Author: btg5230

For my final blog post of the year, I wanted to look into the various energy sources that are used. With all of the talk of climate change in the news, there is often a lot of terms that are thrown out and can honestly be confusing sometimes. I think that laying out the popular energy sources that we use will help clear up some of the confusion (mostly for myself!).

Fossil Fuels: The phrase fossil fuels is an umbrella term that covers a variety of non-renewable source gathered from the Earth. It includes oil, coal and natural gas, all of which make up a total of 81% of the United States’ energy. These sources are all created from the remains of once living organisms, hence the term fossil fuels. Although the United States currently has an abundance of many fossil fuels, these sources cannot be reused and are very horrible for the environment due to their emission of greenhouse gases. To put it into perspective, the United States mines 900 million tons of coal every year, almost all of which was used to generate electricity. This coal is then burned to run power plants.

Natural gas is another type of fossil fuel and can even be found in college laboratories. Usually composing of majority methane gas, the gas is burned similar to coal to produce the energy. It is used to heat about half of the homes in the United States and is typically the better of the evils as it produces less undesirable byproducts than oil or coal.

Nuclear Energy: Nuclear power plants generate energy by a process called fission, in which heavy metal atoms are split into smaller parts generating lots of energy. Nuclear energy provides 20% of the electricity generation. Research is currently being done on the process of fusion, which is the opposite of fission and if completed successfully could save the world’s energy crisis!

Renewable Sources: Although they are the best the best source of energy as they can they are renewable, renewable sources sadly only make up around 11% of the electricity generation in the United States. Some of these sources include wind and solar energy, but also include biomass energy. Biomass is biological matter than is used for fuel. This includes things like wood; broken pieces of wood can be used to generate energy!

When going to many restaurants on campus for a drink, it is now more likely than ever that you will be handed a paper straw along with your beverage rather than a traditional plastic straw. This change came to be with the rising concerns of plastic waste. Although I really do hate how mushy the get, I am glad that this step has been taken to combat plastic pollution. However, as I’ve done more research, I continue to ask myself, “Are paper straws a permanent replacement?”

After alarming statistics were released about plastic in the ocean (did you know 14 million tons of plastic ends up in the ocean every year?), many companies such as those listed above announced that they will transition to using paper straws. This change was made because it simply makes sense; paper straws stem from trees which are renewable and much better than creating a non-biodegradable product.

However, this is just a surface comparison. We must look into how paper straws are actually being made. Paper straws require that we cut down trees (leading to more deforestation causing devastating effects on its inhabitants), pulped and pressed into a tube. This process takes a lot of energy, and ironically, usually comes from non-renewable sources such as fossil fuels. As explained in previous blogs, this leads to more production of greenhouse gases and accelerates climate change.

Don’t get me wrong, paper straws are certainly better than plastic straws; paper straws are biodegradable and do not harm animals as much. However, it seems that paper straws are simply shifting the issue to affect a different part of the environment rather than finding a solution. Additionally, although paper straws are recyclable, most recycling companies will not accept food-contaminated materials, meaning that paper straws might not be recycled in the end.

The best solution that I know of, is metal straws! Metal straws, like a reusable water bottle, can be taken anywhere and used in replacement of paper/plastic straws. They may be tedious to carry around, but really do make a difference. You could also not use a straw at all, especially when at  a restaurant with regular cups.

Today, I wanted to talk about something that we are all familiar with, recycling! Recycling is basis of sustainability; if we can re-use materials, then we can lower the amount of waste being produced. Over time, institutions have created policies to increase recycling of trash. I want to focus on Penn State’s efforts, what they have done and where their efforts fall short.

I’m sure we have all noticed the trash cans that are located all around Penn State’s campus. These divided trash cans are meant to promote recycling of materials; sorting materials makes it easier for them to be taken to the appropriate place and recycled. This is an amazing step towards environmental sustainability! The signs above each of the trash cans are clear and easy to read, increasing the chance that students will place their waste in the correct bins. These steps have encouraged students to create clubs such as the “Penn State Waste Stream Task Force” which promises to “create fiscally, environmentally, and socially responsible goals and principles to guide the University’s procurement, operational, and solid waste management decisions.”

However, there is a major issue. A closer look into these signs and a little bit of research reveals that Penn State does not actually recycle Styrofoam. This is surprising as styrofoam is clearly labeled under one of the trash chutes as recyclable. When I looked into it, I found out that starting in 2012, Penn State no longer recycled polystyrene. They claim that due to “changes in the market, all styrofoam/polystyrene must go to a landfill.” Regardless of if I  agree with it or not, economically it makes complete sense; it costs a lot of money to recycle styrofoam and with changes market prices, it may be too disadvantageous to recycle. The real problem is why the signs have not been updated. According to the sustainability website, Penn State “realizes that our signs have yet to reflect this change, and we are working on updating them.” Considering it has been 10 years since the change, I think that this is an unacceptable reason.

I also think that if styrofoam is no longer going to be recycled, that we should not be using it. Styrofoam is being used all over the dining halls and can be easily replaced with better and recyclable materials!

 

When I first started blogging, I really just wanted to inform others about the basic environmental issues that plague our society but really focus in on how we can take care of our planet. However, I’ve realized that learning about the science behind the environmental issues can be just as rewarding. So, today we will be talking about ozone depletion.

