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Chapter 11 Fossil Fuels

Chapter 11 Fossil Fuels. Overview of Chapter 11. Energy Sources and Consumption How Fossil Fuels are Formed Coal Coal Reserves and Mining Environmental Impacts Oil and Natural Gas Exploration for Reserves of Oil and Natural Gas Environmental Impacts Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

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Chapter 11 Fossil Fuels

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  1. Chapter 11Fossil Fuels

  2. Overview of Chapter 11 • Energy Sources and Consumption • How Fossil Fuels are Formed • Coal • Coal Reserves and Mining • Environmental Impacts • Oil and Natural Gas • Exploration for Reserves of Oil and Natural Gas • Environmental Impacts • Arctic National Wildlife Refuge • Synfuels • US Energy Strategy

  3. Energy Sources and Consumption • Energy sources used to be local • Now they are worldwide • Fossil fuels • Nuclear energy • Electricity • Energy consumption is different between developing and developed nations • 20% of world’s population use 60% of the world’s energy sources

  4. Per capita energy consumption of selected developed and developing countries

  5. Energy consumption in the US • Industries (production) use the most • Heating, cooling, and illuminating building is 1/3

  6. Fossil Fuels • Combustible deposits in the Earth’s crust • Composed of the remnants (fossils) of prehistoric organisms that existed millions of years ago • Includes coal, oil (petroleum) and natural gas • Non-renewable resource • Fossil fuels are created too slowly to replace the reserves we use

  7. How Are Fossil Fuels Formed? • 300 million years ago • Climate was mild • Vast swamps covered much of the land • Dead plant material decayed slowly in the swamp environment

  8. How Are Fossil Fuels Formed • Over time, layers of sediment accumulated over the dead plant material • Coal • Heat, pressure and time turned the plant material into carbon-rich rock (coal) • Oil • Sediment deposited over microscopic plants • Heat pressure and time turned them into hydrocarbons (oil) • Natural Gas • Formed the same way as oil, but at temperatures higher than 100 °C

  9. Coal • Occurs in different grades • Based on variations in heat and pressure during burial • Lignite • Subbitumimous • Bituminous • Anthracite • Most, if not all, coal deposits have been identified • Primarily in northern hemisphere

  10. Coal • US has 25% of world’s coal supplies • Known coal deposits could last 200 years • At present rate of consumption

  11. 2 Types of Coal Mining • Surface mining (right) • Chosen if coal is within 30m of surface • mineral and energy resources are extracted near Earth’s surface by first removing the soil, subsoil, and overlying rock strata • Subsurface mining • Extraction of mineral and energy resources from deep underground deposits

  12. Environmental Impacts of Mining Coal • Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (1977) • Requires filling (reclaiming) of surface mines after mining • Expensive! • Reduces Acid Mine Drainage • Requires permits and inspections of active coal mining sights • Prohibits coal mining in sensitive areas • Mountaintop Removal • Fills valleys and streams with debris

  13. Environmental Impacts of Burning Coal • Releases large quantities of CO2 into atmosphere • Greenhouse gas • Releases other pollutants into atmosphere • Mercury • Sulfur oxides • Nitrogen oxides • Can cause acid precipitation

  14. Making Coal Cleaner • Scrubbers • Fluidized Bed Combustion (below)

  15. Oil and Natural Gas • Oil and gas provide 60% of world’s energy • They provide 63% of US’s energy

  16. Petroleum Refining • Numerous hydrocarbons present in crude oil (petroleum) are separated • Based on boiling point • Natural gas contains far fewer hydrocarbons than crude oil • Methane, ethane, propane and butane

  17. Oil and Natural Gas Exploration • Oil and natural gas migrate upwards until they hit impermeable rock • Usually located in structural traps

  18. Oil Reserves • Uneven distribution globally • More than half is located in the Middle East

  19. Natural Gas Reserves • Uneven distribution globally • More than half is located in Russia and Iran

  20. How long will Supplies Last? • Difficult to determine and estimates vary • Depends on: • How many more deposits will be located • What technology might be available extract deeper resources • Changes in global consumption rates • Experts indicate there may be shortages in 21st century

  21. Environmental Impacts of Oil and Natural Gas • Combustion • Increase carbon dioxide and pollutant emissions • Natural gas is far cleaner burning than oil • Production • Disturbance to land and habitat • Transport • Spills- especially in aquatic systems • Ex: Alaskan Oil Spill (1989)

  22. 1989 Alaskan Oil Spill

  23. 1989 Alaskan Oil Spill • Exxon Valdez hit a reef and spilled 260,000 barrels of crude oil into sound • Largest oil spill in US history • Led to Oil Pollution Act of 1990

  24. Case in Point - Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

  25. Synfuel and Other Fossil Fuel Resources • Synfuel • A liquid or gaseous fuel that is synthesized from coal and other naturally occurring sources • Used in place of oil or natural gas • Include: • Tar sands • Oil shales • Gas hydrates • Liquefied coal • Coal gas (right)

  26. US Energy Strategy • Objective 1: Increase Energy Efficiency and Conservation • Requires many unpopular decisions • Examples • Decrease speed limit to conserve fuel • Eliminate government subsidies • Objective 2: Secure Future Fossil Fuel Energy Supplies • 2 oppositions: environmental and economic

  27. US Energy Strategy • Objective 3: Develop Alternative Energy Sources • Who should pay for this? Gas taxes? • Objective 4: Meet the First Three Objectives Without Further Damage to the Environment

  28. National Energy Policy (2005)

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