Unit 10 Blog

Energy!

Suggested Vocabulary

Nonrenewable - A resource of economic value that cannot be readily replaced by natural means on a level equal to its consumption. Most fossil fuels, such as oil, natural gas and coal are considered nonrenewable resources in that their use is not sustainable because their formation takes billions of years.

Renewable - A renewable resource is a resource which is replaced naturally and can be used again. Examples are: oxygen, fresh water, solar energy, timber, and biomass. Renewable resources may also include goods commodities such as wood, paper and leather.

Fossil Fuels - a natural fuel such as coal or gas, formed in the geological past from the remains of living organisms.

Nuclear Fuels - a substance that will sustain a fission chain reaction so that it can be used as a source of nuclear energy.

Capacity - the maximum amount that something can contain.

Efficiency - the state or quality of being efficient.

Cogeneration - the generation of electricity and other energy jointly, especially the utilization of the steam left over from electricity generation to produce heat.

Electrical Grid - An electrical grid is an interconnected network for delivering electricity from suppliers to consumers.

Oil Sands - a deposit of loose sand or partially consolidated sandstone containing petroleum or other hydrocarbons.

Bitumen - a black viscous mixture of hydrocarbons obtained naturally or as a residue from petroleum distillation. It is used for road surfacing and roofing.

CTL - (coal to liquid) the process of converting solid coal into liquid fuel 

Fission - the action of dividing or splitting something into two or more parts.

Fusion - is the process that powers the sun and the stars. It is the reaction in which two atoms of hydrogen combine together, or fuse, to form an atom of helium. In the process some of the mass of the hydrogen is converted into energy.

Half-Life - the time taken for the radioactivity of a specified isotope to fall to half its original value.

Nondepletable - an energy source that cannot be used up

Peak Demand - Peak demand is used to refer to a historically high point in the sales record of a particular product. In terms of energy use, peak demand describes a period of simultaneous, strong consumer demand or a period of highest demand in a billing period.

Modern Carbon - carbon in biomass that was recently in the atmosphere

Fossil Carbon - carbon in fossil fuels 

Carbon Neutral - an activity that does not change atmospheric CO2 concentrations 

"off-the-grid" - not dependent on public utilities, especially the supply of electricity.

Fuel Cell - a cell producing an electric current directly from a chemical reaction.

Electrolysis - chemical decomposition produced by passing an electric current through a liquid or solution containing ions.

Important Units

BTUs - A British thermal unit (Btu) is a standard unit of energy that is used in the United States and sometimes in the U.K. It represents the amount of thermal energy necessary to raise the temperature of one pound of pure liquid water by one degree Fahrenheit at the temperature at which water has its greatest density (39 degrees Fahrenheit).

Watt - the SI unit of power, equivalent to one joule per second, corresponding to the power in an electric circuit in which the potential difference is one volt and the current one ampere.

kW - One kilowatt (kW) is equal to 1000 watts (W):

1kW = 1000W

One kilowatt is defined as energy consumption of 1000 joules for 1 second:

1kW = 1000J / 1s

One kilowatt is equal to 1000000 milliwatts:

1kW = 1000000mW

MW - Watts (W) are the yardstick for measuring power. A one hundred watt light bulb, for example, is rated to consume one hundred watts of power when turned on. Watts, therefore, measure instantaneous power while watt-hours measure the total amount of energy consumed over a period of time.

kWh - The kilowatt-hour (symbolized kWh) is a unit of energy equivalent to one kilowatt (1 kW) of power expended for one hour. One watt is equal to 1 J/s. One kilowatt-hour is 3.6 megajoules, which is the amount of energy converted if work is done at an average rate of one thousand watts for one hour.

ppm - ppm is an abbreviation of parts per million. ppm is a value that represents the part of a whole number in units of 1/1000000. ppm is dimensionless quantity, a ratio of 2 quantities of the same unit. For example: mg/kg. One ppm is equal to 1/1000000 of the whole:

ppb - Represents the concentration of something in water or soil. One ppbrepresents one microgram of something per liter of water (ug/l), or one microgram of something per kilogram of soil (ug/kg).

mpg - MPG is a file extension for an MPEG animation in the MPEG-1 OR MPEG-2 codec. MPEG-1 was designed for coding progressive video at bit rates of about 1.5 million bits per second. It was designed specifically for Video-CD and CD-i media. MPEG-1 audio layer-3 (MP3) has also evolved from early MPEG work.

Joule - the SI unit of work or energy, equal to the work done by a force of one newton when its point of application moves one meter in the direction of action of the force, equivalent to one 3600th of a watt-hour.

MJ - Megajoule (MJ) 

GJ - Gigajoule (MJ) 

EJ - Environmental justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.

Discussion Questions

Primary Source Ranking  

Rank the top 9 primary sources of energy using the following parameters (each parameter is a different list).  Your energy sources are: Wind, Coal, Hydroelectric, Biomass, Natural Gas, Solar, Geothermal, Oil, and Nuclear

List #1: Rank the sources in order of MOST environmentally friendly to LEAST environmentally friendly based on what you have learned in class.  Next to each source, give an example of the type of pollution produced by that source.

