Fossil Fuels, Their Impacts, & Energy Conservation

Energy Where does it come from?

What is energy? Ability to do work Energy Source – Provides heat, chemical, nuclear, mechanical, or radiant energy.

Sources of Energy Earth’s Core  Geothermal Energy Gravitational pull of the moon and the sun Solar Energy  wind patterns, hydrologic cycle, photosynthesis  biomass Fossil Fuels  oil, coal, natural gas

Energy Sources We Use Today Type of Energy Crude Oil Nonrenewable Natural Gas Coal Nuclear Energy Biomass Energy Hydropower Renewable Solar Energy Wind Energy Geothermal Energy Tidal & Wave Energy

Fossil Fuels Highly combustible substances formed from the remains of organisms from past geological ages. Dominant Source of Energy  transportation, heating, cooking, electricity. Nonrenewable

Fuel created from “fossils” Produced when organic material is broken down in an anaerobic environment Bottoms of deep lakes, swamps, shallow seas Chemical composition subject to various temperatures, & pressures  coal, oil, natural gas.

Fossil Fuel Reserves Localized & unevenly distributed How long will they last? Extraction Consume Imports & Exports

Worldwide Fossil Fuel Distribution

Coal Organic matter, compressed under high pressure to form dense, solid carbon structures. Most Abundant

Coal Mining Subsurface mining – shafts are dug deeply into the ground & networks of tunnels are dug or blasted out to extract coal Strip mining – coal deposits near surface, heavy machinery to remove huge amounts of earth to expose coal.  Mountaintop removal

Mining Economics Land Area – must be surveyed and quantified Land Reclamation Ore – rock that contains minerals with important elements including metals. Coal & Ore unevenly distributed

Cookie Mining Pre-Lab Questions What economic considerations should be considered during this simulation? What do the chocolate chips represent? What are ores? How many cookies does each miner obtain? How many mining tools? What does “reclamation of land” mean?

Surface Mining Control & Reclamation Act of 1977 Regulate Surface Coal Mining & Reclamation Activities Mandatory Standards to minimize impacts on fish, wildlife, other related environmental impacts.

Coal varies in its qualities Vary in amounts of heat, pressure and moisture involved in its formation. Peat – precursor to coal, remains wet & near the surface 4 types of Coal  different amount of energy Lignite (least compressed) Sub-bituminous Bituminous Anthracite (most compressed)

Formation of Coal

Impurities in Coal Sulfur, mercury, arsenic Sulfur content  Freshwater or Saltwater Sediments Produces sulfate air pollutants, industrial smog and acidic deposition. Combustion of Mercury  accumulates in organisms tissues, poisoning animals in food chains

Acidic Deposition Acid forming pollutants from the atmosphere Many Effects on the Environment Leach nutrients from soil Elevate toxic elements in water systems Reduce species diversity and abundance in aquatic life Damage agricultural crops

How is Electricity Generated?

Clean Coal? Seeking ways to cleanse coal of its impurities to minimize impact on health and the environment

Natural Gas Consists of Methane & varying amounts of hydrocarbons Fastest growing fossil fuel, provides ¼ of global energy. Cleaner  produces less pollution

Formed in 2 ways Biogenic gas –created at shallow depths by the anaerobic decomposition of organic matter by bacteria. Decay process in landfills, landfill operators selling this gas as fuel. Decreases energy waste Reduces the release of methane Profitable

Thermogenic gas – Compression and heat deep underground Organic matter turns to Kerogen, acts as a source for gas & oil. Further heat & pressure breakdown kerogen into simpler hydrocarbon molecules Contains Methane & other gases

Has Only Recently Been Widely Used Versatile and clean burning, emits ½ much carbon dioxide as coal and 2/3 as much as oil Shipped long distances in tankers Deposits  greatest in Russia & Middle East Russia & US lead in gas production and consumption

Natural Gas & Fracking? In groups, write everything you know, or think you know, or may have heard about Natural Gas & Fracking. Be prepared to report your discussions with the rest of the class.

Extracting Gas - 2 types Horsehead pump moves a rod in and out of a shaft, creating pressure to pull both natural gas and crude oil to the surface.

Fracturing Technique Pumps salt water under high pressures into rocks to crack them. Sand or glass beads are inserted to hold the cracks open once the water is withdrawn.

Drilling Debate - Pros Access gas that couldn’t be accessed before Access to fuel within the US Job creation, increase in economy Burns more cleanly than oil and coal

Drilling Debate - Cons Each time a well is cracked – 300 tons of chemicals may be used Wastewater contains large amounts of dangerous chemicals Still releases Carbon Dioxide  contributes to global warming Since natural gas boom, funding for alternative energy have been drastically cut

Offshore Drilling Takes place in the seafloor on the continental shelves Must withstand the forces of wind, waves, and ocean currents Accounts for 25% of gas and oil in the US, primarily in the Gulf of Mexico and off the southern California Coast

