1. Earth’s Changing Environment Lecture 9 Fossil Fuel Extraction: Environmental Impacts

2. Impacts of Oil Production

3. Oil Spills 1989, Exxon Valdez, Prince William Sound, AK Spilled 0.25 million barrels. (1/10 of a day’s supply for US)

4. Quantities of Oil Spilt Globally

6. Incidence of Spills >700 Tonnes by Cause, 1974-2002, Global

7. US Off-shore Oil Development 10 % crude oil from offshore. Effective ban off the coasts of California and Florida. Gulf of Mexico is center of US offshore development. Danger to tourism and wildlife.

8. Main Problem is Spills and Leaks Leakage Tankers Pipelines Wells Storage Construction impacts

9. Impacts of Coal Production

10. Strip Mining 60% of Coal mined by strip mining. Removal of overburden. Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 requires restoration Acid mine drainage.

11. Land Transformation Surface Mining operations can substantially alter landscape: removing mountain tops.

12. Subsidence Problems include: Soil erosion Water pollution Slow recovery Subsidence Water table disruption