Fossil Fuels

1. Fossil Fuels

2. One BIG issue: ANWR The 19 million acre Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) lies in the northeast corner of Alaska. The entire refuge lies north of the Arctic Circle and 1,300 miles south of the North Pole. The Coastal Plain area, comprising 1.5 million acres on the northern edge of ANWR, is bordered on the north by the Beaufort Sea, on the east by the U.S. Canadian border, and on the west by the Canning River. The Kaktovik Inupiat Corporation and Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (both Alaska Native corporations) own 94,000 acres in the Coastal Plain surrounding the village of Kaktovik

3. Crude Oil Crude oil is a liquid form of fossil fuel containing many combustible hydrocarbons • can be obtained by natural pressure or by pumping it to the surface. • BUT , only a portion of the oil is available to us. • Oil must be refined before use and thus must be transported to and from the refineries • Problems associated with the use of oil include spills, explosions, fires, and pollution (air and water).

4. Natural Gas The methods used to obtain this fossil fuel are similar to those used for obtaining oil. Hydraulic Fracturing is a relatively new method that is the subject of “Gasland” Although explosions can occur, this is the least detrimental (the cleanest) to the environment of all of the fossil fuels but combustion does yield CO2 and wells are often located in wilderness areas which can cause disruption of natural ecosystems.

5. Coal Coal mining can be by surface or strip mining [the removal of material covering the top (overburden) of a vein of coal]. This method is very efficient, but it disrupts the landscape and even reclamation rarely restores the productivity of the mined land. Another method is Underground mining that involves the removal of deeply buried coal. The drawbacks to this type of mining include: disastrous collapses, the production of large waste heaps, and the serious condition, black lung disease

6. Surface or Strip Mining

7. Underground mining Another method is Underground mining that involves the removal of deeply buried coal. The drawbacks to this type of mining include: disastrous collapses, the production of large waste heaps, and the serious condition, black lung disease.

8. Coal Mining Continued

9. Oil Shale Oil shale (a sedimentary rock containing a combustible organic material, kerogen) produces shale oil which has a relatively low net energy yield and causes serious environmental impacts is another fossil fuel source.

10. Order Code RL34748Developments in Oil ShaleNovember 17, 2008 OSEC. The Oil Shale Exploration Co., LLC (OSEC) RD&D project will evaluate developing oil shale by underground mining and surface retorting using the Alberta-Taciuk (ATP) Process — a horizontal rotary kiln retort. The first phase would consist mainly of hauling stockpiles of oil shale to a retorting demonstration plant in Canada. The second phase would consist of moving a demonstration retort processing plant to the former White River Mine area, processing stockpiles of oil shale that are on the surface, and eventually reopening the White River Mine, and the commencement of mining of oil shale. The third phase would involve an upscaling of the retort demonstration plant, continuation of mining, and the construction of various supporting facilities and utility corridors. OSEC currently intends to use the Petrosix process (a patented retort process) as the technology to process the mined oil shale into shale oil at the White River Mine. The Petrosix process has been under development since the 1950s and is one of the few retorting processes in the world that can show significant oil production while remaining in continuous operation. This retort technology is owned by Petrobras and has been operational in Brazil since 1992. Petrosix is an externally generated hot gas technology. Externally generated hot gas technologies use heat, transferred by gases which are heated outside the retort vessel. As with most internal combustion retort technologies, the Petrosix retort processes oil shale in a vertical shaft kiln where the vapors within the retort are not diluted with combustion exhaust. The world’s largest operational surface oil shale pyrolysis reactor is the Petrosix thirty-six foot diameter vertical shaft kiln which is located in São Mateus do Sul, Paraná, Brazil. This retort processes 260 tons of oil shale per hour.

11. Shale Continued Bureau of Mines shale oil mining and retort experiment in Rifle, Colorado in the late 1940s. Sixty foot square pillars support the roof as the 70 foot thick bed of shale is removed. Shell’s in-situ conversion process can extract 10 times the amount of light hydrocarbons from a deposit than by mining it.

12. Tar Sands Tar sands are sands that contain bitumen (a fossil fuel) that also have low net energy yield and cause severe problems (both extraction and environmental).

13. Fossil fuels are nonrenewable and the reserves vary geographically. Energy usage per capita also varies Overall fossil fuels account for 80% of the world’s total supply of primary energy

14. Alternatives to fossil fuels

15. Nuclear power The nuclear age began with the first controlled fission of an atom in 1938 with the initial goal of constructing bombs. In the 1950s the goals shifted to the use of nuclear power as an energy source.

16. Atoms are the smallest units of elements that retain the properties of that element and that they cannot be broken down by ordinary means. composed of subatomic particles: the electrons with a negative charge orbit the nucleus, and the protons (+ charge) & neutrons (no charge) that are found in the nucleus of the atom. Isotopes - alternative states of elements with different #s of neutrons Some isotopes are radioactive, their nuclei are unstable and they spontaneously decompose (this results in the release of energy and the subatomic particles). The rate of decomposition is expressed as the half-life (the time it takes for 1/2 of the radioactive material to spontaneously decompose)

17. Nuclear reactors Nuclear fission occurs when a neutron from a decomposed nucleus hits another nucleus and causes it to break up. As each nucleus disintegrates more neutrons are loosed which causes more fission and thus is called a chain reaction. Fuel rods contain the elements that will undergo fission Chain reactions (and the rate of fission) can be controlled by the use of control rods containing elements that absorb the neutrons

20. The purpose of the nuclear reactor is to permit a controlled nuclear fission chain reaction. Fuel rods and control rods are used in these reactors. Water is also used as a coolant and as a moderator which (1). absorbs energy (converted it into steam which provides energy for a turbine that generates electricity) (2). slows the neutrons since slow moving neutrons are more effective atom splitters.

