Nathan Lewis: Powering the Planet: Where in the World Will Our Energy Come From? lecture reflection

I thought this lecture was very interesting. As a senior in high school, it did become a little boring at times, mainly because I didn't understand the vocabulary. The idea behind this lecture was about ways for people to notice that our Earth's energy, other ways we can use energy from other sources, and how the climate can change. In the beginning of the video, Lewis talks about the problems that have occurred. For example, he talks about fossil fuels and how we can use another source of energy. He puts the United States into consideration along with the other countries and shows us where we stand energy-wise. I like the way he did this because it made me realize how much we actually put into the air. He later then talked about other sources that could be used to give us energy. The main one that he said we should use is solar. Solar energy is accounted for most of the available renewable energy on Earth. Solar powered electrical generation relies on heat engines and photovoltaics. Photovoltaics are arrays of cells containing a material that converts solar radiation into direct current electricity. This has been named the number one source that we could use for energy. This is better because the sun is out all day and it doesn't leave fossil fuels. The only problem that has occurred is that they don't have the technology to restore the sunlight when it is night, but they hope to solve in the future.

I think solar energy is the best way to go because, like I've said, its the most safest. It has Energy, National, Environment, and Economic securities.

Stop Motion Label

History/Origin

Created in 1979, the sugar snap pea was a product of the crossing of the English and Snow Pea.

http://www.freshking.com/snaps/history.htm

Archeologists exploring the "Spirit Cave," located on the border between Burma and Thailand, found peas that were carbon dated at 9750 BCE. No doubt these were a variety of wild peas that were gathered rather than cultivated. Another archeological dig at Jarmo in northwestern Iraq uncovered peas that were dated between 7,000 and 6,000 BCE.

http://www.vegparadise.com/highestperch52.html

Nutrition/Chemical Composition

Green peas are a very good source of vitamin C, vitamin K, manganese, dietary fiber, folate and thiamin (vitamin B1). They are also a good source of vitamin A, phosphorus, vitamin B6, protein, niacin, magnesium, riboflavin (vitamin B2), copper, iron, zinc and potassium.

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=55

The largest chemical component in peas is carbohydrates which composes about 56.6% of seed weight. The most plentiful pea carbohydrate is starch at 36.9-48.6%, while amylose is about 34% of seed weight in peas. "Nutrient composition of milled and polished peas as measured per 100 grams of edible portion of dried matured whole seeds are 1.4 g oil, 6 g crude fiber, 16.7 g dietary fiber, 54.1% starch, 8.1% sugars, 4.4 mg iron, 0.77 mg thiamin, 0.18 mg riboflavin, 3.1 mg niacin and 330 kcal energy" (Newman et al., 1988). Fertilizing peas with sulfur has increased their methionine content from 1.3 to 2.2 g per 100 g protein. "Pea hay (at 88.6% DM) contains (zero moisture basis): 10.7-21.6% crude protein, 1.5-3.7% fat, 16.8-36.1% crude fiber, 6.0-9.3% ash, and 41.9-50.6% N-free extract" (Duke, 1981).

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/cropfactsheets/pea.html#Chemistry

Interesting Facts

During the Roman Empire they were considered to be poisonous and was no longer popular.

http://www.plantea.com/dillysnappeas.htm

The French called them mange-tout, translated as eat the whole thing.

http://www.vegparadise.com/highestperch52.html