1. Unit 4: Earth’s Resources Environmental Science

2. NONRENEWABLE RESOURCES A nonrenewable resource is a natural resource that cannot be re-made or re-grown at a scale comparable to its consumption.

3. COAL, PETROLEUM, AND GAS Coal, petroleum, and natural gas are considered nonrenewable because they can not be replenished in a short period of time. These are called fossil fuels.

4. HOW IS COAL MADE ???

5. HOW ARE OIL AND GAS MADE ???

6. WHAT WAS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COAL AND OIL/GAS?

7. NUCLEAR ENERGY Nuclear fission uses uranium to create energy. Nuclear energy is a nonrenewable resource because once the uranium is used, it is gone!

8. RENEWABLE RESOURCES Renewable resources are natural resources that can be replenished in a short period of time. ● Solar ● Geothermal ● Wind ● Biomass ● Water

9. SOLAR Energy from the sun. Why is energy from the sun renewable?

10. GEOTHERMAL Energy from Earth’s heat. Why is energy from the heat of the Earth renewable?

11. WIND Energy from the wind. Why is energy from the wind renewable?

12. BIOMASS Energy from burning organic or living matter. Why is energy from biomass renewable?

13. WATER or HYDROELECTRIC Energy from the flow of water. Why is energy of flowing water renewable?

14. Metal Resources Biggest Users of Metals United States Japan Europe Biggest Producers South America South Africa Former Soviet Union.

15. Metal Resources MetalUses Iron Heavy machinery, steel production Aluminum Packaging foods & beverages, transportation, electronics Manganese High-strength, high-resistant steel alloys Copper Building construction, electric/electroni industry Chromium High strength steel alloy Nickel Chemical industry, steel alloys Lead Leaded gasoline, car batteries, paint, ammunition Silver Photography, electronics, jewelry Gold Medical, aerospace, electronic use, money, jewelry Platinum Automobile catalytic converters, electronics, medical uses, jewelry-

16. Non-Metal Resources Sand & gravel –Uses: brick & concrete construction, paving, road filler, sandblasting, glass (high silica content sand) Limestone –Uses: concrete, road rock, building stone, pulverized to neutralize acidic soil or water. Evaporites- halite, gypsum, potash –Uses: halite- rock salt for roads, refined into table salt –Gypsum- makes plaster wallboard –Potash- for fertilizer (potassium chloride, potassium sulfates) Sulfur deposits –Uses: sulfuric acid in batteries & some medicinal products

17. Steps in Obtaining Mineral Commodities 1.Prospecting- finding places where ores occur 2.Mine exploration & development- learn whether ore can be extracted economically 3.Mining- extract ore from ground 4.Beneficiation- separate ore minerals from other mined rock 5.Smelting & refining- extract pure mineral from ore mineral (get the good stuff out of waste rock) 6.Transportation- carry mineral to market 7.Marketing & sales- find buyers & sell the mineral

18. Types of Mining Surface- scoop ore off surface of the earth or dig big holes and scoop –Cheap –Safe for miners –Large amount of environmental destruction Subsurface- use shafts to reach deeply buried ores –Expensive –Hazardous for miners –Less environmental damage

19. Types of Surface Mining 1. Open Pit Mining a.Overlaying material is removed using large equipment b.Creates pits that are hundreds of meters wide and hundreds of meters deep.

20. Types of Surface Mining 2. Strip mining –Like open pit but not as deep of a pit –Same environmental damage

21. Large bucket wheel extractor being moved through Germany. Moves 10 meters per minute. Takes 5 people to operate. Used in strip mining

22. Types of Surface Mining Dredging –Sand is removed from bottom of ocean –Can be done to restore beaches (after hurricane) –Destroys fragile benthic ecosystems

23. Types of Subsurface mining Underground Coal mining –Shaft mine –Slope mine –Drift mine

24. Types of Subsurface mining Room and Pillar mining –Remove rock/ore from rooms and leave pillars for support.

25. Types of Subsurface mining Longwall mining –One long strip (wall) of coal is mined in a single strip (0.5 – 1.0 m at a time)

