My Thoughts On Recovery Of Petroleum From Oil Sands

Recovery petroleum from "oil sands" is a horrible idea! I'm sorry buy oil sands is terribly disruptive to the earth and the environment! The biggest problem that I had when I read about oil sands is that there was no real thought or planning when they started this type of project. The sad fact is that instead of these people worrying about what their actions are doing to the environment and the human/animal population, they are more worried about the money behind oil sands compared to petroleum. Yes, this is the major problem over in Canada, they are trying to start a project without knowing the outcome or effects it will have on the environment or animal/human health. The kicker is that the industry in charge of this new project openly admits to its downfalls and short comings when it comes to understand or knowing the effects that oil sands is having on their country as a whole.

Oil sands is a newer concept to the world, or at least it is newly being used starting over in Canada where it is available in abundance because of their soil. In an article from the Government of Alberta they compare oil sands to cold molasses when not treated and left at room temperature. Oils sands is a, “naturally occurring mixture of sand, clay or other minerals, water and bitumen, which is a heavy and extremely viscous oil that must be treated before it can be used by refineries to produce usable fuels such as gasoline and diesel”(GOA, 2011). Oil sands has close to the same process are renewable resources like biodiesel when it comes to making it useable for the general public. Oil sands has to be processed before it is “turned into” useable petroleum oil for vehicles and so on.

There are 2 different ways that oil sands are collected. The most common way to collect oil sands is through surface mining, while in situ extraction is the other way it can be collected. Surface mining greatly disturbs the environment, by contaminating water sources, vast land clearing, and large released of air borne pollutants like sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, and many other fine particle matter that is very bad for human/animal lungs. These are only a few of the issues with surface mining, and we’ve only scratched the surface of the major problems with this industry and new energy source. In situ extraction is the second way oil sands are collected, and this way it more disruptive to the environment. In situ extraction is the deeper extraction of oil sands and is usually used when collection needs to go deeper than 150 meters. They use steam heat to extract the oil sand, which is somewhat better for the atmosphere but the main issue is the carbon footprint that is left with this kind of extraction. Surface mining is largely responsible for a problem of “tailing ponds”, which are bodies of water that are contaminated and highly toxic. Also, surface mining is said to use “4-6 times more fresh water withdrawal than in situ extraction”, according to Alberta’s Oil Sands article. In situ extraction is said to be the growing method of oil sands extraction, but yet it is also damaging and highly hazardous to the environment. There are more major issues here with both methods of extraction of oil sands, and the biggest issue is that this industry and it’s benefactors have NO idea what the LONG TERM effects of oil sands drilling and surface mining will have on the environment and overall health of living organisms, i.e. humans, animals, etc.

The Alberta Environment, and more specifically, Environment Canada is the main environmental regulatory agency in Canada. Alberta Environment is an off-shoot of the main agency, Environment Canada which monitors gases at the oil sands operations. The gases that this agency monitors are sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, and PM. The main group that seems to be covering up the major impact that these pollutants are having on the environment are the RSC. Shockingly enough the RSC are actually the Royal Society of Canada, so you would think they would be a little more worried about what oil sands drilling is doing to their country, but then again they are more interested in the money they are profiting from this new energy. Despite the realization of the air pollutants that are being released into the atmosphere, they are seriously continuing on this path without understand the future consequences.

The biggest issue that I am foreseeing with this “new” energy is that there is really no push for conservation. This is just another avenue for energy that is not green and does not help the environment and clearly we are still looking for an EASY WAY OUT. Oil sands is just another type of fossil fuel that will still negatively impact the environment and is in no way a renewable resources that will be better for our world in the future. Conservation is not a part of oil sands mining or extraction because both methods are harming the environment through deforestation, air pollution, and water pollution. HUGE PROBLEMS! In no way is “conservation” a part of the oil sands industry because it is having the same environmental impact on our world as the petroleum industry is. Oil sands is NOT renewable, and is NOT environmental friendly so no, this does not help the conservation movement, it is hurting it. The conservation movement is in serious trouble is we allow oil sands to be the next type of energy source because we are being counterproductive towards of goal of renewable energy and less dependency on fossil fuels. Sadly, there will be NO conservation movement if oil sands is allowed to continue and become a large source of energy. We will be using this “new” energy source as a crutch to our lack and lessen amount of petroleum available. Also, since oil sands is seemingly a money making source of energy, it will be hard to stop it if something is not done SOON! There are major environmental issue with oil sands, and some of them are not even known yet which is another reason this energy should not be a replacement to petroleum. There will be a LARGE conservation impact if oil sands is continued to be extracted because large areas of land will still be deforested, water sources will be contaminated, and air will still be polluted.  

