Nuclear Power

Among the various energy sources used today, there is nuclear power.

Nuclear power is obtained by forcing a nuclear reaction to happen, normally nuclear fission, so that the resulting heat can be transferred to water, which in turn will evaporate and move turbines and so on.



Due to the nature of nuclear power it actually produces little waste and is a reliable energy source, however, the waste it does produce is extremely toxic, so much in fact that it must be sealed and buried so that no one will come in contact with it until the radiation disappears entirely.

There's also the problem that if the nuclear power plant is not properly taken care of, it might blow up, releasing a great amount of radioactivity that could endanger many people.

Still, future designs for reactors may actually reduce waste almost entirely, and an incident like the one mentioned above has only happened once, in a power plant (Chernobyl) with safety conditions too poor to be allowed today.



In addition, there has been hopes to build a nuclear power plant that uses nuclear fusion instead of fission, with many scientists agreeing that it would be safer than fission. The main problem besides developing the technology is obtaining the rare materials that can be used in the reaction, but it still remains an increasingly real alternative.

In short, nuclear power is a source of energy that carries risks, but that promises enough energy to make it worth the trouble of minimizing the risks.

Information and pictures from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power#Flexibility_of_nuclear_power_plants
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_disaster#Planning_the_test_of_the_safety_device
http://home.clara.net/darvill/altenerg/nuclear.htm

Deforestation

As we make efforts to reduce the causes of disasters like global warming and the ozone hole, with the hope that the planet is able to heal itself after some time, we must also remember to not destroy the means that it uses to heal.

Such as the tropical forests, which play an important part in reducing the excess of CO2 in the atmosphere, and are being cut down for not only the materials, but also the land.

If the trees were being cut down for the sole purpose of acquiring the materials the problem would be significantly smaller, since it would mean that the same area could be replanted over and over again, with these trees providing the necessary materials.

But since the natural landscape is also cleared to make room for farms, pastures and houses, it means the same area might never be replanted again in the recent future, and because of that, the deforestation of the tropical forest will continue.


In addition, the tropical forests contain about half of the world's species, including unique trees and creatures who are so dependent of their habitat that they would have no hope for survival should the forests disappear entirely, and even if we were to replant the forest in the future, by then, it might be too late for some creatures.



Fortunately, international and national organizations of all kinds are hard at work to prevent such a disaster, one that could end any hopes of the planet recovering from all the other problems currently existing in it.

Information and images from:
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Deforestation/

Water pollution

…We all know that pollution is a major responsible of global warming and biodiversity loss ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-x0AJQ5zHQ&feature=fvst

Water pollution is when the water, physical properties, chemical and biological change, that make the water polluted. The pollution is very dangerous for all living beings on the planet, since water is the element that also keeps us alive and is 60 ℅ of our body, the polluted water can result in serious human health problems: Cholera, Hepatitis Diarrhea diseases, etc.

The water pollution is mainly due to:
Population growth - population growth with the seas, rivers and lakes are used as rubbish bins, whereas our sewers will all stop in somewhere, treated or not.

Industrial Expansion - More and more, our factory has been trying to improve the filtering of waste, in this case, liquid (sewage), yet it is almost impossible after filtered there is no physical, chemical and biological weapons that disrupt the environment, However the authorities have done much but there is a grid walk way to go, that is, they all try to care about the environment.
To help the planet, we must first of all, use less water because the water we spend wasting a valuable asset and fairly cheap now and that one day may be the price of gold. One of the greatest enemies of the water is acid rain that is causing another kind of pollution (air pollution), acid rain while being in contact with water courses (rivers, lakes) pollutes more water and causes a loss biodiversity, and to solve the problem of acid rain first have to solve the problem of air pollution and only by reducing the release of greenhouse gases, we were able to acid rain that pollute much the water and destroys not only the living but also non-living beings (monuments, etc.).