Ammonia, Anesthetics, Antihistamines, Artificial limbs, Artificial Turf, Antiseptics, Aspirin, Auto Parts, Awnings, Balloons, Ballpoint pens, Bandages, Beach Umbrellas, Boats, Bubble Bath, Bubble Gum, Cameras, Candles, Car Battery Cases, Carpets, Caulking, Combs, Cortisones, Cosmetics, Crayons, Credit Cards, Curtains, Deodorants, Detergents, Dice, Disposable Diapers, Dolls, Dyes, Eye Glasses, Electrical Wiring Insulation, Facial Cleanser, Faucet Washers, Fishing Rods, Fishing Line, Fishing Lures, Food Preservatives, Food Packaging, Garden Hoses, Glue, Hair Coloring, Hair Curlers, Hearing Aids, Heart Valves, Heating Oil, Ink, Insect Repellant, Insecticides, Linoleum, Lip Stick, Milk Jugs, Moisturizer, Nail Polish, Oil Filters, Panty Hose, Plastic Bags, Perfume, Petroleum Jelly, Rubber Cement, Rubbing Alcohol, Shampoo, Shaving Cream, Shoes, Toothpaste, Tires, Trash Bags, Upholstery, Vitamin Capsules, Water Pipes, Yarn.

Gulf Oil Disaster 2010 http://www.pbs.org/newshour/video/share.html?s=news0 1s420dqf2f http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/oil-spill-reaches- gulf-coastline-10517269 http://abcnews.go.com/gma/video/oil-washes-ashore- florida-beaches- 10823571&tab=9482931&section=4765066

Analyzing Political Cartoons Labels Symbolism Analogy Irony

Oil Most used fuel since the 1960s Accounts for 37% of the world’s commercial energy consumption. Worldwide use has risen over 17% in the past decade.

Petroleum Formation Crude oil, or petroleum, forms 1.5 – 3 km below the surface. Mixture of hydrocarbon molecules forms sludgelike liquid. Chain’s length affects it chemical properties, has consequences for human use.

Oil Consumption & Production

Location of Petroleum Oil Deposits Petroleum geologists use seismic surveying to locate fossil fuel deposits. Proven recoverable reserve – technologically and economically feasible to remove under current conditions.

We drill to extract oil Exploratory Drilling – holes drilled are small, and descend to great depths. Primary Extraction – Initial drilling and pumping (two-thirds of oil remains) Secondary Extraction – Solvents, or underground rocks are flushed with water or steam.

Oil Drilling

Petroleum Products Refining techniques, and chemical manufacturing. Lubricants, plastics, fabrics, pharmaceuticals. Concern for oil production to decline…..

Depleted half of oil reserves? Used up about 1.1 trillion barrels of oil, estimates suggest more than 1 trillion barrels remain. Reserves-to-production ratio or R/P ratio – dividing the amount of total remaining reserves by the annual rate of production. Predict 1.2 trillion barrels would last about 40 more years!!!

Consequences of Decreased Oil Production? Globalized economy would collapse, economies would become intensely localized Only feed a fraction of the world without petroleum based fertilizers and pesticides. Rising oil prices will lead to conservation of energy and alternative energy sources.

Other Fossil Fuels Oil sands can be mined and processed Oil shale is abundant in the U.S. West Methane hydrate shows potential Downsides to other fossil fuels

Oil Cleanup Methods Skimmers - boats which "vacuum" up surface oil and water and often separate them, recovering the waste oil and spitting the water back out behind. Booms - "Sausages" made of netting stuffed with a cotton-like absorbent or more often fabric stuffed with polypropylene absorbent, which is more suited to organics. These can be hooked together and strung across a large area to contain oil which is on the surface so it can be cleaned up and kept away from shore.

Chemical Dispersants - Surfactants that break up the oil into small droplets which will disperse in the ocean. Absorbent pads - used to wipe off rocks on the beaches. Some are also water-resistant but will soak up oil so they can be dropped on the spill in the water and scooped up with nets for disposal. Towels, Toothbrushes, and Dish-washing Liquid - Used to clean off birds and otters on land.

Environmental Impacts of Fossil fuel Use

Impacts Alter certain flux rates in Earth’s carbon cycle CO2 is a greenhouse gas, warms the planet and drives global climate change.

Other impacts… Some pollutants considered to be carcinogenic, others irritate the nose, throat, and lungs. Burning of Oil and Coal  contribute to industrial smog and to acidic deposition. Pollute water

Coal Mining affects the environment Surface strip mining can destroy habitats, & cause extensive soil erosion, also causes acid drainage. Subsurface mining raises health concerns for miners, leads to respiratory diseases. Mountaintop removal  habitats can be degraded or destroyed and creek beds can be polluted.

Oil & Gas extraction can alter the environment Road networks must be constructed Infrastructure includes housing for workers, access roads, transport pipelines, waste piles for removed soil. Extraction of salty groundwater can contaminate soil and kill vegetation.

Effects of Prudhoe Bay Tundra vegetation has not fully recovered from road production used 30 years ago. Impact on Caribou  avoid all parts of Prudhoe Bay, reproductive rates is lower than other areas of Alaska.

Energy Conservation Practice of reducing energy use to extend the lifetimes of our nonrenewable energy supplies. Involves both personal choices and efficient technologies. Both conservation and renewable energy are needed

Forms of Renewable Energy Biomass Energy Hydropower Solar Energy Wind Energy Geothermal Energy Tidal and wave energy