Our first topic is oil. Oil is the lifeblood of our modern society, oil is used in almost every sort of device that makes out life better. Oil drives our cars, oil makes our electricity, and it lubricates almost anything that has to move in a tight space. Without oil you would not be reading this essay, you would not be able to drive anywhere. Oil is very important, but with this much going for it there are bound to be some cons. Oil pollutes the air with its toxic fumes and oil spills from tankers while rare they contaminate the shore lines. Oil seems to be a decent way to get energy for now as a short term solution but for the future we will need a more permanent solution.

Alternative forms of energy are a very hot topic today. Ethanol is the most readily available form of alternative energy but in reality it is a huge flop. Ethanol takes more energy to produce than it can generate. It is just a waste of time and it is driving food prices sky high because several farmers are converting their fields to grow corn so they can make more money. Electric cars also seem to be a miracle because they produce no pollution. But then stop and think of where the electricity was made, oh yeah thats right, a coal or oil power plant putting tons of CO2 into the atmosphere.

Wind and solar power are wonderful sources of power. A small wind turbine on top of your house can cut your energy consumption by 40%. These turbines are expensive at about 8,000 dollars but should be considered a long term investment that will over time start paying for itself. An even larger full size turbine can supply all of your electricity if you live in a windy area. These ca cost as much as 20,000 dollars but like the smaller ones are an investment. If you get one of these turbines you will most likely never have to pay an electricity bill again. Solar power is also a clean alternative and it is now even easier to have. They now have roll up solar "Blankets" as well as solar paint. Both are easier to apply as well as cheaper than the solid panels.

Nuclear energy seems to be a great way to produce electricity. It does not pollute the air, it creates large amounts of electricity and with the new storage facility in New Mexico, storage of spent fuel rods will no longer be a problem. However this is a very dangerous form of creating electricity. An explosion of a nuclear power plant in Chernobyl, Russia in 1986 killed almost the entire city and the nuclear fallout makes some parts of the city still too dangerous for humans. Nuclear energy also wastes what could be extra energy. The "spent" nuclear fuel rods still create so much energy that if they are not kept underwater they would melt their storage container. So my question would be why don't we use that extra energy? Unfortunately I do not have the answer.

There have been many different types of hydrogen powered cars throughout the years. Many different companies have produced many different types of hydrogen vehicles with little success. The technology is one the edge of a major breakthrough that will make it much more economical and practical. Companies like Exxon, BP, and Shell all agree that hydrogen will be the fuel of the far future.(Mondello, 4, 2002) Even though they think this, they are pumping a large amount of money in to hydrogen fuel research so that they can buy up all the technology preventing companies from mass producing hydrogen cars. This makes it so that people are stuck with gas powered cars and have to buy fuel from these companies. In effect they are spending money to make money.

One type of prototype that is being developed by BMW is a hydrogen/gasoline hybrid. The car can switch from one to another by just the flip of a switch. This is a hybrid because there are not many places were there is a hydrogen fueling station so it can run on both. Gas companies are behind this because you are still buying their fuel but and they are making money.(Mondello, 4, 2002) A hydrogen/gasoline hybrid is one of the most popular forms of hydrogen power.

A main reason hydrogen has not caught on is the high amount of money that is needed to produce and purchase it. Gasoline costs about the same as a gallon of water in some places. Even though gas prices are skyrocketing they are still cheaper than hydrogen. In order for hydrogen to compete with gas and oil the price needs to come way down. Scientists believe that hydrogen can cost as little as 75 cents a gallon where gas is around 3 dollars a gallon.(Mondello, 5, 2002)

It is very easy to convert an internal combustion engine into a hydrogen power engine. You can also use hydrogen to heat and power you homes and mow your lawn. Hydrogen can also be used to produce electricity. Hydrogen has many more uses than gas in today's world.

