small amounts of waste.

·      Nuclear power plants don’t require as much space as other types of facilities.

DISADVANTAGES:

·      The small amount of waste that is produced is VERY, VERY dangerous.

·      Nuclear waste must be hidden away for many thousands of years so that the radioactivity can die away.

·      Nuclear waste that is buried may be affected or released by floods, earthquakes or deliberate attacks.

·      An accident at a nuclear power plant can be a MAJOR disaster!  Radioactivity can kill people and animals or cause cancer.

·      Nuclear energy comes from Uranium and Uranium is NOT renewable.  Just like coal and oil, we will run out of it someday!

Although nuclear energy is delicate and has caused problems in the past, a modern nuclear power plant can produce power without releasing toxins into the environment (if everything goes right.)  Energy produced by coal and oil cannot do the same.

Is nuclear energy the next step away from dirty energy sources before we can harness the power of sun, wind and water more efficiently?  What do you think?  Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?  What else do you know about nuclear power?

ABOVE:  THE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT I VISITED AT SEABROOK STATION IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.

MY FIRST FEW RESPONSES!

So I wrote my first green blog yesterday and sent e-mails to all my friends about it!  I got a few responses from people who said they already use canvas bags, but told me to keep spreading the word.  I got no responses from people who decided to make a change today (although I'm hoping some did and just didn't say so!)  And I got one response from my friend Trevor who told me that he didn’t understand my point, thinks the whole "going green" movement is lame and doesn’t believe in global warming.

First of all, I told him, global warming has almost nothing to do with plastic bags.  Second of all, why NOT make small, green changes if they are simple ones?  I mean, using canvas bags isn’t even that hard to do when you think about it.  I don't know, it was really upsetting that Trevor argued with me over something I think is so logical.  It also really drives me crazy that some people refuse to go green because they think it's "not cool."  Oh, and somebody kicked over my snowman on purpose today too.  Maybe there’s just too many people in the world who don’t care about the environment for me to actually make a difference.  I don't know...

But here's some good news!  I officially have two fans of my blog!  Welcome Pookala and Ankerman! You two have just put me back into a good, green mood!  More to come friends!