1. Hydroelectric Energy

Reasons: Has no use or does not need access to a dam, doesn't need a system of any kind to efficiently produce energy, no emissions of any kind that can harmfully affect the environment, uses other energy sources such as water and electricity because it doesn't necessarily require a dam, has no emissions, and uses an energy source that is always around, making it not need supplemental energy. 
Type of Pollution produced: Methane pollution from decomposition

2. Geothermal Energy
Reasons: No emissions of bad pollutants, does not obliterate or effect animals in any way, and is independent in its extraction of earth energy.
Type of Pollution produced: Thermal/Heat Pollution 

3. Natural Gas
Reasons: Nonrenewable, always available in large quantities, environmentally friendly with benefits at times
Type of Pollution produced: Carbon Emissions/Pollution 

4. Nuclear Energy 
Reasons: a large quantity of radioactive waste is usually produced and needs to be disposed of properly which can be expensive or costly, but there are usually no air pollutants 
Type of Pollution produced: Radioactive waste and pollution 


5. Solar Energy 
Reasons: Solar panels on top of roofs or buildings release/produce toxic substances 
Type of Pollution produced: Silicon tetrachloride

6. Wind Energy 
Reasons: Can cause environmental pollution, the increased spread of pollen, increased death of births, increased use of turbines, environmentally having negative effects 
Type of Pollution produced: Air/Atmospheric pollution

7.  Oil
Reasons: Oil spills can contaminate waters, kill animal species, produce toxic odors such as increased spread of sulfur and acid deposition
Type of Pollution produced: More contamination than pollution, but air/atmospheric/and SO2

8. Biomass
Reasons: Burning biomass can negatively affect the air quality, animals are harmed by smoke inhalation, destruction of forests occur and a decrease in biodiversity 
Type of Pollution produced: Particulate matter or pollution

9. Coal
Reasons: Mercury and Sulfur emissions, toxic waste released, increased acid deposition, 
Type of Pollution produced: SO2 and Mercury

List #2: Rank the sources based on the MOST used to LEAST used source in the US.

1. Oil 2. Natural Gas 3. Coal 4. Nuclear 5. Biomass 6. Hydroelectric 7. Wind 8. Geothermal 9. Solar

List #3: Rank the sources based on the MOST used to LEAST used source WORLDWIDE.

1. Oil 2. Coal 3. Natural Gas 4. Biomass 5. Nuclear 6. Hydroelectric 7. Wind 8. Solar 9. Geothermal

List #4: Rank the sources based on the MOST amount of useful energy generated versus LEAST amount of useful energy generated by the source. 

1. Wind (100%) 2. Hydroelectricity (85%) 3. Natural gas (45%) 4. Coal (35%) 5. Oil (35%). 6. Nuclear (35%) 7. Biomass (35%) 8. Geothermal (35%) 9. Solar (15%

Biofuels VS Fossil Fuels
Although the product of the combustion of each of these energy sources is carbon dioxide, which is considered to be a green house gas, biofuels are being sold as an alternative to fossil fuels.  If they both release the same "pollutant" how can one be better than the other??  Compare and contrast these two energy sources in terms of their availability and environmental impact, give examples of each, and explain the difference between the carbon dioxide released by fossil fuels and biofuels in terms of their impact on the carbon cycle.   

Fossil Fuels are in increased abundance but extremely difficult to extract or access. They release sulfur and mercury to the atmosphere and are the leading cause of increased carbon emissions in to the slightly healthy environment. This also causes greenhouse gases to be released into the environment. Fossil fuels are usually made out of fossilized animals and plants that have been dead for a longer period of time. They not only release sulfur but also carbon. The release of carbon results in an overflow of carbon dioxide which is harmful in large quantities or excess. 

Biofuels are usually a liquid companion of biomass. They are readily available where plants grow and require less energy to extract or use. They usually contain little or no carbon. Examples of liquid biofuel include, diesel and ethanol and solid biofuel, wood and manure. Biofuels release particulate matter and this type of pollution results in upper respiratory infections, problems, and diseases as well atmospheric and environmental defects. Air pollutants are also released into the environments. Biofuels, however, are readily available and are far greater than fossil fuels because the materials they possess are used until they run out.

Nuclear Disasters

Chernobyl was the first major Nuclear disaster in the world, the effects of which can still be seen almost 30 years later.  Take a minute to watch the 60 minutes clip provided (about 10 minutes) 60 Minutes- Chernobyl.  Discuss the environmental, economic and human health impact (specifically the effect of ionizing radiation) of this disaster.  Give another example of a similar nuclear disaster at a different location.  Give an example of how nuclear waste is currently being disposed of, note the characteristics that make the location of the sites ideal.

Human Effects: The incident at Chernobyl included many getting sick due to the disease or sickness of Leukemia, including other cancers and exposure to radiation. The disaster proved to negatively take away not only lives but also homes within a time span of one and a half days. Many were also hospitalized and the sickness continued to spread. 

