CSB#7: Trouble in the Arctic

      As Global Warming continues, the situation becomes more dire, as seen in the Arctic. The effects have been more substantial than experts predicted. According to measurements, the past five years have been the warmest since 1880, when they started taking temperature data. Furthermore, data, like tree rings, have proven that it has been the warmest period in 2000 years. In addition, the winter period has been decreased by two weeks and the snow cover in May and June has decreased nearly 20%. The data makes it clear that global warming is leading to unwanted consequences, such as increasing water levels. However, the situation will only get worse. According to Margareta Johansson, a researcher, permafrost, soil below the freezing point of water, is thawing quickly. She emphasizes, "There is approximately double the amount of carbon in the permafrost as there is in the atmosphere today." If released carbon dioxide would lead to catastrophic consequences and further increase in global warming. In addition, there will be less reflection of the solar radiation by ice and snow, thus more heat will be absorbed, which in turn will lead to increased temperatures.  This data is very significant, and proves that we must continue and increase our efforts to prevent global warming. Evidence clearly proves that our industrial activity is one of the major causes to increased temperatures, thus we must do whatever we can to slow global warming down. New estimates indicate that the sea level will rise 0.9 to 1.6 meters by 2100, and the arctic accounts for 40% of global sea level increase. This means that many low level lands will probably be gone, including part of Manhattan and other places like the Maldives. I chose this article, because it really demonstrates the effects that global warming will have if we do not slow it down.

Resources:
Picture: http://www.dailygalaxy.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/0/28/arctic_northwest_passage_3.jpg
Article: US News. " Climate Change Effects in Arctic More Extensive than Expected." US
     News. US News, n.d. Web. 8 May 2011. <http://www.usnews.com/science/
     articles/2011/05/06/
     climate-change-effects-in-arctic-more-extensive-than-expected>.

CSB#1: Removing Carbon Dioxide from the Air

Definitions

• Sorbents: A solid or liquid material that chemically binds the CO_{2; it} leaves the nitrogen, oxygen and other elements in "air" alone.
• Global Warming: A natural process in which the temperature of on the planet increases at a certain rate. Our man-made pollution has recently added to this process, creating increases in temperature every year.

Summary 

• Continuing to pollute at current levels will eventually bring about catastrophic problems; in addition, renewable energies are pricey and inefficient with current technologies.
• The only remaining option would be to remove carbon dioxide from the air by capturing it through the use of machines that utilize sorbents; these machines, basically bind the carbon dioxide, collect it, and then send it to a vault where it is liquidized and stored for later usage. When created, these machines will have the potential to collect up to tens to hundreds of tons of CO2.
• Early prototypes have proven that wide-use of these machines would stop or reverse the rise of atmospheric CO2; in the future, if there are enough machines in use, we could decrease Carbon Dioxide levels in the atmosphere by 5 parts per million per year, which is greater than what we pollute. 
• In addition to helping the environment, this machine will also lead to profits. Every year, the people use 30 million tons of CO2 based products, such as dry ice; people could sell the Carbon Dioxide produced by this machine to meet the world's needs. 
• In the future, this carbon dioxide based materials could be used to create a synthetic gasoline and be a nutrient for the production of bio fuel, thus helping our environment more.
• However, similar to all products, there is a loophole, price. Originally, it will cost up to $200 to capture a ton of carbon dioxide; however, as technology and time progresses, this price will reduce to about $30 dollars per ton. 

Discussion:

• This article was particularly interesting because if this machine is produced, it could help the environment which is crucial to all that consider this planet home. 
• I think that it was amazing that the carbon dioxide that is captured could be sold or used in other ways that help the environment.
• I was particularly amazed to know that technology is advanced enough to bind carbon dioxide in large quantities and be able to turn it into a liquid. 
• Until I read this article, I was completely unaware of the fact that CO2 could be used in ways that will help the environment, like being the basis of synthetic gasoline. 
• I was astounded that the machine was going to only be the size of a 40-foot shipping container. I expected the machine to be the size of a gym or something to that extent.

Questions 

• How will this machine cost to maintain on a whole(after profits are accounted for)?
• How long will it take for the price of the capturing to decrease and what assurance do we have that the price will decrease?
• Where will we be able to fit 10 million machines if we want to the projected reduction of 5 parts per million?

Sources

• Article: Lackner, Klaus S. "Washing Carbon Out of the Air." Scientific American June
       2010: 66-71. Web. 23 Sept. 2010. <http://puffin.harker.org:2092/ehost/
       detail?vid=5&hid=106&sid=31118bc8-85d9-43d4-8965-570f1a3d48e6%40sessionmgr113&bda
       ta=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=sch&AN=50524949>. 
• Picture of smoking factory: http://www.plus961.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/zouk-electricity-factory-pollution.jpg
• Picture of Dry Ice: http://ny-icecream.com/images/p-dryice_yto9.jpg