Article 10: Barack Obama and Joe Biden: New Energy for America

- Obama Biden's plan for energy in the coming years creates many opportunities for Americans to get rebates and subsidies from the government.
- Obama wants to create "five million new jobs by strategically investing $150 billion over the next ten years" in the sustainable energy market.
- By 2015 he also intends to get "1 million plug-in hybrid cars on the road."
- Obama plans to have 10% of our energy be renewable by 2012, and 25% by 2025
- He wants to "reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050."
- Barack Obama and Biden have promised the nation "immediate relief," and as a start to this relief they are making the gas companies provide 500 dollars to the individual and 5,000 to every married couple.
- Their plan includes a cap on carbon emissions as well as creating manufacturing and training facilities for the making of green products.
- Not only does Obama plan to create $7,000 tax credits for Americans willing to buy plug-in, or battery powered cars, but will also convert all the white house's cars into plug-in vehicles.

- There is currently "68 million acres of land, [and] over 40 million offshore" that are not being used.

- Barack Obama is cracking down on oil companies, those companies that have excess land that they are not drilling on must either "use it, or lose it." If the oil companies do not use their spare land, they must turn it over to another company that will.
- Nuclear power accounts for over 70 percent of our non carbon generated electricity.
- Obama is looking into clean coal and nuclear power as other energy alternatives.
- His plan is also focused on energy efficiency. Another goal states that "new building efficiency by 50 percent and existing building efficiency [must be improved] by 25 percent over the next decade."
- Obama plans to weatherize "1 million homes annually."

Final focus; further research needed

The isearch process is finally coming to an end and while I am delighted to hear thism, there is also a certain reality that sets in. I am surprisingly deflated when it comes to the thought of no more blog posts. I may even continue with research of my topic after the end of this project; however I would really like to incorporate some very useful information in my last two blog posts and interview. One aspect of the blog I'd love to pursue is Obama's plans for energy for the future. The energy crisis is a reality regardless of what some disbelievers think. I am hoping Obama will really put forth a sincere effort in finding solutions sooner rather than later. I have a general idea of what his plan merely by listening to some of his speeches. From these I gathered a genuine interest on his part to address the issue and not put it off as did some of our previous leaders. I imagine it will not be terribly difficult to find an article that describes his plans for energy as it is such a popular focus in the media today.
My final article should be a real 'wrap up' to my blog. Something that gives it a bit of a conclusion. Obviously there is no end to this topic as fuels will continue to be transformed and improved in the future; however I would like to do the best I can in comparing the practical fuels of our world today. I'd like to focus my blog on the real life issue of sustainable fuel, not the research and possibilities of the future, but what system is best for your home in America now. Specifically fuels such as wind and solar as these I have come to accept as the most legitimate answers to the energy crisis in our homes.
The interview/experience aspect of my blog needs to be realistic. Specifically I would like to interview someone who either owns a sustainable energy system in their home or at their workplace. This will hopefully give my isearch a personal touch that will connect it to its readers/viewers. I can't stress enough how interested in this issue I am. I feel people need to become more educated when it comes to our impact on the environment, and not view it as 'something that won't effect me in my lifetime' because the truth is; it will. Scientists have already predicted when certain catastrophes like the final melting of polar ice caps will happen. My message to listeners is; this is a real crisis, and it will affect you.

Just a note..

For whomever reads this blog: consider using the fallowing search engine instead of google, as the black background saves energy!
http://www.blackle.com/

Response 9: Quarter of UK homes to be offered a green makover

This plan that the UK made is a great start. It will definitely take longer for America to get to this point, but having countries like the UK already make plans to reduce their carbon footprint by 80% in 40 years is a awesome beginning. Hopefully America will follow along these lines and offer greater tax cuts and subsidies towards those who take part in this future. However, the UK's government seriously has to step up their actions if their planning on reaching this goal. Converting everyone to green energy is such a huge job that it will take decades, and possible centuries. Countries need to get started now, as fast as they can. Many more research grants should also be created so that one fuel for a car can be decided on, and fuels for homes can be worked out as to what is the best system. Europe has begun this journey, and the US needs to follow its footsteps sooner rather than later.

Article 9: Quarter of UK homes to be offered a green makover

-The UK intends to give one of every 4 homes an "eco-makeover"
- These makeovers will involve a complete refit of insulation.
- These cuts are expected to lower the UK's houshold carbon emmisons by one third as of 2020.
- Currently, 27% of greenhouse gas emissons in the UK come from households.
- The proposals are expected to "create thousands of jobs."
- The "estimated the cost of insulation and small-scale clean energy alone [is about] £2bn-£12.9bn a year."
- The Uk's goverment plans to cut its carbon emmisons 80% by 2050.
- 5 million households in the UK spend 10% or more of "their income on heat and power."
- "A report by Oxford University's Environmental Change Institute in 2007" discovered that only 4 out of every 1,000 homes had "low-and-zero carbon technologies."

