SCI/275 Final

The Addiction At present, the worlds primary sources of energy are derived from nonrenewable and destructive sources. In America, though the story of nonrenewable energy use is older, the story of our addiction essentially begins with the Standard Oil Trust more than a century ago. Between the mid to late 1800s, there existed an oil commodities market that acted, in a sense, as a selfregulator. By the late 1800s Standard Oil was the largest producer of crude oil in America and Europe (Frank, 2009). In 1895 Standard Oils purchasing agent, Seep Agency, stopped basing their pricing off the oil commodities market, effectively ending the market; even though, the market was considered quite successful in regulating pricing (Brown & Partridge, 1998). Coupled with the advent of the automobile, crude oil became part of our everyday vocabulary and the addiction set in. This is understandable considering that at the time, human knowledge and understanding had not fully realized the hazards of using fossil fuels. As a species, we had not yet developed the understanding and ability to harness the power of the sun and wind. We did not have an understanding yet of the potential of geothermal energy. Today however, we do. We now know how to produce almost limitless clean energy from wind, solar, and geothermal technologies to name a few. Unfortunately, instead of embracing the amazing ingenuity of the human mind and all of its accomplishments, we wait. At the time of this writing, the state of Connecticut is the first state to vote to establish a green bank program. The purpose of this type of program is to help start-up green technology companies get the funding they need for their first-of-a-kind industries that include among other technologies, clean and renewable fuels (Lacey, 2011, Connecticut Passes). At the same

SCI/275 Final time the governor of New Jersey, cut renewable energy goals and increased subsidies to the natural gas industry in the state (Johnson, 2011). In America, there is little to no formally accepted plan that addresses the climate crisis as it relates to the extraction, refining, and use of fossil fuels and nuclear as energy sources. There does exist even still, many groups and organizations pushing for more strict controls over the fossil fuel industries as well as a big push for much larger scale use of sustainable and renewable sources of energy such as solar and wind to address the immediate problem of human caused global climate change. At our current rate of energy consumption, we

are using the equivalent of 1.5 Earths (Friedman, 2011). These newer technologies, some say, are our only hope to reducing that statistic. The Problems with Nonrenewable Energies Virtually the whole of the industrialized world and beyond fossil fuels as the source of energy for everything from the cars we drive to our municipal power supplies. There is of course one exception: nuclear power, which is fraught with its own innate problems. Simply defined, fossil fuels are decayed organic matter deposited in the ground. The process takes thousands and even millions of years to take place. Fossil fuels most commonly take the form of coal, fuel oil (crude, etc.), or natural gas. Recent studies have been done regarding coal-fired energy plants. The Environmental Defense Fund has found that 25 coal power plants are responsible for roughly 30% of the energy sectors mercury contaminations, while only producing 8% of the electricity (Energy Interns, June 2011). Effects of mercury exposure vary depending on type and dose. The effects include

SCI/275 Final tumors, nervous system failure, and skin rashes, to name a few (Environmental Protection agency, 2011).

Mountaintop removal mining is one of the most destructive methods of extracting coal from the earth in use today. This method of mining is the process of blowing the tops off mountain ranges, taking the coal, and filling the adjacent river valleys with the unwanted leftover dirt and rock.

(Corbit, 2010)

As cited by Joe Romm of Think Progress, according to an article in the journal Science, written by 11 experts in related fields, the chemicals used throughout the mining process, have dangerous affects on living organisms. Toxic ions and metals are deposited in the ground and water supply as a valley is filled with the waste from the mining operations (Romm, 2010). The most common fossil fuel in use today would be Petroleum (crude oil). Crude oil is found deep beneath the earths surface either as a solid or as liquid. Petroleum refining is the

