tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34592154595761012932024-10-24T10:56:51.986-07:00This blog is about the world's most important commodity: energy. Without energy there is no life. Scientific and technological applications of oil, solar energy,wind energy,electrical energy, solar power energy, nuclear energy and other types of energy and their sources are discussed. The social, economic and environmental implications of of different types of energy and their sources are considered. This is a great forum to air your views and comments about the world's greatest commodity.Chikwerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11117037374954670804noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3459215459576101293.post-49550711493255748402011-07-13T13:55:00.000-07:002011-07-14T12:06:30.980-07:00Article first published as <a href="http://technorati.com/politics/ article/japan-fukushima-nuclear- accident-may-not/">Japan Fukushima Nuclear Accident may not Sabotage the<br /> World Energy Needs</a> on<br /> Technorati<p><img src="http://scm-l3.technorati.com/11/07/08/47163/Morris603-001.jpg?t=20110708100602" /><p>The Japanese Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident had affected the course of history of nuclear energy. This accident had shook the world, instilled fear in the general public and had confused politicians,scientists, environmentalists and thinkers.<br /> To scientists and nuclear industry players, nuclear power provides the lowest cost, safest and cleanest source of energy. With the rise in demand of energy it is apparent that the world cannot rely on coal and oil. These sources are very limited. Nuclear energy is available to replace coal and oil when they are finished.<br /> Germany,Swiss,Italy and Austria are phasing out nuclear energy seeking renewables. What is surprising is that Japan itself, despite the fact that it is the one hit by nuclear disaster, rejected the proposal to exit nuclear energy.<br /> UAE and Iran are also in favor of nuclear energy. In Australia, the former chair of Austrialian Nuclear Science and technology organisation, Ziggy Switkowski and Australia federal minister for Resources, Martin Ferguson support nuclear energy. Martin Ferguson had said that <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/business/bury-it-says-ziggy-20110629-1gr5k.html">Australia's ability to meet its energy needs would not be sabotaged by the Fukushima disaster.</a><br /> Due to the fact that many countries are reacting differently to the Fukushima disaster, a question arises: Is nuclear really bad? Should the world completely eliminate nuclear energy? The world population is increasing and the energy demand is rising. <a href="http://www.iea.org/journalists/fastfacts.asp">The global energy demand is projected to increase by 50% by 2030 and more than 80% by 2050.</a> This shows that the world cannot rely on coal, hydroelectric,gas/oil,wind and biomass only for energy. It is worth to compare nuclear energy with other sources of energy.<br /> Coal and oil are major contributors of acid rain and global warming. Burning coal and oil produces greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane and ozone. These gases cause global warming and climate change.This is where nuclear energy has the greatest advantage. It does not release greenhouse gases. This makes nuclear energy environmentally friendly.<br /> Hydroelectric source is very inexpensive but is a limited source since it depends on water elevation. Wind is a good renewable source but is limited to windy areas and it cannot supply energy on a very large scale. <a href="http://solarenergy-oil.blogspot.com/2011/05/advantages-of-solar-energy-outweighs_24.html">Solar energy is clean</a> and environmentally friendly but is limited to sunny areas. It also needs vasts amount of land for small amounts of electrical energy. Compared with all other sources of energy, nuclear energy is the most efficient. Nuclear reactions produce a million times more energy as compared to hydro or wind energy.<br /> Therefore the world should not eliminate nuclear energy but draw lessons from Fukushima Daiichi disaster and strengthen nuclear safety throught each contnent. <script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "ca- pub-4132122908966177"; /* morrisp */ google_ad_slot = "5754320473"; google_ad_width = 468; google_ad_height = 60; //--> </script><br /> <script type="text/javascript"<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "ca- pub-4132122908966177"; /* ad unit morris */ google_ad_slot = "3351365958"; google_ad_width = 336; google_ad_height = 280; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript"</div>Chikwerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11117037374954670804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3459215459576101293.post-3243764446893355422011-07-08T16:18:00.000-07:002011-07-08T16:46:18.836-07:00<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKKJW0mNZvV1xPr9fFPk_lRrk_CvDWv4ngJcr0twRrXWDBF1lo2vDZvT4D2EK_VgExOXb_b70ipfrtHor3O8E3xABNnaPAlz4WYk0elBdgaFrUMqBJp4AvZZfmMZ5Oyhq5tYbl3N5nzZU/s1600/Morris603-002-794447.