Group 2
Group 2 discussed about the adoption of green chemistry in biodegradable plastic production. The supporting side pointed out that the production process of biodegradable plastic with green chemistry will actually consume less energy and produces much less harmful elements as compared to normal plastic, making them a more efficient and less polluting product. Also, they would not pose any disposal problem in landfills or incinerators since they are biodegradable. The against side argues that it is not viable to manufacture biodegradable plastic at a large scale due to its high cost and doing so will lead to inflation of plastic cost. This cost inflation will make consumers to choose conventional plastic over the biodegradable plastic and hence, defeat the purpose. The supporting side responded by stating that subsidies and supports from government can resolve the above problem and it will determine the potential of biodegradable plastic production in the future.
I believe that the technology in biodegradable plastic production has not reach the final stage yet, as to produce the plastics economically. However, it possess great potential to replace the current plastic which are toxic and non-degradable. More R&D could be done on it to harvest its maximum potential. Also, we should consider also the impact of using new resources to make the plastics. Some technology using food as the ingredient might raise concerns over the rising food prices and the shortages of food worldwide.
Group 3
The third group discussed whether governments and institutions should govern the use of genetic engineering in human reproduction. The supporting side states that the parents have the right to decide what is the best for their son or daughter to be, and that they would definitely choose the best path for them since they would dote on him/her. He also mentioned that genetic engineering can reduce hereditary diseases in many of us to build a healthier population around the globe. The against side argues that it could lead to gender imbalance around the globe and the high cost of genetic engineering would only allow the rich to take part in it, making the gap between the rich and the poor even bigger. Also, they argue that the right of choosing the right path or future does not lie on the parents hand, but instead depends on the baby himself. By utilizing genetic engineering, the parents are stripping the human rights of the baby by choosing what they want, which might not be what the baby wants.
Genetic engineering is a very sensitive issue, which concerns a lot about ethics and human rights. However, I personally think the natural selection has its own way of doing things and we should not impulsively try to change it. Doing so might result in unexpected and possibly disastrous consequences, such as mutation or development of new fatal diseases.
Group 4
Group 4 discussed the viability of using carbon capture & storage technology (CCS) to curb global warming by capturing and storing away the CO2 in the atmosphere. The supporting side explains that CCS allows the civilization to use fossil fuel still to power their power plants and yet, reduce the concentration fo CO2 in the atmosphere, and ultimately lead to a cooler earth. They also shows that there are possible safe storage sites and new technology to ensure no leakage at the storage sites of CO2. The against side debate that the storage site could increase in site indefinitely if CCS is to be implemented and CO2 emission is not limited. They also mentioned the possibility of natural disasters such as earthquake or volcano eruption that might affect the storage site, causing a leak which could lead to the deaths of thousands or more. Also, countries with limited land will have problem with storing the CO2 captured. The for side suggested that pacts can be made between countries to allow storage of CO2 in other countries in return for a certain amount of remuneration or so.
I would say the curbing the root, which is limiting the emission of CO2 is the key to our problem rather than just removing the CO2 emitted without any concerns over the possible future complications. Also, CCS technology is still developing with no promises on its future viability; it might requires certain amount of energy and hence, made it energy inefficient. Rather than letting the problem loose and hoping for an unknown results from the CCS development, we should act now to reduce the emission of CO2, in order to slow down the already serious global warming problem that we are facing.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Roundtable discussion: Group 1 Summary
The roundtable discussion's topic is the adoption potential of biodiesel to replace fossil fuel for use in transportation. Fossil fuel is a non-renewable source of energy which is known for its adverse effects on our environment and health. Biodiesel on the other hand is a new alternative which is believed to have less impact on the environment and our health.
Wenqin and Hazel are in support of the adoption of biodiesel for transportation. According to them, the current diesel engineers can run on biodiesel with little or no modifications at all. In terms of environmental impact, biodiesel contributes significantly less when compared to fossil fuel by emitting much lesser harmful elements such as carbon monoxide and sulfur compounds, which are known as the cause of ozone depletion and acid rain.
In addition, they also mentioned that the lower emission of hydrocarbon and particles from biodiesel are better for human health as they are identified as the potential cause of cancer and breathing problems. It is a renewable and biodegradable source of energy which can be produced from crop and organic waste. They also respond that certain countries have policy on what type of crops are to be grown on a specific piece of land in order to prevent farmers from growing only crops for biodiesel production.
