...environment and leaders in the struggle to eradicate poverty. The history of green washing begins with research of environmentalist Jay Westerveld in 1986, in an essay regarding the hotel industry’s practice of placing green placards in each room, promoting reuse of guest-towels, ostensibly to “save the environment. Energy sector represents “biomass, coal, electricity, geothermal energy, hydrogen, hydropower, natural gas, nuclear power, petroleum, solar power, and power wind”, companies involved in generating energy. In this research paper, main focus is analyzing major energy industry components such as Petroleum industry, Nuclear power industry and Coal power industry, in order to explore the related Green Washing phenomenon. As an example for green washing, “Australian Federal Government’s Green Washing Campaign of nuclear power as a “clean” energy source and as the primary solution to reduce Australia’s green house emissions”, analyzed in this research. As an example in coal industry “ the clean coal” campaign recognized and analyzed as an green washing propaganda done by both government and private corporations. In petroleum industry, green washing occurs in two ways such as marketing campaign and research contributions. BP’s Beyond petroleum, and Chevrons “people do” advertising campaigns recognized as a green washing attempts and analyzed. Also ten chosen research agreements between corporations and universities is...
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...Energy return on investment - which fuels win? http://www.carbonbrief.org/blog/2013/03/energy-return-on-investment-which-fuels-win/ * 20 Mar 2013, 16:00 * Mat Hope and Ros Donald By Arnold Paul The days of easy to extract fossil fuels are numbered. Companies are using more energy-intensive methods to get to conventional fossil fuels, and turning to harder-to-extract fuels such as shale gas. But do these sources give us a good return on the energy we invest? A new article investigates how assessing this return could help us make decisions about our energy future. The feature in Scientific American compiles a range of sources to look at which energy sources provide the most energy compared the the amount of energy it takes to extract them - called their energy return on investment (EROI). We take a look at the returns different fuels offer - and examine some other considerations to take into account when choosing how to meet energy demand. Energy return on investment Professor Charles Hall, an ecologist at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, developed the concept of EROI to give a common measure for comparing very different fuels. Finding out fuels' EROI means working out how much energy it takes to make the materials usable - like finding oil, drilling the well, pumping it out and refining it - and how much energy you get afterwards. It's a simple equation - you divide the energy output by the energy input. A high EROI means you get a...
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...What are the effects of coal mining on the environment? The coal industry has given rise to many environmental issues such as adverse effects on the air, land and water quality of the surrounding areas of the mines and continues to affect global environment as a whole. The damaging effects coal burning on the environment causes many premature deaths worldwide. In 1999 World Health Organization reported that deaths caused by fossil fuels emissions caused 3 million premature deaths, about 8000 per day. With modern industrialization the demand for energy is rapidly increasing, and coal being a cheap method continues to be the leading electricity-generating source having a share of 40.6% according to International Energy Agency report released in 2012. China is the main producer of coal having 45.9% of the total coal production share in the world (International Energy Agency, 2012 report, pp 14). Thus it is clear that China would have the biggest impact on the environment due to its large scale coal production. Bian et al in their paper say that the wastes of coal production are dumped in a cone shaped heap and has severe environmental consequences through dust generation, leachate production, self ignition and because of having no vegetation cover (Bian et al, 2008, pp 625). In the past, attention was paid to air pollution caused by emissions in the coal burning process however now more research is done to environmental degradation in terms of land pollution due to improper...
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...Energy Policy 31 (2003) 721–734 Electricity and externalities in South Africa Randall Spalding-Fechera,*, David Khorommbi Matibeb b a Energy and Development Research Centre, University of Cape Town, Private Bag, Rondebosch 7700, South Africa Gauteng Department of Agricultural Conservation and Environment, PO Box 8769, Johannesburg 2000, South Africa Abstract As the electricity supply sector in developing countries undergoes increasingly rapid restructuring, and technology and fuel choices widen, understanding the environmental implications of investment choices becomes ever more important. The objective of this paper is to expand previous analysis of the external costs of electric power generation in South Africa. We present a quantitative analysis of air pollution impacts on human health, damages from greenhouse gas emissions, and the avoided health costs from electrification, as well as discussing other impacts qualitatively. The central estimate of total external costs is R7.3 billion, or 4.4 cents per unit of coal-fired power generated. Relative to current electricity prices, the external costs are approximately 40 and 20 per cent of industrial and residential tariffs, respectively. We then discuss policy options for addressing these costs, including taxation, tradable permit systems, and integrated resource planning, as well as expanded regional energy trade and the possibility of accessing climate change-related funding for cleaner electricity production. r 2002 Elsevier...
