Ch. 17.1: Energy Resources and Fossil Fuels Nonrenewable Energy Ch. 17.1: Energy Resources and Fossil Fuels

What does it mean to be “nonrenewable?” Forms at a slower rate than the rate that it is consumed Ex: Minerals Fossil Fuels Coal Oil Natural gas

Fossil Fuels Fossil Fuels- remains of ancient organisms that changed into coal, oil, or natural gas They are natural resources Used to run cars, ships, planes, and factories Produce electricity

2 Main Problems with Fossil Fuels 1. Fossil fuel supply is limited 2. Obtaining and using them has environmental consequences

Fuels for Different Uses Used for 4 main Purposes: Transportation Manufacturing Heating/cooling Generating electricity Determining which fuel to use for which purpose depends on: Fuel’s energy content, cost, availability, safety, and byproducts

Electricity Energy in fuels is often converted into electrical energy More convenient Transported great distances(across state) or tiny distances (computer chip) 2 disadvantages: Difficult to store Other energy sources have to be used to generate it

How is electricity generated? Electric generator- converts mechanical energy (motion) into electrical energy

How Fossil-Fuel Deposits Form Coal Formation: Forms from the remains of plants that lived in swamps hundreds of millions of years ago ~300 mill years ago Ocean levels rose and fell & swamps were covered with sediment Sediment compressed the remains Heat and pressure from Earth caused coal to form

Oil & Natural Gas formation Result from the decay of tiny marine organisms that accumulated on the bottom of the ocean Remains buried by sediment Heated until they became carbon molecules Carbon molecules migrated into porous rock

Coal Most of the world’s fossil-fuel reserves are made up of coal 2 advantages: Relatively inexpensive Needs little refining after it has been mined More than half of the electricity generated in the US comes from coal-fired power plants

Coal Mining Impact Impact on the environment: Underground mines have minimal effect Surface coal-mining can remove top an entire mountains waste rock/toxic chemicals can leach into nearby water sources Produces air pollution

Petroleum Petroleum (crude oil)-oil that is pumped from the ground Used to make fuels, chemicals, and plastics This is called petroleum product 45% of world’s commercial energy use

Locating Oil Deposits Most of world’s oil reserves are in the Middle East Oil reserve- oil deposits that can be extracted profitably at current prices using current technology. Other places: US Venezuela North Sea Siberia Nigeria After petroleum is removed-transported to refinery to be converted into fuels and other products

Environmental Effects of Using Oil Petroleum fuels are burned-releases pollutants Smog Health Oil spills

Effects of oil spills…