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Impact of Traditional Energy Sources on the Environment

Explore the impacts of traditional energy sources such as wood, coal, petroleum, natural gas, and uranium on the environment. Learn about the harvesting, mining, and drilling processes, as well as the environmental consequences of obtaining energy through these methods. Discover the effects on deforestation, air and water pollution, habitat loss, and the risks associated with nuclear waste and oil spills.

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Impact of Traditional Energy Sources on the Environment

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  1. Unit 2 Human Impact on Natural Resources and Climate

  2. Traditional Energy Sources… Wood… • renewable • trees • heating and cooking • 1.5 billion use this • mostly in developing countries • Ancient fuel! • harvesting (collecting from nature)

  3. Traditional Energy Sources… Peat… • renewable • decaying plant matter in bogs • heating • It is dried first • mostly in Ireland, England, N. Europe • Ancient fuel! • harvesting (collecting from nature)

  4. Peat – an early step in coal formation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQ_Ethb6_Wk

  5. Traditional Energy Sources… Coal… • nonrenewable • fossilized swampy plants • electricity production • burned to heat water & spin turbines of a generator • US has more coal than the world has oil! • causes air pollution • mining (surface pit or underground) • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylkdUuNOJzw

  6. The Coal Formation Process Modern giant tree fern • Coal formed from prehistoric vegetation over thousands of years when Earth was covered in swamps. 2. As the plants began to die, the remains sank and formed peat. • Peat is then converted to coal over thousands of years. Coal Formation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8VqWKZIPrM www.discover-tasmania.com

  7. The Steps of Coal Formation… Most of the coal burned in the USA is bituminous. www.uky.edu

  8. A coal seam exposed by mining http://rogerphilpot.homestead.com/mechanicalploughcolor.jpg

  9. Traditional Energy Sources… Petroleum… • nonrenewable • fossilized plankton • refined for gasoline, mostly • found in porous sedimentary rocks • drilling - oil derricks (land) / oil rigs (offshore) • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SmSNRTU1Vw

  10. Petroleum forms from plankton… These are diatoms, a type of phytoplankton These are examples of zooplankton http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Tomopteriskils.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Diatoms_through_the_microscope.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Diatoms_through_the_microscope.jpg

  11. Two examples of oil derricks Derricks are structures that hold pumps (or drills) used to harvest oil and gas from beneath the ground. http://www.freepower.co.uk/site-3.htm

  12. www.offshore-technology.com An offshore oil rig spot.colorado.edu http://www.oil-rig-jobs.com/ www.offshore-technology.com http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energy_fungames/energyant_trips/trip_offshore.html

  13. The Shell oil refinery at Martinez, California. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:ShellMartinez-refi.jpg

  14. Modern Uses of Petroleum… • Gasoline • Motor Oil • Waxes • Dyes • Plastics • Synthetic Fibers – for example, polyester • http://www.incpen.org/pages/data//Plastics.gif

  15. Traditional Energy Sources… Natural Gas… • nonrenewable • fossilized plankton • heating and cooking • found in pockets above petroleum deposits • cleanest burning of fossil fuels • drilling – along with petroleum • fracking – “fracturing” rocks to release gas • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEB_Wwe-uBM

  16. http://lsa.colorado.edu/essence/texts/naturalgas.htm Natural gas … www.seed.slb.com

  17. Traditional Energy Sources… Uranium… • nonrenewable • electricity production • nuclear FISSION (splits atoms) to produce heat, boil water, & spin turbines • 100 plants in USA • produces no carbon emissions but … • produces nuclear waste (spent uranium) • mining • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oT2LHGG-9Ko

  18. Obtaining Traditional Energy Sources… Effects of the ways we obtaining energy: • Harvesting –leads to deforestation, erosion, and topsoil loss. • Mining – leads to removal of mountaintops, pollution, waste rock. • Drilling – leads to oil spills & damage to the environment.

  19. Strip mining coal http://www.geokem.com/images/scans/Indonesian_coal_mine.jpg www.globaljusticegame.mrap.info

  20. Mountaintop Removal What effect does this type of mining have on the environment? http://www.ohvec.org/galleries/mountaintop_removal/007/index.html

  21. Environmental Impacts of Mining Coal … • Surface mining removes top soil, leading to erosion, loss of habitat and pollution. • Underground mining causes acid mine drainage, which causes heavy metals to seep into water. • Mining leads to toxic chemicals in the air and water. • Can lead to Lung Disease, Kidney Disease, Cardiopulmonary Disease.

