Transcript Document
Nonrenewable Energy Resources
G. Tyler Miller’s Living in the Environment 14 th Edition
Chapter 17
Key Concepts
Available energy alternatives
Oil resources
Natural gas resources
Coal resources
Nuclear fission and fusion
Evaluating Energy Resources
Renewable energy
Non-renewable energy
Future availability
Net energy yield
Costs
Environmental effects Fig. 17-3b p. 352
Important Nonrenewable Energy Sources
Fig. 17-2 p. 351
North American Energy Resources
Fig. 17-9 p. 357
Oil
Petroleum (crude oil)
Recovery
Petrochemicals
Refining
Transporting Fig. 17-8 p. 356
Conventional Oil: Advantages
Relatively low cost
High net energy yield
Efficient distribution system Refer to Fig. 17-15 p. 360
Conventional Oil: Disadvantages
Running out
Low prices encourage waste
Air pollution and Greenhouse gases
Water pollution Refer to Fig. 17-15 p. 360
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Controversy: Trade-offs
Would create jobs
Oil resources are uncertain
Uncertain environmental impacts
Drilling controversies Refer to Fig. 17-14 p. 360
Oil Shale and Tar Sands
Oil shale
Tar sand
Bitumen
Kerogen Fig. 17-18 p. 362
Natural Gas
50-90% methane
Conventional gas
Unconventional gas
Methane hydrate
Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)
Liquefied natural gas (LNG)
Approximate 200 year supply Fig. 17-19 p. 363
Coal
Stages of coal formation
Primarily strip-mined
Used mostly for generating electricity
Enough coal for about 1000 years?
High environmental impact
Coal gasification and liquefaction
Coal Formation and Types
Fig. 17-20 p. 364
Coal: Trade-offs
Fig. 17-21 p. 365
Synthetic Fuels: Trade-offs
Fig. 17-22 p. 365
Nuclear Energy
Fission reactors
Uranium-235
Potentially dangerous
Radioactive wastes Refer to Introductory Essay p. 350 Fig. 17-23 p. 367
Locations of U.S. Nuclear Power Plants
Fig. 17-25 p. 369
The Nuclear Fuel Cycle
Fig. 17-24 p. 368
Conventional Nuclear Power: Trade-offs
Fig. 17-26 p. 370
Serious Nuclear Accidents
Three Mile Island (1979)
Chernobyl (1986): p. 350
Dealing with Nuclear Waste
High- and low-level wastes
Terrorist threats
Underground burial
Disposal in space
Burial in ice sheets
Dumping into subduction zones
Burial in ocean mud
Conversion into harmless materials
Yucca Mountain Controversy
Wastes stored and guarded in one place
Possible long-term groundwater contamination
Security and safety concerns during waste transport to the site Refer to Fig. 17-29 p. 374
Permanent Underground Disposal of Nuclear Wastes
Ground Level
Unloaded from train Personnel elevator Air shaft Nuclear waste shaft
Storage Containers
Fuel rod Primary canister Overpack container sealed
Underground
Buried and capped Lowered down shaft
Fig. 17-28 p. 373
Nuclear Alternatives
New reactor designs
Breeder nuclear fission reactors
Nuclear fusion