Project SoapBox (2 minute speech)

[DavidB1126]

So, my History class is doing a project, which is called the project SoapBox. We have to research a "Hot" topic that is going on right now in the world. And we have to write a 2 minute speech about it. (We will present in groups of 4 or 5 other class mates. Should be a fun project.

These are the " Hot" topics right now

1. Americas current health care system (is it fair for all people)
2. Environment (Global Warming, pollution, energy alternatives)
3. Immigration policy with mexico
4. Gender equality in the work place.
5. Homelessness and mental health

(I am not trying to start anything here, just want to share)

I chose energy alternatives which will probably lead into pollution.

I'll be researching gas and fossil fuels vs electric and other methods like hydrogen for cars and vehicles in general.

I will also be doing my research by Engineering explained on YouTube. I watch him all the time.

Should be a fun project to end off the school year. I believe we get around 4 or so class periods to research and type up our speech. (At my school, we got 40 minute periods)

If you got any information you want to share for me for this. Post it here!

 

[WickedFog]

So, my History class is doing a project, which is called the project SoapBox. We have to research a "Hot" topic that is going on right now in the world. And we have to write a 2 minute speech about it. (We will present in groups of 4 or 5 other class mates. Should be a fun project.

These are the " Hot" topics right now

1. Americas current health care system (is it fair for all people)
2. Environment (Global Warming, pollution, energy alternatives)
3. Immigration policy with mexico
4. Gender equality in the work place.
5. Homelessness and mental health

(I am not trying to start anything here, just want to share)

I chose energy alternatives which will probably lead into pollution.

I'll be researching gas and fossil fuels vs electric and other methods like hydrogen for cars and vehicles in general.

I will also be doing my research by Engineering explained on YouTube. I watch him all the time.

Should be a fun project to end off the school year. I believe we get around 4 or so class periods to research and type up our speech. (At my school, we got 40 minute periods)

If you got any information you want to share for me for this. Post it here!

If it were me, I would touch on electric vs fossil fuel powered cars. When will we run out of lithium? There are only two big sources for it that I know of. China, and South America.

Whatever happened to man made fuels supposedly being so much cheaper, better, and cleaner? I first read about this in high school in the 80's. Why did it take a decade or more past the predicted time all cars would be using it for it to even show up at "some" gas stations?

Big wind farms - I know it's probably crazy, but having seen HUGE wind farms, I have to wonder how those might affect the weather flow around the areas they are in. Does anybody know? Might be interesting following this rabbit hole, if there is one.

I am totally for alternative energy research, but I think big government has hindered a lot of projects just to keep the money flowing through the hands of big energy business. There have been scientific discoveries not utilized simply because it would cause big companies to lose billions. Money these big companies use to lobby politicians to vote in their favor.

Does anyone remember the guy (Stanley Meyers) that invented the supposed water powered car and was supposedly murdered? There's a lot of conspiracy theories around the story.
https://www.hero-labs.com/stories/who-killed-the-water-powered-car/

 

[Chubaka]

Couldn't agree more then above. Good luck on it.

 

[Jerold]

If it were me, I would touch on electric vs fossil fuel powered cars. When will we run out of lithium? There are only two big sources for it that I know of. China, and South America.

Whatever happened to man made fuels supposedly being so much cheaper, better, and cleaner? I first read about this in high school in the 80's. Why did it take a decade or more past the predicted time all cars would be using it for it to even show up at "some" gas stations?

Big wind farms - I know it's probably crazy, but having seen HUGE wind farms, I have to wonder how those might affect the weather flow around the areas they are in. Does anybody know? Might be interesting following this rabbit hole, if there is one.

I am totally for alternative energy research, but I think big government has hindered a lot of projects just to keep the money flowing through the hands of big energy business. There have been scientific discoveries not utilized simply because it would cause big companies to lose billions. Money these big companies use to lobby politicians to vote in their favor.

Does anyone remember the guy (Stanley Meyers) that invented the supposed water powered car and was supposedly murdered? There's a lot of conspiracy theories around the story.
https://www.hero-labs.com/stories/who-killed-the-water-powered-car/

Just poking some holes in the "clean energy" claims. Take it for what it's worth, I'm just some rando on the internet. Do your research and make your own educated decisions and best of luck!

