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Nonrenewable Resources. Unit 8. Energy Shortages. The United States uses more energy per person that any other country in the world except Canada and The United Arab Emirates In the 1970s, the US went through an energy crisis
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Nonrenewable Resources Unit 8
Energy Shortages • The United States uses more energy per person that any other country in the world except Canada and The United Arab Emirates • In the 1970s, the US went through an energy crisis • Organization of Arab Exporting Petroleum Countries (OPEC) placed an embargo on crude oil exported to the US
Effects • Gasoline was rationed • Odd/Even Rationing • Schools and industries were shut down • Congress passed the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to find better energy sources • Car manufacturers were required to create cars that were more fuel efficient
Oil went from $3.00 a barrel to $32.00 a barrel (=42gallons) overnight • The embargo was lifted March 1974 when the US worked with Arab nations on policy change • By the 1980s, the crisis was forgotten by many but it is still an issue today
Recent Energy Shortages • Hurricane Sandy occurred in October, 2012 • Affected 8 countries and killed 233 people • Damage from the storm costs ~$68 billion in the United States • Affected 24 states- flooding, damage to property, power outages
Gas Rationing • For 5 days following Hurricane Sandy, NY and NJ initiated a gas rationing systems and put a price freeze on gas prices • Headlines and quotes from News Articles following the storm LOOK: Major Gas Shortage Bring Insane 1970s-Style Lines At The Pump "If you don't have electricity,'' Tanis said, "everything is dead.''
Headlines from Newspapers after Hurricane Sandy New York Learned Oil Supply Lesson The Hard Way Only 25 percent of our gas stations we estimate are open. Drivers are still facing long lines, frustrations are only growing, and now it appears that shortages there will be shortages for possibly another couple of weeks,” Bloomberg said in the statement. After Sandy, NY Creating Gas Reserve To Prevent Shortages
Nonrenewable Resources • Is a material or energy source that cannot be replaced during the time of a human life span • Most of the energy we use is from nonrenewable resources- oil, natural gas and coal • Nonrenewable resources are also called fossil fuels because they were laid down millions of years ago from preserved fossils
Coal • Forms from the remains of plants that lived in swamps • Much of the coal in the US formed over 250 million years ago • Coal mining is very damaging to the environment • Air and water pollution • Noise pollution • Subsidence- collapse of the ground above a mining area
Coal • A natural dark brown to black graphite like material used as a fuel; consisting of carbon with various organic and some inorganic compounds.
How much is Left? • There is ~250 years worth of coal left in the world • Although this number is misleading because the use of coal will increase as other fossil fuels run out • China is the leading nation in coal use burning 2.3 billion tons a year
Natural Gas • Results from the decay of aquatic algae that accumulated on the bottom of lakes and oceans millions of years ago • Natural gas is methane (CH4) • A series of underground pipes are used to transport natural gas across the country
Facts: • It has 50% more heat energy than coal and 30% more than oil and is the cleanest burning fossil fuel • Natural gas is colorless and odorless but a sulfur smelling odor is added so leaks can be detected • At our current rate of usage, we have about 60-65 years worth of natural gas left
Oil • Formed the same way natural gas is • When oil is pumped from the ground it is called crude oil or petroleum • Oil accounts for 40% of the total US energy needs and 96% of our transportation costs
Other Uses • Crude Oil is used to create the raw materials for many products • Plastics, Aspirin, bubble gum, deodorants, detergents, perfumes, shoes, soft contact lenses • Petroleum is pumped from under ground • Petroleum needs to be refined to create oil and gasoline for daily uses
How Much is Left? • At our current rate of use, the United States will stop producing oil within 20-25 years and we will be completely dependent on foreign oil • Most experts agree, there is between 60-65 years left of oil • No large oil reserves have been discovered in the past decade
Impact of Fossil Fuels • As our supplies of oil and natural gas decrease, the demand for coal will increase • Most of the coal used for energy in the US comes from PA
Mining • Open Pit Mining – machines dig large hole in the ground to remove the ore • Sand, gavel and building stone are also removed this way • Strip mining – huge bulldozers and other machines are used to clear away large strips of the Earth’s surface • Phosphate rock which is used to make fertilizer and chemicals is mined this way.
Negative Impacts of Mining • Air pollution • Noise pollution • Water contamination • Habitat destruction • Erosion and sedimentation • Soil degradation (losing nutrients) • Subsidence (sinkholes) • Underground Mine Fires • Centralia, PA burning since 1962 Mines in the US, collectively, produce more waste water then all American cities and towns
Lower Impact Mining • Reclamation is the process of returning the land back to its original condition after mining • It is required on all public land, some states require it on private land as well • Recycling minerals is another way to reduce the effects of mining • Recycle products containing aluminum, copper and iron
Natural Gas and Oil Extraction • The pumping and production of both these fossil fuels have dangers (more to come) • Explosions • Leaks • Fires • The burning of all fossil fuels release carbon dioxide the atmosphere and contribute to greenhouse gases accumulating in the atmosphere
Summarizing Questions (15 points) • Why are oil, coal and natural gas referred to as fossil fuels? • Which is the “cleanest” fossil fuel? Why does it have this distinction?
