How to make BoobaJuice

1.  Put gatorade powder in glass
2.  Pour milk in glass
3.  Stir
4.  Enjoy

Year reflection

I learned a lot in U.S. History this year.  I learned a lot about thinking with empathy and sympathy when we studied slavery and the movie 12 Years a Slave.  Empathy has helped me understand many aspects of our modern culture.  I have also learned to persevere through my work, like the movie 13 Days.  And finally, I have learned to see all sides of any historical/political event.  Seeing all sides has helped me understand current events and possible solutions to political and cultural issues.

Letter to the people of 2216

To Whom it May Concern,

In the year 2016, we have only scratched the surface of what is possible with sustainable, alternative energy. While it is true that fossil fuels have and for a period will continue to have the largest following as far as consumers go, we are attempting to increase alternative fuel usage. With technological advances in energy alternatives such as wind, solar, and hydroelectric energy, coupled with the invention of synthetic gasoline and diesel, the general population is beginning to have a choice in which type of energy they use. There are, however, some drawbacks; renewable energy is much less efficient than fossil fuels, the technology is deemed to not be aesthetically pleasing, and it is not as easy to harness as fossil fuels. This trend is however changing and we hope that by 2216 fossil fuels will be a thing of the distant past.

The technology for all electric vehicles is not where we would like it to be.  For example, to have similar performance as a gasoline dragster, an all electric dragster would have to use the same amount of power that a small town does.  So for the people of 2016, the time has come to find alternatives to petroleum fuels in personal and commercial vehicles.  

In 2016, gasoline powered cars are able to run on 10% ethanol.  And some can even run on 85% ethanol.  This is a huge step toward reducing emissions and making the world not rely on petroleum fuel.  Ethanol has many advantages when it is used in vehicles.  The biggest advantage of using ethanol is that it is like alcohol.  According to the Union of Concerned Scientists(1), ethanol can be made with corn and researchers are finding ways to produce ethanol with algae and other microorganisms.  If cars are able to run on 100% ethanol in the future there will never be a shortage of fuel.  But there are more advantages to using ethanol than just being a sustainable energy source.  Some advantages of ethanol are on the website for the U.S. Department of Energy(4).  These advantages include a 90% reduction in emissions when compared to gasoline, and engines that run on any percentage of ethanol are more resistant to engine knock (an early cylinder compression that causes major damage over time).  

Methanol is another fuel that is very similar to ethanol.  The technology for using methanol as a fuel has come around in 2016 and it is showing many benefits.  The Methanol Institute(3) lists many benefits that methanol has when it is used as a fuel.  Methanol reduces emissions like unburned carbons, carbon monoxide, ground level ozone, and mono-nitrogen oxides (NOx) are greatly reduced.  In addition to gas emissions being reduced, there is almost no particulate matter left over after methanol is burned and engines that use 100% methanol can gain 50% efficiency over gasoline engines.  Methanol is currently being implemented as an aftermarket diesel product.  Diesel car and truck owners that want better fuel efficiency and cleaner emissions use methanol injection kits.  

But methanol is not just used as a fuel additive for diesel cars and trucks.  It has potential for performance that a majority of electric vehicles don’t.  There are certain race classes in the National Hot Rod Association(2) (NHRA) that dedicate methanol as their fuel.  The NHRA is an organization that holds races that are a ¼ mile long and are in a straight line.  This is referred as “drag racing” in 2016.  These drag racing vehicles, or dragsters, are slowly catching up to the high octane gasoline racing classes in terms of speed and times.  Regular “top fuel” dragsters are capable of starting from standing still to going a quarter-mile in distance in times of up to 3.7 seconds and reaching 330 miles-per-hour.  The very similar “top alcohol dragsters” can race a quarter mile with times reaching up to 3.8 seconds and speeds of 285 miles-per-hour.  The drag racing classes of the NHRA prove that there are alternatives to gasoline that do not compromise performance.  

Although these advantages of ethanol and methanol are very promising, there are major drawbacks, but most of them can be prevented.  Both ethanol and methanol are corrosive.  These problems revealed themselves very quickly for engines used in lawn mowers and older cars that were designed to use pure gasoline.  These problems were not by any means cheap fixes.  Ethanol wears down rubber so fuel lines and other engine parts were literally melting.  In addition to these problems, ethanol is corrosive to metals.  There was an article that was published by an entertainment company called “Hot Rod Network”(9)  that publishes magazines.  The author of the article I found named “Ethanol Race Fuel - Why Ethanol?” informed his audience about how issues with ethanol can be prevented.  These solutions were replacing rubber components with synthetic materials and coating metals with materials to prevent rusting.

