ENVIRONMENT AND RESOURCES

What is energy?

What do you think of?

What is the definition? The ability to do work, or the cause of all

activity

Natural Resources

Renewable- can be replaced by people or by the

Earth Water, plants, animals, soil,etc. Can be depleted faster than they are

replenished Renewal can be effected by human

activities replanting trees, wildlife preserves, clean air

and water laws oil spills, deforestation, over-building

Non-Renewable Resources The Sun- will run out….in about 5 billion

years Minerals formed in the Earth’s crust –

millions of years to reform Iron, gold, uranium, etc. Recycling can help to delay the

disappearance of these Fossil Fuels- coal, oil, and natural gas

Formed from the remains of ancient plants and animals

Energy Sources

Competition for resources has defined the survival of species. This competition has become maybe

THE strongest factor in politics and economics

Fossil Fuels Most nations depend heavily on oil

most do not have enough supply to match this demand and so must import.

Over 60% of the world’s supply of oil and natural gas concentrated in a few countries in the

Middle East and N. Africa

The End of Oil The world’s known oil reserves will only

last another 50 years or so There are unproven reserves, but

tapping those sources may have environmental drawbacks

Natural Gas and Coal are also nearing the end. About 200 years left for coal

Nuclear Energy Fission- splitting of uranium atoms in a

nuclear reactor, releasing their stored energy

Pro’s Does not pollute Creates a great deal of energy

Cons Leaks, explosions, and disposal of

radioactive material Refining uranium DOES pollute

Can Nuclear energy be used? Hope to find a way to generate energy

through Fusion, the combining of atoms No chance of meltdown, no pollution,

waste is short-lived Could provide energy for millions of years

Technology does not yet exist (Possibly by 2050)

Other Energy Sources Water

Falling water creates energy to move machinery

Oceanic tides can be used as well Geothermal

Energy from the Earth’s internal heat creating steam

Hot springs and geysers would only last a few decades

Solar Converting the Sun’s rays to electricity More technology is needed to make it

practical Wind

Clean, renewable resource How much energy? “noise pollution”

Brainstorm

In what ways do you (or have you) used renewable resources?