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Burst Of Energy
By:William Barrett, Dylan Mcrae, and Jim Durmis
Geothermal energy is energy formed inside the earth. The biggest geothermal power plant is in California. Geothermal energy generates enough power to light 14 million light bulbs or the entire metropolitan of San Francisco. There are now nearly 100 geothermal power plants in the western United States.
Using geothermal energy for electricity is not a new industry. Geothermal power plants have been made in deserts before. The Italians used it first back in 1904. France and Ireland used it also for the hot springs that they have over there. You can pretty much use it anywhere if you have a power plant for geothermal energy.
Geothermal energy does not pollute the air and it barely hurts the environment. Geothermal energy is very hard to produce though.
Geothermal energy can supply 1,089 billion gigawatts of power. Geothermal energy produces 10 gig watts of electricity. All the power plants in the entire United States can serve 3.5 million homes.
Geothermal energy is a very good and useful thing to use. It is hard to use but fun to learn about. My partners William, Jim, and I got to experience what it is like to research geothermal energy. It is a very good resource to use because geothermal plants produce almost no emissions because they do not burn any fuel to generate electricity.
Bio-What?
By: Abby Creighton, Maddy Sandifer and Victoria Mahoney
What is biomass? Biomass is a renewable energy source made of plant and animal material and waste products. Biomass pollutes the air when burned but not as much as fossil fuels. It releases carbon dioxide but when biomass crops are grown a nearly equal amount of carbon dioxide is captured.
Ethanol is a form of biomass that is made from wheat, corn, and other fermented crops. Have you ever heard of cars running on corn? Well, E-10, is a fuel that is made of 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline. People started to be interested in this alternative energy source in the early 1900s. It wasn’t used much until 1973 in Brazil when there was an oil crisis. It became unpopular again in the 1980s when ethanol prices went up and gas prices went down.
So, can cars really use corn and other crops to run? The answer is YES! Flexible fuel vehicles can run on different fuels such as ethanol and vegetable oil without engine modifications. Other cars can only run partially on ethanol, not completely. Cars that run on WVO (waste vegetable oil) or SVO (straight vegetable oil) are environmentally friendly. Waste vegetable oil creates less greenhouse gas than other fuel sources and doesn’t create a bad smell. Some people even claim it smells good! The WVO people get from Asian restaurants is much better than the vegetable oil you can get from hamburger restaurants. Doesn’t this sound like a good idea?
In the 1800s biomass (specifically wood) gave 90% all of energy used. Today, it gives Americans only 3% of their energy. As of 2007 71% of biomass was wood and wood waste, 6% was alcohol fuels, 19% was garbage and landfill gas, and 4% was other forms of biomass. By 2025 it is expected that the use of biomass will more than double. That’s biomass - energy of the past and the future.
ENERGY OF THE FUTURE!
By: Kara Goldberg, Kailyn Butler and Sasha Rockwell
How can Plymouth become more eco-friendly? Maybe hydrogen-powered cars are the answer. We have been using hydrogen as a source for transportation for many years: balloons! Now, scientists have figured out ways to use this energy in vehicles too. Do you like the idea of Hydrogen-filled cars? Hydrogen is a renewable energy source that can now replace gasoline. All electrical vans use hydrogen as a non- polluting fuel! The car of the future may run by hydrogen instead of gas. Even though hydrogen filled cars will be more costly, we are still hoping you, the people of America, will buy these cars. By the way, these hydrogen filled cars will not pollute the earth like gas-powered cars. So hopefully the citizens of Plymouth will think twice about getting these hydrogen cars even though they are more costly.
Dealerships all over the U.S.A. are introducing new 2010 Hydrogen cars! We interviewed the Chevy car dealership in Plymouth. They agreed with us and said, “Yes, and they’re much safer too.” We defiantly agree! People want to see more hydrogen in Plymouth generally too. Quirk Ford said, “I’d love to see more Hydrogen everywhere!” Of course, these new cars will be pricey. Because of this factor, a lot of citizens will think twice about hydrogen-filled cars. Plymouth also needs to think about making a bigger deal about renewable energy sources. What is the point of hydrogen if there are no hydrogen stations? Where will everyone fill up his or her car? How about hydrogen gas stations? Once Plymouth has those, more and more people will buy hydrogen cars.
Once we figure out these ‘disadvantages’ Plymouth will be awesome!
In order for these new cars to become a hit, we need to make some investments to support them. Soon Plymouth will be more eco friendly than ever. So please go out right now and buy yourself a brand new hydrogen filled car.
You’ve Got the Power to Change!
By: Jakob Kreitzer & Matthew Ryan
Do you want to save money? If so then hydropower may be your thing. Unfortunately, I’m sad to say that hydropower is only available in locations near the water. Hydropower (H20) is energy from the force of moving water.
Here are some facts about hydropower:
Water has been used for centuries as a power source
The U.S.A did not put water wheels in our factories until the 1800’s
The top Hydropower producing states are WA, CA, NY, OR, TN
Hydropower produces 5-10% of energy in the U.S.A.
