Seventh Grade Environmental Issues Project Students Use Advanced Biofuels USA Resources
by Easton Kitowski and Tyler Falkavage (P.J. Jacobs Junior High School/Advanced Biofuels USA) Our final project for seventh grade science this year was an environmental issues project. Each group got to choose an environmental issue that was important, research the issue, and develop a potential solution to the problem.
Students, Easton Kitowski and Tyler Falkavage, with their 3-D illustration of their Trash to Energy idea
Our group chose to focus on an idea: Trash to Energy. Our idea is simple: by developing a power station with various filters and processes to capture excess CO2 and filter harmful chemicals our team believes we can find a way to use everyday trash to help power homes and businesses. By burning everyday trash we can harness the energy of the steam via a turbine that powers a generator that would power the electrical grid.
As part of our project research, we needed to develop an email to collaborate with an expert in the field. After looking at several groups, we decided to reach out to Advanced Biofuels USA. Joanne Ivancic, the executive director, reached back out to us quickly with great ideas and questions and offered to have a virtual meeting with us to discuss our idea to help turn landfill waste into power. In our meeting, Ivancic listened to our ideas and helped think of some issues to address.
One of the things she mentioned was that incineration of trash can cause extra pollution from CO2 and other toxins. We quickly began to think about ways we could fix the issue of additional CO2 and pollution. After doing additional research, we found that we currently have a rover on Mars, Perseverance, that has successfully isolated oxygen in an atmosphere made of mostly carbon dioxide. We modified our hypothesis to include a series of CO2 converting technologies and filters to help reduce the amount of CO2 and toxins leaving the facility after burning.
Detail of Trash to Energy idea illustration
Easton Kitowski and Tyler Falkavage have Zoom meeting with Joanne Ivancic
Speaking with Ivancic was super helpful. We were able to take her ideas and feedback to better our environmental issues solution into something we are excited to share with our class. We would like to thank Joanne and Advanced Biofuels USA for their quick response, video chat, and follow up resources!
Photos: Katie Huber, Stevens Point, Wisconsin, Area Public Schools, Ben Franklin and P.J. Jacobs 7th Grade Science Teacher
Zoom meeting with Joanne Ivancic
