1. Nonrenewable Energy

2. Fossil Fuels (coal, oil, natural gas)
Fossil fuels account for 90% of energy used in developed countries.
By 2050, world energy demand is projected to double.
2 BIG problems we face:
Fossil fuels are limited in supply
Extracting and burning fossil fuels causes environmental problems

3. Why do we use so much fossil fuel?
The U.S. is REALLY big!
More than 25% of energy is used to transport goods and people
Small countries with efficient rail systems use less fuel
Gas is CHEAP!
U.S. has some of the lowest oil taxes in the world.
World oil clock:

4. Coal
Coal – the most abundant fossil fuel. Provides more than 50% of electricity in the U.S.
Burning coal results in the release of sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, mercury and carbon dioxide

5. Oil Oil pumped out of the ground is called crude oil or petroleum
Fractional distillation separates the components of petroleum based on different boiling points
40% of petroleum is used to make gasoline
What is the rest for?
Oil Platform in the North Sea

6. 6

7. Which countries have the most oil?

8. Unconventional oil deposits
Oil sands and oil shale
Major damage to the land from surface mining
Requires large amounts of water and energy to extract
Releases more greenhouse gas
Oil sands in Alberta, Canada

9. Natural gas Mainly methane gas
Used for heating, electricity, transportation, chemicals, plastics
Abundant in the U.S.
The cleanest fossil fuel (produces less CO2 when burned than coal or oil)
Gas shale is extracted by a process called hydraulic fracturing (Fracking)

10. Fracking
Up to 9 million gallons of water mixed with chemicals are forced at high pressure into the shale (rock)
The shale is broken and the gas is released

11. Environmental concerns over fracking
Requires too much water
Ground water contamination
Fracking fluid disposal (some of the chemicals used cause cancer)
Methane gas leaks
Earthquakes

12. Nuclear Energy
Nuclear power plants get their energy from within the nucleus of an atom.
Atoms of the element Uranium are used as fuel
Iowa’s nuclear power plant “Duane Arnold.”
NW of Cedar Rapids.

13. How does a nuclear power plant work?
Uranium atoms are bombarded with nuclear particles called “neutrons”
This causes the nucleus to split (nuclear fission)
The splitting of the nucleus releases energy and more neutrons
This sets off a chain reaction
Nuclear power plants control the chain reaction

14. Advantages of Nuclear Energy
A very concentrated energy source
Nuclear power plants do not produce greenhouse gases
Managed correctly, a nuclear power plant produces less radioactivity than a coal fired power plant
One Uranium pellet = 1,780 lbs of coal

15. Concerns over Nuclear Energy
Building a Nuclear Power Plant is very expensive
Nuclear waste remains radioactive for thousands of years
Where should we store nuclear waste?
Safety concerns!

17. Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania 1979
A stuck open valve allowed large amounts of reactor coolant to escape
Operators were poorly trained and did not recognize the accident
The reactor was brought under control without the loss of human life
Public fear and distrust of the nuclear industry grew

18. Chernobyl, Ukraine, 1986 The world’s worst nuclear disaster
One of the reactors had a fatal meltdown.
Explosions and the resulting fire sent highly radioactive fallout into the atmosphere
Contaminated rain fell as far away as Ireland
Four hundred times more fallout was released than had been by the bombing of Hiroshima.

20. Consequences of Chernobyl
Only after a nuclear plant in Sweden detected high radiation levels did the USSR admit that an accident had occurred
56 direct deaths
800,000 suffered radiation exposure
One third of a million were driven from their homes
It may have led to 4,000 extra cancer deaths

21. The abandoned city of Pripyat
2 miles from the reactor
Home to 49,000 nuclear reactor workers and their families
Families were not evacuated till 24 hours after the accident

22. An amusement arcade scheduled to open 4 days after the disaster.

23. Could it happen again? The reactor was poorly designed
The operators made serious errors