Is Tesla's Success Surprising Why?

Do you know about Tesla, not the Inventor But The Company?

Well, actually many people didn't know the inventor until the company had such a mainstream impact that introduced the inventor the many. Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla motors named it after the great inventor NikolaTesla, now if you want to google the word Tesla the first results are going to be about Tesla or its models, the company were named as a tribute to the great inventor.

What is so special about Tesla Motors? 

Elon Musk the Real Iron Man

Well simply said it is the revolutionary mindset! 

When the largest car manufacturers were expecting a period of at least 10 to 20 years until electric cars will be mass produced, Tesla motors came up with an electric car that could achieve speeds and acceleration matching names like Porches, Ferrari, and many other high-speed cars with a relatively good range per charge.

After some time, Tesla made another car the Model S that is a luxury car with great acceleration and handling and they did one thing more, all the cars sold; get a lifetime free charge from Tesla chargers that were covering more areas across northern America.

Then they announced that they will introduce a cheaper smaller car that will be mass produced and will cover a range of more than 200 miles per charge. And now production started but a delivery time of the first model 3 cars is expected to be in mid-2017.

During all this, other car manufacturers were looking to catch up with Tesla, but sometimes large companies become so used to the way they do things that it becomes hard to do things in another way. The Chevy Volt was an aggressive response to the challenge that Tesla has set Chevrolet CEO says that Tesla's achievements were an inspiration.

But still, why is Tesla so charming?

Berkeley Pit: An Environmental Nightmare

Berkeley Pit: Filled With Toxic Water

If there is ever going to be an example of how mining can be so devastating to the environment then there might be no better example than the Berkeley Pit. Why is the Berkeley Pit a good BAD example of how mining can be so devastating?

First if you look at the area affected by mining such pit and then looking at how deadly the water accumulating in it and the potential threat that it poses on the surrounding water reserves and the efforts that are made and still need to be made are all indications of how can mining be such a threat to the environment and to human safety as well. And the story does not end there as because of the Pit there is also the problem of the Yankee Doodle Tailings Pond that is adds to the environmental bill paid by such acts.

So what is our purpose here in this post, our aim is quite simple. We need to spread awareness among people all around the world that open mining is not a good way to extract metals and in many ways recycling can be a better option, as for general information, Berkeley Pit (lick on the link for a Google map location of Berkeley Pit) was a copper extraction site, where around one billion tons of copper and other metals were extracted.

Then what needs to be done?

BioDiesel From Cooking Oil

Vegetable Oil Bottle

It is simply the conversion of cooked oil that is no longer good for human consumption to be transferred into biodiesel that can be used in any diesel engine. Yes, any diesel engine!, in a matter of fact biodiesel that is processed correctly is even better for your engine than regular diesel can you believe that!, don't and we will tell you why later.

Just imagine that if we made use of the 52.1 million tonnes ,of palm oil alone, that were produced in 2012 and transformed it into biodiesel (of course that will mean that we had 26.05 million tonnes of cooking oil that was got rid of and the other 26.05 of palm oil was consumed with whatever was cooked in that oil) so if we used that oil and turned it to biodiesel then we will have substantial amounts of biodiesel that can fuel trucks to load goods to and from thriving cities with lower, I mean much lower environmental impact than diesel. Carbon Dioxide emissions are 80-85% less from biodiesel compared with regular diesel. That is good news for everyone especially for cities that are too congested and are suffering from car emissions.

If we look at the total world production of vegetable oil which is 175.65 million metric tonnes, then using the same criteria we could have access to around 87 million metric tonnes of used vegetable oil that means 735.15 million barrels of potential biodiesel. In 2010 the world diesel consumption were 9173 million barrels a year and that is around 8% of the total world need for diesel oil. If you find that 8% is just too little then please let me tell you that you are wrong. Because if you look at the quantity of carbon dioxide that can be reduced from this 8% you will reconsider your thoughts (I hope) for the record one liter of diesel produces 2.772Kg of CO2 compared with just around 0.5Kg from diesel oil. That is 2037.83 million tonnes of CO2 compared with 367.575 million tonnes of CO2 from Biodiesel. One tree can process 21Kg of CO2 in 1 year this would mean that from this 8% then we are reducing the need to plant around 80 million trees (but don't get me wrong we need to plant millions and millions of trees)

Not only that, but usually in many developing countries oil is disposed off in a very non environmental friendly way. This leads to many problems among of which is the accumulation of oil on the surface of lakes or bodies of water which leads to reduced oxygenation of water and thus threatens marine life or at least impacts fish numbers in those areas. You might want to know more about the waste oil disposal issues by visiting the link that better addresses such problem.    