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...Global warming: cause and mitigation Name: Institution: Introduction Global warming refers to climate change that causes an increase in the average temperature of the lower atmosphere. Though global warming has many different causes, it is greatly associated with human activities especially those that leads to release of greenhouse gases. This paper aims at evaluating both the scientific basis of global warming and the role of human beings in global warming. The paper achieves this by comparing natural and anthropogenic climate changes, providing evidence that global warming is taking place, and assessing carbon taxing and clean coal technology as current alleviation strategies for global warming. The paper finally proposes policy changes intended to stabilize global climate and points out nations and business sectors that would encounter strict standards on implementation of the proposed policies. Natural versus anthropogenic climate changes The climate change debate seems to be divided into two major sides. One side argues that the current global warming is caused by human factors while the other side credits global warming to natural processes. Although some scientists acknowledge natural processes as a cause of climate change, it has often been noted that there is no enough quantitative evidence to support that natural forces are dominant causes of current climate changes (Giddens, 2009). Many scientists credit the recent trends in climate change to anthropogenic causes...
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...the approved topic that you requested on Jan 15. With due respect, I am undersigned student of Business Communication 222 have reported on “Vietnam’s Power Issues”. This paper has given me insight in how to do business within Vietnam and how these findings would affect doing business there. It was very challenging, yet an experience doing the research. It has been a great pleasure for me to submit this report titled “Vietnam’s Power Issues”. This gave the opportunity to understand the different challenges when doing business in foreign countries. The contents provided in this report are all of my own with some information and references have been taken from other sources. I believe this report to be complete and that it will meet your satisfaction. I would be very happy to provide additional interpretation of any part of the paper if deemed necessary. Sincerely, Melissa Harris Student, Embry Aeronautical University CONTENTS PAGE Abstract....................................................................................................................................................................iv Introduction..............................................................................................................................................................1 Vietnam’s Energy...
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...Assignment #1 Energy Student: Instructor: Course: Introduction to Physical Science Date: First discuss how energy can be converted from one form to another, giving specific examples. Energy can’t be created or destroyed but it can be converted from one form to another. It can also be transferred from one object to another (Phun Physics). An example would be a car accelerating. When a car accelerates the gasoline has energy stored in it that is released as heat by burning it inside the engine. At least 10% of the heat energy is converted into the cars energy of motion. The rest stays in the form of heat which is released by the cars exhaust (Phun Physics). Another example could be when two cars collide in a traffic accident. When the two cars collide they release an energy that can be transferred from one to the other (Phun Physics). Define what we mean by fossil fuels and explain why they are an attractive source of energy. Fossil fuels are natural resources that can be converted into energy by a simple combustion process. The main types of fossil fuels used are coal, natural gas, and petroleum (Oracle). Some of the advantages of fossil fuels are that they are easily distributed, relatively inexpensive, are readily available, and can be converted through a simple combustion process (Oracle). Coal is a fossil fuel and is the altered remains of prehistoric vegetation that originally accumulated in swamps and peat bogs (Word Coal Association). ...
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... Anthropogenic Climate Changes are changes in the atmosphere brought on by human activity, and there is evidence of these kinds of changes all over. By studying the size of the polar ice caps we can see that they are shrinking and this may be due to a warmer atmosphere temperature brought on by none other than an anthropogenic climate change. An IPCC report from 2007 showing levels of some of the greenhouse gases also shows that the levels of greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere has skyrocketed since the post-industrial era, this can only be attributed to man-made machines that have come to rise. So how does human activity attribute to the climate rise? Greenhouse gases are natural occurring gases that hold in some of the heat energy that comes from the sun and bounce off of the earths’ surface; it’s not that these gases are bad in nature, we actually depend on them to keep the climate of our earth at a sustainable temperature, with that being said though, they are only positive for our atmosphere in moderation. In nature the gases such as CO2, Nitrous Oxide and...
