When I logged in this evening to post a new blog I noticed last week's blog wasn't there. I discovered it was posted into a duplicate account, which happens if you don't log in using your full email address. I re-submitted the post on this blog.
This week I want to talk about why I like nuclear energy. In my opinion, it is the only readily-available technology which can directly offset global warming without sacrificing modern lifestyle. I'm not ruling out any future technologies from being utilitzed, but if the world were prompted to halt CO2 emissions within the next 20 years without causing a global recession, we would need to maintain the enegry supply we are consuming while eliminating emissions. This is the point where people would mention renewable methods of generating energy. If we have a mix of energy sources such as hydro, wind, and solar power, we can reduce our dependence on purely nuclear energy should the world need to quickly halt CO2 emissions. It would be appropriate to keep developing clean electricity sources beyond nuclear power.
Hydrogen fuel will be a critical component in reducing CO2 levels, as it seems the best-suited fuel to replace gasoline and diesel fuel. I mention Hydrogen fuel as an aspect of a broader nuclear energy solution because enough hydrogen can be created from one pellet of nuclear fuel to power 22 cars for a thousand miles. There are several ways to produce hydrogen fuel, such as using electricity or heat from a nuclear reactor. The most promising methods of creating hydrogen from nuclear energy is through the electrolysis or thermochemical splitting of water. The only byproduct of this process would be oxygen. With the potential for global fuel consumption to shift from fossil fuel to hydrogen fuel and nuclear electricity, we could theoretically revert to pre-industrial revolution CO2 levels.
This is where some might mention success stories such as Brazil's use of sugar cane in the production of ethanol fuel, but ethanol is not as environmentally friendly on a large scale. We would be at the mercy of mother nature to consistently produce the fuels we need. The amount of land required to replace fossil fuels with bio fuels would drastically reduce biodiversity and leave our ecosystem vulnerable. Additionally, mass produced bio fuels would cost significantly more than hydrogen fuel created from nuclear energy.
I can understand the fear nuclear energy may create for some people, but we need to take the situation into context and realize there is a real possibility we might be forced to change either our energy consumption or energy production. I'm inclined to say we will choose to change the way we produce our electricity and fuel rather than give up modern civilization.
I found an interesting PDF from the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Labratory which describes the production of Hydrogen fuel from nuclear energy.
http://nuclear.inl.gov/docs/papers-presentations/nuclear_hydrogen_3-3-03.pdf
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Last Week's Blog
Turkey Day 2007
People may say this a lot, but the year has passed quickly! It's already Thanksgiving and we have roughly three weeks of school left before a beefy winter break. I find myself thankful this year for that extra long winter break, realizing my counterparts at Cal State East Bay or UC Santa Cruz trade nearly a month during the winter for an extra-long summer away from school. Being a commuter from Belmont using a car with no heater makes it advantageous to operate with our current semester schedule.
After replacing the radiator, I can confidently say my car is finally running smoothly and reliably. I think I will use this winter break to drive South in search of warmer weather. I believe I can no longer use my driver's license to get out of Mexico, so unless I get a passport I won't be going that far south this year.
People may say this a lot, but the year has passed quickly! It's already Thanksgiving and we have roughly three weeks of school left before a beefy winter break. I find myself thankful this year for that extra long winter break, realizing my counterparts at Cal State East Bay or UC Santa Cruz trade nearly a month during the winter for an extra-long summer away from school. Being a commuter from Belmont using a car with no heater makes it advantageous to operate with our current semester schedule.
After replacing the radiator, I can confidently say my car is finally running smoothly and reliably. I think I will use this winter break to drive South in search of warmer weather. I believe I can no longer use my driver's license to get out of Mexico, so unless I get a passport I won't be going that far south this year.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Oops
It seems I haven't posted in a while. I apologize to La Professora and any lurkers who subscribe to my blog. I've been considerably busy this past week.
As I mentioned in a previous passage, my car is having trouble holding coolant. 36 hours after it got out of the shop, the Dam is back to steaming from the hood. It seems as soon as I fix a leak in one area, it finds the next weakest link in my coolant system. The Dam is going back into the shop on Friday, provided it doesn't completely die before then.
