Genre Essay Outline:

Argumentative Outline
Thesis:

Cyanobacteria is the most viable source of

renewable energy at the worlds disposal
today.

At least 3 credible sources:

-Use EbscoHost or Literary Reference Center
for reliable sources.
-Include links, authors, etc. to easily find your
sources again.

http://energy.gov/science-innovation/energy-s
ources/renewable-energy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59R-Nqyk
oXs
http://news.discovery.com/tech/alternativepowersourc
es/toptensourcesbiofuel.htm

http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fbioe.2013.
00007/full

http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment
/globalwarming/biofuelprofile/

http://www.technologyreview.com/news/508756/bacteri
ausephotosynthesistomakesugarforbiofuels/

http://aem.asm.org/content/65/2/523.full

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2013/07/21/ar
eelectriccarsreallythatpolluting/

http://www.pbs.org/saf/1110/teaching/teaching3.htm

http://otd.harvard.edu/exploreinnovation/technologies/s
ugarproductionfromphotosyntheticbacteria/

http://sugarcane.org/sugarcaneproducts/ethanol

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/media/87019/Fa
ctoriesthatburnfossilfuelshelptocauseglobalwarmi
ng

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/214545/fos
silfuel

https://asunews.asu.edu/20101005_microbes

Helsel,Zane(2014,March12).FeedstocksforBiofuel
Production.InExtension.Retrievedfrom
http://www.extension.org/pages/26599/feedstocksforbi
ofuelproduction

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/scienceenvironment22127
123

http://www.utexas.edu/news/2008/04/23/biofuel_microb
e/


http://aem.asm.org/content/76/11/3462.full

http://revistapesquisa.fapesp.br/en/2014/01/01/between
sugarsandgenes/

http://www.shell.com/global/environmentsociety/enviro
nment/climatechange/biofuelsalternativeenergiestran
sport/biofuels/raizen.html

https://www.flickr.com/photos/royaldutchshell/sets/7215
7626690924426/

http://wyss.harvard.edu/viewpressrelease/37

http://www.usda.gov/oce/reports/energy/EthanolSugarF
easibilityReport3.pdf

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/add
_aqa_pre_2011/plants/plants1.shtml

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/15/automobiles/howg
reenareelectriccarsdependsonwhereyouplugin.ht
ml?pagewanted=all&_r=1&

http://www.shell.com/global/environmentsociety/enviro
nment/climatechange/biofuelsalternativeenergiestran
sport/biofuels/raizen/sugarcanetoethanolanimation/a
ccessible.html

http://www.shell.com/global/environmentsociety/enviro
nment/climatechange/biofuelsalternativeenergiestran
sport/biofuels/raizen/sugarcanetoethanolanimation.h
tml

http://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=427&t=3

http://www.nei.org/

https://water.usgs.gov/edu/hyhowworks.html

http://www.nrel.gov/learning/re_biofuels.html

http://www.seia.org/about/solarenergy

http://windeis.anl.gov/guide/basics/

http://www.altenergy.org/renewables/hydrogen_power.h
tml

http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/ourenergychoice
s/coalandotherfossilfuels/thehiddencostoffossil.ht
ml

http://biofuel.org.uk/howdobiofuelsburn.html

http://www.ethanolrfa.org/pages/ethanolfactsenvironm
ent

https://www.dukeenergy.com/aboutenergy/generating
electricity/coalfiredhow.asp

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/basics/

http://climate.nasa.gov/effects/

http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/ourenergych
oices/coalandotherfossilfuels/thehiddencostof
fossil.html

Claims:
-What points will you use to develop and
explain your claims?
-What evidence will you use to back up your
claims? Include page numbers as you gather
research.
-How will you explain the relationship between
the evidence and the claim?

Claims will be based on all the sole advantages

of cyanobacteria.

Counterclaims:
-What points will you use to explain the
counterclaim?
-What evidence will you use to back up your
counterclaims? Include page numbers as you
gather research.
-How will you acknowledge that the
counterclaim(s) are valid points?

The counterclaims will be how the competitors

say they are good, when they are not and how
cyanobacteria fixes their mistakes.

Refutations:
-What points will you use to develop and
explain your refutations?
-What evidence will you use to back up your
refutations? Include page numbers as you
gather research.
-How will you show that the refutation
effectively cancels out the counterclaim and
proves that the claim is the correct position?

The refutation ties in with the counterclaim in

that I tell why they are wrong.

Genre Essay Planning Sheet

Brainstorm Here:

Argumentative
Chosen Genre:
Election Process Fair, Global Warming and the environment

Class Text(s) to be used:

Plan Here:
http://www.mesacc.edu/~paoih30491/ArgumentEssay1.pdf
Climate Change
-types of energy:nuclear, hydroelectric, wind, solar, biofuel, cyanobacteria and algae, and biodiesel,
geothermal
-what the debate is, the success of finding new forms of energy and the timeline basically of
energy(overview)
-what the problem is with the sources used today for energy
-the types of energy
-why cyanobacteria and algae are the better choice
Cyanobacteria is the most viable source of renewable energy at the worlds disposal to date.
Cyanobacteria---------------
ANIMAL FARM
Animals evolved tremendously; the most telling situation was their
ability to seek out and master energy sources

Claims

Counter
wind and solar energy are unreliable and
cannot produce the amount of energy the
world needs to run efficiently
wind and solar energy are unreliable and
cannot produce the amount of energy the
world needs to run efficiently