The way that people get their food in 2016 is by big diesel trucks hauling trailers.  Diesel is a petroleum fuel and the production of an alternative called biodiesel is already being produced.  Biodiesel has advantages and disadvantages.  These advantages are that biodiesel can be domestically produced, reduced emissions, it is biodegradable, it is non-toxic, and can be made(7) with many different ingredients.  According to the U.S. Department of Energy(8), a 100% biodiesel blend reduces greenhouse gas emissions are by 52% when compared to pure petroleum diesel.  And according to an EPA study done in 2002, carbon monoxide and unburned hydrocarbon emissions are reduced.  However, 100% biodiesel cleans(6) out the fuel system like drano does in a clogged sink.  Because of this, the carbon deposits that are flushed out go directly to the fuel filter, which is expensive to replace.  More downsides to biodiesel are that it turns into a gel in cold temperatures and NOx emissions are slightly(5) increased.  These disadvantages can be combated with fuel additives.  

The change to more alternative energy is largely due to a sudden realization from the citizens of the United States and countries like it that the earth cannot sustain this level fossil fuel output and have any hope of being habitable for humans in the future. While the chemistry relating to the degradation of the ozone layer is relatively simple (as I’m sure you know), the modus operandi of many powerful people and the companies they represent has been to simply look the other way, allowing their future generations to handle the problems they are creating (sorry if we did that to you).

This philosophy has begun to crumble, as we are seeing first hand just how intense fossil fuel energy output effects are on not only the earth, but its inhabitants as well. As a race we have begun our search for a viable alternative. Even oil companies like BP and Shell have stated that by 2050 ⅓ of the earth’s energy will come from renewable resources(16), showing just how united many of the citizens of the United States, but even greater than that, the world, have become in stopping the dissipation of the ozone layer. The uses for alternative energy are just as abundant as the fossil fuels they are hoping to replace(12). These sources of renewable power are becoming more and more cost efficient, with the price of solar power going down by 50% since 2008. Countries like Germany(13) are providing the world with an example of making the gradual change from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, with windmills lining their coastline. It is not for a lack of trying that so many developed countries are still so dependent on fossil fuel as an energy source. There are many factors limiting the overall production of renewable resources; for one, they are not always available(11) (i.e. the sun isn’t always shining bright, the wind isn’t always blowing) in other words, it is a less stable form of energy than the traditional coal and nuclear route.

Speaking of stability, another thing that I believe to be very interesting and also very practical is the construction of passive solar homes (homes that use Earth’s resources for most of if not all of the energy requirements of their home). This is an incredible idea in theory, and for those that have attempted it, they say the homes are incredible successes(14). However, with passive solar homes being such a new building type, it is almost impossible to receive a loan to build them. In fact, there are so many hoops to jump through that it is necessary for lawyers to counsel people just on how to go about getting a loan to build a house!(10) There is hope though. A group of some of the most influential businesses in the world, called “The Re 100”(19), has vowed that they will go to completely renewable sources of energy (companies like Google, Nike, HP, Ikea, BMW). Also, Walmart is already running with 32% renewable energy, a statistic that 15 years ago would have to be a work of fiction. (20)This along with the fact that countries like the United States have vowed that they will reduce CO2 emissions by 32% by 2030 does give me hope that alternative energy can become a serious player in the developed world.

Not everyone is as bought in on the idea that the world needs renewable resources as opposed to fossil fuels to provide their energy. Many power companies are pushing to change mandates which force them to give money to anyone creating their own power supply, or anyone using renewable energy. Also, some people are opposed to the creation of wind turbines in Iowa, saying that it takes away from the natural beauty of the landscape, a New York Times article wrote(17). These setbacks are still considered minor, and I hope the pushback weakens over time. My headmaster talked to me about how much it would take to get the United States running on renewable energy and we came to a consensus. It is going to have to be patriotic to put a windmill in your backyard or a solar panel on your roof, you have to convince people that what they are doing is actually doing good in the world if you want to see any change. (18)

The world is moving increasingly towards renewable sources of energy(21), and our only hope is that this movement is not too little too late. I hope that by now your generation has gone to entirely renewable sources of energy, and coal, nuclear power, and natural gasoline are only something you read about in history textbooks. We are trying to solve the problem instead of allowing it to progress further. I hope everything is fine there.

