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Electrical Power. COAL. The Uses. Power for homes Light bulb Toasters Microwaves Some cars Batteries heating, cooling, cooking, refrigeration, light, sound, computation, entertainment. Renewable?.
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Electrical Power COAL
The Uses • Power for homes • Light bulb • Toasters • Microwaves • Some cars • Batteries • heating, • cooling, • cooking, • refrigeration, • light, • sound, • computation, • entertainment...
Renewable? • Electricity is only renewable if it is not generated from fossil fuels or nuclear power. If generated by wind, water or solar power then it is renewable. • Coal is the world most abundant source of fossil fuel • Coal provides over 22% of the commercial energy used in the world • Nonrenewable in our life time
Cost • The energy information administration gives charts of revenue from retail sales of electricity to ultimate customers • http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/epm/table5_2.html
Positive • Electricity can be generated by a renewable source • Efficient, clean and quiet • Zero vehicle emissions • Electric grid in place, we won’t have to invest in new technology
Negative • Limited Range and Power • Batteries are expensive • Slow in the refueling process (6-8 hours) • The power plant emissions can be harmful if generated by coal or oil
Science Behind the Curtain • Coal forms in several stages • When coal ages, it’s carbon content increases and the water decreases • Electricity has been around for a long time, always in the atmosphere • Hydro, solar, geothermal, wind, nuclear, coal • Transported by trains and kept in a processing plant • Coal mining is dangerous and can kill people due to diseases like black lung • Smoke stacks • Large quantities of CO2 • Advances the greenhouse gas count
Accessible? • Electrical power is used in most homes today. • It is practically impossible to escape electricity because there is electricity in the sky.
Where is it used? • Table 5. U.S. Average Monthly Bill by Sector, Census Division, and State 2007 • United States • http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/esr/table5.html • Across the world there are about 2,354 power plants that produce electricity that are either hydroelectric or steam as well as nuclear. • China, USA, Russia and India
CO2 • The President issued a directive on April 15, 1999, requiring an annual report summarizing the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions produced by the generation of electricity by utilities and nonutilities in the United States • Coal is incredibly abundant but has the highest environmental impact of any fossil fuel for CO2 emissions • In the US electrical power generated (mostly from coal) is the second largest producer of toxic emission. • The most threatening material produced by coal-burning power plants consists of particles of nuclear mercury. • Analysts predict a decline in coal due to high CO2 and health risks • http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/page/co2_report/co2report.html
Bibliographies • Union Of Concerned Scientistshttp://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/coalvswind/c01.html • EIA: http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/page/co2_report/co2report.html http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/esr/table5.html • Plan B 3.0 • Howstuffworks.com • http://science.howstuffworks.com/electricity.htm • Miller LITE