Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources Alternative Energy Sources

Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources

Alternative Energy Sources

Ch. 16 Energy Sources

1. Using energyA. Transforming Energy

1. Law of Conservation Energy – states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, it only changes form

B. Energy Use in the U.S.1. 37% used by industry and agriculture to

manufacture products and produce food.2. 85% of the energy used comes from

burning petroleum, natural gas and coal

Fossil Fuels

A. Fossil fuels – fuels that are formed from the decaying remains of ancient plants and animals.1. Ex) petroleum

(oil), natural gas and coal

II. Fossil Fuels

When you are bad, Santa brings you dead things…

Formation of fossil fuels follows the rock cycle – it takes millions of years

to form and on average gives us 8-10 weeks of energy per 1,000 pounds.

Efficient? He

II. Making Fossil Fuels, con’t.B. Concentrated Energy Sources

1. Burning fossil fuels releases about 2-3 times as much energy as burning the same amount of wood.

A. Highly flammable liquid formed by decayed ancient organisms (plankton and algae)

B. Made up of mainly hydrocarbons (hydrogen and carbon atoms combined)

C. Fractional distillation – process of separating the different compounds found in petroleum

D. Other uses for Petroleum1. Plastics – think pop bottles, Tupperware and

cups2. synthetic fibers – polyester, nylon, etc.3. Lubricants – grease and motor oil4. Asphalt

III. Petroleum

IV. Natural GasA. Gaseous compound produced by the

decay of ancient organismsB. Burned to provide energy for cooking,

heating, and manufacturingV. Coal

A. Solid fossil fuel found undergroundAbout 90% that is burned is used to

produced electricity

VI. Generating Electricity

A. Almost 70% of energy in the U.S. comes from burning fossil fuels

B. 5 steps to converting chemical to electrical energy 1. Fuel is burned and released as thermal

energy2. Water is heated to produce steam3. Steam causes a turbine to spin (connected to

an electrical generator)4. Electric current is produced5. Current is transmitted through power lines.

VI. Generating Electricity, con’t.

A. Only about 35% of the chemical energy is converted into electrical energy

B. Other 65% is thermal energy transferred to the environment.What types of problems do you see this

causing?Polluting rivers and lakes with hot water – killing

many species that aren’t able to adapt to higher temperatures

Air pollution – hot air and steam contains many more gases that lead to global warming and ozone depletion

VII. Efficiency of Power Plants

A. Produces small particles (particulates)1. Causes breathing problems

Contributes to ozone alert days- those with COPD and asthma are encouraged to stay in due to amount of particulate matter in air, naturally there is matter from smoke and pollens

B. Releases Carbon Dioxide1. Could cause the Earth’s surface temperature

to riseLeads to global warming

VIII. The cost of using fossil fuels

1979 (yes, older than me) to 2008

IX. Nonrenewable ResourcesA. Resources that cannot be replaced by

natural processes as quickly as they are used

Top 10 Worst Ecological Disasters in U.S.

8. TVA Coal Ash Spill (Kingston, TN) -In 2008, a lake of Tennessee Valley Authority’s mining waste burst its banks, sending billions of gallons of coal-burning waste sludge into a nearby valley in Kingston, Tennessee, which contaminated around 300 acres of land with heavy metals and other toxins. The spill devastated aquatic life in the Emory River and elevated levels of arsenic, lead and beryllium are still being detected years after the spill.

Ch. 16 – Section 2Nuclear Energy

7. Three-Mile Island (Harrisburg, PA) -A partial core meltdown occurred on March 29, 1979, at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The accident was due to a cooling system malfunction. Official reports estimate 30,000 curies of krypton-85 gas were released along with 20 curies of iodine-131 gas, but that it had no long-term health affects. The true impact of the event has long been debated.

Top 10 Ecological Disasters - FYI

Top 10 list courtesy of www.practicalenvironmentalist.com

5. Love Canal (Niagara Falls, NY) - Love Canal was a privately-developed neighborhood of Niagara Falls, New York. The area was used by the Hooker corporation to dump 21,000 tons of toxic waste. Hooker then sold Niagara Falls the site of their dump for $1. The city was made aware of the potential hazard, but built schools and homes anyway. The scandal of the sale and extent of the illegal dumping were first investigated in 1976, which revealed extremely high rates of birth defects in the community’s children. Over 800 people were relocated.

Top 10 ecological disasters in U.S.

