Physical Science

October 28, 2005

Fred P. Student

Renewable Energy

Article one: (Infotrac) Dolan, Kerry A. “Clean and Green.” Forbes, v176, i2, p111 (July 25, 2005).

Article two: Canon, Scott. http://www.eren.doe.gov/wind/ “Electronic Garbage Gets Dumped.”

Review of Forbes article: “Clean and Green”

Written by Kerry A. Dolan

A single line in an article of a recent Forbes magazine describes an American investment strategy involving environmental issues. “If you want to stake your money on environmentalism, look in Europe.” The “U.S. green-tech market is not nearly as advanced” (Dolan).

The article gives two reasons green technologies are making more profitable in Europe than in the United States. Government subsidies and the willingness of the European investors to support environmentally friendly technologies. Even though these “green technologies” are becoming an interest to investors, the article also states; “neither kind of renewable energy is competitive on its own” (Dolan).

According to Dolan, even in Europe it is easier to find those who wish to invest in equipment manufacturing companies rather than in the production and sale of renewable energy. For instance, a German solar equipment manufacturing company called Solarworld “earned $22 million on $228 million in revenues last year.” Two of the largest wind turbine manufacturers, “Vestas Wind Systems of Denmark and Gamesa Corporation Tecnolagica of Spain” were included on the lists of recommended stocks. “Gamesa earned $271 million on $2.1 billion in sales” (Dolan). The article continues to give other potentially successful green technologies to watch.

The United States is not completely left out of the discussion in this article. Following General Electric’s “pledge to double GE’s research and investment in cleaner technologies to $1.5 billion a year by 2010,” other “investing institutions in the United States and Europe pledged to invest $1 billion a year in clean technologies” (Dolan).

One other area of renewable energy is discussed in this article. Biofuel production is growing because of the rising price of gasoline and again, a Spanish company named Abengoa is listed “as a leader” (Dolan).

According to this article, when it comes to green technologies, Europe is leading the world in the eyes of potential investors both in profitability and the willingness to invest in the area.

 At this point you will give your discussion of whether the paper supports your ideas or you disagree with the ideas expressed in the article.

Review of “Electronic Garbage Gets Dumped”

Written by Scott Canon

In March of 2005, an article was printed in the Kansas City Star describing our society’s method of disposing electronic waste and the proposals in the planning stage to change the process. Consumers are described as hungry for a “faster, better product” and manufacturers are “profit driven” to meet that need (Canon). The result is leading to a serious risk to the environment resulting in a waste of a non-renewable resources, and only a few states are “experimenting” to find ways to change the trend.

Nationwide it is estimated only “one in ten home computers in the United States gets re-cycled” (Canon). The volume of electronic junk in the Kansas City area alone is equivalent to “60 Boeing 737 jetliners” or “about 5,000 tons” per year (Canon). Canon considers electronic waste as anything from home personal computers to cell phones and any other electronic gadgets that fail or become obsolete.

All electronic devices contain hazardous materials. The list includes “lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, titanium, zinc, beryllium,” and more (Canon). Even though they are harmful to the environment, these ingredients are still necessary for the next generation of electronics. Yet, these hazardous materials are put in land fills all over the country and even at the more “improved” land fills, “there can still eventually be leaching of that stuff” (Canon).

Our society is converting a non-renewable resource into a “mountain” of garbage. The article quotes Matt Riggs; regional outreach coordinator for Mid-America Regional Council’s solid waste management district. Mr. Riggs states; “pretty much everything in (a computer) can be reused somewhere” (Canon). Instead, we throw the stuff away when it becomes outdated.

The proposals intended to address the issue speak of incentives and fees. The incentives are to go to the manufacturers in the form of tax credits for those willing to recycle their products. Fees are to be charged to those purchasing electronic devices to pay for “developing the recycling capability” (Canon).

This article describes the “need to build an infrastructure to handle all the waste” and it gives us a couple of choices. America could follow a “European approach,” which is to suggest liability and make the “manufacturers responsible,” or chose to go with the incentive proposals that even in the beginning stages will cost the United States Treasury hundreds of millions of dollars in the plan’s early years.

 At this point you will give your discussion of whether the paper supports your ideas or you disagree with the ideas expressed in the article.