Renewable Energy Pitch

The Losurdo Foundation for Renewable Energy is an organization that aims to encourage a more sustainable lifestyle. This goal could be achieved by teaching people around the world the benefits of using more renewable energy and inspire them to be less reliant on fossil fuels.

We are passionate about the work we do because each person gained in support of this movement is a step towards a better world. Currently in the U.S., the majority of our energy is created from fossil fuels, such as petroleum, natural gas, and coal. When these three are burned, they emit greenhouse gases, which negatively impact the environment. If we can reduce our reliance on these fossil fuels for energy creation, and focus more on renewable sources such as wind, hydro, and solar power, it could definitely help to reduce our carbon footprint.

I know it’s not practical for our electrical grid to completely cut out fossil fuel use at the moment, but if we as citizens could take the initiative to reduce it ourselves, it would help. One of the more effective ways would be through having solar panels installed on the roof of your home. While it is expensive to invest in, it would definitely pay off in the long term. If this is completely out of the question, even recycling is still a valuable contribution toward a more sustainable lifestyle.

Anima Mundi Development Partners should invest in our organization because it aligns with their core values of benefitting the community and reducing environmental harm. We aim to someday gather enough supporters to pressure government officials to put more research and development on renewable energy sources. With ADMP’s investment, The Losurdo Foundation for Renewable Energy would be able to spread the message necessary to help our planet and protect our future.

A World We Dare To Imagine Part I

After reading this quote, one way I would like to help make the world a better place would be to help find more renewable sources for our energy. Currently in the United States, the majority of our energy is created from fossil fuels, such as petroleum, natural gas, and coal. When these three are burned, they emit greenhouse gases, which are harmful to the environment. Now we are in the process of increasing our renewable energy resources (such as wind, solar, and hydro power) which is good, but there are still a lot of areas where this isn't the case. For example, the majority of China's power is created through coal burning, making it the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases. There are areas in China where residents have to wear masks to protect themselves from the air pollution, which is crazy to think about. I think if we could reduce our reliance on fossil fuels for energy creation, the world would definitely be an improved place.

Article Post

I read the article about GMO foods, and I found it pretty interesting. The article discusses the impact of genetically engineered crops on our health as well as the environment. According to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, they are completely harmless. They came to this conclusion by reviewing more than 900 studies studies and data over the last 20 years, when genetically modified crops first became a thing. They stated that GE crops save farmers in the U.S. money, but they didn't appear to increase crop yields.

I find this article and topic pretty interesting, mainly because of my mom. She has always tried to avoid GMO foods for herself, doing a lot of her shopping at places like Whole Foods and making a habit of purchasing products that have that "GMO-free" badge on them. Because of her, I've always been under the impression that they weren't as good for us as non-GMO food. But even if they are not bad for us, I don't see how they can be as good for the environment. For example, the article talks about how farmers spray herbicides on the herbicide resistant plants to kill surrounding weeds. I would imagine that still isn't great for the environment.

Personally, I think that even if one wanted to eat only GMO-free foods, it'd be pretty difficult, considering how much of our food contains genetically modified ingredients. I did read about a law that just passed stating that food packages will have to carry a symbol that indicates whether or not the food contains GMOs, so that should make it a little bit easier. Either way, the article stating that GMO foods are safe to eat makes me feel a little bit better about eating them.

A Fun Car Project

I often find myself getting bored of my car if it's kept looking exactly the same for too long. I don't know why, but I just always have to mess with it. My most recent example of this took place not too long ago. In my car, the interior trim pieces that surround the climate controls and shifter are normally a flat black color. Since the majority of the car's interior is black, I decided I wanted to break that up a bit, so I bought some vinyl to wrap those trim pieces and give that area some contrast.

For those of you that don't know, vinyl wrap is essentially a sticker. If you heat it up enough, you can shape it to almost any surface you can think of. Vinyl wrapping the exterior of cars has actually become a pretty popular trend over the last few years, mostly because it is completely reversible if you don't like the result, but it also can be significantly cheaper than a quality paint job and still look just as good. Since I had never done anything like it before, I wanted to start small, so the interior trim pieces were a good place to experiment with.