Layout:
- intro
- one or two paragraphs explaining cyanobacteria and biodiesel
- next body paragraphs explain the benefits of the bacteria and artificial photosynthesis
- after explaining the pros, explain the other sources of energy and their disadvantages, and
how cyanobacteria can make up for them
- conclusion
- paragraph that connects to Animal Farmin both situations there is an attempt at trying to
improve society

Benefits of cyanobacteria:
- Sunlight to make fuel
- optimization
- room for improvement and can be revamped(include the bioreactor and the genetic
engineering of the cyanobacteria and the yeast)
- easier and requires less effort
- more cost-efficient
Sources of energy:
Cyanobacteria:
Using cyanobacteria to produce sugar that will be fermented and then create ethanol and carbon
dioxide as byproducts.
Traditional Biofuels:
Use cellulosic material to make sugar which is then fermented
Wind:
Wind turbines that spin and generate power
Solar:
Solar panels to capture UV rays for power
Hydroelectric:
Uses rushing water or water in a reservoir that will spin a turbine creating energy
geothermal:
uses heat from the earth
nuclear:
uses the processing of uranium
fossil fuels:
uses coal and natural gas, as well as crude oil
hydrogen:
using the gas hydrogen to make fuel cells
other new attempts at energy sources using this link
http://www.altenergy.org/new_energy/new_energy.html
:
Problems with the other sources of energy:
Wind:
Solar:
geothermal:

nuclear:
fossil fuels:
traditional biofuels:
other:

BacteriaTheNewGiantsofEnergy
Formanyyearsnowtheworldhasunderstoodwhatfossilfuelshavebeendoing
toourcommunity,drivingclimatechangeaswellaspollutingriversandcausing
deforestationandotherenvironmentalharm.Asaresult,manyhavetakentheinitiativeto
findanewsourceofenergythatisrenewableandwillprotecttheenvironmentthewayit
doesus.However,despitethemanysuccessesthathavecomefromthespurredresearch,
noneofthenewinnovativemethodsofproducingenergycansupplytheEarthwiththe
energyitneedstofunctioneverydayandforthatmatterbeabletosupplythegrowthof
theworldwithagreaterpopulationandnewtechnologies.Now,fossilfuelshavebeen
aroundforsolongthatitmayseemliketherecanneverbeareplacementthatcanwork
justaswellasfossilfuels,howevertodaythereexistssuchareplacement.Cyanobacteria,
anancientbacteriathathasbeenforgottenforsolong,isnowtheanswertoourenergy
pleas.Theyusesunlightforfuel,areeasytouse,costefficient,abletobeoptimized,and
leavesalargespaceforimprovement.Hence,becausealloftheothersourcesofenergy
havedrasticdrawbacks,cyanobacteriaistheonlyviablesourceofenergyattheworlds
disposaltoday,topowerourcommunitynow,andinthefuture.

Theprocessofusingcyanobacteriatoproduceethanolfallsunderthecategoryof
ArtificialPhotosynthesis,giventhatsfundamentallywhatitis.Cyanobacteriaisa
specialtypeofbacteriathatcanconductphotosynthesis,similartothatofaplant,andso
itcanproduceglucose,betterknownassugar.Andwiththisglucose,webegintoferment
italongwithwaterandyeast.Subsequently,asaresultoffermentationof48hours,
alcoholicethanolandcarbondioxideareproducedasbyproductswithenergyorATP
themainproduct.Lookingattheanatomizedprocedureitcanbeseenthatcarbondioxide
isproducedasabyproduct,andthisistheonlydownsidetothisformofproducing
energy.Although,itisnotaverysignificantdisadvantagebecauseitisaminimalamount
ofcarbondioxideandagainthereisalwaystheroomforimprovement,andfurther
clarificationonthematterwillbeexplainedinlaterparagraphs.Cyanobacteriacan

substituteforfossilfuelsandmakeupforallofthedisadvantagesofothersourcesof
energy.

Manypeoplehaventheardofethanol,however,itcurrentlyplaysabigpartinthe
worldinrelationtoenergy.InmanyareasoftheUnitedStatesandtheworld,ethanolis
usedinthegasolinemeantforcars,andittypicallymakesup10percentofthemixture.
Furthermore,thereareotherplacesthatuseethanoltomakeup90percentoftheir
gasolinemixtures,andthesegasstationsarenolesspopularthanthetraditionalonesas
allcarsmanufacturedsince1998haveenginesthatcansupportE85gasolineuse.As
statedbyTheAlternativeFuelsDataCenter,E85isatermthatreferstohighlevel
ethanolgasolineblendscontaining51%83%ethanol(U.S.Departmentofenergy,
paragraph1)Thissubstantiatesthatthereisagasolinetypewhereitismademajoritively
ofethanol,andmostcarstodaycansupporthisoil.Ergo,ifenoughethanolwasproduced
thecommonmixtureofgasolinecanbecomposedofmorethan10percentgasoline.Yet,
althoughthisisthemainpaththatethanoltakesitcanalsobeburnedinasimilarfashion
tofossilfuels,andproduceelectricity,butwithalowercostalongwithless
emissions(Refertothepicturetolearnhowfossilfuelsproduceelectricity).

