Gas Drilling! Gas Wells!

Summary:
~In New Gas Wells, More Drilling Chemicals Remain Underground:
There is a relatively low amount of water that is actually retrieved from hydrofracking. While this water remains down there, it becomes toxinated and slowing makes its way towards our drinking water supply. Surprisingly enough, the Safe Water Drinking Act does not include water used in hydrofracturing. However, hydrofracturing was much less common back when congress created it than it is now. Recent studies declare the amount of water left behind after hydrofracturing to be in-between 30% and 70% of the initial amount inserted into the ground. Either way, there is still far too much water that is being wasted and left behind.
~Natural Gas Drilling: What We Don't Know:
Despite the benefits of collecting natural gas, there far more 'cons' than there are 'pros'. It is very possible that leftover contaminated water can reach our drinking supply. Some of the chemicals in the water may be directly linked to certain forms of cancer. ProPublica takes a stand against drilling for gas, because of many reasons. First, it has contaminated water at over 1000 separate locations. Second, the cancer aspect and the fact that our drinking water may be responsible for it. Last, there appears to be little effort done to prevent the water from spreading from deep within the ground. As you drill deeper, wells become more prone to errors such as gaps and tiny holes in the concrete.

Terms:
~Hydrofracturing: process of fracturing rocks using a water compound

Comments:
~The largest concern of drilling natural gas is the negative environmental affects. The drilling contaminates drinking water with chemicals, many of which are harmful and not meant to be consumed by plants, wildlife, and people alike. Drilling may also destroy roads and hurt our landscape.
~The largest concern of the drillers is that they might not be able to drill. If they cannot drill, then they cannot make a profit!

Questions:
~Is the production of natural gas worth the cost in the near future, or will we be much more reliant on coal?
~How can we measure and compare the price of gathering the natural gas, to the affects on the environment?
~How come so many states have such minimal or non existent restrictions placed on hydrocracking? Shouldn't the government put a little more interest on the negative affects of mining?

Cuba and Sustainability

Summary:
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Cuba became one of many nations that had to severely cut back on their oil. Every nation, except for Cuba seemed to suffer extreme losses from a lack of oil. Cuba, however, is able to function without tons of oil. People gave up personal cars and readopted cheap, public transportation. Medicine was targeted towards illness prevention and health, rather than getting better. In fact their life expectancy is just as high as that of Americans, and they even have free health care for all. It is impressive knowing that their country still functions without a massive amount of reliance on fossil fuels.

Comments:
~Cuba does many things to cut back on the use of fossil fuels. Houses are made of stone and concrete mixtures. People traded in their cars for public transportation systems. They also walk and bike a lot more, which makes them healthier as a country. Finally, they decided to resort back towards older methods of farming, in which tractors are replaced by oxen.
~I personally believe that relocalization is destined to fail. In order to do this, people would have to be forced from their homes and spread out to where resources are more abundant. I mean, sure, it might be possible to build a sustainable economy which is located nearby energy resources and farms. However, as of right now, most people do not see the need to move towards a more conservative society, therefore, the likeliness of this happening soon is not very high. Also, there is no telling if it is possible to keep our human population under control, and how to make sure that those areas will have the resources to sustain life in the future?

Questions:
~Was the living space at Cuba always as small as it is right now?
~Will similar changes be possible in America? (Cultures and Values seem very different)
~How come in the United States, we do not have to finish high school, whereas in Cuba, it is required to have 12 years of school?

'The Geography of Nowhere' by James Howard Kunstler

Summery:
One hundred years ago, cars were the toys of very rich people. Ideas such as the assembly line helped to greatly spread the production and sales rates of cars. The middle class could now afford cars, and a great amount of money was invested in readying the world for a massive amount of new drivers. The automobile ultimately turned public transportation into private transportation. This article describes how automobiles slowly worked their way into our society by providing jobs, individual transportation, and satisfaction.

Comments:
~Cars shaped our current way of life by replacing public transportation with private transportation. People were now free to live further away from cities, as well as travel freely as long as the car could work.
~Tractors helped increase the total amount of crops produced on a farm. This means that there is more food able to be bought and consumed by larger amounts of people, allowing our population to grow rapidly.
~Energy contributed to the post world war II boom because it lead to massive economic development. Energy was used in rebuilding things such as homes, which were in a very high demand following world war II. Fossil Fuels provided energy to construction equipment, as well as the shipping and trading of materials.

