FUTURE OF ALTERNATING ENERGY

clean, renewable energy sources opens up
new possibilities of ways to use available
land. Alternatives to the current acceptable
use of fossil fuels are building a following.
Environmentalists as well as consumers
seek cost effective energy sources that
lessen the damage to the Earth. Geothermal,
wind power, solar power, along with
ethanol and burnable oils are all potential
uses for land.
Geothermal
Geothermal energy is found within the
earth's core. With an estimated 42 million
megawatts of power, the earth's interior
has the ability to provide much needed
clean and renewable energy to the world. In
a nutshell, wells are drilled into geothermal
reservoirs, which are simply natural hot
water or steam. The liquid is brought up
from the interior of the Earth and converted
into electricity. Companies are selling
Geothermal Heat Pumps (GHP) that tap into
the heat at the center of the Earth and use it
for heating, cooling, and cooking in homes
as well as for industrial uses. Geothermal, as
one of the most efficient means of energy,
will garner more following as part of the
march toward cleaner, renewable energy
sources.
Wind Power
A sight that is becoming more prevalent
throughout the U.S. and the world are the
tall turbines that capture the power of the
wind with elegant paddles that whir round
and round. Wind power is an ancient form
of using nature to work for man. The
uneven heating of the Earth creates winds.
Humans figured out thousands of years ago
that life could be made easier by harnessing
the wind's energy. Sailing across seas,
windmills grinding grain, sawing, or
pumping water made life easier.
The largest U.S. wind farm is in Altamont
Pass, Calif., and beneath the turbines graze
farm animals, which is the original use for
the land where they now stand. The
turbines at Altamont Pass have more than
20 industries installing more than 7,300
wind turbines. These gentle wind giants
have produced more than 6 billion kilowatt-
hours of electricity. The location of turbines
is the most important aspect when creating
wind energy. They must be in an open area
without tall buildings, hills, or mountains to
obstruct the wind. The time of year plays a
role into energy production, also. Nearly
pollution free, wind power is priced
competitively with little or no social cost to
the world.
Farming for Ethanol
Ethanol, widely publicized lately, is nothing
more than using plant sources to create a
chemical compound that has the ability to
fuel vehicles. Corn, sugar cane, sorghum,
barley, hemp, sugar beet, switch grass,
sweet potatoes, and sunflowers all have the
potential to be used in the production of
ethanol. Because of higher crop yields,
switch grass and sugar cane are the most
desirable crops to grow with the intention
of fuel conversion. Besides being a cleaner
source of energy, ethanol is renewable,
making it an attractive alternative to fossil
fuels.
Burnable Oils
Burnable oils, also known as biodiesel, are
clean burning, biodegradable, non-toxic and
have gained much attention. Usually made
from vegetable or animal fats, soybeans
have been the crop of choice. Research is
ongoing to find a higher yielding crop that
could eliminate the need for fossil fuels.
Solar Power
Solar power is converting the heat and light
that the sun puts out into energy. Two
forms of solar power, direct and indirect,
are there for the taking. Direct solar energy
is just that - it is the warmth of the sun put
to use. An example is a light mill that is
heated when hit by the sun. The heat in
turn causes the vanes to go around.
Photosynthesis is a form of indirect solar
energy. Sunlight hits a plant, and through
photosynthesis, the plant transforms solar
energy to chemical energy.
Most people are familiar with solar panels.
Solar panels simply take in the sun's light
and heat water for a supply of hot water
for home use, or provide electricity through
photovoltaic panels. Solar energy is used in
three main ways:
Solar cells take the energy directly from
the sun and change the light into
electricity. Calculators are good example
of solar energy at work.
Solar water heating is achieved by glass
panels on a roof. By going this route,
electricity charges are lessened.
The third way is with solar furnaces.

.....Endangered Tigers......

One of the most majestic animals of all time,
the tiger is on the brink of extinction. They
have been rampantly hunted for their
various body organs.Though the tiger is one of the most
powerful mammal, it also faces the worst
chances of being extinct.
Tigers have been hunted heavily by
humans over the past few years. The tiger
population in the Indian sub-continent has
declined seriously in the past fifty years.
Nepal has only two hundred tigers, while
India has about four thousand, a serious
decline from the past figures. China and
Korea are the biggest criminals as far as
tiger poaching is concerned. In the nineteen
hundreds, the entire tiger population was
more than one lakh. However, today the
global tiger population is less than ten
thousand animals.
While humans are the worst enemies of the
tiger, it also has enemies in the form of
elephants, bears and very large
buffaloes.The only defense tigers have
against their enemies are their razor sharp
claws and their strong teeth. Other than
that, sometimes the sheer weight of a tiger
can kill a average sized humans. Tigers are
known to weight as much as three hundred
to five hundred pounds.
The male tiger weighs five hundred pounds,
whereas the tigress weighs three hundred
pounds. The Siberian tiger is of the biggest
size in the tiger family, and therefore the cat
family. The tiger's average height is around
three feet.
Tigers are very good climbers and
swimmers. This adaptability saves them
from natural disasters and floods. However,
when it comes to fighting against their
biggest mortal enemy - the human - tigers
fall short of an arsenal in their weapon.
Tigers have been hunted by humans since
time incarnate. In ancient times, some tigers
were also tamed and kept as pets by
royalty. Indeed, a tamed cat would add
much color to the royal nature of people at
that time.Tiger hunting was a sport played
by royalty in ancient times. Also, in many
Asian countries, there many superstitions
regarding tigers. It doesn't matter whether
wearing a talisman made out of a tiger's
claw has any supernatural powers or not - a
tiger will lose his life so that someone
makes money out of it.
Other than that, tigers have been hunted for
their fur. Ironically, the biggest enemies of
tigers may be the connection they have
with masculinity and strength in the minds
of their largest predators, humans. Almost
everything related to the tiger has been
sold and held in high esteem and price, be it
their claws, their fur, their teeth and in some
cases, their eyes.
The tiger's body organs have also been
rumored to be a cure for many of human
ailments. This has also resulted in the
reckless poaching of tigers, making the
tigers an endangered species today.
Most of the tiger's body parts are said to be
aphrodisiacs, medicines or poisons -
possibly the most powerful in the world.
This false notion has therefore made
hunters hunt tigers for their whiskers, the
aforementioned whiskers, their eyes, the
aforementioned talismans and their penises,
liver and fat, the aforementioned
aphrodisiacs. The bones of a tiger are also
said to be prized medicines.
Other than simple hunting, humans have
also changed the natural habitat of the tiger.
Humans have encroached on tiger land,
which more often than not results in
hunting tigers in the end. They have also
destroyed their habitats by cutting down
trees and polluting the atmosphere. More
seriously, humans have hunted their prey,
forcing tigers to either starve or take more
risks. In reality, the tiger does not hunt any
animal larger than itself, for example the
elephant.
There are now serious actions taken for the
survival of this majestic beast at the brink
of extinction. All sub species of the tiger, like
the white tiger has been proclaimed to be
endangered.China has banned the sale of all
and any tiger related products since 1993.
Since then, illegal poaching of tigers for
their fur, bones and other organs is
rampant.