23.5 Degrees
23.5 Degrees was established by Mark Donovan in 2011 to provide education at a post primary level in the area of renewable energy. The name 23.5 Degrees was chosen as it is the angle at which the earth is positioned on its axis. At present there is no scientific explanation as to why the earth is positioned at this angle and what relevance it may have. This unanswered question highlights how little we actually know about our environment. The obvious negative effects of our reliance on fossil fuels such as the releasing of harmful gases damaging the ozone and the destruction of ecosystems in the extraction of these fuels is clear for all to see. As fossil fuels are a finite resource it is inevitable they will run out . There is divided opinion as to the longevity of the supply of fossil fuels available. Industries involved in the extraction of fossil fuels hold the view that there is no danger of supplies diminishing any time soon, and with new technologies for extraction available, areas considered inaccessible previously are now are now being accessed. The opposing view is that oil supply has already peaked and gas and coal are not far behind so new alternative methods of harnessing energy such as wind, solar, biomass, wave and geothermal must be embraced. Nobody can dispute the harmful effects fossil fuels are causing in the environment. So why not use renewable energies which are safe, clean and sustainable? Governments are now taking action, with research and development into new forms of alternative energy moving at an incredible pace. Although Alternative (renewable) energy is clean and safe it is also expensive and requires initial investment with a payback period over time. At present governments' around the world are subsidising the installation of these technologies in homes. The payback period of these installations is relative to the supply of fossil fuels, if oil supplies drop the demand will increase and the price will rise, this will shorten the payback period of a renewable energy technology installation. As with any investment it is important to do some research and comparisons with the choices available. For home installation, factors to be considered are location, positioning of the house, product price, labour, available grants and current energy usage.
Researching alternative energy at Ashton School
Evening Echo Monday the 11th April 2011
For students at Ashton, Transition Year creates many opportunities to learn in creative ways. Recently they had the enviable experience of not only hearing about interesting options in relation to renewable sources of energy, but were able to actually experiment with how it was done ---- hands on. 23.5 Degrees, based in Cork, introduced lively presentations, interspersed with group activities and assignments.
This motivated students interest, simultaneously enhanced and challenged their knowledge base. This was a cross-curricular taster module, supporting the work of engineering, mechanical drawing, environmental studies, geography, maths, woodwork and English.
