Throughout the semester I don’t think my writing has changed dramatically, but I do think that I am a more confident writer. When writing the source based essay it was a very different paper for me. I looked at multiple examples because I was insecure about my piece and didn’t know if what I wrote fit the requirements. After turning in my first draft to my peer review partner it made me feel good to read their paper. It made me feel good because it was nice to read a paper that was written by a student just like me and not an exemplar paper. When I finally turned in my final draft and got my grade back I was so happy to see that I got all the possible points for that assignment. This experience made me have more confidence in myself because I got all the possible points for an assignment I wasn’t originally confident for. For the climate narrative assignment I felt confident. I liked what I was writing about and it was a real and genuine story. This assignment was also a narrative so I wasn’t concerned with being formal or doing any research. It was a story that came from me. Lastly the research paper assignment was very nerve racking for me. Because of covid, this semester has been a unique one. I didn’t have a normal graduation and I took my first college semester from my bedroom. This experience has made me feel like i’m not a “real” college student yet. So when I heard that I had to turn in a research paper I felt like I wasn’t capable of producing a research paper good enough for college. After writing my first draft I thought it was awful (which it was), but later I learned that having a bad first draft is okay. After doing the draft I kind of left my paper alone. I knew I had time to do it so I wasn’t very concerned about it. As the final deadline approached the nervous feeling came back. I didn’t feel like I could write a good research paper. What even was a good research paper? I was tired and made a plan. I would read my self reflection, my peer feedback, and my professors feedback then go from there. I decided that I needed to update my thesis, add some information, and edit one paragraph at a time. It didn’t take long until I was done which felt so good. I had looked at my paper piece by piece and edited everything I wanted to. At this point I wasn’t scared of what my grade would be because I was proud of the work I had produced. Reflecting on all of the work from this semester has shown me to always be confident. All I have control over is knowing I did my best with the information I had. Knowing that, in the future I think I will do better with not being anxious over things I can’t control.
During this class I have learned the steps I must take in order to have a successful writing process. First I think it is very important to have an outline. This part helps me structure my paper and write down the ideas I want to add. Next is to create a first draft. The first draft allows me to write out the ideas I want to include in a nice way. Lastly is the revisions process which is my personal favorite. Here I get to read through my essay multiple times and just make things better every time. I especially like when I revise my papers section by section because it allows me to focus in and really dedicate my brain to all of my essays. Even though I don’t feel like my writing has changed dramatically this semester, I think that as I continue to write using my new process I will produce better quality work. From this class I learned how to plan my time. By breaking up assignments into first drafts and final drafts I was able to see how these steps make the assignment easier and less stressful. I plan to use this technique in other classes as well. I would like to break down all of my assignments and create a timeline for when things should be done. This will help me to have my assignment done on time and stress free. Additionally this technique does not only have to be used solely for writing assignments it can be used for other assignments and projects as well.
As a writer I feel like my strengths are in the planning department. I really like the way I am able to easily create a well thought out plan to get my paper organized and written in a timely fashion. I believe that I still could work on my analysis and my grammar. Often in my papers I will end up restating my evidence opposed to drawing conclusions. Additionally, I would like to work on my grammar. Grammar is something I have always struggled with. In school they never taught us grammar; they would just mark the mistake and hope for you to stop making them. I believe that even though my grammar is not the best, people are able to understand what is written in my papers which is the most important thing to me. However I still would like to work on getting better at this. Overall, this class has been extremely impactful. The fact that we are asked to reflect on the work we did and what it taught us teaches an important idea. To do better you must first acknowledge what you did well, and what you didn’t do so well on. Then use this to say how I can do better. To finally sum up this reflection I think there are two major things I am taking away.
Always have a plan. Having a plan allows you to focus on a project in specific parts. You are able to give your attention to one part at a time which in the end will produce a better result.
Always reflect. Looking back at your work and assessing what worked, what didn’t work, and what are my next steps are important tools to help any student thrive.
Thank you for all that you have taught me this semester. I look forward to using it to become a successful student at city college throughout my next three and a half years.
Automotive Industry and Climate Change: Are electric cars really good for the environment? What can be done to make them more sustainable?
By: Madison R. Abreu
Introduction
Without drastic actions the effects of climate change can soon become irreversible. This concern has led to many industries enhancing their products to be more environmentally friendly. While this movement is good it isn’t enough to save our planet. This is evident with the creation of electric vehicles. According to BBC News additional steps other than shifting to electric vehicles will need to be taken if we are going to meet our current climate goals. However the implementation of an electric dominated motor industry is a step in the right direction.