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKKJW0mNZvV1xPr9fFPk_lRrk_CvDWv4ngJcr0twRrXWDBF1lo2vDZvT4D2EK_VgExOXb_b70ipfrtHor3O8E3xABNnaPAlz4WYk0elBdgaFrUMqBJp4AvZZfmMZ5Oyhq5tYbl3N5nzZU/s320/Morris603-002-794447.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627125684836938738" /></a></p><FONT SIZE="+2"><h1><b>The advantages and disadvantages of nuclear energy</b></h1></FONT><br /> <p><h2><b>Advantages of nuclear energy</b></h2>*Nuclear energy is clean. It does not release greenhouse gases which cause global warming and climate change. Fossil fuels like coal and oil produce greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide,methane and ozone. There nuclear energy is better than coal and oil when it comes to enviroment and climate concerns.<br /> *Nuclear energy is the most efficient source of energy. Very small amounts of nuclear energy liberate large amounts of nuclear energy.<br /> One gram of uranium-235 produces as much energy as 10 000 grams of coal.<br /> Each nuclear fission reaction produces about 100 million times the energy produces other combustion reactions.<br /> Nuclear energy produces about a million times the energy produces by hydroelectric sources<br /> *The burning of fossil fuels e.g coal produces poisonous gases like carbon monoxide and sulphur. These gases harm the environment as well as humans.<br /> *It is easy to transport<br /> *Nuclear reactions produce radioisotopes like cobalt-60 which has medical and industrial uses.<br /> <h3>Disadvantages of nuclear energy</h3>*One of the by products of nuclear fission, plutonium is a raw material used for the production of nuclear bombs. So weapons of mass destruction and nuclear proliferation are a major threat to the world.<br /> *It requires large capital costs to build a single plant<br /> *Requires high level of waste storage. The nuclear fission waste products contain unstable radioactive elements. This waste is harmful to health<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "ca- pub-4132122908966177"; /* ad unit morris */ google_ad_slot = "3351365958"; google_ad_width = 336; google_ad_height = 280; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript"</div>Chikwerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11117037374954670804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3459215459576101293.post-48706421895180077262011-06-21T16:14:00.000-07:002011-06-23T13:08:50.138-07:00Article first published as <a href="http://www.technorati.com/politics/article/uae-and-iran-on-nuclear- energy/">UAE and Iran on Nuclear Energy</a> on Technorati.<p><img src="http://scm-l3.technorati.com/11/06/21/45857/Morris602.jpg?t=20110621114909" /><p>In the shadow of other countries rejecting <b>nuclear</b> <b>energy</b>, Iran and United Arab Emirates civilians are in favour of nuclear energy. Germany,Switzerland and Italy had decided to phase out nuclear energy. UK is slowing down on nuclear energy.<br /> The above five nations are rejecting nuclear energy on the basis of Japan's <b>Fukushima</b> nuclear accident. Citizens of these countries had been shook by the Fukushima accident and had voted against it. What surprises most is why <b>Iran</b> and <b>UAE</b> are so obsessed with nuclear energy development despite its potential danger. UAE national <a href="http://www.utilities-me.com/article-1390-uae-national-poll-shows-support-for-nuclear-energy/">poll</a> show that 85% of residents are in favour of nuclear energy development. Iran, <a href="http://www.mehrnews.com/en/newsdetail.aspx?NewsID=1337376">supported by Russia and China</a> is adopting legal procedure to accede to Nuclear Safety Convention.<br /> Why <b>UAE</b> and <b>Iran</b> had not took lessons from Japan? Japan is more technologically advanced than the two countries but it had failed to prevent nuclear disaster. UAE and Iran should also have followed the Germany,Swiss and Italy trend. UAE might not have legitimate reasons for developing nuclear energy. It has one of the largest <b>oil</b> and natural <b>gas</b> reserves in the world. This is adequate for its 8 million people.