Mean Green

Sustainable Development: Any construction that can be maintained over time without damaging the environment; development balancing near-term interests with the protection of the interests of future generations.

National Interest: A state’s national interest is multi faceted. National interest is simply a states interest in its security and survival. In the modern world, however, it is considered to be a states ambition towards the growth of its economy, wealth, and power.

Alternate Energy: The umbrella term that refers to any source of usable energy intended to replace fuel sources without the undesired consequences of the replaced fuels.

The United States’ undesired increase of dependency of oil from the Middle East coupled with the public’s increased awareness of the negative environmental impact of fossil fuel emissions, has caused a public outcry for alternate sources of energy. In the wake of the turmoil in the middle-east and their love of their environment, Americans have sought alternate sources of energy. Through their impatient nature of and lack of skepticism, Americans have allowed themselves to be led to believe that ethanol is the solution that reduces our dependency of fossil fuel. What is also failed to be realized is the implications of ethanol. Ethanol production is very impractical and furthermore, it has caused a rise of inflation and food shortages. Our current methods for creating ethanol are as inefficient as they are detrimental to the environment. Currently, corn is the main source of ethanol.

It is harvested and sold to ethanol plants where it is then broken down and fermented into ethyl alcohol. It is then mixed with gasoline, labeling it E-85, eighty-five percent ethanol and fifteen percent gasoline. What is often overlooked and unrealized is the actual amount of land and energy required to create ethanol. In order to make one gallon of ethanol, approximately twenty-six pounds of corn is required. One acre of land can produce 7,110 pounds of corn, which translates into 328 gallons of ethanol. With that in mind, one might ask, ‘how much corn would it take to produce enough for the United States to be independent of imported fossil fuels?’ Some researches estimate that if all available farmland was subsidized for ethanol production, there would only be enough to power about 4 percent of the United States’ energy needs on a net basis. With the current technology used in ethanol production, it is impossible to completely become fossil fuel energy independent. Ethanol is not only impractical but is also very inefficient. It is widely debated as to whether ethanol, as a fuel, results in net gains in energy or losses.

Most recent studies have shown that it takes more energy to produce it than is actually gained. When the energy associated with planting, fertilizing, maintenance, harvesting, transporting, and production are all taken into consideration; it takes roughly 1 unit of energy to produce .64 units of energy. So corn ethanol runs on only 64 percent efficiency. One must consider fuel sustainability when we lose 46 percent of the energy involved in production on a net basis. With so much corn demanded for the production of ethanol, the question of its effect on food supply and demand is raised. What does the future of the food supply and demand look like, given that the ‘eviro-friendly’ ethanol fuel is employed?

Ethanol production is dramatically affecting not only the United States; it is affecting the entire world’s food market. With the sudden spike in demand for corn, a result in ethanol production, prices in food have become very inflated. Milk prices have increased by over 200 percent, corn prices have quadrupled in one year causing starvation and unrest in many third world countries. Countries including Mexico, Indonesia, Yemen, and Egypt are all feeling the sting of shortages and high food prices. In Mexico, there were ‘tortilla riots’, a result of the high prices for corn flour. Mexico’s poorest citizens diet consists mainly of tortillas. If the price increases of corn flour continues, malnourishment and starvation is certain to accelerate. Mexico’s officials have tried to put a price cap on the price of corn flour but shopkeepers simply cannot maintain such low prices when the prices they par are so high.

In other third world countries such as Egypt, food shortages have caused unrest and have nurtured Islamic radicalism. Does Ethanol help us with one problem or just create others? As more corn goes into ethanol production the necessity for land designated to corn growth will increase every year. To counter overproduction, maintain market balance and keep a healthy environment, the US government implemented a program called Conservation Reserve Program (commonly referred to as CRP) in the 1950′s. CRP is a program that subsidizes land to reduce erosion, increase habitat for wildlife and stop over production of crops. The farmer agrees to let these subsidized areas grow into wild grass and plant reserves. The CRP program is very important to environmental enhancement in areas all over the United States, especially the mid-west. As the demand for ethanol increases, farmers will begin to search for ways to maximize they’re production of corn. Corn requires a fall tillage which leaves the soil barren between October and June. In areas where ground is most vulnerable, such as steep inclines, CRP is planted to prevent erosion. An erosion experiment was conducted at the Rathburn Lake Watershed in Iowa. After converting approximately 29 percent of the most erosive land (approximately 4 percent of the entire lake’s watershed) into row crops from CRP, an increase in erosion was very apparent.

