Dr. Sridhar, a NASA scientist, had created a contraption that can use solar energy to transform the atmosphere of Mars into one habitable by humans. However, when the endeavor was shutdown, he began to focus on ways to reduce the climate change on earth. NASA has developed a fleet of fuel-cell generators that produce electricity through a chemical reaction, and with a recent deal for Dr. Sridhar’s company Bloom Energy to install generators at a dozen data centers in California and New Jersey for Equinix. The deal will create a reliable energy source that uses natural gas, rather than hydrogen to produce electricity. This is striking as natural gas has become very abundant due to the production boom over the last decade. Each cell is made from a thin ceramic wafer which are placed between metal plates, and the resulting structure is a solid oxide fuel cell that can operate at very high temperatures, about 800 degrees Celsius. At that temperature, when natural gas mixed with steam flows over one surface of the cell while oxygen flows over the other, a reaction occurs that results in the release of electricity, steam that is recycled through the process and carbon dioxide. The cells prove to be better in combatting global warming as they release less of the heat-trapping gases like carbon dioxide than conventional plants. Also, cells have been slowly gaining users who are energy-conscious, already proving to be more efficient and viable. Fuel cells are installed on site, and thus they do not need to burn extra fuel to compensate for energy lost over long transmission lines. In addition, they use less fuel per watt of power than conventional plants as they don’t burn fuels to heat water or air to spin turbines, further making them more efficient and an efficient energy alternative.

 

Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that traps heat. It is created when the combustion of fossil fuels combines carbon gas and oxygen gas through the burning of a hydrocarbon in oxygen gas. Carbon dioxide traps the heat energy from the sun’s rays in the atmosphere and causes the planet to begin to warm, altering climate patters. Energy arrives from the sun in the form of visible light and ultraviolet radiation which the Earth emits as infrared radiation. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere capture a portion of this heat, and then emit it in back to the Earth’s surface. Through this process, carbon dioxide along with other greenhouse gases keep the Earth’s surface  warmer and allows life to prosper. However, an excess of these gases can trap an even greater amount of heat and lead to drastic climate change. Some of the effects of these increased greenhouse gases include sea level rises by almost four feet within the next century as well as stronger hurricanes. In addition, warmer climates can cause the arctic ice to melt and alter entire ecosystems, extend the growing season through warmer temperatures, and even increase the occurrence of droughts and heat waves.  Alternative sources of energy such as the NASA fuel cells can help decrease the impact of greenhouse gasses on climate change.

 

 

“Global Climate Change: Effects.” NASA, NASA, 3 Aug. 2017, climate.nasa.gov/effects/.

 

Cardwell, DIane. “Energy Idea for Mars Yields a Clue for Powering Data Cells”The New York Times, The New York Times, 10 Dec. 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/30/business/energy-environment/data-center-energy.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=42&pgtype=sectionfront

-Rasman Rayyan