What is Sustainability?

Sustainability
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=B5NiTN0chj0&feature=related

Sustainability
n

Sustainability: Ability to meet current human

natural resource needs without compromising
the ability of future generations to meet their
own needs.
Sustainable Development: Economic
development that meets the needs of the
present generation without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their
own needs.

How Electricity is Produced

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/03/15/how-the-whitehouse-thinks-about-climate-change-in-7-charts/

Impact of Greenhouse Gases

http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=oJAbATJCugs&NR=1&feature=fvwp

http://www.e-education.psu.edu/gened/egee101/Examples/102_what_new.html

Renewable Energy Sources

Carbon Footprint
n

n
n

A carbon footprint is a measure of human

activity on a part of the environment in terms
of the amount of greenhouse gas produced.
A footprint can be positive or negative
A carbon offset is conceptually a positive
footprint that represents the mitigation of
carbon emissions through improvement
projects

How Individuals Can Calculate

Their Own Carbon Footprint
http://www.nature.org/greenliving/
carboncalculator/

Fuel Cells
Device that uses hydrogen or hydrogenrich fuel and oxygen to create electricity by
an electrochemical process.
Produce much smaller quantities of green
house gases & none of air pollutants that create
smog & cause health problems.
More efficient than combustion-based
technologies
Variety of sources for hydrogen

http:/www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sncuy89bjCc

PEM Fuel Cell

n
n
n

Consists of 2 electrodes & electrolyte

Hydrogen is oxidized @ anode.
Electrons released flow via the external
circuit to cathode.
Oxygen supplied to cathode is reduced by
absorbing electrons.
Flow of electrons through external circuit
produces electric current.

Oxidation-Reduction Reactions
Oxidation (release of electrons)
Anode:

2H 2 4H + + 4e

Reduction (absorption of electrons)

Cathode:

O2 + 4H + 4e 2H 2O
+

Overall Reaction: 2H 2 + O2 2H 2O
G = -237 kJ/mol (@25oC)