ENV Ch. 20

How many years of natural gas resources does the earth have left?

About 65 years

How much longer will the oil reserves of the world (not including oil sands or shale oil) provide petroleum for us?

Approximately 40 to 50 years

We can reduce our dependence on other nations for oil supplies in many ways. Which of the following is NOT a way to reduce our dependence on other countries for oil supplies?

Become friends with Middle Eastern countries

Why did OPEC cut production and decrease its oil supplies all through the 1970s?

By limiting oil production, OPEC was able to keep supplies tight enough to force the price of oil to increase.

Why do many people object to obtaining fossil fuels through the process of fracking?

Chemicals in fracking fluids can leak into groundwater and contaminate drinking water supplies.

When burned, which fossil fuel is the most significant contributor to climate change?

Coal

What of the following is an advantage of using fossil fuels to provide us with energy?

Fossil fuels have been relatively abundant. Fossil fuels have allowed us to increase our quality of life. Fossil fuels have provided us with vastly increased mobility. Fossil fuels have been relatively inexpensive. All of these are advantages of using fossil fuels.

What are some uses of natural gas?

It is used in industry. It is used as raw material for a variety of products. Natural gas is used in all these ways. It is used to produce electricity. It is used in transportation.

Why do many people object to constructing the keystone XL pipeline?

It would cross over recharge zones for the Ogallala Aquifer.

Given our current rates of consumption, about how many years of coal reserves does the world have?

Less than 300 years

What is an "electric power grid"?

Multiple power plants that supply electricity to a network of transmission lines and transformers

__________ is the fossil fuel that releases the least CO2 when it is burned, and __________ is the fossil fuel that releases the most CO2 when it is burned.

Natural gas; coal

What is significant about the idea of "peak oil"?

Once peak oil has been reached, production declines, causing shortages and negative economic effects.

Which of the following is NOT a significant environmental impact of using coal?

Terrestrial ecosystems are permanently destroyed from strip mining.

Where are most of the world's oil reserves located?

The Middle East

How did the United States respond to oil shortages caused by the OPEC oil embargo of the 1970s?

The United States started storing oil. The United States increased domestic oil production. The United States increased fuel efficiency standards for vehicles. The United States supported increased oil production in non-OPEC countries. All of these are ways the United States responded to the OPEC oil embargo of the 1970s.

When discussing fossil fuels, what is a "proven reserve"?

The quantity of fuel that could be recovered from known deposits using current technology at current prices

What is a problem with carbon capture and storage when dealing with the carbon dioxide emissions released through burning fossil fuels?

These are all problems with carbon capture and storage.

Why are coal, petroleum, and natural gas called "fossil fuels"?

They are derived from the remains of living organisms that existed millions of years ago.

Which of the following is the correct definition for "strip mining"?

Topsoil and layers of rock are removed to access coal from less than 200 feet belowground.

What are the four major categories that are serviced by fossil fuels, particularly in developed nations?

Transportation, industry, residential/commercial, and electricity

What of the following is NOT an environmental consequence of mining for oil sands?

Water, a by-product of extraction, causes significant erosion.

Why did the Deepwater Horizon accident occur?

We need to develop wells in deeper water and deeper below the seafloor in order to keep production up.