Overall, oil sands is not a good idea and not studied enough YET for it to be already making head way and being considered as a useable energy in the future. If we are looking for a way to make renewable energy work, and be less harmful to the environment then we need to stop and think about this before we continue on. The biggest problem with this whole idea is the amount of support it seems to get without know the possible hazards and risks to the earth and its inhabitants. There is mixed information about what oil sands is doing to the environment and living beings in Canada, let alone if it’s reaches will expand if it becomes a bigger industry. If you are endangering humans, animals, and the environment you should have a better idea of what the effects are on ALL, and it is shocking to me that Canada doesn’t really have any concrete answers as to what the oil sands industry is doing. The industry doesn’t want to admit that the methods they are extracting and mining oil sands is harming the atmosphere with releasing of pollutants that are harmful long term on humans and the earth. They also don’t want to open their eyes and realize that they are polluting huge water sources and harming humans and animals in the process. Also, there are huge areas of forest that are being cut down to make way for mining oil sands and that is counterproductive toward the green future we need! Oil sands, regardless of whether or not they are surface mined or in situ extracted they are harmful to the environment. Furthermore, if the world is trying to be greener and focus more on renewable resources then oils sands is just a DISTRACTION and will not help our future, it will harm it. More research needs to be done if anything should continue with the oil sands industry, but I feel we should slow down and think about all of this before anything major is done, of anything further is done.

Resources

“What is Oil Sands?”. Government of Alberta, 1995-2011. Web. 16 Nov. 2011.

http://www.energy.alberta.ca/OilSands/793.asp

"Alberta’s Oil Sands: Hard Evidence, Missing Data, New Promises." News: 
              Spheres of Influence. 3rd. 119. Environmental Health Perspectives, 2011. Print.

Trees and How The Paper Industry Is Effecting Us And Them

Trees have a very large impact on the atmosphere and environment because they effect the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels on earth. The relationship between trees and the atmosphere is a close knit one, and more importantly the paper industry has a HUGE impact on the environment. Due to the scientific research clearly showing that trees have a major impact on oxygen production and carbon dioxide absorption it is safe to say that trees are an extremely important part of earth’s environment. It is also safe to assume that an increase in need for materials at paper industries would have a negative effect on the amount of oxygen begin produced and carbon dioxide being absorbed along. Furthermore, air, soil, and water pollution would be impacted negatively because trees filter pollution and clean the atmosphere. These reasons and more are why the paper industry and de-forestation have a harmful affect on the earth, which in turn affects the atmosphere. 

Many scientists all across the world have studied and analyzed the relationship between trees and the atmosphere, which includes oxygen, carbon dioxide, and pollution, as well as the environmental impact that trees have on the earth. According to the TreePeople, “in one year an acre of mature trees can provide enough oxygen for 18 people, and in the same amount of time the same amount of trees can absorb the amount of CO2 produced when you drive your car 26,000 miles” (2010). That goes without saying that trees are responsible for cleaning the air of carbon dioxide and providing oxygen to the people on earth. Trees are a large factor in the reduction of pollution and are also responsible for cleaning the soil and filtering water. About.com: Forestry web pages stated that, trees use phytoremediation to absorb dangerous chemicals and other pollutants that enter the soil, as well as “cleanse the air by intercepting airborne particles, reducing heat, and absorbing such pollutants as carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. Trees remove this air pollution by lowering air temperature, through respiration, and by retaining particulates” (“Top 10 Reasons Why Trees Are Valuable and Important”, 2010). There are also many other things that trees do for the environment, they fight soil erosion, combat the greenhouse effect by absorbing carbon dioxide, and help to prevent water pollution by filtration. In an article from NASA written by John Bluck, part of the Ames Research Center, further states that, “when the amount of greenery is reduced on Earth the remaining plants take in less carbon dioxide”, resulting in “more of this gas remaining in the air instead of in being trapped in wood, fiber, leaves and other foliage plants” (NASA Finds Trees and insect Outbreaks Affect Carbon Dioxide Levels”, Dec. 13, 2004). This information in relation to trees and the paper industry proves that a lack in trees has a profound effect on the carbon dioxide levels and it’s absorption from the air, which consecutively affects the oxygen output from trees as well.

