Rick Bolt's Blog Random Musings from a Random Bloke

To me electrical energy was one of man’s greatest discoveries. It has helped build new civilizations. The large amount of electricity produced around the world has its source in fossil fuels, nuclear fission, water, and wind. This blog will briefly explore the different methods of electricity production.

Generally large scale electricity is produced by turning enormous turbines. These turbines need a support to be able to be turned. There are a number of ways of turning these turbines:

Burning of fossil fuels:

Electricity is produced when the blades of a turbine are turned by enormous amounts of vapor. The vapor is generated by heating large amounts of water in huge boiler. The water is heated by burning fossil fuels like coal, petroleum products, and even natural gas. This method releases enormous amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, thus severely polluting our planet. It is important that we look to turn to alternate methods of electricity production for long-term benefits.

By water:

You will be aware that dams are constructed to produce electricity. A popular method to produce electricity, a water dam serves two purposes: producing electricity and unfortunately restricting the natural flow of bodies of water. Dams divert the rivers flow of water to turn turbines, helping them produce electricity. Electricity generated this way helps prevent the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere (air pollution); however, this method of electricity production adversely affects the ecosystem in the rivers.

Although water is becoming scarce it accounts for 90 percent of the world’s electricity generated through renewable resources.

By wind:

Electricity is produced when the force of the wind (wind energy) is converted to electrical energy. This occurs when the blades on wind turbine are turned by the force of the wind. This wind energy is then converted into electrical energy via the wind turbine.

By nuclear fission:

Most of us know that nuclear fission not only made the atom bomb, but is also used to produce electricity. Nuclear fission causes a chain reaction where the element Uranium is bombarded by neutrons causing it to split. Every time a Uranium nucleus is split, more neutrons are released, causing more splits in the already split Uranium nuclei. The resultant chain reaction generates a lot of heat which is used to heat water*. As with the fossil fuel methods the water vapor is used to turn the blades of a turbine to create electricity.
* Based on information from http://encyclopedia.kids.net.au/page/nu/Nuclear_fission
By bio-mass:

With technological advancements, electricity is also being produced by bio-mass. The use of biomass for energy production is essentially the reversal of photosynthesis. This energy is released when the plant or waste is burned or converted to fuel.

During the energy conversion process energy is usually released in the form of heat which is used to  generate electricity.

 Bio-mass is a typical way of generating electricity in rural areas in countries like India. In fact, a new technology evolved in the state of Bihar in India that uses human waste to generate electricity.

The learn how to produce your own electricity for your home please read my blog here or go to Earth4Energy

This is just a quick post. As I expected, I have so much i want to say but when it comes time for me to put that into words it can’t!

There really is so much I want to say about my immediate fears, my bad dreams, the good things and even “the plan” but I don’t know where or how to get it into words and on here.  I am struggling to focus on the positive, but I know I can’t go back and let that dark cloud take control again.

I’ll try again later.

OK, let’s do this. First of all I am a husband and parent to 9 children. All be it (I did feel anyway) not a very good one. I’m a project manager in the true sense of the word. And if I say something is to happen, it happens.

Until recently I lived a life where I wanted and usually got the best of everything, and I mean everything, the newest gadgets, the most expensive of everything. I didn’t really look at or care for what I was doing to the world or myself or even how what I did in my life affected my own family. Pretty strange really for someone who took pride in working in the renewable energy industry? I managed a business in the same manner, without due regard.  

As is usually the case when you don’t focus in the right direction the business and family life started to decline. But of course I was so self absorbed I didn’t take notice of the warning signs or my beautiful wife. I just ignored them both and continued on my way. As you would expect, business and personal life caught up with me.

Once I actually took note of what was occurring my attitude to everything changed, I gave up on my business and failed my family. This behavior affected those around me and those associated with the business. But again I didn’t even notice. I basically gave up on everything, sat in my corner and sulked and sulked. All the while things around me continued to deteriorate.

Through one reason or another late in 2008 my wife and I relocated our family to another state for a “change”, It didn’t work, the sulking and head in the sand behaviors continued. This lasted almost six months. Thankfully my beautiful wife finally broke through my thick head with some home truths. I must say it hurt.

BUT it opened my eyes… What on earth am I doing? I have a beautiful wife and a wonderful family who are all healthy. So what was my issue? There are so many things in the world that I could be focused on but I had just wasted all that time feeling sorry for myself. It was like the proverbial light bulb turned on.

If nothing else the word POSITIVE stuck with me. Focus on the positive!  I know I have to face the consequences of my past actions and that is going to cause pain for my family, but we will survive! The learning’s out of this are so big I can not even begin to document them. I can see where I went wrong. With that wonderful thing called Hindsight, I believe I can move forward without making the same mistakes………………… And with these learning’s my wife and I have begun to plan.

Please visit my blog regularly and watch my trials and tribulations and our plan grow and turn into reality. You may even be able to help!

Hello, Welcome and thank you for visiting my first blog. I’m not a huge writer but i feel it’s time i  record my thoughts, feelings and things that actually mean something to me. You may then feel inclined to comment with your own thoughts. Something i would very much welcome.

I do occasionally get on my high horse and other times make no sense at all, so this should be fun if not a little painful for someone that is not confident in writing!