Hydrogen Honda arrives in the UK by Richard Scott

BBC - Hydrogen Honda arrives in the UK by Richard Scott 

 14 September 2010 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11297952

The Honda FCX Clarity is one of the first hydrogen fueled cars to come off the production line which has just landed in the UK. This car is one of the cleanest ways of transport out today, and it all works because of the fuel cells. This car is even better than electric powered cars as it does not have to carry a heavy battery to store enough electricity to travel. Battery powered cars struggle to hold enough electricity to travel long distances and takes a while to charge. So Honda has moved on from electric powered cars as they see no future in it, so they have moved to hydrogen to make electricity to power the car. This is a simple process, the hydrogen which is a compressed gas is stored in a tank, the hydrogen is released and has a reaction with oxygen from the atmosphere having two products, water and electricity. The water is the waste product and electricity is moved to the engine at the front of the car. This way of powering a car is more efficient than holding electricity in a battery as the electricity is created on board the vehicle. This allows the car to run just as well a petrol or diesel powered car would. However the infrastructure is not in place yet to supply hydrogen to the owners of these cars. This is a big problem in the UK as it as there is only ten places across the UK where you can fill up. Honda sees this issue and expects it to be the same over the next couple of years. 

I find this car the way of the future as it has over come several problems that the car industry is facing. The issues of gas prices going up and polluting the atmosphere and the ability to store only so much electricity in a battery. This new technology is something that would have been a risk to take out on to the market, but Honda has done it and has done it well. The infrastructure may not be in place to support this vehicle but personally I can see it coming around the conner to support this. This shows that there are people who are looking out for the future and are coming up with more suitable and sustainable ways for it. 

Word Count: 393

BMW i8

For the next couple of weeks I will be on the new topic of cars. 

So many of you may know this new car as the one that starred in the new mission impossible movie. The BMW i8, and there is a lot more than what meets the eye in this amazing looking car. When they reviled it in 2011, BMW had really outdone themselves with their new ‘i series’, they have made the this modern hybrid series into something of it’s own. Although this car is just a concept the road ready car is just around the conner to hit the market. The specs are something of it’s own and the design puts it in a different league all together. 

Because this car has a very futuristic look to it and is just a concept you many may think that it won’t enter the market anytime soon. Well, this new series is only a couple years out from production and will be ready to hit the market. This hybrid super car will be ready to hit the market with a price that will easily exceed the $140,000 price range, putting it in a place where not everyone can have one. BMW does expect 10,000 of these cars to be sold yearly from the release date. This futuristic super car will be the first of its kind to hit the market putting them way ahead of other companies. 

This car has specs that not many cars on the market has and technology that will change every other car that hits the market. The hybrid sports car has the a fuel consumption of approximately three liters for every 100 kilometers (94 mpg). Because it is a sports car it has the ability to go from 0 - 100 km/h in under five seconds (62 mph). This car also has a battery that can be charged out of a domestic home and can travel up to 35 kilometers (20 miles) on electricity alone. With room for four seats this car also gives the nice ability of everyday practicality. Another spec that BMW has put on this car is the new laser head lights. This may sound a little lame, but these lights are like no other. The are about a thousand times more intense then the regular LED head lights, half the electrical consumption of the LED lights and, is very pleasant to the eye. All these new ideas BMW has put on to the i8 concept will make it one of the most efficient cars on the road. 

The i8 concept also has the looks and interior design of a very futuristic car, while looking like super sports car. The car has ideas and looks that can not be found on any other car on the current market. Thiw car has very precise edges to give it a ‘stream flow’ to give it a strong forward look. The transparent doors and roof mergers the outside and inside experience together.  The interior gives the drivers and experience like no other. They feel like they are driving a car in a spy movie. The park brake, gearshift lever and, the stop - start button are placed around the center console making it easy for the drivers position. Where they sit in a low position separated from the passenger seat by the battery that runs down the middle of the car. Everything in this car is designed for a purpose, to give the driver the ultimate driving experience. 

In the next couple of years we will be hearing a lot about this concept of a car as it enters the marketå. As we will hear of other companies making a break into the same market. Technology will continue to grow better and faster in this market as we head in to the not so distant future, as the world finds alternate technology for now days inefficient transportation. It will all start with this car, the BMW i8 concept. 

Word Count: 664

Process of Architecture

So I was doing some research on architecture and I came across a website that had a blog in it. The first post I saw was on the process of architecture and not just the designing of a building, but the process to complete the building too. Choosing architecture as a wanted career path this really stood out and I thought I might share the steps involved to design and build a house. I won’t go into the same detail as this person did, but will give you a brief outline on the seven steps. 

Step 1: So before an architect is chosen there are a few architects that are interviewed in order to get the job. Each architect usually has a portfolio on past jobs and the homeowner would chose their architect that best fit there plans for their future building or structure. 

