your questions about sustainable energy for all
Your Questions About Sustainable Energy For All
Donna asks…
Any suggestions for building an eco-friendly house?
I am planning to build a house (about 1400 square feet) that will hopefully be mostly off the power grid. What sorts of non-toxic building materials and (or) viable forms of sustainable energy generating sources for heating, cooling, and lighting a house can you recommend? I already have a cabin in the woods with kerosene lanterns, a fire place, and a wood burning stove.
Why is that ‘incredible’?
admin answers:
I think it’s incredible that you’re going to build a green home!
My main suggestion is to do your research before beginning.
Rather than listing off a bunch of suggestions, I think it would serve you better to give you a list of resources that you could use as you’re researching ways to make your new home green.
1. Dwell home–the website of the magazine of the same name, which focuses a great deal on green design. Http://www.dwell.com
2. HGTV–the website of Home and Garden Television. This year, they started an annual Green Home Giveaway. You can go to their website and read all about the finishes and materials that they used to make the home earth-friendly. Http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/green_home_2008/article/0,,HGTV_30916_5816498,00.html
3. I will also refer you to a particular post on my own blog, Addicted 2 Decorating. The post is about the new Chamber of Commerce building in my city, which is the first green Chamber of Commerce building in the United States. There are several great ideas you can incorporate into your new home. Http://blog.addicted2decorating.com/2008/06/momentous-occasion-in-my-city.html
Linda asks…
What Major should I pursue if I want to work with Green Technology?
I want to make new, more efficient, solar panels and develop green or sustainable energy sources in the future. In addition to that, I hope to make it more applicable for commercial use, such as designing a unit based for airplanes. I figure that might require an aeronautics engineering degree, but what degree would you guys recommend for studying green energy technology? Any colleges too? Not just community colleges. THANKS GUYYYYSSS
admin answers:
Engineering, but avoid “Environmental Engineering.”
Go for one of the traditional Engineering disciplines. For solar (photovoltaic) this would be Electrical Engineering or Electronics Engineering Technology.
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Your Questions About Sustainable Energy For All
Lisa asks…
What are some good jobs for recent non-science, liberal arts grads?
I’m very interested in sustainable energy, alternative energy, wind, solar, etc. I want to work somewhere exciting. I’d really like to own my own company but coming up with money to start is tough.
admin answers:
I just had to chime in after reading chuckles’ ridiculous, uninspired answer. Does she think that everyone running the company is a scientist? Of course not. They need salespeople, marketing people, SEO experts, and so on, just as most companies of all sorts have.
Let’s talk about salespeople. Most successful companies look at *everyone* as a salesperson. Forget the retail store salesperson stereotype. In the green industry, salespeople are *consultants* who solve problems for their customers.
You’ve picked the right industry. Obama will be focusing a large amount of gov’t resources in this sector.
I hope this helps you.
PaymentKey.com
Linda asks…
Where can I buy a nice men’s hoodie that benefits an environmental cause?
I’ve been checking the sites of the Nature Conservancy, National Wildlife Fund, etc., and I can’t seem to turn up any nice-looking men’s hoodies. My boyfriend’s an environmentalist, so I’d like to get him something that would also benefit a cause he believes in, like helping nature or wildlife or sustainable energy, that sort of thing. Any ideas? There must be somewhere I’m not thinking of.
admin answers:
Why don’t you get him a donation to the Nature Conservancy or the National Wildlife Fund? You can skip the jacket all together and give the max to the environment.
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Your Questions About Sustainable Energy For All
Joseph asks…
United Nations resolutions that China has signed concerning renewable energy?
I know that China has a lot of renewable energy in their country but i’m in Model United Nations and I’m having a hard time finding *specific* resolutions or acts that China has signed or agreed to from the United Nations. If someone could direct me to a website or a name of a resolution concerning sustainable energy It would be much appreciated!
admin answers:
Here is a list; http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2009/sgsm12381.doc.htm
Maria asks…
What engineering major am I looking for?
The development of a sustainable energy source has fascinated me for years. During the past few years, I have tinkered with wind turbines, solar panels, and other types of renewable energy sources. I do not want to confine my education to the already existing energy sources (wind, energy, solar, thermal, etc) because I believe that a revolutionary, sustainable energy source will be discovered – like zero point energy. Does anyone have any suggestions for possible engineering fields that are centered on the development of sustainable energy sources?
admin answers:
I am a mechanical engineer graduate with masters. I would say mechanical engineering for two reasons. First, I think it suits exactly what you want to do (wind turbines, solar panels, energy sources, solar thermal etc) are all completely mechanical engineering related, I did most of them myself. Secondly, suppose you were to change your mind and for instance, would like to go to the finance sector. I think that institutions prefer hiring mechanical engineers than other types of engineers because its the toughest and they are generally perceived as the most competent.