George on the other end raised the issue of biodiesel causing clogs in the filters of engines due to their solvent properties, and also their lower output performance. The lower output performance would mean lower fuel efficiency, which in turns will cost more to the consumers. Biodiesel is also not suitable for use in cold condition as it gels quicker than diesel fuel in cold weather.
Furthermore, George also raised the problem of rising food prices which might get worse if biodiesel is to be mass produced as biodiesel can made out of food crops such as soybean, palm oil and rapeseed. Adoption of biodiesel might also encourage farmers to grow crops for biodiesel instead of food which will eventually lead to shortages of food supply. He also reveals the fact that deforestation is already occurring now due to the demand of crops for biodiesel production and it will only get worse if the adoption occurs.
In general, biodiesel faces many restrictions if it is to replace fossil fuel to power our vehicles. However, many of the problems can be minimized by advancement of technology and suitable regulations. It could be the next generation of fuel for our vehicles and we could focus our research in it to exploit its full potential.
Wenqin and Hazel are in support of the adoption of biodiesel for transportation. According to them, the current diesel engineers can run on biodiesel with little or no modifications at all. In terms of environmental impact, biodiesel contributes significantly less when compared to fossil fuel by emitting much lesser harmful elements such as carbon monoxide and sulfur compounds, which are known as the cause of ozone depletion and acid rain.
In addition, they also mentioned that the lower emission of hydrocarbon and particles from biodiesel are better for human health as they are identified as the potential cause of cancer and breathing problems. It is a renewable and biodegradable source of energy which can be produced from crop and organic waste. They also respond that certain countries have policy on what type of crops are to be grown on a specific piece of land in order to prevent farmers from growing only crops for biodiesel production.
George on the other end raised the issue of biodiesel causing clogs in the filters of engines due to their solvent properties, and also their lower output performance. The lower output performance would mean lower fuel efficiency, which in turns will cost more to the consumers. Biodiesel is also not suitable for use in cold condition as it gels quicker than diesel fuel in cold weather.
Furthermore, George also raised the problem of rising food prices which might get worse if biodiesel is to be mass produced as biodiesel can made out of food crops such as soybean, palm oil and rapeseed. Adoption of biodiesel might also encourage farmers to grow crops for biodiesel instead of food which will eventually lead to shortages of food supply. He also reveals the fact that deforestation is already occurring now due to the demand of crops for biodiesel production and it will only get worse if the adoption occurs.
In general, biodiesel faces many restrictions if it is to replace fossil fuel to power our vehicles. However, many of the problems can be minimized by advancement of technology and suitable regulations. It could be the next generation of fuel for our vehicles and we could focus our research in it to exploit its full potential.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Summary - Biodiesel
Many Americans are aware of the environmental and economical benefits of biodiesel. Biodiesel from soy bean reduces CO2 emissions by 78% compared to diesel fuel and it is an efficient source of energy as it provides 3.2 units of fuel energy with every unit of fossil fuel energy consumed in its production. Palm seed produces about 13 times the amount of biodiesel from soy bean using the same area of land and this leads to deforestation in countries within the tropical region for palm growing. However, 100 years of biodiesel production is required to prevent the same amount of C)2 emission to the amount removed by the rain forest.
Such practice is highly unsustainable and will adversely affect the the environment; therefore, it is important for consumers to ensure that their biodiesel is produced sustainably. One way of doing so is to label biodiesel produced sustainably for easy identification by the consumers. Biodiesel can be made sustainably to replace the use of petrol diesel and it depends on us to regulate its production practices. (Murphy, 2007)
Recent study shows that an obstacle to adoption of biodiesel is that lack of a cheap and high quality source for biodiesel production. The study states that spent coffee grounds contain about 11 to 20 percents oil by weight, which is roughly half the conventional sources such as soybean, palm and rapeseed. More than 16 million pounds of coffee are grown each year and their grounds are normally disposed or used for soil conditioning. However, that same amount of coffee grounds is estimated to be able to produce 340 million gallons of biodiesel.
