A Hand-Powered Table Saw Offers Electricity



Summary
A new hand cranked saw called the Jointmaker was found by Keith Johnston. This saw ruins only on your hand power and no gas or electricity. It will cut just as good as any other table saw too. One downfall is it costs $1,295. It is a hybrid device, a hand saw that employs custom Japanese saw blades offered in crosscut and rip grinds. The blade moves up and down via a hand-crank on the front of the machine and features an independent pitch adjustor. This combination allows for perfect crosscuts up to six inches in width and in material up to 1-3/4" thick.
Opinion
I think that this is a great idea. It is really a good tool for the “do it yourselfer”. Another thing is there is no pollutants from it. Without any fuel to power it, besides your hand, you won’t have to pay for anything extra. Also it’s not even like your downsizing you still great a great cut. I know I would get one.
Questions
1) Why does it cost so much?
2) Is the price worth it?
3) Would you get one?
4) Do you think it is a good step in renewable resources?

Seawater Acts as Fuel

Wyatt Graves Summery,

March 15, 2010 the navy had finally completed their task to turn seawater into Jet Fuel. Engineers from the U.S navy have beeen working dligently to create a new scource of fuel for their jets and came up with an alternative fuel scource, seawater! This process involves "taking seawater and inducing a chemical reaction to extract carbon dioxide from the water and combine it with hydrogen. Afterward, the researcher is left with short-chain hydrocarbons which can be further refined into jet fuel." This discovery could change the way we power our jets in the future if we can disover a way to do it without the use of fossil fuels. This process consumes more energy then it provides; but puts us one step closer to turning off of fossill fuels.

My Opinion:
                     I think that it is great that the U.S army is researching new ways to power our Jets. If they spend enough time refining the process in which doesn't use fossil fuels then maybe they could end the dependance on fossil fuels for the world. Scientists took years to create this process and it is only a matter of time untill they make it a whole lot better and Maybe end the worlds dependance on oil and other fossil fuels.

http://gajitz.com/admiral-alchemy-us-navy-turning-seawater-into-jet-fuel/

My questions...

1. When did this project begin?

2. Who developed the plan for this project?

3. Are other Armies helping the U.S with this research?

4. Are there any other ways to fuel jets without the use of fossil fuels?

5. How many aircrafts have been built to use this fuel.?

Bug Excrement for energy.

By Curtis Sumner

Picture on the left- a scientist that is working on altering the DNA of some insects to excrete oil.

Author- Jennifer Horton

Publication- unknown

Date-unknown

Summary;

Some scientists who have been faced with the problem of energy usage and replenishing have been working on altering the DNA of bugs and insects, to try to get them to excrete oil, or at least something that is molecularly similar to crude oil. Normally, insects excrete some of their fatty acids, but with the help of genetic engineering, it is now possible to change that to a crude oil that is pretty much ready for the pump. And now, it only takes a few weeks and $20,000, compared to before, when it took several months of work and hundreds of thousands of dollars to accomplish the same thing. The inventors working on this "Oil2.0" are imagining it as being both renewable and carbon negative, so it will take more carbon out of the atmosphere than it puts in, kind of like celery and it's negative calories. Not only that, these organisms don't rely on any single food source, just anything that's available. This means that any argument of using specific food crops is going headfirst out the window. This idea was first put out in June of 2008, when LS9, the company that is working on the whole thing, could produce about one barrel of oil per week. To this day, they are still improving the machine used for that, and are trying to make it take up less space and produce more usable oil.

Opinion;

Finally! Another way to get energy without causing any harm to the atmosphere. What makes it even better is that the new solution can be used as oil, so cars with oil usage still have a chance at survival. What I can't help thinking of, though, is what the downside will be. Most methods have at least one. As I write that, I realize that of course that the insects are getting harmed, -ish. Since they now spew oil instead of fat, if too much of that gets into a body of water, we'll be back to the BP oil spill- again. God help us if that happens. And scientists are still working on it. But it can't be too much longer until they come out with a new machine that will produce more oil and take up less space. and that will completely change the way we use oil.

