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Environmental Policy

Class 31: Energy CofC Fall 2010. Environmental Policy. Fossil Fuel Use in US. 4.6% of Population  25% of energy consumption 1 US Citizen = 1 EU + 1 SA + 1 Asian 84% US Energy from Oil, Gas and Coal Nonrenewable and declining stocks

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Environmental Policy

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  1. Class 31: Energy CofC Fall 2010 Environmental Policy

  2. Fossil Fuel Use in US • 4.6% of Population  25% of energy consumption • 1 US Citizen = 1 EU + 1 SA + 1 Asian • 84% US Energy from Oil, Gas and Coal • Nonrenewable and declining stocks • Every Pres since Nixon has tried to reduce US Dependence on Foreign Fossil Fuels

  3. Effects • Transportation  fossil fuel combustion produces 34% of VOCs, 78% CO, 85% sulfur oxides, and 95% of Nitrogen oxides • 5.7m acres (New Hampshire) disturbed by coal mining, half of which is abandoned (80% of all electricity comes from coal) • Since 2000, 9k hazardous spills, more than 1m gallons of oil • China 22% imported oil now to 77% by 2020

  4. Renewable Energy • Renewable 7% of energy (Wind, Solar, Hydro, geothermal, biomass) • Nuclear 9% • Since the ‘70s, the White House, Congress and the public have “feebly and inconstantly embraced renewable energy and conservation compared to the national investment in fossil fuels.”

  5. Risks & Tradeoffs of Renewables • Good • Tech is available now (just expensive) • Could double wind and solar easily • Generates jobs • Corps moving to take advantage of downstream savings • Tradeoffs • Highly vulnerable to market changes (prices) • Difficult to get loans today (financial crisis) • Heavily dependent on Gov’t for incentives & subsidies • Regulatory restrictions from climate change, will make electricity more expensive, and consumers will forgo extra $$ for renewables • Enviro tradeoffs  wind turbines vs. birds/ecosystems or biofuels increase, which produces more fertilizer runoff affecting water

  6. Turn off of Nuclear • 1975: 56 commercial reactors, 69 more under construction, 111 more planned • 2 incidents • 1979, 3 Mile Island (PA) reactor meltdown demonstrated technical and econ problems • 1986 Chernobyl catastrophe became political catalyst to for disillusionment over nuclear

  7. Nuclear: Its revival • NRC: Nuclear Regulatory Commission  fed regulatory agency for nuclear energy • Last received an order for new facility in 1973 • By 2008, 23 companies applied to build 34 nuclear facilities, with 4-8 new units on line by 2018. • Greenpeace even approved (cautiously)

  8. The revival • Climate change: alt source of power w/ no GHGs • Political/Econ initiative (particularly Bush W) powered by DOE and EPA’s commitment • Financial incentives provided (almost $20b) • Obama has continued the momentum • Rising public approval (59% favor) • Increasing electricity demand (30% increase) • No recent disasters while increasing nuclear capacity

  9. Nuclear Reactors in US

  10. Nuclear Waste Sites

  11. Nuclear today • 2010, 104 operating nuclear reactors (down from 112 in 1990) • Represent 21% of US net electricity capacity • Rising costs: steep construction costs for new facilities  $10-18b • Mainly from public safety concerns & Env protection • Technical problems  materials and design stnds have failed safety reqs. • Waste  where & how to dispose of highly toxic and mounting volume of nuclear waste • Military and commercial  half-lives of 7k-20k years

  12. Yucca Mountain • Yucca, Nevada  designated in 1987 as a nuclear waste repository • Constant delays • About $9b was spent on the first phase of concrete tunnels and chambers designed to keep waste safe for at least a million years. A 5 mile U-shaped tunnel was bored into the side of the extinct volcano, which is inside the Nevada nuclear test site. • Bush, tired of delays, mandated that it open in 2010; Obama has reversed it

  13. Nuclear Weapons Facilities • “Legacy is environmental damage on a scale inviting disbelief” (p303) • Willful evasion of regulations compounded with criminal negligence afflicted the weapons program

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