Step 2: The architect would then do several things before they go to the drawing bored. They would have further discussion with the owner on what they want, their goals, ideas and, the requirements. The architect would then go to the site to take measurements, see what the site consists of and, have a look at its surroundings. They would then put together a simple floor plan of the site and check the for local building codes and regulations. They would also create a work plan on what will be done and by when. 

Step 3: The architect would then put together a few simple designs together on the information the gathered from step two. They would change, add and remove parts of the design to suit the owner. They would look at different parts of their design on how they can make it better and by the end of this process they have landed on one of the concepts that was produced. 

Step 4: This step is where everything starts to become more permeant and decisions have to be made. The architect puts together final documents together of the design to make the main parts of the house (walls, doors, windows) final. The architect discuss with the owner on the materials they will use in the construction of the house. The owner continues to make more detailed decisions on the finishings (taps, door handles, lights). The architect consults with different types of engineers to make sure everything is possible and meets standards. This step is one of the more important steps out of all of them. 

Step 5: This is where you have to make sure the design and future house meets standards from the city/state councils. The council goes over the design to make sure everything meets the codes for the area. While the architect waits for the okay from the council he continues to make the blueprints a lot more detailed, to the tiniest detail. This step is very important as you need permission from various people to make sure they are meeting standards. 

Step 6: The contractors are approached and are sometimes interviewed by the owners to make sure their work quality is good. 

Step 7: Now everything the final documents and drawings are complete with the approval of the city/state council. The construction begins while the Architect stays involved to make sure everything is being met by the builders and to see if any changes need to be made. By the end of this step everyone will be payed and the owner has a new building. 

I hope this has given you a little more detail in the process of being an architect and how it is more complicated then you think. 

http://blog.buildllc.com/2008/09/the-process-of-architecture/


Word Count: 602

Kings Cross Station's Renovation

Kings Cross railway station is located in central London and is a major terminal that opened in 1852. Today it’s renovation that has taken five years and cost them 500 pounds, that consists of absolute beautiful architecture throughout the new departures area, is nearly done. Network Rail has added this outstanding roof made of white steel, while having restored and persevered the Victorian facades. The structure spans 150m without a visible bolt throughout the whole structure. This roof has no supporting structures allowing moment under the roof to be free and flowing for the 47 million passengers that pass through the terminal each year. They have also thought about the passengers by adding a second floor where you are able to relax in cafes and shops. The architects Hiro Aso who partnered in the project with John McAslan submitted their winning design is the late 1990’s. Hiro Aso shared  "It leaps, it's glorious, organic - a very bold expression of the overlay of new and old. We could have been a bit more apologetic, or subordinate, but this is an absolutely amazing structure." The five-year project has allowed them to build this structure without canceling one train to produce this masterpiece.

 

      This article really stood out to me because of my want to become a future architect. The design of the new roof, at this historic train station is something abnormal that is easily enjoyed. The architects thought about the movement of the mass amount of people that come through the station as well as giving them a place to relax and wait. The idea of a roof the supports it self over a 150m span and look magnificent comes through experience. Another thing that really stood out to me in this article is the ability to mix something so modern, with something old and not make a mess of it. This is the type of building/structure that I would like to be the architect of one day.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/mar/14/five-year-redevelopment-kings-cross-station


Word Count: 329

What I want to do..

When I was young people used to always ask me what I wanted to do when I was older. It would always change until a few years ago when I landed on architecture. It changed everything, I looked at buildings differently and the creative side of my mind went crazy. I would plan out my future designs and goals I would want to accomplish as an architect. This would all be planned out in my mind and till this day I can still remember every unique design and every goal I want to complete.

As I started to plan out the rest of my schooling life to become an architect I realized how difficult it would be to fulfill this goal. But I believe that this is what I am supposed to do with my life. I believe that I can do so much good with this career path and also have fun with it. Just living in India and watching my dad do his work with the poor, I would try and find ways in how I could use architecture to do the same. I want to design cheap but sustainable houses for the poor, put a team together and travel to developing countries to build these places. This is why I see architecture is the best career choice for me, it lets me bring out my creative side, do something I love and, give back and help fellow human beings.

So now when anyone asks what I want to do I say architecture. I tell them my plans with it and why I cannot wait to leave school and get onto it. Because now that I have found a job that I love and can pretty much do anything I want with it, which is what I have seen my dad do throughout his life. When I was young people used to always ask me what I wanted to do when I was older. It would always change until a few years ago when I landed on architecture. It changed everything, I looked at buildings differently and the creative side of my mind went crazy. I would plan out my future designs and goals I would want to accomplish as an architect. This would all be planned out in my mind and till this day I can still remember every unique design and every goal I want to complete.

As I started to plan out the rest of my schooling life to become an architect I realized how difficult it would be to fulfill this goal. But I believe that this is what I am supposed to do with my life. I believe that I can do so much good with this career path and also have fun with it. Just living in India and watching my dad do his work with the poor, I would try and find ways in how I could use architecture to do the same. I want to design cheap but sustainable houses for the poor, put a team together and travel to developing countries to build these places. This is why I see architecture is the best career choice for me, it lets me bring out my creative side, do something I love and, give back and help fellow human beings.

