1. Nonrenewable Energy Resources

2. Essential Questions:
What are the advantages and disadvantages of nonrenewable energy sources?
How can my research findings be presented in a debate format?

3. Nonrenewable Energy Resources
Define nonrenewable
What does it mean if something is nonrenewable?
Nonrenewable means it is not naturally renewed or replenished on a human timescale
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4. Nonrenewable Energy Resources
Energy resources which do not naturally renew or replenish themselves
Depleted by use
Coal
Natural Gas
Oil
Nuclear
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5. Nonrenewable Energy Resources
Fossil Fuels
Coal, oil, and natural gas
Formed when layers of buried plant, gases, and animals are exposed to intense heat and pressure over a long period of time
Currently the world’s primary energy source
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6. Nonrenewable Energy Resources
Coal
Fossilized carbon
Combustible (burns)
Recovered through mining
Occurs in layer or veins called coal beds or coal seams
Burned to produce heat or electricity
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7. Nonrenewable Energy Resources
Coal – 4 Types
Lignite – young, brownish, less value
Subbituminous – black lignite
Bituminous – soft, dense, black
Anthracite – hard, black lustrous, best
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8. Nonrenewable Energy Resources
Advantages
No shortage any time soon
Inexpensive
Reduces dependence on oil.
Creates jobs
Disadvantages
Environmental impacts (burning, by-products, acid rain, increased greenhouse gases)
Mining impact on the land
Impact on miner’s health
COAL
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9. Nonrenewable Energy Resources
Oil
Known as petroleum or crude oil
Thick black liquid
Composed mostly of hydrogen and carbon (hydrocarbons)
Found in specific rock reservoirs
Extracted through drilling
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10. Nonrenewable Energy Resources
Advantages
Small amount produces a lot of energy
Easy to transport
Easy to produce
Constant reliable resource for years to come
Disadvantages
Emits greenhouse gases
Spills cause water and land pollution and death to wildlife
Harmful emissions from plants can make people sick
OIL
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11. Nonrenewable Energy Resources
Natural Gas
Found deep in the earth and drilled to extract
Flammable, colorless, odorless
Made of methane and other hydrocarbons
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12. Nonrenewable Energy Resources
Advantages
Compared to coal and oil
Less damage to the environment
Burns cleaner
More abundant
Safer
Cheaper
Best among fossil fuels
Disadvantages
Gas leaks can be dangerous. Can cause explosions
Burning creates greenhouse gases.
Expensive infrastructure for production and distribution
NATURAL GAS
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13. Nonrenewable Energy Resources
Fracking
A technique designed to recover gas and oil from shale rock
Drilling process similar to oil
A high-pressure water mixture is directed into the rock to break up the cracks and release the gas and oil inside.
Can be drilled horizontally or vertically
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14. Nonrenewable Energy Resources
Advantages
Can reach more oil and gas than traditional methods
Makes us less dependent on foreign oil
Less air pollution
Creates jobs
Disadvantages
Keeps us from developing renewable resources
Uses a lot of water in the process
May pollute groundwater
Noise pollution
Chemicals used unknown
FRACKING
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15. Nonrenewable Energy Resources
Nuclear
The energy generated during nuclear fusion, especially when used to generate electricity
Fusion – two lighter nuclei fuse to form a heavier nucleus. Energy is given off.
Nuclear materials – uranium and plutonium.
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16. Nonrenewable Energy Resources
Advantages
Low pollution
Reliable
Low cost to produce electricity
Little fusion material needed to produce a lot of energy
Easily transported
Disadvantages
Environmental impact in mining uranium
High cost in securing radioactive waste
Expensive to build a plant and purchase fuels
Accidents at plants are costly and dangerous.
NUCLEAR
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17. Nonrenewable Energy Resources
Generating electricity from nonrenewable resources
Fossil fuels are burned to induce heat. Nuclear energy is produced from fusing atom nuclei.
The energy is used to heat water.
The water turns to steam.
The steam turns a turbine.
The turbine shaft is connected to the shaft of a generator.
Magnets spin within wire coils of the generator to produce electricity.
oil
natural gas
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18. Nonrenewable Energy Resources
Can you… List and debate the advantages and disavantages of different types of renewable energy sources?
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