Energy Lab

What are the environmental effects of fracking?

it can poison groundwater, pollute surface water, impair wild landscapes, and threaten wildlife

Name the three main fossil fuels.

Coil, oil, and gas.

How does natural gas form?

Natural gas is a fossil energy source that forms deep beneath the earth's surface.

What are the environmental and economic advantages of using natural gas compared to other fossil fuels, like coal?

Natural gas is cleaner, less expensive, and safer than other fossil fuels.

How long are oil reserves on Earth projected to last?

53 years

How is coal used to make energy?

Coal is called a fossil fuel because it was made from plants that were once alive! Since coal comes from plants, and plants get their energy from the sun, the energy in coal also came from the sun. Coal is used primarily in the United States to generate electricity. In fact, it is burned in power plants to produce more than half of the electricity we use.

How is coal obtained (i.e. drilling, mining, etc)?

Coal is obtained through mining.

What products can be produced from oil?

After crude oil is removed from the ground, it is sent to a refinery where different parts of the crude oil are separated into useable petroleum products. These petroleum products include gasoline, distillates such as diesel fuel and heating oil, jet fuel, petrochemical feedstocks, waxes, lubricating oils, and asphalt.

How does hydroelectric power generate electricity?

By conversion of energy from flowing water into electricity.

How are radioactive elements used to produce energy in a nuclear reactor?

During nuclear fission, a neutron collides with a uranium atom and splits it, releasing a large amount of energy in the form of heat and radiation. More neutrons are also released when a uranium atom splits. These neutrons continue to collide with other uranium atoms, and the process repeats itself over and over again. This process is called a nuclear chain reaction.

What is a fossil fuel?

Fossil fuels are non-renewable resources that form when prehistoric plants and animals died and were gradually buried by layers of rock.

How do fossil fuels impact climate change?

Fossil fuels produce large quantities of carbon dioxide when burned. Carbon emissions trap heat in the atmosphere and lead to climate change

Where does the energy produced by geothermal power come from?

Geothermal energy refers to the production of energy using the internal heat of the Earth's crust.

In what parts of the world is geothermal energy most commonly used and why?

Geothermal technology can only be used in locations with specific geologic conditions. For this reason, the major regions of geothermal development are in the most volcanically and tectonically active regions of the world.

What sector is oil (or oil products) primarily used as an energy source for (ex. Transportation, manufacturing, agriculture,...)

Heating and Transportation

What are some environmental benefits of hydroelectric power?

Hydropower is an abundant, low-cost source of power (where applicable), despite high upfront building costs. It is also a flexible and reliable source of electricity compared to other renewable options, as it may be stored for use at a later time. Dammed reservoirs can also help with flood control, be a reliable water supply, and may be used for recreational purposes.

How is natural gas obtained through fracking?

In the United States and in a few other countries, natural gas is produced from shale and other types of sedimentary rock formations by forcing water, chemicals, and sand down a well under high pressure. This process, called hydraulic fracturing or fracking.

Is use of solar energy increasing or decreasing? Why?

Increasing because it is a renewable resource and does not emit any greenhouse gases in the energy generation process.

Is use of wind power increasing or decreasing 1) in the US and 2) globally? Why?

It is increasing. Wind energy is becoming an increasingly important part of the global electricity supply mix.

What are some environmental disadvantages of hydroelectric power?

Large dam facilities and not completely free of greenhouse gas emissions

Does nuclear energy produce greenhouse gases?

No

Are fossil fuels renewable or non-renewable?

Non-renewable

Is nuclear energy considered renewable or non-renewable and why?

Non-renewable because the material used within nuclear energy are not.

What problems are associated with nuclear waste disposal?

Nuclear waste can have drastically bad effects on life, causing cancerous growths, for instance, or causing genetic problems for many generations of animal and plants.

How is oil extracted from the ground?

Oil is extracted from underground reservoirs using traditional drilling and pumping methods.

How does oil form?

Oil is formed from the remains of plants, algae, and bacteria.

How does coal form?

Over the years, thick layers of plants were covered by dirt and water. They were packed down by the weight. After a long time, the heat and pressure changed the plants into coal.

For how long has coal been used as an energy source?

People began using coal in the 1800s to heat their homes.

How is oil (or products made from oil) used to make energy?

Refineries turn crude oil into usable products such as transportation fuels - gasoline, diesel, and aviation fuels.

How do solar panels convert sunlight into energy?

Solar Photovoltaic (PV) is a technology that converts sunlight (solar radiation) into direct current electricity by using semiconductors.

Can solar power be efficiently used to produce energy everywhere? Why or why not?

Solar energy is the most abundant, renewable energy source in the world however, sunlight varies depending on geographic location, season, and time of day, which all creates limitations on its use. Therefore no, it can not be used to produce energy everywhere.

What are the environmental effects of using coal for energy? Name and describe two.

Surface mines (sometimes called strip mines) were the source of about 63% of the coal mined in the United States in 2018. These mining operations remove the soil and rock above coal deposits or seams. Another environmental effect is the several principal emissions that result from coal combustion such as; Sulfur dioxide, Nitrogen oxides, Carbon dioxide, Mercury and other heavy metals, and Fly ash and bottom ash

Is coal usage increasing or decreasing? Why?

Today we use a lot of coal, primarily because we have a lot of it, and we know where it is in the United States.

How is wind captured to produce energy?

Wind Energy captures the natural wind in our environment and converts the air's motion into mechanical energy.

Is offshore wind energy currently used in SC? Why or why not?

Yes, because some locations better suited for wind energy generation than others. In general, wind speeds are higher near the coast and offshore since there are fewer objects like vegetation, mountains and buildings to slow them down.