Response 8: IST Energy Announces Waste-to-Energy System That Turns Trash into Clean Energy

This unit sounds like a great idea especially because it takes waste (the other aspect of this project that im interested in) and turns it into clean fuel! And although it can be installed "on location," it may be too big for most homes. This is a great idea, and its teriffic that this new technology is being explored and bcoming a reality. Maybe in the future this machine can become more compact and smaller. Right now it is ideal for public or big places that produce a lot of waste.

Article 8: IST Energy Announces Waste-to-Energy System That Turns Trash into Clean Energy

- "IST Energy today" announced the beginning of their "GEM waste-to-energy conversion system."
- This system is small enough to be installed on location and converts waste into small pellets that can then be used as fuel.
- The start of distribution of this product is being planned for this summer.
- This machine eliminates "95 percent of daily consumer waste, such as paper, plastic, food, wood and agricultural materials."
- The GEM is a "clean energy producer."
- Because wastedoes not have to be removed, it also reduces the cost of public waste removal.
- The energy that the GEM produces is not only clean, but also powers the GEM, making the unit sustainable as well.
- The down side is that the unit is "eight feet high and covers about the size of three standard parking spaces."
- This size may not be ideal for installation at your house, but is good for any places like parks, department stores, and big buildings.
- "One unit processes up to three tons of waste daily, providing the energy to power and heat a 200,000 square foot building housing more than 500 people - all in all reducing annual waste disposal and energy costs by about $250,000."

Response 7: Tapping the Earth For Energy

It's a really cool idea that you could potentially heat your house from the earth or use the earth to cool your house as well, but this article made some important points to homeowners. Obviously drilling deep into the earth is going to cost a bit no matter where you so it, but if you live somewhere with a lot of rock it might not be the cheapest route to sustainable energy. If it costs "50% more" than ones normal energy bill, most likely people won't go for it. On the other side of this dilemma, large buildings have a lot to gain from this situation. Drilling into the earth (the main part of why it's so expensive) may be worth it to builders who have to look forward to buying huge and costly fossil fuel powered heaters. This novel idea can be helpful in some situations, and therefore should continue to be looked into, but is obviously not a overall solution the need for alternate fuels.

Article 7: Tapping The Earth For Energy

- Around 50,000 geothermal energy units are installed per year "according to the Department of Energy."
- A geothermal system will end up costing around 50% more that a fossil fuel based heating and cooling system.
- The main reason geothermal systems are so expensive is because of the drilling to put the pipes in. This process can cost "tens of thousands of dollars alone."
- These pumps could possibley end up costing "$17,000 to $30,000."
- This system is rather tricky not only to put in, but to make sure you even should be using geothermal is a whole other issue. Certain places will not get the full benefit of this system because of the climate.
- In some cases geothermal in cheaper. Those cases are often not homeowners who get the deal, but larger buildings that could benefit from the system more.
- In 2006, "Harvard University installed six ground-source heat pumps as part of its Green Campus initiative"
- Geothermal systems work by pumps and pipes that are put into the earth to take from the all year temperature in the ground. In cold months the pipes draw warm air up from the ground and into the building, while in hotter summer months the pipes carry some of the hotter air out of the house and bring the cooler air from the earth into the house.
- Pumps inside the house push and pull "water or a working fluid, such as antifreeze" into the earth so that when the liquid comes back out it brings with it the temperature.

Wow Trina, great job. Your notes are full of facts, there isn't any useless information getting in the way. I really enjoyed reading about Obama, he is definitely someone to research if you want to broaden the information your gathering. Also, wonderful job responding to each post, each one is thoughtful and reflects nicely back on the article. Your hard work really paid off.

Alex G's 3rd responce

These articles were really good, I loved the variety and all the information on fuel and how to get better fuel to use. My favorite was the one about Obama and how he wants to raise everything up, and make it better. I think that was a really interesting article to read and think about. Thinking all that could change in 3 years is really neat and hopefully it will happen. I bet there are a lot of articles about this in newspapers and magazines.

Aimee Response Reflection

Katrina, I like that you have factual information ( as in dealing with numbers) as well as non factual information. I also like how you have an article on Augusta, I like that you included our state into your blog. You also have an article on Obama! I can maybe use that for my information. Your blog is extremely well organized and neat. Maybe personalizing your notes a little bit more would be good.

