Companies Going Green with Energy Alternatives
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12040418/ns/business-cnbc_tv/t/companies-going-green-energy-alternatives/#.T6GJJOuXTpwAuthor: Wendy Furrer
Publication: CNBC and MSNBC
Publication Date: 3/29/
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| Above is an image of a wind turbine at General Electric. The demand for wind turbines is so vigorous that GE sold out its 2006 production. |
Summary
Corporate managers are looking for alternative ways to save money and reduce the amount of fossil fuels being used. According to a recent report by the National Association of Manufacturers, “industrial use accounts for about a third of energy consumed in the U.S., according to Energy Dept. estimates” ("Companies Going Green with Energy Alternatives"). Just by cutting back by 20% of these consumptions, American businesses can save up to $1.9 billion a year, and much of those savings can be achieved without investment. As energy prices increase, more people are motivated to save energy. A company called Cargill, a global food processor, is using meat scraps to make methane and replace high-cost natural gas. In addition to cutting down their own energy use, high energy prices are creating new markets for companies to sell equipment that offers alternatives to fossil fuel. A great example of an alternative energy is a gas-electric hybrid car; this encourages companies such as UPS to cut down their cost of fuel of $2 billion in order to deliver 15 million packages a day.
Reflection/Opinion
I found it interesting how much can be saved by cutting back 20%. Since the price for energy is going to constantly be increasing, it is important for companies to find ways to save as much energy as possible. I know a few people who drive hybrid cars, and I think they are so smart because they a good for the environment and they benefit people as well. Soon, I hope that majority of people will be driving hybrid vehicles because of their convenience. I also liked how Cargill used their scraps and put them to use. This situation is kind of like composition: people can take leftover soil, plants, or newspaper and use that as soil to plant trees or flowers; Cargill uses their left over meats to make an alternative gas.
Here are some questions to think about:
1) What other companies are out there today that work to go green?
2) What are the benefits of using an alternative energy? Provide an example which benefits people and the environment.
3) Why is the price of energy increasing?
4) Do you think companies are willing to stop what they are doing and make a change by using alternative energy?
5) In your own words, what is alternative energy? Provide an example on how you can make a change in your life by using them (example: solar panels on roof, hybrid cars, energy saving light bulbs, etc.).
In today's world we have two very big enviormental problems. One of them is having too much waste laying about. Another is not having enough resources and energy. This is why it is such a fantastic idea to use a solution for one problem, to solve our other problem! Using meat scraps for fuel is a perfect example of this. I read about using gasses from garbage piles to make energy and I think that is another way of putting our waste to use. THese are the kind of things that will really help us in the future. With the money we spend on planning/building these things, we could earn it back simply by how much we would save! For question 3, there are many factors that causes energy prices to rise. We are running low on some of our resources like raw oil. We can also only afford so much electric energy, because it costs so much to obtain it. Mainly, all our smart ideas for energy making are too expensive or too complicated to make happen.
ReplyDeleteIt's great to see more of these articles being written for readers to learn from. Alternative energy is going to be one of the largest problems for humans in the years to come. With oil running low and greenhouse gasses rising, the future lies in alternative energy. Fortunately, there have been some pretty ingenious ideas for acquiring other sources of power. Hydroelectric Power, Solar Power, Wind Power, and Tidal Power are all great sources of energy with little to no side effects. The only problem is relying entirely on them. They are not quite efficient or practical enough for us to use them as our only resource. Yet.
ReplyDeleteWhat needs to happen is engineering in the field of energy alternatives. If engineering turns to a new project such as this, who knows what can be created. In the future, there will almost surely be a demand for engineering in many places that we as humans will need. That's why I'm very glad that I enjoy engineering. In fact, I plan to study it in college and pursue an engineering career afterwards.
We've started working on this in class, and it's already very interesting! I thought I had learned all I would be getting out of this class already from biology. Boy was I wrong! I look forward to learning about what other sources of energy people have come up with, how we can improve upon them, and are they practical for the future. Just look at UPS! They cut their fuel cost by $2 billion!
To answer question 2: There are an incredible amount of benefits to using alternative energy. It helps save the environment from harmful greenhouse gases we despise. It is reliable, and sometimes can even be free. Compared to fossil fuels, Alternative energy is much healthier, much more practical, and sometimes even cheaper.
To answer question 3: The price of energy is increasing because its sources are decreasing. As we grow nearer to a shortage of oil, the gasoline prices rise. The sooner we find a way to switch over to alternative energy, the sooner we will save money, business will prosper, the economy will prosper, and nature will live unharmed.
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ReplyDeleteWow! I learned a lot from this article. I am glad that corporate managers are trying to find alternative ways to save money and reduce the amount of fossil fuels being used. It is very interesting that Cargill, a global food processor company is using meat scraps to make methane and replace high-cost natural gas. With oil running low and greenhouse gases rising, we might have to rely on alternative energy in the near future. As a result, companies are now hiring new marketers to sell equipment that offers alternatives to fossil fuels. A great example of an alternative energy is a flexible fuel vehicle or a gas-electric hybrid car, which encouraged companies such as UPS to cut down their cost of fuel. I know a few people who drive hybrid cars, which is good, because they are doing something beneficial for the environment. We started talking about alternative energy such as nuclear, solar, wind, tidal, hydro-electrical, wave, geothermal, and biomass power in class. According to this article, wind energy makes up half of the United States, which means it is the fastest growing source of renewable energy in terms of capacity and usage. Not having enough resources or energy is a huge issue, which is why alternative energy needs to be taken into consideration around the world.
ReplyDeleteTo answer your question:
I found an article that talks about why alternative energy is beneficial.
http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/our-energy-choices/renewable-energy/environmental-benefits-of.html
Alternative energy is renewable, so it cannot be depleted. It is often time free and stable. It can fortunately create new jobs and promote economic development, especially in areas far from the city where most jobs are located. Alternative energy can also eliminate massive amounts of garbage currently polluting the earth, but they can also turn this garbage into a benefit via waste to energy plants. Alternative energy is much better than the current use of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are expensive, nonrenewable, and harmful to the Earth. Alternative energy can help save the environment from harmful greenhouse gases. In addition, it can help stop some of the damage global warming is continuing to cause. Solar electric systems can provide needed power to hospitals, fire stations, police departments, gas stations, National Guard armories, etc. in the sunny days that follow destructive storms. Alternative energy has many benefits so it may be used more in the near future.
Solar is close to reaching price parity with other fossil fuel prices. We hope that soon America will be reliant on clean non fossil fuels, which will save lives and prevent unnecessary words. Great write up!
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