Continuingtothebenefits,therearemany,especiallywhenallfuture
enhancementsareaccountedfor.Benefitsofcyanobacteriainclude:sunlightforfuel,
easierandmoreflexible,costefficient,optimizable,andthereisroomforimprovement.
Primarily,onecardinalbenefitofcyanobacteriaisthatitusessunlightforfuelthereby
reducingemissionstremendously.Whenthistechnologyisappliedtojusttwoareas
transportationandelectricpoweritcanhaveaverysignificantimpactontheamountof
carbondioxideemittedeveryday.Furthermore,anotherbenefitofcyanobacteriaand
artificialphotosynthesisisthatitisexponentiallyeasierandthecyanobacteriaare
flexible.Traditionalbiofuelsandmanytypesofenergysuchasgeothermalandnuclear
havecomplicatedprocessesthatartificialphotosynthesiseliminates.Generally,common
biofuelssuchasenergyproducedfromcornorothercellulosicmaterialareproducedby
firsttakingthematerialandcrushingitintoastarch.After,thestarchiscombinedwith
watertomakeamash,andthenanenzymecalledAlphaamylaseisaddedtoturnthe
starchintominisculeparticles.Subsequently,themashisthenheatedtoliquefyand
reducebacteria,andthencooledbeforeanotherenzymeisadded.Glucoamylaseisadded
tothemixturetohelpcreatethesugarordextrose.Afterthedextroseiscreateditisthen
fermentedtocreatetheethanol.Itisconspicuousthattraditionalbiofuelshavelong
complicatedprocesses,soluckilythereisartificialphotosynthesistocuttheprocessin
half.Byhavingthebacteriaproducethesugarthatweneedtoferment,theprocessiscut
significantly.Although,thereisaslightdifferencebetweentheprocesses,onecreates
dextrose,andtheothercreatesglucose(cyanobacteria).However,itisnotamajor
difference,andtheresultswillbealmostexactlythesamegiventhatdextroseisatypeof
glucoseandtheirmolecularstructuresareverysimilar.Tosum,notonlyare
cyanobacteriaenvironmentallyfriendlytheyarealsoeasiertouse,howeverthereare
evenmorebenefitsthatcomewithusingcyanobacteria.


Moreover,anotherbenefitofcyanobacteriaisthatitismoreflexiblethanothersourcesof
energy.Otherenergyformsrequirelargespacesandafairlylargeamountoftimeand
management,butthebacteriaareabletobegrowninsmallspacedandtheyrequireverylittle
careandcreateenergyveryquickly(only48hours).Tosupport,theAmericanSocietyfor
Microbiologystates,
cyanobacteriahastheadvantagethatsunlightandCO
arethesolesources
2
ofenergyandcarbonfortheseorganisms.(
HenrikeNiederholtmeyer
,
BerndT.Wolfstdter
DavidF.Savag
e,
PamelaA.Silver
and
JeffreyC.Way
,paragraph1).

Thebacteriaevengo
furtherwiththeirabilitytomultiplyandultimatelybeeasilymanipulatedforoptimization.The
bacteriaarealsoabletobegeneticallymodifiedtoactuallysecretetheglucosethatiscreated
insteadofhavinghumansharvestit,therebyreducingoverallcostsandeffort.Andlastly,the
bacteriasfinalcardinalbenefitisthatithasalargespaceforimprovement.Bioreactorscanbe
builttocareforthebacteriaincolderplaceswhereitishardforthemtogrow,therefore
expandingitsflexibility,andultimatelymakingforamorebeneficialenergysource.

Cyanobacteriaisaviablesourceofenergytoday,buthowdoesitstackupagainstother
modernsourcesofenergy?

FossilFuels:
Incomparisontofossilfuels,cyanobacteriahavemanymorebenefits,withlessofthe
hindrancesanddisadvantages.Butfirst,howisenergycreatedthroughtheuseoffossilfuels?
Fundamentally,whenusingcoaltocreateenergy,heatiscreated,wateristhenturnedtosteam,
thesteamturnstheturbine,andthenthesteamturnsbackintowater.Toclarify,theheatis
createdbyburningthecoalafteritismixedwithhotairandblownintoafirebox.Succeedingly,
waterispumpedthroughtheboilerandturnedtosteamandisthenpipedtotheturbine.
Subsequently,thesteampushestheturbinebladeswhichthenturnstheturbineshaft,andthe
shaftisconnectedtoageneratortoproduce
electricity.Lastly,thesteamthatwasusedis
drawnintoacondenserwhereitcondensesback
towatertobeusedagainthroughasystemof
tubes.

Continuing,thereisahiddencostoffossilfuelsasidefromtheexpensiveprocesses
thatareusedtocreateelectricity.Overallfossilfuelsaremoreofaburdenandadangerthana
realhelp,withalloftheirdetrimentalproblemsthateventuallyhavetobeamended.Such

problemsincludenegativeenvironmentalimpact,climatechange,airpollution,waterandland
pollution,thermalpollution,andproblemsregardingnationalsecurity.Forone,likeitsnot
alreadyobvious.fossilfuelssignificantlydriveclimatechange.Whenfossilfuelsareburned
theyemitgreenhousegasescardinallycarbondioxide,andwhenthesegasesrisetothe
atmospheretheyunifyandactlikeablanketthatkeepsthethermalenergy(heat)insidethe
atmospheremakingitverywarm.Andbecauseofthesteadilyincreasingtemperaturethewhole
worldhasbeenimpactednegativelyandtremendously.Asaresultoftherisingtemperatureand
thesuddenfluctuatingtemperaturesmanylivingcreaturesandecosystemshavebeen
affectedglaciershaveshrunk,plantandanimalrangeshaveshifted,treesarebloomingsooner,
acceleratedseagrowth,andmoreintenseheatwaves.However,theimpactsdonotstopthere,
andmanyarerestrictedperareathusmakingeveryareahavingadifferentinfluencefrom
ClimateChange.BelowisatableofalloftheeffectsperregionintheUnitedStatesof
America(fromclimate.nasa.gov)
Region
Northeast

Effects
Heatwaves,heavydownpours,andsealevelrisepose
growingchallengestomanyaspectsoflifeinthe
Northeast.Infrastructure,agriculture,fisheries,and
ecosystemswillbeincreasinglycompromised.Many
statesandcitiesarebeginningtoincorporateclimate
changeintotheirplanning.