Hydropower provides 25% of the world’s energy
Here are some benefits of using hydropower:
It is cheap
It doesn’t let out gases
It’s renewable
It’s natural
It can preserve water energy
Here are some of the disadvantages of hydropower:
It is expensive to make dams
It may change the habitat by blocking the natural flow of water
It is not widely available
It takes a long time to build a dam
Hydropower – Energy from the Past, Present and Future
By Camryn O’Rourke, Taylor Kaiser and Jessica Harnais
Have you ever heard of hydropower? Hydropower is energy from water sources such as the oceans, rivers and waterfalls. If you have ever been knocked down by a wave, then you have defiantly experienced the power of water. Hydropower has been a part of Plymouth for a long time.
History of hydropower
Hydropower is one of the oldest methods of producing power. The cavemen stuck some sturdy leaves on a pole and put it into a moving stream, the water would spin the pole that produced power that then crushed grain to make their delicious, low-fat prehistoric bran muffins. People used moving water to help them in their work throughout history, and modern people make great use of moving water to produce electricity.
Natural Water Power at the Jenny Gristmill
We have a great example of hydropower right here in Plymouth. The Jenny Gristmill was made by John Jenny in 1636, in Plymouth, MA. The pilgrims used it for grinding corn and grain. At the mill the water is diverted from the river to a huge water wheel along a small channel called a “sluiceway”. The water wheel spins large wooden gears inside the mill that spin one of the 2 grinding stones in the upper level of the mill. The mill is capable of grinding up to 1 ton of corn per day. The corn meal is organic and is available for purchase in the gift shop. The Jenny gristmill is in down town Plymouth Mass., and you can go on a tour there and find out more interesting facts about the Jenny Gristmill.
Even the Pilgrims Used Water Power!
Not only did Town Brook supply fresh water and waterpower to the Pilgrim Plantation, it also delivered fertilizer to the Pilgrims. Pilgrim’s used herring or alewife for fertilizer. Herring are fish that live in the ocean but spawn in fresh water. From the middle of April to the middle of May the herring migrate from the ocean, up to Town Brook, to the fresh water ponds to lay their eggs. As they go up stream they go through a small canal called a fish ladder that allows them to pass the mill. As they entered the fish ladder the Native Americans would catch the fish to use as fertilizer to rich the sandy Plymouth soil, a practice that has continued through the years.
Water Wheels
The water wheel is a simple machine. There are buckets located around the wheel that picks up buckets of water, the water wheels were used to grind grain and drive sawmills or to pump water.
Hydropower Today
Niagara Falls is a great example of the power that water can produce. People built dams on a river or waterfall to try to capture that power. That’s why the first dam was built at Niagara Falls. Dams are built on rivers where the land will produce a lake or reservoir. Most of the dams in the U.S were built to control flooding or irrigate farm land but not to produce electricity.
Hydropower plants
Hydropower plants use modern turbine generators to produce electricity same as coal, oil or nuclear plants do. The difference is the fuel. A hydro plant uses force of falling water to produce electricity. A dam opens gates at the top to allow water from the reservoir to flow down a large tube called a penstock; the fast moving water spins the blades of a turbine. The turbines are attached to the generator to produce electricity. The electricity is then transported along huge transmission lines to utility company.
Hydropower electricity
In the U.S., hydropower accounts for up to 10% of the nation’s supply of electricity. Hydropower produces more than 95,000 megawatts of electricity.
Benefits of Hydropower
Hydropower is renewable. Operating the dams and electricity does not cause pollution or gas emissions (co2) nor is there any toxic waste to eliminate.
NUCLEAR ENERGY
By Christian Ambers-Lewis, Alex Florsdorf, and Patrick Connolly
During WWII nuclear energy was first used to make a bomb. After the ward ended a nuclear bomb was dropped on Japan.
We now use nuclear energy to make electricity.
What’s the Problem with Nuclear Energy?
Nuclear reactors are powered by uranium, a common metal found in rocks. Although nuclear energy creates no pollution, every three years the uranium has to be released and leaves plutonium which is highly radioactive (Too much makes you sick or even die) and has to be stored in repositories (under ground rock formations). Once it is buried it is still radioactive and leak into the ground. After three years the plutonium loses 15% radioactivity. In 5 years it loses 30%. In ten years almost 90% is lost. But some radioactivity lasts thousands of years. But would you want that buried in your town?
Is it safe?
Nuclear energy is very highly radioactive so if anything goes wrong the whole area will have to evacuate to another state. If the nuclear fusion and fission break apart it can cause lots of damage. Think about what would happen to the town of Plymouth if there was a nuclear disaster!
Nuclear energy can also be used to make nuclear bombs; which can be very dangerous to humans. It can cause cancer and other symptoms. When the atom bomb splits it releases energy.