26. Health Problems mine collapse fire (methane, coal dust, etc.). asphyxiation (methane, carbon monoxide) pneumoconiosis (from inhaling coal dust) asbestosis (from inhaling asbestos fibers) silicosis (from inhaling silicate dust) heavy metal poisoning (e.g. mercury) radiation exposure (in uranium mining)

27. Environmental Damage Gaping holes in ground (old open pit mines) Accidental draining of rivers and lakes Disruption of ground water flow patterns Piles of gangue- mine tailings (mining waste) Loss of topsoil in strip-mined regions (350 to 2,700 km 2 in US alone) Spoil banks are where holes were filled in with waste- cheap & easy- susceptible to erosion, chemical weathering, causes high sediment runoff in watersheds. Steep slopes are slow to re- vegetate (succession happens slowly- no topsoil) Contamination of soil or water from heavy metals (e.g. arsenic, mercury) in mine tailings. Contamination from sulfuric acid (H 2 SO 4 ) produced through weathering of iron sulfide (FeS 2, pyrite) in tailings. –4FeS 2 + 14H 2 O = 4Fe(OH) 3 + 8H 2 SO 4 Water leaking into mine shafts, washes dissolved metals & toxic material into water sources. –(550,000 abandoned mines in U.S.- 12,000 mi of rivers & streams contaminated with mine drainage- cost to clean up $32-$72 billion)

28. Acid Mine Drainage

29. The impact of mine drainage on a lake after receiving effluent from an abandoned tailings impoundment for over 50 years

30. Relatively fresh tailings in an impoundment. The same tailings impoundment after 7 years of sulfide oxidation. The white spots in Figures A and B are gulls. http://www.earth.uwaterloo.ca/services/whaton/s06_amd.html

31. Mine effluent discharging from the bottom of a waste rock pile (gangue)

32. Shoreline of a pond receiving AMD showing massive accumulation of iron hydroxides on the pond bottom

34. Surface Mining Control & Reclamation Act (SMCRA) 1977 Requires better restoration of strip-mined lands Restoration is difficult & expensive Takes long time for soil to regain fertility –Topsoil gets buried –Compacted, poor drainage –Root growth restricted Minimum cost- $1000 per acre Complete restoration (if possible)- $5,000 per acre

37. History of Supplemental Energy in United States  Wood through mid-1800s -Renewable -Maximum sustained yield limits supply  Wood through mid-1800s -Renewable -Maximum sustained yield limits supply  Coal replaced wood by 1900  Oil, natural gas exploited (since mid-1900s) #1-oil, #2-natural gas, #3-coal - all non-renewable  Oil, natural gas exploited (since mid-1900s) #1-oil, #2-natural gas, #3-coal - all non-renewable  Use growing dramatically

38. Year 21002025195018751800 0 20 40 60 80 100 Contribution to total energy consumption (percent) Wood Coal Oil Nuclear Hydrogen Solar Natural gas

39. How long will supplies last?  U.S. (5% pop) uses 25% of energy  Depends on: - rate of use - discovery of new supplies  Depends on: - rate of use - discovery of new supplies  Resource supply lifetime - oil - 30-60 years - natural gas - 50-200 years - coal - 650-900 years  Resource supply lifetime - oil - 30-60 years - natural gas - 50-200 years - coal - 650-900 years

40. North American Energy Resources

41. Oil Shale and Tar Sands  Oil shale 3X conventional  Oil shale 3X conventional  Kerogen 25 gallons/ton Energy in=energy out  Kerogen 25 gallons/ton Energy in=energy out  Tar sands  Bitumen 3X return on energy inputs  Bitumen 3X return on energy inputs

42. Natural Gas  50-90% methane  Propane, butane removed, liquified  Propane, butane removed, liquified  Cleanest burning, lowest costs  Cleanest burning, lowest costs  Problems: leaks, explosions  Problems: leaks, explosions

