Hey readers! First off my name is Bethany (though friends and family all know me as Bethy) I promise, I will not bore you with an extensive life story, but bear with me, I do want to share this with you.
For years, friends and family have hounded me about what I'm going to be doing the rest of my life. Here's some ideas that were thrown at me - orthodontist, oral surgeon, fashion designer, architect, financial analyst, professor, doctor - you know the drill, everything and anything that pays well. I had no clue what I was even interested in, nevertheless what I wanted to go to college for. Though I did know one thing.
I detest working inside. Especially in a cubicle. All. Day. Long.
So, that threw out 90% of my high-paying options. I was afraid I would have to be a construction worker. (NOT that that's bad. Anyone who has the ability to drive all that complicated equipment gets my respect! And I'm mega jealous of their ability to tan all day ;) But I'd never cut it.)
Until I toured the University of Minnesota's St. Paul campus, and found their:
Now what in the world is bioproducts and biosystems engineering you ask?! GREAT QUESTION! (I literally have to answer this every time I tell anyone what I'm majoring in. every. time.)
The major is split into four concentrations.
Bioprocessing/Bioproducts/Renewable Energy
Environmental/Ecological Engineering
Food Processing
Building Systems/Energy Efficiency
I personally, chose the Bioprocessing/Bioproducts/Renewable Energy option.
Why? Because by studying this, I have the chance to use nature to create materials and products we use everyday - products that are currently being created out of harsh chemicals and lead to deposits of hazardous waste.
Don't worry, I know what you're going to ask next.. "What does that mean? What kind of products?"... Right?
I'm talking soda bottles made of plastics that are actually decomposable, and building materials such as sheetrock with naturally occurring fibers, pulps, and papers. Adhesives and oils which don't cause deterioration of the material it's applied to. Pretty cool huh?
And then there's the FUELS. We all use some sort of transportation to get to work, or school, or the mall, or to the grocery store, or to the airport, wherever. Imagine being able to say, that mode of transportation is eco-friendly - not pumping harmful chemicals into the air we breathe. How about being able to grow your own Algae to fuel your car or being able to haul your horses down the road in a truck that burns an ethanol made from excess crop waste. How awesome does that sound?!
After learning all of this I knew what I wanted to do. And the best part - You're not ALWAYS indoors!
The Engineering programs funded by private donors and the government have made great strides since they have started exploring renewable resources and biofuels. And what a great field to get into - this research and exploration will never end.
Because one day, the fossil fuels will dry up and we will need these new sources of energy.
~Now lets explore ALGAE-BIODIESEL~
By testing over 3,000 types of algae in the world, it was found that Chlorella (the common icky green stuff that grows in you pond) can have oil levels which are well suited for producing biodiesel. By harvesting this quickly reproducing natural plant and then refining it, we can create a natural biodiesel that produces less emissions, and the wastes from producing this biodiesel can actually have constructive uses (such as electricity, fertilizers, free carbons and excess algae biomass used for material products)
**photo courtesy of BioEcoTek-Hawaii ~ a biodiesel producer**
Check out these articles to learn a little bit more about this new possible fuel.
So, if you love nature, love being outside, and want to preserve the world we live in for our children's children, I would highly suggest thinking about a job in the bioprocess/bioproducts field. It'll give you a chance to be a part of the new natural technologies of the future
Thanks for reading!
Sincerely,
Bethy
Definitely colorful! I like the upbeat tone of voice and design. Using the different fonts and colors made it seem a lot easier and quicker to read, so keep up with that feel. Pictures fit in well too, looks like you took your time on it. Good work.
ReplyDeleteThe overall design of this article was well done and kept my attention. I like that you added a few extra articles to look at to get a deeper look at what your field is all about. The explanation of your field was great
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your use of different text styles. As constructive criticism, I would perhaps suggest capping the use of it at what you have here. However, it is well used and organized to point out the important items within the blog. As a fellow engineer, I know topics within the field may tend to drag as one reads about them. This is not the case with your blog. It isn't choppy, but has enough "jumping around" to keep me interested.
ReplyDeleteI grew up on a farm, and was really struck by the use of crop waste for ethanol production. Do you know what the general status of that type of ethanol production is? How often is it being encountered in research and development?
I really liked how you set up and organized your blog. With me being a Natural Resource Management major, I completely agree with your comment that our fossil fuels will one day become depleted yet our demand for energy will continue to increase. The thought of producing your own algae to create your own fuel is amazing. It will be interesting to see what new kinds of energy will be available for use in the future.
ReplyDeleteAwesome blog! I like the part about reusable energy mostly because it's been the topic of conversation for many years so finding out about the people who are actually doing something about it is kind of awesome. As the beginning of your blog says most people don't know what a Bio-engineer does and I am one of them, its been interesting learning a little more about your field. Also the lay out is really nice from the background (very appropriate) to the image and the organization of your information.
ReplyDeleteAwesome layout! I found it great how you used colors to tie the ideas together! I had never heard about bioproducts and biosystems engineering so it was great to be able to broaden my horizons on the different kinds of engineering there are! I also liked how you used articles to help with the ideas!
ReplyDelete