1. Energy Notes
Fossil Fuels

2. FOSSIL FUELS What are Fossil Fuels?
a. Remains of plants and animals that lived millions of years ago
b. Coal, Oil, Natural Gas
c. The world relies heavily on fossil fuels to run our cars, provide electricity and heat/cool our homes and businesses

3. Coal Definition: dark, black rock that consists mainly of carbon Use:
Electricity (90% used in US for electricity)
Industry

4. Coal (con’t)
Types
Lignite, Sub-bituminous, Bituminous, Anthracite
Highest energy yield = Anthracite
Top Coal Producers: Montana, Illinois, Wyoming, Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Colorado, Texas, New Mexico

5. Coal (con’t) Pros Cons generates 51% of U.S. electricity
helps to create iron and steel
industrial export
Cons
air pollution
water pollution
non-renewable (300 years left)
accidents from coal mines

6. Clean Coal Technologies
3 ways to clean sulfur/impurities from coal
Coal is crushed & washed & the sulfur is removed
Scrubbers spray a solution of water & limestone powder into the gases released by burning coal
Coal gasification – hot coal is sprayed with hot water vapor which turns the coal to a mixture of carbon monoxide & hydrogen – the gas can be burned – this removes 99.9% of sulfur

7. Oil (Petroleum) Definition: Rock oil Uses:
Transportation (gasoline)
Manufacturing (fertilizers, plastics, medicines)
20 million barrels per day (over 830 million gallons)
Top Oil Producers: Texas, Alaska, California, Louisiana, Oklahoma
Import over 2/3 of our petroleum from other countries

8. Oil (Con’t) Non-renewable Environmental Damage 40-60 years left
4000 drilling platforms in the world
Environmental Damage
Air pollution (automobiles add carbon dioxide)
Drilling for oil disturbs ecosystems
Oil transportation can endanger environment if spilled

9. Oil Production Oil is pumped out of the ground using pressure
If there is still oil to be removed, sometimes natural gas or water is pumped into the rock to ‘push’ the rest of the oil out of the ground
Regardless, for every 1 barrel of oil pumped out of the ground, 2-3 are left behind

10. Oil Facts
The world consumes 85 million barrels of oil per day (That’s 31 billion per year!)
1 barrel of oil = 42 U.S. Gallons of oil
The U.S. could save 33 million gallons of gas each day if the average commuter passenger load were increased by one person

11. Oil Facts
U.S. consumes 24% of the total world petroleum produced each day - we only make up 6% of the world population
Did you know?
If you drive an SUV for one year, it is equivalent to the energy wasted by:
* leaving your refrigerator door open for six years
AND
* keeping a light in your house on for 30 years
* leaving your TV on for 28 years

12. The Gulf of Mexico Oil Disaster
Explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig
Spilled oil for 3 months in 2010
Leaked 4.9 million barrels of oil (205.8 million gallons) into the Gulf
The spill still continues to cause extensive damage to wildlife & marine habitats

13. Natural Gas
Definition: hydrocarbons – chains of carbon & hydrogen linked together – emit energy
Uses:
Heat, cooking
Industrial production
Top Natural Gas Producers: Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Wyoming

14. Natural Gas (con’t) Non-Renewable Environmental Damage
a. 50 years left
b.  200 years available in world – more expensive gas prices
Environmental Damage
a. produces carbon dioxide, but very little