Questions:
~Should I regard Robert Moses' actions as a positive effect or a negative effect on society?
~What will be our course of action now, to try and use automotive, or move backwards towards community transportation?
~Why were electric cars not as appealing as those with a combustion engine?

'Eating Fossil Fuels' by Dale Allen Pfeiffer

Summary:
Two of the largest fossil fuels, which are currently essential to our nation's economy may not be so dependable in the future. 1) Oil hit its peak of its production much earlier than it was expected to. May other people believe in alternatives to oil such as fuel cells and hydrogen, but they do not give nearly enough energy to supply our economy's needs. 2) Natural Gas in North America is also greatly on the decline. Mexico has has stopped producing gas, and rather is importing to supply its its natural gas needs. Most of the large natural gas reserves in the United States have already been tapped and we are beginning to rely a little bit on the supply that comes from Canada. Natural Gas is a gas, and although simple to gather, it does not have as much energy as oil. It also depletes much faster from within the earth, making it a very unlikely source of American investment in the near future.

In the meantime, it appears that our agricultural society is on the brink of collapse. The population of United States is continuously on the rise, which is going to cause enough problems in the near future. In order to maintain a sustainable population, it is estimated that the population of the world will have to be decreased by more than half. A real life example of what may come to be is currently going on in North Korea, which no longer can depend on getting its resources from Chain and the Soviet Union. This shortage of energy has greatly decreased the economy, production of good, and lowered the quality of life. If alternatives are not found, other industrialized nations across the world are all at risk.

Terms:
~Exosomatic: any form of memory that is recorded outside of the brain.

Comments:
~The farming industry is already in danger as it is and reliance on fossil fuels just make the entire situation worse. Society has openly replaced farm animals with machines without considering the consequences of their actions. These machines cost a lot of extra money, but can be used to tend to a greater amount of land and crops. As fossil fuels become more expensive, however, it will cost more to operate the machines, causing farming profits to decrease, and the price of food to increase. Eventually, when we run out of fossil fuels, we will probably have to convert back towards older, more traditional methods of farming. As a result, our economy will not be able to produce the quantities of food needed for sustainability.
~The United States can learn from Vietnam that fossil fuels are essential in a modern day society, and if a crisis were to occur where we could not supply ourselves fuel, our country would be in deep trouble. We can learn to look ahead towards the future of our nation, and try to avoid disaster.

Questions:
~What does the article mean when it says that M. King Hubbert was "condemned" for his prediction?
~How can a hospital in Korea function without energy for equipment and heat in the winter?
~Why does our government seem to do so very little to prepare for a future without fossil fuels?

The Oil Drum!

Summary: William Stanley Jevons a while ago made a prediction about the future of energy, and now it appears as if it is coming true. He believed that eventually, the cost of obtaining fossil fuels would be to great, and companies would not be able to profit from mining. Also, as we use up the easy to access fuels, they will become harder to reach, further driving up the cost of fossil fuels, which will negatively effect our economy. Overall, he believes that fossil fuels have become almost inseparable with our current economy, and that there will come a time where gathering these fuels is no longer with the time, money and effort.

Herman Daly wrote a similar article about our rapid progression as a society. Our economy is rapidly progressing thanks to the useful properties of fossil fuels. Unfortunately, this also makes us dependent on resources that are very quickly being used up. If society continues to progress, or we do not take a step back from our current society, we will run out of resources before we know it and will be devastating to our economy as well as our way of life. Bottom Line: We need to slow down and maintain our economy.

Terms:
~N/A?

Comments:
~Jevons' main concern it not that we are running out of coal and fossil fuels. Yet, it is along a similar lines of thinking. As we continue to mine coal, we will have to dig deeper and put in more effort to obtain our fuels. Eventually, he fears that the energy and price required to obtain coal will exceed what it is worth.
~Daly uses an example comparing a helicopter and an airplane to describe two different types of economies. The helicopter relates to an economy that is stable and steady, what an ideal economy should be. The airplane represents our current economy which tries to rapidly progress in a straight like as quickly as possible.

