3 - Non-renewable resources Flashcards
what is a resource? e.g.
Stuff we use to live
e.g. food, water, medicine, energy (electrical, heat)
What is a renewable resource? e.g.
Can be replenished over short periods of time
e.g. sunlight, wind, organic matter, soil, groundwater
What is a non-renewable resource? e.g.
Can not be replenished or take a very long time to be replenished
e.g. fossil fuels, minerals, aquifer water
Characteristics of non-renewable resources
- are present in finite quantity and do not regenerate after they are harvested and used
- as they are used, their remaining stocks in the environment become depleted
- non-renewable resources can never be used in a sustainable fashion, they can only be “mined”
Three principles of sustainability
- solar energy
- chemical cycling
- biodiversity
What is sustainability
the process of living within the limits of available physical, natural and social resources in ways that allow the living systems in which humans are embedded to thrive in perpetuity
What are fossil fuels
Highly combustible substances formed from remains of organisms that accumulate over time in sediments
Makeup of natural gas?
Mostly methane (CH4) with some additional volatile hydrocarbons
What is volatile? What are hydrocarbons?
Volatile = can become gaseous easily, have high vapor pressure
Hydrocarbons = organic compounds involving H and C
Two types of natural gas
Biogenic and thermogenic
What is biogenic natural gas
- formed at “shallow” depths
- formed via anaerobic decomposition of organic material by bacteria (outcome of activity from decomposers)
- more easily accessible, faster to form
What is thermogenic natural gas
- formed at deeper depths
- formed via compression and heating of organic materials
What is fracking
Natural gas extraction method
Hydraulic fracturing
Pump a water, sand and chemical mixture into well. Pressure from it causes terrain to fracture until gas is released
Pros and cons of fracking
Pros:
- get natural gas and other fuels that otherwise are locked up
- provides economic benefits to area (jobs, revenue source for community)
Cons:
- MASSIVE potential environmental implications (it can cause earthquakes, risk of groundwater contamination, risk of pond spills)
- loud and ugly
Top producers, exporters and importers of natural gas
Producers = united states, russia
Exporters = russia, qatar
Importers = China, japan
Example of a non-traditional natural gas source
Landfills: put organic waste into tanks, allow natural decomposition to occur, capture gas when released
Farms: cow manure collected and stored in large cement holding tank called digester. Manure sits at 101C for 21 days, methane rises to the top. Generator converts methane gas into electricity.
Problems with thermogenic natural gas
- getting harder to extract
- fracking-based methods can be dangerous to the environment and human health
- we are running out
What is coal
Organic material (with minimal decomposition) that has been so compressed it has become rock
What is peat
Coal precursor:
- compressed soil with decomposed organic matter (mostly decayed plants)
- under high pressure and heat, it undergoes physical and chemical changes and becomes coal
How was coal formed?
Plants that lived in swamps millions of years ago, accumulated after death in the soil/sediments
Over millions of years, the plant dead matter was buried under water and sediments (dirt)
Increasing heat and pressure as more sediments and rocks form above, turned the dead plants into coal.
Slides 29, 30
Uses of coal (heat, electricity)
Two methods of coal mining
- subsurface mining
- strip mining
Top producers, exporters and importers of coal
Producers = China, India
Exporters = Indonesia, Australia
Importers = China, India
Cons of subsurface and strip mining
Subsurface = very dangerous for workers
Strip mining = causes massive erosion and acid drainage (especially mountaintop removal)
What is acid mine drainage
- outflow of acidic water from mines
- sulfuric acid is produced when material/rocks containing sulfide compounds are exposed to the elements
- can be caused by all types of mining (coal, bitumen, metals)
Problems with burning coal
- smog
- produces highest amount of CO2 per unit heat produced
What is ‘clean’ coal?
- use methods (refining steps) to reduce the amount of SO2 and NOx emissions
- additional methods increase the efficiency of the chemical reactions during combustion, equal to more heat per unit coal
- still produces massive amounts of CO2
Canada as an oil producer
The 5th largest producer of oil globally and the 7th largest consumer
Slides 44-49
Oil formation, extraction
Problems with tailings ponds
- air pollution (greenhouse gasses)
- water pollution (crude leaks)
- soil pollution (leaching from landfills)
Problems with burning oil?
Produces CO2, SOx, NOx, CO, CH4
What is the Hubbert Peak Theory
Peak oil
- point of maximum global production of oil
- oil production will eventually decline until all oil is depleted
- should be right about now
Top producers, exporters and importers of oil
Producers: US, Russia
Exporters: Saudi Arabia, Russia
Importers: China, India
Metals as non-renewables? Canada ranks in the top five for producing what metals?
All metals on earth are in limited quantities
Nickel, Niobium, Aluminum, Platinum, Gold
Problems with metal mining?
- erosion
- acid drainage
- toxic tailings
- loss of habitat and biodiversity
What are nuclear fuels? How do they produce electricity?
Unstable isotopes of uranium and plutonium
Decay through fission into lighter elements, use the released heat energy to produce steam (and then electricity)
In situ uranium recovery
Pump a chemical solution into the layer of the earth containing uranium ore. The solution dissolves the uranium from the deposit in the ground and is then pumped back to the surface through recovery wells and sent to the processing plant to be processed into uranium yellowcake
Top producers of nuclear electricity (uranium, plutonium)
United states and France
Slide 74
Phosphorous cycle
Fossil fuels? Raw materials?
Fossil fuels = gas, coal, oil
Raw materials = metals, diamonds and gemstones, nuclear fuels, phosphorus
Problems with mining P
Phosphate is mined as ore but also for use in inorganic fertilizers, animal feed supplements, and pesticides
Associated risks with phosphate rock mining:
- air pollution
- water contamination
- wildlife habitat destruction
The BIG problem with non-renewable resources
All mining is unsustainable
Solutions to fossil fuel use
Only sustainable energy source is renewable energy:
- wind
- hydro
- solar
Solutions to metals and gems
Reduce, reuse and recycle
Solutions to phosphorus use
Reduce the amount that is used:
- stop using excess fertilizer
- increase erosion controls
