Transcript CANADA’S RESOURCES:

CANADA’S
RESOURCES:
ENERGY
Introduction
 “Canadians are among the highest
energy consumers in the world.”
Why? (list 3 possible reasons)
 Northern climate/very cold temperatures
 Transportation – small population spread
over large area
 Advanced industrial economy
 Energy is cheap so we tend to waste it

Our Energy sources can be divided into
two categories:
1. Conventional energy sources
- oil, natural gas, hydroelectricity,
nuclear electricity and coal = 98% of our
energy use
2. Alternative energy sources
- solar, wind, biomass energy
How Energy is Used
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Industrial
Transportation
Commercial
Residential
Agricultural
Public administration
– 30%
- 29%
- 18%
- 18%
- 3%
- 2%
Coal
 Mostly mined in the West
 Plays big role in economy $4.5 billion
annually
 55 000 jobs
 Used for fuel in the generation of
electricity
Oil and Gas
 Come mostly from the Plains/Prairie ecozones
(out West and Newfoundland and Labrador)
 Removal of oil and gas from the ground:
1. Flowing wells – have enough natural
pressure to force oil or gas to surface
2. Non-flowing wells – not enough pressure to
make oil and gas flow to surface, electric or
gasoline powered pumps are used
Electricity

Produced by generators which convert
mechanical energy (ex. rotating turbines) into
electrical energy
Types:
1. Moving water in a hydroelectric generating
station
- can be built anywhere there are rivers with
changes in elevation and large reliable waterflow
- the force of the water moving from higher to
lower elevation drives the generator (pg. 359)
Hydroelectricity Pros/Cons
Pro’s
- Cheap to operate
- No air pollution or carbon dioxide
- Uses a renewable resource (flowing water)
- The reservoir may also be used for recreation
Con’s
- Expensive to build
- Suitable sites far from need = $ for lines
- Most suitable sites already developed
- Dams cause flooding = destruction; may cause
release of chemicals
2. Thermoelectricity
-
pg. 360
Expanding steam produced by burning coal, oil,
or natural gas turns turbines in a
thermoelectric generating station
Pros
- Plants can be built near need and where fuel is
available
- Less expensive to build
Cons
- Fuel costs are high
- Use non-renewable resources (will run out)
- Air pollution (global warming, acid precipitation)
3. Nuclear Electricity
-
-
pg. 361
Expanding steam from nuclear fission in a
nuclear-electric generating station to turn
turbines (like thermoelectricity but uses
uranium to produce steam)
Heat comes from the breakdown (fission)
of radioactive uranium atoms
Nuclear Electricity
Pros/Cons
Pros
– can be built where energy is needed
- Operating costs relatively low
- Canada has plenty of uranium
- No air pollution
Cons
- Construction costs high
- Radioactive fuel is hazardous to human health
- Waste products remain dangerous for 100,000 yrs
- Reactors become unreliable with age =replace=$
Energy and the Economy
 We want an abundant, reliable, and
low-cost energy supply (it is important
to our economy)
Which is Best?
 Consider the pro’s and con’s of each
electrical plant
 In groups of four come to a consensus of
which is the best form
How can you reduce your energy use?
- Come up with list of 10-15 ways