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Fossil fuels & Petroleum

Chapter 17

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Objectives

  • List five factors that influence the value of a fuel
  • Explain how fossil fuels form and how they are used
  • Identify patterns of energy consumption and production in the world and in the U.S.
  • Compare the advantages and disadvantages of fossil fuel use

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World Energy use

  • Everything you do, from the food you eat to the clothes you wear requires energy
  • There are dramatic differences in fuel use and efficiency throughout the world
  • People in developed societies use more energy than people in developing countries do
  • And within developed countries, there are differences in energy consumption (use)

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World Energy Use

  • The difference in energy use among developed countries depends on how energy is generated and used in those countries

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U.S. Energy Use

  • The United States is one of the top consumers of energy
  • The U.S. uses more than 25% of its energy to transport goods and people

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Energy Resources & Fossil Fuels

  • Other countries (Japan and Switzerland) use rail systems and are smaller, more compact countries therefore they do not use as much energy
  • Residents of the U.S. and Canada enjoy some of the lowest gasoline taxes in the world! There is little incentive to conserve gasoline when the cost is so low.
  • Countries with limited fossil-fuel resources supplement a larger percentage of their energy needs with other energy sources, such as hydroelectric (renewable) and nuclear (nonrenewable).

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Energy Resources & Fossil Fuels

  • Fossil Fuel – a nonrenewable energy resource formed from the remains of organisms that lived long ago.
    • Examples: oil, coal, natural gas
  • Most of the energy we use comes from fossil fuels
  • We use fossil fuels to run cars, ships, planes, and factories, as well as to make plastics and produce electricity

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Problems with fossil fuels

  • The supply is limited and deposits are not spread out evenly
  • Obtaining and using fossil fuels has significant environmental consequences
  • Solutions include developing alternative fuels and sources of energy as well as developing more efficient ways to use fossil fuels

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Coal

  • Most of the world’s fossil fuel reserves are made up of coal
  • Coal is relatively inexpensive to mine and needs little refining after being collected
  • Asia and North America contain rich coal deposits
  • Over half of the electricity generated in the U.S. comes from coal-fired power plants

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Coal, Oil and Natural Gas �in the U.S.

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Coal mining

  • Underground mining may have minimal effect on the environment at the surface
  • Surface coal-mining operations sometimes remove the top of an entire mountain to reach the coal deposit – this poses a significant environmental concern

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Petroleum (oil)

  • Petroleum (crude oil) is a widely used fossil fuel
  • Anything that is made from crude oil, such as fuels, chemicals, and plastics, is called a petroleum product
  • Petroleum accounts for 45% of the world’s energy use
  • Petroleum (crude oil) is found in large underground deposits and must be drilled and pumped up in order to use

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Environmental effects of Petroleum Use

  • Petroleum fuel releases pollutants when it is burned
  • These pollutants contribute to smog and cause health problems
  • Many scientists think that the carbon dioxide released from burning petroleum fuels contributes to global warming
  • Oil spill from tanker ships are another potential environmental hazard of oil use (and transportation)
  • While oil spills are dramatic, much more oil pollution comes from everyday sources, like leaking cars

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Oil production & cost

  • Oil production (mining) must take into account the changes in technology that will allow more oil to be collected in the future
  • As supply of oil decreases, the cost is likely to increase OR oil may be used more selectively
  • As we begin to rely on other sources of fuel/energy we will likely be less dependent on oil

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Natural gas

  • About 20% of the world’s nonrenewable energy comes from natural gas
  • Natural gas (methane), produces fewer pollutants than other fossil fuels when burned
  • Vehicles that run on natural gas require fewer pollution controls
  • Electric power plants can also use methane as a clean-burning fuel