Energy of the future

 Joey Fernandez

4/24/12

(Author's note: This is my science piece on energy from algae)

            Algae are commonly referred to as pond scum. People don’t think much of it.  Algae are plants that contain a high amount of natural oil. Researchers today are finding out that they can make biodiesel fuel from this oil, and that algae is one of the fastest growing plants on earth. It is being called “The ultimate in renewable energy” (Algae: ‘The ultimate in renewable energy’, 2008).  Being able to make a lot of oil in a short amount of time gives algae the potential to surpass crude oil and become one of the world’s largest energy producers.

            One of the best things about algae oil is that it is a very practical energy source. It is clean, so it won’t contribute to global warming. Algae are also very versatile; we can grow it almost anywhere in the world. It can be grown in almost any pond, but "A pond has a limited amount of surface area for solar absorption," (Algae: 'The ultimate in renewable energy', 2008). Algae oil is grown in vertical chambers for optimum solar absorption, so it not found, therefore it is a renewable resource. Algae oil is one of the few energy sources that is both clean, and efficient.

            Energy production isn’t the only use for algae. It can be used in a variety of ways. Algae are a food for many types of fish, but humans can eat it too. It is used commercially in many health care products. Algae also are a natural filter, so it is used to clean polluted bodies of water. Algae can get stop pollutants being used, and clean up the damage they already have done.

            It seems that algae oil is the perfect clean energy source, but right now it has one major flaw, it is very expensive. While you may think four dollars a gallon for gas is through the roof, algae oil costs about thirty dollars a gallon. Algae can grow anywhere, but the problem is harvesting it. Scientists haven’t yet found a way to do this cheap and efficiently. However, scientists project that they will keep coming up with technology to help with this problem. It will take another five to ten years until we can actually use algae oil as an energy source practically, but once we get around this problem, algae oil will be used as a very viable resource.

            Algae oil is a great idea and should defiantly be invested in. With all the big oil companies harming the environment, we need a source of clean energy that is reliable and practical. I think algae oil will be the answer or at least a key piece to solving the energy crisis. We may not use it now, but when the technology comes out; I believe algae will become one of the top energy sources.

           

Bibliography

Algae: 'The ultimate in renewable energy'. (2008, April 1). Retrieved April 20, 2012, from cnn: http://articles.cnn.com/2008-04-01/tech/algae.oil_1_algae-research-fossil-fuels-nrel/2?_s=PM:TECH

Bushwick, S. (2012, January 27). Micro-Bubbles Cut Cost of Algae-Derived Biofuel. Retrieved April 19, 2012, from scientificamerican: http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=microbubbles-cut-cost-of-algae-deri-12-01-27

Marine algae seen as ideal biofuel source. (2012, April 3). Retrieved April 19, 2012, from UPI: http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2012/04/03/Marine-algae-seen-as-ideal-biofuel-source/UPI-48521333493352/

Uses of Algae. (2007). Retrieved April 23, 2012, from Infoplease: http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/sci/A0856558.html

Walton, M. (2008, April 1). Algae: 'The ultimate in renewable energy'. Retrieved April 2012, 2012, from CNN: http://articles.cnn.com/2008-04-01/tech/algae.oil_1_algae-research-fossil-fuels-nrel?_s=PM:TECH

Moods in writing pieces

Every writing piece ever written has a mood. Moods set the feeling and determine how the piece is read. People sometimes see moods differently when reading poems, but when music is added and poems become lyrics, the mood is much more defined. The mood is the part of the piece that people will never forget. All writing pieces are affected by the mood the author creates.

Many poems are light and happy, while others are dark and gloomy. The mood helps allows you to describe poems with adjectives with feeling. For example, some poems about cozy fires in a cabin in the middle of winter makes you feel warm or a rainy scene of people mourning over something makes you feel sad and cold. Without a mood, poems wouldn’t have any effect on anybody.

When poems are turned into songs, the most challenging part is finding the instrumental background. When songs are made, they want to reflect the mood on the pace and music. If a sad song about death, heartbreak, or failure had an upbeat tempo, it would make it seem that the song was happy, especially if the artist sang it fast and happy too. Moods are the most important part of a poem, and if it doesn’t match with everything else, the poem will seem very contradicting.

            Moods are the soul of any story. If a mood is changed, the story changes drastically. If The Giver had the mood of happy and worry free, it would be a much different book. The mood has the power to shape stories around them. Without a mood, there can’t be a connection between a reader and the book.