Economic Effects: Chernobyl was exposed to radiation which made the atmosphere in need of restoration. This restoration costed a fortune and drastically impacted the economy. The environment was effected in such a negative aspect that it is now known to be a place no one can ever live. This economically causes a loss in land area and provided shelter.  

Environmental Impact: The incident or disaster brought with it a loss in biodiversity and killed many animal/plant species. There was also a whole bunch of radiation and leaching effecting the groundwater. 

A similar example of a nuclear disaster that occurred is in Fukushima, Japan. A tsunami flooded and damaged the 5 active reactor plants drowning two workers. The loss of backup electrical power led to overheating, meltdowns, and evacuations. Many died and others faced physical difficulty. Nuclear waste is currently being recycled at plants in the West area of the United States. It is better to recycle this waste in dry, arid, and isolated areas so that no people are around the area. 

ANWR

Alaska's National Wildlife Refuge has been a hot topic of debate for 1977.  Recently in the news because Obama proposed new wilderness protections that would further inhibit the prospect of drilling (Washington Post ANWR Article).    Take a minute to watch this 5 minute National Geographic clip provided National Geographic- ANWR. What type of biome is this classified as and why is it considered to be fragile and susceptible to damage?  Discuss the environmental and economic impacts of drilling in this area.  Make an argument for and against doing so.  

ANWR or the National Wildlife Refuge is an arctic coastal tundra that does not proceed to have the presence of humans at any point. There are many living species but no human impact whatsoever. Examples of animals that live there include the polar bear. The environment can or could be effected by say any sort of contamination or drilling of natural gas or other resources. Fracking could also result in a negative effect that includes extinction of many different animals. Biologists are certainly accurate when they state that in order to help the future generation and save species from running out one must isolate them to grow. Economic benefits, however, do include independence over oil prices and many employment opportunities. This economically helps people financially but also environmentally because there are more workers to benefit the wildlife. 

Reducing Consumption

The need for energy will never go away, our supply for most of our energy sources will eventually run out, so our options are to lower the amount of energy we require and look for alternative sources of energy if we would like to continue to consume it!  Give at least two suggestions for how we can reduce overall consumption of the oil needed for transportation and the fuels needed to provide electricity.

Consumption can be reduced in many different ways. To start off, a windmill turbine can generate more electricity and become efficient energy through the mixture of water and the turbine energy. Next could be the use of solar energy. Solar energy requires no burring of anything and is a efficient in using the atmosphere/earth to produce energy. Another way is to use ethanol as a source to run cars, or as a substitute for oil. Cogeneration practices also reduces the use of electricity for heat which is beneficial because nothing has to be burned off that way. I do think though, however, that technology has not been fully advanced to give an overall method to reduce consumption. Time, research and the mode of necessity will solve this problem as well. 

BIG Picture Discussion

This is where you will make the four BIG PICTURE connections to the ENTIRE UNIT. Please tie in information you learned in your reading (chapters 12 and 13), from the notes in class, the clips we watched and from your Switch Energy Project  There is not an exact length that I am expecting other than it should definitely be at least a paragraph for each section, should be thorough and show understanding of the topic.  Remember to be specific in your examples.  Do not just say "there are laws that govern this" or "people destroy the Earth."  Give me the names of the laws, what they regulate and who enforces them.  Tell me what humans are doing to destroy the earth. 

Human Impact: 
The humans have the biggest impact in this unit for sure and the reason is because they are the ones that do the research and find different ways to take energy out of different sources. Energy is what allows humans to travel from one location to the other and to conduct their daily lives and actions as needed. The need for energy also allows humans to work and financially provide for the government, and their surrounding habitat. Humans however do play a huge role in waste. The disposal of many things such as waste is not properly done by humans which then results in economic losses. 

Environmental Impact: 
The environmental impact occurs in many different ways such as fracking or even the burning of greenhouse gases which emit harmful chemicals or toxins into the environment. Also the exposure to radiation and disasters due to extraction or formation of certain types of illnesses or even energy impacts the environment, plant and animal species. Contamination and the non proper disposal of waste can destroy habitats, obliterate shelters and ecosystems. Hydroelectricity, drilling, and even exposure excess chemicals can drain the life out of an environment. 

Economic Impact:
The economic impact occurs also in many different ways. The impacts all discussed in the environmental impact above all needs the product of money to restore or refurbish the land, air, ecosystem. The world needs energy and in order to balance out the use of a particular type, there has to be research, extraction and advancement in technology. Another way the economy is effected or in this case benefited is the source of cheap electricity. Other economic impacts that are prevalent is extracting energy such as those in natural gas, the expenditure of solar panels for solar energy, or even windmills to use wind energy. 

Governmental Legislation: 
The governmental legislation or impact is usually provided by acts or laws that have been passed such as the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 which provided a beneficial system for nuclear waste dispel. This not helped create a proper incentive of disposal but also allowed an increase of biodiversity in many areas. Another act is the Energy Policy Act of 2005 which provided ways to use the various types of energy, such as wind. This also reduced emissions from coal and oil and allowed for people to better save their energy in a renewable style/way.