Angelina+H

Entry 4: Spherical Sun Power Generator (6/8/17)
This past week, we learned about how solar panels function as a renewable energy source. Protected by special glass, these panels are made from two layers of photovoltaic cells, a (negative) n-type semiconductor and a (positive) p-type semiconductor. Photons are absorbed and transformed into direct current electricity, which later get turned into an alternate current through a inverter.

As a spin on traditional solar panels to convert sunlight into usable energy, //this// week I found an alternative and more efficient model in [|Rawlemon's beta.ray, a spherical sun power generator].

By understanding geometric principles involving spheres and utilizing a micro dual axis tracking system, this generator allows for better capturing of sunlight.The company founded by Andre Broessel, a German architect designed this prototype, which yields twice as much energy and condenses it into smaller surface area to better capture the sunlight. The sunlight diffuses into the system to get concentrated on one focal point and reduces the cell surface to 25%. In turn, this has an efficiency of 57%! The system is charged and stored during the day, and still can collect energy from the moon. At night, the generator can also act like a lamp and light the area it is in!

As aforementioned, some benefits reaped from these generators is in the increased efficiency and better design, overall. By minimizing solar cell surface area, the spherical generator the amount of energy needed to power this system is only 1% of solar panels. The micro tracking system, which tracks the sun, is beneficial to the entire model because it will not be impacted by bad weather conditions, like the solar panels used now. Moreover, just as there are solar panel consumer products, Rawlemon is also expanding this design for a more mobile uses, as well, like the Beta.ey S phone charger and Beta.ray 1.8 for computers!

As you can see, industry is making strides to find better sources of energy for both business and consumers, alike! But, of course, there is still much that needs to be done. Would you buy one of these?

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Entry 3: Carbon Emissions (6/2/17)
So we hear about the "dangers of carbon emissions" but does everyone really understand why? From factory farming to the Paris Accords, this has been a hotly debated topic that needs to be further looked into. [|Carbon emissions not only influence climate change and geographic, but, in turn, affects our food and water supply, as well.]

A contributor to greenhouse gases, carbon emissions (in the form of CO2) makes up 80%+ of it that gets released into the atmosphere. Solar energy gets trapped in the atmosphere, as a result, raising the Earth's temperatures. Even slight changes could have detrimental effects on the environment: including issues with water supplies, weather patterns, crop growing seasons, and as a threat of increasing sea levels on coastal communities. media type="youtube" key="t_vRc0vAAOw" width="269" height="156" align="right"

Carbon dioxide stays in the atmosphere for 50 to 200 years, and global temperatures are set to rise ~1.5 C in the next 100 years. Climate change causes sea levels to rise due to increases in the amount of rainfall in some areas, melting of ice glaciers, and water expansion from the heat. The US Environmental Protection Policy (EPA) claims that sea levels have risen over 20 cm in 50 years! This will lead to flooding in coastal areas, disrupting habitats and destroying homes. Global warming will also bring about other dangers weather events (wildfires, droughts, tropical storms). In 2012, such events caused $1 billion in damages for the US alone. The destruction done to buildings and infrastructure results in many health issue; for example, it may cause disease from damages to sewer systems.

In the video about life in 2028, it claimed that water will be the most fought over resource - and that falls in line with issues related to climate change. More rainfall and higher sea levels will contaminate the limited freshwater for humans to drink with saltwater and pollutants from runoff. An alarming problem as the warm climate is also reducing the water supply on Earth.

And lastly, weather changes affects the growing conditions for crops because of higher temperatures and less rainfall, in general. When it gets too hot, it may reduce the yield for certain agricultural products. Significant impacts on food supply will lead to higher food prices, as well.

Climate change is an undeniable issue that needs to be addressed and confronted. Countries should be working together to reduce their carbon footprint on the world. Although global warming is not an immediate issue, it has catastrophic effects that will harm us in the future if we don't do anything about it now!

