environmental issues midterm #2
as of 2008, the total cost of the repository was projected to be $_____ billion (mostly taxpayer money)
10.4 billion
how many desalination plants are there around the world?
13,000 and in 120 different countries (saudi arabia-70% of its freshwater is desalinated, and kuwait are large users of desalinated water)
secondary air pollutants
primary air pollutants can react with one another and/or with natural components of the atmosphere to form new, harmful chemicals (secondary pollutants)
the colorado river
14 major dams (imperial is the last one), 2 major canal projects diverting water out of the river, 80% of water flowing through the river is diverted out of it for urban development, significant water conflicts have emerged from the disputes of the colorado river
exxon valdez oil spill
1989- considered a very bad oil spill because of its proximities to land and near many islands which made it difficult to clean up (1,300 miles of coastline were affected)
global energy production has been rising more than ___% per year over the last ___ years on average
2% and 25 years
deepwater horizon oil spill
2010- much larger, worlds biggest oil spill, only 125 miles of coastline affected
___% of the world's human-generated CO2 emissions come from coal in the US alone, coal emissions prematurely kill at least ______ people per year. coal burning is also a major contributor of toxic and indestructible _____ air pollution and its use releases more _____ into the air than nuclear power plants
25%, 24,000, mercury and radioactivity
the energy efficiency technologies used in atlanta's georgia power company building uses ____% less energy than conventional office buildings of the same size
60%
agriculture accounts for ___% of freshwater withdrawals on the planet
70%
super-insulated buildings are so heavily insulated and airtight that heat from __________, ________ and __________ can warm them with little need for backup heating systems
direct sunlight, appliances and human bodies
technologies that inefficiently use energy
energy is lost through different stages in the process as waste heat energy
85% of GLOBAL commercial energy production comes from nonrenewable fossil fuels...
oil- 34% coal- 24% natural gas- 21% nuclear power- 6% only 15% of global commercial energy production comes from renewable sources
OPEC out-pricing the competition
they're goal is to flood the market, drive the price down, and lower the other economic options to try to recapture the market
adirondacks and acid rain
in the adirondack park area, 27% of lakes have a pH above 5.0 and there are many dead lakes in the adironacks
high-speed rail: asia
increasingly common in Asia, if China can find ways to use cleaner methods for these high-speed rails (not through the burning of coal), they will have perfected this concept
the most energy-efficient methods to heat interior spaces
insulate the buildings and plug leaks, use energy efficient windows, stop other heating and cooling losses, heat houses more efficiently, heat water more efficiently, use energy efficient appliances, use energy efficient lighting
oil
is a "fossil fuel" because it is produced through decomposition of deeply buried organic matter mostly from plants, and has been placed under high pressure and temperatures for millions of years
water conservation
is the ultimate solution to sustain freshwater to the growing numbers of people on this planet; we must find ways to use water resources more sustainably (long term focus). world estimated that 2/3 of water withdrawals globally are wasted
after more than 50 years of research and billions of dollars in government subsidies, controlled nuclear fusion is still in the ____ stages. none of the approaches to nuclear fusion tested so far has produced more _____ than it uses.
lab stages and energy
marcellus shale
large shale formation that underlies 6 northeastern US states including portions of New York and Pennsylvania
yucca mountain is located in the desert about 100 miles northwest of the city of _________
las vegas
life cycle costs
many energy efficient technologies may cost more initially, but in the long-run they usually save money by having a lower life cycle cost; initial cost plus lifetime operating costs (incandescent lightbulb vs fluorescent)
acid rain occurance
massive acid rain occurrence in Asia (China specifically). 4.7-4.8 in NY is quite acidic
gray water use
moderately "dirty" water from showers and washing machines can be used and reused for purposes that do not require the use of scarce drinkable freshwater such as coolant for a factory, lawn watering, washing cars, etc
all cities have some photochemical smog, though it is more common in places with sunny, warm and dry climates and a greater number of ______________, the primary source of photochemical smog.
motor vehicles
global shale gas basins
natural gas that is trapped in deep shale formations around earth. new source of unconventional, natural fracking found in very deep shale stone and can't be drilled/pumped out, must be hydrofracked
tar sands/oil sands (bitumen)
naturally occurring deposits of sand containing bitumen which contain heavy, tar-like oil; not liquid, does not flow; consumes large amounts of water, land and energy to convert tar sands to usable oil (produces more pollution than any other form of crude oil production... causes tailing ponds which are huge environmental problems because they are highly contaminative and leaks into ground water)
coal is used to produce the majority of the world's electricity, should it be considered a clean form of energy?