Northwest

Changesinthetimingofstreamflowreducewater
suppliesforcompetingdemands.Sealevelrise,erosion,
inundation,riskstoinfrastructure,andincreasingocean
acidityposemajorthreats.Increasingwildfire,insect
outbreaks,andtreediseasesarecausingwidespreadtree
dieoff.

Southeast

Sealevelriseposeswidespreadandcontinuingthreatsto
theregionseconomyandenvironment.Extremeheat
willaffecthealth,energy,agriculture,andmore.
Decreasedwateravailabilitywillhaveeconomicand
environmentalimpacts.

Midwest

Extremeheat,heavydownpours,andfloodingwillaffect
infrastructure,health,agriculture,forestry,
transportation,airandwaterquality,andmore.Climate

changewillalsoexacerbatearangeofriskstotheGreat
Lakes.

Southwest

Increasedheat,drought,andinsectoutbreaks,alllinked
toclimatechange,haveincreasedwildfires.Declining
watersupplies,reducedagriculturalyields,health
impactsincitiesduetoheat,andfloodinganderosionin
coastalareasareadditionalconcerns.

Inadditiontoourclimatebeingharmed,ourwaterandlandarealsobeingdamaged.In
thecaseofwater,oilspillspollutetheriversandconstantcoalmininggreatlyenhancesthis
pollution.Whenwaterwashesthroughtheseminesthepyritefromcoalcombineswiththewater
toformadiluteacidwhichisthenwashedintonearbystreamsandrivers.AsstatedbytheUnion
ofConcernedScientists,
Coalminingalsocontributestowaterpollution.Coalcontainspyrite,a
sulfurcompoundaswaterwashesthroughmines,thiscompoundformsadiluteacid,whichis
thenwashedintonearbyriversand
streams.(paragraph15).
Andasforlandpollution,mining
almostcompletelydestroysthelandthatisbeingusedaswellasdriesthesoilofnutrientssothat
nomorevegetationcangrow.Waterandlandpollutionareaffectedbyclimatechange,however,
thispollutionalsoinfluencesotherthingsaswell.Animalsandplantlifeareharmedthrough
bothformsofpollution.Animals,especiallythatoftheseawilldiefromthispollutionandwith
thedestructionofhabitatsformining,manyanimalshavetomigratetootherterritoriesand
plantsfaceasimilarproblemwheretheirwateriscontaminatedandtheirlandisalsodestroyed
formining,andthechanceofvegetationafterthelandisleftbarrenisslimtonone.The
environmentalimpactsofclimatechangeandessentiallyfossilfuelsatthispointleavetheland
inaterriblecondition,however,itjustgetsworsewhentheprocessesusedtomakeenergy
throughfossilfuelsareanatomized.Anotherdisadvantagetofossilfuelsisthatitisvery
inefficient,muchoftheheatenergythatisusedtoproduceelectricity,isinsteadreleasedintothe
airasemissionsandwaterwhenitcombineswiththewaterthatisbeingusedtocoolthecoal.
Thewaterisnowheatedandcanupsetanaquaticecosystemwhenitisreleasedbackintorivers
orstreams.Lastly,thefinalparamounteffectoffossilfuelsisthattheUnitedStatesandmany
othercountrieshaveagreatdependenceonothercountries.SpecificallytheU.S.manyatimes
havetoprotecttheoilintheothercountriestoensurethatwedonotgetcutoff.Onechief

exampleofthiswasthePersianGulfWarwheretheU.S.hadtosendtroopstoprotectthe
supplyandalthoughthewarisover,liveswerelost,throughtaxeswecontinuetopayfor
protectingthesupplywithourarmedforces.Notonlythat,butourdependencyisactually
growing!Inthefuture,analystsconfirmthatifthecountrycontinuesonthispath,theU.S.will
relyonforeignoilfromtheMiddleEastfortwothirdsourtotaloilimport.Insummation,fossil
fuelsandclimatechangeimpactourenvironmentandsocietygreatly,andsoanewsourceof
energyisneeded.Thisiswherecyanobacteriacanfitin.Theethanolthatiscreatedcanbeused
incarstosignificantlyreducetheemissionsalsowhenplacedinthebioreactortheCO2emitted
fromthefermentationcanbeharnessedandusedinphotosynthesisagain.Thereby,thebacteria
areefficientandcarrylittledisadvantages,andcanoverallmakeupforfossilfuels.

