Energy

EnergySources

and Policy

What is energy?Energy- Fossil fuels and other resources used to make electricity

Some energy sources use energy in order to make more energy!

The electricity coming into your house might be created by burning coal, by capturing energy from the sun, or by the force of rushing water in a river.

Worldwide energy consumption increases every year.

Energy-efficient products and devices help reduce consumption, but the number of devices that use fuels or electricity is always increasing.

Running your Xbox 24/7 for a year uses more than 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity 1

That’s the same amount of energy it takes to run 2 refrigerators!

At that rate, a power plant would have to burn more than 2,000 lbs of coal every year just to run your video games 2

How much energy do we use?

Burning fossil fuels like coal and oil releases greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere and causes air pollution.

Extracting fossil fuels from the earth can be harmful to the environment.

Percentage of world-wide energy usage by resource:Oil – 35% Coal – 25% Natural Gas – 20% Nuclear – 6%

What’s wrong with that?

Climate Change

OilPros:* Efficient energy source* Easy to store and transport* Affordable and readily available (for now)* Base for many other products (like plastic)

Cons:* Non-renewable* Burning oil releases harmful compounds into the air * Drilling for oil can harm the environment* Accidents while transporting can cause large-scale problems

Status Quo

CoalPros:* Affordable and readily available (for now)* Easy to store and transport

Cons:* Non-renewable* Old power plants pollute the air* Greenhouse gas emissions, acid rain* Mining coal can be dangerous to humans and the environment

Status Quo

SolarPros:* Fuel and pollution-free* Potentially unlimited supply (as long as the sun keeps rising)

Cons:* Expensive* Inefficient* Requires sunlight (sorry Seattle)

Alternatives

Wind

Pros:* Relatively cheap* No pollution* Unlimited supply

Cons:* Wind reliability* Aesthetic and Environmental Impact Alternatives

HydroelectricPros: * Cheap, efficientCons: * Can harm river systems* Floods or changes geography

Nuclear

Pros: * Low fuel costs, low emissionCons: * Expensive to maintain* Mining uranium is a dirty process* Storing used radioactive fuel is dangerous * Meltdowns

Alternatives

Natural Gas

Wind

Mountaintop removal

Hydroelectric

Solar

Wind

Offshore oil drilling

Natural Gas

Natural Gas

WindCoal

Oil

Oil

Oil

Energy in the mediaHeadlines sell newspapers and boost TV ratings. The media love a good disaster!

Nuclear energy’s image suffered a meltdownThree Mile Island, Chernobyl

West Virginia and Chilean coal miners Stricter regulations and more investigations

What gets covered, what gets left out?

West Virginia Coal Mining

A biased argumentWhile the media often show both sides of an issue, it’s important to understand the point of view “experts” bring to news stories.

• Industry vs. Environmental groups• Democrats vs. Republicans• Conservatives vs. Liberals

• Jobs vs. Environment

Quickwrite:

• Did the newscast show bias? Towards which side? Why do you think this? Explain!

What’s Really Going On?

In June 2010, as the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico was still expanding, BP and Greenpeace both put these pictures on their Flickr pages. Are they telling the same story?

Why would an oil company show scientists saving animals?Why would an environmental group show an oil rig on fire?

How is the government involved?

The federal government regulates the energy industry through energy policy. This includes legislation, tax incentives, and guidelines for conservation.

Environmental Protection Agency

• Established in 1970 by Richard Nixon

• 10 regional offices around the country

• Writes and enforces regulations, gives out fines to offenders

• Monitors air pollution, drinking water, auto fuel economy, radiation, and more

Quick Write:

• Using one or more specific examples from the notes or your outside knowledge, explain how the media impacts policies in the US. Do you think this is a good or a bad thing? Why?

Sources1 NRDC “Lowering the Cost of Play” http://www.nrdc.org/energy/consoles/files/consoles.pdf2 US EIA http://www.eia.gov/cneaf/electricity/page/co2_report/co2report.html3 http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/energy-environment/coal/index.html?scp=1&sq=coal%20electricity&st=cse4 http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/energy-environment/oil-petroleum-and-gasoline/index.html?scp=1-spot&sq=oil&st=cse5 http://fossil-fuel.co.uk/coal/the-disadvantages-of-coal6 http://www.odec.ca/projects/2006/wong6j2/solar.html