energy resources essential question: how do energy resources affect the environment?

Energy ResourcesEssential Question:How do energy resources affect the environment?

Vocabulary• Conservation• Nonrenewable• Fossil fuel• Pollution• Global warming• Renewable• Solar energy• Wind energy• Hydropower• Biomass• Geothermal energy

Concept

•Types of energy sources

Conservation

•Careful use and management of resources.

•Examples:▫Insulating walls;▫Constant thermostat temp;▫Less air conditioning.

•Save / stewardship

Nonrenewable

•Used much faster than it can be replaced.•(Can not be replaced in our life time.)

Fossil Fuel

•Formed over millions of years from the decayed remains of ancient plants and animals.

•Examples: coal; petroleum/oil; natural gas.

Pollution

•Releasing unwanted materials into the environment through burning fossil fuels.

Global Warming

•Rising average temperatures around the world.

•Fossil fuels release CO2 into atmosphere.•Due to use of machines powered by fossil

fuels.

Renewable

•Can be replaced as it is used or can not be used up.

Solar Energy

•Energy from the sun.•Uses: Solar panels; solar cells; solar

batteries.•Advantage: no pollution.•Disadvantage: expensive.

Wind Energy

•Energy of moving air.•Uses: windmills or turbines.•Advantage: no pollution.•Disadvantage: noisy, danger to wildlife.

Hydropower

•Energy of moving water.•Uses: power plants to produce electricity.•Advantage: no pollution.•Disadvantage: only in areas with large

river; creates reservoirs – floods nearby areas.

Biomass

•Material from living things is used as an energy source.

•Uses: burning wood & fermenting crops (ethanol.)

•Advantage: reduces gasoline use.•Disadvantage: releases CO2 &

uses food source.

Geothermal Energy

•Heat energy from inside Earth.•Uses: Heat buildings; produce electricity.•Disadvantage: Requires location over

volcanically active ground.