WindandSolar:
Windenergyalongwithsolararecardinalcompetitorsintheracetofindanewsourceofenergy
topowertheglobe,howeverthesetwoformsofenergybothhavetheirowndrawbacks.Before
explainingthedisadvantages,theprocessesthatbothformsofenergyusehavetobeexplained.
Simplyput,windenergyiscreatedwhenenergyinthewindturnstwoorthreepropellerlike
bladesaroundarotor.Therotorisconnectedtoamainshaft,whichspinsageneratortocreate
electricity.Actually,windisaformofsolarenergyandisaresultoftheunevenheatingofthe
atmosphere,theirregularitiesofEarthssurface,andEarthssustainedrotationonitsaxis
becauseoftheseeventswindiscreated,andsowindenergyisdependentonthesunmakingita
formofsolarenergy.Ontheotherhandsolarenergyiscreatedverydifferently.Tobegin,solar
panelsarecomposedofphotovoltaic(PV)cellswhichconvertsunlightintodirectcurrent(DC)
electricity.Following,theinverterconvertstheDCelectricityfromthesolarpanelsinto
alternatingcurrent(AC)electricity.Afterwards,theACelectricityissentfromtheinvertertoan
electricalpanel(orbreakerbox)toprovideenergy.Nowforthedisadvantagesofthetwo:there
arelessthanthatoffossilfuels,howeverconsideringtheamountthereareandwhatisneededfor
ourcommunity,windandsolarenergyarenotviablesourcesofenergy.Foronewindandsolar
energyareunreliableinthattheycanonlyoperateundercertainconditionsthatarenotalways
present.Windenergyunsurprisinglyneedswindtooperateandsolarenergyneedsthesun,two
thingsthatarenotalwayspresentduringthedayleavingalargespanoftimewhereenergyisnot
beingcreated.Moreover,specificallyinthecaseofwindenergy,thebuildingofturbinescauses
deforestation,excavation,anderosionandtheturbinesthemselveskillflyinganimalsandcreate

disruptingsounds.Additionally,thesoundfromtheturbinesnotonlyleadstopeoplebeing
annoyed,itcanalsocauseahealthproblemknownasWindTurbineSyndrome.TheWind
PowerProblemsorganizationfoundedondescribingthedownsidesofwindenergystates,
TurbinebladethumpnoisecausesahealthproblemknownasWindTurbine
Syndrome(paragraph4).Tonameafewmoreproblemsofwindenergy,theamountofenergy
thatisproducedisnotenoughtopowerentirecommunities,itcauseseconomicproblems,and
despitethenotionthatitwillcreatemorejobs,averyminisculenumberofjobswillactuallybe
createdintheprocess.Toclarify,eachturbineisestimatedtoproduce
3,285,000kWhperyear
withwindspeedsbetween30and55mphandtheaveragehouseholdintheU.S.consumes
10,908kWhperyear.Thisallowsforabout300homestobepoweredbyoneturbine.Although
theresultsarepromising,thisisonlywhenwindspeedsarefairlyhigh,whereastypicallywind
speedsdonotreachthathigh,andthisformofenergywouldnotworkonahighlypopulated
townorcity.Tosubstantiate,theWindWatchorganizationnotesastudyfromtheEnergy
InformationAgencystating,Anaverage1.5MWturbine(26.9%capacityfactor)would
producethesameamountofelectricenergyasthatusedbyalmost332householdsovera
yearThisshowsthattheamountfoenergyproducedbyonewindturbinesimplyisnot
enoughtosignificantlypoweracommunity,especiallywithonethatreceiveslittlewind.
Continuing,withwindenergythehouseholdsandwildernessareaslosesignificantvaluetotheir
homesandtourismsuffersaswellbecauseofthewindturbines,andonlyonelowpaid
maintenanceworkerishiredper1215turbines.Asfortheproblemswithsolarenergy,thereare
justasmanyandareequallydisadvantageous.Tolistacouple:itisfivetimesmoreexpensive
thanfossilfuels,itisinefficient,itrequiresefforttoinstallandmanage,andthereisnostorage
optiontostoreenergywhenthesunisnotout.Regardingthecostofthesolarpanel,thereare
manycomponentsincludingmaintenance,installation,thecompositionofthesolarpanel,and
inefficiency.Becausesolarpanelsneededtobemaintainedregularlytoworkeffectivelyorrather
aseffectivelyasitcanusershavetopaylargesumsregularlyandinstallingtheactualsolarpanel
isnonethelesscomplicatedanddemandsthataprofessionalinstallsit.Also,thesolarpanelitself
ispricyasitismadeoutofcostlysemiconductormaterial,andbecausethepanelsareinefficient
moreeffortandmoneyisneededconstantlytoproducetheneededamountofenergy,whereasif
itwereefficientextratimeandeffortaswellasmoneywouldnotbenecessary.Toelucidateon
howsolarpanelsareinefficient,theefficiencyofsolarcellsareonly22percentandalthough
therearesomethatare43percentefficienttheyaremerelyexperimentalasofrightnowandare
unavailabletotheaverageconsumer,henceleavingmostoftheenergythatiscomingfromthe
sunwastedasheat.AsnotedbyNorthwesternUniversity,
DS1'ssolarpanelsconvert22%of
theiravailableenergyintoelectricalpower.Thismaynotsoundverygood,butitismuchbetter
thanmostsolarpanels.Mostsolarpanelsonpeople'shouses,forexample,arefairlyinefficient.
Lessthan14%oftheenergythatreachesthemwillbeconvertedtoelectricity.(paragraph1).