<br /> Even though President <b>Obama</b> and <a href="http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/2011/npprogramme.html">IAEA</a> had approved UAE's nuclear energy program, the <b>Arabs</b> may not be trusted. Nobody should forget about 9/11 attacks. Two of the 9/11 hijackers were UAE citizens. One of the hijackers was on UAE government- funded scholarship in the US at the time. Furthermore UAE is one of the three countries in the world to officially recognise the <b>Taliban</b>. During the 1990s, <b>Dubai</b> was the major hub for the <b>traffickers</b> of nuclear energy technology and fuel to Iran, North Korea and Libya. Likewise Iran is well known for its state sponsered terrorism,ambitions for nuclear weapons and violations of human rights.Therefore letting nuclear energy technology in the hands of UAE and Iran with gross human rights abuses is the most risk business the world can do.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "ca- pub-4132122908966177"; /* ad unit morris */ google_ad_slot = "3351365958"; google_ad_width = 336; google_ad_height = 280; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript"</div>Chikwerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11117037374954670804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3459215459576101293.post-85504861736169083412011-06-19T14:10:00.000-07:002011-06-19T14:10:50.655-07:00<img src="http://scm-l3.technorati.com/11/06/09/44827/Morris515.jpg?t=20110609132203" /><p>Article first published as Swiss Follow<br /> Germany in Phasing out Nuclear Energy<br /> on Technorati.<br /> First it was Germany and now its Swiss! The two countries had decided to phase out nuclear energy. Germany wants to eliminate nuclear energy by 2022 while the Swiss want<br /> to eliminate it by 2034. Nuclear energy provides 22% of<br /> Germany's energy needs and 40% of<br /> Switzerland's energy needs. Ministers,<br /> Heads of Delegation of member states<br /> and international organization are<br /> meeting on after a Japan crisis IAEA ministerial meeting to strengthen nuclear safety throughout the world. Phasing out nuclear energy is costly<br /> for both countries. The cost of<br /> electricity would rise. The efforts to<br /> reduce carbon emission are<br /> compromised. Germany plans to build<br /> 24 large coal burning power stations. This produces tons of carbon dioxide<br /> emissions which lead to global<br /> warming. Both countries will have to<br /> spend money on importing natural<br /> gas. Germany is more likely to depend on<br /> France and Czech for electricity. This<br /> means that France and Czech will have<br /> to build more nuclear power stations<br /> to meet the Germany's needs.<br /> Germany will also have to depend on Russia for gas. The striking question is: Why has Swiss<br /> followed the Germany example? Is it<br /> because of Japan's Fukushima Diiach<br /> nuclear plant accident? Or is it because<br /> of upcoming 23 October elections? The decision to phase out nuclear<br /> energy by two countries seems to be<br /> politically motivated. German's Merkel<br /> had made this decision after she had<br /> lost her majority in the upperhouse<br /> parliament at regional elections. To protect he CDU party in 2013 national<br /> elections, she has to make a U turn on<br /> her nuclear policy. Unlike Japan, Swiss has little<br /> probability of natural disasters like<br /> tsunamis and earthquakes. So the<br /> Japan Fukushami accident is not the<br /> reason why Swiss may decide to<br /> phase out nuclear energy. It appears that the decision made by the two<br /> countries is a means of staying in<br /> power by taking the advantage of the<br /> citizens by Japan nuclear accident. The<br /> citizens of Swiss, Germany and the<br /> world as a whole had already been threatened by the Japan incident. As a<br /> result, a political party which<br /> spearhead nuclear energy<br /> development may de-campaign itself. Although countries call for stress tests<br /> on nuclear plants and safety<br /> strengthening, the future of nuclear<br /> energy seems bleak. Nuclear energy<br /> producing countries are more likely to<br /> follow the Germany and Swiss trend.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "ca- pub-4132122908966177"; /* ad unit morris */ google_ad_slot = "3351365958"; google_ad_width = 336; google_ad_height = 280; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript"</div>Chikwerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11117037374954670804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3459215459576101293.post-71383619402270663002011-06-06T15:05:00.000-07:002011-06-06T15:05:28.286-07:00Article first published as <a href='http://technorati.com/politics/ article/the-germans-made-a-mistake- on/'>The Germans Made a Mistake on Nuclear Energy </a> on Technorati. Due to protests from over 200 000<br /> Germans, Chancellor Angela Merkel<br /> had made a decision to phase out all nuclear energy by the end of 2022.