Energy and Alternative Energy

1. Energy and Alternative Energy

2. Natural Resources • Renewable resources can be replenished over fairly short spans of time, such as months, years, or decades. • Nonrenewable resources take millions of years to form and accumulate.

3. Fossil Fuels • Fossil fuels are hydrocarbons that may be used as fuel, including coal, oil, and natural gas.

4. Coal Basics • Most abundant of fossil fuels • World’s largest energy source • Type of rock composed of organic matter having been trapped and compressed underground • Classified into four varieties

5. Coal Varieties • Lignite (brown coal) ( relative youngest, softest least valuable, lowest energy density) • Sub-bituminous (Higher energy density Over 40 percent of US production) • Bituminous (Highest energy density Half of US production) • Anthracite ( Metamorphic, 86-97% carbon Less abundant)

6. Coal Use and Availability • World consumption roughly 5.5 billion short tons annually • Estimates of world’s recoverable reserves in 2004 were 998 billion short tons – Enough for over 200 years at current rate of consumption – Largest reserves by location: 27% -United States 17% -Russia 13% -China 9% -Australia

7. Variety and Location of U.S. CoalReserves

8. U.S. Coal Production

9. Extraction • Two different mining techniques- surface or underground – Surface mining is cheaper • Coal seam must be no deeper than 200ft • Accounts for 67% of US production while only 40% of world production

10. Coal Use in United States • Coal is the dominant source for US electricity generation

11. Pollution/Environmental Impact • Coal accounts for roughly 80% of carbon dioxide emissions from US electricity generation.

12. Hydroelectric Power • Hydroelectric poweris the power generated by falling water. • The water held in a reservoir behind a dam is a form of stored energy that can be released through the dam to produce electric power. • The strong water flow that results drives turbines and electric generators

14. The Water Planet • Each day, people use fresh water for drinking, cooking, bathing, and growing food.

15. Water on Earth • Oceans 97.2% of total • All Icecaps/glaciers 2.0% • Groundwater 0.62% • Freshwater lakes 0.009% • Inland seas 0.008% • Atmosphere 0.001% • All Rivers 0.0001%

16. How much freshwater is available? • Only 0.6291% readily available if you include icecaps and glaciers it goes up to 2.6291%

17. Freshwater Pollution • Point source pollution comes from a known and specific location, such as factory pipes • Nonpoint source pollution is pollution that does not have a specific point of origin. • Runoff is the water that flows over the land rather than seeping into the ground, often carrying nonpoint source pollution

19. Protecting Resources • In 1972, the Clean Water Act (CWA) required industries to reduce or eliminate point source pollution into surface waters. • The Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 helped protect drinking resources. • Clean Air Act, the nation’s most important air pollution law.

20. Protecting Resources cont. • Resource Conservation and Recovery Act- decreased the illegal and unsafe dumping of hazardous waste. • 1980 Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act- mandates cleaning up of abandoned hazardous waste sites that are a danger to the public or the environment.

21. Over population and its effect on Resources. • Sustainability-meet present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs • Carrying Capacity-the maximum number of individuals that a given environment can support without detrimental effects. • Growth rate- the rate of growth of a population. • Total fertility Rate- average number of children each woman has over a lifetime. • Replacement Level Fertility- 2.0 or slightly higher.