Nonrenewable Energy Resources G. Tyler Miller’s Living in the Environment 14 th Edition Chapter 17 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 p. 351

North American Energy Resources Fig p. 357

Oil  Petroleum (crude oil)  Recovery  Petrochemicals  Refining  Transporting Fig p. 356

Conventional Oil: Advantages  Relatively low cost  High net energy yield  Efficient distribution system Refer to Fig p. 360

Conventional Oil: Disadvantages  Running out  Low prices encourage waste  Air pollution and Greenhouse gases Refer to Fig p. 360  Water pollution

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Controversy: Trade-offs  Would create jobs  Oil resources are uncertain  Uncertain environmental impacts Refer to Fig p. 360  Drilling controversies

Oil Shale and Tar Sands  Oil shale  Kerogen  Tar sand  Bitumen Fig 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 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

Fig p. 364 Coal Formation and Types

Coal: Trade-offs Fig p. 365

Synthetic Fuels: Trade-offs Fig p. 365

Nuclear Energy  Fission reactors  Uranium-235  Potentially dangerous  Radioactive wastes Refer to Introductory Essay p. 350 Fig p. 367

Locations of U.S. Nuclear Power Plants Fig p. 369

The Nuclear Fuel Cycle Fig p. 368

Conventional Nuclear Power: Trade-offs Fig p. 370

Serious Nuclear Accidents  Three Mile Island (1979)  Chernobyl (1986): p. 350  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 p. 374

Permanent Underground Disposal of Nuclear Wastes Storage Containers Fuel rod Primary canister Overpack container sealed Underground Buried and capped Ground Level Unloaded from train Lowered down shaft Personnel elevator Air shaft Nuclear waste shaft Fig p. 373

Nuclear Alternatives  Breeder nuclear fission reactors  Nuclear fusion  New reactor designs