Chapter 9: EnergyBy: Heather, Jashin, Jogpal, Vick and Navi

Block: C

Every action requires the use of energy Our world’s economic growth is related to the

increase in energy use Coal was the main source of energy in the 19th

century Oil and gas was the main source of energy in the

20th century Over time, the increase in energy use has led to

the world’s growth in population and improved living standards

Introduction

Primary sources of energy are sources that are available from nature E.g. Coal, oil, natural gas, hydroelectric power and nuclear power

Secondary sources of energy are sources that are produced from primary sources E.g. electricity, hydroelectricity

Every form of energy affects the environment, the most harmful being the burning of fossil fuels

Due to the shortage of fuel has led to energy conservation and finding a way to save the environment

Majority of all energy comes from the sun in the form of photosynthesis Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is absorbed by vegetation so when the vegetation dies and is

either consumed or burned, the carbon is released into the atmosphere Fossil fuel deposits take millions of years to build up and yet, it is being used thousands

of times more quickly than they were created by solar energy The availability of energy sources affects the pattern of energy use China, The Soviet Union and eastern European countries depend rely on coal as

their main source of energy Canada, however, depends mainly on hydroelectric power and its range of fossil fuels The majority of people in world, developing countries, use wood as the main source

of energy; usually for cooking and heating

Changing Energy Use

Coal: During the Industrial Revolution, coal was the main source of fuel Since countries around the world began industrializing, coal mining

caused tons of waste and sinking land for those countries Mining in the past was very dangerous and it still is today The advantage of coal is there is a much larger supply compared to other

fossil fuels Most of the world does not use coal anymoreEnvironmental Effects of Coal: When low quality coals are burnt they release more gas steam and ash

compared to burning higher quality coals Burning coal produces carbon dioxide which contributed to the

greenhouse effect A lot of ash is produced by burning coal and radioactive particles go into

the atmosphere which isn't good (radioactive problem) As global warming is becoming a bigger problem, countries are using

higher quality coal

Fossil Fuels

Oil and Natural Gas: Oil and petroleum is created by various organic hydrocarbons Natural gas is created by light hydrocarbons Natural gas is more environment friendly because it only releases carbon

dioxide and water even though it is a non-renewable resource Environmental Effects of Oil and Gas: About 60% of our worlds oil deposits are located in the Persian Gulf, Alaska

and Beaufort Sea The major risk with oil is transporting it, if an oil tanker leaks it can have

chaotic effects on the environment Drilling and transporting oil is also very dangerous because of waves and

icebergs Oil is predominantly used by automobiles which contribute over half of the

nitrogen oxides that lead to acid rain and depletion of the ozone layer Exhaust fumes create carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and bits of trace

metals There are also larger oil reserves in oil sands in Canada and Venezuela

Fossil Fuels Cont’d…

Falling water is used to generate power and is the best known form of renewable energy

Water power is the oldest form of mechanical energy dating back to 1000 B.C. when water wheels were used to lift irrigation water onto the fields

In the 13th century, water power was used in the English woollen industry

In the late 19th century, water power was used to generate electricity

In 1906, hydroelectric power was first generated in the Winnipeg River

Water Power

Power generated from falling water is the clean source of power

It does not release CO2 into the atmosphere which contributes to the greenhouse effect nor does it produce SO2 or Nox which creates acid rain

Hydro dams not only help in generating electricity but also creates a reservoir of water that can also be used for irrigation E.g. The Aswan Dam

Dams are beneficial because it controls flood, provides recreation sites and supplies water

The Advantages of Hydroelectric Power

In order to construct a dam, the land must be flooded causing people to relocate as a result

E.g. the construction of the Aswan Dam caused over 100,000 people to move elsewhere

Dam construction can flood high-quality farmland, ancestral graveyards, forested land (which can release Mercury from the soil into the water) etc.