By replacing the CRP with row crops (corn is a row crop), the erosion increased by 204,000 tons of sediment per year. That was four times the government’s acceptable level of annual erosion for Rathburn Lake’s watershed. As the demand for cellulosic ethanol production increases, the affect on sustainable soil quality remains uncertain. Farming corn is very clean. After a harvest, there is little to no residual crops left. Therefore, in order for there to be any nutrients in the soil, farmers must inject pesticides and fertilizers into the soil in order to plant corn the following year. In addition to the increase of sediment flowing into water sources, the amount of chemicals comes into consideration. As a result of the increased amount of phosphorus at Lake Rathburn, an algae growth was stimulated in conjunction with the increase of sediment deposition. This spike in algae growth shortened the lifespan of the lake.

As a consequence of the increase of pesticides and fertilizers such as nitrate, the water will become unsuitable for humans to drink and for aquatic life to live in. Exposed farmland sprayed with fertilizers and pesticides will wash pollutants into water sources potentially killing aquatic life and becoming toxic for humans to drink. In the city of Doon, where the city’s water head is farmland, the nitrate levels exceeded legal limits by 10 to 40 percent. Furthermore, regarding water quality, waste after ethanol production, is very high in levels of contaminants. Any breach in a holding pond, waste system or cooling system could have a detrimental impact on nearby water on both aquatic life and water quality for humans. The method of disposing of these contaminated waters would be discharging them into water sources but in limited amounts. The aquatic organisms are not the only life forms at risk.

Various birds and animals rely on the existence of clean water and CRP for their very survival. There have been proposals to completely eliminate the CRP program in Iowa. In some states, such as South Dakota and Iowa, CRP will be eliminated by up to 60 percent in the next year. The species particularly affected by this legislation is the Ring-Neck Pheasant. Iowa is currently one of the most sought after pheasant hunting destinations in United States. State wide, Iowa grosses over 90 million dollars annually from pheasant hunters. Pheasant hunting is an industry in rural parts of some states that many people depend on to make a living. The population of pheasants is expected to decline by 55 percent due to the loss of CRP habitat. Bird populations such as the Northern Harrier and the Henslow Sparrow are two other species that will be threatened should current CRP lands be significantly reduced.

The effect that ethanol has on the environment are very unappealing. From an efficiency stand point, corn ethanol is not a viable option to replace fossil fuels. On the brighter side, new technologies on the not so distant horizon may enable us to switch to ethanol as an alternative fuel. Research and development have explored the possibility of obtaining ethanol from more efficient sources. One particular species that has gained a lot of attention is switch grass. Bio-genetic engineers have created a strain of switch grass that can grow up to 10 feet tall. The level of efficiency is far better than corn. Comparably, switch grass runs at 700 percent efficiency, superior to corn’s 64 percent. There are other positive facts about switch grass that make it very appealing. Switch grass grows fast and it is not a ‘row crop’ like corn. Switch grass grows just like other prairie grasses, which would reduce the amount of erosion. Furthermore, switch grass provides much better cover and habitat for species such as the Ring Necked Pheasant.

Switch grass is certainly another option that should be explored. There are several other sources of energy in development that may also decrease our dependency on fossil fuels as well. Wind energy, hydroelectric and hydrogen are all potentially environmental friendly alternate fuel sources. Hydrogen power is an energy source that has not been thoroughly explored, but could potentially be the cleanest and cheapest form of energy. Hydrogen is the most abundant resource on our planet. It can even be harvested from algae. Transforming hydrogen into a usable energy form is very difficult, dangerous and inefficient with the present technology. Hydrogen is still very far from being used as a fuel source. But with continued effort of technological advancement and further research, hydrogen could very well become a potential source for alternate energy. Concerning the topic of sustainability, corn ethanol is not a technique that should be employed as an alternate energy source.