De-forestation negatively affects the atmosphere in a major way because a lack of trees means an increase in air pollution, soil pollution, and water pollution, as well as a decrease in oxygen production and increase in carbon dioxide levels. Sadly, the main motive for the vast quantity of trees being cut down annually is the need for paper products and building materials. As quoted on the Books into Trees site, “according to the USDA Forest Service’s Southern Forest Resource Assessment of 2001, 20 million trees and an estimated 5 million acres of natural forest are logged annually to provide wood pulp for the writing and printing market. This translates to approximately 27,000 tons of printing and writing paper annually” (“Books into Trees”, n.d.). This kind of logging is impacting the environment and atmosphere in many ways because without trees the earth will suffer from un-checked and un-filtered pollution in the air, soil, and water. According to Books into Trees, “each year, 20 million trees, or 5 million acres of natural forest, are cut down to make paper”, and, “of the global wood harvest, 42% goes to paper production” (“Books into Trees”, n.d.). Furthermore Books into Trees also claims that, “the planet is exposed to 250,000 metric tons of toxic pollutants from paper manufactures each year”(n.d.). This would conclude that if the planet is exposed to that much pollution then a decrease in trees would have a negative impact on the atmosphere because tree are responsible for most of pollution and carbon dioxide absorption. In an article by Kris Kiler it says that, “about 30 million trees are used annually in the making of books”(“The Environmental Impact of Ebooks and Printed Books”, n.d.). Looking at that information that is 30 million trees less to produce oxygen and absorb harmful toxicants from the atmosphere and the environment. Also, the paper industry is leaving a carbon footprint on the environment due to the amount of greenhouse emissions that they are produces. By breaking down trees into other materials, such as paper, the industry is actually releasing that carbon dioxide that the tree had stored and absorbed while producing more when breaking them down in paper mills and paper factories. The upsetting end result is that after the paper is made and distributed, Kiler also states that, “37 million tons of paper is thrown away yearly” (“The Environmental Impact of Ebooks and Printed Books”, n.d.). That goes without saying that for the amount of trees that are cut down to make paper, most of that paper is simple thrown away and wasted.

Simply put, the atmosphere and environment are suffering from de-forestation and the paper industry, but when it’s all said in done those trees are thrown away and wasted after they have been used. Books into Trees tell us that, “the paper industry is the third highest emitter of industrial greenhouse gases to the air in the world, and the fifth highest emitter of industrial toxic water to water” (“Books into Trees”, n.d.). So, while trees help the environment and atmosphere by absorbing carbon dioxide and pollutants, the paper industry is cutting trees down and releasing carbon dioxide into the air, and adding more of their own pollution in the process to the air and water. Without trees the atmosphere will suffer from high levels of carbon dioxide and low levels of oxygen, and the paper industry has a major impact on this cycle because of the hand they have in cutting down vast amounts of trees.

Despite the amount of data and information that we can get from research on trees and their impact on the environment and atmosphere, the relationship to the paper industry is constantly changing and more research is being done on this subject yearly to find out just how much of an impact the paper industry has on the earth. Many scientists and environmental activists are doing everything they can to bring to light the affect that paper industries have on oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in relation to the amount of trees that are being cut down for use as paper products. Given the knowledge of trees and their oxygen output and carbon dioxide intake, along with their pollution absorption and water filtering, it is seemly obvious that cutting down trees has a major impact on the environment. There is no rush to do more scientific research or apply the research that has already being done to the field because paper industries are still putting out the same amount of paper, and predicted this to increase over the next century. Trees major impact on the environment and atmosphere with its key involvement in oxygen production and carbon dioxide and pollution absorption that goes without saying that paper industries are hurting the environment because they are cutting down vast amounts of trees and producing more pollution in the process. This shows that trees will not be able to keep up with the oxygen production needed and carbon dioxide absorption required if paper industries continue to cut down large amount of forest and trees. There is no research yet to predict the future of earth if paper industries continue at the rate they are going, but clearly we need trees to live and breathe and without them the earth will suffer in more ways than one. 

References: 
TreePeople. 2010. Top 22 Benefits of Trees. August 27, 2010, http://www.treepeople.org/top-  

          22-benefits-trees 

Books Into Trees. "(n.d.)." August 27, 2010, http://www.ecstaticrelations.com/booksintotrees/  
About.com, Inc., a part of The New York Times Company. Top Ten Reasons Why Trees are  

          Valuable and Important. 2010. August 27,2010, http://forestry.about.com/od/treephysi

          ology/tp/tree_value.htm?p=1
John Bluck. December 13, 2004. NASA Finds Trees and Insect Outbreaks Affect Carbon Dioxide  

          Levels. August 27, 2010, http://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/environment/climate_bugs_

          prt.htm
Kris Kiler. “(n.d.)”. The Environmental Impact of Ebooks and Printed Books. August 27,2010,

         http://www.typexchange.com/pages/The-Environmental-Impact-of-Ebooks-and-

         Printed-Books.html

We Need To Start Recycling!

 

“In the US 33.4% of solid waste is either recycled or composted, 12.6% is burned in combustion facilities and 54% makes its way into landfills”(“Welcome to Recycling Facts”, 2008). In this paper we will be looking into recycling and how human waste is affecting the earth in a negative way. More than 50% of the waste that Americans are creating is stored in landfills across the US, and sadly only a third of it is being recycled. What we’ll be looking into is the impact that landfills are having on America and how little recycling is being done to counteract these numbers. With the billions of American people in the United States many of them aren’t worried about pollution and recycling as much as they should be. Instead of recycling their plastics, aluminums, glass, paper and ect. they are simply trashing it all and having it sent to landfills. The truth of the matter is that if more people recycled the amount of energy we could save would be astonishing. In a quote from the website dosomething.org, “About 80% of what Americans throw away is recyclable, yet our recycling rate is only 28%”(“11 Facts About Recycling”, n.d.). These numbers reveal the fact that there are copious amounts of waste that can be recycled but Americans only recycle 28%. We could be saving energy by recycling but instead we are sending almost all of our waste to landfills. Recycling would be able to make a huge impact on America if more Americans made recycling a priority instead of using landfills as a lazy way out.