Hydrogen also is very environmentally safe. One reason it is safe is because the air coming out of a hydrogen powered car is cleaner than the air going in. Hydrogen engines will last much longer than current engines. This will happen due to the reduced heat and less buildup inside the engine.(Hydrogen Power Inc., 3, 2004) One of the main byproducts of using hydrogen is water so there are very little emissions. Using hydrogen is more environmentally friendly because used oil is commonly dumped into the ocean. Using hydrogen will reduce the amount of used oil thus reducing the amount of oil being dumped into the ocean.

Many people view hydrogen as an un-safe fuel, people think this way due to the explosive manor of hydrogen. People think that if you get in a crash that the car will explode. This has been disproved by BMW in crash tests of there hydrogen powered cars. These crashes showed that the cars did not explode when the cars crashed.(Mondello, 6, 2002) There is a greater chance of explosion in gasoline cars that hydrogen cars. The reason this is so is because hydrogen must have oxygen with it in order to be explosive. Pure hydrogen is not flammable so pure hydrogen is safer than gasoline.

Burning hydrogen is also much healthier than burning fossil fuels. Burning fossil fuels causes pollution that is harmful to our lungs. Hydrogen does not give of any pollutants that are harmful to us. Burning fossil fuels gives off carbon monoxide that is fatal if taken in, in a large amount. This takes away all the oxygen in the area and becomes carbon dioxide. This robs us of oxygen which leads to death. Hydrogen does not give off carbon dioxide or any other gases that can kill us.

Hydrogen is the fuel of the future and it is inevitable to keep it from coming. It is a very efficient fuel and will change our lives forever.

Sunlight is capable of producing electricity by means of using a Photovoltaic cell, concentrated solar power, or space. A major use of fossil fuels is to provide electricity. Coal is primarily used for this purpose and in fact accounts for over half of all the electricity generated. Photovoltaic cells are made of semiconductors such as silicon. When joined together, they form a system to generate electricity. Once purchased, the running cost of using them is free and sunlight won't run out for over five billion years. Another way to produce electricity by using sunlight is concentrating solar power on a large scale. Solar thermal technologies such as solar troughs, solar towers, and solar dishes use mirrors to gather or focus sunlight to build enormous amounts of heat. This is used to heat water, which releases steam to power a turbine generating electricity. Lastly, harnessing solar energy can be done by putting solar power stations in space as well. Although space based solar power isn't fully developed, space does have an advantage since it doesn't have clouds or night. Once the electricity is generated, that energy could be transmitted in the form of powerful microwaves that will be converted into electricity on earth to feed into the worldwide grid.

Besides producing electricity, solar power is capable of being used for other purposes that are more energy efficient. According to Amory Lovins, "We ought to be purchasing energy efficiency to save money. If we do it right, the environmental benefit comes free." Over half of the average american family's energy bill comes from heating, so one way to purchase energy efficiency is to buy a solar thermal heating system. Solar thermal energy can be tapped in two ways: active and passive. Passive solar heating uses sunlight to naturally heat a building or object. In the northern hemisphere, large windows facing south or west are able to allow additional sunlight to come in during the day to further heat up a house. Maximizing passive solar heating reduces the need for fossil fuels for heat and reduces bills. Active solar heating systems require a solar collector to use solar energy to heat a fluid and then that fluid is pumped around the house to spread the heat. Such systems have no running cost because sunlight is free. They hardly need any maintenance and last for several decades.

Solar power can reduce the tremendous environmental problems faced by our planet because of our heavy reliance on fossil fuels. Since the atmosphere is fairly thin, it is capable of getting altered by what humans do. When solar radiation enters Earth, the planet gets heated, but normally some of the radiation reflects off Earth's surface. The atmosphere reflects some of this heat to prevent the earth from getting too cold. However, the carbon dioxide emissions in the air is resulting in the atmosphere reflecting more heat back to Earth. "We're running out of atmosphere faster that we're running out of fossil fuels. The more we diversify our power sources the better," says Dan Kammen. Although some may not believe, currently climatic changes are occuring faster than fossil fuels are running out.

