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Unit 2 Human Impact on Natural Resources and Climate

Unit 2 Human Impact on Natural Resources and Climate. Traditional Energy Sources…. Wood… renewable trees heating and cooking 1.5 billion use this mostly in developing countries Ancient fuel! harvesting (collecting from nature) . Traditional Energy Sources…. Peat… renewable

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Unit 2 Human Impact on Natural Resources and Climate

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  1. Unit 2 Human Impact on Natural Resources and Climate

  2. Traditional Energy Sources… Wood… • renewable • trees • heating and cooking • 1.5 billion use this • mostly in developing countries • Ancient fuel! • harvesting (collecting from nature)

  3. Traditional Energy Sources… Peat… • renewable • decaying plant matter in bogs • heating • It is dried first • mostly in Ireland, England, N. Europe • Ancient fuel! • harvesting (collecting from nature)

  4. Peat – an early step in coal formation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQ_Ethb6_Wk

  5. Traditional Energy Sources… Coal… • nonrenewable • fossilized swampy plants • electricity production • burned to heat water & spin turbines of a generator • US has more coal than the world has oil! • causes air pollution • mining (surface pit or underground) • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylkdUuNOJzw

  6. The Coal Formation Process Modern giant tree fern • Coal formed from prehistoric vegetation over thousands of years when Earth was covered in swamps. 2. As the plants began to die, the remains sank and formed peat. • Peat is then converted to coal over thousands of years. Coal Formation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8VqWKZIPrM www.discover-tasmania.com

  7. The Steps of Coal Formation… Most of the coal burned in the USA is bituminous. www.uky.edu

  8. A coal seam exposed by mining http://rogerphilpot.homestead.com/mechanicalploughcolor.jpg

  9. Traditional Energy Sources… Petroleum… • nonrenewable • fossilized plankton • refined for gasoline, mostly • found in porous sedimentary rocks • drilling - oil derricks (land) / oil rigs (offshore) • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SmSNRTU1Vw

  10. Petroleum forms from plankton… These are diatoms, a type of phytoplankton These are examples of zooplankton http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Tomopteriskils.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Diatoms_through_the_microscope.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Diatoms_through_the_microscope.jpg

  11. Two examples of oil derricks Derricks are structures that hold pumps (or drills) used to harvest oil and gas from beneath the ground. http://www.freepower.co.uk/site-3.htm

  12. www.offshore-technology.com An offshore oil rig spot.colorado.edu http://www.oil-rig-jobs.com/ www.offshore-technology.com http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energy_fungames/energyant_trips/trip_offshore.html

  13. The Shell oil refinery at Martinez, California. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:ShellMartinez-refi.jpg

  14. Modern Uses of Petroleum… • Gasoline • Motor Oil • Waxes • Dyes • Plastics • Synthetic Fibers – for example, polyester • http://www.incpen.org/pages/data//Plastics.gif

  15. Traditional Energy Sources… Natural Gas… • nonrenewable • fossilized plankton • heating and cooking • found in pockets above petroleum deposits • cleanest burning of fossil fuels • drilling – along with petroleum • fracking – “fracturing” rocks to release gas • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEB_Wwe-uBM

  16. http://lsa.colorado.edu/essence/texts/naturalgas.htm Natural gas … www.seed.slb.com

  17. Traditional Energy Sources… Uranium… • nonrenewable • electricity production • nuclear FISSION (splits atoms) to produce heat, boil water, & spin turbines • 100 plants in USA • produces no carbon emissions but … • produces nuclear waste (spent uranium) • mining • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oT2LHGG-9Ko

  18. Obtaining Traditional Energy Sources… Effects of the ways we obtaining energy: • Harvesting –leads to deforestation, erosion, and topsoil loss. • Mining – leads to removal of mountaintops, pollution, waste rock. • Drilling – leads to oil spills & damage to the environment.

  19. Strip mining coal http://www.geokem.com/images/scans/Indonesian_coal_mine.jpg www.globaljusticegame.mrap.info

  20. Mountaintop Removal What effect does this type of mining have on the environment? http://www.ohvec.org/galleries/mountaintop_removal/007/index.html

  21. Environmental Impacts of Mining Coal … • Surface mining removes top soil, leading to erosion, loss of habitat and pollution. • Underground mining causes acid mine drainage, which causes heavy metals to seep into water. • Mining leads to toxic chemicals in the air and water. • Can lead to Lung Disease, Kidney Disease, Cardiopulmonary Disease.