There are so many good reasons to recycle, and if we made recycling a habit we would be saving tons of trees and energy. What most Americans don’t realize, or care to admit, is that recycling is easy and doesn’t require much effort. It is quite simple to take your plastics and aluminums and put them in recycling bins instead of simply trashing them with the rest of their garbage. Landfills are like giant collections of trash and garbage that most Americans send all of their waste to daily. In an article by Craig Freudenrich, Ph. D., he states that, “American’s generate trash at an astonishing rate of 4.6 lbs (2.1 kilograms) per day per person, which translates to 251 million tons (228 million metric tons) per year”(“How Land Fills Work”, 1998-2010). That is a lot of trash, and more than half of it goes into landfills, and less than a third goes to recycling. Recycling saves energy by reusing materials instead of getting new materials to make things. The most common materials that can be recycled are aluminum, plastic, and paper products. “The average American uses 650 pounds of paper each year – 100 million tons of wood could be saved each year if all that paper was recycled”(“11 Facts About Recycling”, n.d.). Also, “Recycling one ton of paper saves 17 trees, 2 barrels of oil, 4,100 kilowatts of energy 3.2 cubic feet of landfill space, and 60 pounds of pollution,” and, “17 trees saved by recycling one ton of paper can absorb a total of 250 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the air each year”(“11 Facts About Recycling”, n.d.). Imagine all of the trees, oil, energy, space, and pollution that Americans could be saving if they recycled more paper and paper products. It would be exceptional better for the environment if Americans tried harder to recycle because less trees would be cut down to make paper.

Plastic products are also materials that are easily recyclable and research shows that, “American use 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour”(“11 Facts About Recycling”, n.d.). If you multiple the amount of plastic bottles by the number of hours there are in a day, and then realize that out of those bottles less than a quarter of them are actually recycled it’s very upsetting. Sadly these astonishing amounts of plastics are being sent to the landfills where they are taking up 7.4 cubic yards of space. (2010) All of the waste that Americans are creating brings us to the sad fact that barely any of our waste is getting recycled. In a research done by Environment-Green it tells us that, “By recycling 1 plastic bottle not only saves anywhere from 100 to 1000 years in the landfill but also saves the environment from the emissions in producing new bottles as well as the oil used to produce that bottle”(“Recycling Facts and Benefits”, 2008). This study proves that recycling saves space, oil, and the energy required to create new plastic bottles and plastic products in general. “Producing new plastic from recycled material uses only two-thirds of the energy required to manufacture it from raw materials”(“Why Recycle”, n.d.). Instead of having to acquire new materials, by using old ones you are actually uses far less energy by recycling those materials.

Aluminum recycling is another material that is recyclable, but instead sits in landfills and takes us space. The amazing truth about aluminum is that you can recycle it again and again and again. It is a material that can be broken down and recycled repeatedly because it is a versatile metal, easily melted down, with little chemical output and barely any energy. Incredibly enough aluminum cans will retain their shape for at least 500 years. “Recycling 1 ton of aluminum cans conserves the equivalent of 1,665 gallons of gasoline”(“Welcome to Recycling Facts”, 2008). Plus, aluminum takes up to 400 years to break down naturally which means really bad news for landfills because aluminum is simply going to sit there and decades to come; it will not decompose or deteriorate naturally, it’ll just take up space. Americans use over, “80,000,000,000 aluminum soda cans every year”(“Aluminum Recycling Facts”, n.d.). That data also reveals that out of those billions of cans used every year less than half is actually recycled when in fact every single aluminum can is 100% recyclable. In reality aluminum is one of the easiest materials to recycle and the easiest to re-use and breakdown in recycling factories.

“It takes approximately 1 million years for a glass bottle to break down in a landfill”(“Why Recycle?”, n.d.). Glass is a much smaller percentage of human waste that is sent to landfills since glass is easier to recycle and takes 1 million years to break down naturally. Another amazing thing about glass is that glass is able to be recycled an infinity amount of times. “Recycling glass reduces air pollution by 14-20% and saves 25-32% more energy than making glass from virgin raw materials”(“Glass Facts”, 2008-2010). Yet again research shows that recycling saves energy, and reduces pollution. A reoccurring theme to recycling is that it takes far less energy, oil, and materials to re-use recycled materials then it does to use new materials. Glass is one of the only materials that hardly every ends up in landfills because there is such a need for it to be recycled because of safety and the complexity of makes it.