There is net energy loss when producing ethanol. If more energy is used in producing ethanol than is actually gained, then how can it be rationalized as an alternate energy source? Soil degradation will also become a major concern should corn ethanol production continue. As stated earlier, corn would be planted continuously, causing erosion and elevate the chemical contaminant levels in the environment. This would decrease the lifespan of many valuable water sources and destroy the environments that many species depend on. So as the United States moves toward ethanol, more land will be required to meet the quantity of corn demanded. This will decrease the land designated for soybean, rice, grains and livestock. Inevitably this shortage of food supply will inflate prices of food to the point where poorer people will no longer be able to afford them. This could cause unrest globally. Should we proceed with this strategy of corn ethanol as our alternate energy source, we could possibly degrade the soil to the point where we could no longer farm it, One must now ask, is ethanol really the answer to saving the environment and protecting our national interest? Or is it simply politicians pandering to a voting bloc?

After weighing the gains and losses in of our national interest, it can be concluded that we would lose more than we will gain should we substitute corn ethanol for fossil fuels. First, I will lay out the gains should we commit to ethanol production. We could become energy independent, and no longer rely on the Middle East for oil. For this reason, many people endorse the idea of ethanol. We are currently at war with many Middle Eastern countries and on tense terms with several others. Should we have to commit to war with any other countries, we must have our own source of energy.

The environment, in some ways, is a beneficiary to the ethanol switch. Ethanol burns far cleaner than any fossil fuel, leaving a much smaller carbon foot print. Engines run more efficiently and are often cleaned, reducing the amount of sludge buildup in the engine. These are some of the potential gains to our national interest should we switch to ethanol. In my opinion, the negative affects outweigh the gains. Ethanol is inefficient; it requires more energy to produce a unit of energy than is gained. It will cost more to produce the fuel than will be gained from it. Although fossil fuels run at about 84 percent efficiency, it still is better than the 64 percent efficiency of ethanol.

Ethanol production will endanger or cause species to become extinct. This could create ecosystem problems by allowing certain species to proliferate while devastating others. Our soil quality will diminish, making it harder for future generations to sustain a high quality of life. If the demand for corn continues to rise, food shortages are imminent. It will inflate the cost of food and decrease the amount of available food world wide. It will make it harder for poorer Americans to pay for food. People could resort to crime as a way to survive. In other countries poorer people will no longer be able to afford food at such a high price, leading to starvation and malnourishment.

So why should Americans care? As seen in Egypt, Yemen, Bangladesh, and even Mexico, food shortages cause unrest and a rise in radicalism. In Egypt, a rise in radicalism was noticed when the supply of corn was reduced and the price was increased. In Mexico, thousands of demonstrators rioted over the high price of corn flour. Impoverished people will resort to crime and revolt if that is what it takes to keep them fed. Ethanol is not the answer to our problems. It is in effect the grounds for more problems to surface and for existing problems to deteriorate even further.

Jatropha is a group of plants belonging to the wood spurges. The name, derived from the Greek words for doctor (iatros) and nutrition (trophe) already hints at those plants’ many uses. Native to Central America, it has been used for medicines.

Plants of the Jatropha family are evergreen or deciduous and have thick roots. Twigs and leaves are usually pubescent, but the hairs don’t burn. The fruits are capsules with three chambers. Almost all of the Jatropha plants are toxic, some of them highly so: The seeds can be fatal to humans, although when roasted, they loose some of their toxins.

So what is special about the Jatropha plants, so special that it is called the Miracle Plant by some?

This refers to the seeds of the “Jatropha curcas” plant, also called physic nut or purging nut. The plant is modest in its requirements and can survive even in barren savannahs. There is over 30% of oil in the seeds, which is extremely high for such an undemanding plant. The cetane number of the oil is 60, and here is the key: Canola, the world’s currently most used source of biodiesel fuels, has only a cetane number of 54, Jatropha seeds promise to be even more promising for technical uses.

It can be intercropped with other commercial crops (such as coffee or sugar), and thus promises to be an interesting source of income for some of the poorer countries. Already plantations and biodiesel plants are located in India, Indonesia, China and Brazil; several African countries are getting started. Test flights have been a success. In 2009, the Time Magazine called it The Next Biofuel, estimating a potential for 1,600 gallons of diesel fuel per acre per year. This is like a wake up call for a world desperately looking for renewable resources.

