Renewable energy Alternatives to fossil fuels

Which countries consume the most energy? Pair share: How much more energy do Americans use than Chinese?

Alternative energy sources Solar Wind Geothermal Nuclear Tidal Hydroelectric Biofuel We are searching for other sources of energy Renewable resources will not run out Environmental impacts could be much less

Solar power Turning light energy into electricity Sun produces 10,000 x the amount of energy needed to power the world Adv: Free, non-pollution Dis: Expensive to build and install the panels & don’t work at night/ cloudy

Nuclear Energy Nuclear fission: splitting large atoms releases energy Adv: plenty of fuel, no greenhouse gasses, existing technology Dis: radioactive waste which causes cancer

Tidal power Pair share: how could tidal power harm sea life? Building a dam in a bay or estuary to use the tides to turn turbines Adv: non polluting, renewable Dis: only available in limited areas, could harm sea life

Hydro-electric Moving water turns turbines to Most rivers are already dammed Causes problems for fish, downstream habitats

Reducing energy waste All forms of energy generation waste energy Power plants are only 35% efficient We need to reduce our energy use and energy waste 157 mpg car White board: list 3 ways you can save energy.

Review How much energy does the US use compared to the world average? Name an advantage to solar energy. Name a disadvantage to tidal power.