NON-RENEWABLE ENERGY
• Five main purposes:• Cooking• Transportation• Manufacturing• Heating/Cooling• Generating electricity to run machines/appliances
Energy Use
• Created from the remains of ancient organisms over millions of years.
• Includes coal, oil, natural gas• Supply is limited• Obtaining and using them results in pollution• Need to find alternatives
Fossil Fuels
How do we determine what fuel to use?◦ Cost◦ Availability◦ Safety◦ Byproducts
Energy Use
◦ The cost of all goods reflects in part the amount of energy required to make and transport it.
◦ In US, more energy is used per person than any other country, except Canada and UAE 27% transportation Japan & Switz have rail systems, and they are small
countries – so this cost is low US & Canada – low gas taxes This leads to little incentive to conserve gas Japan & Switz: supplement with other forms of
energy
Energy Use
Kayford Mountain, West Virginia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylkdUuNOJzw
http://ilovemountains.org/my-connection
What is RHS’s connection to coal removal?
• Oil that is pumped from ground• Also known as crude oil
• Found around geologic features like folds and faults that trap oil as it moves
• Accounts for 45% of commercial energy use
PETROLEUM
• Most of reserves are in Middle East• Others in US, Venezuela, North Sea, Siberia,
Nigeria
• Exploration wells drilled in areas believed to have oil• Determines availability and volume
• Once oil is removed, it is transported to a refinery which converts it to fuels & other petroleum products
Finding Oil
Oil Refining
Burning petroleum releases pollutants
Contribute to formation of smog
Pollution may be reduced by technology like catalytic converters
In developing countries, these technologies are not available, or not used
Oil spills
Oil and the Environment
Makes up most of the worlds fossil fuels reserves
Relatively inexpensive Needs little refining after it is mined About ½ of electricity in US comes from coal
plants
COAL
• Underground mining has little effect on the surface
• Surface mining sometimes removes the entire top of mountains to reach a coal deposit
• Waste rock from coal mines can cause toxic chemical to leach into nearby streams
• High-grade coal produces more heat and less pollution than low-grade
• Sulfur is a main source of pollution• Results in acid precipitation
Coal Mining & the Environment
Light bulbs Washing machine Dryer Dishwasher Stove Air conditioner Heater
Refrigerator Hot water heater Television Microwave Stereo Computer Anything else you
would like to add!
HomeworkFind the average power (in kilowatts) of the following appliances in your home:
◦ Go on Internet & find price of gas in :
Italy England Germany France Netherlands
Do Now
◦ Go on Internet & find price of gas in :
Italy: $5.96 England: $5.79 Germany: $5.57 France: $5.54 Netherlands: $6.48
Do Now
• Methane• Used to be considered a nuisance and
burned off• New technology has allowed
transporting it to be more practical• Burns with less pollutants
Natural Gas
Demand will double by 2050 Cost will increase with demand Oil production from fields accessible by land
peaked in 2010? Ocean drilling more expensive Eventually will run out
FUTURE OF FOSSIL FUELS
Power Is obtained from the energy within the nucleus of a cell
Uses Uranium
Nuclear fission – occurs when the nucleus breaks apart
NUCLEAR ENERGY
1. In a nuclear reactor, fuel rods full of uranium pellets are placed in water.2. Inside the fuel rods, uranium atoms split, releasing energy.3. This energy heats water, creating steam.4. The steam moves through a turbine, which turns a generator to create
electricity.5. The steam cools back into water, which can then be used over again. At some
nuclear power plants, extra heat is released from a cooling tower.• Finding the fuel. One square mile of earth, one foot deep, typically contains
over a ton of uranium
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJfIbBDR3e8
Advantages of Nuclear Energy Uranium is very compact – lots of energy is
a very small volume Do not produce greenhouse gases Release less radiation than coal-powered plants
Building & maintenance is expensive
Waste storage: Products remain radioactive for thousands of years. Location of waste storage must be geologically stable (no Earthquakes)
Why is Nuclear Power not used more?
Safety: ◦ Chernobyl, 1986: Safety devices turned off to
conduct unauthorized test – resulted in release of radioactive materials into the air. Some surrounding areas remain contaminated. This reactor was an old design, and safety guidelines were ignored.
◦ Three Mile Island, 1979: Human error, equipment in poor condition resulted in a small amount of radiation released.
◦ More than 300 safety improvement since Three Mile Island
Safety
Nuclear Fusion – Nuclei combine instead of break apart.◦ Creates less radioactive byproducts◦ Difficult to achieve
Future
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