Best of Luck,

Ward Pullen & William Joiner

Footnotes:

(1)http://www.ucsusa.org/clean-vehicles/better-biofuels/truth-about-ethanol#.VytJpRUrLOT

This article lists things that are hopeful in the production of ethanol

(2)http://www.nhra.com/nhra101/classes.aspx

National Hot Rod Association lists their racing classes

(3)http://www.methanol.org/energy/transportation-fuel.aspx

The methanol organization’s article on why methanol is a very realistic fuel option

(4)https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/ethanol.shtml

The U.S. Department of Energy lists some emission benefits of ethanol

(5)https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/biodiesel.shtml

The U.S. Department of Energy gives a general overview of biodiesel’s many benefits

(6)http://www.afdc.energy.gov/fuels/biodiesel_blends.html

The U.S. Department of Energy gives a more detailed overview of the common biodiesel blends of 2016

(7)http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/hybrid-electric/a4031/4302655/

Popular Mechanics is a popular magazine that has many home projects in their articles online and in their magazine publications.  This article shows how easy it is to make biodiesel with frying grease from a restaurant.  

(8)http://www.afdc.energy.gov/vehicles/diesels_emissions.html

The U.S. Department of Energy gives a chart that was created by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency showing the emission levels.

(9)http://www.hotrod.com/how-to/engine/ctrp-1008-ethanol-race-fuel/

Hot Rod Magazine is a company that publishes articles online and in magazines covering the subject of muscle cars.  This article shows that ethanol shows potential for engine performance.  

(10) Financing Green Home Building - “ We are happy to be able to provide you with the wide range of information related to sustainable architecture and natural building available at this site. As an example of natural building, the image at the top is of the earthbag house that served as our home in Southern Colorado for many years.” http://www.greenhomebuilding.com/QandA/financial/ways.htm

(11) Solar Schools- “ The solar schools website is one example of our community based marketing programs. The website concept was first developed by Grassroots Marketing Alliance in conjunction with numerous other businesses to provide schools with an opportunity to understand their energy usage and then take action to reduce it.” http://www.solarschools.net/resources/stuff/advantages_and_disadvantages.aspx

(12) Myths about Renewable Energy - This website is focused on informing the public of the common myths about alternative energy, in order to attempt to persuade more people to make the switch away from fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy.   http://www.greenpeace.org/africa/en/campaigns/Climate-change/renewable-energy-myths/

(13) Live Science - I read an article on a new windmill design that Germany is focusing on. This website’s mission statement is “To empower and inspire our readers with the tools needed to understand the world and appreciate its everyday awe.” http://www.livescience.com/7183-floating-ocean-windmills-designed-generate-power.html

(14)Energy.gov - I read an article on passive solar design, whose mission statement is “Energy Saver provides energy efficiency and renewable energy information to consumers in the United States, including families, homeowners, renters, and drivers.” http://energy.gov/energysaver/passive-solar-home-design

(16) Alternative Energy Facts - “

The content you find on this website, is the collaboration of those few alt energy nuts, who have collated and authored, what we think, is accurate (at the time of publishing) information on developments in the field of alternative energy sources in the North America, Europe and Australia. We make our content readily available on the internet and in the public domain but we do not pretend nor offer the information on this website as infallible or completely up to date.” http://www.altenergy.org

(17) NY Times Pushback on Green Power - “The New York Times's core purpose is to enhance society by creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news, information and entertainment.” http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/29/business/energy-environment/a-pushback-on-green-power.html?_r=0

(18) Middle Class leading the charge, AmericanProgress.org - “The Center for American Progress is an independent nonpartisan policy institute that is dedicated to improving the lives of all Americans, through bold, progressive ideas, as well as strong leadership and concerted action. Our aim is not just to change the conversation, but to change the country.“ https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/report/2013/10/21/76013/solar-power-to-the-people-the-rise-of-rooftop-solar-among-the-middle-class/

(19) The RE 100 - “RE100 is a collaborative, global initiative of influential businesses committed to 100% renewable electricity, working to massively increase corporate demand for renewable energy.”

http://there100.org

(20) Businesses with Renewables, The Guardian - “Covering American and international news for an online, global audience.” http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2016/apr/08/renewable-energy-ikea-walmart-google-mars-hp-wind-solar-power

(21) Americans Want America to run on Solar and Wind,Forbes - “Forbes.com offers up-to-the-minute reporting, interactive tools and tough- minded analysis on the people, companies and technologies driving business and creating wealth.”  http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffmcmahon/2015/01/01/americans-want-america-to-run-on-solar-and-wind/#5f023d523699

alternative fuels log 4/28/16

Write a blog post (2 paragraph minimum) and include links to the sources you've used so far. There should be at least 3 - and you should discuss your research process in a way that documents your use of those sources. Make sure you do not discuss your research process in a superficial way. Rather, consider that you have learned, found interesting or surprising, or been stumped by. What do you plan to do next?

