Recently, as you may all have seen, there has been a proliferation of ads supporting drilling and using "clean" coal. I feel that those ads are nothing more than a bunch of lying idiots trying to make a last ditch effort to support an industry that will clearly be diminished and eventually eradicated by more viable sources of renewable and truly clean energy.
Oil and natural gas run our world today, but those sources have caused many of our problems in the world today. The Middle East is in chaos and the main reason why we went there in the first place was to exploit the oil reserves. In doing so, we exploited the people who lived there and now they look upon the West with a burning hatred. Global warming is also an issue exacerbated by the use of fossil fuels. Disregarding everything that Republicans or any one has said about global warming being a hoax. Global Warming is real, it's pretty obvious about what it has done to our environment. Forests are dying off because beetles that normality would have been killed by the cold winters are now multiplying in ever greater numbers because more of them survive. Droughts in Texas and warm temperatures in Russia are causing wildfires that are polluting our environment even more while harming everything in its way. Flooding in many places has taken countless lives and cost billions in damages. Is this what we want in our future? This is what fossil fuels have caused. Why should we continue to do this then?
The answer lies in the oil companies. They are huge, powerful, and most of all, have a huge influence on our world. The world today simply won't function if we didn't have oil or natural gas. However, we do have the resources and capabilities to ween ourselves off of this addiction within decades. Solar, wind, and hydro power all have the potential to supply all of our energy needs in the future. The only thing that is holding us back is money. Where can we get this money in such a tight economy? The answer is simple, oil companies and other big corporations. As the economy has been lagging and millions suffering, big businesses are reaping in millions in profits from loopholes in the tax code, to small amenities such as charging for carry on bags. In order to stop these injustices we have to reform our tax code to make sure that there are no loopholes. Everyone and every business will have to pay their dues to the government, no matter what. And to protect the consumers, the government must pass federal laws that prevent these big businesses from taking their "suffering" out on us.
These oil and natural gas ads claim that they can create millions of jobs. That might be true, but you have to ask yourself, what kind of jobs? Do I even want to risk my life for this job? For example, an oil company might hire you to work on an oil rig in the middle of a pristine forest that was previously a protected area home to many endangered species. However, you might be working there as a janitor or some other low paying job that will barely support you. You will be isolated, staying on site for months working in harsh conditions that will not be worth your paycheck. Also, there's the concern for your safety. As seen in the BP Deepwater Horizon Spill, rules were disregarded in the name of profit. What would happen if someone at your work site decided to take the cheaper but less safe option in the name of money? Not only would you be at risk, but the local environment would be under threat too. Why would you want that?
As for clean coal, there is NO such thing. Burning coal produces CO2 just like any other fossil fuel. Not to mention the process of getting coal completely destroys the environment. Strip mining, which is inefficient but cheap has turned part of the Appalachians into the surface of the moon. What was once beautiful forest is now a barren waste land. The coal companies just buy the land, evict whoever lives there, tears down everything and leaves without any regard to the people affected. How can anyone support this kind of company or fuel source? Normal mining for coal is dangerous and hazardous. You always have the risk of collapse in the mountain. It's dark, gloomy, and dusty in the tunnels. Coal dust cakes every square inch of you. The result, every minute you spend in that mine is like telling Death to move your scheduled due date ahead a day.
The only way to solve this is to rally the people. We must stand together, united, and with complete resolve to reject these scums who claim that they are here to help us. They are only here for the money, to them, we are just collateral damage. As long as they get the money they are happy. This has to stop now.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
Aging America: Roads and Bridges
America's roads and bridges are in bad shape, our arteries and veins are clogging up with a volume of traffic that was never dreamed of. Roads are crumbling, cracking, and falling apart. Bridges are rusting, straining under the weight of cars and trucks, and slowly dying. 20-30 years ago, America's transportation network was the envy of every nation across the world, now, many see it as a system that is slowly tying down the nation's advancement into the future.