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...Energy Conservation Tips for Energy Efficient Home Robin Pitts Axia College Energy use and conservation is a much publicized topic in the world today. There are many different sources of energy and the focus of this paper will be on home uses. Energy used in the homes comes from a few different sources. Most home uses as of today are from nonrenewable resources. Resources that cannot replenish will be depleted forever, and future generations will need to create alternative sources of energy. Electricity is used to light homes and run appliances. Many electric companies use coal to create electricity. Oil and natural gas are used to heat our homes. This energy is wasted at an alarming rate and will soon be obsolete if we do not address the issues at hand. Nonliving and living factors are affected by the lack of energy, when mining for coal the environment is vastly affected. Valuable land is destroyed and can take years to replenish, if it ever does. Coal is mined two different ways, subsurface and surface mining. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. Strip mining, a form of surface mining is used for the retrieval of 60 % of the coal in the United States; is done if the coal is close to the surface, approximately 100 feet down. Surface mining, a less expensive form than subsurface mining, allows complete removal of coal and is safer for the miners. This is the preferred method, but with this comes an environmental impact. Large trenches...
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...following chapter shall review the current literature on energy related consumer behavior and attitudes to sustainable consumption. This section of the research also reviews the trends of previous research conducted on domestic energy use. The chapter shall finally delve into some of the instruments used to affect energy efficient consumer behavior, as well as the effectiveness of one or a set of instruments. Related Literature Saving energy is one of the most fundamental things we can do as student of Bicol University to save money and help balance our budget. "This is an opportunity to cut expenses without affecting services; I encourage everyone to make energy conservation part of our daily routine", (President Curt Tompkins), [1]. The energy is conserved by the “law of conservation of energy”. It states that energy can be neither created nor be destroyed. Energy is a finite resource. The materials we derive energy from (oil, coal, electricity, etc.) can also harm the environment. By conserving energy you help to save parts of the environment. There are many ways to conserve energy. The most obvious is to not waste it. This can easily be done by shirring off lights when you leave a room, or turning off the computer or TV when it is not being directly used. Some other ways would be to recycle (it takes more energy to produce new cans, for example, than to re-use recycled ones) or re-use bottles or bags so that energy doesn't need to go into making new ones and...
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...Waste and Energy Paper Monique Clemons, Angie Downs, Chisa Jackson, Sierra Richardson, Tim Rodabaugh, and Yvette Scott ENV / 100 October 28, 2013 Pamela Primrose Waste and Energy Paper Environmental Science is a way to obtain agricultural knowledge of how things are going on around the world and the effect it has on the environment. In this document you will obtain a brief explanation of nuclear waste, plastic, coal and oil. What are the alternatives of other energy resources, advantages and disadvantages that would contribute to stabilize the environment currently around the the surrounding areas. Effects: Plastic is one of the most used resources that society has; the most common are plastic bags and beverage bottles. Plastic though durable is very slow to degrade. Plastic is sourced from two major categories, thermoset and thermoplastics; thermoset means that the plastic solidifies when it’s heated. Thermoset plastics are most commonly used in cars and construction; soften when heated however they resume their original composition when at room temperature. Some common thermoplastic products include milk jugs, credit cards and carpet fibers. Plastic makes up 13% of solid waste in our water system ; shockingly 8% of plastic is recycled. Plastic in our soil can block the flow of water through the soil as well as hinder the growth production. Plastic covers about 40% of our world’s ocean surfaces. The greatest affect of all is the effect on our...