In some economically less developed countries, people use wood burning as an energy source. That leads to deforestation which is bad for environment as well as wildlife. This problem is now being reduced by using solar power to supply communities who live far from power lines. Mohammad Sani Muhammad states, "Solar power was the obvious solution. Not only would we be helping economic development, but we would also be cutting down on deforestation, which is such a big problem here." Solar power causes zero pollution and if a house uses mainly solar power for heating and electricity, then over 7,000 pounds of carbon dioxide won't be released in the atmosphere yearly. That is equivalent to not having to plant over a half acre of trees to absorb that much carbon dioxide or a car not traveling over 8,000 miles.

Therefore, solar energy can help solve the world's problems caused by fossil fuels. Using passive solar heating allows sunlight to heat the average resident's house directly and reduce her bills. By using solar collectors, one can heat an entire home with sunlight. Photovoltaic cells can produce electricity by means of using sunlight. Concentrated solar power can create large quantities of electricity by using mirrors to heat fluids. Solar power stations in space can potentially give lots of energy in the form of microwaves that can be converted to electricity on Earth, and lastly solar power can help solve our planet's environmental problems.

1. I suggest that more effort go into some of the lesser mentioned biodiversified sources for ethanol such as kudsu vines growing wild all over the southern states as well as any green vegetation leaving the corn and other consumer crops for food.
2. Start a program using federal and local monies to invest in all forms of rooftop solar production of electricity on private citizens properties if the citizen chooses to participate for a reduction in their electrical costs each month. Some of this could be achieved by setting up a nonprofit Non Governmental Organization to oversee the deployment of such technologies.
3. Investigate the floor of the Gulf of Mexico for any purposeful capping of some wells not in use but are never the less there but capped. Some of the oil companies have been known to drill 12 wells and use only 1 for production.
4. Invest government funds heavily into the pure fuel cell for both vehicular and home use to power all electrical appliances and vehicles. I recently read that the Japanese manufacturer Honda produced a prototype vehicle featuring a pure fuel cell vehicle. If they can do this why can't our engineers do it? The only differences are the applications and other possible uses there would be.

The open letter has four points outlined and three of them are current application of existing technologies. The fourth one requires someone much smarter than I to achieve but very much within reach. I will elaborate this much however, by taking what would be considered the exhaust on the fuel cell, which consists of mist and water, and directing it into a hydrogen extractor to separate the oxygen from the hydrogen in a "closed loop system". At this point it has been separated into pure oxygen in one place and hydrogen in another place ready to go into the fuel cell again to produce power on a virtual endless basis until the hydrogen is turned off by a valve or otherwise exhausted.

These are my thoughts on how this all could possibly work on the final point.

Imagine, a total hydrogen society with absolutely no pollution produced.

I am sure there are many other ideas out there but after watching our congress at work I think they need much more help to get the point. I hope this open letter finds its way to some one who may use the ideas expressed here to do some good where it may make some kind of difference.

All of the latest discoveries are based on the fact that the Sun is considered a normal star, yet offers us many things such as light and heat. It is also our ultimate source of energy which allows the Earth to not only exist but to fully function in a most habitable manner. Without it, our planet would be nothing more than an uninhabitable frozen rock. Located close to us, we have learned to study the Sun over the years to better understand many other stars, the Milky Way, other galaxies, and the universe. Considered a huge anchor which provides the gravity to keep Earth and other planets in our solar system together, the Sun is our "glue" which holds us together.

Climate Change

On July 18, 2008, ScienceDaily.com (Change, 2008) stated that an announcement was made by Manuel Vázquez--a researcher from the Canary Islands' Astrophysics Institute in Madrid, Spain--at the Sun and Climate Change conference regarding the fact that solar activity is responsible for approximately 15-20% of global warming. During the conference, Vázquez stated there was evidence that demonstrated after the last glacier era, during the past 10,000 years, and before the beginning of any industrial activity--the Sun's magnetic energy successfully regulated most variations of the Earth's climates on its own. Information at the conference shows that over the past 40 years of solar activity, it has not increased-- remaining constant or diminished, making it extremely difficult to "attribute a single global warming effect to it, "the cause of which needs to be looked for in human activities."