As a driver and a passenger, I think that I can speak for most drivers when it comes to this. All of us have driven on crappy roads before, they're not fun. Every time we go over a rough surface we have this feeling that our cars are going to break. However, it seems like these roads are never fixed either, why? For many reasons, the delays it will cause, the money needed, and the necessity of replacing the road. If a road were in bad condition and it was a main artery whom many rely on for their daily commute to work or home, the task of replacing the road will be a logistical nightmare as planners will have to reroute all traffic while trying to reduce delays. As with everything else in this world, there's a price tag attached. Money is needed to replace these roads and in our current economic turmoil, money is hard to find. One solution is to tax people and businesses in order to pay for construction costs, but that plan will inadvertently cause controversy and anger. However, if people are willing to donate money to help pay for part or all of the construction costs, then we can avoid unnecessary delays that will further drive up the cost. An effective campaign with door to door and town hall meetings will inform people on exactly where their money will go if they decide to give some. By doing this, we will get rid of suspicion and help ease the mind of some who think that the money will go into the pockets of other instead of the road. If not enough donations are obtained then taxes will be the only option, however, in order to keep everybody happy, people who have donated will be compensated with lighter tax increases.
Keeping traffic from backing up and causing delays and unhappy drivers will be a huge hurdle to overcome. Since many of these roads are main arteries, secondary roads can't handle the expected volume of traffic. The best way is to give advance notice of somewhere between one to two months so that people who need to travel on those roads are informed well ahead of the construction day. Being informed allows people to find other routes or make arrangements to reduce their amount of travelling. Unfortunately, any construction on roads or bridges will cause delay no matter how much careful planning is put in place.
Roads and bridges are repaired based on their need for repair due to tight budgets. If there's a bad road or bridge that you see, keep in mind that there will always be worse. As Qui-Gon Jinn says, "There's always a bigger fish." This system has its flaws though as many bridge that are in dire need of repair are left to crumble even more because some other bridge or road is in an even worse state.
These problems can be solved by replacing bridges when possible that use better materials that can last longer and be just as strong. Plastics can be used as part of the main structure that supports the roadway if it was blended with rebar. Similar to pouring concrete over rebar, pouring melted plastic over rebar and allowing it to solidify would allow for strength and extreme durability since plastic does not break down over time like concrete. For bridges that are under capacity, building new ones next to old ones can help increase the volume of traffic that is capable of traveling over it but creates the need for wider road or highways. However, another solution is possible and will be discussed in a later post. Roads that are in bad condition will have to be repaved with the latest in asphalt technology to ensure durability. We could borrow ideas from the German Autobahn which is, in my opinion, the pinnacle in road design. They invest heavily in their road infrastructure allowing it to be the safest and fastest in the world.
America needs its roads and bridges to survive, they are the arteries of our country and the locations they serve are either organs or cells. If our arteries are clogged, our organs and cells will begin to die and the whole system will fall apart.
As a driver and a passenger, I think that I can speak for most drivers when it comes to this. All of us have driven on crappy roads before, they're not fun. Every time we go over a rough surface we have this feeling that our cars are going to break. However, it seems like these roads are never fixed either, why? For many reasons, the delays it will cause, the money needed, and the necessity of replacing the road. If a road were in bad condition and it was a main artery whom many rely on for their daily commute to work or home, the task of replacing the road will be a logistical nightmare as planners will have to reroute all traffic while trying to reduce delays. As with everything else in this world, there's a price tag attached. Money is needed to replace these roads and in our current economic turmoil, money is hard to find. One solution is to tax people and businesses in order to pay for construction costs, but that plan will inadvertently cause controversy and anger. However, if people are willing to donate money to help pay for part or all of the construction costs, then we can avoid unnecessary delays that will further drive up the cost. An effective campaign with door to door and town hall meetings will inform people on exactly where their money will go if they decide to give some. By doing this, we will get rid of suspicion and help ease the mind of some who think that the money will go into the pockets of other instead of the road. If not enough donations are obtained then taxes will be the only option, however, in order to keep everybody happy, people who have donated will be compensated with lighter tax increases.
Keeping traffic from backing up and causing delays and unhappy drivers will be a huge hurdle to overcome. Since many of these roads are main arteries, secondary roads can't handle the expected volume of traffic. The best way is to give advance notice of somewhere between one to two months so that people who need to travel on those roads are informed well ahead of the construction day. Being informed allows people to find other routes or make arrangements to reduce their amount of travelling. Unfortunately, any construction on roads or bridges will cause delay no matter how much careful planning is put in place.
