Chapter 13: Fossil Fuels: Energy of the Industrial Age?

Fossil fuels

fuels formed from living organisms from earlier geologic eras

hydrocarbon

oil and gas; materials made of strands of hydrogen and carbon molecules

natural gas

gaseous fossil form; contains primarily methane

coal

carbon-based fossil fuel created from ancient tropical swamps

conventional reserves

easily obtained deposits of fossil fuels

unconventional reserves

difficult-to-extract deposits of fossil fuels

biofuels

fuels derived from biological materials such as crops and animal wastes.

power

the rate at which work is done

inferior good

something consumed because people cannot afford what they prefer

proven reserves

the amount of a resource that can be profitably accessed with current technology at current prices

Jevon's paradox

efficiency gains lower the cost of consuming energy, which leads to new and expanded applications for the energy and then greater demand for it

public goods

items that cannot be profitably produced because it is difficult to exclude nonpaying customers from receiving the benefits

hydraulic fracturing (fracking)

A mixture of water, sand, and toxic chemicals is pumped into rock formations at extremely high pressure to fracture sediments and release oil or gas.

tar sands

rock or sand layers that contain oil

carbon tax

a fee that the government charges polluters for each unit of greenhouse gas they emit

cap and trade

a method for managing pollution in which a limit is placed on emissions and businesses or countries can buy and sell emissions allowances

carbon capture and storage (CCS)

The process of capturing waste CO2, transporting it to a storage site, and depositing it where it will not enter the atmosphere, normally underground.

enhanced oil recovery (EOR)

a process where captured CO2 is condensed and pumped underground as a way to force more oil out of depleted wells

oil

liquid fossil fuel that formed from what were once living plants and microscopic animals

productivity

amount of inputs required to attain a certain level of output

mountaintop removal

a mining technique where the summits of mountains are removed to expose coal seams, often causing environmental damage.