Entry 2: Water (5/26/17)
Do you remember Dr. Suess's //The Lorax// (2012)? (If you have gone through Upper Dublin, there is no way you have not.) In //The Lorax//, the main antagonist is O'Hare, the mayor of Thneedville. Thneedville is a town that has turned away from the environment, constantly polluting and using only plastic goods. O'Hare has been the mastermind behind this, leaving them ignorant of all the harm they are committing to nature, because he needs them to stay dependent on him. He sells them air bottles, where he allows them to purchase bottles of "fresh air." Reading this you can understand how ridiculous this all is, but we do exactly just that now!

We abuse the natural resources this planet offers and take advantage of it for our own personal gain - this is clearly seen in... water bottles. Though the Earth is composed by about 70% of water, 2.5% is fresh, only 1% of that is accessible, and about 0.007% is usable/drinkable water. With over 6.4 billion people on the planet, the amount of water available is extremely limited - and we are just wasting it!

So how does this happen? **The Story of Bottled Water (2010)** gives incite into how water bottle companies have "manufactured demand" to make consumers buy into the idea of water bottles. 1. Scaring us 2. Seducing us 3. Misleading us Bottled water is just an expensive, worse alternative to tap water that is virtually free. Fortunately, in recent years, there has been a decline in water bottle sales as reusable water bottles get more popular.
 * [[image:udapbio/bad water.gif width="178" height="167" align="right"]]Companies have scared people about the "poor quality" of tap water compared to the "reliable, pure" bottled water, like Fiji did in their campaign against Cleveland tap water. In reality, after tests done by the city of Cleveland, they found that the water quality of their tap water was actually //better// than Fiji's.
 * These businesses will also advertise or put out these idealized ideas about their water. For example, Dasani and Aquafina are just essentially selling filtered tap water! In addition, water bottle companies are not, according to Nestle - "environmentally responsible" - as they claim. They are polluting the earth through their entire process and life cycle: the amount of oil, energy used, and waste amount to steep numbers. And even more water is lost when people dispose of their bottles - with water still in them! When they get thrown out, this water gets cut off from the water cycle, thus even further reducing the available water on Earth.
 * In actuality, "recycled" water bottles do not get turned into new bottles or other products. Instead, some plants ship the bottles out to a different country (ex: India) to either get downcycled or just thrown out there. Downcycled materials turn the recycled bottles into worse products that would just get thrown out soon after.

I am not going to lie guys, I personally do use bottled water - but I am going to make an increased effort to switch to a reusable one. I did not think about all the pollution and waste that goes into the choice I make by drinking from that plastic bottle. If anything, it perpetuates the water crisis the world is suffering currently.

To do my part, for my UN Project, my group and I have decided to complete the #waterchallenge to raise awareness for the lack of safe drinking water for billions in the world through a social media campaign. This is a 14-day challenge where individuals only drink water and donate the money they would have otherwise spent on other drinks to the Water Project, for sustainable water sources in Africa!

** Entry 1: WALL-E (5/19/17) **

 * 1) After watching WALL-E, use your own background knowledge to define SUSTAINABILITY in your own words **
 * Sustainability: n. the ability to maintain a balance of natural resources in the environment
 * 2) What are the next steps for the new settlers? That is, if you were to colonize an area in this condition, what are some of the first **

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 * major issues & solutions that need to be accomplished for successful & sustainable future? **
 * To begin, the settlers must obviously need to continue to live on the ship because the would not have food or shelter, otherwise. While they use that as a temporary solution to their living conditions, they would need to continue to plant healthful foods for them to eat - where they would get the maximum amount of energy. Furthermore, not only would they need to start eating right, but would also have to start getting physically fit. Their bone structure and muscle capacity is close to none, and so need to build these parts up in order to complete the physical labor necessary for such tasks required to recolonize the Earth. The most important issue to first address regarding the actual environment, has to deal with the amount of trash polluting the ground. Ideally, the robots would need to be solar powered - as to not add additional pollutants into the air - so they would have to be altered. By using robots to solve this issue, humans could go about trying to plant cleared lands, and not over-exhaust their unfit bodies to such a task. With more plants, hopefully, it will clear up much of the toxins in the air. To grow the plants, the settlers will need to find a water source. Temporarily, they can use the water that is on the ship, but thinking long term, they will likely need to scavenge for this.