I'm going to have to wait until next semester before I consider buying a new car. Thankfully, when I take my car back to the shop on Friday, it will be fixed for free. My budget cannot afford any further car troubles, so lets hope the Dam makes it to the new year.
As I mentioned in a previous passage, my car is having trouble holding coolant. 36 hours after it got out of the shop, the Dam is back to steaming from the hood. It seems as soon as I fix a leak in one area, it finds the next weakest link in my coolant system. The Dam is going back into the shop on Friday, provided it doesn't completely die before then.
I'm going to have to wait until next semester before I consider buying a new car. Thankfully, when I take my car back to the shop on Friday, it will be fixed for free. My budget cannot afford any further car troubles, so lets hope the Dam makes it to the new year.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
The Big Shake
As we all know by now, there was a moderate earthquake Tuesday night near Milpitas. It's been a while since we have had a sizeable quake in the Bay Area. I noticed several things shortly after the quake which concerns me. The most concerning thing to me was the level of reaction people had to the quake. I think people overreacted to Tuesday's situation, causing traffic jams, clogging cell phone airwaves with frivilous calls, and spreading fear for no reason.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems to me that people are becoming incresingly sensitive to these kinds of incidents. I saw a story today in the SJ Mercury which reported a loss in cell phone service to a large amount of people in the South Bay in the 2 hours following the quake, which apparently has sparked outrage. It seems to me that people are setting unrealistic expectations on wireless companies which exist to provide customers with an everyday convenience, not a disaster-proof survival device. Of course there is going to be a surge in calls after an incident such as an earthquake! These companies don't have the ability to maintain the capacity to handle spikes in traffic such as what happened Tuesday because it would cost so much, their business would go bankrupt. The best thing anyone can do to is have a plan of action ready in case a disaster happens which includes dealing with a total loss of electricity, TV, and phone services. It's crazy how dependent people are on modern creature comforts and how helpless they are if it's taken away.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems to me that people are becoming incresingly sensitive to these kinds of incidents. I saw a story today in the SJ Mercury which reported a loss in cell phone service to a large amount of people in the South Bay in the 2 hours following the quake, which apparently has sparked outrage. It seems to me that people are setting unrealistic expectations on wireless companies which exist to provide customers with an everyday convenience, not a disaster-proof survival device. Of course there is going to be a surge in calls after an incident such as an earthquake! These companies don't have the ability to maintain the capacity to handle spikes in traffic such as what happened Tuesday because it would cost so much, their business would go bankrupt. The best thing anyone can do to is have a plan of action ready in case a disaster happens which includes dealing with a total loss of electricity, TV, and phone services. It's crazy how dependent people are on modern creature comforts and how helpless they are if it's taken away.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
The Dam
I've owned a Pontiac Grand Am (a.k.a. The Dam) for about 5 years. During that time I have driven over 130,000 miles behind the wheel. That's equivalent to circling the Earth's Equator 5 times. It's not a very sexy looking car, but it's been through alot with me and I hate to see it go.
The Dam has been plagued with problems lately, ranging from oil leaks to coolant system failures. The paint is beginning to chip and there's a crack in the windshield from 3 rocks hitting the exact same spot on 3 different occaisons while driving on the freeway. I'm very sentimental toward this car, but I'm going to have to start looking for a new one if the Dam gives me any more problems after I fully fix the oil leak and coolant system. I need reliable transportation next semester, but no matter what replacement car I buy, it will have big shoes to fill.
In Memory of The Beloved Dam, 2007
The Dam has been plagued with problems lately, ranging from oil leaks to coolant system failures. The paint is beginning to chip and there's a crack in the windshield from 3 rocks hitting the exact same spot on 3 different occaisons while driving on the freeway. I'm very sentimental toward this car, but I'm going to have to start looking for a new one if the Dam gives me any more problems after I fully fix the oil leak and coolant system. I need reliable transportation next semester, but no matter what replacement car I buy, it will have big shoes to fill.
In Memory of The Beloved Dam, 2007
Friday, October 19, 2007
McDonalds & Phillip Morris
This week's blog will be about two companies which might have more in common than one might initially believe.
