We are energy addicts! We are among the biggest users of energy per person in the entire world

How do we use energy? Warming and cooling our homes Cooking, bathing, cleaning, entertainment Transportation, communication, manufacturing…even when we sleep! (think of as many ways as possible we use energy; class discussion)

How much energy do we use? We use the equivalent amount of energy as can be produced by KG of oil, per person, per year! One of the reasons we are among the greatest energy consumers in the world is for heating our homes and running our industries As our standard of living increases, so does our use of energy Each time we use more energy, we are having a greater impact on the world in which we live

What are our sources of Energy? Canada is blessed with many more resources than we need! We have abundant sources of Oil, Natural Gas, Coal, and Hydro power, along with Nuclear Energy sources We have so much energy, much of our wealth comes from selling our energy resources to other countries We are the envy of much of the world for our abundant energy supplies

Coal Energy We have an abundance of coal..it is still used to power our largest energy plants Coal is burned in these plants to produce electricity Coke – a substance made from coal – is used in the smelting of steel Much of this resource is shipped to Asia because of its ability to produce large amounts of energy per tonne

Types of Coal mining Open pit mining – coal is simply dug off the surface of the earth Strip mining – this removes coal that is in the ground in horizontal layers Underground mining – shafts and tunnels are used to gain access to coal deep underground (see diagram, pg. 315)

Problems with coal Coal is becoming less popular because of the pollution it creates Coal releases much more carbon than either oil or gas This huge amount of additional carbon increases the amount of greenhouse gasses in the air Coal also contributes to acid rain and smog

Oil Energy Oil is found throughout the lower layers of the earth's crust Oil is in every aspect of our lives…from making the products we use to powering the machinery that grows the food we eat Almost all industry would stop without oil! Oil is like coal – it is non-renewable – once it is all gone, we cannot make more

Natural Gas Energy Natural gas is found just under a non-porous rock called caprock. It is usually found above oil and is extracted first – used in some home heating, some power plants and some cars It is transported by pipeline because it is unstable and highly explosive It is fairly inexpensive, produces less greenhouse gas than coal or oil, and produces less carbon dioxide

Hydroelectric Energy Hydroelectric energy powers most of our homes and many of our industries Large rivers are dammed and water is run through a turbine, producing electricity Canada has more hydroelectric power than any country in the world Although it does not produce greenhouse gasses, it floods large areas of land, destroying habitat for animals and plant life

Nuclear Energy We thought we had solved our problems solved with this type of energy It produces no smog, no greenhouse gasses or any other type or air pollution The fuel used to make this energy is called uranium…which is cheap and abundant But, construction costs are very high; plants become obsolete and are expensive to dismantle Fuel rods heat water to turn it into steam to power the turbines

Nuclear Energy (continued) These fuel rods contain radioactive radium, and must be stored in water on site when they are depleted – these rods are potentially very dangerous if exposed to the air Any accident could have disastrous results for all life on earth if these roads are exposed in any way There have been so many safety measures put in place that now this energy is very expensive to produce

Canadian Energy resources and the world We sell much of our excess energy to the United States This is very profitable for us, but they are our biggest customer - if they stop or slow their buying, our energy sector suffers, which hurts our economy Energy is big in the politics of the country Many provinces have excess energy, many have none Some provinces are not anxious to share their energy wealth with others

Why temperatures are rising We can all agree the Earth ‘s temperature is rising The huge debate comes down to what you believe is the cause Global warming refers to the gradual increase of the earths temperature as a whole Many believe the burning of fossil fuels is causing global warming Others believe it is the result of natural processes

Climate Change Climate change includes the warming of the earth, but also includes cooling in some parts of the world and changes in precipitation amounts and wind intensity The entire Earth is a Carbon-Oxygen Cycle This is simply the movement of carbon and oxygen throughout the earths’ systems Simply put…some organisms use the carbon dioxide we breath out, while we used the oxygen produced by plants as we breath in As we remove the oxygen producing plant life, we increase the carbon dioxide on the earth and decrease the amount of oxygen available to us

Effects of interrupting the cycle Our human activities, such as burning forests, coal, oil and natural gas adds more carbon dioxide to different parts of the system; this adds more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere than plants and oceans can remove This leads to an increase in the Greenhouse Effect This is the process or effect where these extra gases in the atmosphere absorb heat and spread it around the earth The gases involved are Carbon Dioxide (55%), Methane (15%), Nitrous Oxides (6%), and CFC’s (24%)

Wind Power & other sources We have had wind power for centuries – using it to power pumps to pump water, or as power for sails to move shipping. The big issue with wind power is storing excess power, and what to do when winds are lower In addition, wind power is expensive to set up at the beginning We also have Geothermal power – which is heat from under the Earth We also have Biogas power, Ethanol Power, Hydrogen fuel cells and Tidal power

Making a Difference What can governments do to reduce the output of greenhouse gases? What can we do as individuals? As a school? As a province? (discussion here of how we can reduce greenhouse gases)

Greenhouse Effect These gases and the atmosphere are like a thick quilt on a bed, spreading heat throughout the earth We need the greenhouse effect to survive….surprising right? The greenhouse effect keeps us warm and sustains life…but by adding more and more gases, we are making the earth too warm, as these gases trap more and more heat What causes these gases?…we do! Almost every activity we do increases the amount of greenhouse gas

Consequences of Global Warming Why should you care? We live in a cold climate, bring on the heat …right? Not so fast….any change like this over a short period of time disrupts natural and human systems Effects of Global Warming: Sea ice melts faster, removing habitats for many animals such as polar bears, seals, other animals and some fish Northern permafrost disappears, damaging human structures and releasing more greenhouse gases, increasing the greenhouse effect

Global Warming (Continued) In our region, we can expect more storms, both in frequency and severity We can expect increased precipitation, and mosquitoes and black flies will exist in increasing numbers, possibly leading to more diseases, such as West Nile virus Sea levels will also rise, causing more coastal erosion and disruptions of coastal structures such as wharves and shipping termin

Alternative Energy Solar power All of our energy ultimately comes from the sun, but we do not harness its true power for our energy needs We have used Passive Solar power for thousands of years - heat from the sun comes in through our windows as an example. We need to use Active Solar Power -this is the use of solar panels to heat water that runs through tubes on the roof of a building There are also Photovoltaic cells – these convert sunlight directly into electricity.