Fossil-free energy focus of SRU fair
SLIPPERY ROCK — The continued use of fossil fuels will increase global warming, said a former Slippery Rock University science professor.
Robert Hinds, professor emeritus at SRU who retired in 2002, spoke Saturday at the second annual Fossil-Free Energy Fair at SRU.
About 60 people attended Hinds' presentation Saturday morning.
The program also included a presentation by SRU professor John Golden on sustainable energy enterprises and their economic benefits.
There were information booths, including those by Ford and BMW that featured electric cars. Others focused on solar power system installation, alternative energy choices, and one that even offered free hot dogs cooked with solar energy.
Hinds said that burning hydrogen, which he noted is not a fossil fuel, creates a large amount of energy, and does not create or release carbon dioxide.
“When hydrogen burns, it has a lot of energy,” Hinds said.
However, he said commonly used fossil fuels create less energy and have a higher carbon dioxide output than hydrogen. He said natural gas produces less energy and has a higher carbon dioxide output, and oil and coal produce even less energy and more carbon dioxide.
Hinds said that from 1901 to 2012, temperatures increased in all parts of the U.S. except for some of the South. Worldwide, he said the temperature has increased everywhere, except in the Antarctic. He said the most dramatic increase was in the Arctic.Since 1750, he said, the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide has gone up 36 percent, and the concentration of methane has risen 148 percent. Carbon dioxide levels have cycled for the past 450,000 years, but have drastically increased since the Industrial Revolution and have gone past a level never seen before 1950.Statistically, the United States has put the most carbon dioxide into the atmosphere with Germany a distant second. He also offered data showing China had the highest global emissions, but the U.S. had the highest per person.“So, in a sense, part of our legacy is that we have done the most in terms of putting carbon dioxide in the atmosphere,” Hinds said.He said that weather patterns will change and sea levels will rise.From 1955 to 2006, the thickness of glaciers has decreased by about 50 feet, he said.He also said that fossil fuels have been known to cause health problems.“But, we need more energy,” Hinds said.He pointed out that few people would be willing to work with less electricity, technology and food.He said the best way to solve the energy and pollution problem is with sustainable, fossil-free energy.“That's the solution as I see it,” Hinds said.These include the use of solar panels and currents.However, he said that moving from fossil fuels to fossil-free energy will be a challenge. Some people, he said, will resist because they like tried-and-true sources.He said it will take the collective will of the world, more funding and time. He said making the change too quickly would cause great disruption.Hinds also said fossil fuel usage should be prioritized. He noted that petroleum products have more valuable uses, such as plastics and medical supplies.“Burning it is the least important,” Hinds said.He said that some estimates say there are 50 years of oil left, but some say there is more oil. So, he said it could run out, or it could become so expensive that governments end up stockpiling it for official use.Hinds said there is about 200 years of natural gas left, but he said 200 years of gas production would put so much methane in the atmosphere that the greenhouse effect would increase greatly.He said there is about 1,000 years of coal left, but he noted that coal has the highest carbon dioxide emission level of the fossil fuels.Despite the issues, Hinds said that everything on Earth except for raw plants, trees and animals would not be here if not for fossil fuels. He said fossil fuels brought the planet into the 21st century, but also brought a global warming that could change the climate and displace millions of people.One way or another, he said, the planet will survive, but life on it is a different story. He said life could get better, worse or simply stay the same.“It depends on what we do,” Hinds said. “It's a gloomy picture, but we must have the collective will to do something.”The fair was sponsored by the SRU Sustainable Enterprise Accelerator and Marcellus Outreach Butler.