Questions;

1. What do you think could happen if we start taking insect excretes for energy?

2. What will happen to the other renewable methods of getting energy if we start to use this more often?

3. Could this have any negative affect on the ecosystem known as Earth?

4. How many people would you guess would choose to scare bugs into excreting oil, then putting it in their car? Or in a factory?

5. Should the EPA and other environment agencies put more money into this project, since it will inevitably affect the environment in both positive and negative ways?

Sites;

http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/five-forms-alternative-energy3.htm

(works for both the info and the picture)

BP Oil Spill

Summery

            It’s finally over! The well has been capped, after the BP oil rig exploded and caught fire April 20^th; in the Gulf of Mexico , causing one of the worst man-made environmental disasters in U.S. history. The federal government officially claimed the well as dead on September 19, 2010. BP drilled a relief well 18,000 ft beneath the surface of the ocean and pumped cement into it. This created a final seal that will prevent any oil or gas from escaping the well. A retired coast guard office, who led the federal spill response, said that the well will cause no more harm to the Gulf of Mexico. Scientists recently found out about a new underwater plume of oil and found a thick layer of oily sediment on the floor of the ocean. This plume stretches for dozens of miles and in all directions, across the sea floor. The oil however is not staying down. It started to resurface and wash up upon the shore of the gulf and the beaches of Florida.  This could very well continue for many years.  Shrimp fishing in the gulf has come to a standstill and even if shrimp are caught, people are refusing to buy. This oil spill is affecting many people’s lives and is horrible. There also have been reports of new illnesses caused by the oil and the chemicals used to clean it up. An upside other than the capping of the well is that microbes are consuming the oil without depleting enough oxygen to create dead zones; which are areas in the ocean that marine life cannot survive in. It is clear that the full extent of the damage done by the oil spill won’t be known for many years; there is no telling what will happen to the animals in the surrounding areas and the long term effects on the species that live there.

Opinion:
                  I think that it is great that the rig is capped that way no more pollution is escaping into the ocean. We still have a huge mess to clean up but at least it isn't going to get any worse. The people who capped it did it great and succeeded. It did take a little bit long but at least the mess can start to be cleaned up. I am very glad that the well is capped.

1. Why did it take so long to cap?

2. How many gallons of oil were released into the ocean?

3. How much damage has been done?

4. How long will it take to clean the rest up?

5. Will we be seeing the affects from this spill forever?

South Africa Iron Age 'threatened'

Summary:

Within the last 7 years, archaeologists have been studying an specific coal mine in South Africa. The studies have shown that if mining continues, it could potentially the World Heritage Site close to where the mine is being developed. When they began studying this area, they found that this site dates back to the Iron Age that occurred about 10,000 years ago. With just over 20,000 people in the area of the mine, they're going to need resources, and it's very dangerous if they continue the developing of the mine. This mine would develop just about 28,000 jobs and it has a chance of not only destroying the land but also getting rid of the history of the Mapungubwe who resided in this exact area.

Questions:

