Energy Test Flashcards
What are the two types of energy
Conventional and alternative
Conventional energy
- Is mostly non-renewable
- Can be ecologically hazardous
5 main types of conventional energy
- Coal
- Oil
- Natural Gas
- Hydroelectricity (only one considered renewable)
- Nuclear
Renewable resources
- generally living resources (EX. fish, forests, etc.)
- non-living renewable natural resources include: wind, solar, water, soil, etc.
- can restock, or renew themselves if they are not over-harvested
Non-renewable resources
- exist in a fixed amount
- cannot be re-made, re-grown, or regenerated
- examples include: coal, oil, natural gas, minerals, etc.
- some non-renewable resources can be renewable, but take an extremely long time to renew (millions-billions of years)
Natural resources
Naturally occurring substances that are considered valuable in their relatively natural and unmodified form. They include renewable and non-renewable resources.
Alternative energy
- is renewable
- can be found and is available in nature
Alternative energy types that Canada is now using (7 of them)
- solar power
- wind power
- geothermal power
- biogas power
- ethanol power
- hydrogen fuel cell power
- tidal power
3 reasons why the world is becoming dependant on energy
- An expanding world population means more energy is needed
- Emerging industrial countries, such as China and India, have standards of living that are becoming higher (which increases their need for energy)
- People in industrialized countries, such as Canada and the US, continue to use cheap energy to improve their standard of living
What can Canada do with their energy resources?
We can export much of our oil, natural gas and coal in exchange for money used for imports
What can Canada’s energy resources do?
- sustain the modern lifestyle that we all enjoy
- a valuable resource that can be traded on the international market
- provide other countries with a way of improving their standard of living
Main points on energy resources and the Canadian economy
- Canada is emerging as a major player in the sale of energy resources worldwide
- Canada sells a majority of its energy resources to the US
Problems with Canada’s Energy Market
- Canada is too dependent on just this one market (energy market)
- If the US stops buying our energy, our economy will suffer
- It is possible that the US won’t need our energy resources in the future because of 2 major reasons (found on another slide)
Why is it possible that the US won’t need our energy resources in the future
- the US is developing its own oil and natural gas in Alaska
- oil sands have been discovered in Colorado
Consumption
The using up of a resource
Conservation
The action of conserving something
Kyoto protocol
International treaty that commits state parties to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, based in the premise that global warming exists and man-made CO2 emissions have caused it.
Description of coal
- the biggest power plants in Canada are coal-fired
- most of Canada’s coal comes from Alberta
- not used as much as it once was
Pros of coal
- Canadian coal is in demand for export to Asain countries such as Japan and Korea
- helps fuel the automotive industry in Canada
Cons of coal
- dangerous jobs because of poisonous gases, cave-ins, and cold, damp conditions
- releases 29% more carbon than oil and 80% more carbon than natural gas
- affects climate change because it produces more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
- burning coal contributes to smog and acid rain
Description of oil
- Used to make gasoline, cosmetics, tar and plastics
- dispersed throughout the lower layers of the Earth’s crust
- oil is pumped out of the ground and sent to a refinery where gasoline is made
- oil deposits have been found in the arctic, but have not been developed yet
Pros of oil
- Keeps the wheels of modern industry turning
- provides cars with what they need to function
- (more pros for oil sands industry on another slide)
Cons of oil
-difficult to find out where the oil is located
-drilling is expensive and time consuming
-chances of ecological disaster are huge if oil spills into the ocean
(More cons of oil sands on another slide)
Description of Natural Gas
- found under cap rock
- found above oil
- pipelines are used to transport natural gas
- can be converted to liquid before transportation
Pros of natural gas
- fairly inexpensive
- cleaner than oil or coal
- produces less carbon dioxide than oil or coal
- used for home-heating, in power plants, to generate electricity and in some cars
Cons of natural gas
-unstable gas that can explode or evaporate easily
Description of hydroelectricity
- as water runs downhill it provides power to turn a turbine
- Canada has more hydroelectric power than any country in the world
What is energy?
- Usable power (such as heat or electricity)
- Energy is also the resources for producing power
Pros of hydroelectricity
-Used to power many of our modern conveniences
and to keep industries running
-Inexpensive and reliable
-Does not pollute the environment (no greenhouses gases produced)
-Renewable resource
Cons of hydroelectricity
- dams that need to built in order to produce hydroelectricity flood vast amounts of land and prevent salmon from reaching their spawning grounds
- Animals are confused by artificial lakes
- Overnight reservoirs appear where forests and tundra used to exist
- Prevents aboriginal people from fishing the land
- Start up costs are huge
Description of nuclear power
- Uranium is the fuel used for nuclear power
- Ontario is the largest user of nuclear power in Canada
- Fuel rods used contain radioactive radium
- Not needed in massive amounts, so we will likely never run out of it
Pros of nuclear power
- produces no smog, greenhouses gases or any other air pollution
- uranium is abundant and cheap
- will likely never run out of uranium
Cons of nuclear power
- construction of nuclear power costs much more than other power plants
- tearing down old plants and their removal in order to update is very costly
- fuel rods need to be replaced but are still very radioactive
- can cause health and environmental risks
What are people doing in order to slow down global warming and sustain our quality of life?
Many people are looking for new alternative energy sources
Solar power description
- uses energy directly from the sun to generate power
- two types of solar power include passive solar power and active solar power
Pros of solar energy
- is a reliable consistent supply
- photovoltaic panels are becoming more efficient and less expensive
- can be incorporated into the existing electrical grid
- can be used on a very local scale
Cons of solar energy
- the sun does not shine all the time
- solar energy is not uniformly delivered across Canada
- it is a diffuse source that needs many collectors to generate enough power
Passive solar power
Is the heat that is radiated back into a room when sunlight entering through a window is absorbed into the walls, the floor, the furniture