A Sustainable Society

Checkpoints 1-15

Mr Isgro

Checkpoint 1

Law of Conservation of Energy states that…• ‘energy cannot be created or destroyed. It can

only be transformed from one form to another as well as transferred from one body to another but the total energy remains the same.’

Checkpoint 2

Types and sources of energy:• These forms can include kinetic and potential

energy as well as light, heat and sound.

Checkpoint 3

Uses of energy in everyday life:• Biological (Food – Growth, repair,

reproduction)• Transportation• RecreationCan you think of any others?

Checkpoint 4

Define the following terms: • Resource: A resource is a source or supply

from which benefit is produced. Typically resources are materials, energy, (services, staff, knowledge, or other assets) that are transformed to produce benefit and in the process may be consumed or made unavailable.

Checkpoint 4

Define the following terms: • Renewable: Alternative energy is any energy

that is produced from sources other than fossil fuel energy. Renewable energy is any source of energy that doesn't consume the finite resources of the Earth and can be easily and quickly replenished.

Checkpoint 4

Define the following terms: • Non-renewable: Non-renewable fossil fuels (crude

oil, natural gas, coal, oil shales and tar sands) currently supply Australia with more than 95 percent of our electrical energy needs. Non-renewable energy is energy produced by burning fossil fuels such as coal. They are non-renewable because there are finite resources of fossil fuels on the planet. If they are continually used, one day they will run out.

Checkpoint 5

Renewable energy resources: • Renewable (infinte) energy resources are

sources of power that quickly replenish themselves and can be used again and again.

Checkpoint 5

Renewable energy resources: • Biomass fuel: Biomass energy is generated

from decaying plant or animal waste. It can also be an organic material which is burned to provide energy, eg heat, or electricity. An example of biomass energy is canola (yellow flowers you see in the in summer), which produces oil. After treatment with chemicals it can be used as a fuel in diesel engines.

Checkpoint 5

Renewable energy resources: • Solar energy: Energy from sunlight is captured

in solar panels and converted into electricity.

Checkpoint 5

Renewable energy resources: • Wind energy: Wind turbines (modern

windmills) turn wind energy into electricity.

Checkpoint 5

Renewable energy resources: • Geothermal energy: In volcanic

regions it is possible to use the natural heat of the earth. Cold water is pumped under ground and comes out as steam. Steam can be used for heating or to power turbines creating electricity.

Checkpoint 6

Non-renewable energy resources: • All life on earth is sustained by energy from the sun.

Plants and animals can store energy and some of this energy remains with them when they die. It is the remains of these ancient animals and plants that make up fossil fuels.

• Fossil fuels are non-renewable because they will run out one day. Burning fossil fuels generates greenhouse gases and relying on them for energy generation is unsustainable.

Checkpoint 6

Non-renewable energy resources: • Coal: Formed from fossilised plants and

consisting of carbon with various organic and some inorganic compounds. Mined from seams of coal, found sandwiched between layers of rock in the earth. Burnt to provide heat or electricity.

Checkpoint 6

Non-renewable energy resources: • Petroleum: A carbon-based liquid formed

from fossilised animals. Lakes of oil are sandwiched between seams of rock in the earth. Pipes are sunk down to the reservoirs to pump the oil out. Widely used in industry and transport.

Checkpoint 6

Non-renewable energy resources: • Natural gas: Methane and some other gases

trapped between seams of rock under the earth's surface. Pipes are sunk into the ground to release the gas.

Checkpoint 6

Non-renewable energy resources: • Uranium: Radioactive

minerals such as uranium are mined. Electricity is generated from the energy that is released when the atoms of these minerals are split (by nuclear fission) in nuclear reactors.

Checkpoint 7

The process of converting ONE sources of renewable energy into use for society:• https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pla

yer_embedded&v=mIj8EuEJ8FY

Checkpoint 7

The process of converting ONE sources of renewable energy into use for society:How Geothermal Energy Works:• https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pla

yer_embedded&v=Rs6n0baLQ6w

Checkpoint 7

How Geothermal Energy Works:1. Hot water is pumped from deep underground through a

well under high pressure.2. When the water reaches the surface, the pressure is

dropped, which causes the water to turn into steam.3. The steam spins a turbine, which is connected to a

generator that produces electricity.4. The steam cools off in a cooling tower and condenses back

to water.5. The cooled water is pumped back into the Earth to begin

the process again.

