Environmental Geography
Lecture 8
Energy
Lecture 8: Energy Generation and Use
I.
Energy on Our Planet
II.
Global Energy Sources
III. Fossil Fuels
IV. Nuclear Power
rth
No
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I. Energy on Our Planet
• Amount of solar radiation
reaching the Earth’s surface is
about 15,000 times greater than
our current energy use.
• We use only tiny amounts of
direct solar energy.
• For most of history, plants have
provided most of our energy
requirements in the form of
food and fuel for heating and
cooking
I. Energy on Our Planet
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II. Global Energy Sources
II. Global Energy Sources
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II. Global Energy Sources
III. Fossil Fuels
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III. Fossil Fuels
Why we depend on nonrenewable resources for fuel:
• Accessibility: We have been able to economically find, extract,
and transport them in large quantities.
• Utility: Fossil fuels are easy to use.
• High energy content: Fossil fuels provide large amounts of
chemical energy per unit mass.
• Transportability: Fossil fuels can be transported relatively
easily and economically.
• Conversion to different fuels or feedstock: Fossil fuels can be
converted from one form to another.
III. Fossil Fuels
Why we depend on nonrenewable resources for fuel:
• Accessibility: We have been able to economically find, extract,
and transport them in large quantities.
• Utility: Fossil fuels are easy to use.
• High energy content: Fossil fuels provide large amounts of
chemical energy per unit mass.
• Transportability: Fossil fuels can be transported relatively
easily and economically.
• Conversion to different fuels or feedstock: Fossil fuels can be
converted from one form to another.
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III. Fossil Fuels - Coal
III. Fossil Fuels - Coal
Advantages of Coal:
• Coal is the most abundant fossil fuel
• Coal is cheap
• Coal can be converted into synfuels
Disadvantages of Coal:
• Coal mining is dangerous and unhealthy work
• Coal mining can cause land subsidence and acid
drainage
• Surface or strip mining coal produces vast spoils (waste
materials) and damaged land
• Burning coal produces more atmospheric pollution than
other fuels
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III. Fossil Fuels - Coal
Mountain Top Removal in the Appalachians
III. Fossil Fuels – Crude Oil or Petroleum
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III. Fossil Fuels – Crude Oil or Petroleum
OPEC: Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries
OPEC Quotas and Production in thousands of barrels
per day
Country
Production (1/07)
Capacity
Algeria
1,360
1,430
Angola
1,700
1,700
Ecuador
500
500
Indonesia
860
860
Iran
3,700
3,750
Iraq
1,481
Kuwait
2,500
2,600
Libya
1,650
1,700
Nigeria
2,250
2,250
Qatar
810
850
Saudi Arabia
8,800
10,500
United Arab Emirates
2,500
2,600
Venezuela
2,340
2,450
30,451
32,23
Total
III. Fossil Fuels – Crude Oil or Petroleum
OPEC: Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries
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III. Fossil Fuels – Crude Oil or Petroleum
III. Fossil Fuels – Crude Oil or Petroleum
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III. Fossil Fuels – Crude Oil or Petroleum
Advantages of Crude Oil:
• It has high energy and stores easily
• Oil burns more cleanly than coal
• Oils is versatile
• Oil is easy to transport
Disadvantages of Crude Oil:
• Pollution when oil is burned (major contributor to global
warming)
• Oil spills cause major environmental damage
• Being quickly depleted
III. Fossil Fuels – Crude Oil or Petroleum
Hubbard Peak Theory
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III. Fossil Fuels – Natural Gas
Typical Composition of Natural Gas
Methane
CH4
70-90%
Ethane
C2H6
0-20%
Propane
C3H8
Butane
C4H10
Carbon Dioxide
Oxygen
Nitrogen
Hydrogen sulphide
Rare gases
CO2
0-8%
O2
0-0.2%
N2
0-5%
H2S
0-5%
A, He, Ne, Xe
trace
III. Fossil Fuels – Natural Gas
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III. Fossil Fuels – Natural Gas
III. Fossil Fuels – Natural Gas
Advantages of Natural Gas:
• It burns cleanly
• Highly efficient
• Safe to transport
Disadvantages of Natural Gas:
• Least abundant fossil fuel, resources likely to be
depleted in less than a century
• Costly to store and transport
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IV. Nuclear Power
IV. Nuclear Power
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IV. Nuclear Power
IV. Nuclear Power
Advantages of Nuclear Power:
• Air pollution is minimal
• Less environmental impact from mining and transportation of nuclear fuels
• Fission fuels may last indefinitely
• Considered an alternative methods for generating electricity
Disadvantages of Nuclear Power:
• Reactor safety (3 Mile Island, Cherynobyl)
• Radioactive waste must be disposed
• Nuclear power plants must eventually be
decommissioned
• Nuclear weapons are a possible by product
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