Carbon Neutral Alternative Fuels

Carbon neutral is a term used to describe carbon-based fuels that when burned will not increase carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. These fuels neither contribute to nor reduce the amount of carbon (measured in the release of CO2) into the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is plant food, which is a good thing, and it also helps keep our planet warm. However, too much CO2 can lead to what we now call global warming. Carbon neutral fuels can help prevent too much CO2 from accumulating in the atmosphere. It accomplishes this when the released carbon is absorbed by plant crops that will help produce tomorrow’s next gallon of a carbon-neutral fuel. Every time we travel in a gasoline or diesel-powered vehicle, we add greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. That’s because burning a petroleum fuel (which were created millions of years ago) releases CO2 into the air. As a nation, 250 million passenger vehicles are currently registered, about 25 percent of all passenger vehicles in the world. In the U.S., our vehicles burn around 140 billion gallons of gasoline and 40 billion gallons of diesel a year. With those numbers it’s not difficult to see that every gallon of a carbon-neutral fuel that is burned can contribute to the reduction of CO2 in the atmosphere, thus helping to reduce global warming. Biofuels Many people believe the future lies with carbon-neutral alternative fuels made from crops and waste products that are known as biofuels. Pure biofuels such as biodiesel, bio-ethanol, and bio-butanol are carbon neutral since plants absorb the C02 released by being burned. Biodiesel The most common carbon neutral fuel is biodiesel. Because it is produced from such organically derived resources as animal fats and vegetable oil it can be used to recycle a wide range of waste material. It’s available in a range of blend percentages—B5, for example, is 5 percent biodiesel and 95 percent diesel, while B100 is all biodiesel—and there are biodiesel filling stations throughout the U.S. Then there’s the small number of drivers who homebrew their own biodiesel and some who convert their diesel engines to run on straight vegetable oil recycled from restaurants. Bioethanol Bioethanol is ethanol (alcohol) that is produced by the fermentation of plant starches such as grains like corn, sugarcane, switchgrass and agricultural waste. Not to be confused with ethanol that is a by-product of a chemical reaction with petroleum, which is not considered renewable. In the U.S. most of the bioethanol comes from farmers who grow corn. Many American passenger cars and light-duty trucks can operate on either gasoline or a bioethanol/gasoline blend called E-85—85 percent ethanol/15 percent gasoline. While E-85 is not a pure carbon neutral fuel it does produce low emissions. The big downside to ethanol is it is less energy-dense than other fuels, so it reduces fuel economy by 25% to 30%. With gasoline prices hovering around $2 a gallon E-85 is not competitively priced. And good luck finding a gas station that sells it outside the Midwest farming states. Methanol Methanol, like ethanol, is a very strong alcohol made from wheat, corn or sugar in a process similar to brewing, and is considered the most energy-efficient fuel to produce. A liquid at normal temperatures, it has a higher octane rating than gasoline but a lower energy density. Methanol can be mixed with other fuels or used on its own, but it is slightly more corrosive than traditional fuels, requiring engine fuel system modifications on the order of $100-$150. During a brief period of time in the early 2000s, there was a small growing market for methanol cars in California until the state’s Hydrogen Highway Initiative Network took command and the program lost support. Sales of these cars were sluggish due to the low price of gasoline at the time and the lack of service stations that pumped the fuel. However, the short program did prove the reliability of the vehicles and garnered positive feedback from drivers. Algae Algae—specifically microalgae—is a source for a carbon-neutral alternative fuel. Since the 1970s federal and state governments along with private investment firms have poured hundreds of millions into algae research as a biofuel with little success to date. Microalgae has the ability to produce lipids, which are known as a potential source for biofuels. These algae can be grown on non-potable water, perhaps even wastewater, in ponds so it is not using arable land or massive amounts of water. While on paper, micro-algae seems like a no-brainer, formidable technical issues have flummoxed researchers and scientists for years. But the algae true believers aren’t giving up, so maybe someday you’ll be pumping an algae-based biofuel into your car’s fuel tank. Diesel Fuel From Water And CO2 No, diesel fuel from water and carbon dioxide is not some Ponzi scheme intended to fleece dim-witted investors. Last year Audi, together with German energy-company Sunfire, announced it was able to synthesize a diesel fuel from water and CO2 that can fuel automobiles. The synthesis creates a liquid known as blue crude and is refined into what Audi is calling e-diesel. Audi claims that e-diesel is sulfur-free, cleaner burning than standard diesel and the process to make it is 70 percent efficient. The first five liters went into the tank of an  Audi A8  3.0 TDI driven by Germany’s Minister of Research. To become a viable carbon-neutral fuel, the next step is to ramp up production. A Complex and Difficult Challenge Our addiction to oil has had dire consequences. It seems that the logical solution would be to develop or discover an alternative carbon-neutral fuel not derived from petroleum. However, finding an alternative that is abundant, renewable, economical to produce and environmentally friendly is a complex and difficult challenge. The good news is, as you read this, scientists are working hard on this difficult challenge. Updated by Larry E. Hall

