Topic 1-Use of coal and other natural resources

K—Natural resources have been used to power the earth for a very long time. Coal is a widely used resource. It can be used to make electricity, heat, or also steel. It also puts a lot of pollution into the air. Unfortunately these resources will not last forever. At some point in time, coal will no longer be available and a new source for electricity will need to be used. Some windmills are used, although very scarcely.

W – I would like to know what other sources of electricity are available. I would also like to know why they are not being used more widely to diminish coal use. How much would it cost to use an alternative way to produce electricity? How would steel production change if coal was no longer available? How would our buildings and infrastructure change if steel was made without coal.

H – I would like to find this information by looking at how much coal is used each year and how much coal is projected to be left in the United States. Magazines such as Engineering News Record will be used. Websites such as http://www.bydesign.com/fossilfuels/links/html/coal/coal_use.html will also be used. This site contains many links to the regulations of burning coal.

L – So far I have learned that coal production is slowly starting to decline across the country. Coal is the main supply of energy. It supplies half of the energy to this country. There is also work to build an emission free coal based power plant. This plant would cost nearly $1.5 billion, but would emit no pollution.

Topic 2 – Bridge inspection

K – Certain bridges in this state are inspected every year by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Some bridges are overlooked for many years while others are checked quite often. Bridges also have to pass a certain checklist or they will be declared structurally deficient. This does not mean that the bridge is going to collapse. It simply means that the bridge is in need of repair work immediately. After the bridge collapse in Minnesota, I think that bridges should be inspected more often.

W – How is it decided which bridges to inspect? How does the Department of Transportation decided which bridges to replace or repair, and which ones to neglect? How does the department decide if a bridge is structurally deficient? How often should a bridge be replaced or repaired? How many bridges in Pennsylvania are structurally deficient?

H – Information could be obtained from newspaper articles from previous bridge collapses. Construction magazines such as Engineering News Record will also be used. Various websites such as www.dot.state.pa.us/ could also be used.

L – Information on this subject is tougher to find. Authorities are now saying that poorly designed gusset plates caused the bridge collapse in Minnesota. Many people are blaming President Bush for the collapse due to spending too much money on the war in Iraq. There is a bridge in California being built to withstand earthquakes.