ch 15

since the late 80s, nuclear power's growth has slowed, with an increase of

2.5% per year worldwide

how much of our energy comes from the three main fossil fuels?

80%

Which of the following statements about clean coal technology is true?

Clean coal technologies will reduce pollution associated with burning coal, but will not reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

nuclear energy

the energy that holds together protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom

energy intensity

the energy use per dollar of gross domestic product

Coal has had many uses over the course of history. Most recently, it is used in industrialized societies _______.

to provide electricity

During peak usage, what happens to the cost of electricity?

It almost always increases.

natural gas

a gas consisting primarily of methane and including varying amounts of other volatile hydrocarbons

What is Hubbert's peak?

a prediction, based on rates of extraction and new discovery coupled with demand, of when a country's oil production will reach a maximum and then start to decline.

methane hydrate

a solid consisting of molecules of methane embedded in a crystal lattice of water molecules

directional drilling

allows drillers to bore down vertically and then curve to drill horizontally

carbon capture and storage

capturing carbon dioxide emissions, conventing the gas to a liquid form, and then sequestering (storing) it in the ocean or underground

Many pollutants from coal-fired power plants are properly managed today. Which of the following is currently considered to be the biggest threat to the environment?

carbon dioxide

Which of the following technologies has helped us to reduce the amount of emissions released by vehicles?

catalytic converters

Which of the fossil fuels is most abundant on Earth?

coal

The three fossil fuels that we use today to meet our energy needs are __________.

coal, natural gas, and crude oil

what are the three main fossil fuels?

coal, oil, natural gas

Which of the following methods for conservation allows businesses and home to make use of wasted heat from traditional heating and cooling systems?

cogeneration

energy efficiency

describes the ability to obtain a given amount of output while using less energy input

engery conservation

describes the practice of reducing wasteful or unnecessary energy use

reserves-to-production ratio

dividing the amount of total remaining reserves by the annual rate of production

Julie has decided to become more environmentally friendly, and so she turns off all her lights when they are not in use and unplugs all her electronic devices at night. This is an example of __________.

energy conservation

energy returned on investment

every returned / energy invested

subsurface mining

excavates large tunnels underground

three mile island

experience an accident due to human error and mechanical failure that led to draining of water from the reactor vessel

net energy

expresses the difference between energy returned and engery invested

nuclear reactors

facilities contained within nuclear power plants where thermal energy is used to generate electricity

meltdown

fuel rods melted and began releasing high amounts of radiation

Where is electricity made at a coal-fired power plant?

generator

coal

hard blackish substance formed from woody organic matter compressed into a dense, solid, carbon structre

hydraulic fracturing (fracking)

involves drilling deep into the earth and angling the drill horizontally once the shale formation is reached

control rods

made of a neutron-absorbing substance can be inserted or remove from the reactor to reactor to control the rate of the reaction

oil sands

mixture of moist sand and clay containing 1-20% bitumen, a thick and heavy form of Petroleum

fossil fuels

oil, coal, and natural gas

The process of _____ turns crude oil into the type of gases that can be used for cooking, in cars, and for other human purposes.

refining

oil shale

sedimentary rock filled with organic matter that can be processes into shale oil

refining

separates the hydromolecules in crude oil

All fossil fuels, including coal, are considered an indirect form of ____________ energy.

solar

strip mining

surface coal is primarily extracted

proven recoverable reserve

the amount of a given fossil fuel in a deposit that is technologically and economically feasible to remove under current conditions

Which of the following descriptions of primary extraction is accurate?

Primary extraction may leave as much as two-thirds of the total oil deposit below ground.

peak oil

The point at which half the total known oil supply is used up

mountaintop removal mining

Type of surface mining that uses explosives, massive power shovels, and large machines called draglines to remove the top of a mountain and expose seams of coal underneath a mountain.

crude oil

Unrefined oil

What color smoke coming from a coal-fired power plant would indicate wasted fuel?

black

Fukushima Daiichi

nuclear power plant, the earthquake shut down power and the tsunami flooded its backup generators that powered the control rods and water pumps

1986 Chernobyl

power plant in ukraine caused radioactive debris to enter the atmosphere for 10 days

cogeneration

process in which excess heat produced during the generation of electricity is captured and used to heat nearby workplaces and homes, and to produce other kinds of power

hydraulic fracturing

pumps chemically treated water under high pressure into layers of rock to crack them

clean coal technologies

refer to an array of techniques, equipment, ad approaches that aim to remove chemical contaminants during the generation of electricity from coal

petroleum

refers to oil, but may also refer to oil and natural gas collectively

electricity

using fossil fuels for transportation, manufacturing, heating, cooking

shale gas

water, sand, and chemicals are pumped in, creating fracture in the shale and releasing bubbles