Much like fashion and music, our perception of what the future will hold changes as time passes. Around the turn of the last century, we got visions of moon shots, Martian invasions and journeys to the center of the planet from science fiction writers like Jules Verne and H.G. Wells. After Sputnik shot into orbit in the 1950s, our future became populated by robot butlers and flying cars. And today, as we face the specter of climate change and disappearing natural resources, our visions of the future include alternative energy solutions.

But what do we mean by the phrase “alternative energy?” Aside from crude oil, there’s a wide array of viable options: Natural gas. Coal. Geothermal. The list goes on and on.

But in the midst of international tension and pollution, relying on a dwindling supply of fossil fuels is a futile exercise at best. New forms of alternative energy must be free from the limitations of the ones we’re using now. The subtext here is sustainability — the ability of alternative energy sources to sustain themselves.

So what kinds of alternative energy can we predict for the next century? Here’s a quick list:

Hydrogen Fuel Cells. Since well before Toyota introduced the Prius gas-electric hybrid, we’ve been speculating as to how we’d power automobiles with alternative energy. But the popularity of the Prius has driven business and industry to pursue better ways to fuel cars. One of the best answers is hydrogen gas, since it can be drawn from conventional crude oil sources and (like gasoline), “alternative energy” sources (like biodiesel). The hydrogen drawn from these sources powers fuel cells to power a vehicle’s motor. The only emission is water.

Biofuels. If you’ve ever been camping, you’ve used biofuels: Campfires burn biomass (dried or decomposed organic material) to create heat and light. In the process known as prolysis, organic products are burned to create liquid fuels. These fuels can be used to power an internal combustion engine or a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle. However, burning biomass produces carbon, which contributes to global warming.

Solar Power. As far as sustainability goes, solar power wins the gold medal; the sun isn’t scheduled to expend its supply of hydrogen gas for another four and a half billion years. Solar power uses photovoltaic cells to turn sunlight into usable energy. And though business and industry have generally been slow to convert power systems to solar, there are several notable exceptions: One Southern California utility announced plans to spend $900 billion on photovoltaic power generation in the Mojave desert. Home Depot, the home improvement retail store, has also begun offering solar installation service to its clients.

Wind Power. Windmills aren’t just for quaint old farms anymore. Though wind power has been used as far back as the 1800s (when it helped to irrigate crops), it’s only come into its own relatively recently. Now, wind farms speckle the landscape throughout the American southwest.

Wave Energy. Off the coast of Portugal sits the world’s firs commercial “wave farm” — an installation intended to generate power from the motion of ocean waves. The key to wave power is the Pelamis Wave Energy Converter, the device that makes the whole process possible. The Pelamis is designed to survive even the harshest waves, since it only absorbs a portion of the energy of each wave.

Soy is increasingly appearing in the headlines; for all the wrong reasons. Some have suggested that a diet heavy in soy products can cause all sorts of health problems – but doesn’t everything these days?

Supposed health issues aside; if you consume a lot of soy – and most of us do in some form as it’s added to so many products, have you asked yourself where it comes from?

Deforestation of the Amazon is something most of us are familiar with, but usually in relation to logging and cattle grazing. Did you know that Brazil is now one of the world’s largest exporters of soy beans? And guess where most of the crop comes from – the Amazon area. Over the 2005-2006 growing year, Brazil produced over 53.4 million tonnes of soybeans

In a double-whammy for meat eaters it also appears that one of the major uses for these soy beans is as feed for livestock. So whether you’re a vegetarian or omnivore; the chances are your diet consists to some extent of soy sourced from the Amazon.

While deforestation of the Amazon has decreased somewhat in recent years due to a drop in commodity pricing, including the price of soy beans; any further deforestation is just continuing the environmental disaster.

There’s no point in rejoicing too much over a 30%, 40% or even a 50% decrease in clearing in a year and allowing those responsible some breathing space; the destruction still continues of what is a rapidly diminishing resource. It needs to stop totally. Now. The pressure must be kept up – beware of rubbery figures.

Another monster looms on the horizon that could see the pace of Amazonian destruction increase again – biofuels. The yield of every soy bean is 80 percent meal and 20 percent oil.

I used to be so positive about the biofuel industry, but I’m fearful of where it may lead us in terms of other forms of environmental degradation. It’s part of the answer to some of our problems, sure, but it will lead us into a false sense of security that we can drive as much as we like and be “earth-friendly”. For example, the grain required to fill a 25-gallon SUV gas tank with ethanol could feed one person for a year.

