An opinio essay

Trevor Gustafson
Physics 114
An Opinion Essay on Biodiesels


It seams like we hear a whole lot of opinions about global warming everywhere we go. It’s on the covers of magazines, brought up in the classroom, and plastered on the bumpers of half the cars on campus. But where do we seam to hear the debate over global climate change the most? It’s in the political realm. It’s fought over in congress, brought up in most presidential debates, and the main focus of an entire political party (the green party). But how many real solutions do we hear coming from Washington D.C.? Pretty close to zero. In D.C., global warming is used as a political tool to stir the hearts of voters and to get elected. The theme coming from our capital seams to be we need everyone to clean up our environment just so long as that everyone doesn’t include me. There are many people who think that so long as everyone believes that global warming is true, all our problems will be solved. That is just not true. While I believe that natural weather patterns are the main cause of global climate change, I believe that if humans are responsible for part of the problem, the only way to fix the problem is to look at real solution such as alternative energy sources like ethanol, biodiesel, and hybrid vehicles. While some options may not be helpful, and downright harmful, critically examining the options is the only way to find an answer. One such alternative energy source is Biofuels. But on closer examination, are these fuels actually beneficial to our society, or are they causing more harm then they are good?
Without doubt, food prices have been going up. Of course not all of this may have to do with food being diverted to making ethanol and biodiesels. Factors such as a growing population and rising transportation costs may also be responsible for the rise in the cost of food. However, it is safe to say, that to at least some extent food prices have been affected by the rise in the demand for biodiesels. Even though food is necessary to all humans, in the United States food is considered a secondary item. When food prices rise we simply cut back on our consumption of luxury goods. But it developing countries, food is considered much more central in a family’s inventory of things to buy. According to the United Nations Human Development Program’s Human Development Report (2007/2008), about 1 Million people in the world live on $1 or less per year (page 240).When the price of corn rises, these people can’t simply cut back on consuming other items; their only option is to consume less food.
Would we ever be able to grow enough food such as corn, sugar cane and soybeans to supply all the biodiesel fuel needs in our country? To produce enough corn to power even half of our energy needs would take at least 157% of the existing land already designated to farming in this country. But look at how far we’ve come since pre-industrial-revolution times. Before the Industrial revolution, most people worked on the farm. Today, machinery has taken over the farming industry requiring fewer and fewer people to man a farm. Advances in technology have allowed not only fewer people to work on a farm, but also have allowed us to farm land that was formerly un-useful for farming purposes. To say that we would never be able to grow enough food to supply all of our food needs as well as power our energy wants is, not only a lie but also a slap in the face of the ingenuity of man. But the process of gaining the technology required to grow more crops could take many years. In the meantime many people might starve. Is the benefit to our environment worth the lives of thousands, possibly millions of people?
Estimates originally published in the Conservation Biology and later republished in the Seattle P.I. have shown that the process of growing and processing corn into biodiesel actually omits about as much greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere as diesel, which is not significantly lower than the emissions put out by Gasoline (pp.). Not only does the process of turning corn into biodiesel, at least for the time being, reduce the amount of food available for human consumption, it also has its own environmental damaging effects. Our current sources of biodiesel such as soybeans, sugar cane, and corn should all be scrapped. They’re not worth the price on our society that they’re causing. However there are other possibilities for biodiesel substances such as algae, wood residue and switch grass, that would not only not omit Greenhouse gasses during there processing stages, but also soak up some of those harmfull gasses. However the technology required to turn these substances into biodiesel and ethanol has not yet been discovered and we have no idea whether or not we will ever be able to find a way to convert these plants into useable fuel sources. If people want to incest in alternative fuels, they should stop using corn and other food sources and start looking into these alternative plants.
So while Washington D.C. is embroiled in its seemingly never ending and certainly nothing accomplishing debate over the environment, it’s up to us to support projects that will actually allow us to care for our environment. It’s time that politicians and the public stopped jumping on the latest hippy, political, save-the-environment alternative fuel, and started caring about the big picture. People should realize that just because our current sources of energy are hurting both our environment and our pocket books, doesn’t mean that we should all switch to using an energy source that is actually worse than the one we started with. It is not through rash decisions that we can solve our energy crisis, but rather through the ingenuity that God has given man. Only through real solutions can problems be solved.




















Bibliography
United nations development program. (2007/2008). Human development report. Retrieved 9/28/08. http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/hdr_20072008_en_complete.pdf

Groom, Martha. Gray, Elizabeth. Townsend, Patricia. (2008). Conservation Biology. How Green Are Biofuels?, pp.

Concepts review lesson 3

Trevor Gustafson
BIS 101 “P”
Lesson 3 Concepts Review
True or False
1. A folder window lets you view the files and folders on the computer.
True.