Building dams require large quantities of concrete, steel and other materials which are produced by mining or manufacturers

Dams can also interfere with groundwater E.g. Glen Canyon Dam

The construction of a dam disrupts wildlife habitats by reducing wetland breeding grounds

Dams have limited lives Over time, silt and nutrients build up in the lake created by the dam

Environmental Effects of Hydro Dams

La Grande is Quebec’s 3rd longest river The river flows through a natural wilderness area where caribou, fox,

beavers and other small mammals live Since 1971 the river has been transformed into a series of lakes due to the

construction of dams; referred to as La Grande 2, 3, and 4 All 3 dams have the power capacity of 10, 281 megawatts (MW), sufficient

for a city of 4 million people! 1 kilowatt (kW) = 1000 watts

1 megawatt (MW) = 1000 kilowatts1 gigawatt (GW) = 1000 megawatts

Native communities agreed to the construction of La Grande only after receiving compensation payments of $174 million and hunting rights

River species have declined in the area of La Grande, while lake species have increased

The changing volume of fresh water entering James bay is predicted to have drastic consequences on fish and wildlife including polar bears and seals

Hydro-Quebec has spent $180 million on repairing the environment

La Grande River Scheme

La Grande River

In 1988, nine dams on tributaries of the Amazon River, all leading to Brazil

The Balbina Dam, which costs $1 billion dollars to build, led to the relocation of many Natives and flooding of the surrounding lake

Due to rotting of underwater vegetation which created acids in the lake water, it threatened the health of over 300,000 people living downstream

The Tucurui Dam has stopped the natural renewal of the land from silt buildup which has affected the cacao, rubber and palm industries

Acids released from the rotting underground water has destroyed the lake and killed majority of the fish

The bigger the dam, the greater the potential damage to the environment

Dams in the Amazon Basin

Generate less than 1 MW Micro hydro refers to units of less than 100KW of power

capacity. Capital costs of such schemes are low and very little land is

flooded. Micro hydro scheme located at stretching park lodge and

outdoor centre on Vancouver island. The dam is 2m high and 15m long. It’s total cost of about $221,000 Hydro scheme replaces the burning of fossil fuels and create no

emissions into the atmosphere. It resulted in savings of about $35,000 per year

Small-scale Hydroelectric Power

Only 4% of nuclear energy used in the world Taiwan and France are countries that

generate over 50% of electricity from nuclear sources

Canada uses up to 11% Comes from the splitting of the uranium

atom

Nuclear Power

Radiation refers to electro magnetic waves  Nuclear radiation is ionizing, when means it has charged ions

that have capacity to damage living cells and cause cancer Radiation is measured by RADS (radiation absorbed dose) or

REMS (Roentgen equivalent in Man.) small doses are measured in thousandth parts that is millirads and millirems

A person receives 53 millirems per year from rock such as granite, 25 millirems are received from the materials in our body and the food we eat

5 rems will cause sickness and 10 will damage the lymph nodes and bone marrow this will increase the chance of cancer

The Hazards of Nuclear Power

Nuclear waste was once dumped into the sea, but now it is being stored at a nuclear site, waiting for a proper solution of disposal

People believe that nuclear waste should not be disposed on the earth because if it falls in to wrong hands it can be used of terrorism

People that live near nuclear plants would get sick more often to prevent this, most relocated

The Problems of Nuclear Waste Disposal

If we stop the use to nuclear power, we would have to find an alternative source of energy

Renewable sources have become scarce and are better used for other purposes

Those in favor of nuclear power are concerned that the burning of fossil fuels will just contribute to the greenhouse effect

Those also in favor of nuclear power hope that one day they will find a way to combine atoms rather than splitting them to create large amounts of energy, called nuclear fusion

Those opposed feel that enormous temperatures would be needed to generate large amounts of energy which is also very dangerous to experiment

The Nuclear Power Debate

Nuclear power can be generated on a small scale by Slowpoke technology

A new version of this is being developed and it’s called Slowpoke Energy System (SES)

This will reduce the radiation in the air and will be better for the environment

Small-scale Nuclear Power

This applies to all methods of energy expect hydroelectricity power

Soft energy is using renewable resources which does not affect the environment as much as the burning of fossil fuels

Alternative Sources

Made since 1973 Sunlight brings 170 billion of milliwatts of energy to earth Passive solar energy, the building uses to get energy and active

solar energy used to heat water or space within the buildings. Pools and homes in Canada are heated by solar energy There are two methods of getting solar energy Photovoltaic cells, which uses high grade silicon to harness solar

energy waves but this method is very costly Solar thermal energy is another method and a lot cheaper and it

uses mirrors to use sun heat to focus its energy on pipes filled with synthetic oil, when the oil is heated to nearly 400c and used to convert water into steam and it drives the turbines

Solar Power

Least damaging form of producing power Windmills were first known to be used in Persia before

A.D 1000 The Dutch then later used them to grind corn and to

drain low-laying land Nearly 10,000 wind generators produce 600 MW of

electricity to places like Denmark and California A 150 Kw turbine would cost around $165,000 (us) to

build Energy is produced three times as more as the operating

cost

Wind Power

World’s first tidal power project was built on the La Rance estuary in Brittan, France in 1967

