Chapter 11: Conventional and Sustainable Energy

Net energy yield

Total amount of useful energy available from an energy resource or energy system over its lifetime, minus the amount of energy used (the first energy law), automatically wasted (the second energy law), and unnecessarily wasted in finding, processing, concentrating, and transporting it to users.

Fossil fuels

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

Petroleum

liquid fossil fuel; oil

40% of world energy consumption

Petroleum pros

●Mature technology

●Reliable

●Low land disruption

●Distribution system efficient

Petroleum Cons

●Habitat disruption

●CO2 and other air pollution

●Oil spills

●Political turmoil

●Nonrenewable

Coal

A fossil fuel that forms underground from partially decomposed plant material

Coal Pros

●Abundant and cheap

●Technologies can make burning less detrimental

Coal Cons

●Habitat destruction

●CO2, SO2, heavy metals can pollute air, soil, and water

●Nonrenewable

Natural gas

A fossil fuel in the gaseous state

Fracking

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

Natural Gas Pros

●Reliable

●Abundant

●"Cleaner" than other fossil fuels

●Infrastructure already in place

●Cheaper than other fossil fuels

Natural Gas Cons

●GHG emissions

●Nonrenewable

●Issues related to fracking

●Leaks

Nuclear Power

Energy that is harnessed from reactions among radioactive isotopes

Nuclear Power Pros

●Efficient and reliable

●Low operating cost

●Low emissions

Nuclear Power Cons

●Radioactive waste

●Fear

●High initial cost

●Uranium is nonrenewable

●High waster usage and wastewater

Hydropower

Electricity generated from the energy of moving water

Hydropower Pros

●No water or air pollution

●Renewable and reliable

Hydropower Cons

●Requires flooding upstream

●Can disrupt water flow and temperature

●Expensive

●Fish migration

Municipal Solid Waste (Energy reclamation)

Generation energy from burning garbage or methane produced from decaying garbage.

Municipal Solid Waste Pros

●Uses waste that would otherwise sit in a landfill

Municipal Solid Waste Cons

●Can produce air pollution

●Ash can be toxic

Biofuel

a fuel derived directly from living matter.

Biofuel Pros

●Variety of sources (ethanol from various crops, wood chips)

●Less pollution than fossil fuels

●Renewable

●Can be produced almost anywhere

Biofuel Cons

●Produces CO2 when burned

●Requires significant resources to produce the crops

●Low efficiency

●Land use

Geothermal energy

Energy derived from the heat in the interior of the earth

Geothermal Pros

●Renewable

●Small land footprint

●Reliable

Geothermal Cons

●High upfront costs

●Typically best used near geologically active areas

Solar Energy

energy from the sun that is converted into thermal or electrical energy

Solar Pros

●Abundant and renewable

●Available worldwide

●Low maintenance

Solar Cons

●High upfront cost

●Intermittent

●Panel production produces some potent greenhouse gases

●Rare minerals required in some panels

Wind Energy

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

Wind Pros

●Clean and renewable

●Low land use

●Low operating costs

●Wind is available in many places

Wind Cons

●Intermittent

●Bats and bird death

●High upfront investment

●Noise

●Dealing with blades at end of life

Tidal Energy

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

Tidal Pros

●No greenhouse gases

●Renewable

●Predictable

●Long life span

Tidal Cons

●Potential impact on marine life

●Intermittent

●Expensive

Three sources of all renewable energy

Sun, heat of earth's crust, gravitational attraction of the moon and sun

Mining

the excavation of the earth for the purpose of extracting ore or minerals

Refuse

To stop utilizing a product entirely due to its environmental impact

Reduce

To utilize less of a product

Reuse

to find a new use for something so that it does not have to be thrown away

Recycle

The process of making new products from materials that were used in another product.

Hazardous Waste

Any material that can be harmful to human health or the environment if it is not properly disposed of