Checkpoint 7

How Geothermal Energy Works:

Checkpoint 7

The process of converting ONE sources of renewable energy into use for society:How a Solar Cell Works:• http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=play

er_detailpage&v=0elhIcPVtKE

Checkpoint 8

Renewable vs Non-renewable resources:https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=pBTnVoEIb98

Checkpoint 8

Non-renewable resources: CoalAdvantages Disadvantages

Ready-made fuel. When burned coal gives off atmospheric pollutants, including greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. Sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen can result in acid rain.

It is relatively cheap to mine and to convert into energy.Coal supplies will last longer than oil or gas.

Checkpoint 8

Non-renewable resources: Petroleum (crude oil)

Advantages Disadvantages

Oil is a ready-made fuel. When burned, it gives off atmospheric pollutants, including greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide.

Relatively cheap to extract and to convert into energy.

Only a limited supply.

Checkpoint 8

Non-renewable resources: Natural Gas (methane CH4)

Advantages Disadvantages

Gas is a ready-made fuel. When burned, it gives off atmospheric pollutants, including greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide.

It is a relatively cheap form of energy. Only limited supply of gas.

It's a slightly cleaner fuel than coal and oil.

Checkpoint 8Non-renewable resources: Nuclear

Advantages Disadvantages

A small amount of radioactive material produces a lot of energy.

Nuclear reactors are expensive to run.

Raw materials are relatively cheap and can last quite a long time.

Nuclear waste is highly toxic, and needs to be safely stored for hundreds or thousands of years (storage is extremely expensive).

It doesn't give off atmospheric pollutants.

Leakage of nuclear materials can have a devastating impact on people and the environment. The worst nuclear reactor accident was at Chernobyl, Ukraine in 1986. The most recent was Fukushima in 2011.

Checkpoint 8Non-renewable resources: Nuclear

Checkpoint 8

Renewable resources: SolarAdvantages Disadvantages

Potentially infinite energy supply. Manufacture and implementation of solar panels can be costly.

Single dwellings can have own electricity supply.

Sun does not always shine.

Checkpoint 8

Renewable resources: WindAdvantages Disadvantages

Can be found singularly, but usually many together in wind farms.Potentially infinite energy supply.

Manufacture and implementation of wind farms can be costly.

Some local people object to on-shore wind farms, arguing that it spoils the countryside.Wind does not always blow.

Checkpoint 8

Renewable resources: TidalAdvantages Disadvantages

Ideal for an island such as Australia. Construction of barrage is very costly.

Potential to generate a lot of energy. Only a few estuaries are suitable.

Tidal barrage can double as a bridge, and help prevent flooding.

Opposed by some environmental groups as having a negative impact on wildlife.

May reduce tidal flow and impede flow of sewage out to sea.

Checkpoint 8

Renewable resources: GeothermalAdvantages Disadvantages

Potentially infinite energy supply. Can be expensive to set up and only works in areas of volcanic activity.

Used successfully in some countries, such as New Zealand and Iceland.

Geothermal and volcanic activity might calm down, leaving power stations redundant.Dangerous elements found underground must be disposed of carefully.

Checkpoint 8

Renewable resources: HydrologicalAdvantages Disadvantages

Creates water reserves as well as energy supplies.

Costly to build.

Hume weir. Can cause the flooding of surrounding communities and landscapes.

Dams have major ecological impacts on local hydrology.

Checkpoint 8

Renewable resources: BiomassAdvantages Disadvantages

It is a cheap and readily available source of energy.

When burned, it gives off atmospheric pollutants, including greenhouse gases.

If replaced, biomass can be a long-term, sustainable energy source.

Biomass is only a renewable resource if crops are replanted.

Checkpoint 9

Stomp rocket practical activity• Part 1:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUV16qRnoHs

• Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xrCV9qywRM

Checkpoint 10

The spheres of Earth:Everything in Earth's system can be placed into one of four major subsystems: land, water, living things, or air. These four subsystems are called "spheres." Specifically, they are the "lithosphere" (land), "hydrosphere" (water), "biosphere" (living things), and "atmosphere" (air).