21. A nuclear breeder reactor produces heat to be converted to steam and then to electricity and also forms a new supply of radioactive isotopes. There are problems including the possibility of explosions involving sodium, the rapid and difficult to regulate reactions, and the use of the product (plutonium-239) for nuclear weapons. Nuclear fusion is the opposite of fission and involves the combination of two light weight nuclei to form a heavier nucleus with a release of a large amount of energy, but it is not yet feasible due to the lack of research and development.

22. Problems with nuclear power include:

23. Acute exposure, especially involving large doses of radiation can be deadly MrLitvinenko, a former spy, died on November 23 2006, three weeks after being poisoned with a massive dose of polonium-210. The incident sparked a major public health scare in the capital, as well as one of the biggest diplomatic rows of recent years.

24. Lower doses of short-term exposure may cause increased risks of cancer, birth defects etc. In the years following the explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, there was an increase in malformations of newly-born children in the Ukraine and Belarus. Many of these children were subsequently abandoned by their parents and left in special-care institutions.Read more: http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/chernobyl-disaster#ixzz1GFkpY81r

25. Chronic exposure to low doses also may cause increased risks of cancer, birth defects etc. • Radiodermatitis on the back • C003/7212 Rights Managed • Caption: Chronic radiodermatitis on the back of an adult male patient. This form of dermatitis results from cumulative radiation exposure, in this case radiotherapy to treat cancer. The skin is red and inflamed in the area where the radio beam was focused during treatment.

26. Thermal pollution can cause ecological damage and 2/3rds of the heat generated by fission is waste heat. It is caused by addition of hot effluents and hot water bodies. Warm water contains less oxygen. So there is decrease in rate of decomposition of organic matter. Green algae are replaced by less desirable blue green algae. Many animals fail to multiply. Trout eggs fail to hatch while salmon does not spawm at higher temperature.

27. Decommissioning (the removal of fuel, cleaning surfaces, and no human contact) of old power plants. Problems include safety and cost. Cost of clearing Suffolk nuclear plant set to soar to nearly £1bn – Norfolk News – EDP24, 4 Oct 10, The estimated cost of clearing the Sizewell A nuclear power station site on the east coast is now a massive £927m, according to new figures.Taxpayers will pick up most of the bill

28. Waste Radioactive waste can be either high-level or low-level. Currently there are tons of high-level radioactive wastes stored in Idaho, South Carolina, and Washington. It is estimated that much of the low-level radioactive wastes are not disposed of properly

30. Solar Energy

31. Passive Solar Energy The most common way to use solar energy is by passive solar energy collection involve the transformation of light energy into heat energy by designing buildings so that they maximize direct absorption of sunlight in the winter and help keep the building cool in the summer. This type of solar energy cannot be transferred to another site.

32. Active solar energy collection Active solar energy collection involves using devices to focus, move, and store solar energy.

33. Solar Generated Electricity Solar-generated electricity involves the use of photovoltaic cells for the conversion of sunlight energy into electricity. This source of energy is becoming competitive.

34. Solar energy Pros Sustainable Renewable Can be generated at home Cons Expensive Disposal of old units Fossil fuel input Can be generated at home

35. Wind Power

36. Wind Power Wind has been used historically to move ships, grind, and pump water. Now it can be used to generate electricity

37. Wind Power Pros Renewable No emissions Cons Can be noisy Unsightly Can kill birds

38. Geothermal Power This type of energy can be harnessed from geysers or from deep wells. It involves using hot water (150-370oC), converting it to steam and using the steam to turn turbines that generate electricity. Hot water can also be used directly for heating homes, offices etc.

39. Other sources include fuelwood, biomass, ocean energy sources, and hydrogen.

40. Conservation includes the principles of frugality (using what you need) and efficiency (using it efficiently).

41. Energy conservation leads to economic success. For example, in Japan 4 cents per dollar of the Gross National Product is spent on energy but in the U.S. 10 cents per dollar is spent on energy. This cost differential gives Japan an economic edge because their products can be sold for less.

42. Energy conservation also reduces acid deposition, global warming, urban air pollution, the number of oil spills, and habitat destruction. There are several methods that can be used to facilitate energy efficiency: turning off lights and appliances when not in use, changing the thermostat, driving the speed limit on properly inflated tires etc.

43. Energy efficiency could be promoted by: education, taxes on nonrenewable energy sources, feebate systems, government-mandated efficiency programs, changes in pricing, and least-cost planning

44. Sustainability on Campus Sustainability has to start somewhere and then grow into the norm for people and their actions. Some universities and colleges have already started “Green Programs”. WCC has a Sustainability Club for students, and a Sustainability Committee made up of administrators, faculty, staff, and students.

45. sustainability efforts Recycling and waste reduction are most common on campuses It is possible to for buildings to be constructed in a more green way and also for them to be converted (maybe not to the full extent). But these activities cost more and the pros need to be understood in order to get the taxpayers to support them.

46. Permaculture Permaculture may be one of the most important activities for sustainability. It involves: • taking care of the Earth and valuing other species • meeting local needs and sharing locally, and not taking more than you need. • sharing excess with others outside of the local areas