Exam 4 Flashcards
What are the three main fossil fuels?
coal, oil, natural gas
How much energy/electricity come from the three main fossil fuels?
80% of energy, nearly 2/3 of electricity
How long does it take the biosphere to generate the amount of organic matter that must be buried to produce a day’s worth of fossil fuels?
1000 years
Which nation has the most coal?
the United States
How is energy use distributed in industrial nations?
1/3 transportation, 1/3 industry, 1/3 other uses
How much of the U.S.’s energy demand is for fossil fuels?
80%
Anaerobic
environment with little/no oxygen, where fossil fuels form
What is the most abundant fossil fuel?
coal
How is coal used to generate electricity?
burned to convert water to steam in power plants and rotate turbines
How much oil is consumed per person per year?
750 L, mostly from appliances
Hubbert’s peak
U.S. 1970 oil extraction peak (production rose again when fracking/other technology was developed)
Secondary extraction
injecting solvents/water/steam into rock or fracking when market prices of oil/gas are high (expensive)
How much oil and gas in the U.S. is extracted offshore?
35% of oil, 10% of gas
What was the biggest oil spill and how long did it last?
Deepwater Horizon, 3 months
What contributes to oil pollution in the ocean most?
non-point sources (cars, homes)
1002 Area
section of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge opened to petroleum extraction in 2017 and leased for exploratory drilling in 2020
Scrubbers
devices that remove/chemically convert pollutants
FutureGen project
near-zero-emissions coal-fired power plant attempted by the U.S. Department of Energy and 7 energy companies in 2003, which was suspended due to financial challenges in 2015
Strategic Petroleum Reserve
emergency stockpile of oil held in underground salt caverns in Louisiana
How do we improve energy efficiency versus conservation?
energy efficiency from technological improvements, conservation from behavioral choices
How much fossil fuel energy is lost as waste heat?
over 2/3
In what period did nuclear power grow most?
1970s/1980s
How much nuclear power does the U.S. generate, and how much does it use?
1/4 of the world’s nuclear power, uses under 20%
How much uranium in nature is uranium-238, and how much is uranium-235?
over 99% 238, under 1% 235