One thing that I found interesting that has happened at the COP26 is agreement between the United States and China to cut greenhouse gases in an agreement that commits Beijing to addressing its methane emissions. I found it interesting because the United States and China are the two countries with some of the highest levels of greenhouse gas emissions. China and the United States also have two of the highest economies, so I think that it is a great idea for these two powerhouse countries to tag team an issue as big as climate change.
Author: carkhufe (page 1 of 1)
I personally do not know a lot of information about nuclear energy off the top of my head. I do know that nuclear energy is a renewable source of energy. I also know that nuclear energy has the potential to be very dangerous. However, after doing more research on nuclear energy I found out that nuclear energy is formed by splitting uranium or plutonium atoms through chain reactions in a nuclear reactor by a process called ‘nuclear fission’. From this process, the energy released from splitting the atoms is used to heat water into steam. This steam then turns a turbine, which creates usable electricity. I also found it very interesting that nuclear energy is relatively cheap after the initial fairly high cost of building the nuclear power plant. Nuclear energy does not really have high operating costs. Also, nuclear energy does not produce any carbon emissions. I found an interesting statistic that nuclear electricity production prevents 528 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere annually. Overall, nuclear energy seems like a good renewable energy source, but I do know that nuclear energy is one of the most controversial energy sources we have, so it is important to think about the potential risks associated with nuclear power.
I chose to investigate The Wall Street Journal because the WSJ is more of a business-based newspaper which I am interested in. According to the media bias chart, the Wall Street Journal has a bias score of 4.89. This means that the Wall Street Journal is more right leaning than left leaning. I was not surprised by this number because the reports from the Wall Street Journal always seem to be more in favor for republicans than democrats. The Wall Street Journal has a score of 46.06 for reliability. This score means that the Wall Street Journal is mainly a mix of fact reporting as well as an analysis of the facts. This score seems very appropriate because the Wall Street Journal does not simply report the facts, it also provides a commentary on the facts. Even though the Wall Street Journal is more right leaning, I still do think it is a pretty good source, you just have to keep in that bias may play a role in what you are reading.
I chose the neutral position in class on 9/24. A big thing with gasoline is how convenient it is for Americans. Although I do think we need to cut down on the amount of gasoline we are using, I do not think we will ever get to a point where gasoline is out of the picture for good. Not everyone has the option to walk to work, purchase an electric car, or simply stop using a car in general. In order for a real change to happen, everyone as a whole needs to do something in order to cut down on the amount of gasoline they are using. However, I do not think collectively, people will want to give up the luxury of driving and using gasoline. I do recognize that greenhouse gas emissions will only rise more and more, but I do not think that if only a few people gave up driving or using gasoline that it would make a big difference in the emissions of greenhouse gases. A real change needs to start collectively with everyone doing their part in the amount of gasoline they are using which is why I took the neutral position in class.
To the editor,
I am commenting on a column that appears on your website on June 17 by Gene Lyons: “America gains nothing from denying global warming.”
Gene Lyons rejects the coal sector as “dirty” and describes the unemployment of coal miners as inevitable in his condemnation of President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, concluding, “it’s going to happen anyway.”
Lyons’ portrayal of the coal business as evil is untrue; the most recent labor figures show that mining in America is once again booming. Statistics from the Department of Labor released in May recorded an increase in mining jobs by a whopping 44,000 since last October which is significant because it contradicts the “inevitable condemnation” of coal miners.
Many homes and companies in Oklahoma have access to affordable and plentiful electricity because to clean coal. Coal accounts for over one third of the state’s electric generation because it is an affordable way to supply millions of homes and businesses with electricity.
In conclusion, the coal industry is thriving in Oklahoma, so the thought of closing the industry is not practical in the long run. The state clearly depends on coal as a huge source of energy, and needs the coal industry in order to satisfy the many homes and businesses in the state of Oklahoma.
Today I had a class in Allison Hall at 9:00. It was my Environmental Connections class, and it was very interesting. I also went to the cafeteria to get breakfast with my roommate.