Questions:
~Can humanity still function without the use of modern day technology?
~Daly makes an interesting point, either way our society as it is right now will fail to progress and proceed in the opposite direction. He is proposing that we should choose when this should happen rather than hit a dead end with no return. Does this mean that no matter what, humanity will have to get rid of all of its current technology in the future?
~What is the likelihood that we can transform into a steady-state economy?

'Energys': Chapter 6 'Transportation and Information' by Smil Vaclav

Summary:
Chapter six discusses the recent evolution of technology and communications, their importance to society and their reliance on fossil fuels. The first major methods of transportation were trains and boats. Trains were cheap to build and maintain, and were an inexpensive way of transporting people and their goods across the country. Once steam engines came into play trains became an even more popular form of transportation. They were much preferred to horse drawn carriages. Next the chapter discussed new steam engined ships which allowed room for bigger ships and faster voyages. Steam engines were eventually replaced by diesel engines, which made traveling by ship even more likeable. A huge invention that followed was the combustion engine, which opened the way to automobiles, which are not almost an essential for every family in America. Finally, rockets were developed, and for the first time ever, allowing man to look for the first time beyond the boundaries of his own planet. Modern transportation would be be a burden without the use of all of these inventions that depend on fossil fuels. In fact, fossil fuels themselves require transportation to refineries and to local outputs where they can be accessed.
Next chapter six went on further to discuss inventions of communication such as the telegraph, the telephone, and eventually computers and the internet. These are all much more effective as long distance communications than mail. These all require electricity to function, and most of our country's electricity comes from fossil fuels. As a result, this is just one more way that fossil fuels have impacted our community.

Terms:
~Automation: A process that involves using control systems such as computers and machines to control modern development processes.
~Embourgeoisement: Factors that help categorize people into the 'middle class' of our society.
~

Comments:
~Excellent transportation is essential in a modern day society whither it means getting food from the grocery store, giving emergency supplies to those in Haiti, or moving troops to the front-lines to gain solid ground. Transportation itself has helped unite a global market and has greatly expanded our access to every day needs.
~Better communications are intended to make communicating easier, while also relying less on fossil fuels. For instance, rather than having to drive all the way home to ask my mom a simple question, or send a letter which required a jet plane and a delivery truck, I can simply call them on a phone, send them an instant message, or even video chat with them. Better communications such as radio and television allow the spread of news, and even can help promote awareness towards a natural disaster.
~I personally believe that the cars of the future are more likely to be made by apple rather than General Motors. Check this out!
http://www.teslamotors.com/models/index.php



Questions:
~How come at my college, everyone seems to drive to the Cafe rather than use a more economic friendly method such as riding a bike or walking?
~What should be prioritized, the development of new transportation technologies and communications, or the enhancement of older more energy consuming technologies?
~Which seems more efficient, the development of electric cars, or increased mileage in gasoline cars?

'Energys': Chapter 5 'Fossil-Fueled Civilization' by Smil Vaclav

Summary:
It was not until the mid twentieth century that fossil fuels became regarded as a major energy resource. In this chapter, Vaclav talks about the adoption of fossil fuels as the major energy resource of the world. He notes that without the aid of fossil fuels, our modern day society might not have come to be. On the other hand, some new energy sources such as nuclear power have destructive potential. All in all, modern human lifestyles owe a lot thanks to fossil fuels.

Terms:
~Catalytical: Chemistry/Chemical
~Smelting: The process of melting or fusing, mainly used in ore refining.

Comments:
~This chapter also mentions other major power sources from the twentieth century such as hydro turbines, nuclear reactors, and fertilizer. Hydro turbines and nuclear reactors account for a great deal of the remaining power (other than fossil fuels.) Nitrogen fertilizers provide an important source of energy(food) for humans. All three of these technologies led towards the industrialization of the world!
~The thermal efficiency of power systems slowly declines over the course of time.


Questions:
~As time progresses, fuel sources become increasingly hazardous. Is there a way to determine if an energy source will negatively impact the globe before it is mass produced?
~What will happen if we run out of fossil fuels, and alternative energy sources are not yet found? Would society take a great leap backwards?
~What caused the need for a greater source of energy?