Manuel Vázquez made a slightly controversial statement at the conference which represented the entire global warming agenda: "If man had never started burning fossil fuels, the sun might have been the only agent regulating the climate until the next glaciations. However, back in the 19th century we started an experiment which we are now beginning to suffer the consequences of", explained the astrophysicist Manuel Vázquez to SINC.

Termination Shock

Data arriving from the NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft have allowed scientists to recognize a change in the magnetic bubble of solar wind surrounding our solar system, with the recent findings published in a series of papers in "Nature" on July 3. What was observed was a squashed shape instead of a regular round shape that was made by the solar wind. These are great findings as they demonstrate how our Sun interacts with the surrounding interstellar medium through an elongated-spherical shape, but one that is pressed inward in the southern hemisphere.

The termination shock is referred to as the beginning stages of an area between the solar wind bubble of the heliosphere and the remaining aspect of interstellar space referred to as the "termination shock." When it was noticed that the Voyager 2 crossed this boundary much closer than expected to the Sun, it was suggested this region's heliosphere was being pushed inward by its interstellar magnetic field--closer to the sun.

Mechanical energy has 2 forms, kinetic and potential. These kinds of energy are what cause motion in physical objects. Potential energy can be defined as stored energy, and kinetic energy as the energy possessed by an object's motion. In potential energy there are further divisions, such as gravitational potential energy, elastic potential energy, and electric potential energy. Thermal energy, or heat, could also be considered mechanical, although the motion it causes is mostly on the atomic level. The total amount of thermal energy, or heat, in an object is simply a measure of the movement of its atomic components. The hotter an object, the faster the atoms are moving. Thermal energy can cause motion on a larger scale as well, such as when water is heated to steam, which then rises due to its lower density. Steam can be used to turn turbines and do work.

Waves are a way to transport energy. Mechanical waves need a medium in which to move, and electromagnetic waves do not. Sound waves, ocean waves, and shock waves are examples of mechanical waves. In mechanical waves, energy is moved through a medium, but returning the medium to its original resting position once it has left. A mechanical wave moving through a solid medium, such a rope will cause the whole rope to move at one time or another, but once the wave has passed through, the rope returns to its original position. When one end of the rope is fixed, the energy doesn't transmit, it only reflects. The loss of energy and seizing of the wave is only caused by the air around the rope that gets moved during the motion of the wave, unless some energy is lost to the motion of the fixed end, such as a loose ring stand.

When the wave meets the fixed end, it reflects and inverts. If the wave was moving along the top of the resting point of the rope, it would reflect back along the bottom. If the end of the rope is free to slide up and down, the wave still reflects back, but will remain on the same side of the medium's resting point. The speed of the wave can be increased or decreased by the tension in the rope, because changing the tension changes the elasticity. The tenser the rope, the faster the wave will move, due to the ropes increased nature to return to its original resting point. Mechanical waves have 2 forms, longitudinal, and transverse. Sound waves are longitudinal, and the wave vibrates parallel to the direction of the waves motion, whereas the wave in the rope or on the ocean is transverse and vibrates perpendicular to the motion of the wave.

Electromagnetic waves do not need a medium in which to transfer energy. This is because they are self propagating waves, which means that the electric and magnetic forces produce the other. If the electric energy propelled the wave along a vertical plane, it would produce a magnetic wave that propelled it along a horizontal plane. These waves produce each other, and for the most part, generate their own medium in which to move through. All electromagnetic waves move at the speed of light, 3.0x10^8 m/s, in a vacuum. When they enter a medium they slow down, but only slightly. The speed of the electromagnetic wave decreases with the increase in density of the medium. There are multiple kinds of electromagnetic waves, they are separated by their wavelengths, and since their speed does not change between them, the smaller wavelengths carry more energy than the longer ones. The shortest wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum are cosmic and gamma rays, whereas the longest are radio and microwaves.