1. What could be done to prevent the destroying of the World Heritage Site?

2. Why do you think that the coal mine could be a potential threat to the site?

3. Why do you think that the developers want to risk building the mine?

4. What type of pollution do you think that the coal mine would cause to the area?

5. What kind of problems could occur due to the pollution?

Summary

In New York City there was a new recycling facility that will cut done on the amount of trucking (the recyclables) by 260,000 miles a year. This will reach two goals set by PlaNYC, the city's long-term sustainability plan, by improving air quality and it will reduce the city’s carbon footprint. The new facility will occupy 100,000 square feet of Sunset Park's 30th Street Pier. It will get its metal, glass and plastic recyclables from Brooklyn, by truck 100 or fewer per day, and the rest from Bronx and Queens, by barge. Robert Kelman, president of commercial development for Sims Metal Management North America, said, "Between the city and our investments, we will be putting approximately $80 million into the 30th Street pier and will utilize the best available technologies from around the world, creating up to 100 new jobs that, with all of our 230 locations around the world, will be good quality jobs that will make an important contribution to the sustainability of our city." There are no objections from nearby communities; they also hope to make learning certain to teach kids about recycling. The facility is expected to open in December 2011, and to generate 100 new jobs. The city's press release adds that the facility is part of the Sunset Park Waterfront Vision Plan, which will see more than $165 million of city funds invested in developing over 3.5 million square feet of waterfront industrial space and improving pedestrian access to the waterfront with 22 acres of new open space. Truck traffic is also expected to be reduced in the region by 70,000 trips annually, and the plan overall is expected to add 11,000 jobs over 10 years.

Opinion

I think this is a great idea. I think it will encourage more people to recycle and it will cut down on carbon pollution. I personally always recycle as mush as I can. Also the fact that it will create more jobs is great. I hope it will bust the economy.

Questions

1.) Is the building really worth the investment?

2.) What is used to power the recycling facility?

3.) How well will this work to help the PlaNYC plans for New York?

4.) Where are the other 229 locations in the world?

Link

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/10/new-recycling-facility-nyc-educate-add-jobs-clean-brooklyn-waterfront.php?campaign=th_rss

As Arctic Warms, Increased Shipping Likely to Accelerate Climate Change

Summary;

As we all know, the polar regions of Earth are melting. This is creating more waterways for ships, which can now travel through the top of the world, but the ships will bring with it air pollution that can accelerate climate changes in the world's northern areas. According to researchers, this could increase the warming by about 17-18 percent. Also, the ships operating near the Arctic are currently using advanced diesel engines that release black carbon into this sensitive region for climate change. This carbon acts like a heater that absorbs sunlight, and they will more quickly melt the ice.

Opinion;

What they are doing makes sense- by going through the Arctic, the ships are moving faster to the continents than by simply going around them, and this could save them fuel. While using less fuel, that's a few less tons of CO2 in the air. However, I still don't think that they should be doing this until we develop a new, greener way to transport goods from one place to the other. This way, we can eventually do this without worrying about melting even more ice, and killing more polar bears. Not only that, but unless the icebergs re-freeze again, Manhattan still has a chance of being completely submerged by the extra water.

Questions;

1- Do you think that what they're doing is a good idea?

2- Is there any way that we can stop the boaters from using this route?

3- How do you think we can reduce the releasing the black carbon?

4- Should the public be aware of this?

5- Which countries/continents would you assume be using this route?

Citations-

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101025161150.htm

(picture also came from this site)

Red-bearded monkey discovered, but faces extinction

Summary:

Recently, they have discovered a new type of monkey in the Amazon Rainforest in South America. Studies have shown that there are only about 250 of them left because of the deforestation occurring in the forest. If this continues then they will go extinct within the time of less than one year. Most scientists had heard of this monkey but had never actually made the discover of it because there's so many animals in the forest. It is now called the Caquetá monkey because it was able to make it's way to habitats through the Caquetá river. When the discovery was made, head of science at Conservation International in Colombia and president of the Colombian Association of Zoology, José Vicente Rodrígue, stated "This discovery is particulary important becayse it reminds of that we should celebrate the diversity of Earth but also we much take action now to preserve it."

Opinion:

I definitely think that if people don't think about what they're doing, most of the animals in the Amazon Rainforest are going to begin becoming endangered and/or become extinct. Much of the oxygen that we have on Earth comes from the forest. And much of the diversity of animals resides in the Amazon. The people working on it are destroying everything. Knowing that there's only about 250 of these monkeys left is devastating to me. I definitely think that people should more to try and change it.

