The increased use of fossil energy since the industrial revolution, and especially since 1950, has been the major cause of increased emissions of air pollutants and, correspondingly, many environmental problems. Emissions due to the use of energy are major sources of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide, and soot and constitute a large contribution of methane, non-methane volatile organic compounds, and heavy metals. (more…)
Solar energy is one the most popular renewable energy sources these days. Solar panel systems don’t even require much maintenance and still cut on electric bills month after month. A lot of people choose to make their own solar panels and others are buying ready-made ones that are quite costly. A single solar panel may cost as much as a few thousand dollars. (more…)
The sun and the wind provide us with solutions on how to cut down energy consumption. These are two great forces that are always available all year round. The most common and highly used alternative solutions today are solar panel systems and wind power systems. (more…)
The Home Solar Power System made its debut about two decades ago and has since flourished with the many advertisements touting the environmental and long term benefits. Over time, prices have since been dropping and systems have become a more reliable source of renewable energy. Yet, the installation cost still eludes the average common home owners. (more…)
The September 11, 2001, attacks against the United States by the Al-Qaeda group have raised the specter that future terrorist assaults could be made against U.S. energy infrastructure. The subject is not new. Oil companies operating in Columbia have suffered attacks against pipelines and other facilities by guerillas operating in that strife-torn country. However, it is new for the United States. (more…)
Did you know that the average American household uses around 10,000 kWh of electricity per year? This amount would be lessened if people would invest in more energy efficient windows and appliances, and replace their insulation. Just doing this could save the average homeowner hundreds of dollars a year. Another simple and relatively inexpensive option is to change your incandescent light bulbs with fluorescent ones. (more…)
The global carbon cycle involves both biological and physical processes. Only the biological components are discussed here. Plants and other photosynthetic organisms assimilate CO2 and eventually convert the CO2 to simple sugars. From simple sugars, (more…)
The flux of carbon among terrestrial, aquatic, and atmospheric pools is at least partially controlled by photosynthetic processes. The relative carbon pool sizes have major effects on global climate system. The CO2 flux among land, sea, and atmosphere has, since the industrial revolution, been disturbed by a rapid injection of (more…)
One of the main benefits from future use of biofuels would be the reduction of greenhouse gases compared to the use of fossil fuels. Carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, is released into the air from combustion. Twenty-four percent of worldwide energy-related carbon emissions in 1997 were from the United States. Carbon and due to rising energy consumption, are expected to increase 1.3 percent per year through 2015. (more…)
Advances in biomass feedstock production are extremely important. These advances have the potential for reducing the final cost of biofuels, power, and products. In addition, advances will allow the production of plants, trees, and residues with characteristics increasingly well suited for feedstocks. For example, genetically engineered plants feedstocks may allow higher yields of usable biomass per acre for fuel and other uses. New methods in erosion control, fertilization, and pre-processing can result in (more…)