Alex Hadik- In Class Response

Katrina-
This is an incredible blog. You are finding some great information. There is really nothing that I can say you should improve. I really like how you have taken your notes. Personally, I can comprehend information when it is listed in that manner. No personal opinions, no interpretations, just the facts. You leave your opinions for your response which is also superb. If I am to get very critical of your blog to find any reason to give you an 85 over a 95, it would lie within the responses. They are great interpretations and really an amazing piece of work but some very simple grammatical errors or perhaps assumed information do find their way in. This really is a non-problem however since it in now way detracts from your blog as a whole. If I were you, I would perhaps check out the Cape Wind Project for an article. I'm not sure that you will find any recent information but it might be a good place to find some background information. Also, check out what is happening in France as far as nuclear power is concerned and look into Holland for wind power. It might be interesting to find how the governments of these countries have better supported the development of sustainable fuels as compared to America and the Bush Administrations apparent inaction as a whole to the issue.

Samara's response to articles 4, 5, and 6.

Katrina, I feel you are doing very well so far. Your articles are interesting and informing. It sounds like sustainable fuel could make it's way in this country! It would be nice if more people could afford wind and solar energy sources. Obama's plan will be nice to follow through with.
The only thing I can suggest at the moment would be to compile your article clippings into one big paragraph so that it flows easier. Other than that you are doing fine. Keep up the great work!

Response 6: Obama Team, Exxon Mobil Chief Trade Jabs on Energy

I had been looking for an article on what some of Obama's ideas for economical growth and recovery are, and now that I found some of them out, I can't believe how great and yet how drastic they are. Only three years to double our alternate energy use?! Three years is not long to get this done, so the question is: is this goal realistic or is it exactly the kind of movement America needs to take a leading role in the fight against green-house gas emissions? Hopefully these standards are not to high and will in fact get the ball rolling in renewable and sustainable energy. It's truly hard to believe that currently 1% of electricity is generated by sustainable sources such as wind, solar, and geothermal. A jump to 25% is a huge change even though it's only a quarter of our electricity.
Obama plans to create jobs for people to work towards these impressive goals like jobs making solar panels and wind turbines. This solves two of Americas biggest problems at the same time: unemployment and the energy crisis. It's like in the great depression when the government gave people jobs working to make the country better, like building bridges and roads. Hopefully these innovative and drastic changes will get the U.S. moving again towards a brighter future.

Article 6: Obama Team, Exxon Mobil Chief Trade Jabs on Energy

- Over the next three years Barack Obama pledged to double sustainable fuel production.
- The "chief executive of Exxon Mobil Corp., Rex Tillerson" was skeptical of Obama's promise and claimed that a change of that proportion would be "very challenging."
- Tillerson went further to say "'Let's be realistic about time frames, let's don't fool ourselves,'" and "'In terms of wind, there simply is not the manufacturing capacity today to build wind turbines…they're already back ordered.'"
- By 2006 "fossil fuels accounted for 85%" of America's energy source. In 1973 fossil fuels were at "93%." That's only a decrease by 8%.
- If we have 15% of our energy being supplied by alternate sources than doubling that would mean 30% of our energy came from renewable sources. That's almost a third of our energy.
- Obama plans to reach this goal by creating jobs for people making wind turbines and solar panels, and research in "'developing new energy technologies.'"
- Barack also plans to reach the goal of doubling alternate energy "through a combination of mandates and subsidies."
- America produces "24,000 MW [megawatts] of wind, solar, and geothermal power" at this point in time.
- Solar, wind, and geothermal energy currently accounts for about 1% of Americas electricity supply. Obama wants to move that number up to 25%, a huge increase.
- Mr. Tillerson said "the company expects oil and natural gas to remain the dominant fuels for decades."

Background Response 2: Hydrogen Economy

This chapter was really interesting because it made me think about hydrogen as a possible answer to the quest of finding a sustainable fuel. It's so cool that the process of combining hydrogen with oxygen is what can power cars, and that the only byproduct of this reaction is water. That begs the question though, is the water clean after going through a car? When the article started talking about how "The energy you can extract from hydrogen is less than the energy you put into making it" I wondered how hydrogen could ever be useful. Also, is it really smart to be using water, a resource so important to the existence of life, as fuel?
Iceland is already in the process of making this dream a reality. They have the advantage because converting their smaller country is much easier than converting a much, much bigger country like the U.S. t0 hydro power. The chapter said that this conversion in Iceland could be complete in 2040. That's only 30 years from now when this country could be completely free from carbon dioxide emissions. While the U.S isn't even close to finding a overall solution to the sustainable fuel problem. There are many other problems with hydrogen which can apparently be fixed, however, great precaution needs to be used because of how explosive compressed hydrogen is. Perhaps these problems lead back to the idea of having many different fuels. Maybe a combination of fuels needs to be used to satisfy the huge demand for fuel and electricity.

