Polished Reseach Prospectus

Methane gas is a greenhouse gas that is caused by both natural and human sources. It stays in the atmosphere for about seven to fifteen years. Methane is twenty times more effective in trapping heat then carbon dioxide. Methane gas is a contributor to global warming and continues to be a major problem for the environment. A positive thing about methane gas is it is a natural gas, so if used the right way it could be a great energy source. It is mostly distributed from human actions like factory farming or landfills. There are other ways methane is produced, but there are two leading factors in releasing the unfriendly gas, factory farming and landfills. These two topics will be presented in this paper because they both are at two different ends of the spectrum in helping with methane gas emissions.

A factory farm is defined by the Environmental Protection Agency as “new and existing operations which stable or confine and feed or maintain for a total of 45 days or more in any 12-month period than the number of animals specified.” In other words, it is where massive farms include thousands of animals in a confined area and harm animal and humans lives in order to receive a profit. A large factory farm includes 1,000 cattle, 2500 hogs or 125,000 chickens. They confine all of the different types of animals together to achieve the best outcome to sell in the market.

There are many issues in regards to factory farms, but the major one is the many environmental issues that come from it. Farms produce a lot of air, water, and land pollution. Methane gas is largely released from factory farms by the overwhelming amount of animal waste on each farm. It is estimated that an average factory farm produces 200 million pounds of animal waste a year and twenty percent of methane gas emissions. So what is happening with the methane gas? Since the waste is not being used, the massive amount of methane gas is released into the air to help effect global warming.

Factory farming is not the only place where methane gas is getting released, landfills are major contributors. Landfills also contribute to about twenty percent of the methane emissions. Landfills harm the environment by the gases that build up with all different items of trash. Even though landfills contribute to a lot of methane they are working to use this energy source. In 2009, the United States Environmental Protection Agencies counted 517 active landfill energy projects out of 3,091 active landfills and 10,000 old municipal landfills. Landfills still have a long way to come, but they have found a way to make use of the methane.

Both factory farming and landfills present issues on how to solve methane gas emissions? Factory farming is looked at by being solved by using alternative sources to get food. People want to put emphasis around little farms that are able to use livestock in not such a harmful way. Landfills have found a way to harvest methane and use it as an energy source, but it is not being used at every landfill. The EPA is not helping the issue of methane gas by letting people go over their restrictions of methane by paying a fee. On the other side, the Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement made between countries to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases they omit. They keep track of how many each country omits. Also companies are trying to use this gas in positive ways to help give energies to businesses. Both of these agencies and laws set in place for emissions of greenhouse gases will be talked about in greater detail. We have to wonder are our major organizations helping us or hurting us.

Bibliography

Dearon, James. "Trash to gas: Landfill energy projects increasing". The Boston Globe. January 30, 2010 .

"Factory Farming". Sustainable Table. January 20, 2010 .

Kallen, Stuart. Is Factory Farming Harming America?. Farmington Hills: Greenhaven Press, 2006.

"Learn about Landfills and Methane Gas". Recycling Super Guide. January 30, 2010 .

"Methane". U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. January 30, 2010 .

"A Forest Returns"

“A Forest Returns” was a very informative movie and touching. The movie went into great detail on the rebuilding of the Wayne National Forest. Mr. Anderson was the man narrating the movie, and has made the Wayne National Forest apart of his life. He is older now, but he remembered ever piece of historical content involved with the forest. I was not aware that the forest was once very bare. It was interesting when Anderson said that refraining from farming will restore the land.

I am embarrassed to say, from my love of history, I knew that the New Deal , from FDR, did have many relief programs. I knew that it brought many forests around the nation, but I didn’t know that it gave restoration to the Wayne National Forest. Being in my history classes, I just hear about all of the things the New Deal did and the people it helped. I would have never thought that I am surrounded by a product of the New Deal. I also think it was very touching to see the love of the forests the Anderson has. You can see in the way he talks that he is truly a part of the Wayne Forest. It is nice to see someone that has a love for the environment.

David Maywhoor's Presentation

David Maywhoor’s presentation was very interesting to hear. It was informative for me because David is actually someone that works around these issues every day. David workers for the Buckeye Forest Council and is very involved in the current issues that are going on today within the different forests in Ohio. He and his colleagues are working hard to prevent the destruction of our forests by forest burns and commercial logging. It was also very interesting when he was talking about the invasive species that are effecting ash trees.

