Diana Magnay, Frederick Pleitgen, Emily Chang and Jennifer Eccleston
Freiburg, Germany, is in the midst of an environmental revolution. The city is known to have converted its sources of energy from fossil fuels to solar panels. Citizens of Freiburg are running on solar energy these days. The stadiums are also run by solar energy and energy from woodchips. It is said that these people are producing more energy than using it, and use the extra to create utilities and such. However, this new method of energy consumption has led to a world-wide shortage on silicon, the material used for solar panels. However, people have rediscovered a new way to insulate houses. By filling the walls with clay covered hay-bundles, people have found it easier to keep the heat in. On top of that, Beijing, China, is also undergoing the process of an environmental revolution. The Chinese government is planning to change Beijing into an eco-city, the first of its kind. And it does not stop there. Different cities all over the world are also thinking about changing their source of energy from non-renewable to renewable, in order to make the world a cleaner place.
I think that it is a very postive step forward that cities all over the world are changing their source of energy. Freiburg for one seems to be the leader in this transtion as of now. I've always known of solar panels but never knew they could be so productive. If everyone made more energy than they used, then energy shortages would no longer be a problem. But as the article stated, silicon is now on shortage world-wide. However, the article also said there are different ways to conserve heat. Clay covered hay-bundles are new to me and I find them an interesting and efficient way to conserve heat and energy. I also think Beijing's environmental change will bring new positive differences, considering that China is one of the biggest pollution emitters with all the factories. As for the other cities, I think that if more and more cities join in on the revolution, it will bring a whole new generation of technology and energy shortages will be a thing of the past.
Questions:
1.) How long do you think it will take for the whole world to convert over to renewable energy sources (not just solar but hydroelectric, geothermal, etc.)?
2.) What are some problems to a new source of energy?
3.) What are your thoughts on the idea of clay covered hay-bundles?
Sorry, forgot the URL:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/07/02/ecocities/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29
Solar panels have become a lot more common in our world today. So many people have been getting them to save energy and also save some money for them in the long run. This idea of converting entire cities with solar panels seems like a great idea to me. I love the idea of solar energy and I think it is a great way to save our environment. If the entire city had solar panels they would be making more energy then they needed to produce which would solve our energy crisis that we have today. Although this seems like a great idea many people could be very nervous to try this out. From what I know, solar panels are very expensive even though they do pay for themselves in the long run. Our economy just isn't good enough for our environmental desires to go into action. The scientific reason for not being able to do this is the fact that we could run out of silicon, the material used for solar panels. Even though there are some things holding us back, I think that if our cities came together we could truly make a huge difference in our world today. This article reminded me of my neighborhood right now. My neighbor recently bought solar panels for their house. I am very curious to know how much the initial cost was and how much they are possibly saving.
ReplyDeleteAnswer to question 1:
I think it is very hard to tell exactly when our world will be willing to convert over to renenewable energy sources but I think the time is coming soon. After our economy goes back up I think some people will be willing to drop some dollars for the better good. So many studies are becoming more and more popular that show we don't have a lot of time left with our fossil fuels. Maybe in around 50 years or so most cities will be ready to be converted.
I agree with Insung that solar panels are a very positive step forward. Non-renewable resources are becoming increasingly more scarce and prices are sky-rocketing. Because of this, renewable resources are a great solution to our energy problems. Although solar power is causing a shortage of some materials, I believe this will be overcome since scientists are researching ways to use our resources more effectively. When I used to see solar panels around on houses, it was a shock. Nowadays, I see solar panels used much more often. Many of my neighbors down the shore have utilized this technology since once the initial payment is made, a lot of money can be saved in the long run. In the near future, I believe solar panels will be widely used.
ReplyDeleteAnswer to Question 1:
I believe that the whole world will not transfer over to renewable resources until the last moment possible. Once prices for non-renewable resources begin to sky-rocket because of their scarcity, the population will switch over. At this point, most people are unwilling to give up their reliable sources. In addition to this, many people do not have the means to invest in the high priced renewable resources. I think that renewable resources will be used by a lot of people soon, but will not become a worldly occurence until absolutely necessary.
I like that Freiburg is taking a big step forward and using a renewable resource to power their town. Using solar panels instead of fossil fuels is a great example of what all towns around the world should be trying to do. I think that the silicone shortages will be a problem. Solar panels need to be conserved and taken care of because silicone is nonrenewable. Even thought the silicone might be a problem in the future, I believe that solar panels should be used as much as possible to be more green.
ReplyDeleteHere is a cool picture of what the air force academy's solar farm looks like.http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/US-Air-Force-Academy-to-Build-3MW-Solar-Farm-05676/