no because coal is the dirtiest fossil fuel and if that is what is being burned to create electricity then it can't be considered a clean power source
93% of USA commercial energy production comes from non-renewables... (leading consumer of electricity in the world)
oil- 40% natural gas- 23% coal- 22% nuclear power- 8% only 7% of US commercial energy comes from renewable sources
why did oil prices increase 4-fold after 9/11?
political instability in the Middle East (the war on terror, the invasion of Iraq) and economic growth and developments increased global demands for oil in China (economic consumption grew by 7.5% during the 2000s) and India (the two most populous countries)
primary air pollutants
pollutants emitted directly into the atmosphere and cause problems (carbon oxides, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, VOCs)
hydrofracking fluid additives and chemicals
fracking fluid contain a wide variety of chemicals containing acids, salts, alcohols and lubricants
desalination
the process that removes minerals from saline water; different ways to desalinate water- distillation (boil water and produce vapor and then collect the vapor) and reverse osmosis (semipermeable membrane helps remove larger particles from drinking water). takes a lot of energy/money to produce freshwater from salt water and costs on average 5X more than other means of acquiring freshwater
pessimistic predictions regarding peak oil
the thesis that the peak has already occurred, or will occur shortly... we won't know if we've reached it until after it has already occurred
high-speed rail: europe
trains that run on dedicated, high-speed tracks that can run up to 200mph with no at-grade crossings (don't stop on their tracks). they are very common, accepted and efficient and are well developed in europe and beyond
criticism over the yucca mountain nuclear waste repository
unfair to have nevada have to store the waste when they don't produce any nuclear energy, groundwater infiltration, potential earthquakes
nonrenewable resource supply issues
we are reliant on a set of nonrenewable resources and they exist in fixed quantity and we will run out of them, however, the impacts of the consumption of the nonrenewable fuels of energy may be a greater issue than the supply one
optimistic predictions regarding peak oil
later than 2020 is "optimistic"
efficiency of vehicles
high speed rails use little energy and can travel very fast (best of both worlds)
cons of oil dependency
1. a nonrenewable resource 2. heavy economic consequences (oil dependency is the leading contributor to the US trade deficit) 3. political consequences (wars, propaganda) 4. extraction and transportation impacts (oil production is a dirty industry/high impacting, and consumptive in terms of land and water use) 5. environmental issues; surface modification, de-vegetation, habitat loss, soil erosion, water contamination
hydrofracking negatives
1. groundwater contamination 2. stress on local water supplies (takes a lot of water to frack- up to 7 million gallons for one frack job) 3. wastewater management (not disposing chemicals in bodies of water) 4. a wide variety of air pollution comes from fracking
hydrofracking benefits
1. increased domestic production/decreased reliance on imports 2. increased energy security 3. increased production of natural gas, emits less CO2 pollutants than oil/coal 4. economic benefits (state/federal tax revenue, economic development)
cons of nuclear power
1. nuclear power plant accidents (in 1980s a 15-45% chance that a reactor experiences an accident) 2. waste disposal; nuclear power produces extremely volatile, long-lasting materials that to date, no one has found a sound, adequate solution for their disposal 3. decommissioning (dismantling and decontaminating a nuclear power plant at the end of its operational life) 4. nuclear weapons proliferation 5. costs of nuclear power generation; it is simply more expensive than other forms of energy production
five primary air pollutants
1. sulfur oxides (primary air pollutant)- emitted into the atmosphere through power plants burning coal and oil refineries as the leading generator (turns into sulfuric acid such as acid rain) 2.nitrogen oxides- implicated in the development of smog and acid rain 3. VOCs- gasoline is the leading producer of them, the primary source include the evaporates from petroleum 4. SPM- suspended particulate matter is bad for your lungs that include physical pieces of metal and minerals and dust 5. carbon oxides
pros of oil dependency
1. technological and distributions systems well established (we have been using them for such a long time) 2. high net energy yield in terms of energy stored per unit of mass (exceeds all other units of fuels in terms of their energy amount)
pros of nuclear power
1. uranium is a relatively abundant fuel (supplies are being supplemented from decommissioned nuclear war heads) 2. compared to coal and oil, NP plants emit a much smaller amount of air pollutants 3. actual risk of radiation poisoning from NP production is very low
five most abundant greenhouse gases in earth's atmosphere
1. water vapor 2. carbon dioxide 3. methane 4. nitrous oxide 5. ozone *2-4 are leading anthropogenic source; fossil fuel use (coal, oil and natural gas)
acid rain impacts
1.aquatic ecosystems (acidify water sources pH and therefore fish and other aquatic life are affected) 2. plants and soils (damages the surface of leaves) 3.economy and materials (farm economies, tourism, forestry can all be affected)
the US has the world's largest coal reserves. according to the US geological survey, the US has about ___% of the world's proven coal reserves. coal reserves in the US should last for about ____ years at current consumption rates.