Akeelah and the Bee Essay - 2422 Words

Akeelah Anderson, an eleven year old African American student from the Crenshaw neighborhood of South Los Angeles, struggles to overcome the limitations of her environment in order to succeed in a national spelling bee competition. As our group discussed the film Akeelah and the Bee we first wanted to look at the themes the film presents. We originally thought of the more oblivious ones such as how race and socioeconomic class play apart in the film. We also started to notice that the film presented an idealized view of how one individual can transform a community. We came to am agreement that the film gives clear representations of both the traditional and progressive forms of education, but neglects to do anything to address the†¦show more content†¦It is important to recognize the flawed system in the movie. The traditional setting only teaches to standardized tests, and district demands. Therefore, there is little room for growth or potential learning for the students i n a struggling school environment. The students are forced to stay on the same track as everyone else and are unable to pursue their own interests, but Akeelah is given the opportunity to recieve a different type of education than her peers. Once Akeelah is identified as a potential spelling talent, her education takes a notable shift towards a more progressive tradition. Though there are still relics of her old experience of education as conservative, her new experience is overwhelmingly progressive. Dr. Lariby promotes integration of a variety of subjects as Akeelah works on the spelling bee, assigning her authors like W.E.B Dubois and Nelson Mandela as vehicles to improve her knowledge of words. This integration is a major tenet of progressive education, as it â€Å"eradicates dualism† and â€Å"merges concepts that are traditionally kept distinct† (Archambault, 83). 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They used several tactics to market the first movie, Akeelah and the Bee, like having games and using sleeves for the coffee cups. Selling CDs was much easier because people would often hear the music playing before making the decision to purchase it. Maybe they could promote movies by making custom drinks like thisRead MoreWhy I Am A Friend1526 Words   |  7 Pagesone person the best isn’t going to fit me because it’s not mine to fit in the first pla ce. In other words, I discovered that I was battling to be who I thought I should have been. It wasn’t until a random Saturday night, watching the movie Akeelah and the Bee that I heard the wonderful words of writer Marianne Williamson, that essentially changed my life forever. The quote adapted from a passage in her book A Return To Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles, stated, â€Å"Our deepestRead MoreDiversification of Starbucks1445 Words   |  6 Pagesexample, Hear Music is the brand name of Starbucks’ retail music concept. Starbucks bought it in 1999. in 2002, they produced a starbucks opera album and in 2006, the company created starbucks entertainment, one of the producers of the 2006 firl Akeelah and the Bee. Retail stores heavily advertised the film before its release and sold the DVD. Starbucks also partnership with Apple to collaborate on selling music as part of ‘coffeehouse experience’. Customers would be able to browse the iTunes Store atRead MoreCase Study on the Success and Decline of Starbucks in the Last 10 Years6976 Words   |  28 Pages  chief   executive   officer   to   replace   the retiring   Orin   Smith.   It also acquired Ethos Water. 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More And More, Our Project Was Beginning To Resemble A Real Life Busin Essay Example For Students