Manufacturing
The first step in creating a vehicle is the manufacturing process which includes the gathering of materials. In the article “SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION: ELECTRIC VS. GAS” Folk writes “The batteries utilized in EVs often contain lithium-ion. The mining and processing of lithium are energy-intensive and polluting.”(Folk, 2020). Additionally in the article “Are Electric Cars Really Greener?” Gonclaves writes that “to produce 1 ton of REE, 75 tons of acid waste (which isn’t always handled in the right way) and 1 ton of radioactive residues are also made, according to the Chinese Society of Rare Earths.”(Gonclaves, 2020). Here we see that during their manufacturing process, electric vehicles are producing a lot of waste because of the gathering of the materials needed. Gas vehicles don’t require these rare earth elements. Solely looking at the manufacturing process of electric vehicles and gas vehicles it would seem that gas vehicles are producing significantly less waste; however, we can’t judge the sustainability of these cars on their manufacturing processes alone. Folk also writes “Even when EV manufacturing is taken into consideration, the average battery-powered car still produces 50% fewer emissions than gas-powered vehicles over their comparative lifetimes.”(Folk, 2020). This difference in lifetime emissions is a significant gap and BBC News mentions that this gap is even larger in countries where their national grids are run on more renewable energy resources. We see here that the negatives that come with the manufacturing of electric vehicles do not outweigh the benefits that could come with them. Additionally electric vehicles as they are now are not the final solution. Scientists are still working on creating better batteries for electric vehicles and constantly looking for new ways to make them increasingly more sustainable.
Emissions While in Use
Technically because of the way batteries in electric vehicles work they produce no exhaust from their tailpipe. On the other hand, Cars that run on gas need to burn that gas in order to create a chemical reaction in the engine to make it run, in turn releasing exhaust. Electric vehicles don’t need to rely on combustion thanks to the lithium-ion batteries most of them use. This may lead someone to believe that electric cars are the ultimate solution to our transportation problems, however we’re missing part of the information. Electric cars need to charge at charging stations in order to function and serve their purpose as a motor vehicle. The charging stations are feeding the car electricity that is not always clean energy. This means that while electric cars may not be causing direct pollution, they still rely on fossil fuels and other unclean forms of energy to run.
Figure 1
United States national average of electricity sources
In figure 1 we see that our country relies on a nonrenewable dominated energy market. Gonclaves writes “if the electricity used to charge cars comes from the burning of fossil fuels, it doesn’t matter if the Electric Vehicles are not polluting while being driven, as this pollution was already released in some distant power plant.”(Gonclaves, 2020). Here the author makes an important connection. It’s great that electric vehicles themselves don’t produce any exhaust emission, but they do require it to happen somewhere else. This is especially bad in countries where their grid is run on an unclean and fossil fuel dominated energy market. As countries move toward cleaner energy, electric cars will also benefit and produce less indirect emissions because the grids they are powered by are relying more on clean energy sources. In the article “100 Percent Renewable Energy Charged EV Stations Allow Driving on Sunshine” Movellan writes “In the U.S., Envision Solar, headquartered in San Diego, California, has developed the unique EV ARC (Electric Vehicle Autonomous Renewable Charger), which is the world’s first fully autonomous, mobile, and 100 percent solar charged EV station.” This invention could change the way we currently charge electric vehicles. As mentioned before the more renewable energy we use to charge these cars the less emissions they will put out and this invention allows us to do just that. This charging station not only charges using solar power, but during the day it stores energy for an electric vehicle to be charged at night as well. The article also says “According to Alternative Fuels Data Center run by the U.S. Department of Energy, there are 10,307 public EV charging stations, which provide electricity from 26,589 charging outlets in the US. How many of those EV stations supply renewable energy is currently unknown, but in the near future, we may be able to select EV chargers by the type of electricity, much like we select different types of gas at a gas station”. With so many charging stations and currently no measure of how many of them are renewable, the creation of this new solar powered charging station can lead to big steps toward an electric motor industry. They supply the vehicle with clean energy to run on, they’re mobile, and don’t require being plugged in to anything.
