Technology, fossil fuelsand the environment

Kasioumi Paraskevi & Dritsoula Nikoleta C’2

2nd Experimental Junior High School

of Athens2017

Teacher:Dimitra Dertili

What are the fossil fuels?

• They were formed by natural resources within the top layer of the Earth’s crust. When burnt, they produce carbon dioxide.

• They were formed through anaerobic decomposition of dead organisms.

• Well-known fossil fuels: coal, petroleum (oil), natural gas.

Coal• Coal is a fuel formed over millions of years by decay of

land vegetation. When layers are compacted and heated over time, deposits turn into coal.

• It is formed via a process called coalification during which peat is altered physically and chemically.

• Coalification culminates in the formation of lignite, anthracite and bituminous.

Oil • It is formed by dead organisms which have

been buried underneath sedimentary rocks. • Because of intense heat and pressure, these

organisms transformed into petroleum.

Natural Gas• It is a gaseous fossil fuel that

is versatile, abundant and relatively clean compared to coal and oil.

• It is formed from the remains of marine microorganisms.

• It usually consists of over 80% of methane.

• In order to be used, natural gas must be processed. The by-products of this processing are: propane, butane, nitrogen and helium.

Annual Gas Consumption

The very first civilisations to have used fossil fuels

• The Chinese were pioneers in exploiting fossil fuels. In China, coal had been used for heating and cooking since 3490 BC.

• Likewise, fossil fuels were also used in early medieval Europe to some extent.

• However, fossil fuels were deemed an inferior fuel because they emitted huge amounts of soot and smoke. Thus, people preferred wood to fossil fuels.

• Later on, between about 1500 and 1660, Britain started suffering from wood shortages and henceforth wood was replaced by coal.

• The massive use of this new energy resource triggered the Industrial Revolution.

What do we mean by the term “Industrial Revolution”?

• The Industrial Revolution, which took place from the 18th to the 19th century, was a period during which agrarian (rural) societies in Europe and America became industrial and urban.

• Prior to the Industrial Revolution, manufacturing was often done in people’s homes, using hand tools or basic machines.

• But thanks to industrialization, machinery, factories and mass production were first introduced in the realm of technology.

• The iron and textile industries, along with the development of the steam engine enhanced systems of transportation, communication and banking.

The positive impact of the I.R. on the daily life of people

• Proliferation of goods available for the public

• Reasonably priced goods• An improved quality of life for the upper

classes (health care, education and nutrition)

• Job possibilities are on the increase

The negative impact of the I.R. on the daily life of people

• Grim working conditions for the working class (few breaks, little payment, long hours etc.)

• Gloomy living conditions for the working class (poor public health, small life expectancy etc.)

• Urbanization, abandoning farming as a means of living

• Children forced to work (child labor)

• Environmental pollution

Enough about the Industrial Revolution, it is high time we talked about the present time and age.

Nowadays, fossil fuels are used…

• To fuel various means of transportation• To heat our homes• To make medicines, cosmetics, plastics and lubricants• To make clothes, shoes and other accessories • To manufacture electronic devices • In essence, so ubiquitous and important are fossil

fuels that they are used in the manufacturing of nearly all goods.

Some of the advantages of the wide use of fossil fuels

• They are easily available• They produce a great

amount of energy• They are cost – effective • They can be easily stored

and then transported to another place

• They have high calorific value and thus they are very effective fuels

What is technology?• The branch of knowledge that deals with the

creation and the use of technical means and their interrelation with life, society, and the environment, drawing upon such subjects as industrial arts, engineering, applied science, and pure science.

• The application of this knowledge

Modern technological feats

In communication• The Internet • Wireless

communication• Email • Smartphones• Networking

websites

In transportation• Trains travelling

at high speed• Airplanes • Cars

In medicine• Organ Transplantation• Improvements in Heart Surgery

and Cardiac Care• Antibiotics and Antivirals• Vaccines• Surgical Anaesthetic and

Antisepsis

In business• Business Management

Applications• Email and Office

Applications• Customer Self-Service• Customer Feedback• Web Conferencing• Mobile Apps• Video & Audio Hosting

Some of the advantages of technology

• Easy communication between people in every corner of the world

• Information readily accessible • Improved housing and lifestyle • Improved entertainment • Convenience in education • Convenience in traveling • Efficiency and productivity in business and in

industries• Increased automation of manufacturing• Excellent health care system• Innovation and creativity encouraged

The exploitation of fossil fuels as well as the development of technology are two double – edged swords, with two sides to the issue, and the negative aspects are about to be presented in the following slides.

Disadvantages of the wide use of fossil fuels in general

• They are non-renewable sources of energy.

• They pollute the environment.

• They affect negatively human health.

• They cause wars and economic crisis.

• They are difficult and dangerous to extract.

The impact of fossil fuels on the environment

They create: – The Greenhouse effect– Oxygen reduction– Air pollution– Global warming– Acid rain– Land pollution– Deforestation– Floods– The death of marine life because of toxic wastes

The impact of fossil fuels on human health

The air pollution from fossil fuels interconnects with:– Headaches– Nerve damage– Fatigue– Skin irritation– Cardiovascular illness– Cancer– Respiratory illnesses– Premature deaths

The disadvantages of technology

• The disadvantages of technology could be divided into two categories:1. The negative impact on human health2. The negative impact on the environment

The negative impact on human health

• Addiction: When people are asked not to use their devices, they feel like they can’t do away with them.

• Living in a virtual reality. This results in : alienation, depression, stress, aggressiveness and many other mental problems.

• Extreme dependence on technology.

The negative impact on the environment

• The production of electronic devices:– Requires the construction

of factories and in order to built them, many forests have to be destroyed (deforestation).

– Results in the production of toxic waste which can cause land, air and water pollution. What is more, such production puts the life of both animals and humans in jeopardy.

• Because of the many disadvantages concerning the use of fossil fuels, environmentalists recommend exploiting renewable energy. More specifically:– The combustion of fossil fuels pollutes the

environment and affects human health negatively.– On the contrary, renewable energy is eco-friendly.

What is renewable energy? • Renewable energy or soft energy is any

naturally occurring, theoretically inexhaustible source of energy, as wind, wave, tidal, solar, hydroelectric power and biomass, that is not derived from fossil or nuclear fuel.

Which are the renewable resources?

• Wind power: Wind turbines are used to generate electricity from the kinetic power of the wind.

• Solar power: Thanks to photovoltaics, solar energy turns into electricity. It can be also used in order to heat water.

• Hydropower: Electricity is produced by the momentum of flowing water. It can be used as fuel for cars, airplanes etc.

• Geothermal power

• Radiant energy: the energy of electromagnetic and gravitational radiation.

• Biomass: It includes biological material derived from living, or recently living organisms. It is better to heat places by using biomass rather than oil and gas.

• Biodiesel is a fuel made from plant oils which can be used in diesel engines. They are organic raw materials such as soybean or rapeseed oils, animal fats, waste vegetable oils or microalgae oils.

Some of the advantages concerning renewable energy

• It’s a renewable resource.• It produces little waste. Thus, it is eco-

friendly.• It leads to the creation of many jobs.• Facilities don’t need much maintenance.

Some of the disadvantages of renewable energy

• The electricity generation capacity is not enough.

• Installation of wind turbine, solar panels, and hydroelectricity plants are expensive.

• Renewable energy is low-efficient.

Sources

• https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/styles/medium/public/2016-05/global_emissions_country_2015.png

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hp

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• https://soapboxie.com/misc/The-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-technology