chapter 14; resource issues Flashcards
what are fossil fuels
an energy source formed from residue of plants and animals buried millions of years ago
what are the 3 types of fossil fuels
- coal: supplanted wood, leading energy resource in North America and Europe in late 1800’s
- petroleum: did not become widely used source until diffusion of motor vehicles
- natural gas: originally burned off as product of petroleum drilling, now used to heat homes and produce electricity
what is animate power
power supplied by animals or people
what is biomass fuel
fuel derived from wood, plant material, or animal waste
what is the most important fuel fro developing countries
biomass fuel
what is supply and demand
supply: quantity of something that producers have available for sale
demand: quantity of something that consumers are willing and able to buy
where does demand from energy come from
business, homes, transportation
what are the different types of fossil fuel reserves
- proven reserves: the amount of a resource remaining in discovered deposits
- potential reserve: amount of energy in deposits not yet identified but thought to exist
what are unconventional resources? what are the 2 different kinds
lacks economically feasible or environmentally sound technology to extract them
- oil sands: sand saturated with thick petroleum (tar)
- hydraulic fracturing: pumping water at high pressure to break apart rocks and thereby release natural gas
how do we reduce demand for fossil fuels
higher prices and conservation
what is the difference between renewable and non renewable resources
- renewable: produced in nature more rapidly than consumed
- non renewable: produced in nature more slowly than it is consumed by humans
what is hydroelectric power
power generated from moving water
what is wind power
power generated from wind, modifies environment less but can be lethal to flying animals
what is geothermal energy
energy form steam or hot water produced from hot or molten underground rocks
what 2 ways does solar energy get harvested
- passive solar energy systems: collect energy without mechanical devises
- active solar energy system: collects energy through the use of mechanical devices such as photovoltaic cells or flat-plate collectors
what is pollution
concentration of waste added to air, water, or land at a greater level than occurs on average air, water, land
what is air pollution
concentration of trace substances such as carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, solid particulates at a greater level than average
what is the greenhouse effect
anticipated increase in earths temp caused by carbon dioxide trapping some of the radiation emitted by the surface
what is the difference between consumptive and nonconsumptive water usage
consumptive: use of water that evaporates rather than being returned to nature as liquid (agriculture)
non consumptive: use of water that is returned to nature as a liquid
what is the difference between point source and non point pollution
point source: pollution taht enters a body of water from a specific source
non point source pollution: pollution that originates from a large diffusion area
what is a sanitary land fill
place to deposit solid waste, layer of earth is bulldozed over it each day to limit emissions
what are the 4 cars of the future
- ethanol: fuel made from sugarcane, corn, soy bean
- electric: no gas engine
- hybrid: gas at high speeds, electric at low
- plug in hybrid: battery at all speeds until dead then gas takes over
what is sustainable development
development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
what is the difference between conservation and preservation
conservation: sustainable management of a natural resource to meet needs
preservation: maintenance of resources in their present condition with as little human impact as possible
what are 3 key elements to sustainable development
decrease fossil fuels
increase renewable resources
take carbon from air