Recycling
Another issue related to electric cars has to do with the disposal of electric batteries. Once the batteries for these cars need to be replaced, what happens to the old batteries? As mentioned previously the batteries for electric cars contain rare earth elements; however the recycling process is extremely wasteful. The recycling process for these batteries is expensive because they are larger than other similar batteries which are found in smart phones and electronics, so these batteries often go unrecycled because the process is not cost effective and the valuable rare earth elements go to waste. Gonclaves says “in the EU market, in 2011, only 5% of lithium was being collected and the rest was either incinerated or dumped in landfills”(Gonclaves, 2020). This process is extremely wasteful considering these materials are a limited resource and can be used up. Gonclaves writes “In spite of these pollution issues, research tells us not to worry about the availability of these rare earth elements and when it comes to lithium, there is data estimating enough worldwide reserves for the next 185 years, even if the EC market triples, according to Deutsche Bank. As for cobalt, graphite, and nickel, they also seem to be in a comfortable situation, since the demand for the years to come is expected to stay far away from the reserves Earth has to offer.”(Gonclaves, 2020). This mindset does not prepare us for the future. We may have enough reserves to last us a while, but what happens after this time has passed. It is important to not only think about what benefits us today, but also think about future generations and the problems they will face if we squander our limited resources.
Limitations
Even though electric cars are overall better for the environment than gas cars, not everyone may have access to them. The charging stations for these electric cars are limited, so as we try to move towards a more electric motor industry we also need to increase the amount of charging stations. Additionally, BBC News mentions the strain this could put on our energy supply. According to the article “Should All Cars Be Electric By 2025? the Electric Car Debate In Europe” The author writes “the use of electric energy by automobiles would lead to a reduction in gasoline consumption of 40.7% in 2031, accompanied by an increase in electricity consumption of 42.1% in relation to official projections” The increase in electric vehicle use would cause a higher demand for energy which could result in more use of fossil fuels to supply the demand. We need to move toward an electric dominated motor industry gradually, so that our grid can keep up with the demand.
Innovation
Our motor industry has the potential, with innovation, to be increasingly efficient. In the journal article “Electric avenue: Electric cars on a 2 way street?” the author explains that there are people exploring plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. This idea would prepare cars with the tools necessary to store solar and wind energy to supply its own demand and potentially feed energy back into the grid which could be profitable for the owner of the vehicle. Additionally, the improvement of our recycling practices would make it more cost-efficient to recycle these batteries and reuse the valuable material inside. Lastly, these batteries have the potential to be reused as a place to store energy as well. Using the batteries for a longer period of time could offset the impact of creating them in the first place.
Conclusion
Compared to traditional gas vehicles, electric vehicles are the way to go. While their manufacturing process is a cause for concern, we have seen how in all the other aspects of their lifetime they are significantly more efficient than gas vehicles. As we continue to advance our technology electric vehicles will only become even more environmentally safe.
“Electric Vehicles.” Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, 25 Sept. 2020, www.pca.state.mn.us/air/electric-vehicles.
“Emissions from Hybrid and Plug-In Electric Vehicles.” Alternative Fuels Data Center: Emissions from Hybrid and Plug-In Electric Vehicles, afdc.energy.gov/vehicles/electric_emissions.html.
Folk, E. (2020, June 1). SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION: ELECTRIC VS. GAS. Science Connected. Retrieved October 22, 2020, from https://magazine.scienceconnected.org/2020/06/sustainable-transportation-electric-vs-gas/
Gonçalves, A. (2020, March 09). Are electric cars really eco-friendly? Maybe not as such much as you think. Retrieved October 23, 2020, from https://youmatter.world/en/are-electric-cars-eco-friendly-and-zero-emission-vehicles-26440/
Movellan, Junko. “100 Percent Renewable Energy Charged EV Stations Allow Driving on Sunshine.” Renewable Energy World, 7 Apr. 2020, www.renewableenergyworld.com/2015/08/25/100-percent-renewable-energy-charged-ev-stations-allow-driving-on-sunshine/.
Studies from J.E. da Silva et al Add New Findings in the Area of Sustainability Research (Implementation of a Photovoltaic Panel to Supply Electric Cars Energy Demands). (2018, November 30). Economics Week, 648. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A563286068/AONE?u=cuny_ccny&sid=AONE&xid=71076610
“Studies from University of Lyon Provide New Data on Sustainability Research (Should All Cars Be Electric By 2025? the Electric Car Debate In Europe).” Ecology, Environment & Conservation, 14 June 2019, p. 1039. Gale Academic OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A588210985/AONE?u=cuny_ccny&sid=AONE&xid=3f89488e. Accessed 22 Oct. 2020.
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