Thisshowsthataveryminimalpercentoftheenergycapturedgoestocreatingelectricity,and
thatnumberisevensmallerforcommerciallyavailablesolarpanels.
Inaddition,ifasimpleleaf
orobstructionevensmallblocksapanel,theeffectivenessofthepaneldropsnotably.Andasfor
therebeingnostoragemethodfortheenergycreated,thistiesintothefactthatthereisnot
alwayssunlight,andasaresulttherehastobesomesortofmethodofstoringcreatedenergyso
thatitcanbeusedinthedarktomakesolarenergysomewhatofacompetitor.Butseeingas
thereisnot,solarenergycannotbedependedontoprovidetheworldwithasufficientamountof
energythatcomeswithlittledrawbacks,andthesamegoesforwindenergy.Ontheotherhand,
artificialphotosynthesisusingcyanobacteriacanmakeupfortheinefficiencyandthecostas
wellasalltheotherdownsidesofwindandsolarenergy.Forone,thecyanobacteriaare
exorbitantlyefficientinthatmuchoftheirmassisactuallyglucosesothatwhentheyarecrushed
thereismoreglucosetouseinfermentation.Also,thebacteriamultiplyrapidlymakingforan
evenlargeramountofglucosetobeused.Asforthecost,thereisnotmuchthathastogointo
creatingtheethanolandsothereisaverylowcostfortheoverallprocess,andthebacteria
themselvesarefairlycheap.Lastly,thebacteriaalsotakecareoftheissuesregardingreliability,
wherethebacteriacanbeplacedvirtuallyanywhereandstillcreatetheglucoseforfermentation.
Thebacteriaarealsoveryflexibleandcansurviveharshconditions,sothebacteriaarevery
reliable.
NuclearandGeothermal:
Nuclearandgeothermalenergyarethegiantsofrenewableenergyinthattheycancreate
themostenergyoutofalloftherenewables.However,becauseoftheirpitfalls,theyarealso
unabletobetheworldssolutiontotheenergycrisis.Nuclearenergyisbasicallycreatedthrough
harnessingtheenergythatcomesfromthesplittingofuraniumatomsandtheharnessedenergy
isthenusedtoturnagenerator.Thereisareactorcorewheretheatomsaresplitandthereisa
steamgeneratorwherewaterresidesandistheplacewherewateristurnedtosteam.And
connectedtothesteamgeneratorthereisasteamlinethatcarriesthesteamtotheturbinewhich
ismeanttospin,andwaterlinesareconnectedtotheentiretyofthecircuittosendwaterout.At
firsttheprocessandnuclearenergyitselfseemslikeitisperfectfortheworld,yetalthoughit
doesnotreleaseemissionsitharmstheenvironmentinitsownspecialwayandhasmany
drawbacks.First,thenuclearpowerplantsareveryexpensive.Theconstructionandgenerating
costsaswellasthecosttodismantlenuclearstationsandwastedisposalhavemadenuclear
powerveryexpensive,tooexpensivetobeaviablesourceofenergyfortheworld.Accordingto
theUnionofConcernedScientists,
costestimatesfornewnuclearplantconstructionrosefrom
between$2billionand$4billionperunitto$9billionperunit(UCSUSA,paragraph4).This
showsthatnuclearpowerplantscostanabundanceofmoney,moneythatmanycountries
especiallytheU.S.cannotaffordtogiveaway.
Addingontothewastedisposalcost,iftheyplan

toburythewasteunderground,evenmoremoneyisneededtomanageanuclearfacility.
Furthermore,tobuildandmaintainthereactorsmanyformsofmachinerythatrunonfossilfuels
havetobeusedonlyaddingtotheoverallcarbonemissions.Additionally,similartoallofthe
othersourcesofenergydescribed,thisformofenergyonlytargetsthegenerationofelectricity,
andalthoughthetechnologycouldhelpsignificantly,ithasnoeffectontheotherchiefcauseof
climatechangewhichistransportation.However,thecyanobacteriathatistobeusedin
photosynthesiscanbeusedasanalternativetoproducingenergyandanalternativetogasoline
whichisusedintransportation,therebyhelpingtoreduceclimatechangemuchfasterand
effectivelythantheothersources.Inthecaseofgeothermalenergy,manyofthesamethingscan
besaid.
Ingeneral,geothermalenergytakesadvantageofthefactthatEarthscoreishot.
Geothermalenergyiscreatedbyfirstpipinghotwaterandsteamfromthegroundthrough
undergroundwellsthatisusedtogenerateelectricity(byonceagainspinningaturbine).
However,therearemanyformsofgeothermalenergyplants,therearedrysteamandflashsteam
plantsaswellsasbinarycycleplants.Inadrysteamplant,steamispumpeddirectlyfrom
geothermalreservoirs,whereasinaflashsteamplantwaterisbroughtupawellwheresomeof
thewaterturnstosteamtospintheturbine.Lastly,
moderatelyhotgeothermalwaterispassed
throughaheatexchanger,whereitsheatistransferredtoaliquid(suchasisobutene)thatboilsat
alowertemperaturethanwater.Whenthatfluidisheateditturnstosteam,whichisthenusedto
spintheturbines.Byscrutinizingtheprocessesbeinguseditisclearthatgeothermalenergyis
effectiveinthattheheatfromtheEarthwillalwaysbethereandaccessible,andgeothermal
energycanproducescadsofsteamandconsequentlyscadsofelectricity.Although,geothermal
energyisstillnotthecleanandefficientrenewableenergythatmanypeopleclaimittobe,rather
itreleasesemissionsthatagainharmourenvironment,anditalsocarriesmanyotherhindrances.
Tobegin,geothermalplantsarentabletobeplacedanywhere,theyrequirelandthathasvery
hotrocksthatcanproducesteamforlongperiodoftimegenerallyintheU.S.,thisareaisinthe
WestCoast.Asaresult,geothermalplantscanonlybebuiltincertainareasandsocannotbe
usedasaworldwidesourceofenergy.Ontheotherhand,someopponentsclaimthattheenergy
canbesimplytransportedfromoneareatoanother.Suchactionsarepossible,howeveritcannot
beeasilydone,especiallyoverlongareasbecausetheheatandthesteamdissipate.Also,
geothermalplantssimilartonuclearplantscostalargeaggregateofmoneytobuildandrunand
manage.Torunasinglegeothermalplant,aminimum3400dollarsneedstobespentonevery
kilowattinstalled,andremembertheaveragehouseholduses909kilowattsofenergymonthly.
Thereby,datashowsthatrunningageothermalplantisveryexpensive,anditbecomeseven
morecostlywhenbuildingcostsareapplied.TosupportTheGeothermalEnergyAssociation
states,
Accordingtostudies,aneconomicallycompetitivegeothermalpowerplantcancostas