More And More, Our Project Was Beginning To Resemble A Real Life Busin Essay ess situation. And how did we plan to handle this crisis? We called an emergency group meeting. Members of our group trekked across campus through the wind and cold to a Community House lounge, and although a lighter would have been nice, and a bottle of sedatives might have calmed our nerves, we sat down together to try and salvage our entire project. So what did we do at this meeting? First of all, we had to decide on a Rational Process by which we could go about handling this dilemma. What issues did we need to deal with, and in what order did we need to deal with them so that we would arrive at a rational decision? Yes, we needed to secure a venue for our presentation, but both the fundraising and the entertainment committees were running into major problems of their own. Should we address these issues also? Our answer was ?NO, instead we decided to funnel all of our energy to the venue problem. After all, fundraising and entertainment would be of no consequence if we did not have anywhere to put on the presentation. The second thing that we did was develop alternative courses of action. What were the best outcomes that we could reasonably hope for? What were the minimum outcomes that we wanted to achieve? And how could we go about achieving these outcomes? Obviously, we felt obligated to at least put on a presentation of some sort; however, if the public schools were on strike, we decided that we would look to private schools, parochial schools, or perhaps a local YMCA. If worse came to worse, we could always put on an evening presentation preceded by a heavy dose of marketing. The next thing that we needed to do was Identify both the obstacles and the adverse consequences of each course of action. What would stand in the way of each option? What would the positive and negative sides be of each alternative? The first thing we did was look back at our vision statement. It says that We envision a community of young adults that makes informed lifestyle choices in todays high risk world. This clearly showed us that our goal was to reach out to a high- risk audience. If we were to put on a presentation for a group of upper middle class white kids at a private school, many of us felt that we would be failing to reach our targeted high-risk audience. If we were to put on a presentation at a YMCA or at night, attendance would likely be low. However, if we did not seriously pursue these options with the threat of a prolonged strike looming above our heads, we were running the risk of not putting on a presentation at all. After weighing our options, it was at last time for us to DECIDE. With our projected presentation date less then 3 weeks away, and with the terms and length of the strike still pending, we decided to put off the private school/YMCA option for at a maximum of 2 or 3 more days in order to see if the strike would last

Professional Responsibility Essays - Legal Ethics,

Professional Responsibility 1.7 CONFLICTS OF INTEREST NO CONCURRENT CONFLICTS: Sitting in both seats in same case, OR SIGNIFICANT risk that rep of one client will BE MATERIALLY LIMITED by duties to current client, third party, or former client, OR attorneys own interests IF A CONFLICT EXISTS, LAWYER CAN STILL REPRESENT IF: Lawyer thinks she can be competent and diligent It is not prohibited by law The representation does not involve asserting a claim by one client against another client represented by that lawyer in the same litigation (or proceeding in front of a tribunal) oMediations wont count because not before tribunal Each affected client gives written informed consent oThis means client must be made aware of pros and cons of waiving AND alternatives to waiving. oIf attorney cannot get IC from one client without revealing a confidential fact to another, attorney cannot represent that client. oMUST BE IN WRITING can be email CAN be ORAL that is then promptly memorialized oMUST BE SIGNED if it involves business transaction or aggregate settlement In other words, if LAWYER think that the clients interests will not be adequately served in light of the conflict, THE CLIENT CANNOT WAIVE IT. IT IS NOT WAIVEABLE. Client can revoke waiving at any time. LAWYER CANNOT: Represent co-defendants in a capital case LAWYER CAN: Represent co-defendants outside a capital case, but SHOULD PROBABLY AVOID THIS Represent co-parties in a civil case WITH INFORMED consent that involves analyzing whether attorney can effectively represent all, explaining what will happen if a conflict arises, explaining the pros and cons of co-representation, and explaining the alternatives to waiving. If one does arise, attorney must withdraw from representing one or both clients. She can still represent one if both clients consent. FUTURE CONFLICTS: Lawyer can ask clients to waive future conflicts but only if it is reasonable to do so and the client understands what kinds of conflicts can arise, the alternatives to waiving, and the consequences for waiving PERSONAL CONFLICTS: Lawyer represents A against B. B is represented by Lawyers mom. This is a conflict that requires informed consent wavier. Lawyer represents A against B. B is represented by a law firm that lawyer is trying to get hired in. If there is a substantial risk that lawyers employment goals will curry favor with law firm at As expense, lawyers must get As informed consent. NO SEX unless it predates the attorney client relationship LAWYER MUST: Adopt reasonable procedures to avoid conflicts check for employers, family members