Renewable Energy

Mary Robinson

Outline

• Definition

• History

• Usage

• Why Care?

• Questions

Definition

Found in CAERT Lesson• Renewable natural resources can be

replaced when they are used. They can be renewed and used again, but it may take many years.

• Nonrenewable natural resources are natural resources that cannot be replaced after use.

Definition Continued

Found in CAERT Lesson

• Exhaustibility refers to whether or not a natural resource can be replenished as it is used. As with renewability, some resources can be exhausted, others cannot.

Definition Continued

• Energy– Heat, power for homes– Fuel for vehicles

• Current sources:– Coal– Oil– Natural Gas

Definition Continued

• Types of Renewable Energy:– Hydropower– Bioenergy– Geothermal– Solar– Wind– Hydrogen– Ocean

HistorySource: Energy Information Administration

BC Hydropower was used by the Greeks to turn water wheels for grinding grains more than 2,000 years ago.

500–900

The first windmills were developed in Persia for pumping water and grinding grain.

1860 Auguste Mouchout (France), a mathematics instructor, was able to convert solar radiation directly into mechanical power.

1862 Samuel Morey developed an engine that ran on ethanol and turpentine.

1898 Energy recovery from garbage incineration started in New York City.

1904 The first dry steam geothermal power plant was built in Italy.

U.S. Primary Energy Consumption by Source and Sector,  2008(Quadrillion Btu)

Why Care?

• Use up reserves of coal, oil, natural gas

• Emitting greenhouse gasses

• Air pollution = bad for human, animal and plant life

• Acid rain

• Smog

• Energy dependence

Questions

• Why did we turn away from renewable energy?

• What is keeping us from returning to renewable energy? How can we overcome these challenges?

• How can we as educators encourage our students/those we work with to think about renewable energy?

Resources

• Renewable Energy and Overview:

http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy01osti/27955.pdf• CAERT Environmental Resources: A1-1: Exploring

Natural Resources• Energy Information Administration:

http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=4

http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/aer/overview.html