Homework 11

Homework 11
Computing, Information and the Future, 11/2/09

Question 1
The discussion in class (Monday October 26, 2009, Prediction vs. Intervention; Weather vs. Climate; Trend Analysis) does not really apply to my project, “Green Energy Technologies: A Look at the Past, Present, and a Plausible Future to Sustainable Green Energy Sources.” In class, we talked about the weather and climate, and whether or not it was more feasible to control the weather or to predict the weather. Since my project primarily deals with green energy technologies, the only real application would be the seeding of clouds (controlling clouds) to enable more sunlight for solar panels; however, this would probably prove far too expensive in the real world. Additionally, we talked about trend analysis, which could be used to try and show trends in green energy technologies; however, I have already shown through pure fiscal figures that green energy technologies are growing and should continue to grow even more as the need for green energy rises.

Question 2
The discussion in class (Wednesday, October 28, 2009, Final spoil sports of prediction: existential angst; time value of money) can be applied to my project, “Green Energy Technologies: A Look at the Past, Present, and a Plausible Future to Sustainable Green Energy Sources.” First, when talking about existentialism in class, an important question was raised regarding societies’, “Failure to recognize a critical problem before it happens.” Many of us know that one day we will need sustainable green energy technologies when our nonrenewable resources that provide energy are used up; however, we may not necessarily realize the true depth of this problem until it’s too late. Additionally, TVM can indirectly be applied to this concept in that oil tycoons value their profits now, but may not be thinking down the line when those reserves run dry and they are left with nothing. Unless they invest in green energy technologies, their ‘reign’ would be over.

Question 3
I have advanced my project—here are the updated sections. I will post more sections here as they are finished/updated.

Introduction (Revised)
In a global society driven by the need for more energy, our world has grown accustom to accessing a seemingly endless supply of electricity primarily produced by non-renewable resources. However, as our non-renewable resources run out, the need for sustainable renewable energy sources have become a growing area of concern. Additionally, hot topics of global warming and rising energy demand have spurred an even clearer need for sustainable green energy sources.

Nuclear Energy (http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf54.html)
Although nuclear energy isn’t necessarily green, it may be an important part in a plan to provide greener energy during a transitional period from oil/coal to green energy sources. The science of nuclear energy (e.g. atomic studies and nuclear fission) was developed from 1895 to 1945. After the atomic bomb, focus shifted to containing and controlling the energy from nuclear fission to be used in the production of electricity. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the first commercial nuclear reactors went live producing electricity. Orders flew in for nuclear power plants, and many were constructed and went live over the next two decades. From the late 1970s into the early 21st century, there was a significant decline in the construction of nuclear power plants. Oil companies that had entered uranium mining bailed out and the price of uranium dropped due to a consolidation of uranium providers. Then in 2004, three key factors revived the prospect of nuclear energy: 1) Projected increased energy demand worldwide, 2) Awareness of energy security, 3) Limiting of carbon emissions due to rising concern of global warming. China, India, Japan, and South Korea lead the way in constructing more nuclear power plants to supply this demand. The UK and USA must follow suit to keep up with the energy demand, or find other innovative ways to meet this need.