: Does the software offer features ideal for educational purposes? Which software offers the most features for its price?

ROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION: RECOMMENDATION REPORT Writing and Submission Requirements Length: Format: Due date: Submission: 900-1200 words (does not include References list) Memo Format 11:59 pm on Sunday, May 10 Turn text in to Blackboard Learn as a fully formatted Word format (.docx). Assignment Prompt and Context Imagine you are working in iTech for a small community college with about 2000 students. In response to the COVID-19 crisis, the Provost has just announced that the college will suspend all face-to-face classes, and like many other colleges and universities in the US, transition to online teaching in about two weeks. The college was in the process of implementing Blackboard Learn as its official Virtual Learning Environment to standardize course websites across disciplines. Right now, some professors use online learning platforms provided by textbook publishing companies like Pearson and Macmillan, some professors use their own personal websites, and many professors don’t use online resources at all. However, to make sure that the college can continue its students’ education during these unprecedented times, every faculty will have to use some kind of video-conferencing tool for the rest of the semester, and potentially through Summer and Fall as well. Therefore, the Provost has reached out to you to provide a recommendation to all faculty on which video-conferencing software to use. Based on her own preliminary findings, she thinks you should compare Zoom, BlueJeans, and Google Hangouts Meet. However, you may choose to look at one or more different options, but I recommend that you limit your report to 2-3 softwares. Make sure to clarify why you have picked those specific softwares to compare in your report. When comparing the different available tools, take the following into account: • • • • • • Price: If there is a free version of the software, is it adequate for the faculty’s needs? Is it worth getting the paid version for the extra features? Will students need to pay to use the tool as well? Features: Does the software offer features ideal for educational purposes? Which software offers the most features for its price? Do any of the softwares offer innovative features that will help faculty and students? Connectivity: Is the software data-heavy? Will the software require a large download? Keep in mind that many students may not have access to hi-speed internet. Multi-platform adaptability: Can the software be used on both PCs and Macs? Can the software also be downloaded on to Android smartphones and iphones? Security: What kind of security features does the software offer? Will the software keep faculty and student data safe? ADA Compliance: Is the software ADA compliant? Will all students and faculty be able to use the video-conferencing tool? You can choose to emphasize the importance of one of more of these criteria or add a new criterion. Keep your comparison manageable. Your final report will have the following sections: • • • • • • Executive Summary (100-300 words): Sum up the important details of your entire recommendation report. Introduction (50-150 words): Identify the purpose and context of your report and frontload your recommendation. Background (100-300 words): Provide a brief explanation of the context of your report. Identify the current need, provide an overview of the current online capabilities of the faculty, and identify the requirements/criteria of a good video-conferencing software. Comparison (600-900 words): In the main body of your report, compare 2-3 video-conferencing softwares. Organize your comparison by subheadings. Make sure to cite sources following IEEE citation style. Recommendation (50-150 words): Clearly state your recommendation based on your comparison of the video-conferencing tools. References (not included in word count): Cite your sources following IEEE citation style. You must use at least 3 academic sources in your report. Additionally, you can also use information available through Google search, but you must properly evaluate the credibility of those sources. Also, you must incorporate at least two visuals in your report. Make sure to properly label your visuals. The Recommendation Report assignment is worth 200 points. 3013 Chapel Creek Dr. Corpus Christi, TX 78414 1 December 2019 Dr. Kenneth R. Price Department of Language and Literature Texas A&M University-Kingsville Kingsville, TX 78363 Subject: ENGL 2374 Recommendation Report Dear Dr. Price: I am submitting the technical report, due November 23, 2019, that you requested. The report is entitled Recommendation Report: Fossil Fuels and Renewable Energy Sources. The purpose of this report is to research and inform on the advantages and disadvantages of fossil fuels, wind, solar, hydropower and biomass energies. This report concentrates on the benefits and drawbacks of each of these types of energy sources. This report also provides a personal recommendation of which energy source is the best to use after examining all the advantages and disadvantages. If you have any questions about this submission or if any additional information is necessary, you may reach me at 361-944-3356 or at riley.ramirez@students.tamuk.edu. Thank you in advance for your attention. Regards, Riley Ramirez Riley Ramirez Enclosure: Recommendation Report: Fossil Fuels and Renewable Energy Sources Recommendation Report: Fossil Fuels and Renewable Energy Sources Riley R Ramirez ENGL 2371-600 12/1/2019 Recommendation Report: Fossil Fuels and Renewable