 

There is a lot that Americans need to do to increase recycling, and the good news is that there is data that is showing this increase as the years go on. In a study done by Earth911.com they stated that, “In recent years, the number of U.S. plastics recycling business has nearly tripled”(“Plastic Recycling Facts”, 2010). Although, the most unfortunate facts about plastic is that there are many different types of plastics and they range in their toxicity level. Plastics types range in their capability of being recycled cleanly and safely, to being chemically hazardous in the break down process of recycling. For this reason plastic recycling is slightly less environmentally safe than other materials that are recycled such as papers and aluminum. The fact of the matter is that, when it comes to plastic, Americans need to stop making these hazardous types of plastics and focus more on the safer plastic types so that they can be more recyclable and cleaner for the environment. On the more positive side, “Approximately 8,660 curbside recycling programs exist in the United States”, and, “Disposal of waste to landfills has decreased from 89% in 1990 to 54% in 2007”(“Welcome to Recycling Facts”, 2008). Some good news about glass recycling is that, “Americans recycle nearly 13 million glass jars and bottles every day”(“Facts About Glass Recycling”, 2010). Plus, almost all of the recycled glass that is taken to recycling facilities and is used in creating brand new glass containers. Still, paper is the easiest to recyclable material and is used in creating so many different things that paper recycling is very important. Also, recycling paper saves trees because if Americans re-use paper then there would be no need to chop down more tress. So recycling is getting slightly better and prominent as the years go on. More Americans are realizing that recycling is saving the environment and helping cut down on the use of “newer” materials and instead pushing for re-use of old materials. 

References:

Welcome to Recycling Facts. 2008. September 27, 2010, http://www.recyclingfacts.org/ 

          11 Facts About Recycling. "(n.d.)." September 27, 2010, http://www.dosomething.org/tipsandt

           ools/11-facts-about-recycling

Earth911.com. 2010. Plastic Recycling Facts. September 27, 2010, http://earth911.com/recyclin

            g/plastic/plastic-bottle-recycling-facts/

Earth911.com. 2010. Facts About Glass Recycling. September 27,2010, http://earth911.com/

recycling/glass/facts-about-glass-recycling/

Craig Freudenrich, Ph. D. 1998-2010. How Landfills Work. September 27, 2010, http://www.scie

            nce.howstuffworks.com/environment/green-science/landfill.htm

Recycling Facts – A Recycling Revolution: Aluminum Recycling Facts. “(n.d.).” September

27,2010, http://www.recycling-revolution.com/recycling-facts.html

Recycling Facts and Benefits. 2008. September 27,2010, http://www.environment-green.com/ 

Why Recycling? “(n.d.).” September 27, 2010, http://www.headwatersrecycle.com/why.html 

Lehigh County Office of Information Technology. 2008-2010. Glass Facts. September 27,2010, 

http://www.lehighcounty.org/Departments/SolidWasteManagement/RecyclingFacts/Glass/tabid/521/Default.aspx

Burning Fossil Fuels And It's Impact On Global Warming And The Earth

In today's lifestyle we are constantly burning fossil fuels and the effect that it is having on the ozone is a bad one. I went and gathered information about global warming and the depletion of the ozone and I found out that the biggest impact on this disaster is found in the burning of fossil fuels. Global warming occurs when chemicals, such as greenhouse gases, are released into the atmosphere causing a chemical reaction to take place in the ozone layer that breaks up the ozone molecules. The biggest problem that environmentalists are dealing with in relation to global warming is the burning of these harmful fossil fuels, which is mostly due to cars that run on petroleum fuel and release carbon dioxide emissions into the air. Carbon dioxide emissions, and other greenhouse gases, destroy the layers in the atmosphere by breaking up the molecules and leaving the ozone layer extremely vulnerable to UV rays from the sun. In addition to these emissions we find that chlorofluorocarbons actually cause the earth’s temperature to rise because these types of gases eat away the ozone layer, allowing the sun’s rays to heat the earth like an oven. Most of these greenhouse gases are found in fossil fuel emissions that cars burn off and release into the atmosphere, and the unfortunate thing is many Americans depend and rely on their vehicles to get then to and from their multiple destinations every day. This means an increase in fossil fuel emissions and greenhouse gases into the air, and due to the fact that America is still a country completely dependent on petroleum to power their vehicles, the result is the depleting of the ozone layer and global warming.