Would you be happy filling your tank with a fuel that was sourced in part from the clearing of a rainforest or any sort of other natural forest?

Does the thought of your soy, in whatever form, perhaps coming from the Amazon disturb you?

It’s all food for thought.

More and more people are concerned about motorized transport and its effects on the environment. Research has shown that motorized transport contributes greatly to noise pollution, environmental pollution and global warming which is the subject of heated debate across the world. Most vehicles depend on the use of petroleum products for fuel which results in the emission of toxic chemicals into the air. This is dangerous to our environment and to us. Take for example carbon monoxide which is a colourless, odourless and poisonous gas. In most cities it is safe to say that the highest contribution of carbon monoxide is from motorised transport.

Added to that is the issue of traffic jams that is plaguing many cities across the globe. In major cities worldwide it is not uncommon to be stuck in traffic jams for hours on end. Examples can be seen in cities like Seoul and Rio de Janeiro. It is very frustrating to be stuck in a traffic jam for many hours after a long day at work or school. How then can we work towards an environment which is free or at least has less noise pollution, is cleaner and not plagued by congestion on the road?

One way to combat environmental pollution is to consider using biofuels like ethanol which is environmentally friendly and can even contribute to the economic well being of a country. Biofuels like ethanol are made from starch crops an example of which is sugar cane. Brazil is a good example of a country that is benefiting from the use of ethanol as a biofuel.These will greatly reduce carbon dioxide emissions from vehicles which means a cleaner and safer environment.

Another way is to discourage travel by personal car and encourage the use of public transport like buses. If for every one bus ten cars are off the road that is definitely better for the environment. It will help reduce noise pollution and the emission of carbon dioxide. Additionally people should be encouraged to use more non-motorized transport like bicycles and walking. These can be done by building walkways that are safe for pedestrians and cycle lane networks.

Lastly if people could travel less then that would certainly ease congestion and pollution to our environment. Instead of traveling to the market or bank if people can be encouraged to purchase groceries online and transact business online then this would mean reduced travel. These are issues that need to be taken seriously. Motorized transport is a real danger to our environment. We must act now to make our environment safer, cleaner and friendlier for future generations.

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There is still much debate about global warming and its impact on the environment. At the same time, there is no denying the trend towards renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and green building has created opportunities for “green collar jobs.” While the future of many industries is uncertain right now, the green initiatives in President’s Obama’s stimulus package, LEED certified construction projects, and the push for renewable energy sources will create green collar jobs. This is right on time since many Americans are out of work and need to find jobs. In short, consider looking for a job in industries that will be a part of the “green economy”. Here are a few areas of opportunity:

1. Energy Efficient Architects and Builders who are LEED certified – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design green building rating system to create and build energy efficient structures. Building energy efficient structures would also include jobs for all types of construction workers, architects, builders, electricians, welders, CAD technicians, mechanical engineers, project managers, metal workers, and all the support jobs too. Also, demand for support jobs such as accountants, marketing, and IT will rise as well.

2. Solar and Wind Energy Jobs in manufacturing, fabrication, installation, and maintenance. There are, also, opportunities for metal workers, engineers, IT specialist, assemblers, factory workers, production managers, mechanics, highly skilled installers, and support (office) jobs too.

3. Green Entrepreneurs can create jobs in building materials, equipment installation & maintenance, office cleaning using green products, recycling plants, construction, transportation, or even office supplies by using renewable energy, low emission manufacturing, and sustainable materials. There are opportunities for businesses to create green collar jobs in most industries and reduce the amount of carbon that is released into the atmosphere.

4. Agricultural Jobs organic farmers, agricultural engineers, genetic scientist, soil scientist, plant scientist, environmental engineers, geologist, all levels of farmer workers, and biofuel jobs.

5. Urban Planning and Design to limit the amount of urban sprawl, reduce the amount of carbon release into the atmosphere, and encourage the use of mass transit. Urban planning will likely create green collar jobs for bus & train operators, mechanics, construction workers, builders, architects, urban planners, engineers, and maintenance workers.

As you can see, green collar jobs (green jobs) are available in many different industries and occupations. If you are looking for a job think “green collar job” and help save the planet too.