1. Earth’s Resources

2. Earth’s Resources Most Energy Sources are nonrenewable
Nonrenewable Resources
Used up faster than the Earth can replace them
Fossil Fuels
Oil, Natural Gas, and Coal
Formed from the remains of swamp plants and other organisms that were buried and altered over millions of years

3. Coal Coal Most abundant fossil fuel Contains 50% plant remains
Hydrocarbons can be extracted from coal to form liquid and gaseous synthetic fuels
As decaying plant material loses gas and moisture, carbon concentration increases

4. Coal Formation Peat Lignite Coal Bituminous Coal
Anthracite Coal (Cleanest Burning)

5. Oil and Natural Gas Oil and Natural Gas
Oil is thick black liquid hydrocarbon
Natural Gas is a gaseous hydrocarbon that often forms with oil, but above it, since it is less dense
Americans obtain most of their energy from oil and natural gas
Natural Gas is used mostly for heating and cooking
Oil is used in many ways included
Heating oil
Gasoline
Manufacturing

6. Fossil Fuel Removal
Fossil fuels are removed from the ground through mining or pumping
Strip Mining (Open Pit)
Upper layers of rock and soil are removed to expose coal
Used when coal deposits are near the surface
Underground Mining
Tunneling, drift mines, slope mines

7. Strip Mining

8. Fossil Fuel Removal
Oil and Natural Gas are under pressure, therefore they can be pump from the ground

9. Fossil Fuel Reserve Reserves
Amount of fossil fuel that can be extracted at a profit using current technology
Current Reserves of Coal
250 Years
US reserves of Natural Gas
60 Years
Methane Hydrates (Located in ocean floor sediments)
Yield high amounts of carbon
May be a source of methane in the future

10. Conservation
Conserving fossil fuels will help slow down the current consumption rate

12. Nuclear Energy Nuclear Energy
Produces Energy by splitting an atom in a process called fission
Nonrenewable
Produces Highly Radioactive Waste
Must be stored in a Container for 10,000 years

13. Nuclear Energy
Fusion
Fusing of low-mass materials to form higher mass substances
Potential Clean Energy Source
Current technologies do not exist to allow fusion in a controlled manner

14. Renewable Energy Resources
Inexhaustible energy resources include:
Sun
Wind
Water
Geothermal

15. Solar Energy Solar Energy Energy from the sun
South facing windows can act as passive solar collectors, warming exposed rooms
Solar cells actively collect Sun energy and convert it to electricity
Solar energy is not readily useable on cloudy days or at night

16. Wind Energy Wind energy uses windmills to generate wind
Wind farm uses large number of windmills to generate electricity
Few regions of the world have strong enough wind to generate electricity
Wind does not always blow steadily, so it is unreliable energy source

17. Hydroelectric Energy
Electricity is generated from running water flowing over dams
Dams can create environmental problems

18. Geothermal Energy
Energy obtained from hot magma or dry, hot rocks inside Earth

19. Biomass Biomass Energy Energy from burning organic material
Can be replaced in a short period of time
Examples
Wood
Causes pollution and disrupts natural habitats
Corn
Distilled into alcohol (Ethanol) added to Gasoline
Ethanol production uses more energy than it produces
Trash
Air pollution and toxic ash residue