Government May Support Nuclear Power's Comeback

Quarter 3 Article 8

Government May Support Nuclear Power's Comeback

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125798306&ft=1&f=1007

by CHRISTOPHER JOYCE

April 13, 2010

This article relates to the miller text book because this deals with renewable energy, being nuclear power.

Area covered is the United States

Obama is now looking at alternative energy sources and has agreed to subsidize new nuclear power plants. But restarting the nuclear power industry — which has been treading water for 30 years — won't be easy. By many nuclear power is still viewed as a major risk for two major reasons. One would be some of the unknowns, because we haven't built here in 30 years. And they want to watch the licensing process work and they want to prove us at our word that we can replicate what's happened overseas. Another risk is that american utility companies tend to be smaller than their foreign counterparts. They don't have as much cash, so they have to borrow more. And the typical nuclear project runs about $10 billion, give or take. Overall nuclear power is a risk but is a way to solve a part of the energy crisis for america.

I think that this is good idea for the country because it does not release greenhouse gases and produces a lot of energy.

DOE- Department of Energy

Brazil farmers shown how to profit by conserving

Quarter 3 Article 7

Brazil farmers shown how to profit by conserving

http://www.enn.com/agriculture/article/41194

From: Luciana Lopez, Reuters
Published April 8, 2010 07:30 AM

This article relates to the topic of persevering ecosystems and the environment.

Are covered is Brazil

The state is Brazil's top soy producer, churning out an annual harvest of about 18 million tones. The crops have helped fuel Brazil's economic boom of recent years but they come at a price -- the clearing of more than 130,000 square km (50,000 square miles) of Amazon rain forest in the state from 1988 through 2008, to the widespread condemnation of environmental groups. So, with "save the world" emotional appeals not working, environmentalists are turning to economic arguments, stressing how preserving the world's largest forest can mean bigger profits for farmers. This plan is adding that about 132,000 hectares (326,000 acres) of preserves in several states have been or are being legalized.

I believe that this is great for Brazil because as they are developing they are destroying the rain forest at an unsustainable rate. This is exactly what Brazil needs to push them in the right direction.

hectares- is a unit of area, defined as being 10000 square metres

Forecast for Cape Wind, unsettled

Quarter 3 Article 6

Forecast for Cape Wind, unsettled

http://www.enn.com/energy/article/41176

From: Tom Doggett, Reuters
Published April 3, 2010 07:55 AM

This article relates to the miller text book because it is dealing with renewable resources.

This article covers Cape Cod and the surrounding Massachusetts Area.

A federal advisory panel urged the U.S. Interior Department to block the $1 billion wind project off Cape Cod, opposed by local business leaders and politicians but then seen as a step in the right direction regarding Obama administration's energy strategy. Cape Wind Associates LLC has proposed building 130 wind towers that would soar 440 feet above the surface of Nantucket Sound near the popular Massachusetts tourist areas of Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Island. The proposed wind farms provide electricity to about 400,000 homes but within view of popular resorts. This would be the countries largest offshore wind farm.

I think that this wind farm should be in place. If built these wind turbines will provide a large amount of electricity and is a step in the right direction. If proven successful other offshore wind farms will shot up due and will make the transition to renewable resources.

Nantucket Sound-is a roughly triangular area of the Atlantic Oceanoffshore from the U.S. state of Massachusetts.

Masdar: Abu Dhabi's carbon-neutral city

Quarter 3 Article 5

Masdar: Abu Dhabi's carbon-neutral city

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8586046.stm

By Tom Heap

This article relates to the topic of conservation of energy. The purpose of designing this city is to lower emissions.

The are covered is Masdar, United Emirates.

The world's first zero-carbon city is being built in Abu Dhabi and is designed to be not only free of cars and skyscrapers but also powered by the sun. The oil-rich United Arab Emirates is the last place you would expect to learn lessons on low-carbon living, but the emerging eco-city of Masdar could teach the world. They have built the biggest solar farm in the Middle East to power the city and to offset the inevitable burning of diesel and baking of cement in construction. they have magnetic pod-cars that substitute the need for gasoline.

I think that this city is a perfect model for other cities to look at and take ideas from to create a more eco-friendly way of living.

Abu Dhabi-is the capital of, and the second largest city in the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western coast.

Quarter 3 Article 4

New Aggressive National Fuel Economy Standards Set for Passenger Cars and Light Trucks

http://www.epa.gov/otaq/climate/regulations.htm

David A Gabel
April 1, 2010 02:05 PM

This article relates to the unit of nonrenewable energy and the unit of air pollution. This act will lower the use of oil and lower greenhouse emissions.

The area covered is the United States.

The DOT and EPA, in response to one of the Obama Administration's top priorities, have jointly established aggressive new federal rules that will significantly increase the fuel economy of all passenger cars and light trucks sold in the United States. They have also established new federal rules that would for the first time ever, set national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards for these vehicles.The new rules are forecast to save the average buyer of a 2016 model year car $3,000 over the lifetime of the vehicle. EPA estimates that nationally, it has the potential to conserve about 1.8 billion barrels of oil and reduce nearly a billion tons of GHG emissions over the lives of the vehicles.

I think this act is the extra push the car manufactures and society needs to lower carbon emissions from forms of transportation.

barrels of oil- ranges from 100 -200 liters of oil

Quarter 3 Article 3
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62T06520100331

Obama opens new oil drilling offshore in climate drive

by Steve Holland

The area it covers is the gulf coasts and east coasts and Alaska.

This article relates to miller because it is taking about the drilling of oil which is a non-renewable energy that has to be extracted deep within the ground.

President Barack Obama unveiled plans on Wednesday for a limited expansion of U.S. offshore oil and gas drilling in an effort to win Republican support for new proposals to fight climate change. Opening up parts of the U.S. Atlantic coast, Alaska and possibly offshore Florida to exploration is Obama's latest effort to woo legislators needed to pass a climate bill before mid-term elections in November.Some senior Republicans in Congress called the drilling announcement a step in the right direction but said Obama did not go far enough. Environmental groups and some congressional liberals condemned the plan for endangering wildlife and coastal areas merely to give oil companies more profits.

I have mixed fillings about this one because it is stimulating the US economy and is providing jobs for Americans but there is a possibility of destroying wildlife and when burned produces greenhouse gases.

bipartisan- refers to any bill, act, resolution, or any other action of a political body in which both of the major political parties are in agreement.