Sustainability is a broad discipline, giving students and graduates insights into most aspects of the human world from business to technology to environment and the social sciences. Define Sustainability The definition of “sustainability” is the study of how natural systems function, remain diverse and produce everything it needs for the ecology to remain in balance.…
Read more
Cold Hard Facts about Nuclear Power
Most countries in the western world have harnessed the power of nuclear technology for decades. Since the development of the atomic bomb, the human race has found other uses for this technology that still divides people – it provides power for our homes and has medicinal uses. Nuclear physics is a well-established division of the…
Read more
Nuclear Energy 101
Out of all the ways we power the planet, nuclear energy may be the most divisive. When it first began as an offshoot of nuclear weapons programs, it seemed to promise unlimited electricity that would power a new atomic age. The first nuclear power plant came online in the USSR in 1954, followed three years…
Read more
Wind Power 101
Modern wind power is a recent development based on a very old technology. The wind has propelled sail boats for at least 5000 years, and turned windmills for perhaps 1500 years. Even the concept of generating electricity with wind power dates back to the first successful attempt in the late 1800s. But aside from the…
Read more
Natural Gas 101: Pros & Cons
Natural gas is a fossil fuel, like oil and coal. It’s formed from decayed organic material transformed by high temperatures and pressures over millions of years into bubbles of methane gas. Conventional sources are found in underground gas fields or oil fields. Unconventional sources are more challenging to extract because the gas is locked inside…
Read more
Hydroelectric Power 101
Hydroelectric power uses the kinetic energy of moving water to produce electricity. It's the most widely used form of renewable energy, generating 19% of electricity worldwide (1). While large-scale projects have had mixed results in the developing world, when done properly, hydroelectric is a cheap, clean and effective method of producing energy. Hydroelectric Methods Most…
Read more
Solar Power 101: Advantages & Disadvantages
Solar power is the conversion of the sun’s energy into electricity. With an estimated 173,000 terawatts of solar energy continuously hitting Earth’s surface (1), there is more than enough energy to meet the world’s current consumption levels of 15 terawatts per year (2). The trick, though, is collecting it. Solar Power Technology Solar energy is primarily collected…
Read more