4. Nuclear Weapons Testing in Nevada - The United States government conducted extensive testing of nuclear weapons in the deserts of Nevada from 1951-1971 that exposed citizens to radioactive fallout across much of the United States, particularly in Nevada, Arizona and Utah

More Top 10…

3. Castle Bravo Nuclear Weapons Test - In 1954, a hydrogen bomb test in the Bikini atoll of the Marshall Islands produced a 15-megaton blast, significantly higher than the expected power of the device. The explosion broadcast radioactive waste and created a plume of fallout sickened the island’s population and the crew of a nearby Japanese fishing boat, eventually killing one person. Radiation from the test spread as far as Australia, India and Europe. The test became an international incident. It was the largest accidental release of radiation in U.S. history.

More Top 10…

A. Nuclear Fission – the release of energy when the nucleus of an atom breaks apart

B. Nearly 20% of all electricity produced in the U.S comes from nuclear power plants

C. Nuclear power plants produce about 8% of all the energy consumed in the U.S.

I. Using Nuclear Energy

A. Uses the energy from controlled nuclear reactions to generate electricity.

B. Vary in design but they all have some parts in commonContain a fuel that can be made to undergo nuclear

fissionContain control rods that are used to control the reactionHave a cooling system that keeps the reactor from

overheating and causing damageC. Nuclear Fission occurs in a small part called the

core.D. Nuclear fuel – uranium dioxideE. Nuclear chain reaction – every uranium atom that

splits apart releases neutrons that cause other uranium atoms to split apart.

II. Nuclear Reactors

III. Nuclear Power Plants

III. Nuclear Power Plants, con’t.Electricity is

produced in much the same way it was in conventional power plant

35% EfficientGenerally located

near large bodies of water, rivers work well

IV. The Risks of Nuclear PowerAdvantages

1. Air pollutants are not released

2. Carbon dioxide is not released

Disadvantages1. Mining of

uranium causes environmental damage

2. Water that is used as a coolant must be cooled before releasing into streams and rivers

3. Risk of the release of harmful radiation

A. Nuclear Waste – any radioactive by-product that results when radioactive materials are used.

B. Low-level waste1. Usually contain a small amount of

radioactive material2. Usually sealed in containers and buried in

trenches 30m deep at special locationsC. High-level waste

1. Generated in and from nuclear power plants 2. Disposed of in extremely durable and stable

containers (remains radioactive for tens of thousands of years) – Not Ziploc baggies!

V. Disposal of Nuclear Waste

A. The joining together of small nuclei at high temperatures (the Sun)

B. Most concentrated energy source knownC. Uses hydrogen (abundant on Earth) and

produces Helium (not radioactive and chemically nonreactive)

D. Only occurs at temperatures of millions of degrees Celsius and very hard to contain

VI. Nuclear Fusion

Ch 16. Section 3Renewable Energy Sources

I. Energy OptionsA. Renewable resources – energy source that

is replaced nearly as quickly as it is used

A. Known as solar energyB. Photovoltaic cell – A device that converts

radiant energy from the Sun directly into electrical energy.

C. Disadvantages:1. Expensive2. Not always available (night/weather)

D. Advantages:1. Viewed as renewable (won’t run out)2. No pollution or carbon dioxide produced3. less loss of energy during transfer

II. Energy from the Sun

A. Hydroelectric dams – dams that are built to use the movement of water to produce electricity

B. Hydroelectricity – energy produced from the energy of moving water

C. Disadvantages:1. Not always available2. Can disturb the balance of natural ecosystem3. Areas where this is available don’t always need

energyD. Advantages:

1. Very little pollution2. Twice as efficient as conventional/nuclear power

plants3. Lakes form for drinking, irrigation and recreation

III. Energy from water

A. Advantages:1. very little pollution

B. Disadvantage:2. Very few places on Earth have a large

enough difference between high tide and low tide to set up.

IV. Energy from the Tides

A. Disadvantages:1. Very few places of Earth consistently have

enough wind power to meet needs2. Only about 20% efficient3. Noisy and change the appearance of the

land4. Disrupt the migration patterns of birds

B. Advantages:1. Use no fossil fuels to generate electricity2. No pollution of air or water

V. Harnessing the Wind

Wind Farm

A. Geothermal energy –thermal energy that is contained in hot magma

B. Disadvantages:1. 16% efficient2. Can release sulfur compounds (acid rain)3. Use is limited to areas where magma is

relatively close to surfaceC. Advantages:

1. No use of fossil fuels2. Relatively cheap

VI. Energy from Inside Earth

Video Clip on Alternative Energies

A. Electrical energy supplied by batteriesB. Hybrid cars use both electricity and fossil

fuelsC. Hydrogen gas powered carsD. Biomass – renewable organic matter

(wood, sugarcane fibers, rice hulls, animal manure)Ex) NWMSU1. Burns in the presence of oxygen2. Reduces the use of fossil fuels for thermal

energyIn NW Mo there is a patent for a corn cob

furnace – works like wood stoves only burns the useless cobs

VII. Alternative Fuels