7.1 nonrenewable energy - fossil fuels

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Non Renewable energy resources: Fossil fuels, ( oil, coal, and natural gas) and in the nuclei of certain atoms

Energy and energy usage

Renewable energy resources: Wind, flowing water, energy from the sun, biomass and heat it in the earths interior

Fossil fuels: the product of ancient plant and animals remains buried millions of years ago and subjected to intense heat and pressure.

Net energy: the amount of high quality energy available from a given quantity of an energy resource, minus the the high quality energy to make the energy available

Energy density: the amount of energy available per kilogram of resource

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Oil is the second most widely used energy resource in the world and the most widely used energy in the United States.

Oil

Crude oil, Petroleum, Conventional oil, contains a mixture of Combustible hydrocarbons, along with small amounts of sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen impurities.

Proven oil reserves: Known deposits from which oil can be extracted profitability at current prices using current technology.

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Conventional Oil advantages and disadvantages:
Adv:
-Ample supply for several decades
-net energy is medium but decreasing
-low land disruption
-efficient distribution system


Dis:
-water pollution from oil spills and leaks
-environmental ost not included in the market price
-releases CO2 and other air pollutants when burned
-vulnerable to international supply interruptions

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High pressure pumps: force a mixture of water, sand, and cocktail of chemicals through holes in the well pipe to fracture the shale rock and create cracks.

Hydrofracking

Problems with hydrofracking for shale oil:
-Huge energy input
-uses large amounts of water
-wastewater can contaminate local environment nd groundwater

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heavy oil from oil sands Advantages and Disadvantages:
Adv:
-Large potential supplies
-easily transported within and between countries
-the efficient distribution system in place


Dis:
-Low net energy
-expensive
-releases CO2 and other air pollutants
-severe land disruptions
-water pollution and high water use

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Natural gas: is a mixture of gases

Natural gas

Versatile fuel: widely used for cooking, heating and industrial purposes

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Advantages and disadvantages of natural gas:
Adv:
-Often lies above oil deposits, therefore cheaper to extract
-Natural gas power plants are less expensive and take much less time to build than doing could powered nd nuclear power plants.
-Natural gas burns cleaner than oil and much leaner than coal


Dis:
-natural gas low price could also slow the shift to reliance n renewable, clean energy resources
-fracking used to acquire natural gas leaks large quantities of methane into the atmosphere
-Poses a large risk of groundwater pollution y the toxic waste produced

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Coal: is a solid fossil fuel formed from the remains of land plants that were buried nd exposed to intense heat and pressure for 300-400 million years.

Coal

Coal advantages and disadvantages:
Adv:
-Ample supplies n many countries
-medium to high net energy
-low cost when environmental costs are not included


Dis:
-severe land disturbance and water pollution
-fine particle and toxic mercury emissions threaten human health
-emits large amounts of CO2 and other air pollutants when produced and burned