Adventures in Ocean Stewardship

  How Wave Energy Works! What is Wave Energy?      Just like its name, wave energy is defined as “a form of renewable energy that can be harnessed from the motion of waves”. While one may think such a practice sounds silly, it surprisingly could yield quite the results if put into practice. The U.S. Energy Administration states that around 2.64 trillion kilowatt-hours (“around 66% of U.S. electricity generation in 2020”) of energy can theoretically be produced by waves annually. That’s a big chunk of our needed energy! Possible Locations West Coasts of the United States Washington Oregon California West Coasts of Europe Coasts of Scotland Coasts of Africa Coasts of Australia Coasts of Japan Coasts of Europe How Does it Work?      Wave energy works by using the force of surface waves to spin/ power a turbine, which in turn creates usable energy! First, the sun creates the wind that blows across the ocean’s surface, transferring kinetic energy to it...

Skye Worland  Period:1 st Heat Waves                                                   HEAT WAVES Definition: A period of prolonged abnormally high temperatures relative to those normally expected.  o     Very serious and dangerous   Problem  Prolonged exposure to excessive heat can damage crops, injure or kill livestock, and increase the risk of wildfires.    Data During the 1960s, the average heat wave across 50 cities was 2.0°F above the local 85 th  percentile threshold. During the 2010s, the average heat wave has been 2.5°F above the local threshold.   Causes: High pressure in the atmosphere moves in and pushes warm air toward the ground.  The high pressure is a result of air sinking thr...

Caitlynn Santiago  03/16/2022 Climate Leadership The Effect of Climate Change on Wildfires   Climate change has been a key factor in the increase of wildfires over the years. Many of the reasons wildfires start correlate with climate change. Some of these factors are temperature, soil moisture, and other trees and shrubs. Climate change intensifies the dying of organic matter in forests and has doubled the number of large wildfires between 1984 and 2015.  Studies show that an average annual 1 ° C temperature increase would increase the median burned area per year up to 600% in some forests. The harmful smoke produced when trees and other organic materials burn can travel hundreds to thousands of miles from the actual flames. Climate change has intensified summertime droughts, reduced the mountaintop snowpack which makes fire seasons longer, and has even increased lightning strikes hat can trigger big fires in tinder-dry forests. One main cause of this is from the unchecke...

              Oil is a huge industry in America that has long history in America too. It has long been proven that oil refineries have major environmental detriments, but many do not know about the health risks it has on us, physically. After watching the documentary,  From Paris to Pittsburgh, I researched more about the health risks of living near oil refineries.              Many homes and neighborhoods are built right next to oil fields, which makes those residents way more susceptible to toxic substances found in oil fields. These oil fields use massive machines to pull the oil out from deep under the ground and this have caused earthquakes, due to the disruption of the fault lines underneath the oil rigs. They have also caused many deaths because of the impurities and carcinogens, like Benzene, that are released into the atmosphere. According to a ...

How to Turn Naples Green Sabrina Sadaty   Although Florida is known as a home for older people, many young people have also taken residence here. There are people here that can see a future for the state, but that’s going to take longer.  Today, I’m going to outline multiple ways to turn Naples into a green city. The most important thing is to start local before moving to state level. 1. Turn your house into a zero-waste zone. Before telling other people how to be green, we must start within ourselves. Change products in your house that promote waste, and replace them with Mother Nature-approved alternatives. If you garden, you can start a compost to help lessen food waste and give added nutrients to your plants. If gardening isn’t your forte, you can do research on alternatives to toothpaste that come in plastic tubes, toilet paper and paper towels that come wrapped in plastic, laundry detergent that comes in a plastic jug, and many other things. If you’re hesitant to branch ...

What is the Paris Agreement? Adopted by 196 Parties in COP26, the Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty with a goal of limiting global warming to below 2 o C. Entered into force on November 6 th , 2016, the treaty stands as a landmark for global change and hope for a cleaner future. Parties such as Finland, France, Afghanistan, Austria, Belgium, and many more have agreed to make this commitment with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) to limit greenhouse gas emissions.       How does it work?      In order to make change, countries require “economic and social transformation”, and “a 5-year cycle of increasingly ambitious climate action” (UN). Countries also create Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), where they share their plans to lower gas emissions and fight against the effects of higher temperatures. The agreement allows for the utilization of all resources and technology, and encourages fin...

  Wind Powered Energy Wind energy is one of the fastest-growing energy sources in the world, but there are a few challenges to overcome. One of the challenges is that wind plants can impact the local wildlife. Many birds and bats have been killed by flying into a spinning turbine blade. However, there is research going on to reduce the impact of wind turbines on these animals, although the Wind Energy Technologies Office has stated that, “ Like all energy sources, wind projects can alter the habitat on which they are built, which may alter the suitability of that habitat for certain species.” Another challenge is that good land for building wind turbines is usually in remote areas far away from cities where the electricity is needed. Transmission lines would need to be built to get the electricity into the cities. This problem could be fixed with a few already built transmission lines for the electricity to run through.  While Wind Energy has its challenges to overcome, the ad...

For places that want to make solar an option but don’t have space for the panels, there are many options that work for many different circumstances, such as floating solar. This allows towns to use solar energy, but not have to give up any usable or functional land because floating solar can be used on all bodies of water. The way it works is the solar panels are on floats to sit above the water, and then are anchored. They have waterproof cables running under the water, which allows towns to have room for extra solar panels and make use of non-functional bodies of water. If towns also want to find room on land, there are some other options that are available. Other than the obvious empty plot of land, there are other ways to set up solar. One way this could be done is by building a solar farm in the ditches or unused spaces next to roads and highways. Another way solar has been installed is by putting a couple of panels on a pole. This keeps the panels off the ground, while still gett...