43. Coal Carbon (energy content) and sulfur

44. Coal  Bituminous most abundant (52%), but high in sulfur  Bituminous most abundant (52%), but high in sulfur  Anthracite most ideal (high energy, low sulfur), but least abundant (2%)  Anthracite most ideal (high energy, low sulfur), but least abundant (2%)  Lignite (8%) low energy, low pollution potential  Lignite (8%) low energy, low pollution potential

45. Coal  Surface versus subsurface mines

46. North American Energy Resources

47. Burning Coal More Cleanly  Fluidized-Bed Combustion -calcium sulfate (limestone) used w/ Coal. used w/ Coal.

48. Coal Gasification - methane Raw coal Pulverizer Air or oxygen Steam Pulverized coal Slag removal Recycle unreacted carbon (char) Raw gases Clean methane gas Recover sulfur Methane (natural gas) 2C Coal + O2O2 2CO CO+3H 2 CH 4 +H2OH2O Remove dust, tar, water, sulfur

49. Coal Liquefaction - liquid fuels  Both gasification and liquefaction lose 30-40% of energy contained in coal  Both gasification and liquefaction lose 30-40% of energy contained in coal

50. Nuclear Energy  Tremendous potential, plagued by safety and cost problems  Tremendous potential, plagued by safety and cost problems  3 ways to produce nuclear power 1) conventional nuclear fission reactor 2) breeder nuclear fission reactor 3) nuclear fusion reactor  3 ways to produce nuclear power 1) conventional nuclear fission reactor 2) breeder nuclear fission reactor 3) nuclear fusion reactor

51. Nuclear Energy  Use radioactive isotopes  Isotopes - different forms of same element - atoms have differing masses - e.g. U-238, U-235  Isotopes - different forms of same element - atoms have differing masses - e.g. U-238, U-235  Radioactive - unstable atoms emit radiation (rays and particles)  Radioactive - unstable atoms emit radiation (rays and particles)

52. Nuclear Energy  Conventional fission reactors  Uranium-235 (U-238 common)  Uranium-235 (U-238 common)  Nucleus split by moving neutron - Core, heat exchanger, generator

53. Reactors in the United States

54. Nuclear Energy  Breeder fission reactors  Uses plutonium-239 as fuel U-238 + neutron = Pu-239  Uses plutonium-239 as fuel U-238 + neutron = Pu-239  Pu-239 fissioned, but more produced from U-238 - produces more Pu-239 than it uses  Pu-239 fissioned, but more produced from U-238 - produces more Pu-239 than it uses

55. Nuclear Energy  Nuclear fusion reactors  Combine atoms of hydrogen isotopes - deuterium, tritium  Combine atoms of hydrogen isotopes - deuterium, tritium  Requires high temperature - 100 million °C - experimental - uncontrolled fusion = hydrogen bomb  Requires high temperature - 100 million °C - experimental - uncontrolled fusion = hydrogen bomb

56. Problems with Nuclear Power  Safety  Disposal of radioactive wastes  Use of fuel for weapons  Reduced growth in demand for electricity  High construction, operating costs  Funding

57. Safety Concerns  Radiation concerns  Susceptible tissues: reproductive organs, bone marrow, digestive tract, spleen, lymph glands, fetuses  Rem - unit of radiation exposure - 10 rems: low level, few effects - 100 rems: sterility, no short-term deaths - 1000 rems: death in days  Rem - unit of radiation exposure - 10 rems: low level, few effects - 100 rems: sterility, no short-term deaths - 1000 rems: death in days

58. Big Fears  Core meltdown - Chernobyl ‘86  Core meltdown - Chernobyl ‘86  Containment shell rupture  Both have potential for releasing huge amounts of radiation

59. Disposal of Radioactive Wastes

60.  No long-term storage facility - protected for 10,000 years - radiation declines to low levels  No long-term storage facility - protected for 10,000 years - radiation declines to low levels  Most wastes stored on-site  Site under development - Yucca Mountain in Nevada  Site under development - Yucca Mountain in Nevada

61. Yucca Mountain

62. Temporary Storage