28% and 250 years
transportation in regards to efficiency
28% of all the energy consumed in the US is used on transportation and the top 3 energy users are aviation, personal truck and automobile use. the most inefficient forms of transportation are the most popular
according to the UN, better design of buildings could save _____% of the energy used globally
30-40%
what percent of US energy consumption comes from oil?
40%
coal is burned in power plants to generate about ___% of the world's electricity. coal-fired power plants produce ___% of the electricity used in the U.S.
42% and 46%
OPEC
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries... 12 nations including; Venezuela, Ecuador, Nigeria, Libya, Angola, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE... 12 most important nations in terms of conventional oil reserve and produce between 40-50% of all the oil in world
photochemical smog is a complex mixture of pollutants formed by the reaction of _____ and _____ under the influence of heat and sunlight.
VOCs and NOx
greenhouse effect
a natural process in the atmosphere but is being amplified significantly by the burning of fossil fuels and are linked to climate change
nuclear energy
a nonrenewable energy source, pioneered in the US in the 1950s, today supplies only 6% of the worlds commercial energy and 8% in the US... has not lived up to its promises, over the last 40 years it has stagnated
peak oil
a point in time when the maximum rate of global petroleum production will be reached (when our supply crisis will occur)... if we can identify peak oil then we can determine when oil production will enter a terminal decline
keystone pipeline
a proposal to transport crude oil and bitumen from northeastern Alberta to the midwest
living roof ("green roof")
a roof covered in soil and vegetation, saves energy in heating and cooling the building and collected storm water so it doesn't add to a cities run-off water and increase polluted water ways
hydrofracking
a technique in which directional drilling is used to drill horizontally into the shale of a natural gas reservoir, it is broken up, "slick-water" is pumped under high pressure into the well to create fractures and causes it to release the gas...high environmental consequences...used most commonly in the northeast
the energy star program
a voluntary labeling program where producers of energy producing products can inform their customers whether the product is "environmentally friendly" (like USDA organic for electricity)... saves consumers a total of $5 bil a year
greenhouse gases
absorb and emit infrared radiation, but not radiation in, or near the visible spectrum. they are linked to global warming and generated by fossil fuels
coal is the world's most _______ fossil fuel. according to the US geological survey, global supplies of coal could last from between ____ and _____ years.
abundant... 214 and 1,125 years
oil reserves
an identified deposit of oil that can be extracted profitably at current prices and using current technology... most concentrated in the middle east
oil prices (2014-present)
an increase in oil production has occurred, corresponding with... 1. a weakening in global oil demand due to overproduction of oil in the Middle East and OPEC 2. increase in domestic oil production in the USA and Canada 3. an economic recession and slow economic growth
water efficient appliances
appliances that use freshwater efficiently such as low-flow showers and water efficient toilets... currently 78% of water in the US is used to flush toilets and for bathing
hydrofracking in New York
banned in NY, the only state in the US that has a significant natural gas reserve that has banned fracking
nuclear fuel cycle
begins with the mining of uranium, the raw uranium is then processed into a fuel that can be used at a nuclear reactor, which is then processed into a fuel pellet that is stacked into fuel rods and used at a reactor to generate electricity (mining-> fabrication-> fuel assembly)
LEDs (light-emitting diodes)
being used for industrial and household lighting and contain no toxic elements that last for 100,000 hours
improving energy efficiency
improving energy efficiency represents the cheapest and quickest strategy for us to create a more sustainable economy... 85% of total commercial energy production comes from mineral fuels and 93% in the US... we must improve energy efficiency and increase the use of locally available renewable energy resources
canada's oil reserves
canada is the worlds new oil super-power due to tar sand reserves and is the US' leading supplier of foreign oil
what is the dirtiest nonrenewable resource in terms of pollution?
coal
because of its heavy reliance on ____, the nation of ______ has some of the world's highest levels of industrial smog and 16 of the world's most air polluted cities.
coal and China
industrial smog is produced in urban environments where large quantities of _____ and _____ are being burned.