<br /> This decision was made despite the<br /> fact that nuclear energy supplies 22%<br /> of total energy needs of Germans. Is eliminating nuclear energy a right<br /> move? I think Germans need to revise<br /> their decision. Our energy hungry<br /> world surely needs nuclear energy.<br /> Controlled use of nuclear energy can<br /> surely benefit the human kind. Other countries with huge deposits of<br /> uranium should not follow Germany's<br /> example. Uranium needs to be utilized<br /> to the full. Uranium is the most efficient and<br /> economical source of energy. Consider<br /> this: one gram of uranium-235 can<br /> produce as much energy as ten<br /> kilograms of coal. In a nuclear reactor<br /> nuclear fission occurs when a uranium atom is split due to bombardment by<br /> neutrons. When uranium is split more<br /> neutrons and a lot of energy are<br /> produced. The neutrons produced<br /> cause further fission of uranium 235<br /> producing more neutrons and energy. Thus a chain reaction occurs and<br /> whenever uranium 235 is split, more<br /> energy is produced. In a nuclear<br /> reactor, the energy produced heat<br /> water to steam which turns the<br /> turbines and produce electrical energy. If compared with other sources of<br /> energy, nuclear energy has great<br /> benefits. A nuclear reactor occupies a<br /> very small piece of land. A nuclear<br /> reactor can be a compact building of a<br /> size of a football stadium. Unlike in the case of solar energy which needs<br /> hectares of land to accommodate solar<br /> panels.<br /> Nuclear energy is 24/7 reliable and its<br /> source uranium is available in<br /> abundance in the earth's crust. There are major deposits in Canada and<br /> Australia. Nuclear energy is environmentally<br /> friendly. Unlike oil which pollutes the<br /> air through emission of carbon<br /> monoxide and sulfur dioxide and also<br /> cause global warming. Although solar<br /> and wind energy are environmentally friendly, they are not as reliable and<br /> convenient as nuclear energy. Sunlight<br /> is free but it is not available 24/7 and<br /> the availability of solar energy is only<br /> limited to sunny areas. Wind energy is<br /> limited to windy areas and electrical energy generation using wind can<br /> only be practiced on a small scale. Although coal is inexpensive and easy<br /> to recover in countries like USA and<br /> Russia, it contributes to acid rain and<br /> global warming. Combustion of coal<br /> liberates harmful gases like carbon<br /> monoxide and sulfur dioxide which cause acid rain. Therefore even though nuclear<br /> energy production is associated with<br /> potential radioactive hazards and<br /> accidents, the world should not<br /> eliminate it but use it wisely and with<br /> extreme caution. <a href='http:// Chikwere.freeecopowerfre.click2sel src='http://click2sell.eu/images/ paynow_v2_1.png' border="0" title='Buy' alt='Buy'/></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "ca- pub-4132122908966177"; /* ad unit morris */ google_ad_slot = "3351365958"; google_ad_width = 336; google_ad_height = 280; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript"</div>Chikwerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11117037374954670804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3459215459576101293.post-1762243583403808852011-06-06T14:19:00.001-07:002011-06-06T14:19:01.135-07:00<a href="http:// Chikwere.freeecopowerfre.click2sel title="Buy" alt="Buy">Buy</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "ca- pub-4132122908966177"; /* ad unit morris */ google_ad_slot = "3351365958"; google_ad_width = 336; google_ad_height = 280; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript"</div>Chikwerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11117037374954670804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3459215459576101293.post-41197017874477185502011-06-06T14:08:00.001-07:002011-06-06T14:08:08.167-07:00> <a href='http:// Chikwere.freeecopowerfre.click2sel src='http://click2sell.eu/images/ paynow_v3_5.png' border="0" title='Buy' alt='Buy'/></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "ca- pub-4132122908966177"; /* ad unit morris */ google_ad_slot = "3351365958"; google_ad_width = 336; google_ad_height = 280; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript"</div>Chikwerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11117037374954670804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3459215459576101293.post-59887337062630870182011-05-30T10:56:00.001-07:002011-05-30T10:56:12.546-07:00<iframe src="http://astore.amazon.com/baespane-20" width="90%" height="4000" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "ca- pub-4132122908966177"; /* ad unit morris */ google_ad_slot = "3351365958"; google_ad_width = 336; google_ad_height = 280; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript"</div>Chikwerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11117037374954670804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3459215459576101293.post-3956116312056148152011-05-24T16:30:00.000-07:002011-05-24T16:33:48.711-07:00<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl7rkqUI6Bvm_wKVWZaN9k2vhXnF-cqwfpj4OqD46A8aW19-v6Dwys8mJ-kxJeFZA1I5kcENwtcnOxKagFVRoXt2R-mpqNm0Tf1tPP2pM6umraC1PCEF0SKOzHQ5MulxUTsAwUbVpZQAA/s1600/Morris433-728712.