Energy Star Products 2 example essay topic

iv. Industry is largest user of energy in U. S, followed by residential / commercial and transportation vs. Order of fossil fuel consumption in WI: 1. Coal = 31% 2. Oil = 29% 3. Natural gas = 21% 4. Nuclear = 7% II.

Main Energy sources a. Coal i. Fossilized plant material, most was formed 286-360 million years ago during Carboniferous period ii. Proven coal reserves worldwide will last about 200 years at current rate of use. Coal mining on the environment is generally more harmful to the environment then other types of fossil fuel extraction 1. Acid mine drainage - during the mining process, sulfur in coal reacts with oxygen and water to produce sulfuric acid; has damaged many miles of streams in U.S. 2.

Black lung disease - occurs in coal miners a. 14,000 deaths in U.S. (1979-1996) 3. Burning coal contributes to air pollution a. (SO 2, NO, NO 2, particulates, mercury, lead and greenhouse gas production (CO 2) 4. Ways to reduce SO 2 emissions from coals 5. Burning low sulfur coal (e.g. WI uses low sulfur coal from Wyoming) and "scrubbing" SO 2 before it is emitted, helps reduce SO 2 emissions 6.

Currently, no feasible way to reduce CO 2 emissions from coal b. Oil i. Formed from living organisms millions of years ago ii. About 4 trillion barrels (42 gallons) in natural reserves; about 1/2 of that recoverable 1. Compare to. 006 to.

016 trillion barrels available in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Proven oil reserves by country iv. Oil reserves in U. S 1. Texas, Alaska, scattered between them also vs. Predictions for worldwide oil production is to begin declining steadily within a decade vi. Role in air pollution c. Natural Gas i.

Consists mainly of methane (CH 4); natural gas forms when organic matter decomposes during low oxygen conditions ii. Main use 1. Primarily for heat energy. CO 2 produced compared to coal 1. When burned, CO 2 is produced, about 1/2 as much CO 2 as an equivalent amount of coal iv. Contributes less air pollutants to the atmosphere than other types of fossil fuels vs. Distribution of proven natural gas reserves worldwide 1.

Former USSR 42% 2. Asia 35% 3. North and Central America 8% 4. Africa 6% 5.

South America 4% 6. Europe 4% 7. Oceania 1% d. Nuclear power i. Most common fuel source is a form of the element uranium ii. Uranium is split which produces tremendous amounts of energy (heat) .

The heat produces steam (boil water), steam used to turn a turbine which generates electricity iv. Benefits of nuclear power 1. Clean burning (no CO 2 and minimal pollutants produced if operating properly) vs. Drawbacks of nuclear power 1. Waste disposal 2. Potential accidents can occur that can result in the release of dangerous radio activity Day 03 4-25-03 Alternative Energy I I. Conservation of energy: slowing the rate at which conventional energy supplies are exhausted a. Energy efficiency - measure of amount of energy produced compared to the amount of energy consumed i.

Maximum energy of efficiency = 100% ii. Energy efficiencies for various energy sources b. Ways to conserve energy i. Drive more fuel efficient vehicles 1. Increasing fuel efficiency by 1 mile per gallon in U.S. would save amount of oil equivalent to the amount in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge ii. Use energy efficient appliances: The Energy Star Program by the Environmental Protection Agency 1.

In addition to conserving energy, the EPA estimates that consumers can save about $400 a year by using Energy Star products (major appliances, light bulbs, and electronics) 2. WI version of the program 3. For more information: web. Other ways to conserve energy? II. Sustainable energy: advantages and disadvantages a.

Advantages i. Renewable supplies of energy ii. Most sustainable energy sources produce little or no pollutions or greenhouse gases. Potential for energy independence b. Disadvantages i. Some types not practical everywhere.

Why? ii. Energy storage and transport. Harmful effects on wildlife? 1.

Windmill 'a kill birds flying into them. Wind energy a. Introduction i. Fastest growing type of energy use (25% increase per year) ii. Windmills work by harnessing the energy of the wind to turn propeller blades; the energy is converted into electricity, which can be used to power appliances, light, etc..

Wind farms often consist of hundreds or thousands of turbines b. Current usage i. U. S wind farms in 1999 produced enough power for 425,000 homes 1. In 1999 California used 14,000 wind turbines to produce electricity for about 30,000 homes ii. Montfort Wind Farm in southern WI 1. Size and electricity production a. Consists of 20 wind turbines, enough electricity for about 6,000 homes per year 2.

Wisconsin Electric is one of the buyers of the electricity generated 3. Annual savings in terms of pollution reduction a. 40,000 tons of CO 2 b. 200 tons of SO 2 c.

130 tons of NO 4 c. Future of wind energy i. The U. S Department of Energy estimates that the Great Plains could supple 48 states with 75% of their electricity ii. Costs of wind power (per kilowatt hour) have fallen below that of coal. Countries with major commitments to wind power 1. Germany, France, and Argentina are among the leading countries with major commitments to wind power IV.

Solar Energy a. Passive heat absorption - uses solar collectors to gather heat from the sun but no moving parts for its transportation b. Active solar systems - usually involve pumping fluid heated by the sun to provide heat to another area in a home or office building i. Large scale collectors are capable of generating substantial amounts of energy c. Growth of solar power worldwide i. Growing 20% annually V. Hydropower a.

How it works i. Uses energy in moving water to turn turbines to convert the energy into electricity ii. Most of the "sustainable" energy used in the U.S. comes from hydropower (7% electricity in U.S.) . Sources of hydropower 1. Most from large dams on rivers iv. Can control the amount of electricity generated 'a by controlling the amount of water backed up behind a dam vs. Environmental effects 'a because of its effects on rivers and wildlife and because many people can be displaced when dams are created, the creation of new hydropower facilities is generally more damaging to the environment than other sustainable energy VI.

Biomass conversion a. Similar to fossil fuels in that energy source is chemical energy in once living organisms b. Plant biomass can be a sustainable resource c. Most common types used are fuel wood, agricultural residues, crops grown for their energy content, and animal waste d. Ethanol production facilities are a type of biomass conversion; the ethanol is combined with gasoline to produce "gasohol" e. Environmental effects of burning biomass f.

Other consequences of large-scale use of biomass energy?