Week 15 lecture:Week 15 lecture:NONRENEWABLE NONRENEWABLE

ANDANDRENEWABLERENEWABLERESOURCESRESOURCES

Objectives of the lectureObjectives of the lecture

• What are the differences between What are the differences between nonrenewable and renewable resources?nonrenewable and renewable resources?

• What are some examples of nonrenewable What are some examples of nonrenewable resources and how are they made?resources and how are they made?

• What can we do to conserve these What can we do to conserve these nonrenewable resources?nonrenewable resources?

• What renewable resources could take the What renewable resources could take the place of the nonrenewable resources?place of the nonrenewable resources?

What are nonrenewable What are nonrenewable resources?resources?

• A natural resource that A natural resource that cannotcannot be re-made, be re-made, regenerated or re-regenerated or re-grown at a scale grown at a scale comparable to its comparable to its consumption In other consumption In other words, we use it up words, we use it up faster than it can be faster than it can be remade.remade.

• Examples: Coal, natural Examples: Coal, natural gas, oil, nuclear energygas, oil, nuclear energy

NUCLEAR ENERGYNUCLEAR ENERGY• Nuclear power plants produce Nuclear power plants produce

energy through the fission of energy through the fission of uranium and plutonium.uranium and plutonium.

• Nuclear energy is a Nuclear energy is a nonrenewable resource nonrenewable resource because once the uranium is because once the uranium is used up, it takes a very long used up, it takes a very long time for the Earth’s processes time for the Earth’s processes to replace it.to replace it.

• Creation of nuclear energy Creation of nuclear energy does not pollute the air with does not pollute the air with nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, dust or greenhouse gases, no dust or greenhouse gases, no burning of fuelsburning of fuels

• But is nuclear energy safe?But is nuclear energy safe?

Drawbacks of producing Drawbacks of producing nuclear energynuclear energy

• There are several drawbacks to There are several drawbacks to using nuclear energyusing nuclear energy

• First drawback: First drawback: safety of safety of nuclear power plantsnuclear power plants. Spills . Spills at nuclear power plants, like at nuclear power plants, like Chernobyl and Three Mile Chernobyl and Three Mile Island, release large amount of Island, release large amount of radioactive material into the radioactive material into the environment, which can harm environment, which can harm wildlife, humanswildlife, humans

• Second drawback: Second drawback: Nuclear Nuclear waste has to be placed waste has to be placed somewhere.somewhere. Since the waste Since the waste produced at the plants is produced at the plants is radioactive, it needs to be radioactive, it needs to be stored in a safe environment. stored in a safe environment. Right now, Yucca Mountain in Right now, Yucca Mountain in Wyoming is being used for Wyoming is being used for nuclear waste storagenuclear waste storage

Fossil fuels:Fossil fuels:Coal, natural gas and Coal, natural gas and

petroleumpetroleum• CoalCoal, , petroleumpetroleum, and , and

natural gasnatural gas are are considered considered nonrenewable nonrenewable because they can because they can not be replenished in not be replenished in a short period of a short period of time. These time. These materials are also materials are also known as fossil fuels.known as fossil fuels.

HOW IS COAL MADE ?HOW IS COAL MADE ?

• Coal is formed over a long period of time. Coal starts out as Coal is formed over a long period of time. Coal starts out as plant material. The plants die, generally in a swampy plant material. The plants die, generally in a swampy condition, and are covered with sediment and water. Over condition, and are covered with sediment and water. Over time, this material is compacted, trapping the plant matter time, this material is compacted, trapping the plant matter as it decomposes. Heat and pressure form the Earth turn as it decomposes. Heat and pressure form the Earth turn the plant material into coalthe plant material into coal

Image source: http://faculty.virginia.edu/metals/cases/ramdeen1.html

HOW ARE OIL AND GAS MADE ?HOW ARE OIL AND GAS MADE ?

• Oil and natural gas are also formed over a long period of Oil and natural gas are also formed over a long period of time. These materials start out as animals. The animals time. These materials start out as animals. The animals die, generally in a marine condition, and are covered with die, generally in a marine condition, and are covered with sediment on the ocean floor. Over time, this material is sediment on the ocean floor. Over time, this material is compacted, trapping the plant matter as it decomposes. compacted, trapping the plant matter as it decomposes. Heat and pressure form the Earth turn the plant material Heat and pressure form the Earth turn the plant material into oil and gas.into oil and gas.

Conserving nonrenewable Conserving nonrenewable resourcesresources

•Since nonrenewable resources Since nonrenewable resources are finite and limited in and on are finite and limited in and on the Earth’s surface, we need to the Earth’s surface, we need to take special measures to take special measures to conserve themconserve them

• Ideally, we should try and find Ideally, we should try and find renewable resources to renewable resources to substitute for the nonrenewable substitute for the nonrenewable resourcesresources

RENEWABLE RENEWABLE RESOURCESRESOURCES

• Renewable resources are Renewable resources are natural resources that can natural resources that can be replenished in a short be replenished in a short period of time.period of time.

