Solar Powered Refrigerator

In third world countries solar power generators are used most commonly. These refrigerators works by harnessing the solar energy, and they preserve the goods like meat, vegetables and dairy. The much needed vaccines are also put in those refrigerators to avoid them from spoiling. The portable devices of the solar refrigerators can be constructed easily by use of simple components, and it really works in the areas where there is no electricity or unreliable power supply.

Different size and technology solar power refrigerators are being already employed in Africa. The biggest challenge for solar power refrigerators is unreliability of the sunshine, as its available several hours in the day but sometime it’s cloudy for days. So to have constant refrigeration phase change material is added.

Refrigerators Impact on Environment

Conventional refrigerators are having some dangerous impacts on the environment such as contributing to ozone layer depletion and global warming. The substances in refrigerators that cause the ozone layer depleting and global warming are chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s), in their insulation foam or their refrigerant cycle are the most harmful.  In 80s CFC’s were banned then they were replaced with substances such as hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) both are the ozone depleting and contribute to global warming chemicals. Solar energy use for refrigeration tries hard to have minimum impacts on the environment.

Solar Refrigeration History

Solar refrigerators for specifically developed for developing countries. So that vaccines can be stored in proper temperature. As electricity in such countries is unreliable or some of their areas are having no electricity that’s why conventional refrigerators can’t work there.

Biofuel Facts

Bio fuels are basically the alternative fuels for the petroleum based fuels. They are thought to be energy conserving, pollution free and environment friendly.

Actual Facts about the Biofuels

They are basically prepared from the biological materials and the purpose behind their usage is that they pollute the environment comparatively less than the petroleum based fuels. But the reality is somehow converse to it. It is found that the amount of carbon dioxide released by the Biofuels in the environment is four times larger than that of petroleum based fuels. These findings are recently released by the European Commission in Brussels, released under the Freedom of Information Act. The particular ones are the oils used for fuel extracted from the soybean biomass.

Negative Aspects

If we put the concentration of carbon contributed to the environment by the usage of Biofuels, there is another important factor that must be considered regarding its preparation. Most of the Biofuels are prepared by exacting the oils from the plant sources. This destroys the plant life and is likely to cause certain problems in the ecosystem. After that, once they have been prepared, their burning produces too much of the carbon dioxide gas in the environment that is harmful both for the plant and animal life. The ratio of oxygen in such environment ultimately gets lowered.

Non Eco-Friendliness of Biofuels

There has been a long-standing battle for a number a years for bio fuels in the market due to the non eco-friendless characteristics. The recent report released by the European Commission is expected to cause a decrease in the production and consumption of biofuels in many areas of the world.

Biofuels-Food Industry

A part from that, a significant impact ob the food industry has also been observed. It is because most of the staple plants are used in the production of bio-fuel and thus it causes the shortage in the market. The food companies are selling their food stock to the fuel manufacturing companies at higher rates of profit without realizing the consequences. This is also caused inflation in the prices of food commodities especially staple crops.

Biofuels-Transportation

Taking about the transportation done through the usage of biofuels, it is quite expensive than the one done by the petroleum-based fuels. They are though to be the better alternatives and conventional fuels but actually they are affecting both the people and the environment in the adverse way.

Solution

The biomass that is to be used for the production of a particular bio-fuel must be studied properly. The amount of carbon released by a particular biomass upon burning must be considered. Hence, all such bio-masses that produce high carbon concentration would not be used in the preparation of the biofuels. It would definitely help in generating the cleaner burn for the fuel. The end or by products must also be studied before the preparing of bio-fuel from particular plant or biomass. In short, selective bio-fuel production must be done based on the after affects of the bio-masses.

10 Things that Can Wipe Out Life from Earth

Year 2012 is almost near because the time is running faster than our thoughts and according to Mayans Theory that the time will end on 21^st Dec 2012, according to that doomsday is near. The extinctions events that I searched out and going to write here potentially can happen in some cases and few from them had happened already in the past. Like end of the Dinosaurs.

Well read this what I searched and please feel no hesitation for adding your comments about this list.

1. Developments Made by Human

Because of lot of outstanding developments in different aspects of life mainly in field of science Human thinks that nature could not harm. But the truth is totally different from that because humans themselves had developed methods of self-destruction. Like nuclear weapons according to figures there are enough nuclear weapons on earth made by human that can easily wipe out the life from the surface of the planet earth.  Only one nuclear war can destroy the planet.

I hope and pray that the planet earth will remain peaceful. Otherwise we are on the edge of extinction already by own human hand made weapons.

2. Gamma Ray from Sky Can Wipe Out Life from Earth

Just think that you are sitting under the sky in night and staring the stars and suddenly a light flash up on the sky, a star had exploded. Before you can say anything everyone on Earth will die.