But don't get too excited there many engine manufacturers recommend that pure biodiesel is not a good alternative to your car or truck and say that your engine is under warranty if you use 20:80 ratio that means that you can only mix 20 gallons of biodiesel to 80 gallons of regular diesel oil this term is also known as B20. You can use B100 that complies with the ASTM (American Society for Testing materials) but that right now is not recommended by many engine and car manufacturers around the world.  

VW XL1

Recently the car guru Volkswagen has revealed its new highly efficient car that they claim that is capable to go for as much as 60 miles per one liter of diesel! and if we use a B20 blend this would mean that the car is a really good choice for those who are caring for earth and the environment around them. Its name is the XL1 and is a hybrid car that has the name of the one liter car!. Unfortunately its price tag is around 111K in Euro and is a concept car, but there are other diesel car that are within the reach of the public and here are the best 10 diesel cars with the highest MPG.
For me even if it ranked fourth in the list but I will really consider a VW Golf if I ever want to buy a new car for me (I think these are my male genes speaking now).

All in all the message is clear, we can be green and care about the environment, while also keeping our modern lifestyle. We just have to make certain adjustments and tweaking so that we live in a more energy conserving and use more energy efficient gadgets.    

For even more in depth info around this topic you might want to see:
How to make your own biofuel
How To Start Your Own Biodiesel Fuel Program (PDF)
Palm Oil Facts and Figures
how it's made wikihow topic
how to convert cooking oil to a biodiesel
McDonald's turning green Plan
Brazil want to become the Saudi Arabia of Ethanol

Hope you like this article, please for your opinions and comments type them in the comment box below, thank you.

Coal: A green energy!

When someone speaks about coal, it always comes to mind that coal is a polluting source of energy that we need to stop using, to keep our planet safe. But wait a minute; did you know that 41% of the world’s electricity production is based on coal?!

But what does this mean? Why countries like USA and Germany are are still using coal for electricity production?

The answer is not a simple one, but it is a combination of economic, supply and demand, technology and sometimes even politics. But we all know how coal is very polluting energy source was the sole reason for cities like London to suffer from Black cloudy sky that blocked sun light even in good summer days. At that time many poets mentioned these clouds of smog in their poems. And we thought that this century is not going to be a coal tolerant one! Surely we (environmentalists) were wrong about that.

Making Fossil Fuel Market Green!

For years now there are researches and investments that are dedicated to find new ways to reduce fossil fuel negative impact on the world's environment by finding alternatives fossil fuels. But is that enough and will that be applicable in the next 10-15 years? So why not try to make fossil fuel industry more efficient, less polluting and greener market? What will be the impact of that on the environment?

As it is known fossil fuel market is a huge market that is estimated to be of hundreds of billions of dollars so it will make sense to apply some enhancements to this market that will make it more environmental friendly to earth. But how can this be done?

Please note that we are not going to refer to the automobile industry as we think that it needs a totally different article, nor we are going to refer to factories for example plastic factories (though we might consider dedicating an article or more about these things). In this article we are going to look at the industry from the point these fossil fuels are extracted from the earth to the point they are delivered to produce energy.

In this industry there are many process that are applied and so there is a need to work on each process to make it more efficient or at least become less polluting.

Rechargeable batteries: Are They The Best Solution

It has been a controversy since rechargeable batteries emerged to the public market in mass production that are they the best solution? I also were wondering about this and made many researches and actual monitoring to the lifespan of these batteries, and it is fair to say that rechargeable batteries are not in their best shape yet. So what can be the alternative?

Well a one solution can be to make your gadgets convert rather than converting your batteries, are you wondering how? ! Simply by turning them to be able to take AC supply rather than a DC\Battery supply. How this is done?  