I'm with you on the Lithium. It's a neat party trick at the moment and given the US's propensity to save the environment vs manage the environment, we are hosed. Meaning that we are going to be dependent on Lithium producing countries, just like oil.

Wind farms have been a source of debate about the affects on live stock and wild life. The accusation was the low frequency noise reduced milk production of the cows. There have also been an number of claims that the birds collide with the turbine blades. Although, I find that a bit hard to believe as I have yet to hit one with a car. I don't know about changing the local weather system with wind, but under water turbines can definitely change things.
https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/do-wind-turbines-harm-animals (one article I have no idea who these guys are? But there are more if you look around)

Solar is a good idea, but the desert solar farms do change the ecosystem of the desert. In a place that appears barren and desolate there is life. Lizards, bugs, plants that all rely on the hot sun to survive. When it's covered with shade it makes that patch of desert uninhabitable for the locals. But it's just lizards and bugs? Yes, but every tiny thing has a vital role in the ecosystem. Even bacteria is important.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/solar-power-boom-mojave-desert-at-risk_n_5f3d300dc5b6d8a917409782

Don't forget the ever so unpopular nuclear power. France is currently 70% nuclear powered, which is down from the 1990's. France does not have a power problem, like the US.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power_by_country

You never hear about nuclear accidents in France, why? Nearly ever nuclear power plant accident with fatalities has been the result of or could have been prevented with human intervention. Yup, that's right people are the problem, go figure. France has good systems, modern reactors and they follow procedures. According to Wikipedia (take it for what it's worth) France has 0 fatalities at a nuclear facility. This includes things like falling off a ladder.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_nuclear_power_accidents_by_country

So why not go Nuclear?
1. The press hates it because it sounds evil, like a bomb.
2. You have waste that cannot be recycled. We could recycle it, but the US government will not allow it. In 1977 Jimmy Carter signed into law prohibiting it. He is a very smart guy (IQ 156.8) and was a nuclear engineer in the Navy Engineer on submarine. He understood the difference and I'm sure this was done for political reasons.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/realsp...n't-u-s-recycle-nuclear-fuel/?sh=469f0657390f
3. It's very expensive and takes decades to build a nuclear power plant. Although Obama did back building more plants, but best case scenario it will be 20-30 years before they are online.
https://obamawhitehouse.archives.go...ation-announces-actions-ensure-nuclear-energy

Why go nuclear?
1. The operating cost per less when compared to others. Of course it gets more expensive the less popular it is.
https://www.iea.org/reports/projected-costs-of-generating-electricity-2020
2. Zero carbon and zero emissions. This means nothing goes into the air. What you see from the tower is steam, just water vapor.
https://nuclear.duke-energy.com/2017/07/24/blog_post-20170724
3. The energy density is well beyond any other fuel source we can find.
https://whatisnuclear.com/energy-de...lease per fission for the nuclide of interest.
4. Less than 40g of waste per person per year. Basically a marble size chunk of waste.

 

[WickedFog]

Just poking some holes in the "clean energy" claims. Take it for what it's worth, I'm just some rando on the internet. Do your research and make your own educated decisions and best of luck!

I'm with you on the Lithium. It's a neat party trick at the moment and given the US's propensity to save the environment vs manage the environment, we are hosed. Meaning that we are going to be dependent on Lithium producing countries, just like oil.

Wind farms have been a source of debate about the affects on live stock and wild life. The accusation was the low frequency noise reduced milk production of the cows. There have also been an number of claims that the birds collide with the turbine blades. Although, I find that a bit hard to believe as I have yet to hit one with a car. I don't know about changing the local weather system with wind, but under water turbines can definitely change things.
https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/do-wind-turbines-harm-animals (one article I have no idea who these guys are? But there are more if you look around)

Solar is a good idea, but the desert solar farms do change the ecosystem of the desert. In a place that appears barren and desolate there is life. Lizards, bugs, plants that all rely on the hot sun to survive. When it's covered with shade it makes that patch of desert uninhabitable for the locals. But it's just lizards and bugs? Yes, but every tiny thing has a vital role in the ecosystem. Even bacteria is important.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/solar-power-boom-mojave-desert-at-risk_n_5f3d300dc5b6d8a917409782