Benefits:
On the other hand, nuclear energy does not use any harmful gases to the environment, and doesn’t pollute the air. Four hundred nuclear plants in the world make electricity used for factories, office buildings, homes and schools. There are also 100 nuclear plants in the USA. We are doing a very good job of using our nuclear energy wisely so if we keep it up we will have enough to last 1,000 years. Nuclear power won’t run out is called sustainable. Unlike oil which is an energy source that might run out. We can’t reuse it, but if we keep using nuclear energy we won’t run out of oil as fast. Nuclear energy is very clean than burning fossil fuels and it doesn’t pollute the air.
NUCLEAR ENERGY
By: Cameron Barry, Jason Holmes, and Joshua Nye
Is nuclear energy a good thing or bad that’s the question?
One fact is that atomic bombs weren’t named after a person but the molecules in a power plant that makes the bomb explode. The military uses the nuclear energy for military needs. But the military guards it with heavily armed security guards so nobody can get it to attack the planet. There are people who would love to steal the energy and if there was an explosion the population could drop to zero percent. Hopefully there are no robberies at the plant so we can be safe from attacks from terrorists.
When you look at the inside of an atom the ore has lots of energy that helps us when we need an alternative power source. Also we conducted a survey a most people said that nuclear energy is a very good thing.
Power the World With Wind
By Alexa Hill, and Catherine Mahoney
Why does wind energy make sense? Why are people against wind energy?
Those are both good questions that we will try to answer. We believe that wind energy makes sense because it is a clean, renewable resource that is everlasting unlike oil, coal and other fossil fuels. Some people are against wind energy because their opinion is that wind turbines will block their view and maybe even harm birds.
Before you make up your mind if wind turbines are good or bad you might want to know some more facts. You might be concerned about the bats and birds, but wind turbines only kill 1 out of 10,000 bats and birds. Scientists pick a location by studying the wind speed and direction for a few years in one specific area. A wind farm is a place where a person harvests the wind using multiple wind turbines. A good location for a wind farm is on hilltops, open plains, mountains, oceans and lakes. Still unsure if wind turbines are bad or good - then go to the Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Bourne where there is a huge wind turbine.
Wind energy is a good alternative energy source because it is proven efficient. Our opinion is that wind energy will have a massively positive effect on our environment. On the other hand some people believe that if we set up wind farms it will take away the natural beauty of the landscape. Though people think otherwise we believe that if we do not find an alternative energy source there will be no natural beauty. So the moral of this story is: use wind energy for a cleaner future!
Solar power- The energy of the future!
By Emma Metzger, Jillian Rioux, and Ashley O’Brien
What comes from the sun’s radiation and heats some homes? If you guessed solar power, you’re right! It is also used to generate electricity. Some companies even use solar power to help run cars.
Edmund Becquerel discovered that you could use the sun to generate electricity in 1839. Before Edmund’s time, Romans used solar energy to heat the floors of their bathhouses. Another way to make solar power into energy is a solar pond. A solar pond is a large controlled body of water heated by the sun used to make electricity and heat.
Not many people use solar energy for electricity. In fact, only 8% of the nation’s electricity is solar. In the Plymouth Massachusetts area alone there are ten solar companies. So the electricity percentage should be much higher. We here at Rising Tide have a solar company right behind us called Alternate Energy. Alternate Energy does solar installing as while as wind.
Advantages:
There are many benefits of having solar electricity to supply our needs. For example it is a renewable resource unlike oil or gas. This would be a BIG help to the future of our world. Who wouldn’t want that? Another benefit is that more people would have jobs of installing solar panels. Lastly people would save more money on their heating and electric bills, which mean the economy, would be better. Solar power is definitely the way to go for the best future!
Disadvantages:
Buying solar panels cost money so for a while people would be short of money. But in the long run, people would still save money. Another disadvantage is that it wouldn’t be sunny all the time. People would still have to sometimes pay for regular electricity. But fortunately there are more advantages than disadvantages with solar power. If we can get at least 25% of the homes in the United States, the world would be a better place for everyone!
Wind- The Power of the Future
Clean, Renewable, Efficient
By : Eri Takahashi, Sophia Henderson- Page, Hannah Grey, Madison George
Why would you choose something that’s nonrenewable because it won’t be around later? Why don’t you choose wind energy? It’s renewable and it’s simply air in motion.
Did you know that Plymouth schools and offices use up to 24 million kilowatts of energy per year? That’s a lot of energy for one town! If Plymouth had just 6 wind turbines all those energy needs would be met. Plymouth has 7 possible sites for wind turbines. We have enough wind and now all we need are the turbines.
Did you ever wonder how wind turbines work? Well, when the wind blows it pushes against the blades on top of the tower making them spin. When the blades spin the shaft turns. The shaft is sometimes connected to a gearbox. The high-speed shaft is connected to a generator. The shaft turns and the generator produce energy. So, why don’t you get wind energy instead of nonrenewable resources? It would help our earth a lot!
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