I should add that no one claiming to actually believe that there is no god has commented on the subject. I suspect that the self-styled Atheists are people desperately struggling with their beliefs. If they simply don't believe in a god, they wouldn't make a big deal of it. And I guess it sounds good at parties to say "I am an Atheist." Very stylish these days.
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Quasi-Atheists
I recently made a post on a religious forum about atheism being a belief based on blind faith. A number of agnostics under the mistaken belief that they are Atheists became somewhat irrational in their argument that just not believing that there is a god makes them an Atheist. Despite the fact that these people are pretty much rabid in their condescending approach to defending their belief that they refuse to acknowledge, they choose to ignore any of the arguments for the existence of God, except to look down their noses at them and imply that I am intellectually deficient for making arguments that I have not made and have no intention of making.
I should add that no one claiming to actually believe that there is no god has commented on the subject. I suspect that the self-styled Atheists are people desperately struggling with their beliefs. If they simply don't believe in a god, they wouldn't make a big deal of it. And I guess it sounds good at parties to say "I am an Atheist." Very stylish these days.
I should add that no one claiming to actually believe that there is no god has commented on the subject. I suspect that the self-styled Atheists are people desperately struggling with their beliefs. If they simply don't believe in a god, they wouldn't make a big deal of it. And I guess it sounds good at parties to say "I am an Atheist." Very stylish these days.
Saturday, February 8, 2014
What is Meant by Solar Energy ?
In popular usage the term solar energy is usually used to refer to usable forms of energy, especially electrical energy, derived from sunlight. Sunlight can be used to provide usable energy in three ways. The first and most obvious way is through the heating effect of light. Frequently heating is an undesirable effect of sunlight. Fortunately the heating effect can be used to provide the power to cool or do other useful things. The heating effect of sunlight is also responsible for wind, which can be used as a power source,
The second way that sunlight can be used to provide power is through photosynthesis or other photochemical reactions. Photosynthesis first appeared on Earth about 3.4 billion years ago. Photosynthesis is the process by which the energy from light is used by plants and some other micro-organisms to produce carbohydrates such as sugar. Sugars are used by most life-forms on Earth to supply the energy for growth and most life-functions.
The third way that sunlight energy can be captured is through the photovoltaic effect. The photovoltaic effect converts light energy directly into electricity. The first known photovoltaic cell was developed by A.E. Becquerel in 1839. Photovoltaic cells were basically a laboratory curiosity until about 1960 because the technology to produce them at any reasonable price did not exist until the space race of the late 1950s forced the development of an industry which had a need for such technology. It is worth noting that this program was a project funded by the people through their state, not by private industry. Of course, a large and powerful industrial complex profited by this program, but it was paid for by the people.
Today we are in a situation similar to the space race. Now we are in an energy race. Barring some scientific breakthrough in an unexpected area, development of large scale renewable solar energy collection technology is the most likely solution to the energy technology needed for the future survival of mankind. I use the term renewable solar energy because most fossil fuel is, in fact, stored solar energy which is not easily renewable.
For billions of years after photosynthesis appeared on Earth life was dominated by simple organisms that could survive in the harsh conditions that existed on the primeval Earth. Vast amounts of carbon was removed from the atmosphere and stored in the form of bio-mass, coal, oil, and natural gas. At the same time, much Oxygen was freed into the atmosphere, making modern life possible.
When fossil fuels are used to produce power they remove oxygen from the atmosphere and release carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide into the atmosphere. We need oxygen to survive. Carbon dioxide at increased levels becomes toxic to humans. Carbon monoxide is toxic at virtually any level.
Carbon dioxide is also what is called a greenhouse gas. When sunlight heats the Earth the Earth tries to radiate heat back into space by way of infra-red light. Greenhouse gasses trap that infra-red light, which keeps the heat energy on Earth .When photosynthesis began to remove significant amounts of carbon from the atmosphere the average temperature on Earth began to fall because there was less carbon dioxide to trap the heat. When coal and shale-oil are mined large amounts of methane are released into the atmosphere because methane is trapped in the geologic formations holding coal and shale oil. Methane is a far worse greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide . Utilizing solar energy can help combat global warming, as it has in the past.
In popular usage the term solar energy is usually used to refer to usable forms of energy, especially electrical energy, derived from sunlight. Sunlight can be used to provide usable energy in three ways. The first and most obvious way is through the heating effect of light. Frequently heating is an undesirable effect of sunlight. Fortunately the heating effect can be used to provide the power to cool or do other useful things. The heating effect of sunlight is also responsible for wind, which can be used as a power source,
The second way that sunlight can be used to provide power is through photosynthesis or other photochemical reactions. Photosynthesis first appeared on Earth about 3.4 billion years ago. Photosynthesis is the process by which the energy from light is used by plants and some other micro-organisms to produce carbohydrates such as sugar. Sugars are used by most life-forms on Earth to supply the energy for growth and most life-functions.
The third way that sunlight energy can be captured is through the photovoltaic effect. The photovoltaic effect converts light energy directly into electricity. The first known photovoltaic cell was developed by A.E. Becquerel in 1839. Photovoltaic cells were basically a laboratory curiosity until about 1960 because the technology to produce them at any reasonable price did not exist until the space race of the late 1950s forced the development of an industry which had a need for such technology. It is worth noting that this program was a project funded by the people through their state, not by private industry. Of course, a large and powerful industrial complex profited by this program, but it was paid for by the people.
Today we are in a situation similar to the space race. Now we are in an energy race. Barring some scientific breakthrough in an unexpected area, development of large scale renewable solar energy collection technology is the most likely solution to the energy technology needed for the future survival of mankind. I use the term renewable solar energy because most fossil fuel is, in fact, stored solar energy which is not easily renewable.
For billions of years after photosynthesis appeared on Earth life was dominated by simple organisms that could survive in the harsh conditions that existed on the primeval Earth. Vast amounts of carbon was removed from the atmosphere and stored in the form of bio-mass, coal, oil, and natural gas. At the same time, much Oxygen was freed into the atmosphere, making modern life possible.
When fossil fuels are used to produce power they remove oxygen from the atmosphere and release carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide into the atmosphere. We need oxygen to survive. Carbon dioxide at increased levels becomes toxic to humans. Carbon monoxide is toxic at virtually any level.
Carbon dioxide is also what is called a greenhouse gas. When sunlight heats the Earth the Earth tries to radiate heat back into space by way of infra-red light. Greenhouse gasses trap that infra-red light, which keeps the heat energy on Earth .When photosynthesis began to remove significant amounts of carbon from the atmosphere the average temperature on Earth began to fall because there was less carbon dioxide to trap the heat. When coal and shale-oil are mined large amounts of methane are released into the atmosphere because methane is trapped in the geologic formations holding coal and shale oil. Methane is a far worse greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide . Utilizing solar energy can help combat global warming, as it has in the past.
Saturday, February 1, 2014
Are OIl-Spill Clean-up Jobs What We Want?
The report on the Keystone Pipeline project is out and, apparently, the lies from the proponents of the pipeline. The Sierra club has released a report that says the report shows that the increased pollution from the mining would be equivalent to adding over 5 million cars (non electric) to our highways. In addition, remember that the company supposed to build the pipeline comes with a 100% major leak guarantee. Do we really want to create oil-spill cleanup jobs?
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