NON-RENEWABLE ENERGY

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