Sound waves are generated by the compression and expansion of air as the energy moves through it. Sound waves spread from a central point in a spherical motion, that is, every direction. The speed of a sound wave is determined only by the medium in which it is moving through. The more elastic the medium, the faster the sound wave can move, and also the longer distance it can travel. Steel is a very elastic material, and sound can move through it very rapidly. The wave can travel a longer distance, because the atoms in the medium are already so tightly packed together, that less energy is wasted in colliding the atoms together, to carry the wave. Since water is denser and more elastic than air, it can carry sound waves further than in air. For instance the blue whale's calls can be heard up to 1,000 miles away by its prospective mate. When a sound wave comes to a medium boundary point, the differences between the mediums determine how much of the energy is reflected back, and how much is transmitted. When a sound wave moves into a more dense medium, more of the energy gets reflected than transmitted, when it moves into a less dense medium, more energy is transmitted than reflected.

Light is an electromagnetic wave, as well as a mass less particle known as a photon. Many chemical reactions produce light as a product, like the burning of tungsten in an incandescent light bulb. Although the photon is considered mass less, it is however affected by gravitational forces. Light is attracted to the gravity of the sun, and as a result light from stars behind the sun that would normally go right by the sun, is pulled closer and actually ends up with an arched path that allows it to reach earth where we see these stars. As previously mentioned, all electromagnetic waves have their own wavelength, and light is no exception.

Visible light makes up a very small part of the entire electromagnetic spectrum, only extending from 400 to 700 nanometers. The longer wavelengths have less energy than the shorter ones, because their speeds are the same so more energy can be moved in a shorter time when the wavelengths are shorter. Plants use light to excite the electrons in water molecules and provide energy for the photosynthesis of water and carbon dioxide into glucose, oxygen, and a cellular energy stored molecule know as ATP, which provides the plant with the energy it needs to survive. The plant will eventually be consumed by a first level consumer, and then that herbivore will be eaten by a carnivore. It is in this way that all life, with only one exception, is sustained by light. That exception is certain bacteria and algae that survive on lightless ocean floor where they obtain their energy from thermal vents in the earth's crust.

Color is simply different wavelengths of light. Red is the longest and least energetic, and violet is the shortest and most energetic wavelength of light. Pure light is white light, which contains all the wavelengths of light. A Venn diagram of color contains 3 circles, red, green, and blue. Where they meet in the middle they produce white light. The 3 combinations of these colors are what make up the same chart for pigment. In pigment, the combination of all 3 colors, which are magenta, cyan, and yellow, is black. The color of visible objects is produced by the various wavelengths of light that the material either reflects, or absorbs. The color we see, is the combination of the reflected wavelengths, because only those are the rays that reach our eye to be recognized as color. If an object isn't illuminated by white light, its color will change. For instance a yellow shirt illuminated by blue light would appear black because it only reflects green and red light, while absorbing blue. Thus no light would reach our eyes, so the object would appear black.

When we discuss energy and the dependence of the United States on foreign countries for energy we are, almost exclusively, discussing oil. The energy we get from oil is primarily for transportation. Crude oil makes gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, kerosene and many other valuable products such as plastics and petroleum derived chemicals.

So when we open a discussion about renewable energy and how it can reduce our dependence on foreign oil, we are talking alternative transportation energy. Biodiesel, ethanol, hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, and hydrogen are the primary alternatives for transportation fuels.

When you think about ethanol, just remember that it is usable in flex-fuel vehicles as a gasoline substitute. In most cars you can run as much as 10% ethanol in your gasoline; however, if your engine is not rated as a flex-fuel, long term use of ethanol blends over E10 can cause damage to your engine.