A Gamma Ray Burst can kill the life on Earth without giving chance for next breath. That can happen with full power Gamma Ray Burst even if that happen with lighter power than probably half of life on planet Earth will wipe out and rest of half earth’s Ozone layer will be ripped and it will become Well Come Planet for UV radiation.

3. Oceanic Overturn

Oceans are made of salty water but its saltier up top than down below. Oceanic Overturn means that deeper water replacing the water up top. Now question is that what’s wrong with that then remember Anoxic Events?  The depth water is having less oxygen means that the critters on the surface and middle depths will be dead.

4. Hydrogen Sulfide Emissions

This may had happened during the Permian-Triassic extinction event that a warming trend had changed the balance between Plankton and bacteria that reduce Sulfate.

Just think that if the massive emissions of hydrogen sulfide suddenly rise from ocean and poisoned everything on land and sea or it weakened up the Ozone layer so that UV radiation can find easy way on Earth.

5. Anoxic Events

Oceanic anoxic events happen when the oxygen reduces than standard quantity below the surface levels. Though anoxic events had not happens in last millions of years, but geological record shows that they had happened many time in the past. They might had caused the massive extinctions on the planet earth long before.

6. Clathrate

Clathrate is a water-covered methane. If this water covered methane break apart it will release the gas into the atmosphere and that will accelerate the Global Warming.

7. Global Warming

About global warming every one knows that is major big problem right at moment which world is facing now and world all countries had gathered for this problem in Copenhagen.

Because of global warming ice on the poles and glaciers all over the world are melting down quickly the sea levels are getting high. Some of the scientists are now saying that polar ice will melt over till 2014.

8. Global Cooling

If earth get so clod due to of some reasons, this will cause death to may polar and temperate region animals which result a massive migration to the equator, and make more of the earth a desert. But then it will be easy to find water because most of it will become snow or ice. This even may be human can survive rather than global warming.

9. Massive Impact

A big rock in space heading towards earth can easily wash out life from the whole planet.  The big rock 1^st will block the light from sun and that will cause death for plant and earth temperature will go down.

If the rock is made of sulfur then there will be acid rain also. Impact of the massive rock will raise huge tsunamis in oceans and acid ran would burn off the forests.

10. Falling of Sea Level

If sea level drop down severely that will reduce the area around the Continental Shelf, which cause a massive marine extinctions means that all the life in the ocean will die. This change will affect the weathers and climate also, and that drastic change will lead earth to a mass extinctions.

Renewable Energy Sources

There are so many environment friendly and renewable energy resources. These sources of energy are the alternate source of energy and help to nullify the effects of certain forms of pollution. All these power generation techniques can be described as renewable because they are not reducing the quantity of any resources to create the energy.

Here we had listed the top 10 renewable energy resources.

1. Nuclear Power

Nuclear power is obtained through any nuclear technology designed to extract usable energy from atomic nuclei through controlled nuclear reactions. Recently for that only fission nuclear method is used, though other methods might one day include nuclear fusion and radioactive decay.

The reactors heat up the water to produce steam then its converted into mechanical work for the purpose of generating electricity or propulsion.

Fourteen percent of the world’s electricity is produced by nuclear energy. U.S. , France, and Japan account together 56.5% of nuclear generated electricity.

439 nuclear power reactors are in operation around the world in 31 countries. According to the figures of World Nuclear Association during 1980s one new nuclear reactor started up in every 17 days on average, and this ratio will increase till 2015 up to one reactor every 5 days.

France gets cleanest air than any other industrialized country because of nuclear power, and also cheapest electricity in all of Europe.  For reducing mass and making more energy France reprocess it nuclear waste.

By reprocessing up to 95% of the remaining uranium and plutonium can be recovered to spent in nuclear fuel, putting it into new mixed oxide fuel. France is considered as most successful reprocessor but currently it only recycles on 28% of the yearly fuel use, 7% in France and another 21% in Russia.

 The energy experts believe that nuclear energy is a sustainable energy source that reduces carbon emissions and increases energy security by decreasing dependence on foreign oil. It is also emphasize that storing waste risks are low and using the latest technology in newer reactors can further reduce them.  As comparing to other major nuclear power plants the operational safety record in the Western World is excellent.

According to critics nuclear power generation is dangerous even though using latest technology can lower the risks down.  While on other side proponents advance the concept that nuclear power produces eventually no air pollution as compare to fossil oil energy producing and they also say that nuclear energy is the only virtual course to achieve energy independence for most Western countries.

But its being criticized also and critics say that radioactive waste can be contaminated by accident or sabotage as such accidents had happened before.

2. Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)

Compressed Natural Gas is the substitute for the fossil fuel like gasoline, diesel or propane fuel. Though its combustion also produce the greenhouse gases but it’s more environment friendly as compare to other fossil fuels CNG is used in traditional gasoline engines which are converted into b-fuel vehicles (gasoline/CNG).

CNG vehicles are increasingly used in Europe and in North America. In Europe Italy is the no.1 and in world its 4th country with largest number of CNG-powered vehicles.

Canada is the largest producer of natural gas and CNG in Canada is used as economical motor fuel.

3. Biomass

As a renewable energy source biomass refers to living and recently dead biological material that can be used as fuel or for industrial production. For that biomass make an appeal to plant matter grown to generate electricity or produce for instance trash like dead trees, yard clippings wood chip biofuel, and it also includes plant or animal matter used for production of fibers, chemicals or heat.

Industrial biomass can be grown up by several types of plants such as misconstrues, switch grass, hemp, poplar, corn sugarcane etc.

Biomass is a growing industry as demand for sustainable energy resources is increasing. Currently in U.S. 0.5% of electricity is produced by using biomass. New Hope Power Partnership is the largest biomass power plant in North America.

4. Geothermal Power

The most efficient and powerful way to extract energy from earth through natural process is called geothermal energy. In ancient roman times it was used for space heating and bathing but now it’s better known to produce electricity.

Though geothermal power is cost effective, reliable and environment friendly but geographically it’s limited only to areas near tectonic plate boundaries.

The largest group of geothermal power plants is in the Geysers a geothermal field in California, United States. According to statistics 5 countries in world (EL Salvador, Kenya, Philippines, Iceland, and Costa Rica) generate more than 15% of their electricity through geothermal sources.

The main advantage of geothermal energy is that it doesn’t need any fuel. Geothermal electricity is generated in 24 countries around the world and still there are number of potential sites that need any discovery.

5. Radiant Energy

This natural energy is gained directly from environment or its extracted from ordinary electricity by using the fractionation method.  Nikola Tesla invented the earliest wireless telephones based on radiant energy. This natural energy can work same as ordinary electricity at less than 1% of the cost.  It doesn’t behave exactly like electricity.

6. Hydroelectricity

Hydroelectricity is generated by hydropower. Using the force of falling or flowing water generates the power. This is the most widely used form of the renewable energy and it doesn’t produce any waste that will be harmful for the environment.

Hydropower produces the world’s almost 19% electricity.

7. Wind Power

Conversion of wind energy by wind turbines into useful energy form such as electricity or mechanical energy is called Wind Power.

Wind power haves one the lowest environmental impacts of all energy resources. Recently wind produces only 1.5% of worldwide electricity but its growing fast.  It achieved high level of penetration in many countries.

The wind power electricity production in few countries is phenomenal such as 19% of electricity production in Denmark, 11% in Spain and Portugal, and 7% in Germany and Ireland.

If we look in history humans are using wind energy from centuries such it was used to propel the sailing ships, for grinding grains and now today it is used to produce the electricity.

8. Solar Power

Solar power is controls the suns energy to produce the electricity. This is one of the fastest growing energy sources and so many new technologies are developing with rapid speed to attain more from sun’s energy.

Solar cells are becoming more productive, flexible, transportable and easy in installation.  Photovoltaic production was rise rapidly in 1973 due to of oil crisis.

Recent years solar installations are largely expanded to residential areas as governments are offering incentive programs to make green energy and more economically viable option.

9. Wave Power

Transporting the energy from the ocean surface waves to capture the energy for useful work such as generating electricity, water desalination or pumping of the water is called wave energy.

This method of renewable energy is not most reliable due to unpredicted ocean and wave direction. Anyhow waveforms are in use in Europe.  They are using floating Pelamis Wave Energy converters.

The world’s first commercial wave form is in Portugal, at the Agucadora Wave Park, that consists of three 750 KW Pelamis devices.

10. Tidal Power

Tidal power generation is similar to a wind turbine power generation. It is more environment friendly and cause less impact on established ecosystems.

Tidal energy can be generated in two ways, one tidal stream generators and other by barrage generation.

Similar like wind turbines tidal stream generators rotate underwater swiftly driven by dense water.. Though its not used wider basis but its having a potential for future power generation.

Tidal energy production is more predictable than wind energy and solar power. Tidal mills were used in Europe and on the Atlantic coast of America long before.

Tidal power is directly derived from the motion of the Earth-Moon system, tidal forces are produced by the moon and sun with combination of earth’s rotation.

Lunar Energy Company in England had announced that they would build the world’s first tidal energy farm at the coast of Pembrokshire in Wales. It will be the world’s first deep-sea tidal energy farm, which will provide electricity to 5,000 homes.