Energy Types

Coal - advantages

• cheap to burn

• plentiful supply

• 250 years left

• easy to transport

Coal - disadvantages

• releases CO2

• acid deposition

• smog = lung disease

• land degradation

• low energy density

Oil - advantages

• high heat of combusion

• many uses

• cheap to mine

• cheap to burn

Oil - disadvantages

• 50 years left

• CO2 released

• contamination of extraction

• terrorism risk targeting pipelines

Natural gas - advantages

• high heat of combustion

• high energy density

• cheap

• no processing

• cleaner than coal/oil

• transition fuel

Natural gas - disadvantages

• 70 years left

• CO2 released

• high environmental cost of extraction

Ideal energy resource must be…

• available constantly

• reliable

• not intermittent

• able to meet peak demands

• easy to store

• energy dense

• economically viable

• easily accessible

• desirable physically

Mitigating the risks of fossil fuels includes…

• standards & guidelines

• regulatory frameworks

• enhanced safety technologies (e.g. blowout/leak detectors)

• emission reduction strategies; CCS

• public awareness campaigns