AP Environmental Science: Unit 6 Review - Energy

Peat

- partially decomposed organic material that can be burned for fuel.

Pros

: produce clean energy, low environmental impact cons: expensive, limited.

Chernobyl

- nuclear power plant in the Ukraine, 1986 that suffered two large explosions, worst nuclear accident in history (explosion, accident from safety test)

Cleaner energy source

- does not produce air pollutants, but it does release thermal pollution and hazardous solid waste.

Nuclear power

is generated through fission, which releases a large amount of heat, can be used to generate steam, which powers a turbine and generates electricity.

Fukushima

- series of equipment failures, nuclear meltdowns, and releases of radioactive materials at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant on March 11, 2011 (earthquake, tsunami, flood)

Active solar cells

- use solar energy to take liquid through mechanical and electrical equipment to collect the energy captured from the sun.

Combustion of fossil fuels

- chemical reaction between fuel and oxygen that yields carbon dioxide and water and releases energy.

Passive solar energy

- absorb heat directly from the sun but without the use of mechanical /electric equipment.

Wind energy

- renewable, clean source of energy powered by wind.

Pros

: only emits water cons: expensive, energy is needed to create hydrogen gas.

Pros

: renewable, clean cons: location, flying species, macitence.

Pros

: no air pollution cons: accessibility, costly, could possibly release hydrogen sulfide.

Pros

: no air pollution or waste cons: expensive, can cause habitat loss.