The atmosphere of the Earth is almost like an onion, there are many different layers that protect the surface from the sun’s rays and keep it at a habitable temperature. That being said, you could imagine how important the ozone layer is to the Earth and how catastrophic global warming would be to all of human kind. The depleting of the ozone layer is linked to greenhouse gases destroying the atmosphere, and the biggest contributor to this occurrence is the burning of fossil fuels linked with carbon dioxide emissions from automobiles. According to the Environmental Defense Fund “there has been a 20% increase of American’s carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels since 1990”(2010). They also state that, “U.S. autos emit more than 333 million tons of carbon dioxide each year, more than one-fifth of the nation’s total carbon dioxide emissions”(EDF, 2010). Imagine that amount of greenhouse gases eating away at the ozone layer due to automobile emissions polluting the air and notice how big of an impact cars are having on the environment. The ozone layer protects the surface of the Earth from harmful UV rays from the sun, but the greenhouse gases and fossil fuels that we are burning are depleting this protective shield. Regardless of the data, companies are still drilling for oil and producing cars that run on gasoline(petroleum) that emits these harmful gases into the atmosphere and destroys the ozone layer. Moreover, carbon dioxide is the main and most dominate greenhouse gas that depletes that ozone layer and causes this catastrophe that we are calling global warming. Research shows that automobiles are responsible for emitting carbon dioxide because they burn fossil fuels and pollute the atmosphere. These fossil fuels are responsible for the depletion of the ozone layer and the exposure of the Earth’s surface to harmful UV rays. Research shows that, “motor vehicles account for 80% of all transport-related energy use”(“Global-Warming-Statistics.org”, 2008-2010). As a matter of fact, more data shows that, “about 75% of the annual increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide is due to the burning of fossil fuels”(2008-2010). As you can clearly see the biggest contributors to the depletion of the ozone layer are automobiles and there emission of carbon dioxide and fossil fuels into the atmosphere.

The shocking truth about automobiles that environmentalists have researched is that there are, “232 million automobiles registered in the United States”, “600 gallons of gasoline is consumed by the U.S. each year”, and “12,000 pounds of carbon dioxide is emitted from one U.S. car each year”(EDF, 2010). Looking at this astounding data, global warming is bound to be a result of this cycle and the greenhouse gases that are being released into the atmosphere and eat away at the ozone layer. Sadly, given this information there are still millions of automobiles on the road burning fossil fuels and emitting carbon dioxide into the air, and the ozone layer is continuing to be depleted. Without that protective shield blocking Earth’s surface from the sun, humanity is going to start seeing rising temperatures and many other side effects in the process; some of these effects we are already experiencing in the present day. Furthermore, research done by the Environmental Defense Fund also shows us that, “45% of the world’s carbon dioxide emission is contributed by the U.S.”(“Cars By The Numbers”, 2010). The same research group also found data showing that, “30% of the world’s automobiles are in the United States”(2010). This seemingly small percentage is actually causing more damage than you’d think because we are raking up, “2.7 trillion miles on average, based on research done in 2004, that are being driven by U.S. cars and light trucks, which is equivalent to 10 million trips to the moon”(EDF, 2010). With all of those numbers rattling around in environmentalists’ heads you can see how 30% is a very large number in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases being released into the air and destroying the ozone. So these researchers and environmentalists are dealing with hundreds of gallons of gas per vehicle, thousands of pounds of pollution, millions of registered vehicles, and trillions of miles being traveled that are eating away at the ozone.

One of the major problems associated with ozone depletion is the dramatic change in the environment and life on earth. What with the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere this causes all sorts of problems for people and for everything on Earth’s surface. We are seeing glaciers melting and rising temperature on the Earth, as well negative health effects on humans, and animals losing their natural habitats. There is a direct correlation with greenhouse gases and the ozone layer, if these harmful gases keeping being emitted into the atmosphere Earth’s shield will be depleted to the point where everything on the surface of the planet will suffer the effects. Automobiles, with their contribution to this tragedy, are burning fossil fuels and emitting them into the air, becoming one of the main causes of the ozone depletion and global warming. Sadly, the world is seemingly unconcerned about this catastrophe and little head-way is being made on replacing fossil fuel burning cars with electricity, and other energy source, vehicles. Instead of worrying about the atmosphere and depleting ozone we are seeing very few “go-green” vehicles on the road, and instead of them being affordable for the average America, they are costing thousands of dollars to own one. But the reality is, the ozone is depleting, global warming is occurring, and the world is still burning fossil fuels at an alarming rate and releasing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere without realizing the gravity of the situation.

Discussion Despite all of this data and research mankind is continuing to burn fossil fuels by driving these automobiles and emitting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. We are seeing an increase in Earth’s temperature as the ozone layer continues to be broken down by greenhouse gases eating away at it. The heat can’t be released into space without the ozone layer, so it is being stored within the Earth’s many atmospheric layers and heating the surface of the earth like an oven. The sun’s harmful UV rays are escaping through the depleting ozone layer and are causing all kind of problems for humankind on the surface of the earth. Given this information people are still driving fossil fuel burning vehicles every day, and no one seems to be worried that this is affecting the ozone layer and having an impact on global warming. There are alternatives been discussed and created, and we are seeing cars running on electricity but still there are millions of car running on petroleum. Even though America is coming up with alternatives to cars running on petroleum, there is still no urgent need to being substituting no fossil burning fuels to better energy transportation. Carbon dioxide is being released into the atmosphere at an alarming rate, and the ozone layer is being depleted by these chemicals with every pound of greenhouse gases we discharge into the air. It is prove with research and data that global warming is being caused by carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases eating away at the ozone layer and exposing the surface to harmful UV rays from the sun. Burning fossil fuels is a major contributor to global warming because they release these gases into the atmosphere and that destroys the ozone layer.

