APES Unit 6: Energy Consumption and Resources

Renewable resources

Any natural resource that can replenish itself in a relatively short period of time, usually no longer than the length of a human life.

Nonrenewable resources

A natural resource that is not replaced in a useful time frame.

External costs / externalities

the social costs and benefits of business activity borne by the wider community

Developed countries

countries with strong economies and a high quality of life, tend to consumer more energy and dependent on fossil fuels

Developing countries

countries with less productive economies and a lower quality of life, consume less energy, use more biomass energy sources

Industrialized

Changed its economy to rely less on farming and more on manufacturing

Cellulose

Carbohydrate component of plant cell walls.

Charcoal

charred wood

Peat

partially decayed plant matter found in bogs

Lignite

the least pure coal, low heat and low sulfur content

Bituminous

the second-purest form of coal, medium heat content and high sulfur

Anthracite

the cleanest-burning coal; almost pure carbon, high heat and low sulfur content

Natural gas

flammable gas, consisting largely of methane, cleanest burning fossil fuel

Crude oil

petroleum that has not been processed

Tar sands

mixture of clay, sand, water and bitumen. Bitumen can be extracted and refined into oil

Cogeneration

The use of a single fuel to generate electricity and to produce heat

Cost-benefit analysis

a study that compares the costs and benefits to society of providing a public good

Fossil fuels

Coal, oil, natural gas, and other fuels that are ancient remains of plants and animals.

Combustion

the process of burning something

Turbines

a machine for producing continuous power that is itself powered by steam, water, gas or air

Electricity

A form of energy caused by the movement of electrons.

Fracking (hydraulic fracturing)

The pumping of water at high pressure to break apart rocks in order to release natural gas

Groundwater

water that fills the cracks and spaces in underground soil and rock layers

Chernobyl

A city in Ukraine that was the site of a 1986 meltdown at a Soviet nuclear power plant.

Nuclear

Energy stored in the nucleus of an atom

Fission

A nuclear reaction in which a massive nucleus splits into smaller nuclei with the simultaneous release of energy

Fusion

Creation of energy by joining the nuclei of two hydrogen atoms to form helium.

Uranium-235

an isotope used to fuel most nuclear fission reactors

Fuel rods

a uranium rod that undergoes fission in a nuclear reactor

Neutrons

the particles of the nucleus that have no charge

Radioactivity

The process in which some substances spontaneously emit radiation

Isotope

each of two or more forms of the same element that contain equal numbers of protons but different numbers of neutrons in their nuclei, and hence differ in relative atomic mass but not in chemical properties; in particular, a radioactive form of an element.

Radiation

Energy that is radiated or transmitted in the form of rays or waves or particles.

Nuclear waste

radioactive waste material produced by nuclear power plants

Thermal pollution

Nonchemical water pollution that occurs when human activities cause a substantial change in the temperature of water

Three Mile Island

1979

*A nuclear power plant located south of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, overheated, causing part of its uranium core to melt

*The overheating was caused by human, design, and mechanical errors

*Radioactive water and gases were released

*Led to a slowdown in the construction of other reactors and changes in the Nuclear Regulatory Commission

*Americans became more aware of environmental concerns

Fukushima

A city in Japan damaged by the tsunami in 2011; the nuclear power plant released radiation when the plant lost electricity and the control rods had been inserted into the core and the nuclear chain reaction stopped

radioactive decay

The breakdown of a radioactive element, releasing particles and energy

Half-life

length of time required for half of the radioactive atoms in a sample to decay

biomass energy

renewable energy derived from burning organic materials such as wood and alcohol

Overharvesting

harvesting a renewable resource quicker than the source can renew itself; often leads to the destruction of the resource

Deforestation

The removal of trees faster than forests can replace themselves.

Ethanol/Gasohol

mix of gasoline and alcohol used in combustion engines

Biofuels

Liquid fuels created from processed or refined biomass, such as ethanol

Biodiesel

A diesel-equivalent, processed fuel derived from biological sources (such as vegetable oils), that can be used in unmodified diesel-engine vehicles.

Solar

energy from the sun

Photovoltaic cells

Cells, usually made of specially-treated silicon, that transfer solar energy from the sun to electrical energy

passive solar energy

uses the solar energy that naturally falls on a building to heat it directly

active solar heating

the gathering of solar energy by collectors that are used to heat water or heat a building

Dams

a barrier constructed to hold back water and raise its level, the resulting reservoir being used in the generation of electricity or as a water supply

Hydroelectric

Electricity generated by flowing water

Reservoirs

a large natural or artificial lake used as a source of water supply.

Tidal energy

Energy that comes from the movement of water driven by the gravitational pull of the Moon.

wave energy

the motion of waves is harnessed and converted from mechanical energy into electricity

Three Gorges Dam

A dam being built over the Yangtze river in CHINA. It will be the world's biggest dam.

Geothermal energy

Energy derived from the heat in the interior of the earth

Hydrogen fuel cell

a cell that generates electricity from a controlled reaction between hydrogen and oxygen

Emission

the production and discharge of something, especially gas or radiation

Hydrogen gas

H2

Wind energy

The energy captured by transforming the motion of air into electrical energy using a turbine

Kinetic energy

energy of motion

Potential energy

stored energy

energy conservation

the practice of finding ways to use less energy or to use energy more efficiently

Energy efficient

energy efficient homes are composed of a network of elements working together to reduce the overall amount of energy consumption

electric vehicle

A vehicle that you plug in to charge a battery. The electrical energy runs the motor. Most of the time in the U.S. this electrical energy is coming from coal, natural gas, or nuclear power.

Hybrid cars

a car with a gasoline engine and an electric motor, each of which can propel it