The ozone layer, also known as the ozonosphere, is located within the stratosphere and  lies roughly 20 miles above the Earth’s surface. Ozone is a molecule consisting of three Oxygen molecules bound together. This area of the atmosphere is extremely important in absorbing a large portion of the radiation that is emitted from the sun, specifically UV light. This is extremely important to humans, as intense UV light can cause many types of skin cancers. Although Ozone levels usually remain pretty constant over time, some human actions can cause ozone depletion or the thinning of the ozone layer.

When fossil fuels are burning or chlorine gas is used to clean swimming pools, chlorine and bromine are released into the atmosphere. Although minuscule amounts of these atoms actually reach the stratosphere,  they bind to ozone, and effectively destroy the ozone molecules. Only a small concentration of chlorine and bromine are needed to destroy hundreds of thousands of ozone molecules (one chlorine molecule can destroy over 100,000 ozone molecules!!!!).

As previously stated, without human involvement, ozone layers are usually constant over time. However, when more ozone molecules are destroyed than there are created, the ozone layer begins to thin. In the 1980s, due to the high release of aerosol propellants (which have since been banned) a “hole” was created over Antartica. Ozone depletion affected the atmosphere all over the globe, but concentration of ozone got so bad over Antartica, that there was extremely little ozone protecting the continent.

Lots of work has been done since the infamous “hole” was created, and thankfully ozone layers have begun to reach normal levels thanks to prevention methods; as mentioned earlier, aerosol propellants that were releasing a lot of chlorine and bromine were banned. As of today, ozone depletion is much less of a problem than it was just 40 years ago. We must continue to stay on top of it so that we can avoid the issue before it occurs!! Prevention over cure!

I’m sure that we have always come across articles such as these listing seemingly very simple ways to be more environmentally conscious. Personally, I always see these tips and stick with it for only a couple days, when I end up stopping and going back to my wasteful ways. However, I think writing this article will hopefully make me much more mindful about the small things that can make a difference while also hopefully inspiring others to do the same.

Stop using plastic bags!!!

I think that this is one of the easiest ones to implement. As we saw last blog, ocean pollution is a very large problem and non-biodegradable plastics are one of the biggest players in pollution. Although it might feel instinctual to grab a bag whenever you check out of Louie’s, try to avoid it! Most of the time, picking up a candy bar or a bag of chips don’t require a bag for themselves. Try to use your pocket! Although it is undeniable that there there are some times, we can always re-use old plastic bags or even use actual re-usable cloth bags.

Turn off the lights after leaving a room

This is something that the common parents always says; turn off the lights!! Not only does it lower the electricity bill, but it helps to conserve energy. The plants that generate the energy to power anything emit carbon and other greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases are molecules that absorb radiant light (such as that from the sun) and effectively trap the heat in the atmosphere. This is one of the main causes of what we know as global warming  The less non-renewable energy that we use, the less we contribute to global warming!!

Cut off you mask straps of disposable masks after use

This tip is a bit different than the other two. We should always remember that our actions can affect the lives of not only other humans, but wildlife as well.

Recent studies have shown that over 3.4 billion (with a b) masks are thrown away every day. That means an extreme amount of pollution that ends up in wildlife. Animals, specifically small birds can choke on these masks; it is important to cut off the straps to reduce the risk of choking!!!

 

At first, I struggled to come up with a topic to write my first blog post; after all, there are sadly many environmental issues to discuss. However, I realized that the best way to begin my blogging is to write about what caused me to really recognize the severity of the crisis that we are in: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Pollution of our environment has been a problem plaguing our society for decades. Thankfully, in our day and age, conversations about plastic pollution have increased drastically. One of the main images being pushed to display the problem of plastic pollution is The Great Pacific Garbage patch, which spans between the western coast of the United States to Hawaii. Its collection of debris covers over 1.6 million square kilometers; that is three times the size of France!! Its huge size is astounding, and allows viewers to truly see how much pollution has ended up in the ocean over time. Why, however, did it end up in the pacific ocean specifically?

The large island of trash is also known as the Pacific trash vortex and is made up of two different smaller patches: the Western Garbage Patch and the Eastern Garbage Patch, linked by an area in the middle of the Pacific Ocean called the Subtropical Convergence Zone. This area is formed by 4 moving currents that rotate in a circular motion (hence the nickname “vortex”), rallying all trash that ends up in the ocean in its direction and eventually into its rotation. Surprisingly, the center of the vortex is extremely calm which is why the trash clumps together and remains trapped in the area.

Although catastrophic damage has all ready been done, rising awareness has led to more efforts  to clean the ocean and eventually try to get rid of the patch completely. The most simple solution is to use containers that are biodegradable! These plastics are ending up in the ocean as they take a very long time to decompose; using biodegradable materials will help as they are both compostable and can go right back into the earth. Millions of dollars in research have also been put into developing machines that can be placed in rivers to remove the trash before it ends up in the ocean. Organizations such as #TeamTrees are working with the developers of these machines and helping to create more of them.

Though the patch of garbage is a horrible sight to see, I hope that with more people understanding how it came to be, more awareness will be spread and the entire world can come together to combat plastic pollution.