Roads and bridges are repaired based on their need for repair due to tight budgets. If there's a bad road or bridge that you see, keep in mind that there will always be worse. As Qui-Gon Jinn says, "There's always a bigger fish." This system has its flaws though as many bridge that are in dire need of repair are left to crumble even more because some other bridge or road is in an even worse state.
These problems can be solved by replacing bridges when possible that use better materials that can last longer and be just as strong. Plastics can be used as part of the main structure that supports the roadway if it was blended with rebar. Similar to pouring concrete over rebar, pouring melted plastic over rebar and allowing it to solidify would allow for strength and extreme durability since plastic does not break down over time like concrete. For bridges that are under capacity, building new ones next to old ones can help increase the volume of traffic that is capable of traveling over it but creates the need for wider road or highways. However, another solution is possible and will be discussed in a later post. Roads that are in bad condition will have to be repaved with the latest in asphalt technology to ensure durability. We could borrow ideas from the German Autobahn which is, in my opinion, the pinnacle in road design. They invest heavily in their road infrastructure allowing it to be the safest and fastest in the world.
America needs its roads and bridges to survive, they are the arteries of our country and the locations they serve are either organs or cells. If our arteries are clogged, our organs and cells will begin to die and the whole system will fall apart.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Aging America: Pipelines
America is still a relatively new nation, only 230+ years old with many cities, roads, and people to support its innovation and progress. However, the rate of progress and innovation is beginning to slow down as we begin to become victims of ourselves. The once prestigious roads, bridges, canals, and pipelines are beginning to show their age, sometimes with disastrous results. For example, on September 9, 2010, a 30 inch diameter natural gas pipeline ruptured and exploded in San Bruno, California, leaving a crater 167 feet long and 26 feet wide. The explosion killed 8, injured many others, and destroyed much of the neighborhood in which it was located in. The pipeline had been installed in 1956 with improper welding techniques and sharp turns that prevented inspections and weakened the overall strength of the pipe. Over the years, as pressure varied, the welds grew strained and eventually broke, causing the explosion. Many more miles of pipeline are just like the one in San Bruno, ticking time bombs. As we continue to move forward into the future, these systems grow older and more strained as consumption rises too. Since many of the plans for these pipelines have been altered in some way or designed so that inspection is difficult to carry out, more people are being put at risk. Gas pipelines are not the only kind of pipelines that are suffering or on the verge of breaking, water mains and oil pipelines are subject to the same treatment. Many water pipes are corroding and leaking wasting billions of gallons of water each year. Oil pipelines are being put under pressure as gas demand grows too, threatening to burst. The only way to fix this problem is to go there and replace those pipelines. This procedure is costly and inconvenient but the long term effect will obviously outweigh all of the cons. Money can be gathered easily because many of these utility companies that run and operate these systems have plenty of money. For example, look at the advertising that advocates of oil and coal are doing on television. It takes millions of dollars to air these commercials. So instead of using the money to air commercials that are clearly sending a false, twisted message about the benefits of fossil fuels, they could use it to upgrade their aging systems and then focus on finding alternative sources of energy that will actually benefit EVERYONE, not just their paychecks.
Many pipelines run through residential and urban areas, posing a problem when trying to access and maintain them. The best solution in my opinion, is to dig them up, completely replace them with new pipelines that use new materials which can withstand more pressure, last longer, and be easier to maintain. Advantages to starting anew include being able to lay down pipes in an orderly fashion that makes it easier to inspect with PIGS. By laying new pipeline, engineers and city planners will also be able to update maps of their locations, making life easier for the people responsible for their maintenance. Installing new pipes also allows technology to gain a handle on relatively old tech. With terrorism part of the new reality, pipelines are especially vulnerable as they run through hundreds of miles of rural areas that are easy targets for anybody bent on hurting someone.New pipes can be installed with sensors that can report any breaches. Another plus side is the ability for the pipelines to monitor themselves and improving efficiency. Old pipelines also have an impact on the scenery of the landscape, sticking out like a sore thumb. New pipelines can blend into the scenery, reducing their visual impact on beautiful landscapes across America.