SCI/275 Final process of removing impurities to varying degrees and adding certain additives to make many

products in regular use today. Some of these products include ethanol, plastics, rubber, latex, and even formaldehyde (Ophardt, 2003). Formaldehyde, which is commonly found in plastics and other household goods, has recently been classified by the United States Department of Health and Human Services as a carcinogen. Another product derived from petroleum, in common use in households throughout America, and which was recently classified as a carcinogen: styrene (Lawrence, 2011). Natural gas is often looked at as a viable alternative to petroleum and coal; however, it is equally dangerous and finite. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is the method used to extract gas from deep within the earth. Fracking entails drilling a borehole down to a given depth, then pumping water, gases, and chemicals at high pressures to fracture the bedrock, releasing the gas trapped within. The problem with this is that much of the wastewater, gases, and chemicals are left in the ground, which then find their way into water reservoirs. Recently, scientists have reported finding direct connections between fracking operations and certain municipalities drinking water becoming flammable because of high levels of methane (West, 2011). The innate problems involved with the extraction and refining of fossil fuels aside, the burning of those fuels is arguably even more dangerous. While many of the problems related to extraction and refining are localized generally around the given operation, the use of that fuel is spread around the world and is occurring on a perpetual basis. Burned fossil fuels release aerosol particles into the atmosphere, directly affecting the solar radiation reflectivity of clouds. Solar radiation is reflected back into space by clouds. This is typically good, as too much solar radiation would be deleterious to life on the planet. Unfortunately, we have begun to reflect too much radiation back into space, resulting in a cooling effect (Science Daily, 2004).

SCI/275 Final In a recent report published in the science journal Nature, a team of scientists has proven a direct connection to between the burning of fossil fuels and increased reflectivity of clouds. This however, will not have a measurable effect on global warming occurring do to the

release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere (Science Daily, 2004). Humanity and the Earth are being affected by the use of fossil fuels from both ends. The use of these fuels is both cooling and warming the planet. The effects play out as extreme drought and dust bowl conditions in some areas of the planet, while other areas such as northern South America see much higher than average rain that leaves devastation and loss of life (CNN Wire Staff, 2011). It seems clear that the extraction, refining, and use of fossil fuels result often in the destruction of ecosystems from local to continental and even global proportions. Renewable Energies as Therapy Technologies such as wind and solar, hold the key to solving our energy needs as well as addressing the needs of the environment. For a long time now, humanity has effectively poisoned our environment. When someone is poisoned, it is not enough simply to let the poison run its course. Instead, steps are taken to counter the poison and make the person well. We, those who have done these things, must take responsibility for the state of our environment. The first step is to embrace those technologies that provide near limitless energy with no waste associated. Photovoltaic energy, or solar, is the method of generating electricity via light. Certain substances absorb light photons and release electrons. Captured electrons lead to the production of electricity. A thin semiconductor wafer, or cell, is used toward this end. Multiple cells group to form a module and multiple modules group to form an array (Knier, 2002).

SCI/275 Final Solar Mosaic initiatives are generally collaborative efforts on behalf of a community, solar companies, and local governments. The idea is that taxpayers agree to buy an initial set of

panels, or a tile, the tiles are installed on government buildings, or churches for example, which generally have broad, flat roofs. The electricity owned by taxpayers is bought back from them until they are paid back. All moneys generated after the initial payback goes to installing more tiles (Solar Mosaic, 2011). The key is that by buying panels in bulk, the costs are further reduced. In fact, the costs of solar have steadily gone down. The same concept of a mosaic can be applied to wind energy as well. Wind energy is method of using wind-spun turbines of various sizes and dimensions to generate electricity. States like Indiana have begun to use wind energy to supply portions of the larger power grid. The United States Department of Energy (USDE) considers wind to be an energy resource. Officials use maps that mark average wind speeds, to place more suitably the giant wind turbines used to generate electricity on that scale. The map employs a rating system from one to four and is based on the average wind speed at a height of 50 above the ground (U.S. Department of Energy, 2011). An argument exists that the cost is more than can be taken on at this time. This is simply not the case as is explained in an article written by Stephen Lacey of Think Progress. According to economic trends and forecasts, as is displayed in several graphs released, costs of solar energy are at times cheaper than fossil fuels or even nuclear, due to technological advancements. In fact, 17 nuclear power plants worth of solar electricity was shipped bought and installed in 2010. According to experts, it could take up to a decade to bring just a singular nuclear plant online (Lacey, 2011, Solar is Ready).