Questions:

1. What do you think people can do to make a difference?

2. What can be done to help the monkeys?

3. How do you think that these monkeys were discovered after so long?

4. Why do you think that no one is taking charge for this?

5. Why do you think that so much deforestation is occuring?

Pakistan Faces Flooding Due to Global Climate Change

                 A new indicator has joined the century-long rise in temperature to signal that the planet's climate is changing: the global water cycle is speeding up. With global warming the earth’s temperature is rising and the ice caps are melting. In the past 12 years 18% more water is being added to the oceans.  The findings, which appear in this week's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, say that the amount of water running off the land toward the sea is expanding by roughly one Mississippi River each year. This is adding a ton more water to the sea. The amount of extra water might sound like a good thing but it is in areas where no more water is needed. Why is the water cycle speeding up? As the atmosphere warms from the extra amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that are being added to the atmosphere, it can hold more moisture. As a result, more water evaporates from the oceans, leading to thicker clouds that then dump more rainfall over the land. That heavier-than-normal rain can then cause massive flooding as it runs back toward the sea, where the cycle repeats itself.


Opinion:
               I think that it is horrible that pakistan is facing these horrible floods. We caused this mess and i can't help feeling somewhat responsible for what is going on. I hope that we can fix the problem of global warming and fix these floods. If this keeps going on we are going to drown. The continents will flood eventually and we would have wished that we took action sooner. We as a planet all need to contribute and help the earth. 

1. When will this slow down?
2. Will the water engulf the whole nation of  pakistan?
3. How much time will we have if that happens? 
4. what can we do to stop this problem?
5. Is it slowing down or accelerating?

Summery

MTA has created something they call “Bus Roots. These are buses, which on the top of them, have “green roofs”. This will add a lot more green space to New York City (where green roots is located). This was the idea of a NYU graduate named Marco Castro Cosio to " ’reclaim forgotten space, increase quality of life and grow the amount of green spaces’ in New York City.” To understand what a good idea it is here are some facts “A public transit bus has a surface of 340 square feet. The MTA fleet has around 4,500 buses. If we grew a garden on the roof of every one of the 4,500 buses in the MTA bus fleet, we would have 35 acres of new rolling green space in the city. The equivalent to Four Bryant Parks.” This idea won place at the DesignWala Grand Idea Competition. For 5 months a prototype has been driving around New York and other close by states like Ohio.

Opinion

I think that this is a great idea. I think it would look nice on all they buses. At first it seemed like a silly idea but after reading this I think it’s pretty smart. I don’t think I would ever come up with such an idea (not saying it’s bad because it’s not).

Questions

1) What made Marco think of this idea?

2) Will it catch on with other people?

3) How many buses with be like this?

4) Will other buses companies follow this example?

5) Does it really help the environment?

EPA comes down hard on Chesapeake Bay Cleanup

By Curtis Sumner

Summary: EPA has just been disciplining five U.S. states that have been treating the Chesapeake Bay like garbage, using garbage. Over the past 27 years they have ignored warnings to stop polluting, however they continue to be stubborn. On Friday September 24th, Virginia, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Delaware and New York have been given the ultimatum of November 29th to change their ways, or suffer the consequences. These 5 states provide more than 70% of pollution in Chesapeake Bay, causing numerous dead zones. If the states ignore the ultimatum, the EPA has promised to impose economically expensive rules that could increase the price on many important things. This action is a result of the order that Obama issued in May last year, which gave the EPA more power, and now the states are pushing back because of it.

Opinion. What is wrong with those places!?!? This has been going on since 1983, and has to stop. What's really scary, for me, is the fact that P.A. is getting punished, too. But I guess that gives us freshmen a good topic for our Grad Project. It's a shame that the EPA has not been able to do anything about this issue, without the power to reinforce any orders made, but thanks to Obama, that's over. I think that the EPA can do a lot more with this newfound power, they just need to find a way to use it. As for the 5 states, I have nothing but shame for them. They have had 27 years to stop polluting. 27 years! And we're part of one of the states! We've got to do something about it now, before it gets out of hand.

Questions;

1.How do you think the states will continue to react to EPA's demands?

2.Is there anything that we as students can do to help?