The project took a lot more time than I had first predicted. To take the pieces off of the center console, I had to take the radio and the climate control module out, leaving a gaping hole in my car's dashboard. But after roughly 5 hours of patience, I had successfully wrapped both of the pieces and I was pretty happy with the result. After doing this project, my main takeaways are to be patient, and if the vinyl isn't contouring to the shape of whatever object you are trying to wrap, just heat it up with a heat gun (or even a hair dryer) and it will become pliable enough to work with. I included a picture of the finished result below.

Genius Of Money Interview

The interview that I found the most interesting in The Genius of Money was the one conducted with the anonymous donor. I like that the donor wants to donate, but doesn't feel the need to reveal their name. It shows that they care about actually benefiting whatever cause they're donating to, rather than donating for the sake of making themselves look better. The interview discusses how donating anonymously is considered to be one of the highest forms of philanthropy, and I admire that.

I was really interested in the discussion about how they did not really want to become a philanthropist at first. They were However, they were fortunate enough to be in a position to help others, so they felt that it was their responsibility to help others. The donor refers to this as "Bodhicitta", which means the enlightened mind in their native language. Being in such a position, the donor feels it would be irresponsible to not help out.

Another thing I found intriguing was the talk about the paradigm shift that we go through growing up. When we are younger, especially as teenagers, we feel that we know more than our parents. Eventually we realize that that is not always the case. The Mark Twain quote about how it was amazing how much his parents learned as he grew up made me laugh. I feel that I can somewhat relate to this situation with my parents, and they love to remind me about it.

Genius of Money Part 1

I didn't really understand the point chapter 1 was trying to make. I get that the author is saying religious organizations can be tax exempt, but I don't understand why he even included it in the book. He mentions how Jesus was almost framed by the tax collector, so is the chapter supposed to be about having good morals? Or is it only that religious organizations shouldn't have to pay taxes? I did find chapter 4 to be pretty interesting though. He discusses how money can influence your social life. According to a study, even the most socially conscious people can act in an anti-social manner when it comes to decision making and money is at play. That idea makes sense to me. I also found the comment about how anti-social people need more material wealth to substitute for the lack of social interaction to be interesting as well. I had to think about chapter 11 for a few minutes to understand what the author was getting at. In this chapter, the author discusses a painting showing how Judas betrayed Jesus for money. The painter included Satan behind Judas, as if he was the one causing Judas to act that way. However, the author feels that's not needed because Judas betrayed Jesus by himself because he was paid to do so. I guess the takeaway is that money can sometimes bring out the worst in people.

Coagula Curatorial Impressions

When first I heard we were going to an art gallery, I figured I had an idea of what it was going to be like. When I heard that the gallery was located in Chinatown, that idea was shortly thrown out the window. I've driven through Chinatown before while trying to get onto the 110 freeway, but I've never actually walked around and observed the area, so I had no idea what to expect of this place. When I first got to the address, I wasn't sure if I was in the right area because the whole place honestly looked like a ghost town. The gallery itself couldn't be any more different from what I had first pictured in my head. I would usually think that art galleries were pretty fancy looking places with super expensive art everywhere, but Coagula Curatorial looked nothing like that. I've never really been all that intrigued by art, but I did try my best to give it a chance. Some of the artworks actually ended up being pretty interesting, especially when Jill was able to give some of them a little backstory. Matt seems like an extremely energetic person. Overall, the experience was definitely a unique one.

The Impact of the Gas-Powered Car

The automobile has been a staple of our civilization for a very long time now, most importantly for transportation. Today, I am going to discuss with you all about what makes the majority of them move: the internal combustion engine.

History

Karl Benz is widely considered to be the inventor of the modern-day car. His first design, named the Benz Motorwagen, was introduced in 1885. Due to their extremely new nature, these machines were quite costly to purchase at the time, especially for the average family. It wasn’t until Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company, nearly perfected the idea of mass-production so cars could be affordable enough to where even workers on the assembly line could buy one. These mass-produced machines eventually evolved into the transportation devices we so heavily rely on today.