References:

Environmental Defense Fund. 2010. Cars By The Numbers – Global Warming. September 12,

 2010, http://www.edf.org/article.cfm?ContentID=6083

Environmental Defense Fund. 2010. Global Warming By The Numbers. September 12,2010,

http://www.edf.org/article.cfm?ContentID=5816&source=ggad&gclid=CMuCtd-agqQCFc...

Global-Warming-Statistics.org. 2008-2010. Facts About Global Warming. September 12, 2010,

            http://www.global-warming-statistics.org/facts-about-global-warming.html

Abhijit Naik. May 28, 2010. Ozone Layer and Global Warming. September 12, 2010,

 http://www.buzzle.com/articles/ozone-layer-and-global-warming.html

The Impact Renewable Energy Could Have Us

Alternate energy sources can do A LOT for America, the economy, and environment. We use petroleum for everything and are only now beginning to realize that an alternate energy source would be far more economical and environmental friendly. Due to our reliance on oil we are becoming dependant on foreign countries and are spending copious amounts of money to quench our ever growing need for petroleum. America must realize that we are spending the same amount of money yearly on petroleum purchases as we would spending it to try and use alternate energy sources. In the long run though we would actually save money and the environment if we pushed more towards alternate energy rather than continue to be reliant on petroleum. The biggest problem is that people have become so used to how easy petroleum and gas power is to use that the extra effort needed to use alternate energy is something people shy away from. The 4 major types of alternate energy that Americans could use are Biodiesel, Hydropower, Wind power, and Solar power. Many economists are looking mostly into the use of biodiesel, while environmentalists would rather look into hydropower, wind, and solar power. All 4 alternate energy sources will take time, money, and dedication, but this is something that America is starting to consider as petroleum sources are dwindling and our reliance on foreign oil continues to grow.

Renewable energy is something that we should be pushing more and more towards for our future. The amazing part of alternate energy is that you can never run out of it! The different types of renewable or alternative energy that you hear about are hydropower, wind power, solar power, biomass, nuclear power, geothermal power, and a few others. America is never going to run out of wind or water or sun, and I know that sounds corny but it’s true. Those resources are renewable and that is why alternate energy sources are so important because petroleum can run out, and oil is starting to be something that is hard to find because we use so much of it. Another amazing thing about alternate energy is that it is clean and produces little to no fossil fuels. “The United States has 1.6% of the world’s oil but it uses 24% of the world’s oil production”(2009). That might not seem like a large amount, but on a world scale that is one of the largest percents of oil use. The sad thing about fossil fuels is that it takes millions of years to reform, and that is why alternate energy is such a big thing. In the long run those sources of energy are easy to make and have a much shorter creation time are compared to fossil fuels like petroleum. A major problem that America is having is the depletion of petroleum, and this is mostly due to our overuse of the energy source and also the length of time that it takes to reform it naturally. “The US consumes approximately 320 billion gallons of oil per year. 70% of it used in transportation”(2009). With that number alone, simply multiple it into however many years we have been using that amount of oil and the result will be in the billions, and trillions of gallons of oil; and this is only in the United States. Despite these staggering numbers there is no serious drive to using alternate energy sources like biodiesel for fuel because we are still using gallons of petroleum every day. Incredibly enough those numbers are mostly for petroleum, but we also use natural gases for energy as well, which doesn’t help decrease our use of fossils fuels either.

One of those most talked about alternate energy sources is biodiesel because it’s similar to petroleum but not as harmful to the environment and less expensive as well. The great thing about biodiesel is that instead of taking millions of years to reform, biodiesel can be made from extracted animal fat, and vegetable oils. Also, biodiesel can be made out of left over restaurant oils and greases which is much less expensive and economically friendly. Another great thing about biodiesel it that it is biodegradable and completely free of fossil fuels that can harm the atmosphere and environment, and also has a 60% less carbon dioxide and hydrocarbon emission when burned. Biodiesel in a nut shell is, “made through a chemical process called "transesterification" whereby the glycerin is separated from the fat or vegetable oil. The process leaves behind two products -- methyl esters (the chemical name for biodiesel) and glycerin (a valuable byproduct usually sold to be used in soaps and other products)”(2007). Although this seems to be a semi-complex process of converting oils into a fuel source, biodiesel is, in the long run, far cheaper and environmentally friendly as compared to petroleum. Biodiesel seems to be a leader in the alternate energy race because it requires little to no effort to create or use due to its similarity to petroleum. A big contender in the biodiesel category of alternate energy sources is bio-fuel such as ethanol. Being a close relative to biodiesel, ethanol is made from corn and is the most common of the biodiesel family. A simple process of grinding corn and fermenting it ultimately creates an alcoholic substance called ethanol, which is then mixed with gasoline. So ethanol is not totally an alternate source, it’s more of a way to reduce the use of petroleum; sort of like watering down your iced tea to stretch the amount out for a few more days. But this bio-fuel is a lot less energy efficient then biodiesel, at the same time bio-fuel like ethanol is simple and cheap to make.

