Post Qualifying Exam Wisdom

Yesterday I took the qualifying exam as part of a two part process in achieving PhD candidacy for Materials Science. It was brutal. But I will try not to worry about the scoring process now underway, and instead focus on what my adviser calls "the experience and not the test."

So here it is...my experience. In short, despite the humbling 5 hour examination, I would have to say my preparation brought immense wisdom. Over the last several months, I have taken a myriad of facts, figures, and frustrations and have melded them into a story that has never before made so much sense. It's incredible what the brain can do. I have never felt that I could offer so much perspective into a field that was new to me only a year ago.

You can ask me about the compositions of iron and carbon in steel or how glasses are made on another day. But for now, I would like to outline a few reflections (or rather, connections) on how I see this field changing sustainability for the future.

First, we will have to confront the rising challenge of waste disposal sometime soon. Our landfills are filling at alarming rates with a growing world population and toxic leachate poses serious risks to a limited water supply. For this problem, I see biodegradable materials such as plastic made from starches (left over corn stalks, for example) as a step towards reducing our most immediate and physical impact on the environment.

Second, household lighting accounts for some obscene amount of typical energy consumption-I'm not aware of what the percentage is, but its high. Yes, the government can subsidize the solar industry. But more effective would be if all the incandescent lights were replaced with compact fluorescent lights (CFL), and even better than that would be Light Emitting Diodes (LED). I'll spare you the intense science, but basically very little voltages are needed to power an LED, and it has the added bonus of not having a toxic metal like mercury hiding inside like in CFL's. Mercury = Bad.

Third, better heat transfer materials are needed. What's heat transfer? Say you go into your apartment in Florida and despite keeping the blinds closed all day, you find yourself perspiring by just sitting and watching Dr. Phil. That's bad (or I guess it would be good?) heat transfer. An ideal solution would be to have some really good insulating material (and I'm not talking about the toxic fiberglass asbestos stuff) that keeps your apartment or house at a constant temperature so you never have to use the heater or the air conditioner. Materials that do this best are air gaps filled with straw, clay, or if you really want to get crazy, find a way to put an aerogel or foam inside. This is what NASA uses to keep astronauts from burning on re-entry. it was also featured on Extreme Home Makeover.

Lastly, lets utilize more "smart materials." How can a material be smart...one might ask. (I subsequently envision a piece of stone reading a book...ok I'm lame). They are materials which you can do something to, and they do something for you in return. We already have them in wide use. They are used in gas grill ignitors (you push on the button and BAM fire! Yay!...the push creates voltage which lights the fuel), and bras. Yes, bras. Shape memory alloys are inserted around the cups for stability, yet they can stretch, deform, and still hold their shape. Amazing. But actually I think these materials have even greater potential. Let's put them in floor tiling so as we walk we can harvest the energy to light our homes (Explained here) Let's put them in our car cupholders (if you really really have to have a car), so the heat from our morning coffee can keep our MP3 player powered up (Just imagine this in reverse). We expend energy everyday doing typical tasks, so lets have something that can conserve that energy and not create excess demand for power plants.

You would be surprised at how close we are to incorporating some of these ideas into our normal lifestyle. As environmentalism goes mainstream and more chic, the economics will work out. If only I could draft my own questions for the qualifying exam...

Emitting the Global Average

I've been relatively dormant since my last post, but my efforts to be more sustainable have not let up. Many good things have happened to me, and I will be more than willing to share the results.

First, I sold my car and bought a bike. This was a HUGE decision for me, partly because I have always had immediate access to a vehicle. I remember when I was younger and I was totally into cars, and even as late as freshmen year in college I had a poster on my wall depicting all the various classic cars I wanted to have in my possession. I envied Jay Leno because I had heard he kept a garage full (thats an understatement, its more like a warehouse full) of classic cars. Then through college I gradually became more aware of the moral consequences of owning a car. Still I couldn't let myself give up that luxury. Last weekend, I gave up that luxury. While my decision was still half economical (owning a car was straining my already meager living stipend), I felt relieved that I no longer felt like a hypocrite. I felt relieved that I could finally walk the walk--that is, talk of sustainability, and also LIVE sustainability!

Since selling my car, I have already realized dramatic and somewhat comedic effects:
- I sleep much better at night
- My daily exercise has soared 200%
- Daily sun exposure to my pale skin has doubled
- I am genuinely happier
- I no longer feel direct effects of shifting oil prices

Now why have I titled this blog "Emitting the Global Average?" Since reading more and more about this global food crisis, I feel an obligation to be more considerate about the (hundreds of) millions of people who are less fortunate. The famous Gandhi quote comes to mind: "Live simply so others may simply live." I feel that a world more just, means we must all do our part to live simply. And there is a very practical, achievable goal that can ensure this. We can all choose to emit the global average. That means:

- Traveling less
- Eating lower on the pyramid
- Living in smaller places
- Biking/ Walking
- Buying less
- Using less services

One of the best carbon footprint calculators is offered by the Berkeley Institute for the Environment. Use it to gauge how much you emit compared to the global average, and then take the necessary steps to reduce your footprint. How committed are you?