lowas$3400perkilowattinstalled(paragraph1).Thisprovesthateventhemost
costefficientplantrequireslargeaggregatesofmoneytorunnonethelessbuild.
Continuing,
geothermalenergysimilartofossilfuels,emitgreenhousegasessuchascarbondioxideand
sulfurdioxide.Althoughmanyplantsattempttopreventsuchscenarios,manytimestheycannot
bestoppedbecauseitishardtodeterminewhetheranareacontainssuchgases,andsowhenthe
areasarepickeditisuptochancewhetherornottheywillcontaincarbondioxide.Although,
therearesomeplantsthatareclosedloopmeaningthattheypumpthegasesintotheground
aftertheyareexcavated,manyofthemarenotsomeaningtheyareopenloopandrelease
hydrogensulfide,carbondioxide,ammonia,methane,andboronasemissions.Additionally,to
drillandpumpwaterandexcavatetheland,machinerythatrunsongasolinehastobeused,and
againaddstotheamountofemissionsintheair.Finally,geothermalenergyalsotakesupalarge
sectionoflandwhichmeansthatitcannotbeplacedjustanywhereshowingitsunreliabilityas
wellasminimalflexibility.Insummation,geothermalenergyaswellasnuclearenergyareboth
effectiveatproducingenergybutcarrymanynegativesthatsimplycannotmeetthestandardsof
theenergysourcetheworldislookingfor,andsotheyarenotviablecandidatesasofrightnow.
Lastly,thereisthetraditionalbiofuelwhichisanotherenergysourcethathasattemptedtogive
theworldtheenergyitneeds.Overall,thesourcehasbeenunabletocopewiththeamountof
ethanolthatneedstobeproduced(biofuelsareusedtocreateethanol,notelectricity),butcertain
individualcropshavehadsomesuccesssuchascornandsugarcane.AroundtheworldinBrazil,
sugarcaneisbeingusedprominentlyintheirgasolineandhasreducedtheiremissions
tremendouslyandcornhasbeendoingthesameintheU.S.,howeverbiofuelscarrymanyunseen
drawbacksthatfundamentallyrestrictitfrombeingusedworldwide.Toreestablishhowbiofuels
arecreated,theyarefirstbrokendowntoastarchandthenmixedwithwatertomakeamash.
After,enzymesareaddedtocreatesugar,andwhenthesugariscreated,itisfermentedwith
yeastandwaterfor48hourstocreateimpureethanol.Succeedingly,theethanolisdistilledand
istheninitsusableform.Thisprocessismajoritivelyenvironmentfriendly,althoughthereisa
minisculeemissionthatcomesasabyproductoffermentationandtheamountofethanolthatcan
beproducedissignificant,soyoumaybeasking,Whatswrong?Essentiallytherearemany
disadvantagesthatcomewithtraditionalbiofuelsmostlyregardingeffectivenessandironically
environmentalandeconomicharm.Firstly,createdbiofuelfromfoodcropscausesaninflationof
foodpricesgiventhataplethoraoffoodreservesgotothecreationofbiofuels.Accordingto
CornellUniversity,AnacreofU.S.cornyieldsabout7,110poundsofcornforprocessinginto
328gallonsofethanol.AndForbes.comstates,40%wenttoproduceethanol,45%wasused
tofeedlivestock,andonly15%wasusedforfoodandbeverageThisprovesthatalargesum
corngoestocreateverylittleethanol.Inaddition,traditionalbiofuelsalsorequireverycomplex
andexpensiveprocedures.Theenzymesthatareneededtocreateethanolhavetobepurchased