Well all the answers you need to know are written in this article "Convert Battery Powered Electronics to Run on AC", but before you go to that article you need to know some facts first. For instance the mobility of you gadgets will be severely affected as they will need to be wired like any other AC powered device. Also that the application of such conversion is not easily done and needs some basic info about electronics and soldering. Moreover you will need to be careful about which gadgets to convert as some gadgets are to sensitive to tolerate slight changes in voltages. Furthermore the voltage regulator weather is was the LM317 or the L78XX you will need to know the current needed by the gadget to run and you will sometimes need to have a heat sink mounted on it.

In addition to all these things to consider the big question become will it be worth it?! Well actually Yes but it depends on the gadgets under question as some gadgets that contain motors will need more power and thus will need too often to have either replace their batteries or recharge them and in both cases the cost over which you are paying is relatively high especially when using regular not chargeable batteries. When you convert these devices to use AC supply then you are going to have a prolonged and almost maintenance free solution. Also the basic cost is relatively low compared to rechargeable batteries.

Finally, converting your gadgets to AC will be a good idea if you were opting for cost reduction and immobility of your devices and it will be a little bit challenging to do such a change with your gadgets so please apply your first time conversion on a low cost gadget that will not hurt your pocket if something went wrong. By the way it this is your first to time to know about electronics then it is a very good starting point as the work applies is relatively easy to apply.  

You might want to look for the datasheets of either LM317 (mentioned in the article above) OR  L7805 if you couldn't find LM317 then you might want to use L78XX series for an alternative.

If you liked this article then you might also like to read Recycling Batteries

Hope you like this article, please for your opinions or comments type them in the comment box below, thank you!.

How Gold Is Mined: A Destructive Process

Few people are aware of the immense waste of natural resources involved in gold mining. The production of a single gold ring requires up to eighteen tons of ore. A jewelry box full of watches, bracelets, and chains represents an environmental impact that would stun most people. It involves dynamiting mines, allowing drainage of hard metals into the ecosystem, and sometimes, dumping the remains of the process into streams and other natural habitats.

These facts aren't widely-publicized. If they were, there would likely be far fewer people buying gold for jewelry. Below, we'll describe the mining process, so you'll understand the enormous environmental cost it entails.

How Gold Is Mined

Mines are either blasted or dug in order for workers to gain access to gold-laced ore. Open pit mines are typically created with the liberal use of explosives (e.g. dynamite). Large pieces of land are blown open, wreaking havoc with the nearby ecosystem. Tunnel mines, on the other hand, are created via excavation. While seemingly less destructive than open pit mines, tunnel mines also cause environmental problems.

Once a mine has been created, the challenge then turns to digging up, and getting rid of, waste rock.

The Problem With Waste Rock

While both mining methods (e.g. open pit and tunnel) produce a significant amount of waste rock, much more is produced during the creation of an open pit mine. In both cases, however, there is so much rock produced that removing it is cost-prohibitive. So, it is piled near the mine. Several tons, rich with sulfur, sit out in the open. This is thought to contribute to the production of acid rain.

Acid rain poses another environmental issue. The rain washes over the rock, which contains lead, mercury, and other metals that can be harmful to the ecosystem. These metals are released from the rocks, and can eventually drain into the environment.

Heap Leaching Explained

Heap leaching is the process used to separate precious metals from ore. It is usually done by first grinding the large ore-rich rocks excavated from the mine into smaller pieces. Then, these pieces are irrigated with cyanide. The cyanide "leaches" out the gold and other precious metals, all of which land in a liner located beneath the small rocks.

This process can require several weeks, and usually involves a significant volume of cyanide. As you might expect, there is a negative environmental effect.

Getting Rid Of Cyanide

The "pregnant solution" (i.e. the mixture of cyanide, gold, and other metals) is taken to a processing plant for chemical treatment and separation. Recall from earlier that the production of a single gold ring takes several tons of ore. Once the gold has been separated, the waste material (called tailings), must be dumped.

These tailings include the cyanide used during the heap leaching process as well as other harmful hard metals. They are often dumped into the environment, which causes additional problems for the surrounding ecosystem. This process will defenaltly pollute nearby water resources and will of cource have a tremendous negative impact on all living creatures living near the mining area. 

Selling Your Gold Is Good For The Environment

The mining process described above produces a stunning amount of waste. Most people who buy gold jewelry have little idea regarding the environmental impact their purchase decision poses. You can reduce this impact by selling your old gold jewelry online.