How They Work

           

The gas-powered car is the oldest and most common type. According to the Environmental Science and Technology Journal, “Over 90% of cars have this type of engine” (Maclean, 2000). There are four steps, or “strokes” required for the internal combustion engine to create power. They are the intake stroke, compression stroke, expansion stroke, and exhaust stroke. During the intake stroke, the piston sits at the top of the cylinder head to maximize volume in the cylinder, while a mixture of fuel and air is injected inside. Once this is done, the cylinder moves down. Next, during the compression stroke, the exhaust and intake valves close as the piston moves back up to compress the fuel and air mixture. As the piston is moving up to compress the mixture, a spark plug located at the top of the cylinder ignites. The force of this ignition causes the piston to move back to the bottom of the cylinder head. This is called the expansion, or “power stroke”. Finally, during the exhaust stroke, the exhaust valve opens up while the piston moves back toward the top of the cylinder, pushing out the remains of the fuel and air mixture, and eventually out of the car’s tail pipe. This completes the basic cycle of the four-stroke engine.

           

Environmental Downsides

The internal combustion engine has been a great thing for us, but it does bring along some downsides. First would be the gases they emit. In the article, Going hybrid: An analysis of consumer purchase motivations, “The transport sector contributes approximately 14% of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions and this is expected to increase to 50% by 2030” (Ozaki, 2011). This air pollution exists partly due to the incomplete combustion of fuel during the exhaust stroke. The average internal combustion engine uses only a fraction of the energy it gets from burning gasoline. It leaves behind a mixture of gases that consists of mostly carbon dioxide, but also carbon monoxide, which is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that can potentially be harmful to humans. The carbon dioxide that comes out of your car’s exhaust traps in heat, similar to the way a greenhouse does, which explains where “greenhouse gasses” get their name. As internal combustion engines emit more carbon dioxide, this greenhouse effect grows stronger, and it’s impacting the environment in a negative way. According to an article from the Alberni Valley Times, there are many consequences that may result from this greenhouse effect that gasoline powered cars are contributing so heavily to. There are “warmer oceans, melting glaciers, more violent storms, [and] changing ecosystems”. Also, the world’s food supply is at risk. The added heat is destroying food crops and causing problems for fishing. According to the group DARA International, “climate change and greenhouse gases are cutting the world's gross domestic product by 1.6% a year” (Alberni Valley Times, 2012). This may raise the price of food in some countries, but for poorer countries, severe food shortages can occur. DARA also predicts that about 100 million people will die because of the effects of significant temperature changes. Another issue with gasoline-powered cars is the amount of oil they consume. Returning to the Going Hybrid article, it states, “the transport sector in the industrialised countries accounts for 60.3% of world oil consumption” (Ozaki, 2011). We have a major dependence on oil that needs to be reduced drastically. According to Environment America, which is a nationwide group advocating the use of alternative-powered, cleaner running engines, “If 75% of American vehicles, including cars, pick-up trucks, SUVs and vans, ran off electricity, the nation's oil consumption would drop by about a third” (Doa, 2010). This number is quite shocking, as it really sheds some light on how much oil gasoline-powered cars use. Having the ability to potentially cut oil consumption by such a large amount could be a motivating factor for some people to make the switch to cars that are powered by an alternative fuel, in addition to the potential health and food disadvantages they contribute to.  

The Engine’s Future

There have been many advances in recent time to mitigate the downsides of internal combustion engines and keep them alive in our cars today. Modern technologies, such as direct injection and variable valve timing, have allowed these engines to use less fuel to create power, making them much more effective. Some regular gas-powered cars are getting amazing mileage thanks to improved aerodynamics, less weight, and smarter transmissions with extra gears to keep “RPM’s” low when cruising. They are also running cleaner than internal combustion engines of the past, emitting lower concentrations of those harmful gasses. Another reason they are still so prevalent is because they can be quite affordable, especially compared to most hybrid and electric cars. However, as government regulations continue to crack down on the efficiency and environmental impacts of our automobiles, the gasoline-powered engine will eventually lose its title as the number one method of powering our cars. That title will most likely be passed on to their electric brethren.

Sources

Doa, Lynn. "Environment America: Electric Cars a 'Potential Solution' to Global Warming." SNL Energy Power Daily (2010) ProQuest.

"Electric Cars can Help Climate, Environment." Alberni Valley Times Oct 12 2012 ProQuest.

MaClean, H. L. Lave, L.B. "Environmental Implications of Alternative-Fueled Automobiles: Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas Tradeoffs." Environmental Science and Technology 34.2 (2000): 225-31. Web.

Ozaki, Ritsuko, and Katerina Sevastyanova. "Going hybrid: An analysis of consumer purchase motivations." Energy Policy 39.5 (2011): 2217-2227. Web.