Checkpoint 10

The spheres of Earth

Checkpoint 10

Define the spheres (of Earth)• Atmosphere: The atmosphere contains all the air in

Earth's system. It extends from less than 1 m below the planet's surface to more than 10,000 km above the planet's surface. The upper portion of the atmosphere protects the organisms of the biosphere from the sun's ultraviolet radiation. It also absorbs and emits heat. When air temperature in the lower portion of this sphere changes, weather occurs. As air in the lower atmosphere is heated or cooled, it moves around the planet.

0oC=273oK

Checkpoint 10

Define the spheres (of Earth)• Lithosphere: The lithosphere contains all of

the cold, hard solid land of the planet's crust (surface), the semi-solid land underneath the crust, and the liquid land near the center of the planet. The surface of the lithosphere is very uneven. The solid, semi-solid, and liquid land of the lithosphere form layers that are physically and chemically different.

Checkpoint 10

Define the spheres (of Earth)• Lithosphere:

Checkpoint 10

Define the spheres (of Earth)• Biosphere: The biosphere contains all the planet's

living things. This sphere includes all of the microorganisms, plants, and animals of Earth. Within the biosphere, living things form ecological communities based on the physical surroundings of an area. These communities are referred to as biomes. Deserts, grasslands, and tropical rainforests are three of the many types of biomes that exist within the biosphere.

Checkpoint 10

Define the spheres (of Earth)• Biosphere:

Checkpoint 10

Define the spheres (of Earth)• Hydrosphere: The hydrosphere contains all the

solid, liquid, and gaseous water of the planet. It ranges from 10 to 20 kilometers in thickness. The hydrosphere extends from Earth's surface downward several kilometers into the lithosphere and upward about 12 kilometers into the atmosphere. Ninety-seven percent of Earth's water is salty.

Checkpoint 10

Define the spheres (of Earth)• Hydrosphere:

Checkpoint 11

Checkpoint 12Enhanced greenhouse effect:• Humans have increased the concentration of greenhouse gases in

the atmosphere, by burning fossil fuels and intensive agriculture. • One of the most discussed greenhouse gases is CO2.When CO2 is

added to the atmosphere the temperature rises slightly, this immediately increases the amount of water vapor, which then causes higher changes in temperature.

• Clouds can have a warming effect as they absorb heat and radiate infrared radiation back to earth.

• The temperature on earth doesn’t rise evenly over the whole planet; the temperature rise is higher at the poles than at the equator.

http://greenfriendswoodlands.wordpress.com/understanding-global-warming/

Checkpoint 12

Enhanced greenhouse effect:

Checkpoint 12Ozone layer depletion:1. The ozone depletion process begins when CFCs and other ozone-

depleting substances (ODS) are emitted into the atmosphere.2. Winds efficiently mix the troposphere and evenly distribute the

gases. CFCs are extremely stable, and they do not dissolve in rain. After a period of several years, ODS molecules reach the stratosphere, about 10 kilometers above the Earth's surface.

3. Strong UV light breaks apart the ODS molecule. CFCs, HCFCs, carbon tetrachloride, methyl chloroform, and other gases release chlorine atoms, and halons and methyl bromide release bromine atoms.

4. It is these atoms that actually destroy ozone, not the intact ODS molecule. It is estimated that one chlorine atom can destroy over 100,000 ozone molecules before it is removed from the stratosphere.

http://www.epa.gov/ozone/science/process.html

Checkpoint 12

Ozone layer depletion:

Checkpoint 12

Climate Change:• Our climate is changing, largely due to the observed

increases in human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas), agriculture and land clearing. Changes over the 20th century include increases in global average air and ocean temperature, widespread melting of snow and ice and rising global sea levels. The extra heat in the climate system has other impacts such as affecting atmospheric and ocean circulation, which influences rainfall and wind patterns.

• In Australia, average air temperatures have increased by around 0.9oC since 1910, and each decade has been warmer than the previous decade since the 1950s. http://www.climatechange.gov.au/climate-change/climate-science/understanding-climate-change

Checkpoint 13

• Ozone model activity:

Checkpoint 14

• Greenhouse effect model:

Checkpoint 15

Waste management solutions (e.g. Scots):• Waste has been a major environmental issue

everywhere since the industrial revolution. Besides the waste we create at home, school and other public places, there are also those from hospitals, industries, farms and other sources. Humans rely so much on material things and they all (almost) end up as waste.

• http://www.eschooltoday.com/waste-recycling/waste-management-tips-for-kids.html

http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/env_ed/assets/pdf/schoolswaste_schoolwaste.pdf