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl7rkqUI6Bvm_wKVWZaN9k2vhXnF-cqwfpj4OqD46A8aW19-v6Dwys8mJ-kxJeFZA1I5kcENwtcnOxKagFVRoXt2R-mpqNm0Tf1tPP2pM6umraC1PCEF0SKOzHQ5MulxUTsAwUbVpZQAA/s320/Morris433-728712.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610430004277280818" /></a></p>The great sun always shines in its brilliance giving us hope of survival. Without the almighty SUN, life could be impossible here on earth. The great sun provides us with practically all the energy we need for survial.<br>The sun provides solar energy which enables plants to photosynthesize. The ability of plants to photosynthesize ensures our survival. We get our energy from the plants.<br>Apart from photosynthesis the other great application of solar energy is its use in our homes and industries. Solar energy has both advantages and disadvantages. The advantages of using solar energy far outweighs its disadvantages.<br>ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF SOLAR ENERGY COMPARED<br>The main disadvantage of using solar energy is its initial investment. A lot of capital is needed to install the solar panel system. This disadvantage is counterbalanced by the fact that after the initial investment, all the electricity you produce will be free. No need to worry about electricity bills.<br>The other disadvantage of solar energy is that it needs a very large piece of land to install the solar panel system.<br>Solar panel system depend on weather. In plenty sunlight a lot of electricity is produced. On rainy and cloudy days very little electricity is produced.<br>The main advantage of solar energy is that it is environmentally friendly. It is clean energy and does not lead to global warming. It is a better alternative to oil. Oil is not environmentally friendly. Unlike solar energy, oil and other carbon containing fuels can undergo incomplete combustion producing harmful compounds such as sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide. Therefore using solar energy saves our health and prolong our lives. <br>Solar energy does not cause sound pollution. It operates silently. No noise!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "ca- pub-4132122908966177"; /* ad unit morris */ google_ad_slot = "3351365958"; google_ad_width = 336; google_ad_height = 280; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript"</div>Chikwerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11117037374954670804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3459215459576101293.post-27274709174628192822011-05-24T12:41:00.000-07:002011-05-24T12:47:20.985-07:00<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHHI5uYtp9zKsY_wXRKfVzbDtUjFHOSPDinLB1kOSayoz3KKka2L7jYRTl-mVcNqaEFaQugam_-vNZ29EKW_Mt6nVzSd_wDxNBhGxeFcRZXrDNNpdtpdza_B2dUjYSE-3OpwEVx7isibM/s1600/Morris441-740986.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHHI5uYtp9zKsY_wXRKfVzbDtUjFHOSPDinLB1kOSayoz3KKka2L7jYRTl-mVcNqaEFaQugam_-vNZ29EKW_Mt6nVzSd_wDxNBhGxeFcRZXrDNNpdtpdza_B2dUjYSE-3OpwEVx7isibM/s320/Morris441-740986.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610371650372423890" /></a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "ca- pub-4132122908966177"; /* ad unit morris */ google_ad_slot = "3351365958"; google_ad_width = 336; google_ad_height = 280; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript"</div>Chikwerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11117037374954670804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3459215459576101293.post-31584263595649042182011-05-21T14:29:00.000-07:002011-05-21T14:29:21.683-07:00<a href="http://solarenergy-oil.blogspot.com/p/solar-energy-best-alternative-to-oil.html?spref=bl">Solar energy-the alternative to oil: Solar energy - the best alternative to oil</a>: "The early Egyptions worshipped the sun. Indeed the solar system is great. The sun is the principal source of energy on earth. With decreasi..."<div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "ca- pub-4132122908966177"; /* ad unit morris */ google_ad_slot = "3351365958"; google_ad_width = 336; google_ad_height = 280; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript"</div>Chikwerehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11117037374954670804noreply@blogger.com0