NONRENEWABLE RESOURCES

Transcription

1 ENERGY RESOURCES

2 NONRENEWABLE RESOURCES Energy is the ability to cause change. Fossil fuels com from the remains of ancient animals. They include: petroleum, coal, and natural gas and are nonrenewable, meaning they cannot be replaced. Burning these fuels caused a hole in the ozone layer and also create greenhouse gases, which are gaseous compounds (such as carbon dioxide) that absorb infrared radiation, trap heat in the atmosphere. Coal is the most abundant fossil fuel and comes from ancient marine life. It occurs naturally, but it s not considered a renewable resource. Most of it is mined and burned to produce electricity, and also to make iron. Its greatest reserves are in the USA, Russia, Canada, China and Australia. The pollution from burning coal often results in acid rain, when precipitation in the atmosphere mixes with acids created by pollution, basically, it s when precipitation falls through pollution. Petroleum is oil. It comes in liquid forms gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, but is also used for petrochemicals in chemical fertilizers, pesticides, food additives, explosives, etc. Its biggest reserves are in Saudi Arabia; in the USA they are in Alaska and the Gulf Coast. Its expected to run out between Natural gas is becoming the most popular fossil fuel because it is the cleanest. It is the easiest to transport because it s shipped long distances quickly and easily in pipes. Of all the fossil fuels, there is the least amount of natural gas, and it s expected to run out by 2070.

3 NUCLEAR ENERGY Nuclear energy is sometimes called atomic energy. The first nuclear power plant was built in Great Britain in % of American energy is nuclear, whereas countries like France use nuclear energy for 75% of its power. While nuclear energy is clean, its radioactive waste causes problems. Fission is releasing energy through splitting atoms. The atomic bomb in World War II was a result of nuclear fission. The elements used in fission reactors is either uranium or plutonium. This is the most common form of nuclear energy. A chain reaction is when splitting on atom causes the splitting of another. Fusion is the combining of atoms. It happens when two hydrogen atoms are fused to form one helium atoms. The resulting helium atom has less mass than the two hydrogen atoms, and in losing the mass we gain energy. The downfall is that it causes heat and can still release radioactive waves. A reactor vessel is where fission or fusion takes place, where nuclear energy is created. Fuel rods are the energy source (plutonium or uranium). Control rods help slow down

4

5

6 A/COMMONS/THUMB/A/A0/PRESSURIZED WATERREACTOR.GIF/500PX- PRESSURIZEDWATERREACTOR.GIF

7 The nuclear energy process and are made of cadmium or graphite. They do this by absorbing the neutrons. Roentgen is a unit of energy used to measure radioactivity. A meltdown is when the nuclear process gets out of hand. The most horrifying example of this is the 1986 meltdown of Chernobyl. In 1986 a nuclear reactor in Chernobyl, Ukraine (then in the U.S.S.R.) broke down, killing and/or infecting numerous people of radiation poisoning and devastating that region agriculturally. No lives there today, so it is known as the Sarcophagus. Nuclear waste is a major concern. Since radioactive waste decays very slowly, it must be stored and monitored for thousands of years. The best storage method developed so far is to bury the waste in sealed containers deep underground in solid rock. Renewable Energy Renewable energy is energy that can easily be replaced by the Earth s natural processes. Solar energy is energy created from the sun that is captured using solar cells. Wind energy is Utah s #2 source of renewable energy, after hydroelectric energy, which is energy created from running water. It s typically created in a dam, and the water in a dam turns a turbine. Geothermal energy is energy generated from the Earth s heat.

8 Nonrenewable Resources Biomass is energy created through the burning of organic materials such as wood, corn etc. The fuel created from corn is called ethanol. Renewable Resources Type of Energy Advantages Disadvantages Coal A lot of it Pollution & acid rain Petroleum Most useful fossil fuel/ Liquid fuel Very limited supply/ $$$$ Pollution (air/land/water) World conflict Natural Gas Shipped quickly and easily/ Clean to burn Not a lot of it Nuclear Energy Endless supply/ conserves fossil fuels Most efficient Meltdown/radiation/storage Solar Energy Unlimited/ clean Not fully efficient yet/not useful everywhere Wind Unlimited/no sunlight needed Take up a lot of space Hydroelectric Conserve water/produce energy/ prevent flooding Geothermal Unlimited Rare Ruins landscape Biomass Can also be used for feed/ fertilizer, etc. Competes with food production