For the first time, astronomers have found a planet that is
similar in size and material as Earth. This planet, Kepler 78b, is thought to
be made out of the same mixture of rock and iron that Earth is made out of, and
orbits a sun similar to that of our sun. However, it is almost impossible to
visit this planet. Kepler 78b is less than a million miles from the sun, and has
temperatures of about 3500 to 5000 degrees Fahrenheit, well above the
temperature where rock melts. The
discovery of this planet further increases the idea that there are planets,
other than earth, in the universe that can sustain life. And scientists,
whether we are for it or against it, will continue to explore and discover more
of the unknown universe.
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Oil Companies Are Sued for Waste of Natural Gas
In North Dakota, 10 class-action lawsuits were filed against
some of the United States’ largest oil companies. These companies are being sued for flaring natural gas when they extracting oil from the ground. Flaring is when companies do
not have an economic incentive to build necessary gas pipelines, so they purposely
burn cheap gas bubbles that go to the top of the pipe with the expensive oil. Although
flaring is less harmful to the environment than releasing raw natural gas into
the atmosphere, the quantities of burned gas are so large that they do have a
strong impact on the carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere. However, after
the lawsuit, some companies have started to plan and make efforts towards producing new pipelines or finding new ways to extract oil while reducing the
gas flared. It is essential for these companies to recognize that our current
environment is suffering, and that even
abundant gas should be conserved, because we don’t fully understand the effects that even these “cheap” gases have on our planet.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
New Device Harnesses Sun and Sewage to Produce Hydrogen Fuel
Ground-breaking research by Yat Li and his team of
professors at the University of California, Santa Cruz has created and
discovered a new device that harnesses sun and sewage wastes to produce Hydrogen fuel. This new device can
produce hydrogen gas that provides a sustainable energy source while improving
the efficiency of wastewater treatment. In fact, it treats wastewater so
efficiently that it needs more wastewater to clean to produce its energy. If
this is fully successful without dangerous consequences, this device could be
the turning point of wastewater and energy problems, and can provide us all
with the energy we need while cleaning and improving the water we drink.
Monday, October 7, 2013
Plenty of Water, but Little to Drink
Planet earth has a lot of water. In fact, most of the planet’s
surface is covered with it. However, less than 5 percent of earth’s water is
fresh. Most of that freshwater is either in ice sheets in the polar caps, or
deep underground stored in aquifers. Through
studies of history, it is highly possible that societies could only be
established if water could be an economic or cultural power. For example, there
were water storages in ancient Sumerian culture, terra cotta pipes in Athens,
and aqueducts in Rome. This further proves the essence of water for society to survive in the present day. It is important for all human being to cut the amount of
water used because it won’t be long until clean water becomes so scarce that prodigious wars are fought for it.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Arizona Irrigators Share Water with Desert River
In Arizona, there are new irrigation systems in the
Verde River being used to help lift river flows by 50-100 percent in some parts
of the river. It is fairly simple, inexpensive, and helps the environment of
the region significantly. The old system included ditches that brought the
water to farms and property by gravity. But because so many people did this, a
large amount of water would not flow directly on the path carved out by the
river itself. After water flowed through the user’s property, there was some
water that was not used, and it flowed back into the river several miles later.
Thus, the portion of the river beyond the ditches was starting to dry up
quickly. In response to this, irrigators built automatic ditch gates that have
sensors to monitor water levels. Powered by small solar panels, these gates
deliver reasonable amounts of water to the users, and save some of the water
for the river as well. By seeing the Verde River users willing to come together
to help conserve the environment, the rich and diverse ecosystem of the river
has been saved. This further proves that even the little efforts made by humans
to help conserve the environment can have a great impact on the ecosystem.
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