3. Why do you think that those 5 states have ignored this issue for so long?

4.Why do you think Obama gave the EPA more power, in a way?

5. Do you think that the states will make this kind of mistake again, after the EPA's ultimatum?

Citing;

http://environment.about.com/

http://steelbuildingshq.com/chesapeake-bay-bridge-tunnel/

Wildfire Flares in Southern California

Summary:


On Sunday September 12, a giant wildfire sprung up west of Bodfish, in Southern California's Kern County. The fire spread to about 3000 acres, and the fire department said that they were only able to contain about 10 percent of the flames. It still burns, but there are about 500 people fighting it, plus eight tankers and multiple fire trucks. There have been no injuries reported and no structures damaged, which is good. Evacuations have also been ordered in the area. The authorities are still investigating the cause, so we'll know for sure soon.





Opinion:


This could turn out to be a big problem for California if they don't douse those flames. According to the authorities, they still have a long way to go. As for how did it come up, I'd say that it was probably climate; it's close to the equator, so the temperature is higher down there than it is up here, at least, and there might not have been much rain in that region for a while- if there was, then the fire wouldn't be so much of a problem. Perhaps one method of stopping the fire is cutting down the trees around the area and digging a trench around it; without anywhere to go, the fire would be much easier to extinguish.



Citing:

http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/cnn_topstories/~3/kflWE9vbgtg/index.html
http://www.sunvalleyfiredepartment.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/wildfire-boise-ga.jpg



Questions;


1) How could this fire have been avoided?


2) Do you think that this fire will have a negative effect on the atmosphere/climate in the area?


3) How would you try to prevent the fire from spreading, and douse it?


4) Do you think that more wildfires will occur in that area before this year is over?

Answers to questions- Curtis Sumner

1. The strategy that the farmers thought of might work, but it could also backfire. If they annoy the boars too much, then they might just turn around and attack.

2. They probably won't stop hunting, because with the big increase in wild boar population, that means that many more opportunities for food and hide.

3. The more space a species has, the more it reproduces. The boars may have lived in a large prairie for a while and the population grew. Like the article said, the regrowth of the forest probably doesn't help the matter. As for how they came around so fast, the only thing I can say is that some animals breed faster than others. Plus, with the reforestation, they have had a lot more to eat lately.

4. Boars should have many natural predators in the wild, mainly big cats (i.e. lions, cougars, leopards, etc.) and mankind. But, obviously, they haven't helped.

Chinese Villagers Try to Annoy Away Invasive Boars

Summary

Farmers in china’s eastern province of Zhejiang have been facing a big problem with wild boars. The wilds boars have been cause many problems that involve crop damage, tourist industry, and a danger to all. After fail attempts to kill and scare off the baor the locals have come up with an idea to use vuvuzelas and karaoke (sound makers) to “annoy the wild boar away. In the last ten years the wild boar population has gone up an estimated five times from 30,000 to 150,000, this is most likely a result of the increase in reforestation over the last two decades. With more boar human and boar interaction has heightened the boar have been eaten crop and in the last decade have killed 22 people an injured another 188 others. The first attempt to control this problem was to hunt 10,000 boars but that was able to do much. So then they tried to scare them away with fireworks, booby-trap, and even bombs. Now a small group of 23 farmers have came together to protect their farmers and keep the boar away with vuvuzelas and karaoke for a “humane” way of keeping them away.

Opinion

I think that the province of Zhejiang is in trouble. I think more hunting should be used to take care of the problem. This way there is less boars, more meat, and boar skin to make things with everyone wins. I have herd about wild boar in America doing the same thing that theses boar near and around Zhejiang. I have seen how bad it is here so I can’t image how bad it is in china.

Question

I wonder how this strategy is going to work out for the farmers?

Have they stopped trying to hunt the boar?

How it is even possible for an animal to breed like that, how did they so many come around so fast?

Doesn’t the boar have any predators that will keep this problem under control?

This article was found on the tree hugger blog and here is a link to the exact article.