When you sell your pieces to a refiner, the gold content is extracted and smelted. It is then sold to jewelry and product manufacturers for use in new products. Your gold is essentially recycled, which makes mining new gold less necessary for meeting the market's demand. While new customers will remain unaware of the recycled gold, you'll know that you're improving the environment.

Another reason to sell your gold is to take advantage of the recent high price. Not only will your decision help preserve the environment, but you'll be able to enjoy a healthy injection of funds in the process.

Some people say: "Help save the environment by recycling old gold, old jewelry with a refinery such as Refinity.com. Recycle and sell gold coins to make a few dollars and do your part to save the planet." But is that the solution to the entire problem ?!

We need to push people to become more considerate and have better awareness about the impact of gold mining on the environment and try to force gold mining companies to reduce their negative impact on ecosystems around mining areas. Most companies are using aggressive ways of mining just because there are no rules or laws governing there mining process, especially when the mines are in developing countries that suffer from corrupted governments. So we need to spread awareness about this problem so that mining companies are forced to use more environmental friendly ways to extract gold. As we can't just ask people to stop buying gold or diamonds, for that matter, but we can make this industry become a better one.

Furthermore, nowadays gold is not only used for jewelry it is used in computer motherboards, CPU's and many other gadgets so it is not just a kind of luxury. As gold has properties that make it a very good electricity conductor and is more and more being used nowadays in high tech gadgets.

Finally, most mining processes are still so primitive and old that they go almost a century back in technology, we can't afford to keep this going on as earth is struggling from our brutal exhaustion of its resources and ecosystems. We need to start changing things for the better so that future generations don't curse us for being so irresponsible and inconsiderate.

Hope you like this article, please for your opinions and comments type them in the comment box below, thank you. 

Are We Actually Using Batteries?!

In our daily life there are many uses to batteries ,as they are the power source of most of our gadgets, but the question that comes to my mind is are we using batteries to their full potential?!

Well, to answer that question I've looked for many sources to find answers. I even bought a digital voltmeter!. And started measuring the output voltages of the batteries that I was going to dispose ,as they no longer ran my gadgets, and to my surprise most of the batteries I was measuring were giving an output voltage of not less than 1.3 volts! which is good, as brand new batteries have an output voltage of about 1.5 volts. After that I started to look for ways to make use of the remaining voltages in those batteries. Oh ya I want to squeeze the juice out of my batteries!

I found out that there are many gadgets that need batteries to be of great power not only to have a good output voltage but also to have a good current output. mostly gadgets like portable CD players or my digital cameras will need more power from the battries than other gadgets like a TV remote control or a ceiling clock. So I found out that batteries that are no longer good to run my CD player were great for running my TV remote control with great efficiency and latency!

Making use of your batteries is not only more economic but is better to the environment as the manufacturing process of batteries is of course adding carbon emissions to the globe. So it is responsibility to make use of these batteries and also a responsibility to dispose those batteries properly. 

Moreover I had another battery to run a clock!. So I figured that the gadgets I use need different quantities of "juice" to run so I started looking for ways to drain the juice out of them.

The most effective way to drain a battery is by placing it in a flash light, of course the flash light is going to go dimmer as the batteries run out but it is an efficient way to squeeze the juice out of your batteries.

Another way is to place batteries in a remote control that is used for TV, DVD player, Video player etc almost most remote controls need very low energy and will not mind batteries that are of a voltage lower than 1.3 volt. And even if the energy were too low the remote control will still function but its range is going to be reduced.

If you have a cordless mouse or keyboard then you can place theses batteries in these gadgets as they too do not need that much energy of the batteries, but be careful to place batteries that are too drained to run them as they will no longer run.

If you are into electronics then you might want to look into Ray's DIY Electronics Hobby Projects as this is a good way to get the juice of your batteries until they are as low as 0.65 volts.

Finally and most effectively also the most green solution is to get rechargeable batteries and replace all your batteries with rechargeable ones. Even though it might be more expensive to buy but after using them some more time you are going to save a good deal of money rather than having to buy more batteries. Here's an article that has more information about rechargeable batteries.

For your comments and thoughts please write it in the comment box below