Energy Literacy Energy IQ Game

What questions were most difficult

for your group? What answers surprised you? What energy topics do you

want to

learn more about?

Energy Literacy What does it mean to be a literate person? What comes to mind when I say “energy

literate person”? If someone is an “ energy literate citizen”

What knowledge does this person possess? What issues is this person familiar with? What energy choices does this person make?

Energy Literacy Do we have an energy literate society? What is the cost of energy illiteracy? What is the relationship between energy

literacy and energy practices (our personal choices and actions?

Energy Literacy “ Americans are, in general, the least

energy-conscious people on the planet. We are not only profoundly ignorant about what energy is, and the critical role it has played and continues to play in economics and politics, but most of us simply don’t care about energy.

Paul Roberts, The End of Oil

Fossil FuelsChapter 19

Energy Sources Videoclip (7 minutes)

YouTube - 300 Years of FOSSIL FUELS in 300 Seconds

Energy Consumption Per capita energy consumption

Highly developed nations represent ~ 20% of the world’s population, but consume ~ 60% of commercial energy (energy sold in the marketplace)

Each person in developed countries use ~ 8x as much energy as a person in a developing country

See Figure 19.2 (page 531) See Figure 19.5 (page 534)

Energy requirements for food production Farmers in developing nations rely on their own

physical energy or that of animals to plow and tend fields

Agriculture in developed countries requires many energy-consuming machines

(tractors, automatic loaders, combines) Energy is needed to produce fertilizers and

pesticides.

Energy Consumption in the United States Industry – 42% Buildings – 33% Transportation 25% Most of the energy in North America is

supplied by fossil fuels (See figure 19.3)

Fossil Fuels Non-renewable resource Composed of the partially decayed

remnants of organisms Grades of coal (figure 19.6)

Peat Lignite Bituminous Anthracite

Grades of Coal

Availability Most abundant fossil fuel in the world Known coal reserves could last for ~ 200

years at present rate of consumption Largest deposits found in U.S. , Russia,

China (See Table 19.2) Supplies ~20% of energy used worldwide Table 19.3

Coal Recovery

Mining Underground

If coal is within 100 feet of the surface -- strip mining, mountain top removal

Mountaintop Removal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyzwCKoLhDo

Coal Power FacilityHow Does it Create Electricity

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeXG8K5_UvU

II. Fossil Fuels A. Coal

4. Safety Problems/Environmental Impact a. Underground mining is hazardous. b. Toxins prevent new colonization of plants. c. Acid mine drainage d. CO2 causes global warming e. SO2 and NOx contribute to acid deposition.

f. Coal Ash Ponds

Black Lung Disease

One of the most hazardous occupationsMiners are at risk of cancer and black lung disease

Acid Mine Drainage

Pollutes steams when rainwater seeps through mine waste and carries sulfuric acid to nearby bodies of water.

Environmental Problems Coal Ash

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bg_zttjzpL0

Is There Coal Ash Near Us?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJ_d28mAXYUhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nd3luqE3fw

Acid Deposition

Burning coal releases sulfur and nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere, contributing to acid deposition

Solutions a. Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act b. Scrubbers c. Clean coal technologies

i. fluidized bed combustion ii. coal gasification and liquifaction

Solutions

Scrubbers Desulfurization systems installed to clean power plant

exhaust. As polluted air passes through, chemicals in the scrubber react with the pollution and cause it to settle out.

Creates Sludge that must be disposed of or sold through resource recovery.

Clean Coal Technologies

Fluidized bed combustion Crushed coal is mixed with limestone so as the coal

burns most of the sulfur dioxide in the coal is neutralized

Coal gasification and liquefaction – See page 546 - 547

Solutions

Electrostatic Precipitators

Refining Oil Petroleum (crude oil) is a liquid composed of hundreds

of hydrocarbon compounds; during petroleum refining, the compounds are separated into different products such as gases, gasoline, heating oil, diesel oil, and asphalt

Oil can also be used to produce petrochemicals used in the production of fertilizers, plastics, paints, pesticides, medicines, and synthetic fibers

Natural gas is separated into:

Liquefied petroleum gas – propane and butane; used as fuel for heating and cooking

Methane – used for heating, generating electricity, and in the organic chemistry industry

Availability – supplies ~ 62% of energy used

worldwide

Oil 65% of the world’s known oil reserves are located in

the Persian Gulf (CLICK, CLICK) Oil production is expected to peak sometime during

the 21st century and will then enter a decline

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries includes:

Algeria, Angola, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela Hubbert curve

Natural Gas Almost half of the world’s known natural gas

reserves are located in Russia and Iran Reserves are more plentiful than oil and

could continue to rise Because it is a gas, it costs 4x more to

transport through pipelines and is therefore often not

Oil and Natural Gas Recovery a. Geologic exploration b. Wells drilled c .”Fracking” - My Water's On Fire Tonight (The Fracking

Song) - YouTube

4. Environmental Impact a. CO2 = Global Warming b. NOX = Acid Deposition and Photochemical Smog c. Transportation = Risk of spill d. Offshore Oil Wells = Contamination e. Oil Exploration = Threats to ecosystems and Wildlife

Solutions

Natural gas is cleaner burning and more plentiful than oil

Cogeneration – natural gas is used to produce both electricity and steam, providing electricity cleanly and efficiently

Synfuels – derivatives of fossil fuels

Tar sands / Oil sands - underground sand deposits permeated with a thick, asphalt-like oil called bitumen; once obtained, bitumen must be refined like crude oil

Oil shales – rocks containing a mixture of hydrocarbons known as kerogen; rocks must be crushed and heated, then keragen must be refined

Synfuels Gas hydrates – reserves of ice-encrusted

natural gas located deep underground in porous rock

Coal liquefaction – process of producing a liquid fuel out of coal, that can be cleaned before burning

Coal gasification – production of methane gas from coal

III. Synfuels A. Tar Sands / Oil Sands B. Oil Shales C. Gas Hydrates D. Coal Liquefaction E. Coal Gasification

An Energy Strategy for the United States A. Reasons

1. Limited Fossil Fuel Supply 2. Fossil Fuels = Pollution 3. Dependence on Foreign Oil = Economic Vulnerability

B. Proposed Objectives 1. Increase Energy Efficiency and Conservation

Decrease government subsidies 2. Secure Fossil Fuel Energy Supplies 3. Develop Alternative Energy Sources 4. Use Cost/Benefit Analysis

An Energy Strategy for the United States

Reasons for a comprehensive energy policy The supply of fossil fuels is limited The production, transport, and use of

fossil fuels pollutes the environment Our heavy dependence on foreign oil

makes us economically vulnerable

An Energy Strategy for the United States Secure fossil fuel energy supplies – domestically

produced fossil fuels (especially natural gas) are a temporary

strategy that will give us time to develop alternate energy strategies for the long term

Develop alternative energy sources –a long-term goal to shift to renewable forms of energy

Accomplish the first three objectives without further damaging the environment – use cost/benefit analysis when considering particular energy sources

Proposed objectives

Increase energy efficiency and conservation

Reduce government subsidies (support in the form of monetary payments, public financing, tax benefits, and tax exemptions) keep energy prices artificially low; when prices reflect the true costs of energy, including the environmental costs incurred in its production, transport, and use, energy will be used more efficiently by individuals, corporations, and industries