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...Nuclear Energy: The best help we have with the energy crisis An Ho Brigham Young University Abstract We are facing many problems in today’s world, like: starvations in Africa, the natural resources are running out, or terrorism and genocides in Africa… But in this paper, the topic will be about the energy crisis that we are facing, which I think is affecting other problems as well. In fact, according to the newest prediction of the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the electricity demand in the United States will increase about 28 percent by 2035; and the world demand for electricity will increase 2.3 percent each year until 2035( EIA, 2011). If we keep producing energy like we are doing now, burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, we would face tremendous problems. Not just the resources might run out, but we would also face pollution, and green-house effects. Failure to develop a new technology that would produce enough clean power, would be devastating result. So when we are trying to find a new technology, why don’t we use a way we already have? I propose nuclear energy, because it will produce clean energy, and it also is more effective than wind or solar power. This is an interesting introduction TO your paper, but it needs to be a summary OF your paper. Nuclear Energy: The best help we have with the energy crisis You need an introduction with a thesis. Power plants are releasing carbon dioxide into the air. According to the Environmental...
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...Technologies for Alternative Energy Climate Change Working Paper No. 7 Ainsley Jolley Climate Change Project Working Paper Series March 2006 Centre for Strategic Economic Studies Victoria University PO Box 14428 Melbourne VIC 8001 AUSTRALIA Telephone +613 9919 1340 Fax +613 9919 1350 Email: csesinfo@vu.edu.au Website: http://www.cfses.com Technologies for Alternative Energy 1. Introduction In Papers 5 and 6 technologies for the main sources of energy consumption were discussed. In Papers 7 and 8 the attention is focussed on technologies that impact on emissions from energy production. Table 1 provides data on the main sources of GHG emissions in the advanced economies for the year 2000. Table 1. Sources of GHG Emissions in the Advanced Economies, 2000 Source of emissions Electricity and heat production Petroleum refining Other energy production (coal and gas transformation) Fugitive emissions (coal, oil and gas) Total energy production All sources of emissions Note: (a) energy production as % of all sources of emissions. Source: CSES (2004). Tg CO2 -e 3831.2 420.7 324.6 441.5 5018.1 13175.3 % of total 76.3 8.4 6.5 8.8 38.1 (a) Papers 7 and 8 focus on emissions from the production of electricity and heat, which represent 76.3% of all emissions related to energy production. The other sources of emissions are not discussed in detail in this report. Coverage of the issues relating to these sources of emissions is given in CSES (2004). Incremental technological...
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...as a means of providing for the world’s energy needs. Discuss the implications for Australia’s mining industry? Australia is the world’s largest coal exporter and has the second largest deposit of coal in the world. Although the world is currently in the throes of a global financial crisis, Australia’s economy one of the few in the developed world to stay afloat has been buoyed considerably by its exports industry, particularly that of coal. Despite Australia’s promise to reduce carbon emissions by 5% in accordance with its commitment to the Kyoto protocol, the coal industry has been lucky enough to avoid almost all penalties that other industries are set to receive under the proposed carbon emission trading scheme . This combined with Australia continuing to stall further international discussions on combating climate change has earned Australia the reputation of “A nation of climate sinners” . It is obvious that despite a lot of rhetoric on the importance of addressing climate change, the Australian government is not willing to commit to solving the global challenge of climate change to an appreciable degree while such a large part of the Australian economy is at stake. For the Australian government to fully commit to its promises on combating climate change, a way to free the Australian economy of its coal dependence needs to be found. The world is in a new era of energy production where it is no longer a question of which energy technology will prevail, but rather how swiftly...
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...Marchese GBLW 435 08 Sept. 2013 GBLW 435 Paper #1 Science to me is the study of our world through on-going experiments and cases. It is a very important topic because through it we are able to understand the environment we live in and how we affect the world. Scientist spend their lives searching for answers so we can better understand the impact we have on the environment and try to find better ways of accomplishing the tasks we face in everyday life. Everything in our world is interrelated, the fossil fuels and other materials that we use every day have a huge effect on the world’s environment. Coal has been used for heating since cavemen were living on the earth. Archeologists have also found evidence that the Romans in England used it in the second and third centuries. Coal, along with other fossil fuels, have been used as a source of energy and have had an effect on our environment. The average amount of carbon dioxide produced per year is 21.3 billion tonnes and our environment can only displace half of that amount, which leads to the pollution of our atmosphere. If the human race continues on its use of heavy fossil fuels the global warming crisis will only become worse along with our living conditions. The process which is used in science is called the scientific method. The scientific method starts with making a hypothesis or a theory, then through testing and researching come to a conclusion about the research they have done. Along with testing and researching...
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