Natural Gas Investment

              Natural gas is a source that has positives and negatives.  Even though it is inexpensive and better for the air, it has many problems that should be looked at.  Natural gas is risky and needs to be supervised when used.  There are five rules that need to be followed when using natural gas.  If one of these rules is not followed, then the government could pay more to fix the problems that were created than what they paid for the natural gas.  For example, Hal Harvey states, "Bad well casings allow gas to leak into the aquifer."  People's water could become contaminated if wells are not built strong and effectively.  If any water was contaminated, then the government would have to focus on purifying the water.  This risk factor could harm the environment and be costly.  Another risk is finding places to drill and using the right tools for the job.  For example, the article states, "We need to zone the natural gas development so that it is kept out of ecologically important areas, and we need strong drilling, operating..." Drilling also could be costly because heavy duty drills are needed which would be more expensive than a regular drill.  In today's world, we are trying to be green and become more cautious about hurting the environment.  Everybody is trying to pitch in to make the world cleaner.  For example, some cars run on electricity,and lights and water should be turned off when not being used.  These are some actions that are being taken to preserve energy.  However, the atmosphere is still being polluted and natural gas could contribute to the pollution.  Hal Harvey added the statistic that states, "One molecule of leaked gas contributes as much to global warming as 25 molecules of burned gas."  This could impact global warming and increase pollution.  The government is working on new technology to make the air cleaner and using the gas could destroy the hard work.  When leaks occur, money would be wasted and the world would decline in the progress it was making to make the Earth better.  So, even though it is an inexpensive source, there is a good possibility that additional money would be needed to resolve any unexpected situations.  I feel that it could possibly work but a well-thought out plan is needed first.  The government needs a thought out plan on how it won't pollute the environment before taking action.

"Amish Project" article

If I was Jack Reilly, I would probably play more sports and do outside activities.  I feel like students today sit too much and don't get enough exercise.  I would make sure to get plenty of fresh air and try to plan activities that I have never done before.  I would hang out with more of my friends and plan group activities.  I feel like it would be hard in the beginning but slowly become easier.  Jack Reilly thought of creative and fun ways to fill his time.  It was funny reading this article because I was comparing how much I use the social network.  Since I don't have a Facebook or any other social media sites and I barely use my cell phone my mom calls me a "very dysfunctional teenager."  So, I think it would be pretty hard for Jack Reilly who uses the social media constantly.

Dmitri Mendeleev Short Story

January 16, 1874
One of my lifetime goals was to become a reporter, which became a realty today.  It was not easy because many people believed I wouldn't even be able to attain a job because I am a woman. My father would say, "Elizabeth White, a reporter is a man's job."   
My first assignment with the St. Petersburg News is to interview Mr.Dmitri Mendeleev.  He is a Professor of General Chemistry at the University of St.Petersburg.  Mr. Mendeleev's latest invention is the The Periodic Table of Elements.


January 24, 1874
Today I headed over to Mr. Mendeleev's office.  I felt very confident and thought how exciting it was going to be to meet him. Mr. Mendeleev was kind enough to sit down with me and talk about his work in progress on the table.
"So, what can you tell me about your latest invention - The Periodic Table of Elements.  How is it organized?"
"Well, the table lists all the known elements according to the increase in atomic weights.  They are organized in horizontal rows, which creates a pattern.  The sixty elements are grouped together that possess similar properties."  
"Why are there blanks in the table?"  
"I have left blanks in the table, so when new discoveries are made they can be fit into the chart.  This chart helps to show the relationships between elements and how they are different to others," says Mendeleev.  
"And what do you hope to accomplish in the future?"
"I hope in the future that new elements will be discovered and added to this chart.  Here is a drawing of the periodic table."

"Thank you so much for that sneak peak of the periodic table.  I appreciate the time that you shared with us for the St. Petersburg News."

After we finished reading the original journal entries of Elizabeth White,  our science teacher, Mrs. Blackstone, showed us the finalized periodic table.  It was amazing to see how the table improved from the 1800's to now.  It is definitely more complex and has a lot more elements.  This helps us expand our learning in chemistry but also the world.

