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California Solar Initiative

“California Solar Initiative (CSI) – Go Solar California.” California Solar

         Initiative (CSI) – Go Solar California. State of California, n.d. Web.

1 Mar. 2015.

http://www.gosolarcalifornia.ca.gov/csi/index.php

 

The state of California is offering money to families that want to start using solar power in their homes. To qualify you need to get an energy audit and replace old and wasteful appliances and systems with newer more energy efficient systems. Your roof also needs to have a minimum level of sunlight daily hitting it in order to qualify for this offer. However the cost of the changes you have to make is almost always paid back many times over by energy cost reductions and the government money.

 

This is of huge importance to many for whom the up front payment is far too large to be conceivably payable. Many people know that in the long run their solar panels will pay for themselves in time but a twenty year turnover is too daunting for many people. Now with the slowly falling prices of solar panels and this and other similar programs that problem is slowly being resolved. With ever decreasing prices it may soon become easier to solely rely on solar energy than any other source.

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Subway on wheels transports millions

Subway on wheels transports millions. (2014, September 22). Retrieved February 27, 2015, from CNN News website: http://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2014/09/22/spc-future-cities-brazil-curitiba-transportation.cnn

 

In the Brazilian city of Curitiba, the subway on wheels is the most iconic way of public transportation. Curitiba’s bus system serves up to 2 million people per day and has transformed city travel. They have created bus systems that combine three buses in one to maximize the number of passengers it can hold (up to 250 people). The problem this city is facing is that the working class cannot access the buses because they cannot afford to live in the city and the upper class tends to lean towards owning private cars. The mayor of Curitiba has identified the issue of transportation and has vowed to improve the system for many years to come. He has also implemented a bicycle lane along side the car lanes to encourage people to use more environmentally helpful means of transportation.

 

This video relates to environmental science because it shows how bustling cities such as Curitiba, are pushing for more green, environmentally friendly ways of public transportation by offering an advanced bus system, and bicycle friendly lanes. This is most definitely a step in the right direction. This advanced bus system has increased the number of people using public transportation. The mayor of Curitiba is trying to improve and think of new ideas to offer his citizens.

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Worlds Largest Solar Plant

Roth, Sammy. “World’s Largest Solar Plant Opens in California Desert.”

USA Today. Gannett, 10 Feb. 2015. Web. 17 Feb. 2015.

 

 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/02/10/worlds-largest-solar-plant-california-riverside-county/23159235/

 

 

the worlds larges solar plant has officially opened now in California. This not only marks the hopeful beginning to a new burst in growth in the solar industry but also a clear signal that the state loans program is both profitable for the state and hugely beneficial for the solar industry. This program, long derided by the conservative section of society as a loss of taxpayer money on risky endeavors. The completion of this project marks the fifth such plant that has been supported by the loans program, and the returns for the loans have so far kept to every single condition that they were given. This will hopefully mean that in the future more people can get these loans to build more such plants.

 

There is very little more important than finding ways to make funding Solar palatable to the conservative side of politics. As long as there is a clear green bottom line this goes a long way towards making it so. If funding solar becomes profitable there will soon be more and more companies that want to get in on the new business. This project is just one part of a larger series of such plants that are hopefully the budding start to a surge in solar energy production. Many green energy sources are growing exponentially, wind for example has been doubling globally each year. If this trend holds true for solar energy as it has for wind we could expect to see a sizable portion of our power generated by solar and that is not even considering the other energy sources.

 

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Sandia Labs study points to advantages of storing hydrogen in salt mines

Sandia National Laboratories. (2014, December 9). Sandia Labs study points to advantages of storing hydrogen in salt mines. Retrieved February 27, 2015, from Environmental News Network website: http://www.enn.com/energy/article/48077

 

Sandia National Laboratories have discovered that “large-scale storage of low pressure, gaseous hydrogen in salt caverns and other underground sites for transportation fuel and grid-scale energy applications offers several advantages over above-ground storage.” This discovery of geologic storage of hydrogen could make it easier for companies selling fuel cell electric cars to access large amounts of hydrogen fuel. Salt caverns would “provide a low-cost solution for the geologic storage of hydrogen.” This will lead to the examination of metropolitan cities to see if they can store large quantities of gas.

 

This article relates to environmental science because it shows how the science behind transportation is developing further into more cost efficient, natural alternatives. Storing hydrogen gas in salt caverns seems to be a perfect solution over above ground storage. This solution will not only make it easier for companies selling fuel cell electric cats to access large amounts of hydrogen fuel, but it also saves money. Of course I must question the environmental downsides to this type of storage. What if “hydrogen gas mixes with residual gas or oil, or reacts with minerals in surrounding rock?” How about the actual destruction of geologic rock to store the hydrogen gas? What kinds of environmental issues will this pose?

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Solar Map

“Welcome to the San FranciscoSolar Map!” San Francisco Solar Map.

City of San Francisco, n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2015.

 

http://sfenergymap.org (check it out!)

 

The city of San Francisco has created a Google maps page that outlines all the solar energy collection in the city. This “solar census” allows anyone to see the spread of solar energy collection in the city. It provides both a concentration map of the solar collection as well as an installation-by-installation map of the entire city. This allows anyone to see what businesses and city structures are producing clean energy. This knowledge can let people know what organizations are being environmentally conscious, and what organizations are being reckless in their energy consumption.

 

An educated populace is the first step toward green energy, if people don’t know about an issue they can’t get involved and make things happen. Knowledge is power, if this is indeed true then this Google Map, no doubt the product of a few tens of hours of work can provide a sweeping understanding of the clean energy situation in the city. If people become aware of which companies use solar energy and react to this by using their purchasing power accordingly it will suddenly become economically sensible to transition to solar power and more businesses will begin to switch over to solar.

