• Question: How can we reduce the greenhouse effect from burning fossil fuels for energy?

    Asked by 565enek22 to Emma, Karla, Shane, Stephen, Yang on 7 Nov 2017.
    • Photo: Emma Hanley

      Emma Hanley answered on 7 Nov 2017:

      I guess there a number of ways we can do this, we can continue to use more renewable energy like wind, solar and biomass. We can try start using electric vehicles rather than petrol and diesel cars, make sure our homes are properly insulated, try move away from oil heating to name a few things. Hope this answered the question.

    • Photo: Karla Dussan

      Karla Dussan answered on 7 Nov 2017:

      To add on @Emma’s answer, other efforts are also available, specially for heavy (and difficult to replace) industries: For instance, there’s a technology called Carbon Sequestration and Storage, where the carbon dioxide emissions that is released from industry can be separated and stored so that we can employ it in a way that will not harm the environment and that it will not continue to fill the atmosphere with more greenhouse emissions…

      Another plausible way to reduce greenhouse gases is by replacing non-renewable fossil fuels with renewable fossil fuels, specially in applications where electric vehicles may be a difficult (and too far in the future) solution. For instance, large airplanes for long distances may not be fueled with electricity so easily… so organic materials, that can grow and re-grow, like plants, while taking up the carbon dioxide of the atmosphere, can be used to replace fossil fuels.

      There is lots we can talk about here đŸ™‚ My work is mostly focused on using organic materials —> biomass for fuel and energy applications… Look at this great link that may have more info http://www.alliantenergykids.com/EnergyandTheEnvironment/RenewableEnergy/022398

    • Photo: Stephen Rhatigan

      Stephen Rhatigan answered on 7 Nov 2017:

      Emma and Karla have answered this question thoroughly but I would like to add that 33% of Ireland’s greenhouse emissions come from agriculture and a huge fraction of that is due to the farts and burps of livestock.
      Cattle and sheep are ruminants, which means that they chew, regurgitate and re-chew their food. They take energy from their food through fermentation. This happens in a special stomach where bacteria break down the plant matter and release methane gas.
      Methane traps 25 times more energy from the sun than carbon dioxide.
      The global demand for meat and dairy is increasing so we need a way to reduce these emissions.
      Approaches might include dietary supplements, altering the stomach bacteria or even feeding with seaweed.

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