environment

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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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Environmental Issues in Farminng

Robbins, Carolyn. (2014, August 13). Major Environmental Issues in Farming. eHow. Retrieved September 6, 2014 from http://www.ehow.com/about_5452010_major-environmental-issues-farming.html

Farms are a major source of unregulated pollutants because of the pesticides and fertilizers used for the crops. When it rains the soil from the plantations slide down into oceans, rivers or ponds. There the pollutants mix with the water contaminating them. The water facilities cannot clean the water so when we drink liquids the pollutants enter our bodies. Many people want to grow crops in the dessert by using irrigation systems. However, they over exhaust the system to the point of depleting the water sources. Other people take down forests for plantation farms have impact the climate as well as the energy balance in the Earth.

It is relatable to environmental science because one of the major concerns is depletion. When not taking care of the resources and over using them they will disappear driving people into using not so eco-friendly resources to farm. Also, when resources are depleted like water crops are lost affecting animals and humans. I think that people should be more careful on how they use their resources for their crops. Also, for them to be more aware were it is wise to make a farm and where not to. They should pay more attention to all the affects in the environment that will happen before they start planting crops.