e-portfolio 5

My e -portfolio 5 is on my own group roundtable discussion. Actually I would like to have a summary on other groups. Since I have missed that lesson, I would have no choice but to stick to my group.
Our group roundtable is of a topic of renewable energies. Nowadays, most of energy is provided by burning of coal and fossil fuel. However, since these resources are finite and are going to run out in hundred years, we have to find some energy to replace them. I believe that the most crucial reason for us to search a substitution for coal and fossil is due to the fact that there are running out soon instead of our concern for environment. Nevertheless, our group discuss about some renewable energies like hydropower, solar power and nuclear power.
According to our research, hydropower is the most widely use renewable energy. About 17% of world energy is produced by hydropower. Hydropower is pollution-free. That is one feature which most of renewable energy has. Despite from that, many of countries around the world can adapt to hydropower as long as there are big streams and rivers. In addition, the efficiency of hydropower station is rather high which means the amount of money needed to invest in hydropower station is quite low as compare to that of wind power. Recently, there is a moveable hydropower dam being created. It increases the efficiency of hydropower evermore. However, the downside of it is rather clear. Countries with limited water resource would not embrace hydropower.
Another renewable energy we discussed is solar energy. It is especially relevant in Singapore. Being a tropical country, we do have sufficient solar energy. However, only a small amount of solar energy is used. It is simply because the cost of setting up a solar energy system is quite high. The solar panel is very expensive and not everyone can afford it. Some may argue that why the government do not subsidize for it. Well, that is the question I also want to know. I think may be that our government also think that the solar energy panel is so economically feasible to set up.
Last but now least, nuclear power is one energy that is most power and efficient. It is clear that the economic benefit of it is higher than all the other known renewable energies. The only and utmost concern is how to deal with the nuclear waste. The radioactive nature of the nuclear waste makes it highly unfavourable. No one like to have radioactive substance around them as there may result in cancer.

summary for two articles

The first article is about a British team who trek to the North Pole to measure how fast he Arctic sea-ice is melting. The famous Arctic explorer Pen Hadow and his teammates arrived at the northern coast of Canada on Saturday. They schedule to measure the thickness of the ice and provide the most detailed survey in this season. The thickness of ice is measure by a mobile radar unit. This expedition provides scientists with a better understanding of how fast the ice is shrinking. Many people believe that the sea-ice is melting at a faster rate due to the increase in air temperature above the ice and also because of warmer waters underneath it. The majority of scientific institutions and agencies who study the Arctic believe that global warming is responsible for the changes. Back to a few years, researchers foresee that all the ice could have molten in summer by the end of this century. Mr Hadow and his Survey group are trying to collect crucial up to date data about the status of the ice in winter and early spring. It is the period when the amount of ice is at its maximum. This can provide scientists the most recent data of Arctic ice.
The second article is about the US nuclear relic found in bottle. According to scientists the bottle contains the oldest sample of bomb-grade plutonium made in nuclear reactor. The source of nuclear waste is identified by a team from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory used nuclear forensic techniques. The insights can be found in the latest edition of the journal Analytical Chemistry. The mysterious bottle was found in a burial trench at the Hanford nuclear site in Washington State, north-western US. The sample was produced at the Hanford site in Trinity. In order to retrieve bomb-grade plutonium, used nuclear fuel was moved from a reactor to a chemical reprocessing plant. A large scale environmental cleanup is carried out at the Hanford site due to highly radioactive nature of the waste. The process of identifying the age of sample is quite complicated. The researchers study the different isotopes of plutonium and uranium and conclude that it originated from the spent fuel in 1944. The researchers concern that the current nuclear renaissance and high access to these material by the public could encourage smuggling of fissionable materials in future.
Article 1 is from BBC news, Sunday,1 March 2009, Explorers begin epic Arctic trek.
Article 2 is from BBC newsMonday,2 March 2009，by Paul Rincon, US nuclear relic found in bottle.