Background Article 2: Hydrogen Economy

"For 50 years Iceland has been using its plentiful hydro and geothermal electricity to heat buildings and extract hydrogen from water using an electrolytic process. It is beginning to use offshore wind turbines..."
"Hydrogen can be combined with oxygen again to become water again and, in the process, drive a fuel cell motor."
"...program in Iceland may not be complete until at least 2040."
"Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe..."
"The energy you can extract from hydrogen is less than the energy you put into making it..."
"...using gas or oil to make it is more damaging than using these fuels themselves."
"Only solar, wind or water flow technologies that produce renewable electricity can avoid greenhouse gas emissions."
"Hydrogen reacts with metals making containers brittle, it evaporates even from within a container, it seeps, it has low energy content against volume so it has to be stored under pressure, endangering explosion; or it can be liquefied, but this needs constant refrigeration."
"To meet our present energy needs with compressed hydrogen or cars and liquefied hydrogen for airplanes would require three times the electricity we generate..."

Response 5: AUGUSTA: Getting wind of saving cash

This article was really cool to find because not only is it local, but it tells about offers that are being made to people in Maine to help them pay for getting wind or solar power! This is a great way to get people started when it comes to reaching out and taking the initiative to get renewable energy for yourself. The rebates that are being given out sound like they're going fast, and there aren't many of them. $1,000 or 25% of the bill is a lot to take off, especially for many Mainers. This could just be enough for some homeowners or businesses to get the push they've been needing to go green. Unfortunately it sounds like the demand might outway the supply and people who apply would have to be selected at random for this rebate.
Programs like this are just what Americans need. If people can get this type of discount and then pay the rest off as their monthly energy bill, then way more people would be interested in sustainable energy. The general population should also be more informed about the options of sustainable energy, so they can make the right choice for they environment. For example, wind is a natural choice for Maine, as well as solar energy is a good choice for more southern states like Florida and Georgia. I also believe that the government should create more of these programs and grants like this because it sounded as though this program was struggling of lack of money to distribute. Overall this is a great plan to get people started with sustainable energy options.

Article 5: AUGUSTA: Getting wind of saving cash

- "Efficiency Maine, a Maine Public Utilities Commission program," has created this program for small business or residential inhabitants that are looking to install small wind energy systems on their land.
- A new state program offers "Rebates of up to $2,000 for qualified residential wind systems ..."
- Rebates for nonresidential wind systems are available up to "$4,000."
- The demand for these rebates exceeded the funding available last year. The funding has been renewed, but is still limited so it will most likely run out again this year.
- "maximum rebate for qualified systems will be $1,000 -- or 25 percent of the installed cost, whichever is less -- for both residential or commercial applications."
- Solar photovoltaic systems have a maximum rebate of "$2,000 per installation."
- Applicants may be selected at random if the funding runs out again by the 1st quarter.

Hey Trina! You might want to check out some of the things on this website. Also, if you are looking for someone to interview, you might want to interview someone from Dunkin' Donuts. A little off the wall, I know, but they waste soooooo much food at the end of each day. My dad and I went in late one night and we saw them throw away a lot of food. It might be interesting for your I-Search. :)
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/12/the_year_in_gre.php

Response 4: Reshaping Solar: Growth Expected Despite Economy

Wow. This article was so informative and captivating for me. In the beginning of the article it sounds like solar energy has a really promising future, but towards the end they do discuss the down- side of the credit crunch. Overall the future of solar heating does sound good though. Also, "19 GW of solar energy from 2009–2016" is a lot of energy to generate, and it's especially awesome that the industry will create an "addition of 440,000 jobs." If people can have solar panels installed and then pay off the cost as their 'monthly electricity bill' then what is stopping people from putting in solar systems?! However the article also states that the "Solar advocates are particularly concerned about the fate of third-party financing" because "the agreements depend upon investors with a strong tax appetite, often large banks." If the agreement is depending upon the large banks then there could obviously be a problem if the banks can't pay for it.
It seems as though there are a few utility companies that dominate the solar game however, and it could potentially hang smaller companies out to dry if they don't catch up sooner rather than later. If "solar hot water can meet 80% of a Florida homeowner’s water heating needs," then solar power can produce a lot of energy, so it wouldn't have to really be used so much with other types of energy. Although the fact that Florida is rather hot also has to be taken into consideration. Where as Maine might use way more hot water during the winter that Floridians ever would. Another thought to consider is what if utility plants could generate the solar electricity at a plant where it would then be sent out to homes, and everyone turned to solar energy?

Article 4: Reshaping Solar: Growth Expected Despite Economy

- Revenue from solar installations was up from "$7 million in 2005", to "$12 million in 2006", and "$30 million in 2007." A possibility of $60- $80 million can be expected in 2008.

- The solar industry seems to be gaining momentum especially after "President Bush signed into law an eight-year extension to the solar investment tax credit (ITC)."

- From 2009-2016 "19 GW of solar energy" is expected to be added to the industry, "equivalent to a $232 billion investment"

- The "Navigant Consulting report" expects an "addition of 440,000 jobs at a time when employment is shrinking"

-"third-party financing, also known as solar power purchase agreements," are when customers can avoid the expensive upfront costs when a solar system is put in by "solar service providers" offering "long term contracts."

