Conservation of Energy Resources

1. Conservation of Energy Resources • Energy Crises • Dependence on Nonrenewable resources • Implementing Sustainable Energy Use

2. Mining

5. Oil

8. Nuclear

10. Nonrenewable EnergyResources: Fossil Fuels • Provide 85-90% of the energy demand of theindustrialized world • coal, oil, naturalgas • developing countries mainly use renewable • wood & dung • switching to non-renewable resources

11. Coal Creation • Coal in use today originated as plant matter that grew in hot, muggy regions 225 to 350 million years ago • Over time, heat and pressure converted fallenorganic matter into peat, then coal

12. Coal • IndustrialRevolution in the 1800’s • Coal mining began in USA in 1860 • Didn’t replace wood until late 1800’s, early 1900’s • Burned by electric companies and in some homes and factories

13. Types of Coal • Three major types • lignite (brown coal) (lowest value) • bituminous (soft coal) • anthracite (hard coal) (highest value) • Vary in their carbon content, heat value

16. Mining Coal

17. Underground Mining

19. Mining Impactsundergroundmines • Wastes are removed and dumped • acid mine drainage: rainwater combineswith iron pyrite creating sulfuric acid • costly

20. Surface Mining: Contour Mining

21. Surface Mining: Strip Mining

22. Mining Impacts- surface mines • Overburden (overlying soil and rock)must be removed and put somewhere • aesthetics • can affect streams (sedimentation, turbidity, toxics) • New executive rule to allow dumping in waterways - 2003

23. Reclamation • The rehabilitation of land altered by mining(or any other human activity) • 1977, The Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act • companies must restore land to its previous condition • ONLY coal mining

24. New Methods • Fluidized Bed Combustion: crushed andmixed with limestone. • Low levels CO2 • Reduced NO • Reduced SO2

25. New Methods • Coal Gasification: slurry formed, heated and injected with Oxygen.  Cooled and burns like natural gas. • Less NO, SO2 produced • More CO2

26. New Methods • Coal Liquefaction: treated like crude oil • Very costly • Released Phenol • Carcinogen • Same level of CO2 produced

27. Exxon-Valdez Oil Spill – 1989 10+ million gallons

29. Oil • Relatively easy to transport long distances (by ship orpipeline) • Burns cleaner than coal, but dirtier than natural gas • Refined to produce gasoline

30. In short supply • 30 - 45 years • But, oil consumption has been increasing- • may only last 20 years total

33. Impacts of Oil • Extraction of Oil • Destroy habitat • Increase soil erosion • Leaks or spills • kills vegetation and wildlife • seeps into groundwater

34. Oil Shale • Sedimentary rock formed millions ofyears ago at the bottom ofprehistoric lakes • within the rock is a solid organic: kerogen • oily residue, = shale oil. • Refined to produce gasoline • Enormous economic and environmental coststo extract • Major reserve in Colorado, Wyoming and • Utah- the Green River Formation • 30 years of energy?

35. Oil Shale • Same problems as with mines • habitat destruction, pollution etc • Disposal of waste: spent shale (contaminatedrock)- can contaminate water • Process expands the rock by 12% so not all of it fits back in the mine • Uses LOTS of water • Toxics, SO2, NO2

36. Nuclear Power • Fission: Splitting of certain atoms whenthey are hit by radiation, gives offenergy.

37. Nuclear Power:Benefits • longer availability of raw materials than fossil fuels, produces much more energy • less air pollution • reduces dependency on foreign oil • releases less radiation than a coal plant! • Risk of accident is VERY low, much safer thanmining Palisades Nuclear Power Plant Covert, MI

38. Nuclear Power: Drawbacks • catastrophic accidents, • releases radiation • production costs • break even after 30 years (life span of facilities is also about 30 years) • Doesn’t replace oil • thermal pollution • dealing with spent fuel • have to bury it somewhere like hazardouswaste • Nevada/ Yucca Mountain a repository for waste

39. Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Disposal • Receive by 2010 RR transport

40. AccidentsChernobyl • Released radiation for about 2 weeks • 31 people were killed immediately, 237 were hospitalized with burns • People were evacuated, never to return home • 60 square miles were so badly contaminated that itwill lie fallow for many decades (prime ag land) • Total costs amount to $10 billion • Causing livestock loss in neighboring countries • 20 countries were dusted with radiation • Cancer increased dramatically

41. Case Study: ANWR • Created with passage of Alaska National • Interest Lands Conservation Act • -passed 1980 signed by Pres. Carter • -19.5 M acres = National Refuge • - 8 M acres designated • Wilderness • - 1002 Area (1.5 M acres)

42. Case Study: ANWR

43. Case Study: ANWR

44. Case Study: ANWR

45. Case Study: ANWR • 1002 Area = coastal plain closed to oil • & gas exploration unless • authorized by Congress & signed • by President • 1995 – Congress passed budget legislation • to allow drilling, Pres. Clinton veto • Summer 2000 – House of Rep. voted to • drill in ANWR • April 2002 – Senate rejected oil drilling • provisions • Conference committee must resolve • differences between House & Senate • bills • President Bush will sign bill to drill in • ANWR

46. Case Study: ANWR

47. Case Study: ANWR • North Slope oil facilities have physical “footprint” on 10,000 acres • North Slope industrial complex (roads, pipelines, satellite wells) extends over 800 square miles (100 miles wide)

48. Case Study: ANWR

49. Case Study: ANWR

50. Case Study: ANWR • 1,400 miles of seismic lines surveyed • in 1002 Area, 1984-1985 • 1985 exploratory well drilled on KIC • lands; well plugged; • results confidential