Why The E60 BMW M5 Is One Of The Coolest Cars Ever Made

The BMW brand has always been known to produce cars that have a blend of both sport and luxury. Models that have the “M” designation, such as the M3, M5, and M6, take the sport aspect to another level. Today I’m going to talk to you about the E60 M5 and why it was one of the coolest cars to ever be produced.

The E60 generation M5 was built from 2006-2010 designed for the person that loves to drive, but can only have one car. Pair a 5.0-liter V10 Engine with over 500 horsepower in a 4-door sedan and you have a supercar you can take your family in. Take off the electronic speed limiter and it’s capable of over 200 mph. Not bad at all for something that looks like any other “family car”.

While it is true there is a newer model M5 (codenamed the F10 M5) with a smaller, more powerful, and more efficient twin-turbocharged V8 engine, I don’t feel that it provides the same exciting experience as the E60. First is the sound it makes. The E60 has a formula one car-inspired V10 that screams up to its 8300-rpm redline, producing one of the best sounds ever made in a car. Due to the turbocharged nature of the F10, its redline has been lowered to 7000 rpm, and it sounds like a diesel car in comparison. The transmission of the cars also plays a huge part in the excitement. The E60 has a 7-speed single clutch gearbox that slams you back in the seat with every shift when put in its fastest setting. The new ones are quicker transmission, but I just don’t care. The F10 M5 has a dual-clutch that shifts so quick you don’t feel it at all, so where it wins in speed and performance, it loses in excitement. The F10 feels more like a cruise ship with a jet engine strapped to it than it does a sports car.

The E60 M5 was one of the last of a dying breed. Due to government regulations on fuel economy, we will never see something as crazy as sticking a giant naturally aspirated V10 engine in a 4-door family car. The newer M5s are better in every performance category, but they lack in excitement and drama, which is something car lovers value dearly. Couple that excitement with the practicality of an everyday sedan and you get one of the coolest “do-it-all” cars you’ll ever see on the road.

Growing A Farmer Blog Post

            Growing A Farmer: How I Learned To Live Off The Land was a pretty interesting book. The part that I found most interesting was the plot itself. A guy who’s worked and owned businesses primarily in the city of Seattle deciding to just one day buy 4 acres of farm land on impulse just sounds crazy to me, especially considering the amount of maintenance that comes with keeping a farm running. That is definitely not something I could ever do, especially if I don’t know the first thing about running one in the first place.

            I did learn a few things from the book, and the majority of them were things I would have rather not learned. For example, the way in which meats were packaged when shipped to his restaurant. I found the comments about the wet slippery white fluid coming off of the chicken and the pork juice in the pork loins to be disgusting, mostly because of the words in which he used to describe it. I also learned more about bees and the honey harvesting process. I never knew that there was a queen bee in each colony that can lay up to 2000 eggs per day and it takes 155 bee trips to a flower to make a tablespoon of honey. What I didn’t understand was why he would let the bees die off every winter, when he says himself the tradeoff for the honey is to ensure the bees survive. He seems to love bees so much, as he dedicated a whole chapter to them, but then he lets them die off because they’re relatively cheap to him and he enjoys buying boxes of new bees.

            I also learned in great detail about how a chicken is slaughtered and prepared. Timmermeister went in greater detail than I would have liked to learn about, but that is the reality of how the meat we eat is prepared, so I expected to not particularly enjoy that part of the book. However, what I can say is I respect the guy for taking on such a different lifestyle from what he had before. To go from owning a bakery, to owning a restaurant, and then ditching that all to run a farm when you have little prior experience about farming just sounds like a crazy risk that I don’t think I would ever take. He seemed a little crazy talking about his love for bees for a whole chapter and describing in detail how a chicken’s legs move around before they finally go limp after being killed, but he seems to have a very strong work ethic, as he did started his farm mainly to challenge himself, so I can respect him for taking on such a different lifestyle. Today he does pretty well, selling cheese in addition to running his farm.

            Overall I thought the book was interesting. Kurt goes into great detail with everything, including purchasing his farm, how to harvest honey from bees, and slaughtering animals. I think the biggest takeaway from the book was how he used his entrepreneurial mind and took a huge risk to start this life. He left his comfortable job in the city of Seattle to start something new, and he created an entirely different lifestyle for himself, sharing the reality of how our food is prepared.