- These contracts depend upon large banks that pay the upfront costs of solar and then allow you to repay them in monthly payments, just like a regular electricity bill. This has lead to many new installations.

- The needed "support from state governments" often has a large impact on the amount of renewable energy installations each year, so the credit crunch is greatly effecting many states that are now "facing large financial deficits."
- Independent solar companies may have slowed business due to utilities taking advantage of the tax credit for solar installations.

"There are over 3300 electric utilities in this country," 10 of which have controlled the solar landscape for the most part.

- "Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E)", has about "50% of all grid-connected PV systems in the country."

- "The Utility Solar Water Heating Initiative (USH2O)", a combination of the solar industry and utilities "says that solar hot water can meet 80% of a Florida homeowner’s water heating needs."

Jeanette's Response #2

Wow. The amount of wasted materials is incredible! I think that the way you are tying waste and sustainable fuel together works well. If you are needing information and small statistics about the amount of stuff people waste, try going to idealbite.com. It sends daily emails to people about small ways to improve their Eco-friendliness. Go to tip library to find categories that might be of interest to you. Also, have you ever heard of The Green Bus? I read something about it a few years ago, but it still might help you with sustainable fuel. It was a bus that ran on oil and fat instead of gas. This should be a very interesting topic to continue!!

Second blog response by Liam

Katrina, I like how you used many statistics because this makes it easy to understand exactly how much garbage American's produce and how long it takes to dissappear. I also like how you mentioned biofuel from food waste because you are right, it does solve two problems at once. You also mentioned that people who eat fast-food could possibly be the most responsible for litter and for a lack of recyclying. Does this mean if there were less fast-food restaurantes and people ate less food on-the-go, there would be less litter on the road and a greater number of people would recycle?

Katie's second post

Trina, all this is so interesting! It seems like it was a very wise decision to switch from sports technology to this. I love how passionate you are about what you are researching, it shows through in your information and responses, and I'm sure it will in your paper as well. Maybe you could focus on a certain topic within sustainable fuel- the geothermal systems sound fascinating, or you could research ways in which people are trying to promote recycling and the positive effects it has- you seem to be most involved with recycling and waste. For an interview or field experience, I'm sure Mr. Steele-Maley knows a lot about these kinds of things, or you could go to Rising Tide to talk to people, or Chewonki. I think any nature oriented people in the area would know information that could benefit your research.

Everett Second Response

You clearly have done quite a bit of work on the blog and that shows that you have strong feelings about this topic. I think that statistics and "fun facts" are a good way to get the reader to enjoy your writing. In several of your articles you did this. Nice work. 0personally, my favorite was Article: How Long Does Litter Take To Disintegrate?.

An idea for bacground research, ccheck out the Camden Hills Regional High School, I know that all of their heat is geothermal, and it might be nice to have a little more information on this.

EM

LOTS of excellent information . . .

I am enjoying reading your blog; so many fascinating small facts as well as overall ideas in your articles. Also, your responses are well written. I believe that some new house owners in this area are heating with geothermal systems. Ask the class if they know a builder or energy supplier who is working with these systems; same with wind turbines.

Background Response 1: How Long Does Litter Take To Disintegrate?

These facts are awful. A million years for glass bottles and styrofoam to disintegrate? That is unbelievable. I knew it was a long time, but this is way longer than i thought. People should take this into consideration when they are buying products. Instead of buying styrofoam cups buy ones been made from recycled paper. Also think of how many times you get things in the mail that have styrofoam packaging in with them. I know that it happens a lot and often times half of it isn't even needed. Alternatives to items made of styrofoam might be looked into too. Aluminum takes 200-500 years to disintegrate. While this is not quite a million years it's still a lot and could be avoided by recycling.
The most amount of litter found outdoors is fast food waste. While at first this is surprising, I realized that this actually make sense. Most of the trash by the side of the road is from fast food, which also provokes the question whether its the people who eat fast food are the ones that litter and don't recycle the most. 28% of the trash that is found is aluminum. If the energy saved from recycling one aluminum soda can can power a computer for three hours, as i learned in the last article, then this 28% would have a huge impact on the amount of energy saved. If only people took the time to put those cans into a recycling bin, then we would save just that much more energy, and therefore have use less fuels to create the energy.

Background Article 1: How Long Does Litter Take To Disintegrate?