An inexpensive experiment is conducted to verify the idea by extracting 100 percent of the oil from coffee grounds collected to produce biodiesel. The coffee-based fuel produced is more stable than traditional biodiesel attributed to coffee's high anti-oxidant content. Also, the remaining solids, from the experiment can be used to produce ethanol and profits are expected from the process. Use of biodiesel is increasing and it can be produced from any food crops, non-food crops and organic wastes. It can be used by itself or by blending it with petrol diesel for diesel engine. (American Chemical Society, 2008)
The first article raised the issue on sustainable production of biodiesel; biodiesel produced from unrestricted deforestation can only do more harm to our environment and thus, we must regulate the production of biodiesel to ensure its sustainability. The second article suggests an alternative source to produce biodiesel other than food crop, which will lead to increase in food prices and lack of food supply across the globe. These articles pointed out the problems faced by biodiesel and suggested a solution or an approach to the problem. Efforts must be done if we are to rely on biodiesel in the future instead of diesel fuel.
References
Murphy, M (2007, Feb 13) Sustainable Biodiesel: The Ecological Cost of Fuel. Retrieved March 7, 2009 from http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2007/02/sustainable-biodiesel-the-ecological-cost-of-fuel-47421
American Chemical Society (2008, December 15). Waste Coffee Grounds Offer New Source Of Biodiesel Fuel. ScienceDaily. retrieved March 7, 2009 from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081210171900.htm
Sustainable
-maintaining ecological balance: exploiting natural resources without destroying the ecological balance of an area.
Feedstock
-raw material: a raw material used in the industrial manufacture of a product.
Spent
-consumed: used or used up.
Conditioner
-something that conditions: a substance that makes something such as soil easier to manage.
Compost
-decayed plant matter: a mixture of decayed plants and other organic matter used by gardeners for enriching soil.
Retrieved from Microsoft Encarta 2008 Dictionaries
Such practice is highly unsustainable and will adversely affect the the environment; therefore, it is important for consumers to ensure that their biodiesel is produced sustainably. One way of doing so is to label biodiesel produced sustainably for easy identification by the consumers. Biodiesel can be made sustainably to replace the use of petrol diesel and it depends on us to regulate its production practices. (Murphy, 2007)
Recent study shows that an obstacle to adoption of biodiesel is that lack of a cheap and high quality source for biodiesel production. The study states that spent coffee grounds contain about 11 to 20 percents oil by weight, which is roughly half the conventional sources such as soybean, palm and rapeseed. More than 16 million pounds of coffee are grown each year and their grounds are normally disposed or used for soil conditioning. However, that same amount of coffee grounds is estimated to be able to produce 340 million gallons of biodiesel.
An inexpensive experiment is conducted to verify the idea by extracting 100 percent of the oil from coffee grounds collected to produce biodiesel. The coffee-based fuel produced is more stable than traditional biodiesel attributed to coffee's high anti-oxidant content. Also, the remaining solids, from the experiment can be used to produce ethanol and profits are expected from the process. Use of biodiesel is increasing and it can be produced from any food crops, non-food crops and organic wastes. It can be used by itself or by blending it with petrol diesel for diesel engine. (American Chemical Society, 2008)
The first article raised the issue on sustainable production of biodiesel; biodiesel produced from unrestricted deforestation can only do more harm to our environment and thus, we must regulate the production of biodiesel to ensure its sustainability. The second article suggests an alternative source to produce biodiesel other than food crop, which will lead to increase in food prices and lack of food supply across the globe. These articles pointed out the problems faced by biodiesel and suggested a solution or an approach to the problem. Efforts must be done if we are to rely on biodiesel in the future instead of diesel fuel.
References
Murphy, M (2007, Feb 13) Sustainable Biodiesel: The Ecological Cost of Fuel. Retrieved March 7, 2009 from http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2007/02/sustainable-biodiesel-the-ecological-cost-of-fuel-47421
American Chemical Society (2008, December 15). Waste Coffee Grounds Offer New Source Of Biodiesel Fuel. ScienceDaily. retrieved March 7, 2009 from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081210171900.htm
Sustainable
-maintaining ecological balance: exploiting natural resources without destroying the ecological balance of an area.
Feedstock
-raw material: a raw material used in the industrial manufacture of a product.
Spent
-consumed: used or used up.
Conditioner
-something that conditions: a substance that makes something such as soil easier to manage.
Compost
-decayed plant matter: a mixture of decayed plants and other organic matter used by gardeners for enriching soil.
Retrieved from Microsoft Encarta 2008 Dictionaries
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