Section 5: Energy Resources

GES 108

Petroleum: A fossil fuel formed from the remains of ancient marine organisms such as zooplankton and phytoplankton. Over millions of years, heat and pressure transform this organic material into liquid hydrocarbons. Petroleum is extracted from rock layers, particularly shale, and refined into fuels like gasoline and diesel.

Natural Gas: A fossil fuel composed mainly of methane, formed alongside petroleum from the decomposition of organic matter under heat and pressure. It is often found trapped in porous rock layers and burns cleaner than coal or oil.

Fracking (Hydraulic Fracturing): A method used to extract natural gas and petroleum from shale bedrock. It involves pumping a mixture of water, sand, and chemicals at high pressure into rock formations to fracture them and release trapped hydrocarbons.

Shale: A fine-grained sedimentary rock that can contain trapped natural gas and petroleum. It is a key source rock for fracking operations.

Pros of Fracking: Provides low-cost fuel, creates jobs, reduces dependency on foreign petroleum, produces natural gas with lower greenhouse gas emissions than coal, and allows time for renewable energy technologies to advance.

Cons of Fracking: Produces large amounts of untreated wastewater that can contaminate groundwater, induces small earthquakes by injecting fluid into the crust, releases methane (a powerful greenhouse gas), and competes with renewable energy development.

Methane: A potent greenhouse gas that is 25 times more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide. It is released naturally and through human activities such as fracking and agriculture.

Greenhouse Gas: A gas that traps heat in Earth’s atmosphere by absorbing and re-emitting infrared radiation. Examples include carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor.

Air Pollution: The release of harmful or excessive gases and particles into the atmosphere, often from burning fossil fuels or industrial processes. Fracking operations can contribute to air pollution in drilling regions.

Renewable Energy: Energy sources that are naturally replenished and do not deplete over time, such as solar, wind, hydroelectric, and geothermal energy.

Carbon-Neutral Energy: Energy that produces no net increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide, often by balancing emissions with carbon capture or offset methods.