2. Windows organizes drives and folders in a hierarchy.
True.

3. You can use the Ctrl key to randomly select a group of files
True

4. Folders can have subfolders within them.
True.

5. You can use the cut and paste commands to move files.
True.

6. Files deleted from a floppy disk or USB flash drive are sent to the Recycle Bin.
False.

7. A quick way to open a file is to double-click on it in a folder window.
True.

8. You cannot rename folders.
False.

9. You must make a selection before you can give the cut or copy commands.
True
10. Files and folders stored in the Recycle Bin remain there unless you empty the Recycle Bin.
False.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of the following methods would you use to vie files and folders on the computer?
c. Both “A” and “B”

2. Which of the following views displays columns with the filename, size, type, and modified date in Windows XP?
d. Details

3. Which of the following views displays columns with the filename, size, type, and modified date in Windows Vista?
d. details.

4. If one filename is already selected in a Folder window, which key can be used to select several more files by clicking just once?
a. Ctrl key.

Lesson two

Trevor Gustafson
BIS 101 Section “P”
Lesson 2 Concepts Review




True or False

1. Window is responsible for file, memory, and program management.
True.

2. Windows is a multitasking operating system
True.

3. You can change the location of a maximized window.
False.

4. Before you can work on the computer, you usually must log on.
True.

5. You should always shut down Windows prior to switching off the computer system.
True

6. The Windows taskbar lets you switch between program windows.
True

7. You can change the size of a maximized program window by dragging on the window borders.
False.

8. Passwords are not case-sensitive, so Charlie23 and charlie23 mean the same thing when you are logging on.
False.

9. The best way to shut down windows is to hold down the power button for three seconds.
False

10. You can change the location of a restored window by dragging on its title bar.
True.




Multiple Choice questions

1. Which of the following buttons restores a window?
d.

2. Which of the following buttons minimizes a window?
b.

3. Which of the following techniques is used to move a program window.
b.

4. Which of the following represents a case sensitive password.
d.

Praise God

For the last 6 month my Grandpa has had to live in an assisted living home while my Grandma’s had to stay at home. During the last 6 month they’ve only been able to see each other a few times (complicated storry). During the last six month there’s been some progresses and some down hills. Some ups and some heartaches. But today I learned that he’s back at home with Grandma. Praise God. Now we have no idea how long this will last. He could go back down hill at any moment. But praise God he’s back.

BIS

Trevor Gustafson
BIS 101 Section “P”
Lesson 1 Computer Recommendation






After researching the requirements to run four of my favorite software programs and after having researched many computers both online and at a local store, I have decided upon making my recommendation for an eMachines T5274 ($399.99). The computer has a high rating on Bestbuy.com of 4.2 stars. Along with the computer I am recommending buying a Hannspree - 19" Widescreen Flat-Panel LCD Monitor ($149.99) and a HP - Deskjet Printer ($69.99). The total for all these purchases comes to $619.97 not including tax. All these items may be purchased at the local Best Buy. The previously mentioned four pieces of software were not included in this price due to the fact that I already own them and have no need of buying an extra copy. My family also already has ClearWire internet service and so the cost of Internet was also left out of that total. As a college student I felt that a printer is a necessary purchase, but I don’t feel the need, at least at this time for a scanner. The four pieces of software are: Logos Bible Software, Microsoft Office 2007, Need for Speed: Most Wanted Black Edition and Microsoft Expression Web 2. Below is a table with the specifications required by all four of the software on the left and the eMachines T5274 on the right.


Required
eMachines T5274 & Hannspree 19” Widescreen Flat-Panel LCD
Processor
Pentium or Centrino
Intel Pentium Dual core
Ram
512
2 GB
Operating system
Windows XP or later
Windows Vista Home Premium
Hard drive
5 GB
320GB T5274yyyyy
Video monitor
1024x768
1440 x 900

Bis 101 system requirements

System requirements to run Logos bible softwear, Microsoft office 2007, Need for speed: most wanted black edition, Microsoft Expression Web 2

· Intel Pentium 4, Pentium M, or Intel Centrino 1.3GHz (or compatible) processor
· 512MB Ram
· Windows XP or later
· 5 GB of available hard-disk space
· CD-ROM
· Color monitor with 16-bit color video card
· 1,024x768 monitor resolution at 96dpi or less
· Internet Explorer 6.0 or later, 32 bit browser only
· 1024x768 or higher resolution monitor
· Microsoft DirectX 9 compatible display driver
· Broadband connection, 128 Kbps or greater, for download and activation of products

Photography

(7) There are always two people in everypicture: the photographer and theviewer. (Ansel Adams)

- Photography is communication. But are we confussing our "listeners" by throughing in unessesary content, using bad grammar (rule of thirds/Odd numbers) Not jucing up our sentances by using exiting foreground and backgrounds?




The magic of photography ismetaphysical. What you see in thephotograph isn't what you saw at thetime (Unknown)

Landscape photography is the supreme test of the photographer - and often the supreme disappointment.