"Types of Litter Found Outdoors:
Fast food waste (33%)
Paper (29%)
Aluminum (28%)
Glass (6%)
Plastic (2%)
Other (2%) "

"How Long Litter Lasts In The Wild:
Orange peel (2-5 weeks)
Paper bag (1 month)
Cigarette butt (up to 5 years)
Leather shoe (45 years)
Plastic bottle (430 years)
Aluminum can (200-500 years)
Disposable diaper (550 years)
Glass bottle (Approx. 1 million years)
Styrofoam container (1 million years)"

Response 3: American Waste Land

These facts are horrifying for me to hear how much Americans waste. 251 million tons is a lot of garbage! And 30 million tons of food is enough to feed many, many people. I am doing sustainable fuel for my actual isearch, but I also want to look into the amount of waste that is produced not only in the world, but specifically in America. I have personally experienced many times when I've been shocked by the things that people waste. Waste of electricity and recyclable things is not only bad for the environment, but it also has large impacts on the levels of fuels in the world.
The quotes "...the energy conserved from recycling one glass bottle can power a 100-watt light bulb for four hours." and "The energy saved from recycling a single soda can is enough to power a computer for three hours!" are a real eye opener to the amount of energy that can be saved by such a simple act of recycling something. For the most part people don't recycle because they are either too lazy or there isn't a recycling bin available at the moment. This needs to change in America specifically. Only 32.61 percent of all trash produced in America is recycled. That's not very much at all when you think about it. If all this trash keeps building up well have other problems to worry about besides an energy crisis. The point is that we can save not only energy, but in doing that reduce our waste.

Article 3: American Waste Land

- Americans waste around "251 million tons of trash a year."
- Every person generates around "4.6 pounds of garbage" per day. Somewhere around only "1.5 pounds of that makes it into a recycling bin."
- In one year Americans don't recycle a good "41 million tons of paper and paperboard, about 10 million tons of glass, and 30 million tons of food."
- Just by recycling 1 glass bottle a "100-watt light bulb" can run for 4 hours."
- Recycling 1 soda can could save enough energy to "power a computer for 3 hours."
- About "2.5 millions tons of aluminum" will be thrown out by Americans in 1 year. Saving less than 1 percent of that aluminum is akin to saving "36 barrels of oil, or 1,655 gallons of gasoline-- enough to fill the tanks of 72 SUVs."
- In one hour Americans will use and throw out most of the "9.3 million plastic beverage bottles" used.

Response 2: Going Green while Staying Warm

This article tells about the many fuels that we have now and the ones that are being developed for the future. It lists some of the drawbacks to the fuels we use now as well as the pros and cons of the fuels of the future. Coal is the worst fuel out there not only because of the gases it releases, but also how bad it is for the environment to mine. I was surprised to see that wood is actually okay for the environment because the carbon dioxide it releases when it is burned is turned back into oxygen during the trees lifespan. This is a cool idea, and it is also the basic idea behind ethanol. As the corn grows, the plants replenishes the oxygen in the air that was taken when the corn is harvest. Gas is also bad for the environment because of its carbon emissions. This isn't a big surprise, but i was interested in the ideas that not only is it the carbon dioxide that has a negative impact, but the also the possible spills and pipelines that are build. These resource is not renewable as well, and it also harms the environment when harvested.
Now I have a general idea of the fuels of the past, I want to look at the fuels of the future. Geothermal fuel is something I want to look into farther. The article says that the warmth of the earth is extracted through pipes into your home. This must not only be very costly to build, but how far into the earth would you have to go to get this heat? Another fuel which looks more promising is wind and solar energy. These are certainly renewable sources and are looking better and better as gas prices rocket skyward. This article makes a good point that electrical power is only as good as how its made. If coal is being burned to make electricity then its no better, but solar electricity would work very well. The article also mentions that "a solar system is not a stand-alone home-heating source." This would cause a problem because putting in multiple systems in just to heat your home would be too costly. This article was a good overview on many of the fuels sources we use, but I want to look farther into each fuel and learn how it is made, and specifically what are its drawbacks or advantages.

Article 2: Going Green while Staying Warm

- Sustainable energy does not alter biodiversity or ecosystems.

-Renewable energy sources are not reduced by use, or they can be renewed.
- Coal is the worst choice of a fuel to use. It is rarely used today.

- Coal releases carbon dioxide and other green house gases harmful to the environment.
- Often not thought of is the effect coal has on mining communities. It often ruins the ecosystems around it especially in "mountaintop removal."

- Oil is not only harmful to the environment because of its greenhouse gases, but is is also nonrenewable.
- The combustion of oil is what cause the emission of greenhouse gases and other damaging pollutants.

- Transporting oil risks spills that are very harmful to wildlife and drilling for oil upsets the local environment.
- Propane and natural gas also cause similar problems because they are fossil fuels ans are not sustainable.

- "The Environmental Protection Agency, however, found natural gas to have the fewest relative emissions of fine particles -- fewer than oil, pellet stoves or wood stoves." However, pipelines for natural gas have a negative effect on the ecosystems around it just like coal and any other mining or shipping of fossil fuels.

-Propane needs special procedures to be separated and refined that are harmful to the environment.
- Electricity is only sustainable when is comes from solar, wind, or hydro systems.