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Your Questions About Sustainable Energy For All
Lizzie asks…
Major in ChemEng, and minor in sustainable energy, good idea?
I want to do a Major and Minor, University of Toronto offers chemical engineering program and it says i can minor in 1) sustainable energy 2) environmental engineering 3) biomedical engineering
I would choose 1) because i think it has the highest demand in the future.
So, will I be able to find a job with a minor in like lets say, Hydro company with my minor in sustainable energy.
Does having a minor really help?
admin answers:
A minor will only “expose” you to the subject. I don’t think it will have any direct impact on your future employment since it only introduces you the very basic foundations. Referring to what you said about Hydro companies, i think they would much prefer someone with a more suitable background (i.e Civil or Engsci’s Energy Systems Engineering).
Did you know that U of T now allows engineering students to take a minor in the faculty arts & science. Why not choose one of the hundreds of minors available within art&sci? I think something like Chem Eng & Econ/ Chem Eng & Stats would be a good combo.
David asks…
What do you think is stopping human beings around the world from thriving?
People live in poverty, lack access to food, clean water and sustainable energy. People die from starvation, disease and war. Who or what is responsible for this?
Joe – I’m talking about lack of access on a global scale.
It’s time that people start thinking “outside the box.” We close our minds to certain ideas or realities because not doing so would reveal just how dire our situation is. Most of the population have become sheep who have been convinced that they need a shepherd.
just thinking – But why?
admin answers:
The people who have the money and control of it are greedy. They do not care enough to change those things.And the people who do care and try to help do not have the resources to do it.
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Your Questions About Sustainable Energy For All
Paul asks…
Is scalar energy killing the universe?
0 point fluctuation or cosmic energy exists everywhere, we also know that it’s part of our consciousnesses.
A device that takes advantage of the casimir effect to generate electricity can provide free and sustainable energy for Mr mankind without the need for capitalism. The energy however is not created out of nothing . The energy comes from the quantization of certain forces to create movement. Would “Absorbing” energy from the universe like this technically reduces the lifetime of the universe. I know that energy can never be destroyed only conserved but this is something else all together.
admin answers:
The amount of energy in empty space is enormous but there is some doubt if it could be affected by any retrieval means we could come up with. It’s estimated that empty space contains Zero Point energy that is equivalent to many trillions of Joules of energy per cubic centimeter
” Since space itself is thought to break up into a kind of quantum foam at a tiny distance scale called the Planck scale (10-33 cm), it is argued that the zero point fluctuations must cease at a corresponding Planck frequency (10-43 Hz). If that is the case, the zero-point energy density would be 110 orders of magnitude greater than the radiant energy at the center of the Sun. ”
http://www.calphysics.org/zpe.html
“According to NASA, “the concept of accessing a significant amount of useful energy from the ZPE gained much credibility when a major article on this topic was recently [March 1st, 2004] published in Aviation Week & Space Technology, a leading aerospace industry magazine”.[11]
The calculation that underlies the Casimir experiment, a calculation based on the formula predicting infinite vacuum energy, shows the zero-point energy of a system consisting of a vacuum between two plates will decrease at a finite rate as the two plates are drawn together. The vacuum energies are predicted to be infinite, but the changes are predicted to be finite. Casimir combined the projected rate of change in zero-point energy with the principle of conservation of energy to predict a force on the plates. The predicted force, which is very small and was experimentally measured to be within 5% of its predicted value, is finite.[12] Even though the zero-point energy is theoretically infinite, there is as yet no practical evidence to suggest that infinite amounts of zero-point energy are available for use, that zero-point energy can be withdrawn for free, or that zero-point energy can be used in violation of conservation of energy.[13]”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero-point_energy
http://www.greenearth4energy.com/zero_point_energy.html
Over-unity hydrosonic pump….
Http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=478A91FoBW4&feature=related
Mary asks…
Should we add nuclear power to the Waxman climate bill now being marked up by congress?
Nuclear means clean, sustainable energy but it comes with its own set of problems. However, if we are ever going to switch our transportation from oil to more electric (plug in electric or hydrogen for example) won’t we need a lot of electricity? As an aside, to make hydrogen, the process most readily available is to split H20 molecules via techniques which require electricity.
admin answers:
Waxman is an imbecile. When asked what was in his bill, he was clueless. When you have the government running industry, it will get politicized and shortages and cost will increase. Waxman is a political hack of the worst kind. We should add nuclear but people like Waxman, trial lawyers, Jane Fonda, and environmental wackos have ensured that won’t happen.
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