No one answer Fossil Fuels vs. Renewable Energy Energy Resources No one answer Fossil Fuels vs. Renewable Energy

Non-renewable Fossil Fuels & Nuclear Fission Petroleum (Oil) Natural Gas Coal Present Day Nuclear Reactors

Petroleum Nonrenewable, fossil fuel made from microscopic creatures & plants from millions of years ago Causes pollution and global warming Advantage: lots of energy per mass Makes more than energy

Natural Gas/Propane Nonrenewable, fossil fuel/oil Advantage Propane: sold in tanks, available in rural areas Methane comes to houses in pipes. Chief’s favorite Produces greenhouse gases

Coal Nonrenewable, fossil fuel made from ancient plants Produces greenhouse gases, acid rain, strip mines, black lung disease Advantage: we have a lot of it in the USA

Nuclear Nonrenewable Uranium decay heats water, steam turns turbines Waste storage and accidents are major concerns (don’t look at the next picture if a genetically radiation damaged child is too gruesome.)

Renewable Energy Resources Wind Biomass Geothermal Solar Hydropower

Wind Renewable No greenhouse gases except to make turbines Isn’t windy everywhere or at all times Uses large amounts of land, scenic issues (windy places are often wild, like beaches)

Biomass Renewable, biodiesel, alcohol, etc Less polluting than oil Problems, plants could be used for food & may take as much energy to grow the crops as it produces

Geothermal Renewable, heat comes from inside Earth Cheap, no pollution Not available everywhere

Solar Renewable and could supply 69% of U.S.’s electricity by 2050 Everyone could do something, but it requires a lot of land (46,000 square miles) Desert southwest could be especially productive Excess energy could be transmitted then stored underground Solar Scientific American vol 298#1 Scientific American vol 298#1

Hydropower Renewable, sun & gravity store potential energy Potential becomes kinetic as water makes turbine spin Not available most places Impacts salmon

Conclusion We need energy! Oil, gas, nuclear, and all nonrenewable resources will run out some day. Pollution from energy production may be changing the climate. No source of energy is perfect, so we need to use as many as possible We also need new ideas.

Conservation is Key

Mr. Palen’s Idea Gyms and fitness centers are big business. People ride stationary bikes and run on treadmills or other aerobic machines Hook up electrical generators to every piece of equipment and people can make power while they work out. I’d call it Ecofit™ and our motto is “Save your life and the planet”