Forestry must engage in "selective uneven-age harvesting and replanting" for it to be sustainable.
-When a tree is alive it takes in carbon dioxide and turns it back into oxygen, so the life of the tree will account for the carbon dioxide released into the air when the wood is burned.
- An equal amount of carbon will be released into the environment whether or not a tree is burned or simply decays in the forest. Coal, oil, or gas will not naturally release their carbon dioxide "without human intervention."
- "Pellet stoves [are] ... fueled with compressed sawdust, wood chips, bark or other organic matter, or biomass fuels like nut shells, soybeans, corn kernels or cherry pits. "
- In a geothermal system, heat is drawn out of the earth through pumps and moved throughout your house to warm it. A small amount of electricity is used when the warmth is circulated around the house, and if that electricity comes from wind, solar, or hydro then the whole process is sustainable.

Response 1: Biofuel From Food Waste.

I found this article very interesting. I never thought about how ethanol can come from wasted food. It's really cool that school lunches can be transformed into power that not only fuels transportation but also fuels the distillation equipment required to transform the leftover food into fuel. Also, if you think about it, the amount of food wasted in the U.S. each year is ridiculous. Especially in schools where kids either don't eat their veggies or they just waste half there meal because it's gross. If these leftovers that no one will eat could be turned into fuel, then that would solve two problems at once. There are problems with this idea as in all ideas though. The first quote which I took from the article however is something I would never really think about at all, but could definitely be a problem. If many fields are converted into making the food that goes into ethanol, then what happens if you run out of room to grow the crops? I also wonder if land can be overused and loose its fertility.
The second thing this article looks into is a brief overview of how ethanol is made. The leftover food is separated several times into liquids and solids, gases and more leftover liquid. Ethanol is a type of alcohol so the food goes through a fermentation process too. I found all this information very interesting as well as helpful in my quest to understand sustainable fuels better. Ethanol is only one solution to this problem, but because it is often mixed with gasoline, it may not be the best.

Article 1: Biofuel From Food Waste

-food shortages have been thought to have been caused by too much land being used for biofuel crops instead of food crops.
-200 kg of school food waste is transported "to a local processing plant" where it is broken down and enzymes are added. Then waste is then separated into liquids and solids. The ethanol is "extracted from the liquid through fermentation," and biogas is taken from the solids and left over liquids of the wasted lunches.
-The ethanol is used to run the buses and any other school owned vehicles.
-The biogas that has been saved "powers a 9.9 kW generator and a boiler used to operate the distillation equipment."

I have been researching technology in sports for a while on a number of different databases and have found that there is not as much reseach as I thought available. I had not realized that this topic would have to be current within two weeks so I was not prepared for this change. I still want to research the topic, but I feel it is not current enough to sustain an isearch for 5 months. I am now switching my topic to my second favorite idea, sustainable fuel. This topic was my second choice to technology and sports. I am almost just as excited to be researching this topic.

Great ideas Katrina!

Fuel technology is definitely a huge current event, and therefore would be easy and fun to follow. Also, (as Aimee said) you could definitely tie it into global warming and skiing. However, your other topic, sports technology, is less well known and would be a new and refreshing topic for the readers of your I-search! Also, you seem really into the whole sports field and I think over the long run it would keep you more passionate and interested then your other topics.
The only thing I would suggest to do would be to narrow your topic down a little. I'm not sure of exactely what you're researching, since you have many many good ideas, but once you find a specific topic I'm sure it will be fantastic! :]

Response

I am very interested in technology in athletics. I want to learn how sports are being changed, and how it effects not only the athletes but also the competition. I want to research how countries around the world train their athletes for competitions like the Olympics. Is there a possibility that competitions like the Olympics are becoming unfair because poor countries can't afford the expensive training facilities that Americans or the Chinese can? Are some countries like China taking the idea of gold medals too seriously, and pushing the limits of their athletes to far? After all isn't the main point of sports to have fun, and bring the world together in large competitions? I want to find the answers to these and many, many more questions in my isearch.

This past summer the 2008 Beijing Olympics captivated the world with not only their splendor, but the intensity of all the athletes. Micheal Phelps broke 7 world records and won 7 gold medals. His success was not only from his natural skill, but also came from the swimsuits that all the swimmers were wearing. This is just one example of how technology is drastically changing that sport and others. I want to see how these changes not only improve the sport, but how other people see them. Do critics support this addition to the sport, or do they think that it is an unfair advantage to the athletes. I'd like to research this as well as any new technology that is created during the 5-6 months.

There is a lot of information available on this topic. Not only are there tons of articles following up the Beijing Olympics, but there are many others on how athletes are effected by the changes. I also want to follow some other smaller competitions like the X- games and the Dew tour. I want to see how things like bikes and skateboards are changing, and also how skiing is changing. There are so many new skis every year, and each pair is better than the next in one way or another.