Yet another alternate energy source that is becoming more prominent is solar power. There are pros and cons to solar power because the sun does set and is not shinning 24/7. Despite that, the sun’s temperature of more than 5,700 degree Celsius insures America that if solar power were to be used we would have a lot of it. Even though solar power is considered secondary as compared to other alternate energy sources, people can use solar power for cooking, heating, lighting, and many other things. Solar power is mostly thought of as an alternative to electricity and that sort of energy, where as biodiesel is more or a transportation alternate energy source. “1 KW solar energy unit is approximately equal to that same amount of energy produced by 170 pounds of coal”(2010). The amazing thing about that information is the realization that solar energy is much cleaner than coal and yet it produces a pretty large amount of energy when compared to coal. The only bad thing about solar power is that it is very expensive, and the solar paneling alone is costing Americans thousands of dollars, but it is worth it in the long run definitely because it is cleaner for the environment and an economically friendly investment. Many other sources of energy are being looked into more and more as time goes on. Alternate energy like wind power, and water power are also “go green” ways of helping the environment and helping Americans pocket books as time goes on. The great thing about alternate energy sources is that it takes America’s dependence on foreign countries out of the equation, and that way we would be saving hundreds of thousands of dollars. But wind wind power also has its pros and cons because some places are windier then others, and sometimes there is no wind at all. Wind power as an alternate energy source is entirely subject to the weather, which is why many economists and environmentalists put this power sources towards the bottom of the lists. Although in saying that, wind power as an energy source that is growing in places where wind is a regular day occurrence and can be harvested at a steady rate. Water power is another great alternate energy source because almost all water is constantly running, and the good thing about that is it can be a reliable energy source in the long run. Another great thing is that hydropower emits NO fossil fuels, and anywhere where there is water it can be converted into energy. But, hydropower does impact the ecosystem because dams are required to harness the energy source so it is both positively and sometimes negatively effects the environment. So there are both pros and cons to most alternate energy sources which is why America seems to be taking a long time to get these sources “up and running”.

There is good news and bad news when it comes to alternate energy sources; but mostly good news. The good news is that the energy sources such as biodiesel, water, wind, and solar power when be much better for the environment and the economy. The bad news is America is taking its dear sweet time in pushing harder for alternate energy sources to take the place of petroleum and other energy sources that we use today. This is mostly due to the tweaks that environmentalists and trying to work on because both water and wind power directly effects the environment. While as solar and bio-fuels affect the economists’ pocketbooks. When it comes to biodiesel though, “the market is expected to grow from a couple hundred million gallons per years today to over one billion gallons per year by 2010”(2007). Good news about solar power as well because, “The largest solar power plant is in California. Located in the Mojave desert, the solar energy generating system produces ample energy to meet the electrical needs of half a million people…”(2010). So America is taking steps to start pushing more towards alternate energy sources, but it will be an over time merge because we are so dependent on petroleum and other energy sources. As for wind power, “Wind is the fastest growing energy source worldwide, and has been for over a decade with an annual growth rate of 30%”(n.d.). There is growth in the attempts to replace alternate energy sources with our old energy sources so that we become less dependent on other countries and help our environment as well. In the long run, alternate energy will be clean, cheaper, and overall better for America and the world because there are so many different kinds of energy out there, we just have to tap into them and use them.

Resources:

WordPress. February 7, 2010. Your Green Life: Alternate Energy Sources – Solar Energy Facts.
          November 1, 2010. http://www.yourgreenlife.org/2010/02/alternative-energy-sources-

          solar-energy-facts/
Alternate Energy – The Facts – An Introduction Into Renewable Energy Part 1. January 10, 2009.
          November 1, 2010. http://www.mywindpowersystem.com/2009/07/alternative-energy-
          the-facts-an-introduction-into-renewable-energy-part-1/ 
Our-energy. December 10, 2007. Biodiesel Facts. November 1, 2010. http://www.our-
         energy.com/energy_facts/biodiesel_facts.html
Renewable Energy. August 21, 2010. 10 Facts of Alternate Energy. November 1, 2010.
        http://www.solarpowerwindenergy.org/2010/08/21/10-facts-of-alternative-energy/