  22. Mining for Uranium… • Material is Radioactive and harmful • Chemicals used are highly toxic and seep into ground water • Polluted waste water is often dumped into lakes and rivers • Erosion and wind carry radioactive particles • Can result in Lung Cancer, Leukemia, Stomach Cancer, Birth Defects

  23. Oil Spills… • Oil is absorbed and can have lethal effects on wildlife • Physically smothers organisms and causes issues with regulating body temperature • Changes the ecosystem (loss of key organisms) • Loss of food sources, shelter, and habitat • Economic impact (fish and shellfish, tourism, industrial water needs, etc. • Oil is toxic and irritating to the skin and airways. • Can cause headaches, dizziness and nausea, respiratory issues, miscarriage, cancer (long term). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHNtcqksWwg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVm1pB3iJOw

  24. Should the USA drill in Alaska? • This is the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge. • The debate of whether to drill for petroleum in ANWR is ongoing. • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYAhuNAl9mk • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwCbWPR7VK8 • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IVWg9cn5FY

  25. Other Energy Alternatives…Biomass • Biomass includes municipal wastes, crop residues, manure, lumber and paper by-products. • Biomass is “combusted” or burned to heat water to produce electricity. www.nrcan.gc.ca

  26. Biomass • This is switchgrass, a hardy, fast growing plant that can be used as biomass. • It has been called “electicity on a stick!” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Panicum_virgatum.jpg

  27. Biomass • Benefits – renewable! • Disadvantages – • “Food” is used as fuel! • Envt. Impact – • The use of farm and forest residue disrupts the recycling of nutrients back into the ecosystem. • Generates pollution in the process of converting biomass to energy. www.ctahr.hawaii.edu

  28. What is Biodiesel? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWWqSX3cE7o

  29. Other Energy Alternatives…Hydrogen • Hydrogen and oxygen chemically combine to form water and generate electricityin a fuel cell.

  30. Hydrogen • Benefits - Fuel cell reactions produce no pollution. • Disadvantages - • Currently it is expensive. Large-scale production will reduce its costs • Driving range is limited with current fuel storage options • Current small distribution channels - California is making some progress • It is extremely flammable – Remember the Hindenburg! • Envt. Impacts - Hydrogen must be in the proper form to be used as a fuel. Most hydrogen used in today’s fuel cells comes from methane

  31. A Hydrogen-powered Car… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rofx6Gaz40 The Honda Clarity

  32. Nuclear Energy Produces Electricity… Nuclear FISSION (to split atoms) produces heat to boil water to spin turbines

  33. Nuclear Energy Fission supply significant energy for… • Electricity • Heating • Military use- for nuclear submarines! encarta.msn.com

  34. Nuclear Energy • Benefits… • It produces huge amounts of energy from small amounts of nuclear fuel (uranium and plutonium). • Earth contains enough nuclear fuel to meet all present and future needs. www.pollutionissues.com

  35. Nuclear Energy Disadvantages… • Peoples’ fear of exposure to radiation and that nuclear weapons could be developed using this technology • High cost Environmental Impacts… The threat of a meltdown (nuclear explosion) Spent fuel can remain radioactive for thousands of years! www.answers.com

  36. Nuclear Energy • Disposing of this radioactive spent fuel is a major problem.

  37. Other Energy Alternatives…Nuclear Energy Fusion – the combining (fusing) of atomic nuclei – such as in the stars (and sun!) – generates energy which can heat water to spin turbines. http://www.aa.washington.edu

  38. Nuclear Fusion • Benefits - It could become a clean, potentially limitless energy source. • Disadvantages – • Scientists have not yet been able to initiate a controlled, long-lasting fusion reaction suitable for producing heat and electricity. • Fusion reactions produce intense radiation that bombards all the materials in the reactor – making them intensely radioactive. • Fusion reactors are very expensive to build. • http://science.howstuffworks.com/fusion-reactor.htm • Envt. Impacts – none, as yet!

  39. Fusion Reactor http://www.isfrt-erice.enea.it/Page2.htm

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