• Examples are solar energy, Examples are solar energy, geothermal energy, wind geothermal energy, wind energy, biomass energy, energy, biomass energy, and hydroelectric energyand hydroelectric energy

SOLAR ENERGYSOLAR ENERGY• Energy from the sun.Energy from the sun.

• Often captured using solar panels or Often captured using solar panels or photovoltaic cellsphotovoltaic cells

• Photovoltaic cells convert sunlight Photovoltaic cells convert sunlight directly into electricity. They can provide directly into electricity. They can provide tiny amounts of power for watches and tiny amounts of power for watches and large amounts for the electric gridlarge amounts for the electric grid

• However, these cells and the solar panels However, these cells and the solar panels can be very expensive for homeowners. can be very expensive for homeowners. Even a small system can run tens of Even a small system can run tens of thousands of dollars and the government thousands of dollars and the government rebates do little to offset these charges rebates do little to offset these charges (only about 30% of the cost is covered)(only about 30% of the cost is covered)

• Another problem is that solar panels only Another problem is that solar panels only collect large amounts of energy when the collect large amounts of energy when the sun is shining…not much use at night.sun is shining…not much use at night.

• Think about why energy from the sun Think about why energy from the sun renewable and is it a good solutionrenewable and is it a good solution

GEOTHERMAL ENERGYGEOTHERMAL ENERGY

• Energy from the EarthEnergy from the Earth• Resources of geothermal energy Resources of geothermal energy

range from the shallow ground to range from the shallow ground to hot water and hot rock found a hot water and hot rock found a few miles beneath the Earth's few miles beneath the Earth's surface, and down even deeper surface, and down even deeper to the extremely high to the extremely high temperatures of molten rock temperatures of molten rock called magma. called magma.

• Installing a geothermal system Installing a geothermal system for your house requires a good for your house requires a good amount of land. These systems amount of land. These systems are also expensive for are also expensive for homeowners, but could be used homeowners, but could be used in the corporate world to power a in the corporate world to power a grid.grid.

• Think about why energy from the Think about why energy from the heat of the Earth renewable and heat of the Earth renewable and if it is a good solution.if it is a good solution.

For info, please review: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/geothermal/faqs.html

WIND ENERGYWIND ENERGY

• A wind turbine works like a A wind turbine works like a fan, but in reverse: instead of fan, but in reverse: instead of using electricity to make wind, using electricity to make wind, like a fan, wind turbines use like a fan, wind turbines use wind to make electricity. The wind to make electricity. The wind turns the turbine's wind turns the turbine's blades, which spin a shaft blades, which spin a shaft connected to a generator to connected to a generator to make electricity.make electricity.

• One of the problems with wind One of the problems with wind turbines is that they are turbines is that they are weather-dependent. If the weather-dependent. If the wind it not blowing, no wind it not blowing, no electricity is being madeelectricity is being made

• Think about why energy from Think about why energy from the wind renewable and the wind renewable and whether it is a good solution.whether it is a good solution.

For more information, check out: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/faqs.html

Getting energy from Getting energy from BiomassBiomass• Bioenergy is renewable energy made from Bioenergy is renewable energy made from

any organic material from plants or any organic material from plants or animals. animals.

• Sources of bioenergy are called "biomass.Sources of bioenergy are called "biomass.

• Some examples of biomass are: Some examples of biomass are: agricultural and forestry residues, agricultural and forestry residues, municipal and industrial wastes, and crops. municipal and industrial wastes, and crops.

• Burning biomass is used to generate Burning biomass is used to generate electricity and powerelectricity and power

• Biomass can be used to produce biofuels Biomass can be used to produce biofuels like ethanol and biodiesellike ethanol and biodiesel

• Biomass is considered renewable because Biomass is considered renewable because plants and crops are always planted, so plants and crops are always planted, so this resource can be replenished this resource can be replenished in a in a short period of timeshort period of time

• Is this a good option?Is this a good option?For more info, review: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/biomass/biomass_basics_faqs.html

HYDROELECTRIC POWERHYDROELECTRIC POWER

• Energy from the flow of Energy from the flow of water.water.

• Facilities in the United States Facilities in the United States can generate enough power can generate enough power to supply 28 million to supply 28 million households with electricity, households with electricity, the equivalent of nearly 500 the equivalent of nearly 500 million barrels of oil. million barrels of oil.

• However, we can only install However, we can only install these types of facilities where these types of facilities where we can constrain the water we can constrain the water flow.flow.

• Constraining water flow, Constraining water flow, canalizing rivers and canalizing rivers and damming waterways can damming waterways can impact the habitats of impact the habitats of hundreds of watershed hundreds of watershed speciesspecies

• Think about why energy of Think about why energy of flowing water renewable and flowing water renewable and if it is a good solution.if it is a good solution.

SUMMARY- What should you SUMMARY- What should you know?know?

•The differences between The differences between renewable and nonrenewable renewable and nonrenewable resources:resources:

•How can we conserve How can we conserve nonrenewable resources?nonrenewable resources?

•What renewable resources could What renewable resources could (or should) take the place of (or should) take the place of nonrenewables? nonrenewables?