Nonrenewable Energy Resources G. Tyler Miller’s Living in the Environment 14th Edition Chapter 17

Key Concepts Available energy alternatives Oil resources Natural gas resources Coal resources Nuclear fission and fusion

Evaluating Energy Resources Renewable energy Non-renewable energy Future availability Net energy yield Costs Environmental effects Fig. 17-3b p. 352

Important Nonrenewable Energy Sources Fig. 17-2 p. 351

North American Energy Resources Fig. 17-9 p. 357

Oil Petroleum (crude oil) Recovery Petrochemicals Refining Transporting Fig. 17-8 p. 356

Conventional Oil: Advantages Relatively low cost High net energy yield Efficient distribution system Refer to Fig. 17-15 p. 360

Conventional Oil: Disadvantages Running out Low prices encourage waste Air pollution and Greenhouse gases Water pollution Refer to Fig. 17-15 p. 360

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Controversy: Trade-offs Would create jobs Oil resources are uncertain Uncertain environmental impacts Drilling controversies Refer to Fig. 17-14 p. 360

Oil Shale and Tar Sands Oil shale Tar sand Bitumen Kerogen Fig. 17-18 p. 362

Natural Gas 50-90% methane Conventional gas Unconventional gas Methane hydrate Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) Liquefied natural gas (LNG) Approximate 200 year supply Fig. 17-19 p. 363

Coal Stages of coal formation Primarily strip-mined Used mostly for generating electricity Enough coal for about 1000 years High environmental impact Coal gasification and liquefaction

Coal Formation and Types Fig. 17-20 p. 364

Coal: Trade-offs Fig. 17-21 p. 365

Synthetic Fuels: Trade-offs Fig. 17-22 p. 365

Nuclear Energy Fission reactors Uranium-235 Potentially dangerous Radioactive wastes Refer to Introductory Essay p. 350 Fig. 17-23 p. 367

Locations of U.S. Nuclear Power Plants Fig. 17-25 p. 369

The Nuclear Fuel Cycle Fig. 17-24 p. 368

Conventional Nuclear Power: Trade-offs Fig. 17-26 p. 370

Serious Nuclear Accidents Three Mile Island (1979) Chernobyl (1986): p. 350

Dealing with Nuclear Waste High- and low-level wastes Terrorist threats Underground burial Disposal in space Burial in ice sheets Dumping into subduction zones Burial in ocean mud Conversion into harmless materials

Yucca Mountain Controversy Wastes stored and guarded in one place Possible long-term groundwater contamination Security and safety concerns during waste transport to the site Refer to Fig. 17-29 p. 374

Permanent Underground Disposal of Nuclear Wastes Storage Containers Fuel rod Primary canister Ground Level Overpack container sealed Unloaded from train Personnel elevator Air shaft Nuclear waste shaft Underground Buried and capped Lowered down shaft Fig. 17-28 p. 373

Nuclear Alternatives New reactor designs Breeder nuclear fission reactors Nuclear fusion