1. Natural Resources
Chapter 17

2. Renewable Resources
Resources/Energy that can be replaced relatively quickly by natural processes.
EX: Fresh water, air, soil, trees, and crops, energy from the sun

3. Nonrenewable Resources
Resources/Energy that form much slower than they are consumed. They can take millions of years to replenish.
EX: Fossil fuels, metals-iron, aluminum, copper, nonmetals-salt, sand, clay

4. Fossil Fuels
Fossil Fuels: remains of ancient organisms that changed into coal, oil, or natural gas
Used for most of our traveling, factory-made goods, and electricity come from fossil fuels
PROBLEMS: supply is limited, obtaining and using them causes environmental problems

5. Depletion
When a large fraction of a resource has been used up, it is said to be “depleted”
Most depleted resources are nonrenewable resources, however they can also be renewable resources

6. Uses of Fossil Fuels Cooking Transportation Manufacturing
Heating/cooling buildings
Generating electricity to run machines/appliances
The fuel used depends on need (coal vs. airplane fuel vs. burning wood)

7. Formation of Fossil Fuels
Fossil fuels are distributed unevenly based on the geologic history of an area

8. Worldwide Fossil Fuel Use
Prices of products take energy costs into account
People in developed societies use much more energy than those in undeveloped societies
US: Gas is available and cheap and we have little need to conserve it
Other Countries: much more expensive so they use alternative energies more

9. Electricity
Electric generators are used to convert energy of motion (mechanical energy) of turbines into electrical energy
Advantage: Electricity can be transported far quickly

11. Coal Formation
Plant remains from swamps were continually compressed by sediments million years ago (Eastern United States)… million years ago (Wyoming area)

12. Oil and Natural Gas Formation
Tiny marine organisms accumulated on the bottom of the ocean millions of years ago, were buried by sediments, and heated
Migrated into porous rocks
Alaska, Texas, California, and the Gulf of Mexico

13. Coal Mining
Advantages: relatively inexpensive, needs little refining (washing/removal of impurities) once mined
½ of electricity in US comes from coal
Environmental Effects: Mountain
top removal, waste rock leaching

14. Coal Disadvantages Coal qualities (and pollution amounts) vary
Sulfur contaminates get burned
Air pollution and acid rain
Fixes: Clean-burning coal technologies, scrubbers

15. Petroleum Also known as crude oil Oil pumped from the ground
Anything made from crude oil (fuels, chemicals, plastics, etc.) are known as petroleum products

16. Oil Location
Major geologic features (folds, faults, salt domes) trap oil as it moves in the Earth’s crust. The oil is surrounded by impermeable rock, which keep it from escaping
Located mostly in the Middle East

17. Oil Environmental Impacts
Release pollutants when burned (internal combustion engines in vehicles), causes acid rain
Smog – causes health problems
Carbon Dioxide released causes global warming
Oil Spills

18. Oil Fixes Emission Regulations Technology like catalytic converters
Double hulled tankers
Quick response time for oil spill clean up
Fix leaking cars

19. Natural Gas Methane (CH4)
Used to be considered an oil contaminant and was burned off
Now recovered from oil wells, transported, and stored
Burning produces fewer pollutants than other fossil fuels (“clean-burning” fuel)

20. Future of Fossil Fuels
Fossil fuels supply about 90% of energy used in developed countries
Increasing population and industry will only increase the demand (and cost)
PLANNING is important – depleting oil reserves
Deep-ocean drilling is much more expensive

21. Fracking
Water, sand, and chemicals are forced into the ground, cracking rock layers to crack and force trapped natural gas to the surface
PROBLEMS: takes
billions of gallons of
water, tons of sand,
toxic chemicals are
used, air quality near
wells can be bad

22. Fixing The Problems Find alternative energy sources
Develop more efficient ways to use fossil fuels

23. 17.2: Nuclear Energy

24. Nuclear Energy Clean, inexpensive, plentiful
Not as “great” as once thought
Nuclear energy is energy stored within a nucleus of an atom

25. Nuclear Power Plant Process
Uranium atoms are bombarded with neutrons which cause the nucleus to split (nuclear fission)
Releases a lot of energy and neutrons which continue the chain reaction

27. Nuclear Energy Positives
Very concentrated (compact)
No greenhouse gases
Less pollution

28. Nuclear Energy Negatives
Very expensive to build and maintain
Difficult to find a safe place to store (radioactive) nuclear waste
Fission can get out of control (Chernobyl, Three Mile Island) and cause radioactive material to be released into the air

29. Nuclear Energy Future
Nuclear Fusion: lightweight atomic nuclei fuse and release a lot of energy
Powers stars (including the sun)
Safer than nuclear fission (less dangerous radioactive biproducts)
Need high temperatures (180 billion°F)