            Moods are the voice of the piece. They are the things that communicate feeling to the reader. Without moods, writing would be lifeless and easily forgettable. Each piece has their own unique mood. If this mood was changed, the piece changes drastically. I’m believe that the mood is the most influential part of any piece.

Poems and Songs

The first one sounds happy because of the tone of the instruments. It had a happy feel, even though the poem is about longing for something. The second song however, is very slow and sad. The instruments make it seem dark and gloomy. It is obvious that adding instruments can easily change the tone of a poem. The tone of a song can have the same effect as the lyrics itself.

Nuclear Energy

            What do you think of when you hear the term nuclear? War? Bombs? Destruction? It actually could be a clean and renewable energy that can sustain our country for a long time. Many people are against nuclear energy because of the possibility of an accident and fallout, but I believe America could use this resource to help lower the country’s dependence on foreign oil and fossil fuels.

            When you see a nuclear power plant you think that it is hurting the environment because of the giant cooling tower with smoke coming out of it, but that “smoke’ is actually only vapor which is harmless. Nuclear waste is defiantly harmful, but the output of it is low, and can be properly contained. Ronald Regan even said “All the waste in a year from a nuclear power plant can be stored under a desk.” We need uranium to make nuclear energy, but if our mining technologies continue to improve, our supply should last us roughly 60,000 more years. It is defiantly more reliable for the future that most other energy sources.

            Building nuclear power plants aren’t cheap, but the energy obtained from one will defiantly pay for itself over time. They are cheap to operate, and the energy they produce is cheaper than coal and other fossil fuels. Nuclear energy is basically using uranium to boil water cleanly and efficiently. It is simple idea and the energy output could compare to coal and oil if given the right resources.

            Nuclear energy has been deemed dangerous by the majority of the public.  People remember huge accidents like Chernobyl or Fukushima, and I agree that they were great tragedies. What you didn’t know was that for every person killed from nuclear energy, 4,000 more are killed from the production of coal. As long as regulations are kept, nuclear power plants are a safe place to work.

            Many clean energy sources are cheap and efficient, but don’t always produce a lot of energy. Nuclear energy could be used alongside other clean energy sources to for maximum effectiveness. In the future, nuclear energy should be used more to help ease the reliance on fossil fuels until the point we don’t need them anymore. Nuclear energy is the best choice for the number one energy source for a cleaner future.

 

(This piece is Taro speaking to Hana about her father. It ties into the book because it in the climax, Taro duels Lord Oda and ends up taking his life. He is speaking to Lord Oda's daughter. She realizes that her father was evil, but is still sad for losing the father she thought she knew.)

 I have killed

 Your father

While he was

Trying to kill you

You might have

Loved his good side

And he might have

Loved you

Forgive me

He was very evil

And very much

Better off dead

Stairs

Mother to Son by Langston Hughes tells us that life isn't going to be easy. It compares life to a staircase. Most of our lives aren't going to be decorated with frilly little strings and crystals, there will be patches in it where it seems there is no easy way through. This poem encourages us to keep climbing, even when times get tough, and sacrifices are needed to be made. The author teaches us this through a tough, but wise voice that can't be easily broken.  This piece inspires us to be courageous and to take life by the horns. It tells us to remember that there will be rough spots in life, but if we keep pushing through, it will get better.

Taro

   (Author's note: This piece is revised to be graded on word choice)        

            Taro was a peasant living in a small village in feudal Japan. He is small and fragile boy who’s skills with a bow is second nature. He hunts despite his village’s location on the giving, but unfriendly sea. One night, Taro finds a ninja committing cold blooded murder on his father, when another ninja appears from nowhere and saves him and his mother. This ninja is his guide on the path to his destiny.

            Taro is the protagonist in this novel. When other ninjas came to kill him, he gets severely injured. The ninja who saved him made the choice to quickly perform the ritual to make Taro a vampire. This gives him the strength like a bear with speed to match, and giving him a healing ability to survive almost anything. It is revealed that all ninja are vampires, and Taro is going to become one. He wonders why the ninjas attacked a meaningless peasant until he meets his guide’s friend, a ninja fortune teller. He was told, he was destined to be the next Shogun of Japan.

            Taro affects the people around him in many ways, however the people who are close to him have a way of getting into trouble. He is a good person and wants to save everybody who is in danger, when sometimes the smart thing to do is walk away. He is a friend to everybody he meets, and is destined to be the best Shogun Japan has ever seen.