Even though David’s presentation was very interesting, I felt it was a little one sided. I think he wanted to get his issues across, but really didn’t tell us anything to do about it. I think this could have been because we didn’t have that much time with him. Overall, it was informative, and I am happy he came by to talk to your classroom.

My topic!

I decided to do my research project on the release of methane gas and how we can use it to help us. Methane gas is a greenhouse gas that is caused by both natural and human sources. It stays in the atmosphere for about seven to fifteen years. Methane is more effective in trapping heat then carbon dioxide. Methane gas is a source for global warming needs to be taken care of. The positive thing about methane gas is it is a natural gas so it is an important energy source. If we used methane the right way it can help us with the energy crisis the world is having.

Methane gas is a natural gas, but humans provide most of its emissions. Methane is produced from fossil fuel production, livestock, landfills, and many other ways. Across the world landfills are the one of the largest producers of methane gas in the world. Methane gas is very dangerous and highly flammable. There have been many cases where fires have broken out. Also, large quantity exposures to methane gas are harmful to the body.

Methane gas production can be slowed down by restricting the activities those humans do that cause it. The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement made between countries to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases they omit. They keep track of how many each country omits. Also companies are trying to use this gas in positive ways to help give energies to businesses. It is an easy thing to use the gas emissions from landfills.

Most landfills throughout the world are not utilizing the methane gas. It is not being used and instead of being used as an energy source is hurting us by global warming. In 2009, the United States Environmental Protection Agencies counted 517 active landfill energy projects out of 3,091 active landfills and 10,000 old municipal landfills. This is only in America so imagine throughout the world.

My serious of questions would be: How much money would it cost to make landfills worldwide energy efficient? How much energy will this help provide for the world? How much could this decrease global warming? Who would regulate landfills to make sure they are using the energy? I feel that this is an important environmental issue because if the world does this the right way, we could really help ourselves.

I decided that in addition to looking at landfills, I also want to look at how to solve other methane gas emissions. At first I thought it would be good to just look at one thing and focus on it, but I decided not to. It will help me become more aware of the topic if I looked at multiple sources. I will continue using those questions, but also look at them with livestock and fossil fuel production.

Sources:

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/environment/2009-10-29-methane-global-warming_N.htm

http://globalwarming.ygoy.com/2009/06/23/methane-%E2%80%93global-warming-effects/

http://epa.gov/methane/sources.html

http://www.methanegasdetectors.com/

http://science.howstuffworks.com/landfill6.htm

http://www.recyclingsuperguide.com/learn-about-landfills-and-methane-gas-2

http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2010/01/05/trash_to_gas_landfill_energy_projects_increasing

http://www.zerowasteamerica.org/Landfills.htm

Lost Mountain Part 3

Wendell Berry uses both the rational and sympathetic mind to show the difference in views people can have. The rational mind is centered on the facts. This state of mind is about the scientific evidence towards a certain issue. This is related to coal mining because a rational mind sees the money involved in strip mining. This rational mind just thinks of the advantages the action will have. A sympathetic mind is the direct opposite; it looks at the emotional outcomes. In other words, what is actually the right thing to do? Sympathetic views look and see if strip-mining benefits everyone and everything involved.

Eric Reece is showing his sympathetic mind trough out the entire chapter, September 2004. Through his firsthand account, he goes into great detail on the destruction of Lost Mountain. He traces back from his first visit to the remains of the mountain. He is clearly showing this state of sympathetic mind because he is trying to convey the damage humans have caused. Even though he was an outsider, Lost Mountain became a part of him.

Another example of Reece’s sympathetic mind is in the Conclusion chapter. He talks about his friend, Jenny Williams, who is affected by a hollow hill. He goes into detail on how Jenny as to worry every day on if a mudslide or rockslide will kill her family. This shows his concern and how he couldn’t even imagine this situation. I think it is a stronger example because he also gets the readers sympathetic mind involved. People are going to feel for this family.

A quote that stuck out to me was on page 230, in the Conclusion chapter. It states:

“That we now live in such a mechanized world, and that such an artificial environment is the source of much depression and violence among Homo sapiens is a theory that stretches from Alexis de Tocqueville to Thoreau to Paul Shepard to the Unabomber. It has been well documented, most recently by psychiatrist Peter C. Whybrow, that while Americans are four times more affluent than during the ‘60s, we have shown no measurable gains in happiness. In fact the opposite is true: We are more depressed, more medicated, more frazzled than at any other time in our short history. The more we are anesthetized by material wealth, the farther we stray from our biophilic selves. We move from house to garage to car to work to mall to gym to house again with little regard to out ancestral homeland- ancient savannas at the edge of vast forests.”(p. 230)

This quote just shows me how far gone our society really has come. All people want is to be truly happy, and they will do anything to achieve that. It is interesting to see that some Americans have the material wealth, but at the end of the day that doesn’t make them happy. It might distract them from their problems, but the problems are still there. Our every day is based around the social norm that is accepted. People live their lives daily without thinking about the land and area around them. Most of us take it for granted. People won’t see what is truly important until we start to appreciate our surroundings.