So far my research has been successful.  When I started research I wanted to know if there were ways of keeping internal combustion engines for cars and trucks while reducing emissions and maintaining performance.  I have always wondered if cars could be run on pure ethanol considering that some can run on E85, which is 85% ethanol.  I came across this article about ethanol.  I found that emissions wise that ethanol can be far greater than gasoline.  Although ethanol looks very attractive as an alternative fuel, it makes older engines rust out and it destroys fuel lines.  

I was stumped by this.  This is because fuel lines and engines are expensive to replace.  But then I remembered that some people purchase methanol injection kits for performance and better fuel economy in performance engines.  And the engines with methanol injection kits don't have problems.  So I went to the National Hot Rod Association's website to see if they had any vehicles that were converted to run on methanol.  What I found was very interesting.  There were 2 classes that ran on methanol.  These classes were the Top Alcohol Dragsters and the Top Alcohol Funny Cars.  And from what I read, both classes can keep up fairly well with their similar gasoline classes.  Methanol has many benefits such as reduced emissions.  But there is one major drawback, it is corrosive to certain metals.  

After I found that both ethanol and methanol are corrosive I was frustrated.  So I started to research biodiesel.  I came across an article in Popular Mechanics that explained the one of many ways to make biodiesel at home. What I found was that biodiesel can be made from fry grease, sodium hydroxide, and a small amount of pure motor oil.  

I plan to continue research on all 3 of the fuels that I talked about.  I also plan to do some research on synthetic oil.   

climate unit

The section of our climate unit that interests me the most for researching is alternatives.  This area interests me because I am a huge fan of racing and cars in general.  Without gasoline, oil, and diesel there can no longer be racing or regular cars.  There are some electric vehicles that are offered world wide, but performance wise and energy efficiency wise they are worse off than gas or diesel burning vehicles.  For example, there was an American Top Gear episode that featured an all electric top fuel dragster.  It was not nearly as fast as the top fuel dragster and it had enough energy in the battery to power a small town.  I hope to find fuel alternatives that burn far cleaner and can be implemented within the next 50 years.  

5 words I have about climate

5 words that come to mind when I hear climate:

1. hot
2. cold
3. warm
4. chilly
5. mild

I picked these words because they describe the climate.

Question I have about climate:

How does the weather affect what people do on a day to day basis?

Reading about the 1930s

Read about the Great Depression (Links to an external site.). According to this article, what was wrong with President Hoover's response? Why did people blame themselves when things went wrong, and how valid or invalid was this response? 

President Hoover underestimated the situation.  He expected the crisis to be solved within a month or two.  Men in particular blamed themselves because they were expected to provide for their household.  It was looked down upon for the men to ask for help.

Read about Black Sunday (Links to an external site.). How would you have felt if you'd been there on that day? What kinds of fears, concerns, or questions would be going through your mind during, and after, the event described?

If I were there on Black Sunday I would get inside my house as soon as I saw the storm.  I would be praying for the storm to end.

Read about The Drought (Links to an external site.). What areas were affected by it? What caused it. The author ends this article with a pithy quote. Do you agree or disagree with this historian's perspective? Why or why not?

Areas that were affected by the drought were in the Great Plains.  The drought was caused by wheat crops, exhausted soil, overgrazing livestock.  I both agree and disagree with the historian.  I agree that the farmers pushed the limit of the land.  However that does not mean that they were willingly abusing their land.  They had a quota of crops to make and without a paycheck the farmers families would go hungry.  In a way this limit needed to be found so that the farmers knew their land's limits.

Read about Mass Exodus from the Plains (Links to an external site.). Were does the migration of people out of the Dust Bowl rank in terms of other migrations in US History? What made life hard for people once they arrived in California?

There were over 2 million people that moved out of the Great Plains.  Farmers had a difficult time because California was mainly corporate owned and they were not familiar with the local crops.