Energy in the 21st century Exam 3

What are carbon offsets and how can they reduce emissions?

- A carbon offset is a reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases made in order to compensate for emissions made elsewhere.

What is the difference between climate mitigation and climate adaptation? Give an example of each.

- Mitigation refers to the causes of climate change, while adaptation talks about the impacts of climate change. - Mitigation ex: reducing energy demand by increasing energy efficiency - Adaptation ex: building flood defenses.

For every unit of petroleum energy used to turn corn into ethanol, how many units of ethanol energy are produced?

1.3

How many square miles of photovoltaic panels would be required to provide all of the US electricity?

10,000 sq miles

For every unit of petroleum energy used to turn sugar cane into ethanol, how many units of ethanol energy are produced?

8

In a cap-and-trade system, why would a power plant want to see emissions permits?

Because emissions permits have a volatile market. Energy providers might experience wide, often unpredictable swings in their energy costs. Those swings would result in large fluctuations in consumer costs.

Why is it difficult to estimate oil reserves in the United States?

Because of fracking (new technologies) we cant estimate oil anymore

In a cap-and-trade system, why would a power plant want to buy emissions permits?

Because the emissions reductions are then arrived at in the most financially beneficial way

Why have coal jobs declined in the US during the last century?

Better equipment which means less people are needed

Where does coal come from?

Coal is pressure-cooked plant matter that genetically and geochemically changed over >100 million years

Which one of the following is the element represented by the letter "C" in the CIGGS acronym?

Cu copper

Where does oil come from?

Dead ocean algae that was pressure cooked into oil

What type of energy is accessed using "boreholes"?

Geothermal

Explain the concept of Hubbert's peak oil and why it appears not to apply to current oil production.

Hubberts peak oil theory states that because oil is non-renewable, production will peak and decline. This isn't current though because new technologies are being developed to discover new sources of oil

How do carbon taxes encourage a power plant to reduce its emissions?

Instead of limiting emissions and letting the market decide how "best" to comply, a carbon tax simply increases the cost of burning fossil fuels. Placing an additional cost based on the amount of carbon contained in a certain quality of fuel is intended to make alternative energy sources more competitive in the near term.

Why does the Fed Ex solar power system "turn the meter backwards"?

It feeds energy back into the power grid

Why is lignite coal considered "dirtier" than anthracite or bituminous coal?

It is less environmentally friendly, emits more

Where does natural gas come from?

Overcooked coal and oil

Which country has the largest natural gas reserves? Why does this create international tension?

Russia, Russia is incredibly corrupt so we don't like to work with them

Which three countries have the largest oil reserves?

Saudi arabia, Venezuela, canada

Aside from the corn and sugar cane based ethanol, what other plant has potential to be an even more productive bio-fuel crop?

Switch-grass

In August of 2019, it was estimated that the US led the world in crude oil production with >12 million barrels per day. How does this value compare to US oil consumption?

The US uses about 19 million barrels a day

What was the earliest use of solar thermal technology mentioned in the video?

The south facing home used by Native Americans

What is the main challenge for wind power identified in the video?

The wind is not blowing at all sites, at all times

How are the tar sands and fracking "oil booms" wasting natural gas?

They release more greenhouse gases, so they are not as energy efficient

What are the three countries that produce the most coal?

US, china, Russia

When glucose, C6H12O6, is "burned" (metabolized) in your body, the products are carbon dioxide and water. a. Write the balanced chemical equation. b. The chemical equation for burning wood is essentially the same as that of metabolizing glucose. Explain why.

a. C6H12O6+6O2>6CO2+6H2O+energy b. Cellulose is a primary component of wood. It is polymer made up of glucose building blocks. As a result, burning cellulose gives products comparable to burning glucose.

- The combustion of coal releases several substances into the air. a. Of these substances, one is a gas that is produced in large amounts. Give its chemical formula and name. b. In contrast, the amount of SO2 (sulfur dioxide) released is relatively small. Even so, this SO2 is of concern. Explain why. . c. Another gas produced in small amounts is NO (nitrogen monoxide). However, coal contains very little nitrogen. What is the origin of the nitrogen in NO? d. When coal burns, fine particles of soot may be released. What are the health concerns with PM2.5, the smallest of these particles?

a. CO2, carbon dioxide b.SO2 is an air pollutant c. Nitrogen is present in the air and reacts with )2 at high temps to form NO d.Particles can lead to a lot of health effects like heart or lung disease

Which of the following represent building materials that can be combined with thin-film solar panels to produce solar power?

a. Paint b. Roof tiles c. Window glass all of the above

Which of the following statements accurately describe ground source geothermal?

a. The system is works as an underground heat exchanger b. The system warms homes in the winter c. The system cools homes in the summer d. All of the above

- which depicts the components of an electric power plant. a. For a coal-fired power plant, where would the coal appear in the figure? b. Water is part of two separate loops. One loop connects the boiler and turbine and is usually under pressure. Explain why. c. Another loop brings in (and out) water from a lake or river. Explain why a large body of water is needed.

a. above the burner or heat source b. this causes the turbine to move c. it is a reusable cooling source

What energy source has the Icelandic government proposed to use to power all vehicles and their fishing fleet?

hydrogen

In what country have solar water heaters become mandatory for all residences?

israel

Which of the following represents the key chemical element present in the solar panels on the Fed Ex building?

silicon

Describe how grades of coal differ. What is the significance of these differences?

some coal is "cleaner", therefore is emits less and it more energy efficient

What term is used in reference to a grouping of wind turbines in a specific location?

wind farm