Energy Sources | i List of Illustrations …………………………………………………………………………………………. iii Executive Summary ……………………………………………………………………………………….. iv Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 1 Fossil Fuels ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 2 Oil/Petroleum………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 2 Petroleum Advantages ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3 Petroleum Disadvantages ……………………………………………………………………………………… 3 Coal ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 4 Coal Advantages………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4 Coal Disadvantages ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 5 Natural Gas ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 5 Natural Gas Advantages ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 6 Natural Gas Disadvantages …………………………………………………………………………………… 6 Wind Energy …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 7 Wind Turbines ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 8 How Wind Turbines Work ……………………………………………………………………………………… 8 Wind Energy Advantages …………………………………………………………………………………………. 9 Wind Energy Disadvantages …………………………………………………………………………………….10 Solar Energy …………………………………………………………………………………………………. 10 Solar Photovoltaic Technology ………………………………………………………………………………….11 Passive Solar Technology ………………………………………………………………………………………..11 Solar Water Heating ………………………………………………………………………………………………..11 Solar Process Heat………………………………………………………………………………………………….12 Concentrating Solar Power ……………………………………………………………………………………….12 Solar Energy Advantages …………………………………………………………………………………………12 Solar Energy Disadvantages …………………………………………………………………………………….13 Hydropower ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 13 How Hydropower Works …………………………………………………………………………………………..14 Hydropower Advantages ………………………………………………………………………………………….15 Hydropower Disadvantages………………………………………………………………………………………15 Biomass Energy ……………………………………………………………………………………………. 15 Wood and Wood Waste ……………………………………………………………………………………………16 Municipal Solid Waste ……………………………………………………………………………………………..16 Biogas …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..17 Recommendation Report: Fossil Fuels and Renewable Energy Sources | ii Ethanol ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….18 Biodiesel………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..18 Biomass Energy Advantages …………………………………………………………………………………….18 Biomass Disadvantages …………………………………………………………………………………………..19 Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 19 Appendix A: Survey ………………………………………………………………………………………. 21 References ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 23 Recommendation Report: Fossil Fuels and Renewable Energy Sources | iii List of Illustrations Figure 1: Energy consumption ……………………………………………………………………………. 1 Figure 2: Formation of fossil fuels ……………………………………………………………………….. 2 Figure 3: United States increasing dependence on fossil fuels ………………………………… 7 Figure 4: How uneven heating of land and water causes wind ………………………………… 8 Figure 5: Aerial view of how wind turbines send energy to the power grid …………………. 9 Figure 6: How solar energy works ……………………………………………………………………… 11 Figure 7: How hydropower dams work ……………………………………………………………….. 14 Figure 8: Cycle of biomass energy …………………………………………………………………….. 16 Figure 9: Municipal solid waste by type of waste …………………………………………………. 17 Recommendation Report: Fossil Fuels and Renewable Energy Sources | iv Executive Summary Over the past 100 years, fossil fuels have dominated the energy consumption by the United States. In 2018, fossil fuels comprised about 80 percent of all energy consumed in the United States [1]. While fossil fuels are the most popular source of energy, it is a nonrenewable energy source. This means that fossil fuels are available on earth in a finite amount and cannot be created. Once fossil fuels are gone, they are gone forever. This report will cover the advantages and disadvantages of four renewable sources of energy, as well as fossil fuels. It will cover wind energy, solar energy, hydropower and biomass energy in order to decide which would be best to be used instead of fossil fuels or may decide that no other renewable energy sources are comparable to the energy fossil fuels. As mentioned, the biggest disadvantages with fossil fuels are the fact that they are finite and are toxic to the environment. Some advantages of fossil fuels are that they can produce an enormous amount of power with a small amount of fuel. Fossil fuels can also be obtained, processed and transported easily across the United States. Wind energy is advantageous because it is renewable and does not pollute the environment. It is a completely clean source of energy, with minor disadvantages being that they can be costly initially and that they are visually obstructing. Solar panels that produce electricity are themselves a clean source of energy, but the production of solar panels does produce greenhouse gases that are harmful to the environment. Like wind power, solar panels are costly to install, but once installed solar panels need little maintenance and can be installed directly to power homes. Hydropower is the oldest renewable energy source in the United States and is the largest renewable energy source used in the United States. Hydropower is very efficient. It is typically about 40 percent more efficient than fossil fuels. Dams used for hydropower also serve a dual purpose as they can be used for recreational activities by the public. The main drawback to hydropower is that hydropower plants can be expensive to build but are more effective in the long