Env Ch. 15

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

to provide electricity Coal provides half the electrical generating capacity of the U.S., and it powers China's surging economy.

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

It almost always increases. Because use is high, power plants are able to charge more for their product.

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. Hubbert's calculations accurately predicted that U.S. production of oil would peak in 1970. He later predicted that the world's production would peak in 1995. Further analysis using updated information has revised that date to sometime around 2005.

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 Carbon dioxide is currently considered to be the biggest threat to the environment because it is a major contributor to climate change.

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

catalytic converters Catalytic converters convert harmful pollutants into less harmful ones before they leave the car's exhaust system. Wider adoption in the developing world will would reduce pollution even further.

Which of the fossil fuels is most abundant on Earth?

coal Coal is the most abundant fossil fuel and provides 27% of our global primary energy consumption.

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

coal, natural gas, and crude oil Coal, natural gas, and crude oil are the most widely used energy sources today. These fossil fuels are extracted from the ground and are non-renewable.

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

cogeneration This process makes use of heat that is generated as waste during electricity production and funnels it for use in nearby workplaces and homes.

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 Conservation is an attempt to reduce the amount of energy that we use.

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

generator The generator is the only part of a coal-fired power plant that makes electricity.

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 Once crude oil is extracted, we refine it. This is necessary because crude oil is a mixture of hundreds of hydrocarbon molecules. The process of refining separations the hydrocarbons into those intended for use as gasoline, and separates those intended for use as tar or asphalt, and so on.

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

solar Because they are the remains of fossilized organisms which required the sun to survive, all fossil fuels are considered to be an indirect form of solar energy.

Part complete 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. Clean coal technology uses various approaches to remove chemical contaminants from coal before it is burned so that they are no longer present to be released during the process of generating electricity. This is different from capturing carbon dioxide from coal-burning sites in order to sequester it. We have to capture and sequester it.

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. Once the initial pressure is relieved and some oil or gas has risen to the surface, another two-thirds may remain in the ground. Secondary extraction methods are employed in order to remove the remaining two-thirds.

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

black Because coal is carbon-based, black smoke would indicate that valuable fuel is being wasted. Power plants do all that they can to prevent this from happening.