This topic will be challenging for me because I currently have lots of ideas about this topic, but I don't really know much. I want to know more about the qualities of skis so I can actually know a lot about what is good and bad in a ski if I was to go buy a pair. This topic would give me a much greater knowledge on many things. If you go out looking for information, many times you'll find tons of things you didn't know. Knowledge about everything and anything is one of the best tools to have, and I hope to improve this for me by learning as much as possible about this topic.

dear trinaaa
I definitely think you should do sports and technology. You would have way more fun researching this topic than the other 2. I'm sure lacrosse & skiing would have lots of information on them and there are lots of different ways technology could effect them. Sustainable energy would be easy to find information on, but you would enjoy your other idea much more knowing your tiny obsession with those two sports.

Well, I think that you are interested in skiing and lacrosse more then anyother topic. And the first topic seems to strike u the most. But if you choose sustainable fuel, then you can tie in global waming /skiing. And it might be a little easier to follow for 6 months because it is a broad topic. There are alot of magazines on skiing and technology, maybe not as much on fuel. Interviewing is equal both ways, you can interview anyone's opinion on either subject. Choose the one that you can find more information on.

Heyyyy Katrina.
Well it seems to me that you are fairly interested in sports technology more than anything else. I personally think the idea is really cool, and there's soooo much you can do with it so you won't ever get bored or run out of information. So as far as finding information, I think you're good to go! If you did do sports technology, you might want to narrow down exactly what you're trying to research. I noticed you had a ton of ideas which is really cool, but I think for this specific project you could just weed out some things and make your topic less broad. For this topic you could look at olympic athletes, different sportswear companies, and different brands and companies that advertise for certain people and teams. It'd be cool if you could talk with someone through that to see how it all works. You could also ask about the criteria and how they (the company) and the athletes or teams benefit from it all.

You also seemed interested in sustainable fuel. This would also be a really good topic to research because of the government and all the things that are going on right now. You could easily talk to the climate action club, or a local group or organization that is interested in that topic. This would definetly have a lot of up to date information, and it could be followed closely.

I think that either topic would be really cool to research. They both seem to have a lot of information about them that is easy to access. I personally think that the sports technology topic would be really cool, because I'm into that stuff as well. Good luck!

My three ideas

I am so excited to start isearch this year. Last year I really started to discover how much this project can be personalized. So this year, when I can pick anything, I have decided to choose between three topics which really interest me. The first is how technology influences sports and athletes. This topic could include my favorite sports, skiing and lacrosse as well as others. My other two topics to choose from are America’s Healthcare, and sustainable fuel. Sustainable fuel is the other topic which really appeals to me. I would love to research this topic, but unfortunately I have to choose only one!
My first thought for this project was to search for something to do with lacrosse, it being one of my passions. Then I thought of skiing and how much I’d like to incorporate that into my topic choices as well. The problem with both of these ideas is it would be hard to focus on that subject and have anything to work on for the rest of the 5 months. Out of the blue I came up with the idea of technology and sports. It certainly effects pretty much every sport out there, and I’d love to learn more about this topic and research its finer points. Some things I would want to look into would be synthetic legs, swim suits, golf drivers and clubs, skis and there flex and shape, lacrosse heads and sticks, clothing that goes along with different sports, and possibly how Nike and large brands promote there equipment. For example, Red Bull and skiing, snowboarding, or other extreme sport logos advertize but sponsoring talented people to compete. Another thing to explore would be the use of steroids and other ways that athletes abuse technology to their advantage. I would love to look into this subject because not only is it very interesting, but it is a very current issue in our society.
My second leading idea is sustainable fuel. I’m really intrigued with this topic and how it is such an important issue at the moment. With high gas prices and a bad economy, many people are starting to look seriously at eco-friendly alternatives to fossil fuels. This is a very current issue that would have loads of information to research. It is in all the newspapers and other media, and is also a very hot topic in the presidential debates. I found Google News to be a very good place to look for information on this subject because it is mostly all up to date. I feel like this is a really good subject to look into, but I feel like my other idea for sports and technology would be really captivating too.
My third and final idea for the isearch is America’s Healthcare specifically, but also how it compares to the rest of the world. There is no doubt that America’s healthcare system is not only very controversial, but also very, very important to the people of America. Daily expenses are putting families out of there homes, and for the people that are still hanging on, they’re either nearly on the edge or are having a really rough time with the changes in the economy. Within this topic I would explore the different viewpoints on possible solutions, the candidate’s views, how it really works, and compare our country to other countries to see if or what America could learn from other healthcare systems. This is also a very current issue which I found quite a bit of information on.
In the end I think that my decision is between my first to ideas. These are the areas that really get me excited. They make me want to know more; all the details and challenges that go along with both questions. With sustainable fuels I really want to research what makes this such a hard challenge and what new ideas are being thought up. It just sounds so intriguing! At the same time, I want to know what’s new with sports?! How technology affects records, tricks, and the way humans continue to push the limit. I would like to research them both, but I will have to settle on one instead.