Flow

Flow is a great movie that discusses the current and future problems dealing with water across the globe. This move depicts many different types of people that are struggling to receive fair and equal access to water. Flow goes to almost every area of the world to show how people are affected by the lack of water they have. The movie continuously emphasizes the point that something needs to be changed throughout our world.

Flow is very informative in telling what is going on with our water supply. One of its main arguments is that our water supply will be depleted by 2025. Many different activists, scientists and advisers feel that water will not be available to the everyday person. Water is now a 400 billion dollar industry. It is right behind oil and technology. This just shows how important the issue is. People need to be aware of what is going on around them.

Another major argument is the corruption that is within it all. Flow takes audience members too many places like India and Southern Africa, where corruption hit them first hand. Major companies and/or the World Bank force these people to move from their homeland. These high officials promise these people free water and better housing in exchange for their land. The worst part of it all is that these people get nothing and they are left with nothing. The sickest part of it is the World Bank can do this because they have immunity. This means that no country or group of people can sue the World Bank for the wrong it has done to them.

Another major point Flow hits is the bottle water companies and the corruption that takes place. All of these companies are making billions of dollars off of the water from our own backyards. They take it from us and then the charge us for it once it is placed in a plastic bottle. An example company is Nestle. It is also proven that some of the bottled is not safe. They have harsh chemicals in them that will hurt the human body. In some areas of the world it might just be healthier to drink the tap water at your house.

Finally, the most important argument of the move is is water free or should we have to pay for it? Many different countries are receiving no supple of clean, healthy water for free. Many of these places are drinking contaminated water that makes them sick because they don’t have the money to buy the proper water. Corporations are taking over many places around the world and are depleting and polluting the water supply. Free water is defiantly a major issue that needs to be solved throughout the world.

Even though the movie it still was very biased. I wish I could hear some of the corporation leaders and government officials dispute the claims. This movie left me terrified once I walked out of the theater. I love drinking water and when I walked out I looked at my bottle of water which was a Nestle bottle. I was instantly stunned because I wondered what harmful chemicals did I put in my body. Not only that, but I probably have been putting bad things in my body for a very long time without even being aware of it. This move taught me to become more aware of my surroundings. It opened my eyes also to the poor countries that are fighting just to get a bucket of water. I feel like I have been taking things for granted and not even realizing it. Something needs to be done and changed. Something needs to be done before it is too late for us all. The movie even talked about the sixth extinction, like it did in Lost Mountain. At the end of the day everything is connected and we all need to be aware of it to make our world a better place.

Lost Mountain Part 2

After reading the second half of the book, I still believe that coal mines need to be shut down. In the second part Erik Reece takes a different look at what is going on in Kentucky. He still goes to Lost Mountain and observes, but he talks to many different people that are affected by these coal mines in different ways. Erik Reece made two points that really stuck out in my head the corruption in coal mining, and the lack of consideration for the people that the industries are showing.

Erik Reece shows how both the government and coal mining businesses are corrupt by Jack Spadaro’s story. Spadaro found a number of County Coal executives that were aware that spills were going to happen and did nothing to prevent them. He finds out that once George W. Bush was elected, there is nothing he can do about it. The coal companies support campaigns of our politicians. At the end of the day it is all about money and politicians and coal companies will support each other.

The second point that drives me crazy is the lack of consideration these companies have for these Kentucky citizens. Reece goes into great detail on how many families’ houses and land had been destroyed by companies exceeding their boundaries. Like hurting their property is not enough, Erik lists how people are being killed by these drivers carrying way too much coal. People are getting killed because these drivers cannot drive right and they are getting away with it.

Lost Mountain gets me more upset about coal mining every time I read it. It is horrible to see that our government is so corrupt that they can do this and get away with it. It just makes me wonder what else the government is hiding. Finally, the fact that innocent people are getting killed and drivers are sometimes getting away with it makes me sick. Every time I open this book it truly opens my eyes to the world around me.