Information from site http://www.eb1-pias-alandroal.rcts.pt/agua.htm
http://e-geo.ineti.pt/.../imagens/fig9.jpg


Luis Gomes, Ourplanet2009

Natural Disasters enhanced by Global Warming

Natural disasters are happening more and more often in these days and we have ourselfs to blame. Climate change is the reason why this catastrophes are getting "stronger" and also "bigger".

Let's take two examples: Hurricanes and Wildfires

Hurricanes

As you all know, hurricanes are also reffered to as tropical storms, their fast and devastating winds produce a great deal of property damage and a serious number of deaths.

Tropical storms are usually form at the Antlantic Ocean and travel to Central American countries and to the Southeastern America.
Hurricanes are formed at sea when powerfull thunderstorms converge at sea creating a tropical depression. The heat from the sea rises and generates high winds. So, in this situation, the more the heat in the ocean the more powerfull winds has the hurricane.

On August of 2005 the hurricane Katrina destroyed New Orleans. Those effects were devestating, the streets and highways were impassable due to the flood. Since the water level rose to 4.5 meters, people who didn't left their homes before the hurricane hitted land were forced to get on the houses rooftops in order to be rescued by the US Army.

Wildfires

The most common origin of natural wildfires are lightning hitting leaves or trees and sparks produced by rock slides. The conditions that favor the creation of wildfires are high temperatures and air with low humidity percentage. Wild fires have been increasing also in number and in amout of are devastated. This is a "side effect" of global warming, since the increase of temperature wild fires have become more frequent around the world. So, due to the raising temperature these fires are getting harder and harder to fight against.

From June to September of 2007 Greece passed trough a living hell. These wildfires destroyed more than 2700 square kilometers during those 4 months and destroyed over 2000 buildings.

There’s a program called Eagle Eye Protection that helps the firefighters by detecting a wildfire. It analyzes the weather patterns to determine the direction the flames are heading to. It also uses the information gathered so far from other fires in the area to help determine what are the best solutions to fight it. It also largely reduces false wildfire alarms from pre gathered information about the area such as dust clouds of dirt roads and also licensed fires.

These are only two of the natural disasters that will become dangerously devastating. We must arrange more efective mesurements and the most recent technology to prevent these disasters saving the lives of inumerous people.

Renewable energy

Due to the large holding of non-renewable energy, today, we were forced to start using other energy sources, renewable energy, that are sustainable energy sources. Raw materials such as coal, oil, natural gas, have consumed very quickly.

Renewable energy is energy that does not run out, which can be used to generate electricity or for transports.

Some sources of renewable energy are the sun, rain, wind, ocean waves, the heat of the earth, biomass.



Hydro power:

Hydro is the production of electricity through hydroelectric plants, which are associated with dams. Centrals, use the energy generated by water passing from a higher level to a level lower spins the turbines and generators, generating electricity.

The production of hydro-electricity is fairly efficient and relatively non-polluting.

Currently, approximately 30% of the electricity consumed in Portugal was produced by hydropower.

http://www.explicatorium.com/images/Krasnoyarsk_hydroelectric_station.jpg

Wind power:

Wind energy is to harness the wind to produce electricity. You can build wind farms in areas where wind is abundant. Wind farms consist of wind turbines that are a few towers with propellers that rotate with the wind. When the blades rotate, move a generator, which in turn produces electricity.

http://www.solarnavigator.net/images/wind_turbine_aalborg.jpg

Biomass energy:

Biomass is the natural waste and waste of human activity. Biomass can be used directly as fuel, or by its degradation to produce a combustible gas, called biogas. The heat produced can be used to heating or for steam production. This steam drives a turbine that will produce electricity.

http://www.akenergyauthority.org/images/photos/AEEEBiomass.jpg

Photovoltaic solar energy:

Solar energy is to harness the radiation from the sun through photovoltaic cells or by heating water.