SCI/275 Final We as a species are intelligent enough to develop the tools necessary to fix the problems and break the addiction to nonrenewable energies. Solar, wind, and other technologies not mentioned, such as geothermal can provide clean, safe, and near limitless energy for all of us. Choosing to use these technologies will allow us to begin to repair what we can of Earth and develop a future of general peace and prosperity for all humanity.

SCI/275 Final References Brown, J., & Partridge, M. (1998). The Death of a Market: Standard Oil and the Demise of 19th Century Crude Oil Exchanges. Review of Industrial Organization, 13(5), 569-587. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

CNN Wire Staff. (April 25, 2011). Colombian president calls for unity as country struggles with floods. Retrieved from http://articles.cnn.com/2011-0425/world/colombia.rain.floods_1_torrential-rains-colombian-presidentfloods?_s=PM:WORLD Corbit, P. (January 7, 2010). Photo of an aerial view of a southern WV MTM/VF. Retrieved from http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2010/01/07/205313/science-clean-coal-mountaintopmining-removal/ FRANK, A. (2009). The Petroleum War of 1910: Standard Oil, Austria, and the Limits of the Multinational Corporation. American Historical Review, 114(1), 16-41. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Energy Interns. (June 10, 2011). Do You Live Near One of the Top 25 Dirtiest Coal Plants?. Retrieved from http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2011/06/10/242245/do-you-live-near-oneof-the-top-25-dirtiest-coal-plants/

SCI/275 Final Environmental Protection agency. (2011). Mercury Health Effects. Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/mercury/effects.htm Friedman, T.L. (June 7, 2011). The Earth Is Full. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/08/opinion/08friedman.html?_r=2 Johnson, B. (June 8, 2011). Chris Christie Continues Koch Binge, Slashes Renewable Targets. Retrieved from http://thinkprogress.org/green/2011/06/08/239500/chris-christiecontinues-koch-binge-slashes-renewable-targets/

Knier, G. (2002). How do Photovoltaics Work?. Retrieved from http://science.nasa.gov/sciencenews/science-at-nasa/2002/solarcells/ Lacey, S. (June 9, 2011). Connecticut Passes Americas First Full Green Bank, Proving Clean Energy is a Bipartisan Issue. Retrieved from http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2011/06/09/240624/connecticut-passesamerica%E2%80%99s-first-full-%E2%80%98green-bank%E2%80%99-proving-cleanenergy-is-a-bipartisan-issue/ Lacey, S. (June 9, 2011). Solar is Ready Now: Ferocious Cost Reductions Make Solar PV Competitive. Retrieved from http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2011/06/09/241120/solar-isready-now-%E2%80%9Cferocious-cost-reductions-make-solar-pv-competitive/

SCI/275 Final Lawrence, R.G. (June 14, 2011). Government Lists Formaldehyde as a Known Carcinogen. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robyn-griggs-lawrence/formaldehydecarcinogen_b_876115.html Ophardt, C. (2003). Virtual Chembook Petrochemical. Retrieved from http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/vchembook/325petrochem.html Romm, J. (January 7, 2010). Science bombshell explodes myth of clean coal: Mountaintop mining permits are being issued despite the preponderance of scientific evidence that

10

impacts are pervasive and irreversible and that mitigation cannot compensate for losses.. Retrieved from http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2010/01/07/205313/science-clean-coalmountaintop-mining-removal/. Science Daily. January 19, 2004). Burning Fossil Fuels Has A Measurable Cooling Effect On The Climate. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/01/040119082910.htm Solar Mosaic. (2011). Together we can all go solar. Retrieved from http://solarmosaic.com/. U.S. Department of Energy. (2011). Indiana 50-Meter Wind Resource Map. Retrieved from http://www.windpoweringamerica.gov/where_is_wind_indiana.asp

SCI/275 Final West, L. (2011). What is Fracking, Hydrofracking or Hydraulic Fracturing?. Retrieved from

11

http://environment.about.com/od/healthenvironment/f/What-Is-Fracking-HydrofrackingOr-Hydraulic-Fracturing.htm.