jessica elliott issues in science and technology dr. nora demers 4-14-2009 b iofuels : f ood or f...
TRANSCRIPT
Jessica ElliottIssues in Science and TechnologyDr. Nora Demers4-14-2009
BIOFUELS: FOOD OR FUEL?
FUEL…AND BIOFUELS
Using fuels to run our lives – we are COMPLETELY dependent!
Biofuel Movement…started with Mr. Ford and Mr. Diesel in the 19th century
Americans and their Manifest Destiny
It’s our RIGHT to use the land
It’s our RIGHT to OWN the land
Dependence on foreign oil…we need some alternatives
Fossil fuels increase global warming…this is bad!
TIMELINE
Apr 21, 753 BC – 476 AD- Roman Period, Used coal for fuel for heating and most importantly—Smelting of metals.
1600 - Coal becomes the dominant fuel in London
Late 1700’s – Widespread use of fossil fuels and the steam engine becomes popular and begins the industrial revolution
1805 – Steam-Powered Riverboat makes its debut increasing travel on major waterways
1816 – Natural gas becomes common in the United States
1859 – The first oil well is drilled in the United States in Titusville, PA
1864 – Henry David Thoreau publishes The Maine Woods beginning a call for conservation
1872 – Congress passed the Mining Law so that public and corporations could be land that was thought to have minerals in it for $5/acre or less
1900 – Rudolph Diesel runs his diesel engine on
peanut oil at the World’s Fair
1902 – First mass-produced, gasoline-powered cars from Oldsmobile
1903 – Wright Brothers used petroleum fuel for their planes and thus petroleum continued to be used for air travel
1920’s – Diesel engine manufactures began making engines to run on petro-diesel because it was cheaper
1970’s – US dependent on foreign oil as illustrated by the effects of the 1973 Oil Crisis
Early 1980’s – Biofuels making a comeback in Brazil and Argentina. However, then sugar prices rose dramatically
1997- Toyota unveils the Prius, the first mass-produced hybrid gas-electric car
Dec 19, 2007 – Energy Independence & Security Act of 2007 becomes a law
April 14, 2009 – Jessica Elliott presents “Biofuels: Food or Fuel” in an effort to enlighten the future
GREENHOUSE EFFECT AND ENVIRONMENTALIST MOVEMENT
Fossil fuels release greenhouse gases that subsequently warm up the earth this is global warming…
The heating of the earth presents many problems
Crops, Weathers, etc.
To reduce greenhouse gases present in our atmosphere, we need to find a way to fuel our lives with limited emissions
Each person leaves a Carbon Footprint on the earth. This is how much of our limited resources are needed to fuel our habits.
GREENHOUSE EFFECT AND ENVIRONMENTALIST MOVEMENT
WHY DID ANY OF THAT MATTER?
Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide
Burning of fossil fuels such as wood, coal, oil, and gas release these chemicals into our atmosphere
If the greenhouse effect gets continues or gets worse, the earth will warm up affecting weather, climate, etc.
HINT…this will control your food growing practices…
Biofuels are said to release very limited amounts of these gases and are thus a better option for powering our planet…WE’RE SAVED!
BIOFUELS – CORN SPECIFICALLY
Corn contains sugar which can be broken down to produce ethanol (in its pure form it is a very clean burning fuel)
So this seems to be a good option…and us Americans have a lot of corn! Well…maybe not but we have a lot of people that will risk everything to grow it!
SO WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO WITH CORN?
We can eat it!
We can ship it around the world to feed poor and starving people for mere pennies per person!
We can feed it to our livestock!
Which we in turn can eat!
So…is using it for our fuel such a good idea?!
ANOTHER REASON WE NEED ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
We are currently dependent on foreign oil because we are incapable of satiating our thirst for fuel with solely our own resources.
Our major supplier is from the Middle East, …cause THAT’S a stable source…so when they get mad at us…they hurt us through fuel prices because we’re dependent.
We should get away from uncontrollable dependence.
I agree…we DO need to find another fuel source
THE BRIGHT IDEA!!!
We have starving people, both in the US and around the world.
We are undergoing incredible, unprecedented unpredictable climate changes that are devastating crop products world-wide.
We realize that we cannot live without constant, reliable fuel sources (and we need a lot!)
SO…LET’S SPEND TONS OF MONEY DEVELOPING WAYS TO MIX THESE TWO TRAGEDIES INTO ONE SUPER-TRAGEDY!
Instead of relying on fickle middle eastern countries, we’ll depend on the weather and climate conditions to fuel our every-growing country! YES!!! That’s it!!!
AND THEN…
Come to find out. It’s not as clean as we thought… SURPRISE!!!
Welcome to today’s America!
MORE AND THEN…
As this new technology and accompanying fuel source is utilized - studies are done
AND…This new technology is expensive so the government makes up the difference so you can afford it
Now taxpayers are paying for others to use corn-based ethanol
SO NOW WHAT?
We need to spend more time and money on developing other, cleaner, more reliable alternative energy sources
These ways are out there…but they are grossly underdeveloped.
Lets take a quick look…
ALTERNATIVE ENERGIES
Geothermal Energy Cellulosic Energy
SO LET’S DO IT!
So in case you haven’t noticed…we don’t have very much in the way of technologies to implement the BETTER ideas…huh? How did that happen?!
The government did however cover these new technologies in the Clean Energy Act in 2007 giving these technologies room to grow…so that’s good!
CELLULOSIC TECHNOLOGY
A LITTLE FUN…PUBLIC OPINION ON FOOD FOR FUEL
QUESTIONS?
Please take note of the sarcasm used throughout
I have strong opinions…sorry!