Unit 7- Canada's Energy Resources

Unit 7- Canada's Energy Resources 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 10000 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.

Unit 7- Canada's Energy Resources