Chapter 9: Energy

1. Chapter 9: Energy By: Heather, Jashin, Jogpal, Vick and NaviBlock: C

2. Introduction • 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

3. Changing Energy Use • Primary sources of energy are sources that are available from natureE.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

4. Fossil Fuels 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 anymore Environmental 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

5. Fossil Fuels Cont’d… 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

6. Water Power • 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

7. The Advantages of Hydroelectric 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

8. Environmental Effects of Hydro Dams • 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

9. La Grande River Scheme • 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

10. La Grande River

11. Dams in the Amazon Basin • 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

12. Small-scale Hydroelectric Power • 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

13. Nuclear 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

14. The Hazards of 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

15. The Problems of Nuclear Waste Disposal 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

16. The Nuclear Power Debate 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

17. Small-scale Nuclear Power 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

18. Alternative Sources 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

19. Solar Power 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

20. Wind 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

21. Tidal 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

22. Geothermal 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

23. How Geothermal Power Works

24. Biomass Energy • 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

25. Using Energy More Efficiently • 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

26. Saving Electricity • 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

27. Planning Future Power Demand—Ontario Hydro • 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

28. Combined Heat and Power (CHP): • 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

29. Other Possibilities For Saving Energy • 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

30. Saving Energy In Developing Countries • 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

31. Current Event: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-18185889

32. India Will Strike! 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?