Photovoltaic cells, when they receive radiation from the sun, generating electricity. This electricity can be used for electrical equipment, or directly to the mains.

In solar water heaters, they're mirrors which concentrate the radiation, which will heat the water. Is generated steam to spin turbines, and thus produces electricity.

http://www.ciclosystem.com/imgprodutos/paineis_fotovoltaicos.jpg

Geothermal energy:

Geothermal energy is to harness the heat from the earth. Through a turbine-driven steam to produce electricity. The water vapor comes from the high temperatures inside the Earth. This type of energy can only be used in areas where there is volcanic activity, where there are rocks or water at high temperature.

http://www.greenenergywebsites.com/photos/geothermal_greenenergywebsites.jpg

Waste water

http://www.enviroblog.org/WasteWater.JPG

There is little freshwater on our planet.


Seventy percent of the planet's surface is covered by water. Approximately ninety five percent of the water that exists on Earth is salty and is in the oceans, and can not be used in agriculture and industry. Only two and a half percent of our planet's water is fresh and most are in glaciers. Less than one percent of all water that exists is fit for human consumption and is in rivers, lakes and groundwater. As an inhabitant of Mozambique uses on average less than ten liters of water a day, a European consumes two hundred to three hundred and one American, five hundred and seventy-five. Each person should have available at least twenty gallons of drinking water per day.

Between 1970 and 1995 the amount of water available to each inhabitant of the world fell Thirty-seven per cent.

Brazil has twelve percent of the freshwater in the world.

Today, about 1.4 billion people lack access to clean water.

The European Union has wasted twenty percent of its water due to inefficient use and forty percent of water used could be saved.






Tricks to avoid wasting water:

Do not wash the car with the hose, use a bucket;

Control the amount of water when you spend watering the garden;

Do not take more than five minutes in the bath;

Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth;

Leave the cutlery and plates immersed in water before washing;

People must be aware that water is precious and should save as much as they can.

Luminous Pollution

…Nowadays luminous pollution is getting a more and more serious problem, mainly in cities and big cites…
…due to this kind of pollution we are not able to see the stars at night…

«Light pollution, like other forms of pollution, resulting from the use unconscious resources and distracted»#
Luminous pollution is the type of pollution caused by excess light (artificial light), reduced the visibility of stars and stars. This type of pollution causes health problems and ecosystems:

CAUSES

• Over-illumination
• Advertising (publicity bills)
• Incorrect choice of light bulbs
• Not using timers to extinguish lighting when not needed

CONSEQUENCES

Light pollution is causing some serious problems affecting the entire planet:

• Global warming: to create light takes electricity → electricity is generally generated by the burning of fossil fuels → this increases carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere → this contributes to global warming and climate change.
• Human health threatened – stress, headaches, fatigue, hypertension
• Disruption of ecosystems :
  - Some nocturnal birds use the moon and stars for navigation during their migrations; and they can become disoriented when flying through brightly lit areas.

- Female sea turtles shy away from areas with bright lights, which interrupts their nesting patterns.

- Other reptiles and mammals are believed to suffer from bright lights in relation to feeding habits.


SOLUTIONS

What you can do:

- Light only where needed

- use sensors where possible

- Don’t waste light

- Shine light downwards, using shields and reflectors

- Light with energy efficient sources such as compact fluorescents.

Information and images from site:
www.conexaoitajuba.com.br/.../090609-unifei.jpg
www.silvestre.eng.br/.../efeitos/udi03.jpg
http://www.oal.ul.pt/oobservatorio/vol3/n6/vol3n6_6.html
http://geoleiria.blogspot.com/2009/07/observar-o-ceu-sem-poluicao-luminosa.html
#(http://www.oal.ul.pt/oobservatorio/vol3/n6/vol3n6_6.html)

http://www.apolo11.com/imagens/etc/poluicao_luminosa_imagem_de_satelite.jpg


Luis Gomes, Ourplanet2009