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Missing MH370: New plane tracking will be trialed after Malaysia plane mystery

The Associated Press (Ed.). (2015, February 28). Missing MH370: New plane tracking will be trialed after Malaysia plane mystery. Retrieved February 28, 2015, from NBC News website: http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/missing-jet/missing-mh370-new-plane-tracking-will-be-trialed-after-malaysia-n314981

 

The disappearance of the Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 last year catapulted a wide range of technological advances concerning the safety of planes. Since Flight 370 “vanished last year on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board,” Malaysia, Indonesia, and Australia have begun a trial to “enhance the tracking of aircraft over remote oceans, allowing planes to be more easily found.” This new system of tracking will increase the rate at which planes are tracked from every 40 minutes, to every 15 minutes. The new technology will use “satellite-based positioning” onboard aircrafts to transmit the current position.

 

This article relates to environmental science because it shows how transportation is evolving to better the safety of people. In this case, Australia, Malaysia, and Indonesia are fighting for another solution to better track planes to prevent another plane disappearance losing a large number of people. It’s about time that someone has stepped up to the plate and tried to come up with a plausible solution for increasing the safety of our planes. There should be stricter air safety regulations to extensively track planes from air traffic controllers and I think this is a step in the right direction.

 

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Solar Fun in the Sun

“Northern California Solar Regatta.” SMUD Community Solar. SMUD,

n.d.Web. 18 Feb. 2015.

 

https://www.smud.org/en/about-smud/environment/renewable-energy/solar-regatta.htm

 

This is a boat racing event where teams from different high schools and colleges compete to build the fastest boat. There is a twist however, these boats are powered by solar energy that they collect as they race, meaning that the efficiency of energy collection is what is really being tested. This competition is open to all schools north of Fresno and is held in the Rancho Seco Recreational Area. SMUD loans out the solar panels to schools, due to the large price tag that is still associated with these products.

 

This is an incredible thing for the future of solar power. It is undeniable that very often seeing is believing. Having a program where young people can work with solar panels and build a machine that they can use to compete with other schools allows them to see solar energy at work directly. This in turn cements the concept to them as not only feasible but as an immediate solution to the energy problems of the future. These young people will go on carrying these ideas into their adulthood, spreading the idea and in all likelihood being more likely to install solar panels of their own.

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Coachella, Mecca get money for transportation projects

Newkirk, B. (2014, November 21). Coachella, Mecca get money for transportation projects. Retrieved November 22, 2014, from The Desert Sun website: http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/traffic/2014/11/21/coachella-mecca-road-work-money/19368383/

 

About $2.3 million has been dedicated to improving the sidewalks, safety at Grapefruit Boulevard and Fourth Street in Mecca. About $1.8 million is going towards “six miles of pathways connected to the proposed Coachella Valley Link path.” Coachella has many ideas for the use of this grant money, for example “bike lanes, sidewalk and other improvements along Avenue 50 and Avenue 52, which would feed into Coachella Valley Link.” It also plans to “fund improvements on side streets to better connect Avenue 50 and 52 schools.”

This article shows that more and more largely populated communities are actively trying to improve the streets and safety of the people living there. Lots of money goes towards transportation and encouraging more people to walk and bike rather than drive. I think this is a very smart way to get people out of their regular routines of driving. If the roads, sidewalks, and safety are improved around highly populated communities, I believe more and more people will be encouraged to walk, bike and utilize these improvements.

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Transportation: Ratings focus attention on problem bridges

Horseman, J. (2014, November 22). Transportation: Ratings focus attention on problem bridges. Retrieved November 22, 2014, from The Press Enterprise website: http://www.pe.com/articles/bridges-754870-bridge-deficient.html

 

Bridges all over California are being inspected and rated on the strength of their infrastructure. Many bridges have been rated “structurally deficient” which doesn’t mean the bridges are about to collapse, but they need to be reviewed. If a bridge were to be reviewed as “too dangerous” for the general public, the Caltrans officials would close the bridge. These ratings are only “an indication of a poorly performing infrastructure that will cause more problems in the future.” Tax money is dedicated to “bridge repair projects” if the “conditions found during field inspections and documented in bridge inspection reports” are bad.

This article shows that the infrastructure Californians rely on, is having neglected maintenance. If large amounts of money are being spent on bridges that are “structurally deficient,” who’s supposed to be clearing them for cars to drive on? Shouldn’t there be certain checkpoints of safety that the bridge must undergo? It’s a complete waste of money to spend time and effort on a bridge that will be structurally deficient and then need even more money to repair it. It makes more sense to do it right the first time and prevent casualties and deaths as a result of a poorly built bridge.

 

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California’s Electric Vehicle Future

Curry, T. (2014, November 17). Coming Up This Week: Airbags, California’s Electric Vehicle Future, Freight Wish List. Retrieved November 22, 2014, from The Roll Call website: http://blogs.rollcall.com/the-container/coming-up-this-week-airbags-californias-electric-vehicle-future-freight-wish-list/?dcz=

 

There is a lot going in the field of electrically run cars and major advances from the land of Tesla Motors. The California Institute for Federal Policy Research plans to host a “briefing on Capitol Hill on the progress of electric vehicles in California and efforts by utilities to invest in infrastructure and support electric fleets.” Many large brand name companies like PG&E, Southern California Edison, and San Diego Gas and Electric will be attending this briefing and will field questions.

This article shows that companies like Tesla are pushing the boundaries to create energy efficient cars that are also sustainable. As more and more car companies create their own line of electric cars, Tesla Motors is only one option. Ford Motors, General Motors, Honda, Mitsubishi, Fiat, Nissan, and BMW have all come out with an electric car that does not use any gasoline to work. This gives the public multiple options for affordable, and highly efficient cars.