Unit 8 Nonrenewable Resources. Energy Shortages The United States uses more energy per person that any other country in the world except Canada and.

Unit 8

Nonrenewable Resources

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

1. Gasoline was rationed Odd/Even Rationing

2. Schools and industries were shut down3. Congress passed the Energy Policy and

Conservation Act to find better energy sources

4. Car manufacturers were required to create cars that were more fuel efficient

5. 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.''

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

Headlines from Newspapers after Hurricane Sandy

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.

Open Pit Mining

Negative Impacts of Mining

1. Air pollution2. Noise pollution3. Water contamination4. Habitat destruction5. Erosion and sedimentation6. Soil degradation (losing nutrients)7. Subsidence (sinkholes)8. 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)

1. Why are oil, coal and natural gas referred to as fossil fuels?

2. Which is the “cleanest” fossil fuel? Why does it have this distinction?