The Fundy bay between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick is one of the favourable tidal power sites, with tide ranges of 6 metres. The built-in reversing turbine produces over 4000 MW of electricity of power at this site

Since there is a barrier across this bay it is creating a strong stir between fisher men and environmentalist

Tidal Power

This energy source comes from the heat contained in the earth’s crust

Temperature under the surface of the ground increases by about 25oC for every 1000m

This type of energy can be obtained from first uses hot water or steam reservoirs or by pumping water into an area of hot rocks to trap steam used to drive turbines or heat homes

Geothermal energy is used where fossil fuels are not available and it is also the cheapest form of energy

Geothermal energy can give off hydrogen sulphide, underground water may contain salts and heavy metals

The power sites are usually very loud and release large amounts of heat into the atmosphere

E.g. Mount Meager in British Columbia

Geothermal Power

How Geothermal Power Works

This energy source is created by solar power by the process of photosynthesis

Canada now generates 3 present of its power from wastes such as wood etc. 2 million Canadians use wood waste to heat their houses Canadian cities burn down garbage efficiently to be used as a heat and

power source However it is better to recycle than to burn Gas from biological sources is another form of energy generated from

organic sources Most organic wastes can be harnessed, particularly dung from farms and

methane from landfills, which will then be turned to gas for heating and generating power

Biogas is used for many things in all parts of the world. Leftovers of this gas are rich in nutrient and is used to fertilize farms

Biomass Energy

Our use of power and consumption can be symbolized as a progress for us

The creation of energy places stress on the environment, and fossil fuels reserves will not last very long

Our present attitude spells trouble in the year to come

Energy should be used with greater care for the environment

Using Energy More Efficiently

Our use of energy is very inefficient in many ways A conference in 1989 was told that about 20 billion is spent each

year on new electrical generating plants throughout the world Yet only 100 million is spent on conserving electricity A DPA group of Toronto report prepared for Canadian energy

minister claimed that 99 billion could be saved in Canada by switching to aggressive energy conservation methods

Much of this saving depends on individual and family use This can be done by depending less on heat for heating purposes

and rely more on insulation or by updating to heat efficient windows also by reducing home appliances, to cut bills in half and be better environmentally friendly

People may also switch to cold water washing and hanging cloths on lines to dry instead of relying on dryers

Saving Electricity

Due to Ontario’s economy boost in 1989 they were forced to sign a hydro agreement to buy surplus power from Manitoba’s new generating stations

In this same year Ontario’s hydro launched a major publicity scheme to encourage consumers to use less and reduce demands

Planning Future Power Demand—Ontario Hydro

Heat that power stations waste is lost to the atmosphere through cooling towers. One way to save this energy is to circulate heat from stations to homes and other buildings in the area

Combined energy and heat power is known as cogeneration schemes which can operate ate efficiencies of 80 percent or more compared to 35 or 40 percent for fossil fuel power stations

CHP gas turbines could reduce the energy costs of heating buildings by an estimated 80 percent

CHP schemes use natural gas which is the least polluting and the most readily available

The leading countries to introduce CHP are the Netherlands, with other neighbouring countries not much far behind

Combined Heat and Power (CHP):

With today’s modern technology new and better ways of consuming more energy and fuel is now available

Furthermore, house appliances could be introduced that save up to 50 percent more power, and car reduce up to 75 percent more fuel which planes reduced at 7 percent

Other Possibilities For Saving Energy

Biomass is a key role in the lives of people in developing countries

As a source of energy, these countries burn wood, crop wastes and dung

India is the 10th largest industrial country, but cooking takes up half of its energy needs

Most developing countries have a fuel shortages Growing trees to provide a regular harvest of fuel

wood and introducing more energy-efficient stoves can save energy

In Kenya, jiko stoves are used to reduce energy

Saving Energy In Developing Countries

Current Event:http://

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-18185889

What: India is planning to strike due to the increase in fuel prices Who: The government and citizens of India Where: India When: May 31, 2012 Why: Fuel prices are increased most likely due to fuel inflation Oil

firms stated that they were forced to increase the price because the falling rupee had made imports costlier

Questions: Do you think the strike will be effective? Will it force oil firms to decrease the price of fuel? Do you think Canada will face this same problem as well?

India Will Strike!