run. Biomass energy is the energy produced from the combustion of plants as well as waste such as wood and municipal waste. Biomass is also being used to produce biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel. Biomass energy is carbon neutral, which means that it is mostly environmentally friendly. The carbon released when the biomass is burned is then taken back in by biomass in order to be used again. Other emissions can be released when the biomass is burned making it like the using of fossil fuels. Biomass energy is also less efficient than fossil fuels. Each source of energy has their benefits and drawbacks. Based on the information collected, wind and hydropower seem to be the best source of energy. Both are clean sources of energy meaning that they do not pollute the environment. Both sources of energy are also more efficient than fossil fuels. Solar and biomass energy are good potential energy sources but need more research to make them more environmentally friendly and more efficient. This report has advantages and disadvantages of each energy source making it easy to decide which energy source is best as everyone has their own idea of which factors are important to them. Recommendation Report: Fossil Fuels and Renewable Energy Sources | 1 Introduction The need for energy in the world is constantly growing and will continue to grow as the population of the world grows. Energy is essential in almost every aspect of everyday life, from fueling your car, lighting your house, to charging your cell phone. The need for energy is inescapable and undeniable. Renewable energy is energy from resources that are infinite meaning that they occur naturally in the environment. Renewable resources cannot be depleted, but they are limited in the amount of energy they put out at any given time [1]. Fossil fuels, such as natural gas, coal and petroleum, are nonrenewable resources. This means that once all fossil fuels are exhausted there will be no more. In 2018, 80% of the energy consumed by the United States was from fossil fuels [1]. Since fossil fuels are finite and will eventually runout, it is important to know about the types of renewable energy available to take the place of fossil fuels. Depletion of resources is a major concern for the world today and deciding which energy source to use is even more difficult. There is a debate about using fossil fuels versus using alternative energy sources. The main types of renewable energy sources are wind energy, solar energy, hydroelectric power, and energy from biomass. This recommendation paper will focus on each type of energy: fossil fuels, wind, solar, hydroelectric and biomass. Various factors such as cost effectiveness, cleanliness, stability, efficiency and environmental effects will be researched. Hopefully, looking at all these factors will provide an informative insight into the advantages and disadvantages of each of these energy sources. While fossil fuels are finite and renewable resources aren’t, renewable resources can have their drawbacks just as fossil fuels can. Fossil fuels will be discussed first, since it is the one most people are familiar with and the one the world is the most dependent upon. Then wind, solar, hydroelectric and biomass will each be explored respectively. The purpose of this paper is to help the reader make an informed decision about which energy source is the best to use and why. Figure 1: Energy consumption by energy source in the United States in 2018 Source: [1] Recommendation Report: Fossil Fuels and Renewable Energy Sources | 2 Fossil Fuels What are fossil fuels and where do they come from? Fossil fuels are compounds of hydrocarbons comprising coal, natural gas and petroleum [6]. Fossil fuels are the world’s primary source of energy [2]. Fossil fuels come from organic material that was formed over the course of millions of years. Figure 2: Formation of fossil fuels Source: [6] Oil/Petroleum Oil is the world’s main fuel source for transportation. While some companies have been going toward greener, battery powered cars, oil or petroleum is still the main energy used to power transportation vehicles. Almost all oil is pumped out of underground reservoirs, but it can also be found in shale and tar sands [2]. Crude oil is pumped out of the ground and then transported to refineries. Crude oil cannot be used in its natural form because it contains to many different types of hydrocarbons. At the refinery, the oil is put through a process of separating, converting and treating. Separating is done in a distillation column and separates out the various hydrocarbons into light, medium and heavy distillates. The most distillate produced after separating is heavy distillates. Since most petroleum used for cars comes from light and medium distillates and heavy distillates the most abundant after the separating phase, the heavy distillates must be further refined to create more light and medium distillates. This is done through a process called cracking. The heavy distillates are cracked. This is the breaking up of the heavy distillate in order to convert it into a light or medium distillate. While petroleum is mostly used for transportation, crude oil is also used for other things such as, pesticides, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals and plastics. Since the world is so heavily dependent on fossil fuels for transportation, it is difficult to reduce the amount of fossil fuels that are being consumed daily [2]. The United States was the number Recommendation Report: Fossil Fuels and Renewable Energy Sources | 3 one consumer of petr …
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