2. Pros of Fracking Access to natural gas or oil Natural gas in “cleaner”
Previously unavailable
Natural gas in “cleaner”
Less pollutants
Sox—less acid rain
Nox –less acid rain, less photochemical smog
Less CO2
Less hg (mercury)
Less harmful mining
Surface and subsurface mining
Creates job
Pays people to drill on their land
People are financially compensated by gas company
Less dependency on foreign imports

3. Cons of fracking Groundwater contamination Uses a lot of water
Fracking liquid contaminate drinking water
Liquid waste can leach into aquifers
Allow for methane to leak into drinking water
Leaks from well castings can contaminate with fracturing fluid or waste water
Uses a lot of water
Over use of water in aquifers, depleting water in aquifers
Competes with agriculture use of water
Competes with residential use of water-drinking water

4. Cons of fracking Earthquakes from drilling
Habitat fragmentation from building roads to drilling sites
Methane released during the drilling process
Greenhouse gas
Noise pollution from trucks or drilling equipment
Increase of particulate matter (pm) from drilling-respiratory issues
Consuming fossil fuels for trucks and equipment
Combustion of fossil fuels
Increase CO2 (greenhouse gas)
Increase SOX-acid rain
Increase NOX-acid rain/photochemical smog

5. Nuclear power Uses Uranium 235 Generate electricity Fission
Process creates heat
Heats up water
Steam
Turns turbine
Turns generator
Generates electricity
Read

7. Nuclear power

8. advantages of nuclear Less air pollution Alternative to fossil fuels
No CO2 is emitted
When plant is operating
DOES NOT take into account fossil fuels used in building the plant
Alternative to fossil fuels
High energy density
Large supply

9. Nuclear energy-environmental impacts
Spent nuclear waste (fuel): a storage facility does not exist for high-level waste; waste has to
be stored for 10 half-lives in order to be considered safe.
Thermal pollution from cooling operations (impacting surface waters).
Nuclear accidents/plant failures: release of radioactive substances, resulting in
contamination of soil, water, air, and living organisms.
Results of mining uranium:
Habitat degradation.
Radioactive mine tailings.
Large amounts of water are used.
CO2 is released during the transportation and enrichment process (from fossil fuels).
Uranium is a nonrenewable resource.
Limited life span: plants have to be decommissioned.
Runoff into surface waters during construction.
Waste produced during the enrichment process.
Nuclear energy production is less efficient than a coal-burning power plant; most uranium ends up as waste.

10. Nuclear power-environmental consequences
Cancer/tumors in animals
Radioactive contamination of plants or animals in food webs
Impacts on plant or animal population size
Genetic mutations
Death of plants or animals
Impacts on biodiversity

11. Nuclear waste Spent fuel rods Curie=unit of measure for radiation
Must be stored for 10 or more half lives
No longer considered a threat to humans
Uranium 235 has a half life of 704 million years
Stored under water onsite
20 feet
Curie=unit of measure for radiation

12. Half-lives
You have 180 g of a radioactive substance, it has a half live of 265 years.
After 1325 years what mass remains?
1. figure out # of half lives
1325/265
=5 half lives
180g x ½ =90g
90g x ½=45g
45g x ½ =22.5g
22.5g x ½ =11.25 g
11.25 g x ½ =5.625 g

13. Nuclear power plant accidents
Three Mile Island, Middletown, PA
Chernobyl, Ukraine
Fukushima Daiichi, Japan