Lost Mountain Part 1

After reading the first half of Lost Mountain, I have seen why mountaintop removal is such an intense issue. Eric Reece is using his firsthand accounts to inform people about what is really going on in Appalachia. He argues two major things: how valuable land is being destroyed and how people around the area are significantly endangering their health. I am going to explain both of these issues in more detail.
Reece talks about how removing this valuable land is hurting everyone in the long run. When bulldozers clear this land to extract the coal they are destroying thousands of animals homes. Reece puts in the book that the deforestation causes twelve percent of the world’s birds to be endangered, twenty four percent of mammals, and thirty percent of fish. People are affected by this land being cleared away because soil is being taken away and streams are being contaminated.
Eric Reece has many people that he talks to on his journey through Appalachia. Terri Blanton talks about the negative life surrounding coal mining. Blanton goes into great detail on how people live a shorter life because of the coal mining. Reece gives actual facts like how asthma as risen fifty percent since 2000. He also notes the high levels of CO2 in the air.
The other side of this argument is that we need the coal and jobs. Even though people know the affects of coal mining we still need it for energy. Most people like the cheap side of it as well. Also Appalachia is a very poor area and people need those jobs. They need these jobs to survive. Finally, by strip mining there can be more stores and businesses to bring in revenue for these poor towns.
After reading Lost Mountain, I now am aware of the horrible affects mountaintop removal has on people. I feel it needs to be put to an end. So many people are worried about cheap energy, but our health is more important. Our society is so advanced today that we have to be able to find a cheap and healthy way to support the world with energy.

Clean Coal Websites

My initial reaction when I opened up both websites was that “This is Reality” is a lot different than “America’s Power”. “This is Reality” appealed to me more because it was different. I really liked the black and yellow with the animation. The bird flying on the screen really grabbed my attention. After going through the website, I didn’t feel that “This is Reality” had the amount of information that it needed to help Americans find alternative ways. I feel that all they wanted to do was to inform us on how bad coal was and then not tell us how to fix it. “America’s Power” first came off very boring to me because it was not relatable with the older people on the main page. I felt that it was just another one of those websites that had an endless amount of information. Even though the information was very overwhelming, I was able to learn more about the “clean coal”.

After navigating my way through both sights it is clear to see that they both agree that something needs to be done about the horrible emissions that are being caused by using so much coal. Both websites have many facts on what the result will be, global warming. From going to both sites, I now realize that this is something that needs to be taken care of to help our Earth. Both sites are saying that more research money needs to be provided to help find a way to help our Earth. If we do make a turn around in the next couple of years then we can significantly help our Earth, but if we don’t then it will only get worse. “America’s Power” goes into great detail to explain how clean coal technology can be used to help use coal in the right way. Clean Coal technology is using ways to reduce the gas emissions with the burning of coal.

“This is Reality” and “America’s Power” websites are both trying to aim at the everyday citizen. They want to be able to reach each person and tell them what they are doing as a person to hurt our environment. “This is Reality” is directed more towards the younger generation by the animation and the videos. They are using more of a comical way to portray their message. “America’s Power” is directed more towards older people because it is more of a classical website and on the videos there are many older people talking about their problems dealing with coal. This website is trying to form a more serious emotional pull then “This is Reality” because it is showing the more serious side of using coal.

“This is Reality" has sponsors, Alliance for Climate Protection and Sierra Club, which are more involved in the environment and want to make a change to help the world. By looking through the website I was able to find the different organizations that contributed to the site and helped. On the other hand, while looking at "Americas Power", I saw that they had different sponsors. Some of their sponsors, Alliance Coal and Arch Coal, are actual oil companies. To me personally that just creates some bias because the website might be censoring something’s that they are saying to make sure that the companies still support them.

Videos are defiantly a major aspect of today. The American population loves being able to go on YouTube and look at different types of things. Personally, by having videos that relate to the public I think it puts “This is Reality” one step ahead of “America’s Power.” Society today likes to look at the funnier things in life then the negative. People don’t like to see the seriousness in what is going on around them.

After going through each website I am going to say that I find “America’s Power” more persuasive. Even though I feel that the videos and animation of “This is Reality’ puts it over the top, “America’s Power” has more information to help citizens see what they need to do to help the environment. People need to know the facts before they will give their money away to contribute or to change their lifestyle. “America’s Power” provides all of that information. It also goes into great detail that it can tell a person how much coal there city gives off as gas emissions. I think that is a great way to get people’s attention and make them want to change. I feel at the end of the day that this won’t happen overnight and it will take a lot more then what these websites have for people to actually change.