continuallyandtheyarenotverycheap,andthecropsthataretobeusedhavetobetakencareof
whichaddsadditionalexpenses.Further,traditionalbiofuelsarenotflexiblerequiringlarge
spacestogrowcropsandagrandwatersupply.Inorderforbiofuelstoworkuptotheirpotential,
theyneedtohaveenoughspacetogrowcropsandneedenoughwatertocorrectlyfeedthecrops.
Moreover,biofuelscanactuallyimpacttheenvironmentnegatively.Forexample,theabundance
offertilizerthatneedstobeusedcanfinditswayintoriversandstreamsandcontaminatethe
waterwithnitrogenandphosphorous.Nitrogeninwatercanleadtomanyhealthproblems
regardinghumanconsumptionandphosphorustriggersalgaeblooms,thealgaethenkillsother
plantsandanimalsbyreducingtheamountofoxygeninthewater(theyconductphotosynthesis
andtakeoxygentodoso)orreleasesharmfultoxins.Evenmoreso,throughthemonocultureof
manypartsoflandoncerichinnutrientswillbestrippedofthosenutrients.Lastly,biofuelscan
alsoharmtheenvironmentinthattheyleadtodeforestation.Thishappensasspaceisneededto
createfarmslargeenoughtoholdthenecessaryamountofcropsandtreesarecutdowntocreate
thisspace.Ontheotherhand,cyanobacteriarequireverylittletreatment,useprocessesthatare
verylowcost,andareefficientandcapableofproducinglargeamountsofenergy.
Allofthesesourcesofenergywereoncethoughttobeviablecandidateshowevergiven
theirrespectivedisadvantages,theyweretobedeemedtobeincapableofcopingwiththe
amountofenergytheworldneedswhileprotectingtheenvironment.Sothequestionwas
Whatsthealternative?Butthathasalreadybeenanswered,itisartificialphotosynthesis
throughcyanobacteria.Thecyanobacteriabeatoutalloftheothercompetitorsthatexisttoday,
butthatisnottheendofit.Thecyanobacteriahaveevenmoreroomforbenefit.Onemethodof
improvementhasstatedaplethoraoftimeswhichisthebioreactor,however,therearemany
othermethodsofachievingthesameresult.Inadditiontothebioreactor,thebacteriacanbe
testedinmediumsofdifferentconditionstodeterminewherethebacteriawillgrowthebestand
ultimatelyproducethemostsugar.Inanexperimentation,thecyanobacteriaweretestedin
differentmediums,specificallyinamediumwherethesalinitywasaltered.Bychangingthe
salinity,thebacteriacouldbetestedindifferentmediumstooptimizetheamountofsugarthat
wascreated.Andtheresultsshowedthatthebacteriadidproducemoresugar(by51.9percent)
whenplacedinasalineenvironmentthanwhenplacedinaregularmedium,howeverwhenthe
environmentwastoosalinethebacteriawasunabletocopeanddied.Toexplainwhythis
happens,theideaofosmoticpressuremustbeintroduced.Osmoticpressureessentiallyrefersto
acellthathaseitherahigherorlowerconcentrationoutsideorinsidethecell.Thewaterfrom
eitheroutsideorinsidepaseesthroughthesemipermeablemembraneinattempttoequalizethe
pressurebecauseifthecelldidnotdosoitwouldexplodeorbedehydrated.However,the
cyanobacteriaareevenmorespecialinthattheyhavespecialadaptationsthatsurpassothercells,
andwiththeseadaptationsitattemptstoequalizethepressurebyothermeans,andinthiscase

increasestheglucosewithinitscellwalls.So,fundamentallyduetoosmoticpressurethe
cyanobacteriaincreasedtheglucosewithinthecelltoequalizethepressurebecauseatthispoint
themediumwashypertonicandthesalinityoutsidethecellwouldeventuallydehydrateit.This
justshowsthatwithfurtherresearchotherconditionssuchaslightandcarbondioxidelevels
couldbetestedtofullyoptimizetheamountofglucosethatcanbecreated.Evenmoreso,aside
fromthetestingofconditions,thebacteriaandtheyeastcanbegeneticallymodified.The
bacteriacanbegeneticallymodifiedtoactuallysecretethesugarinsteadofhavinghumans
extracttherebyreducingcostandtimeaswellaseffort.Asfortheyeast,itcanbegenetically
modified(specificallytheplasmidapartofthenucleus)toproducemoreethanolwiththesame
amountofsugar.Itisconspicuousthattheprocessofartificialphotosynthesisandcyanobacteria
canhelptheworldtremendouslyinproducingenergyandreplacinggasolinewithethanol.
Overallthisformofenergyhasthecapabilitytoreplacetheeversopopularfossilfuelsaswellas
alloftheothersourcesofenergyasitiseffective,flexible,costefficient,andabletobe
optimizedandimprovedwhereasothershavealreadypeaked.

Inconclusion,althoughfossilfuelshavedominatedtheenergyindustryforalongtimeit
isanancientformofenergythatneedsrevampingorareplacement.Seeingasthereisnoroom
forimprovement,anewsourceofenergyisneeded.Butdespitealloftheoptionsthatwere
thrownonthetable,onlyonesourceofenergyisabletoprovideourcommunitywiththeenergy
itneedstofunctionefficiently.Cyanobacteriaisthatsourceofenergy,andalthoughtheyare
unabletobeseenfromthenakedeye,theirimpactontheworldwillbeabletobeseenfrom
space.Theyarenowthenewgiantsofenergy.

EnergyExplorationConnectiontoAnimalFarm:
Theincreasedgrowthofenergyexplorationinrecentyearsrepresentsthefactthatasthepeopleofa
society,wearealwaystryingtoimproveandrevampourwayoflifeandthisnotionoflookingfora
newsourceofenergycanconnecttotheanimalsof
AnimalFarm
whoattemptedtodosomething
similar.InAnimalFarm,afterchasingthefarmerawaytheanimalslookedtoimprovetheirsociety,
andtheychosetodosobycreatingawindmillthatcouldprovideenergyandheatfortheanimalsand
overalllessentheamountofworktheyhadtodo.Inthestorytheyexperimentedandactuallybuilttwo
windmills,despitethefactthattheygotdestroyed,itshowsthattheanimalsasmembersoftheirsociety
werelookingforawaytomakeitbetter.Asstatedin
AnimalFarm
byGeorgeOrwell,
thewindmill
wastobebuiltafterall(pg847).
Thismomentinthebookrelatedtothesearchfornewenergyasin
therealworld,wealsolooktoimproveourliveswhichisthereasonweinventallofthesenew
technologiesandalwaystrytoimprove.Specificallyinthecaseofenergyexploration,wehavebeen
lookingfordecadesnowtryingtofindasourceofenergythatcouldbebetterforusthanfossilfuels
similartotheanimalswhowantedsomesourceofenergyasidefromanimalpower.