final study guide

This study guide covers a lot of ground for your ENV 112 final! Let's break these down into clear, concise answers to help you prep for Saturday.

ENERGY RESOURCES – NON-RENEWABLE (Chapter 13)

Renewable vs. Non-Renewable

  • Renewable: Resources that are replenished naturally over short periods (human timescales).

    • Examples: Solar, Wind, Hydropower.

  • Non-renewable: Resources that exist in fixed amounts and take millions of years to form.

    • Examples: Coal, Oil (Petroleum), Natural Gas, Nuclear (Uranium).

Energy Use in Society

  • Two Main Uses:

    1. Industrial/Commercial: Manufacturing and powering businesses.

    2. Transportation: Moving people and goods.
      (Residential and Electricity Generation are also major sectors).

U.S. Energy in 2022

  • Major Resources: Petroleum (36%), Natural Gas (33%), and Renewable Energy (13%).

  • How used: Petroleum is primarily for transportation; Natural Gas is primarily for electricity generation and heating.

Four Concerns Over Energy Use

  1. Environmental Impact: Pollution, habitat destruction, and climate change.

  2. Resource Depletion: Running out of non-renewable sources.

  3. Energy Security: Dependence on foreign sources.

  4. Cost/Economic Volatility: Fluctuating prices of fossil fuels.

Coal, Petroleum, and Natural Gas

  • Coal: A solid fossil fuel formed from ancient plant matter.

    • Concern: It is the "dirtiest" fossil fuel, releasing high levels of CO₂, sulfur dioxide, and mercury when burned.

  • Petroleum (Crude Oil): Used for transportation fuels (gasoline, diesel) and petrochemicals (plastics, fertilizers, synthetic fibers).

  • Tar Sands & Oil Shale: "Unconventional" oil sources that require massive amounts of energy and water to extract.

  • Natural Gas: Primarily Methane (CH₄); found largely in shale rock (extracted via fracking).

    • Why "Better": Burns cleaner than coal or oil, emitting significantly less CO₂ and particulate matter.

Nuclear Energy

  • Generation: Electricity is generated through Nuclear Fission; atoms (usually Uranium-235) are split to release heat, which boils water to create steam that spins a turbine connected to a generator.

ENERGY RESOURCES – RENEWABLE (Chapter 13)

Solar Power

  • Three Ways Used:

    1. Passive Solar: Designing buildings to naturally soak up heat (e.g., south-facing windows).

    2. Active Solar: Using collectors to heat water or air.

    3. Photovoltaic (PV) Cells: Converting sunlight directly into electricity.

  • Pros/Cons: Zero emissions and low maintenance, but high upfront costs and "intermittency" (doesn't work at night).

Wind, Biomass, and Water

  • Biomass: Organic matter (wood, crops, waste) burned for heat or converted into biofuels like ethanol.

  • Wind: Wind turns blades connected to a generator.

    • Pros: No emissions; land underneath can still be farmed.

    • Cons: Threat to birds/bats, noise, and visual pollution.

  • Hydropower: Uses the energy of falling or flowing water (usually via dams) to spin turbines.

    • Pros: Reliable and cheap once built.

    • Cons: Disrupts fish migration and floods large areas of land.

Geothermal & Tidal

  • Geothermal: Using heat from the Earth's interior (steam or hot water) for heating or electricity.

  • Tidal: Using the rise and fall of tides to spin underwater turbines.

Nuclear Energy (The "Renewable" Context)

  • Note: Nuclear is technically non-renewable because Uranium is finite, but it is often grouped here since it is "carbon-free."

  • Pros: Massive energy output, no greenhouse gas emissions.

  • Cons: Radioactive waste disposal, risk of accidents, and high construction costs.

Conservation & Local Context

  • Reducing Needs: Improving home insulation, using LED bulbs, and choosing energy-efficient appliances (Energy Star).

  • South Carolina Resources:

    1. Solar: SC has high "solar potential" for residential and utility-scale farms.

    2. Offshore Wind: Strong potential along the coast.

    3. Biomass: Due to our large timber and forestry industry.