Chu and Obama's Energy Plan

The two's main focus is on making everything more efficient. Chu says that with the technology we have now that we should focus on more fuel efficient cars rather than hybrids. He also says that we should still use coal because the U.S. depends on it so much, so he is working on ways to capture the CO2 to make it cleaner. The two pointed out that five percent of the worlds production of oil comes from the U.S. Which implies that increased use wont make much difference. Chu hits on finding ways of disposing nuclear energy which leads to more research on recycling waste. Electrical transmission is an important need because big cites don't usually have stern winds and clear skies where energy is needed most so solar panels and windmills would have to be put up in areas where that weather is. The only problem with that is cost, state boundary lines and setting the power lines. Lastly the two said that the primary goal is making things renewable. This means research and money will have to go in to advanced bio fuels, artificial photosynthesis and solar technologies.

Explanation of Concept Map.

The main pattern of the concept map is that everything goes into money. Either if the energy is from a renewable source like windmills which costs money to produce so they are not as popular. When oil is in massive amounts and is cheap to refine and produces great energy but is non-renewable.

One cause and effect is that renewable energy can be more helpful for the enviroment and is sustanable. The problem with this is that the cost of using this resource is very high. another cuase is war. War causes us to invent new technology inorder to succeed in the war. This new technology also can lead to advanments in using fuels.

Energy Concept Map

This is a concept map describing energy sustainability in our world.

energy question 4

Resources you could use to find out information on how to conserve unergy is visit the Department of Energy's website, also look at energy.gov. Research ways to conserve energy online, such as through solar power

Information for the Problem

According to the U.S. Governments Energy Information Administration. The United States uses 400 million gallons of gas a day. So how do we reduce this number? Why cant people leave their cars behind to take a bus or a train to their destinations? How we can help the people put a solar panel or a wind turbine in their backyard to power their home? One 10-kW wind turbine can produce about 10,000 kWh a year with at least a 12 mph wind area. That's enough to power a typical household.

Statement For the Problem

The problem right now is that the U.S. is using more nonrenewable energy sources than renewable sources. In the year 2000, 89% of the earth's energy came from the nonrenewable of gas, oil, coal, and nuclear. These sources are non sustainable so over time they will run out along with they add to the changing in the environment. But the problem with the renewable sources is that they do not produce enough energy to support the U.S. demand.

Is U.S. energy consumption a problem?

The United States is the largest consumer of energy in total use. We use more energy than we can produce so imported energy like oil makes up the difference. The majority of our nations energy comes from fossil fuels which hurts the environment. In 2007 we produced 106,554 megawatts of renewable energy compared to the 892,284 megawatts of nonrenewable energy that we consume. Proving that we demand so much energy that over time we are going to run out of fossil fuels, nuclear and other nonrewable energy sorces. When it comes to the to the U.S. energy consumption its problem because when all the nonrenewable fuels run the renewable fuels will not meet are demand unless we change.