Biodiesel is derived from vegetable oils or animal fats. In order for these esters to be legally called biodiesel, they must conform to ASTM D6751 specifications for use in diesel engines. Biodiesel is not just waste vegetable oil poured into a diesel fuel tank. There is a chemical process called transesterfication that the oils or fats must go through before they can be called biodiesel. Once the process is complete and the oils and fats have been processed into biodiesel, it can be easily mixed with regular petroleum diesel fuel in concentrations as high as B99 (99% biodiesel and 1% petroleum diesel) down to a B2 blend. Biodiesel in any fuel mix shows reduction in most pollutants and green house gas emissions over straight petroleum diesel, and biodiesel also adds lubricity to the engine. This additional lubricity is even more important with the new low and ultra-low sulfur diesel fuels.

Hybrid vehicles use either a small spark ignition engine (gasoline-powered) or a small compression ignition engine (diesel) along with a battery operated electric drive system to operate the vehicle. Some drawbacks are that you have to use a battery system for the electricity, and the bulk of your mileage savings tends to come from in-town driving rather than highway driving. So if you do most of your driving in town with lots of stop-and-go at low speeds, you can use considerably less fuel in your daily life. If you have the bulk of your driving on the highway at highway speeds, you are better off with a vehicle that just gets good mileage. Of course, if you are in a major metropolitan area where you are going to experience stop-and-go driving even on the highways during your commute, and public transportation is not available to you, then a hybrid could still make a huge difference in your fuel consumption.

Electric vehicles are powered from our electrical grid through resources found right here in the USA. Coal, natural gas, methane, wind, solar; whatever powers your home then powers your vehicle. Drawbacks are range, the time it takes to charge up your batteries, and unless you are one of those few lucky ones who has access to clean renewable electricity generation you are still pumping greenhouse gasses and pollution into the air. It just comes from the stacks at the power plant rather than your tail pipe.

We have all heard about the hope of hydrogen. Hydrogen vehicles hold a great potential promise for our transportation needs for the future. Still, we must overcome many obstacles to see the fulfillment of a hydrogen economy. We know we can use hydrogen to power a vehicle. That has been the easy part. Our next challenges are to make those vehicles cost effective, make the fuel accessible, and create that fuel in a renewable green manner. It does not make much sense to use a coal-fired power plant to create hydrogen. We are still just transferring the pollution from the tail pipe to the smoke stack. That is not what I would call a great leap forward.

With the exception of the Northeastern United States, the rest of the country is supplied with its heating and cooling from electricity, natural gas, and propane. Propane is a product derived from natural gas as well as petroleum processing. Propane by its nature does come, partially from foreign sources. Otherwise all the electricity used in the US is derived from resources in the US. Our coal comes from the US and the wind and sun we use in our renewable efforts fall within the border of the US. Biomass and natural gas production are also derived from natural resources within the borders of the US.

The point here is to not confuse the argument. Over and over, we hear people try to tie foreign oil to our electricity usage, when, in truth, they are comparing apples to oranges. We have different types of energy for different applications. Regardless of what type of energy we are using for transportation or electricity in our homes and work places we desperately need to look to energy conservation as the primary way we can reduce the amount of fuel we use and pollution we create. Every source of energy has some ecological cost to it. It is our responsibility to make sure that those resources are used in a way that most efficiently and cleanly drives our economy and our lives.

Purpose

The purpose of this experiment is to determine how much heat there is in a septic tank, as well as in a storm sewer in the city. Using a heat exchanger, this heat will be recovered to see if it can be utilized to heat an external area.

Hypothesis

I hypothesize that septic tanks and sewers contain a lot of heat that can be recovered to provide heating for buildings, houses, pavements and road surfaces. I believe this can be done using a heat exchanger.