  22. Mining for Uranium… • Material is Radioactive and harmful • Chemicals used are highly toxic and seep into ground water • Polluted waste water is often dumped into lakes and rivers • Erosion and wind carry radioactive particles • Can result in Lung Cancer, Leukemia, Stomach Cancer, Birth Defects

  23. Oil Spills… • Oil is absorbed and can have lethal effects on wildlife • Physically smothers organisms and causes issues with regulating body temperature • Changes the ecosystem (loss of key organisms) • Loss of food sources, shelter, and habitat • Economic impact (fish and shellfish, tourism, industrial water needs, etc. • Oil is toxic and irritating to the skin and airways. • Can cause headaches, dizziness and nausea, respiratory issues, miscarriage, cancer (long term). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHNtcqksWwg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVm1pB3iJOw

  24. Should the USA drill in Alaska? • This is the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge. • The debate of whether to drill for petroleum in ANWR is ongoing. • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYAhuNAl9mk • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwCbWPR7VK8 • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IVWg9cn5FY

  25. Other Energy Alternatives…Biomass • Biomass includes municipal wastes, crop residues, manure, lumber and paper by-products. • Biomass is “combusted” or burned to heat water to produce electricity. www.nrcan.gc.ca

  26. Biomass • This is switchgrass, a hardy, fast growing plant that can be used as biomass. • It has been called “electicity on a stick!” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Panicum_virgatum.jpg

  27. Biomass • Benefits – renewable! • Disadvantages – • “Food” is used as fuel! • Envt. Impact – • The use of farm and forest residue disrupts the recycling of nutrients back into the ecosystem. • Generates pollution in the process of converting biomass to energy. www.ctahr.hawaii.edu

  28. What is Biodiesel? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWWqSX3cE7o

  29. Other Energy Alternatives…Hydrogen • Hydrogen and oxygen chemically combine to form water and generate electricityin a fuel cell.

  30. Hydrogen • Benefits - Fuel cell reactions produce no pollution. • Disadvantages - • Currently it is expensive. Large-scale production will reduce its costs • Driving range is limited with current fuel storage options • Current small distribution channels - California is making some progress • It is extremely flammable – Remember the Hindenburg! • Envt. Impacts - Hydrogen must be in the proper form to be used as a fuel. Most hydrogen used in today’s fuel cells comes from methane

  31. A Hydrogen-powered Car… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rofx6Gaz40 The Honda Clarity

  32. Nuclear Energy Produces Electricity… Nuclear FISSION (to split atoms) produces heat to boil water to spin turbines

  33. Nuclear Energy Fission supply significant energy for… • Electricity • Heating • Military use- for nuclear submarines! encarta.msn.com

  34. Nuclear Energy • Benefits… • It produces huge amounts of energy from small amounts of nuclear fuel (uranium and plutonium). • Earth contains enough nuclear fuel to meet all present and future needs. www.pollutionissues.com

  35. Nuclear Energy Disadvantages… • Peoples’ fear of exposure to radiation and that nuclear weapons could be developed using this technology • High cost Environmental Impacts… The threat of a meltdown (nuclear explosion) Spent fuel can remain radioactive for thousands of years! www.answers.com

  36. Nuclear Energy • Disposing of this radioactive spent fuel is a major problem.

  37. Other Energy Alternatives…Nuclear Energy Fusion – the combining (fusing) of atomic nuclei – such as in the stars (and sun!) – generates energy which can heat water to spin turbines. http://www.aa.washington.edu

  38. Nuclear Fusion • Benefits - It could become a clean, potentially limitless energy source. • Disadvantages – • Scientists have not yet been able to initiate a controlled, long-lasting fusion reaction suitable for producing heat and electricity. • Fusion reactions produce intense radiation that bombards all the materials in the reactor – making them intensely radioactive. • Fusion reactors are very expensive to build. • http://science.howstuffworks.com/fusion-reactor.htm • Envt. Impacts – none, as yet!

  39. Fusion Reactor http://www.isfrt-erice.enea.it/Page2.htm

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