However, we must keep in mind that pipelines carrying oil and natural gas will eventually be reduced or even phased out as our world becomes more dependent on CLEAN, RENEWABLE sources of energy. Pipes for water or other non fossil fuel things will be the only kind of pipes. These pipes will always need to be maintained and upgraded from time to time allowing Americans and the nation to advance forward.
Many pipelines run through residential and urban areas, posing a problem when trying to access and maintain them. The best solution in my opinion, is to dig them up, completely replace them with new pipelines that use new materials which can withstand more pressure, last longer, and be easier to maintain. Advantages to starting anew include being able to lay down pipes in an orderly fashion that makes it easier to inspect with PIGS. By laying new pipeline, engineers and city planners will also be able to update maps of their locations, making life easier for the people responsible for their maintenance. Installing new pipes also allows technology to gain a handle on relatively old tech. With terrorism part of the new reality, pipelines are especially vulnerable as they run through hundreds of miles of rural areas that are easy targets for anybody bent on hurting someone.New pipes can be installed with sensors that can report any breaches. Another plus side is the ability for the pipelines to monitor themselves and improving efficiency. Old pipelines also have an impact on the scenery of the landscape, sticking out like a sore thumb. New pipelines can blend into the scenery, reducing their visual impact on beautiful landscapes across America.
However, we must keep in mind that pipelines carrying oil and natural gas will eventually be reduced or even phased out as our world becomes more dependent on CLEAN, RENEWABLE sources of energy. Pipes for water or other non fossil fuel things will be the only kind of pipes. These pipes will always need to be maintained and upgraded from time to time allowing Americans and the nation to advance forward.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Education in America
No one can doubt that the education system in America is one of the greatest and the worst in the world. Our colleges and universities are top notch, the desire of many students from across the nation and worldwide. However, our primary education, that is from K-12, is broken. Elementary, Middle, and High Schools across the nation face problems from everywhere. Our class size is growing, budgets are shrinking, infrastructure is crumbling, teachers are getting laid off. As a high school student myself, I can say that growing class size is not a good thing. Never was, never will be. Many of you have heard the consequences, less teacher-student interaction and what not. Shrinking budgets are a huge problem. Education is OUR FUTURE to remaining of the most industrialized, developed, and best nations in the world. We cannot simply just cut money from budgets and then fire teachers to balance the budget. Teacher tenor must be abolished, it is an antiquated system that boots some highly qualified teachers out the door. While teachers should get rewarded for long years of service to the school, they still need to be tested rigorously to ensure that they are effectively teaching us and we teaching them. There are many areas where money can be cut without damaging the educational system. Becoming more energy efficient is a huge starting place. Turning off the lights or more effectively managing the heating and cooling of school buildings can lead to huge savings. With that in mind, let's focus on the infrastructure of many school buildings. Like much of America, school buildings are getting old and are starting to show their age and antiquity. I go to a school that was newly built. It is a good school with some design flaws in my opinion. However, I have also gone to schools that were built in the 1970s and there is one difference that strikes me, the lighting. Old schools tend to have little natural light streaming in from the outside. A lighter interior makes the atmosphere seem more cheerful and welcoming, encouraging students to embrace the building and the institution instead of rejecting it. Rebuilding many old school buildings will benefit the entire community. One, it creates jobs. Two, students will get a state of the art facility that caters to the modern world of education. Three, the construction of a new school could beef up the surrounding neighborhood, prompting the area around it to become more clean and safe. Education is a complex and highly controversial issue as of now, but in my opinion, this issue should have one and only one opinion. You cannot abandon the educational system because when we do, we abandon the future.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
First Post
Hey guys:
So this is my first post on this blog. I'll be talking about current issues that are affecting us everyday on a daily or weekly basis depending on my time constraints. So stay tuned for more.
So this is my first post on this blog. I'll be talking about current issues that are affecting us everyday on a daily or weekly basis depending on my time constraints. So stay tuned for more.
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