The mission of Algalita Education is to let the world know about the giant plastic soup we have found in the Central Pacific Gyre and other marine locations so that something can be done to halt this increasing problem before it becomes worse than it already is. We do this with K-12 education programs, making presentations locally, at the state, federal and international levels, by the distribution of our signature video Our Synthetic Sea, and through every facet of the media.

http://www.algalita.org/

Want to learn about energy in a fun way? Join the energy ant to learn about energy facts, fun & games, energy history, and classroom activities (K-12.)

HOW ELECTRICITY IS GENERATED

Did you know that most electricity generated in the United State comes from burning coal? In 2006, nearly half (49%) of the country's 4.1 trillion kilowatt hours of electricity used coal as its source of energy.

Natural gas, in addition to being burned to heat water for steam, can also be burned to produce hot combustion gases that pass directly through a turbine, spinning the blades of the turbine to generate electricity. Gas turbines are commonly used when electricity utility usage is in high demand. In 2006, 20% of the nation's electricity was fueled by natural gas.
Petroleum can also be used to make steam to turn a turbine. Residual fuel oil, a product refined from crude oil, is often the petroleum product used in electric plants that use petroleum to make steam. Petroleum was used to generate about two percent (2%) of all electricity generated in U.S. electricity plants in 2006.

Nuclear power is a method in which steam is produced by heating water through a process called nuclear fission. In a nuclear power plant, a reactor contains a core of nuclear fuel, primarily enriched uranium. When atoms of uranium fuel are hit by neutrons they fission (split), releasing heat and more neutrons. Under controlled conditions, these other neutrons can strike more uranium atoms, splitting more atoms, and so on. Thereby, continuous fission can take place, forming a chain reaction releasing heat. The heat is used to turn water into steam, that, in turn, spins a turbine that generates electricity. Nuclear power was used to generate 19% of all the country's electricity in 2006.

Hydropower, the source for almost 7% of U.S. electricity generation in 2006, is a process in which flowing water is used to spin a turbine connected to a generator. There are two basic types of hydroelectric systems that produce electricity. In the first system, flowing water accumulates in reservoirs created by the use of dams. The water falls through a pipe called a penstock and applies pressure against the turbine blades to drive the generator to produce electricity. In the second system, called run-of-river, the force of the river current (rather than falling water) applies pressure to the turbine blades to produce electricity.

Geothermal power comes from heat energy buried beneath the surface of the earth. In some areas of the country, enough heat rises close to the surface of the earth to heat underground water into steam, which can be tapped for use at steam-turbine plants. This energy source generated less than 1% of the electricity in the country in 2006.

Solar power is derived from the energy of the sun. However, the sun's energy is not available full-time and it is widely scattered. The processes used to produce electricity using the sun's energy have historically been more expensive than using conventional fossil fuels. Photovoltaic conversion generates electric power directly from the light of the sun in a photovoltaic (solar) cell. Solar-thermal electric generators use the radiant energy from the sun to produce steam to drive turbines. In 2006, less than 1% of the nation's electricity was based on solar power.

Wind power is derived from the conversion of the energy contained in wind into electricity. Wind power, less than 1% of the nation's electricity in 2006, is a rapidly growing source of electricity. A wind turbine is similar to a typical wind mill.

Biomass includes wood, municipal solid waste (garbage), and agricultural waste, such as corn cobs and wheat straw. These are some other energy sources for producing electricity. These sources replace fossil fuels in the boiler. The combustion of wood and waste creates steam that is typically used in conventional steam-electric plants. Biomass accounts for about 1% of the electricity generated in the United States.

http://www.eia.doe.gov/

“What if, every time we flipped a light switch at home, a mountain exploded in West Virginia; or every time we turned on the air conditioner in summer, a child suffered an asthma attack; or when we turned up the heat, the entire planet was warming… and what if, instead of all that, we had a choice of something better? What choice would you make?”

“I’ve heard it said that when you do things the way you always have, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten. Today we’ve got global warming, air pollution, and all sorts of human health problems that are tied to the way we generate electricity… how can we possibly afford to build all these new power plants? There’s got to be a better way.”

Jeff Barrie, Creator of Kilowatt Ours

This Powerpoint presentation highlights the motivation for a lunch room recycling program that Jonathon Mejias started at his middle school. The Lunch room recycling program was the first step in our journey to becoming "Green Eco Warriors".

We have continued to learn and grow. We created Public Access Programming for WIN-TV called "Green Eco Warriors" (see videos link). The programs are intended to educate others about what they can do to get involved and make a difference.

My family and I built this website to provide Motivation and Educational links to other sources we found helpful on our journey. We want to navigate people to current and factual information about what we can do to help our planet ~ our home. The more we learned, the more we realized that we needed to keep searching for facts.

• Many people do not even know that Plastics and trash are causing these huge problems.
• Americans generate more trash -than any other country.
• Most people are SHOCKED when they find out about plastic.
• Many people want to make changes, and get involved!