   

Electrons Poem

Electrons aren't very nice
They are as cold as ice
Their charge is negative one
With a mass of none
They run around the nucleus all day
With Atomic Obitals hurring them on their way
The periodic table splits into four parts
That have a number of electrons in their hearts
By remembering this poem
Will help you know em
And on a test
You will do your best!

Solar Energy

One of the sources in the world where we get our energy from is the sun.  The energy we get from the sun is called solar energy.  This is a renewable energy that is used throughout the world.  Solar energy can be used to heat your home, generate electricity, heat water, light your home, and dry your clothes.  Homes can be heated by using a passive solar design or an active solar heating system.  A passive solar design allows the wall, windows, and floors to collect, store, and distribute solar energy in the form of heat in the winter.  In the summer it will reject solar heat.  An active solar heating system allows either air or water to be heated by solar energy in a collector.  Once it is heated, the heat will transfer directly to the space of the house where it is needed.  In today's technology there are semiconductors that are designed in cell phones, radios, calculators, etc.  The semiconductor will use solar energy to make them function.  A semiconductor is a thin layer of material that can produce electricity but requires some effort.  In the thin layer, there are electrons lined up.  The sunlight will push one of the electrons out of the line.  This will cause the other electrons to move forward to fill in the gap.  There are other ways to conduct electricity but on a larger scale.  Many companies use concentrating solar power plants or photovoltaic panels.   Concentrating solar power plants are mirrors that reflect and focus the sun's rays, providing heat, which helps power generators.  Photovoltaic panels are usually on rooftops or buildings.  Photovoltaic panels collect photovoltaic (solar) cells that can be converted into electricity.
           Solar energy is a good renewable energy that the world should use.  The sun will never go away and we will always have it to use. Therefore, I support solar energy. While reading an article in "The New York Times" the negative effects of solar energy were discussed.  Many feel it is too expensive and would rather use fossil fuels because it is less expensive.  However, the burning of coal creates greenhouse gases that damage the environment; i.e. global warming.  If the U.S could find an inexpensive way to build the solar panels, then more people would support them.  Unfortunately, many businesses are going bankrupt, so the production of solar panels comes to a halt.  China, on the other hand, is a dominant player in green energy.  They are setting up a lot of solar panels to create solar energy.  Since their government is different from ours many businesses are being paid by the government.  Companies are getting free land to put the panels on, which is making China a hard competitor to compete with.  If only the U.S could make room for solar panels and follow China.  Right now, the only state with the most solar panels is California.  In the future most states should be using solar energy in order to create a cleaner environment.  

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/energy-environment/solar-energy/index.html

Nuclear Reactor Risk Assessment

1.  Iran, Mexico, and California have placed nuclear reactors in dangerous areas.

2.  The people who built the nuclear reactors did not look at the earthquake risks.  Some people did not think it was dangerous to put a nuclear reactor on a major fault line.  The major fault lines could move at anytime and disrupt the nuclear reactors.  I think people will look at the Japan crisis and think where they should put their nuclear reactors.  By doing this they will prevent a potential problem that could happen.

3.  I think Groundwater Leaks Reported is the most dangerous.  The nuclear power plants have reported a past spill, leak or other inadvertent release of radioactively contaminated water to the environment.  This could potentially contaminate the public water, which could make people sick.  In Dothan, Alabama there is a Joseph M. Farley unit 1 that has groundwater leaks reported.

4.  The nuclear reactors that are dangerously close to the earthquake epicenter are in California.  I think they should be shut down considering how many earthquakes California gets.  It's only a matter of time when a huge earthquake comes through and destroys them.  The reactors that will probably get hit are in San Clemente, California.  They are right on the major fault lines and are at major risks.

Energy

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2080176,00.html

The article I chose was about solar energy and the financing for the projects.  There has been a 66% increase of solar power installations in the U.S and more are coming.  Obama Administration and other companies have given loans to people to put up photovolaic panels on commercial buildings, which will create 10,000 jobs.  However, the loans are falling short and the administrations will cut the people off.  This creates a big problem for the solar energy projects because if they lose money they will take a step backward.  Many companies want solar energy panels but the green groups will have to work faster to keep their loan.