Procedures

1. In the first part of the experiment, temperature readings were taken of the water in the toilet bowl, coming from a tap, normal shower temperature, bath temperature, dishwasher water temperature, and washing machine temperature. Temperature readings were taken of the well water entering the house.
2. The temperature inside the septic tank was measured after removing the riser and placing the temperature probe one foot below the top of the riser. After 5 minutes, the temperature was allowed to stabilize and this reading was recorded. Temperature recordings were taken every one-foot distance.
3. The temperature at the bottom of the tank was determined by attaching a small weight to the end of the probe and dropping it into the septic tank. The probe had a cord length of 10'. The depth of the tank was known to be 9'. The temperature reading was taken after 10 minutes to allow the temperature reading to stabilize. Three trials were performed.
4. A room air conditioner was dismantled and the heat exchanger was removed. The heat exchanger was placed inside the septic tank, just above the scum layer. The two ends of the heat exchanger were connected with clear plastic hoses and hose clamps to a fountain pump and a bucket. Inside the bucket, four liters of antifreeze were poured. The temperature of the antifreeze was measured prior to starting the pump.
5. The unit was allowed to operate for two and a half hours and the temperature readings inside the bucket were recorded over 5 minute intervals for the first hour, and then every half hour for the next hour and a half
6. The temperature inside the sanitary storm sewers of two areas were measured using the temperature probe. The temperature probe was lowered down to its maximum length of 10 feet and the temperature readings were taken. The temperature readings were taken in Richmond Hill in the middle of a townhouse complex and in the town of Kleinburg.

Observations/Results

While observations were being taken, the outside temperature was -5˚C. With the windchill, it was -10˚C.

Temperature of Septic Tank at Different Levels

Temperature of the Antifreeze in the Bucket

After taking temperature measures of different household water sources, it was apparent that the water in the bowl of a toilet was about 12˚C. Washing machines discharge wastewater at an average temperature of 27˚C, assuming half the laundry is done with hot water and half is done with cold water. Shower water is generally about 32˚C and bath water is 30˚C. Normal cold water from the faucet is 13˚C and water used inside a dishwasher is 34˚C. The hottest water from a faucet is 38˚C. The temperature of well water entering a house is 12˚C.

In part two of the experiment (chart 1), it can be observed that septic tanks do indeed have heat. When the temperature outside was -5˚C, with a wind shield of -10˚C, the temperature in the septic tank was 20.3˚C at a depth of 1 foot inside the tank. The temperature displayed a gradual increase from a one-foot depth to a six foot depth. The temperature peaked at the six foot depth at a 21.63˚C average. After the six foot depth, the temperature started declining down to 16.53˚C at the bottom of the tank. The temperature is probably highest at the six-foot level because the hot air rises from the biodecay on the bottom of the tank, and the water on top insulates the warmer water from the outside air. This is also the point that is below the frost line. The temperature at the bottom of the tank is the temperature that is present in water surfacing in geothermal systems. The six-foot level in the septic tank also corresponds to the liquid level of the tank between the scum and sludge levels.

It was observed that using a heat exchanger from an old air conditioner, some antifreeze, and a small fountain pump, it is possible to recover heat from inside a septic tank. It took about 2.5 hours to raise the temperature of the antifreeze to 0˚C from -5˚C. It took a long time to raise the temperature because the heat exchanger was not completely immersed under water, but placed at the top of the waste water level. The wastewater level was 1 foot below the tank roof. The heat may have also been lost since clear uninsulated tubing was used to connect the heat exchanger to the fountain pump that was inside a bucket with antifreeze in it. The bucket was three feet away from the heat exchanger.

A thermometer probe was then placed down a sanitary storm sewer cover in Richmond Hill in the middle of a townhouse complex. The temperature was determined to be 13.1˚ C. The temperature reading taken from a sanitary storm sewer in Kleinburg was 12.9C.

Conclusion

My hypothesis proved to be correct. There is much heat in wastewater that can be use to heat an external area. Heat recovery from wastewater has many potential uses. The sewers in the city can be used as a potential energy source to heat bus shelters, homes, apartment or government buildings, to heat sidewalks to prevent icing in winter, and to heat road surfaces so they do not get affected by extremes in temperature, thereby reducing the costs for road maintenance.

So what does this mean to the consumer?

The compact fluorescent light bulb (CLF), will replace the traditional incandescent bulb.

