Solar thermal energy is primarily used domestically for space heating, hot water, and in some cases air conditioning. Solar thermal energy is renewable and no fuels are required during the process to generate electricity or mechanical energy. It is also carbon free except for production and transportation, otherwise it is non-polluting. Solar thermal can also be combined with photovoltaics (PVs), in highly efficient cogeneration systems. Some downsides are that solar thermal generates low grade energy, installation and construction costs are very high, it is expensive compared to conventional water heaters, and is hard to compete against cheap natural gas. An example of a Solar Thermal Electric Generation Plant is the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System that uses 300,000 computer-controlled mirrors, that focuses sunlight to the top of 459-foot towers, where water is turned into steam to power turbines.
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (abbreviated ANWR) is in northeastern Alaska. It was created to protect and keep the area's Wildlife and wilderness. Some of these are polar bears, grizzly bears, grey wolves, and caribou. Fish species include Dolly Varden, Arctic char, Lake trout and several kinds of salmon. There are at least 194 species of birds that visit or live here. The refuge totals 19,286,722 acres.
In the ground under ANWR is one of the last major oil reserves in the United States. There are debates on whether or not to allow oil drilling. Those in favor have argued that removing the oil will make the U.S. less dependent on foreign supplies of oil. In the 1990s, the U.S. imported over half of the oil it used. ANWR is also near the Prudhoe Bay Oil Field. It contains large oil deposits that are already providing oil. But, the refuge land is a fragile natural environment. The area proposed for oil drilling is also the calving grounds for the Porcupine caribou herds.
Scrubber
Scrubber systems are used to make coal a "cleaner" fuel. Scrubbers remove sulfur from a power plant's exhaust. Scrubbers are of two types, wet scrubbers and dry scrubbers. Wet scrubbers use liquid chemicals to remove pollutants. Dry scrubbers typically use fabric filters. In many cases both are used together. As polluted air passes through a wet scrubber, chemicals in the scrubber react with the air pollution causing it to precipitate out. Modern scrubbers can remove up to 98% of the sulfur and 99% of the precipitate matter from within the smokestacks. The sulfur and metals that are removed from the scrubbers can be sold as a marketable products. Sludge from lime scrubbers can be sold to wallboard manufacturers, and fly ash from chimney flues can be sold to make lightweight concrete that can substitute for wood. The use of coal in the United States about doubled during the last quarter (25 years) of the 20th century. However, sulfur in the air was reduced by 30% during that same period. This shows that scrubbers work.
Floyd Adams, Jr.
Floyd Adams, Jr. (May 11, 1945 – February 1, 2014) was an American politician. He was from the state of Georgia. He was the former Mayor of Savannah, Georgia. He was a Democrat.
Adams died in Savannah at the St. Joseph's Hospital from unknown causes. He was 68 years old.
Anthracite
Anthracite, often referred to as hard coal, is a type of dark coloured coal. Anthracite produces the fewest pollutants per unit of heat released, having the highest-heat value, and the lowest sulfur content. At the moment, deposits are largely depleted.
Anthracite is the most metamorphosed type of coal currently known to science.
China does most mining of anthracite. Other producers are Russia, Ukraine, North Korea, South Africa, Vietnam, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and the United States (east of the Mississippi River and Pennsylvania). Total production in 2010 was 670 million tons.
Fluidized bed combustion
Fluidized bed combustion is a technology that burns crushed coal mixed with limestone to neutralize acidic sulfur compounds produced during combustion.
Gerd Albrecht
Gerd Albrecht (19 July 1935 – 2 February 2014) was a German conductor. He was a first-prize winner at the International Besançon Competition for Young Conductors at age 22. He composed with many famous European orchestras such as Deutsche Oper Berlin, the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich and the Hamburg State Opera.
Albrecht was born in Essen. Albrecht died at the age of 78 on 2 February 2014 in Berlin, Germany.
Jimmer Fredette
James Taft "Jimmer" Fredette (born February 25, 1989 in Glens Falls, New York) is an American professional basketball player. In 2014, he joined the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Bob Love
Robert Earl "Butterbean" Love (born December 8, 1942 in Bastrop, Louisiana) is an American retired professional basketball player. In 1968, he joined the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He retired in 1976. Love now works as the Bulls' Director of Community Affairs.
Jerry Sloan
Gerald Eugene "Jerry" Sloan (March 28, 1942 – May 22, 2020) was a National Basketball Association player and head coach, and a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame. He played for the Chicago Bulls from 1966 to 1976. He soon coached them from 1979 to 1982. He also coached the Utah Jazz from 1988 to 2011. Sloan was born in McLeansboro, Illinois.
In April 2016, Sloan was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementia.
Sloan died on May 22, 2020 in Salt Lake City, Utah at the age of 78.
We Are What We Are
We are What We Are is an American horror and thriller movie released in 2013. The movie is about a seemingly wholesome family who always keep to themselves. As a severe rainstorm hits, bad things happen. Daughters Iris and Rose have to take more responsibility than in a normal family. Kelly McGillis plays Marge.
The reviews were mostly positive. This movie was marked R (restricted) by the MPAA for "disturbing violence, nudity".
Zbigniew Brzezinski
Zbigniew Kazimierz Brzezinski ( ;   ; March 28, 1928 – May 26, 2017) was a Polish American political scientist, geostrategist, and statesman. He served as the United States National Security Advisor to President Jimmy Carter from 1977 to 1981.
Brzezinski died at a hospital in Falls Church, Virginia on May 26, 2017 from congestive heart failure at the age of 89.
Amy Smart
Amy Smart (born March 26, 1976) is an American actress and former fashion model. She played Julie Harbor in "Varsity Blues" (1999). She played Lillian Hart in "Columbus Circle" (2012).
Smart was born in Topanga, California.
Hans Blix
Hans Martin Blix (born 28 June 1928) is a Swedish politician, civil servant, educator, activist, businessman, diplomat, and chief executive.
He was the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Sweden from 1978 to 1979. He was one of the first Swedish representatives to inspect the Chernobyl disaster in the Soviet Union.
Blix was born on 28 June 1928 in Uppsala, Sweden. He studied at Uppsala University, Columbia University, University of Cambridge and at Stockholm University.
Larry Mickey
Robert Larry Mickey (October 21, 1943 – July 23, 1982) was a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger. Mickey played a total of 11 years in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played with the Chicago Black Hawks, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Los Angeles Kings, Philadelphia Flyers, and Buffalo Sabres.
When he was playing in the Central Hockey League with the Omaha Knights, he was named to the first team of the All-Stars during the 1966-67 season. His team also made it to the Adams Cup finals the same year.