Don't forget the ever so unpopular nuclear power. France is currently 70% nuclear powered, which is down from the 1990's. France does not have a power problem, like the US.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power_by_country

You never hear about nuclear accidents in France, why? Nearly ever nuclear power plant accident with fatalities has been the result of or could have been prevented with human intervention. Yup, that's right people are the problem, go figure. France has good systems, modern reactors and they follow procedures. According to Wikipedia (take it for what it's worth) France has 0 fatalities at a nuclear facility. This includes things like falling off a ladder.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_nuclear_power_accidents_by_country

So why not go Nuclear?
1. The press hates it because it sounds evil, like a bomb.
2. You have waste that cannot be recycled. We could recycle it, but the US government will not allow it. In 1977 Jimmy Carter signed into law prohibiting it. He is a very smart guy (IQ 156.8) and was a nuclear engineer in the Navy Engineer on submarine. He understood the difference and I'm sure this was done for political reasons.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2014/10/01/why-doesn't-u-s-recycle-nuclear-fuel/?sh=469f0657390f
3. It's very expensive and takes decades to build a nuclear power plant. Although Obama did back building more plants, but best case scenario it will be 20-30 years before they are online.
https://obamawhitehouse.archives.go...ation-announces-actions-ensure-nuclear-energy

Why go nuclear?
1. The operating cost per less when compared to others. Of course it gets more expensive the less popular it is.
https://www.iea.org/reports/projected-costs-of-generating-electricity-2020
2. Zero carbon and zero emissions. This means nothing goes into the air. What you see from the tower is steam, just water vapor.
https://nuclear.duke-energy.com/2017/07/24/blog_post-20170724
3. The energy density is well beyond any other fuel source we can find.
https://whatisnuclear.com/energy-density.html#:~:text=The easy way to compute energy density of,release per fission for the nuclide of interest.
4. Less than 40g of waste per person per year. Basically a marble size chunk of waste.

My brother worked for Illinois power at their nuke plant in Clinton Illinois. I actually got to tour it. Very cool stuff. I also had a pass to go behind the plant to fish where the coolant water fed back into the lake. The water was so hot there, you could feel the warmth coming from the water in the lake. The lake has a 50 mile shore line, and no matter where you go in it, the water is very warm. So warm there are these amoebas growing in it that if they enter your blood streem, you're a goner, so the locals claimed. We fished it all the time. The fish were exceptionally big due to the warmer waters.

 

[Jerold]

My brother worked for Illinois power at their nuke plant in Clinton Illinois. I actually got to tour it. Very cool stuff. I also had a pass to go behind the plant to fish where the coolant water fed back into the lake. The water was so hot there, you could feel the warmth coming from the water in the lake. The lake has a 50 mile shore line, and no matter where you go in it, the water is very warm. So warm there are these amoebas growing in it that if they enter your blood streem, you're a goner, so the locals claimed. We fished it all the time. The fish were exceptionally big due to the warmer waters.

Did the fish look like this?

Did

 

[WickedFog]

Did the fish look like this?
View attachment 165643
Did

No, they were just normal fish. But I have never fished anywhere with more action. You could boat around the lake and see huge schools of bass.

 

[Jerold]

A video on recycling nuclear waste. I didn't realize that Regan got ride of Carter's handy work.

 

[Jamr]

We have to do something with all that deadly stuff piling up around the country.

 

[Jerold]

We have to do something with all that deadly stuff piling up around the country.

Cocktails for for Putin?... Was that my outside voice?

I agree, but there isn't that much of it because we keep decommissioning nuclear power plants. Obama signed something to fund new plant and do research but it will be 20+ to see anything from that. The recycling has promise but they are on the same timeline.

 

[Doom!]

A video on recycling nuclear waste. I didn't realize that Regan got ride of Carter's handy work.

Interesting vid, lots of stuff I hadn't heard before. Also nice to see a vid that was easy to watch, relayed it's message without being overly technical.