So now when anyone asks what I want to do I say architecture. I tell them my plans with it and why I cannot wait to leave school and get onto it. Because now that I have found a job that I love and can pretty much do anything I want with it, which is what I have seen my dad do throughout his life.


Word Count: 614

Describe your hometown and how you are a product of this environment. (Puget Sound)

My hometown is a place that I can look back to, know matter where in the world I am and still know that is where I belong. It contains memories that will last for ever as it is the place where I have grown up most of my life. My hometown, is placed in Australia, on the east coast of Australia, on a local beach called Freshwater in Sydney. It consists of a little shopping area where everyone knows each other, where you can walk into a shop and have a conversation with the owner, because you see them everyday. Freshwater has its beach-ie feels and the people that live around the area are very relaxed and easy going. It is a very active place where you are always at the beach surfing or playing volley ball. It is a place I that know that I don’t have to share it with tourists or people that aren’t from the area. This beach is filled with memories I share with friends and have experienced by myself as a little boy that would like to explore. This is the place I call home.

This place that I call home has molded me into the person I know I have become, and know that my life right now would be very different if I didn’t grow up there. It has built me into a strong and committed person in most aspects of my life. I find this in my earliest memories, when I was young sitting the sand watching the surfers knowing I want to do that one day. Learning to surf was like learning to walk again, I would fall over but try again and now I am glade I tried again because this is something I continue to do in everything, never quit. Another positive aspect I can see in myself and know I could have only got it from this town is the ability to socialize. Although I like to be alone sometimes I find that without friends around me life can get boring and tiring as I have no one to blow off steam with. There are however, a couple of negative things that I have taken on bored from living and growing up in this place. Which are, the way I would wonder off without telling anyone, where I would explore and discover new things. The other is the way I am a bit relaxed about everything and like I always say “life goes on” so no matter what tough situation I am in,  I try to deal with it but not go out of my way to deal with it because I know time must continue. 

So living and growing up in this place has grown me into a person that I love to be and I can’t imagine myself in being any different.


Word Count:477

13. You’ve just written a 300-page autobiography. Send us page 217. (University of Pennsylvania)

I had just landed in a small hill station in the Indian hills near the India/Nepal border, Manali. 40 years later and not much had changed at all in the small town, the people were friendly and food was amazing. The one thing I had to do while I was in town was the 40 kilometre bike ride through the mountains, which I had done way back when I was 12. The memory of riding through the mountains was one that I had to live again.  I knew that I would struggle a little more than I did last time. During the ride the group hit the little Tibetan restaurant where we were stopping to have lunch. This little shack in the hills of India to this day served the best Tibetan food I had ever eaten. The momos, coriander soup, chow-mein and fried rice all tasted the same from the first time I ate it 40 years ago;absolutely amazing. The door to the resteraunt was still not put on right, the individual wooden panels that made the walls were being held on by rusted nails and the plastic roof was still leaking. We sat outside under some old trees eating our delicious Tibetan food, knowing there was still a couple more kilometers left in our journey. 

The food was cooked in a small kitchen with fresh ingredients that tasted so fresh and pure. Sitting and eating here, letting the memories rush back of the life I had, living and growing up in India with my parents. The view was amazing and at that moment everything just became too much, everything was perfect, I couldn’t imagine a more perfect scene. We had to go. I didn’t want to leave, but the journey to all the places I visited as a child had to continue. We rode back to the hotel to see my wife and there we rested, as the next stop was to be where some of the best experiences of my life had happened, Mussoorie.

Word Count: 337

Climate Change

An issue that is currently directly affecting my life is the cold weather we are experiencing here in Mussoorie. This made me think of the weather conditions that occurred in Europe and how so many people died because of the extreme cold. The unusual weather they were experiencing with a couple hundred people dying because of the extreme temperatures.  This made me think further about the theory of Global warming or as I personally like to call it Climate change. Are these extreme weather conditions the result of humans and they way we live our life? There are a lot of debates going on about the global weather, and how it could affect us more in the coming decades and centuries.  This cold front has also affected the farming and food production Europe. This may have had some affect on the farmers economy as they have no way to make money during the winter. The issue of weather and climate change affects the whole world and directly impacts most people.

This issue of climate change has also been affecting my home country Australia as it has caused unusual seasons that we have never really experienced. This summer we have had so much rain that the state of New South Wales is currently two thirds underwater and in the last few years summers Queensland experienced the same thing. These abnormal weather patterns are putting Australians in a state of stress, as we are not used to this kind of weather. This weather is going to put continued strain on the planet, as some countries are not prepared for the weather that is affecting them. This particular series of unusual weather that is hitting Australia is also being called a natural disaster, is there a connection between climate change and global warming? If so is this all the cause of humans living excessively on global resources?


Word Count:314