AP Environmental Science Unit 6 Study Guide

What are the three fossil fuels?

Coal, oil, and natural gas

What are the 4 nonrenewable resources?

Coal, Oil, Natural gas, Nuclear

How is electricity generated at a power plant?

For fossil fuels, the fuel is used to light a fire which heats water which makes steam which turns a turbine which powers a generator. With Uranium, the material is contained inside rods which emit heat and continue the process

Subsistence vs. commercial energy

Commercial energy can be bought and sold. This includes fossil fuels, electricity, and sometimes wood and charcoal. This is more common in developed countries. Subsistence energy is gathered by an individual for immediate use. This includes straw, sticks, and poop. This is common in developing countries.

EROEI

Energy return over energy investment. The ratio of how much energy is needed to create a new form of energy. Coal is good because it is 80:1, Ethonal is only 1.3:1 so coal has a better EROEI

What is a fossil fuel?

A fossil fuel is made from fossilized biomass from 50-350 million years ago which has been exposed to heat and pressure until only carbon remains. Coal comes from plants, petroleum comes from phytoplankton

What are the 3 grades of coal and how much energy does each have?

Anthracite is the most energy-dense. Bituminous and sub-bituminous are less energy-efficient. Lignite is the least energy efficient. Peat isn't coal quite yet.

What countries have the largest coal reserves?

USA, Russia, China, and India. Most coal is being produced in China, Austraila, USA, and India

What countries produce the highest amount of petroleum?

Saudi Arabia, Russia, USA, Iran, China, Canada, and Mexico, (Kuwait, Venezuela, Iraq)

What is oil used for other than energy?

Oil is good for gasoline, diesel, kerosine, tar, and asphalt. All become different depending on temperate boiled at.

What environmental concerns are associated with oil spills?

The worst spills in the US were Exxon Valdez in 1989, and BP underwater in 2010. The BP lost 206 million gallons off the coast of Lousiana. In the Gulf War, Iraq destroyed Kuwait's oil system and 240 million gallons were lost. Habitat can be destroyed at sea, but oil piping in the tundra melts permafrost which is bad for many species. In Nigeria streets are covered in oil and it burns near home, which is a question of human health

Hubbert curve

A bell-shaped curve that predicts that we will reach peak oil when half of the reserve is used up. There is a lower and upper estimate to round things out.

Health issues with radioactive materials

Living next to a nuclear power plant will not hurt a person. However, when not handled properly such as in Chernobyl, Ukraine, plants can actually meltdown, in which everyone inside died, and people in the surrounding area died of exposure

fusion vs fission

nuclear fusion is not possible, fission is possible

Pros of coal

-no refining is necessary, and it is safe to transport

-It's energy dense and abundant in the United States

-Economic backbone of some small towns

-most commonly used as electricity