coal and oil
air pollution (comparing fossil fuels)
coal is the dirtiest fossil fuel to burn, oil is moderately cleaner than coal, and natural gas is significantly cleaner burning than coal. coal is the worst fuel that we could be burning, and although natural gas is our best transitional fuel, it is by no means a clean fuel
world nuclear power plants
concentrated in affluent nations, 1977 was the last new power plant constructed in the US but as of 2013 two new plants are underway. more than 100 operating PP in the US across 31 states, the US is the world leader in NP but there are other countries who rely on it more heavily (france 80%, japan 30%)
the price of oil regards our _______ rate, affects what ____ of oil we consume, and _____ oil we consume
consumption (the higher the price, the more likely that we conserve it more, and vice-versa), type, and whose (geography)
natural gas
contains a mixture of different chemicals; 50-90% is methane usually. we extract natural gas by drilling for it; propane and butane are liquid forms of natural gas. most versatile fossil fuel and we use it in a variety of ways. highest net energy yield (commercial, residential, and industrial practices use it). provides 12% of the US' electricity
oil prices (2000-2014)
for most of the history of oil, we didn't consume much but in the 1970s there was a large increase and in the 1990s the wars occurring in the Middle East caused a cut off from oil for a short period of time
hydrofracking in the US
fracking wells by state; 1. texas (33k) 2. colorado (18k) 3. pennsylvania (6k) 4. north dakota (5k)
hybrid-engine vehicle
has two engines; one is an electrical motor and the other is small gasoline engine and as much as possible the vehicle tries to use the electric motor but when it needs to, it dips into the gasoline engine
the price of crude oil ______ following the events of 9/11 and hit its historic high in _____ when it was upwards of $100 per barrel
quadrupled, and 2008
acid rain
rainfall with a pH below 5.6, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides combine with atmospheric water vapor to produce nitric acid, sulfuric acids, and particles of acid that form sulfate and nitrate salts (dry acid deposition)
natural gas reserves
russia has the worlds largest natural gas reserve with 25% of the worlds reserves estimated. second is iran with 15% and qatar is third with 14%. heavily concentrated in the Middle East and Eurasia. known reserves of natural gas can sustain us on earth for ~60 yrs
benefits to improving energy efficiency
saves consumers money, less burning of fossil fuels, postponed energy crisis, lessen our wars with other nations, creates jobs, helps the economy
irrigation water conservation
simple and effective strategy for dealing with irrigation water waste is to switch to crops better adapted to local moisture conditions (xeriscaping); not growing corn and cotton, irrigation hungry crops, in arid areas
acid rain solutions
sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions were eliminated, cap and trade (industries are limited to how much sulfur dioxide can be released into the atmosphere-cap, and each year they lower the amount that they allow but if you don't use it all you can sell it-trade), catalytic converters, changes to the kinds of gasoline that we use in the US
industrial smog is an unhealthy mix of ______, _______ and _______.
sulfur dioxide, suspended droplets of sulfuric acid, and suspended soil particles
nuclear fission
takes place in the reactive core, generating enormous amounts of heat which is used to boil water and that heat energy is used to create high pressure steam
crude oil
tarry, gummy, thick mix of various hydrocarbons and these hydrocarbons have different boiling points... after we extract crude oil we can take it to an oil refinery that heats up the crude oil (boils it) and pulls out different hydrocarbons and fuels that have a wide variety of different uses, one of them being manufacturing gasoline (45.7% of US crude oil is turned into gasoline)
high-speed rail: USA?
the US has 0 miles of high-speed operating train lines. does have the acela but that doesn't run on high-speed track (highest speed it can reach is 150mph but doesn't average that)...$68 billion going towards california's first ever high-speed rail system
personal automobile use
the US has been reluctant to implementing these new high-speed trains because... 1. americans are use to having their own car and freedom to go wherever they want to, whenever they want to 2. cities are built around interstate highways and creating new train railroad cross-continental would be difficult 3. cheap prices of gasoline in the US compared to the rest of the developed world
air pollution
the burning of all fossil fuels and their consumption produces large quantities of atmospheric pollution
full cost pricing/water metering
the concept that we should charge people for water based on how much they use; one way to encourage consumers to use less water is by raising its prices accordingly/pay as you go
coal (class notes)
the most abundant fossil fuel on the planet, would last us between 200-300 more years if we needed it to. no other fuel generates as much electricity on this planet as does coal, but is also the most dirty and produces the most air pollution
the athabasca tar sands (alberta, canada)
the newest and greatest tar sand reserve on the planet- containing 3/4 of the worlds tar sands reserve... has been heavily developed and is very controversial because of the extent of operations and their impacts
how does nuclear fusion energy production work
the nuclei of two isotopes of an element are forced together at high temperatures until they fuse together and release energy
energy efficency
the percentage of total energy input into a device that uses energy to complete useful work and the goal is to find ways to use less energy to do more work (eliminate unnecessary energy waste)... 84% of energy that is created is wasted with 41% being unavoidable waste energy, but 43% wasted unnecessarily