Fuel Cell confusion

Fuel Cells are considered by many people to be a very real possible fuel option to replace gasoline run engines.  They are very attractive because they lower our dependency on foreign oil, but more importantly, they release far less Co2 into the environment. 

A Fuel Cell engine can be compared with a battery powered one, with the main difference being that the energy that powers the battery in a Fuel Cell is added at fueling stations like gasoline.  This energy source is Hydrogen, and these cars would rely on it as today’s cars rely on gasoline.  The main products of a Fuel Cell engine are energy and water. 

Fuel Cells still produce Co2 however, but not in the same obvious ways gasoline engines produce it.  One way Co2 is produced is during the actual production of the fuel, which requires electricity, which in the production of this causes Co2 to be released into the environment.  In addition to this, the production of other components of the car, such as the wheels and other necessities release Co2 into the atmosphere as well.  To add to this, the paint used on all cars releases Co2 into the environment during its drying stages, which is a problem that cannot be solved by changing a car’s engine.  In addition to these problems, the heaters in these cars still produce Co2.  Furthermore, people driving them obviously add Co2 to the environment…so the the car system is not perfect, but it is far better than any of our other options

http://www.greenerchoices.org/globalwarmingsavecarbon.cfm

http://www.greenbiz.com/news/news_third.cfm?NewsID=27760

http://www.bio.ilstu.edu/Armstrong/syllabi/rubber/rubber.htm

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/hydrogenandfuelcells/production/ 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/03/030311074526.htm

http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/zevprog/factsheets/fcell_fs.pdf

El niño?

El niño is obviously a weather event that occurs in irregular intervals over the Pacific Ocean, and this weather event will cause intense rain storms around the Pacific rim and can cause drought in other areas of North and South America. This affects more than the people of these two continents.  For example, the large amounts of rainfall that occur around the Pacific rim during el Niño means that there will be drought in other places. In Indonesia, the rain is so scarce that the agricultural projects in this country fail, and cause starvation on a large scale. 

 Also, the large rainfall in areas like Peru and California can cause mudslides and other natural disasters that can cause mass devastation.  Some of the worst kinds of destruction an El Niño can cause involves disease.  In areas like India and South Africa, the weather conditions that occur because of El Niño become perfect breading grounds for bacteria.  It also results in the mosquito population increasing which causes a large amount of malaria to spread. 

 El Niño affects more than the weather around the Pacific Ocean.  Everything is interconnected, which means that if abnormal weather events are occurring around the Pacific, people in India or Africa may feel the worst effects. 

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/elnino/anatomy/origins.htmlhttp://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/elnino/anatomy/origins.html 

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/elnino/anatomy/origins.html

http://ess.geology.ufl.edu/usra_esse/ENSO_Impacts.html

CFLs good?

Yes, it is hard to believe, but CFLs are actually good for both the environment and the wallet.  CFLs cost about 10 times the amount of a normal lightbulb, and will last around 4 years longer.  The true savings come over time on energy bills.  Because they demand less energy, the power plants that are used to produce the electicty to power these lightbulbs are needed less.  When dealing with a coal burning power plant, this would mean that less radioactive materials are released into the air.  This material is released in small amounts through ash that is left over after the coal is burned.  Although this amount is small, there is so much coal being burned that it adds up.  By switching to CFL lightbulbs, you reduce the amount of coal that is burned, which helps the radiation situation. 

The amount of lightbulbs that are disposed yearly will also shrink due to the long life of the CFL bulb.  This will help cut down on landfill space that is quickly filling up in our country.  This will lower the demand on these landfills which will in turn, lessen the necessity to create new landfills, which will save entire ecosystems.  Also, the necessity for mining new coal and other fuel sources will decrease because of the drop in demand for electricity, which will also play a part in saving many ecosystems.  In addition to this, the need for new roads connecting the mines to cities and power plants will also lessen, which will also save valuable ecosystems.

Overall, the CFL may seem like a bit of a rip off, due to its high price when compared to its competition, but when all is said and done, the CFL is not only better for the wallet, but also better for the world as a whole.

http://www.ornl.gov/info/ornlreview/rev26-34/text/colmain.html 

http://greenecon.net/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/cfl.jpg

http://www.gelighting.com/na/home_lighting/products/energy_smart.htm

http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/gen99/gen99402.HTM