Many households have already made the switch - tempted by the indisputable benefits, both to the pocket and the environment.

The reduction in energy consumption attributed to CLF bulbs could cut carbon dioxide emissions by around five million tonnes per year.

The consumer can expect to reduce their electricity bills by approximately nine pounds per year per bulb.

On the surface this looks like a win - win situation, however, a cautious attitude must be reserved until the UK consumer wises up to the potential drawbacks of the CLF revolution - drawbacks which can be overcome when fore-warned of the facts.

Fact

CLF bulbs contain mercury - a neurotoxin, highly dangerous to humans, wildlife and the environment. A single bulb contains a very small amount of mercury - approximately one fifth of that contained in a watch battery - or one hundredth of that contained in a household thermometer, however, the scale of the CLF revolution means that around twenty million households could contain around twenty bulbs equating to an enormous four hundred million bulbs (with an approximate lifespan of three to five years).

Consider that the mercury content of one bulb can pollute over five thousand litres of drinking water beyond safe drinking levels, it is essential that consumers are aware that CLF bulbs cannot be thrown in with household rubbish, destined for land fill sites where chemical leaching into the soil can occur.

Used or broken CLF bulbs must be disposed of correctly, clearly labelled as hazardous waste in sealed containers, or sent to specialist recycling plants.

Fact

CLF bulbs emit short wave ultra violet radiation. We are all aware of skin damage caused by prolonged exposure to the sun's dangerous UV rays, however, it is not widely known that fluorescent light emit's the same UV - but on a much smaller scale, some studies conclude that emissions have negligible effects upon skin as they are so low, however Cousins report 200 concluded that skin cancers were more prevalent in indoor workers that those who worked outside. It is clear that this is an issue that requires far more research.

Fact 

CLF bulbs emit greater numbers of positive ions than the traditional incandescent bulb.

You can't see or smell them, but excessive positive ions in the atmosphere can make us ill.

Studies have shown that atmospheres of excessive positive ions increase the production of stress hormones, resulting in a variety of symptoms including anxiety, dizziness, upset stomachs, depression.

Negative ions, increase the levels of oxygen in the bloodstream thus providing a feeling of well being, decreasing drowsiness and increased physical and mental alertness.

The human body takes in negative charges and emits positive charges.

Positive ions are emitted from all electrical and electronic equipment, the modern home and workplace are becoming increasingly positively charged environments.

The use of ionisers in the home, office and car can combat the unquantifiable, detrimental effects on health.

It must be concluded that the benefits of the energy saving bulbs could far outweigh the drawbacks as long as we are all “switched on” to the facts.

Conventional methods of energy creation are coal power stations, oil, gasoline and diesel; just to name a few. These forms of energy creates vast amounts of pollution and are damaging to the environment as well as the health and well being of living creatures. Green house gases are being pumped into the air in great amounts and people all over the world are looking for alternative energy creation methods. One innovative example of this is the Air Car.

Pollution and green house gases are causing climate change affecting everyone. Climate change is a huge problem that needs to be addressed and one way of addressing this issue is to cut down on the emissions of green house gases. People will need to become more aware of energy conservation. Google Earth has released maps that show how climate change and global warming can affect the earth in the next 100 years.

Bio-fuels are currently a very controversial topic. Certain groups of people have the opinion that bio-fuels will generate more harm to the environment than good. One form of bio-fuel is ethanol generated by food crops. These food crops will take up large areas of land. Some people are of the opinion that this could cause a food shortage in the future due to agricultural land being used as bio-fuel farms.

An interesting project to watch would be the zero carbon house project. This is a house built in Britain for research purposes. You will be able to regularly access the energy usage data of the house online.

People need to be more pro-active in doing their bit for the environment. Here are just a few things you can do to make a difference:

• Switch off all unnecessary lights
• Walk or ride a bike rather than your car
• Switch off your PC when your not using it
• Switch off your TV when your not watching
• Encourage other people to do the same