Approximately 18 months ago, after a nasty case of food poisoning, I decided to stop eating at McDonalds forever. Today I can say with confidence that I have not touched their food since starting the ban, though I have driven-through several times for other people in my car. Sometimes I miss all the salty treats at the golden arches. Recently McDonalds brought back their Monopoly promotion, which I loved as a kid, and includes a surge in commercials on TV. Of course, the only burger in their ads is my favorite, the Big Mac. I had a nightmare two days ago where I relapsed on McDonalds and stuffed my face with Big Macs. I woke up feeling guilty the rest of the day for no reason, except from the shame of how lucid and pleasurable the dream really was.
I live in a small town called Belmont, which borders San Mateo and has 2 McDonalds to serve a population of 25,000. I found out today that Belmont has recently become the first city in the country to completely ban smoking cigarettes within city limits. It is illegal to smoke in your car, in your home, on the sidewalk, in a parking lot, and anywhere else. While not a criminal offense, a smoker such as myself can be fined up to $1000 for enjoying themselves within view of the bored and over-funded Belmont police. My afinity for cigarettes is no longer welcome here, but I don't plan on changing my habits any time soon.
The fast food industry in Belmont is stronger than ever, but can be just as deadly as smoking. Both cigarettes and fast food are addictive, cheap, widely-available, and kill people by the millions. One can further argue that McDonalds promotes chronic usage of their product to the fullest extent, made famous in the documentary Super Size Me. McDonalds and Phillip Morris share a history of almost identical product promotion. It would only seem logical to ban the consumption of fast food in Belmont as well. Perhaps I should point this out at the next City Council meeting.
Approximately 18 months ago, after a nasty case of food poisoning, I decided to stop eating at McDonalds forever. Today I can say with confidence that I have not touched their food since starting the ban, though I have driven-through several times for other people in my car. Sometimes I miss all the salty treats at the golden arches. Recently McDonalds brought back their Monopoly promotion, which I loved as a kid, and includes a surge in commercials on TV. Of course, the only burger in their ads is my favorite, the Big Mac. I had a nightmare two days ago where I relapsed on McDonalds and stuffed my face with Big Macs. I woke up feeling guilty the rest of the day for no reason, except from the shame of how lucid and pleasurable the dream really was.
I live in a small town called Belmont, which borders San Mateo and has 2 McDonalds to serve a population of 25,000. I found out today that Belmont has recently become the first city in the country to completely ban smoking cigarettes within city limits. It is illegal to smoke in your car, in your home, on the sidewalk, in a parking lot, and anywhere else. While not a criminal offense, a smoker such as myself can be fined up to $1000 for enjoying themselves within view of the bored and over-funded Belmont police. My afinity for cigarettes is no longer welcome here, but I don't plan on changing my habits any time soon.
The fast food industry in Belmont is stronger than ever, but can be just as deadly as smoking. Both cigarettes and fast food are addictive, cheap, widely-available, and kill people by the millions. One can further argue that McDonalds promotes chronic usage of their product to the fullest extent, made famous in the documentary Super Size Me. McDonalds and Phillip Morris share a history of almost identical product promotion. It would only seem logical to ban the consumption of fast food in Belmont as well. Perhaps I should point this out at the next City Council meeting.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Over The Counter
From what I can remember, I've had a grueling week. My battle with a nasty seasonal bug culminated last night when I passed-out some time around 10pm. 13 hours later, I woke up with all my clothes on, but feeling great for the first time in 8 days. It seems as though my body has conquered whatever germs had been occupying it this past week.
Now that I am somewhat sober, I want to warn you about over the counter drugs. Consistent use of nasal decongestants and antihistamines can severely impair you, diminishing alertness and general functionality. If you find yourself sick, your main defense should be water and plenty of rest. Don't use these drugs as crutch like I did, you might end up passed-out in a compromising position.
Now that I am somewhat sober, I want to warn you about over the counter drugs. Consistent use of nasal decongestants and antihistamines can severely impair you, diminishing alertness and general functionality. If you find yourself sick, your main defense should be water and plenty of rest. Don't use these drugs as crutch like I did, you might end up passed-out in a compromising position.
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