Nonrenewable Energy Resources & Consumption
Megawatt (MW)
1,000,000 W or 1000 kW
How many times greater is methane's global warming potential compared to carbon dioxide?
25
Nuclear energy
Atomic nuclei undergo fission to produce heat and other byproducts
5%
Average efficiency of an incandescent light bulb to produce light
What are the environmental benefits of fracking?
Burning natural gas is "cleaner" than oil or gasoline,emits a lot less CO2, less NOx & SOx, compared to coal & oil combustion
Allowance trading
Cap and trade program for SO2 emissions
Rank of countries of coal production & consumptioin
China, India, United States
Synfuels
Class of fuels that created as a result of refining/reprocessing; example is tar sands
Which type of fuel is primarily responsible for acid rain in the U.S.?
Coal
High-level waste
Contains high amounts of radioactive material with long half-lives
Low-level waste
Contains low amounts of radioactive materials, for a short amount of time (short half-lives)
France
Country with the highest percentage of nuclear power usage
Venezuela
Country with the largest oil reserves
Hydrocarbons
Derived from living matter that is transformed by biological or geological processes into durable organic compounds
What are the political benefits of fracking?
Development of a "home-grown" energy source; not dependent on a foreign source!
Chemical method for cleaning up oil
Dispersants that break the oil down into droplets
Where is the overburden from mountain top removal placed?
Dumped into adjacent valleys
1st Law of Thermodynamics
Energy and matter cannot be created nor destroyoed
2nd Law of Thermodynamics
Energy transformations often result in "waste heat" which results in a loss of efficiency
Drawbacks to scrubber technology
Expensive CaSO3 sludge is put into landfills
Purpose of water in a nuclear reactor
Functions as the moderator during the fission reaction
Risk associated with nuclear energy (water related)
Generates thermal pollution due to hot water from reactors getting dumped in nearby waterways
Products of coal extraction
Hg, As, acid mine drainage
Physical methods for cleaning up oil
In-situ burning, dredging/vacuuming, booms, skimmers, absorbent materials
U-238
Isotope of uranium that is naturally occuring
U-235
Isotope of uranium that is used for nuclear fission (enriched)
What are the economic benefits of fracking?
Job creation, generation of tax revenue
Radioactive by-products of fission
Kr-85 and Ba-141
Benefit of tar sands
Large potential supplies
Acid mine drainage
Leftover mine "tailings" acidifies streams and groundwater resources
Lignite
Lowest quality coal type
Methane
Main component of natural gas
Hydraulic fracturing
Method of extraction for natural gas and oil by creating cracks within rocks; requires sand, additives, and lots of water!
Biological method for cleaning up oil
Microbes
Crude oil
Name of oil as it comes straight from the ground
Which fossil fuel is used the most in the United States?
Natural gas
Why is it impossible for nuclear energy to completely replace oil and gas in the future?
Nuclear power can provide electricity but it cannot replace other uses of oil and gas
Meltdown
Occurs when uncontrolled fission reactions take place
How does natural gas and oil get transported across the United States?
Pipelines
Methane
Potent greenhouse gas; emitted during the fracking process and in the combustion of natural gas
Peat
Precursor to coal; forms when plant debris builds up under oxygen-poor conditions
Electricity
Primary use of coal in the United States
Fractional distillation
Process by which crude oil is refined and separated into different components by differences in boiling point
Radon
Product of the radioactive decay of uranium; long-term exposure leads to lung cancer
Efficiency
Proportion of energy used vs. energy degraded
Natural gas
Referred to the "gateway" to renewable energy resource usage
Electrical current
Refers to the current of moving electrons
What is the environmental impact the air due to fracking?
Releases methane, benzene, toulene
Drawback of tar sands
Requires additional processing to make fuel "usable"
Fossil fuels
Resources that were made from compressed carbon over a span of million years
Surface Mining Reclamation and Control Act of 1977
Restore areas that have been actively mined; no mining in 'sensitive areas'
Products of coal combustion
SOx, NOx, CO2, Hg
What is the environmental impact on land due to fracking?
Seismic activity can be induced (because of drilling)
Oil
Supplies the most commercial energy in the world today
Anthracite
The most "aged" type of coal and thus the "best" type of coal
Mountain top removal (a form of strip mining)
The most common extraction method for coal
Bituminous
Type of coal used to generate electricity
Tar sands
Underground sand deposits permeated with bitumen (a by-product of decomposed organic material)
Aquifer
Underground water storage (a.k.a. drinking water)
Net energy
Usable amount of high quality energy
Tc-99
Used for detecting brain and lung tumors
I-131
Used for detecting thyroid disorders
Scrubbers
Used to reduce sulfur emissions in coal-burning power plants
What is the environmental impact on water due to fracking?
Water used in drilling is contaminated, must be disposed of properly; potential contamination of aquifer while drilling
Where is nuclear waste presently stored?
We store in on site, deep underground, in steel containers
