Refineries and the Environment

Some forms of energy are harmful to our environment, where others are not as harmful. We harm our environment by adding pollutants into the air when we transfer energy from one form to another. We usually think of energy in the form of burn fuels as detrimental to the environment, however, those that create those fuels protect the environment while making the fuels. My students will study how some uses of energy can be harmful to the environment. They will perform experiments to show the harmful effects of adding pollutants to the environment. They will then come up with ways to prevent those pollutants from going into our environment while still being able to use the energy necessary. My fellowship is at a “big bad” refinery. However, as I am learning, the refinery has many procedures in place to prevent the pollution of our atmosphere.