Human Geo 11.2 Questions Flashcards

1
Q

What are the 3 fossil fuels?

A
  1. Coal: as North America/Europe developed rapidly in the late 1800s, coal supplanted wood as the leading energy source in these regions.
  2. Petroleum: First pumped in 1859, it didn’t become important until the diffusion of motor vehicles in the 20th century.
  3. Natural Gas: Originally burned off as a waste product of petroleum drilling, natural gas is now used to heat homes & produce electricity.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Describe the demand for energy:

A

Developed adn developing countries currently demand equal amounts of energy, but fossil fuel consumption has been increasing faster in LDCs, who will demand 60% of world energy in 2040. China has surpassed the US as the country that uses the most energy, but highest per capita energy consumption is in North America.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Demand for energy in the US comes from what 4 principal sources?

A
  1. Industry: Factories use 40% natural gas & 30% each coal/petroleum. Most is burned directly, but coal is consumed through buying electricity.
  2. Transportation: Most transportation systems run on petroleum products
  3. Homes: Natural gas provides heating & AC, & coal provides electricity.
  4. Commercial: Stores/offices have uses/sources similar to homes.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What is the distribution of coal?

A

-Coal formed in tropical locations (lush, swampy areas with plants). Due to the slow motion of Earth’s drifting continents, the tropical swamps are found in mid-latitudes, and that’s where many of today’s coal reserves are. China produces 1/2 of the world’s coal, other developing countries 1/4, and developed countries (mostly the US) produces the other 1/4.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What is the distribution of Petroleum?

A

It formed millions of years ago from residue deposited on the seafloor. Some petroleum sill lies beneath the North Sea & Persian Gulf, but other reserves are in land that WAS underwater millions of years ago. Russia & Saudi Arabia supply 1/4 of the world’s petroleum, other developing countries 1/2, and developed countries(mostly the US) the other 1/4. Largest flows of oil: from Russia to Europe, and from Canada to the US. The US and Europe import 50% of theirs, and Japan imports 90% of its.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is the distribution of natural gas?

A

-It formed the same way as petroleum, and 1/3 of natural gas production is supplied by Russia & Southwest Asia, 1/3 by other developing regions, and 1/3 by developed countries (primarily US).

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What is the OPEC?

A

The OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting countries) was made in 1960 to enable oil-rich countries to gain more control over Petroleum. US and European transnational companies were selling the petroleum at low prices to MDC consumers and keeping most profits. Countries possessing the oil reserves nationalized or more tightly controlled the fields, and prices were set by gov’ts rather than by petroleum companies.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Describe US Oil/Petroleum supply & demand:

A

-The US made more petroleum than it consumed in the first 1/2 of the 20th. In the 1950s, international petroleum distribution determined that extracting it in the US was more expensive than importing it, so the US became a net importer. Since 1973, the countries from which it is imported have changed. Canada is supplying growing amounts (arriving through pipelines). The Keystone and Dakota Access pipelines are controversial (environmentally damaging leaks).

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Potential reserves can be converted to proven reserves in what two ways?

A
  1. Fields yet to be developed: At first, petroleum “gushed” from wells in rock layers, but now extraction is harder. It’s easy to quickly remove the main volume of oil/gas/coal, but the last few drops require more effort.
  2. Fields yet to be discovered: The largest, most accessible deposits have already been exploited. Newly discovered reserves are smaller and more remote (like beneath the seafloor), and expensive to retract. Exploration costs have increased because methods are more elaborate, but as energy prices climb, exploration costs may be justified.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

In what 2 ways has demand for petroleum been dampened in developed countries?

A
  1. Conservation: Factories reduce petroleum demand by consuming more natural gas. Gas mileage in the US increased from 1975-1985, due to a gov’t mandate (Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency). Other countries have also mandated more fuel efficient vehicles.
  2. Price: Under OPEC control, world prices have increased sharply a few times (esp. during the ’70s-‘80s and early 21st). The average price paid per gallon of petroleum is more than $8 in developed countries, which isn’t high by historical standards when adjusted for inflation.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Describe US forecasts of fossil fuel consumption:

A

It is forecasted that US energy consumption will increase from 100 quad BTU (quadrillion British thermal unit) in 2017 to 110 BTU in 2050. Due to population increase, consumption per person will decline by 20%. Natural gas and energy from sources other than fossil fuels consumption will increase, but consumption of petroleum and coal won’t change.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Resources are unconventional if we don’t have economically feasible or environmentally sound tech to extract them. What are 2 examples of how exploiting unconventional resources of fossil fuels can be profitable?

A
  1. Oil sands: Alberta, Canada, Venezuela, Russia. They are saturated with think petroleum (tar). They have become profitable, proven reserves recently in Alberta. Canada now has 10% of world’s petroleum reserves.
  2. Hydraulic Fracturing: Naturally, rocks break apart, and gas fills the space between them. Hydraulic fracking involves pumping water in to further break the rocks and extract more gas. It is exploiting many US natural gas fields (TX, OK, & Appalachians). Opponents of fracking fear damage from pumping water beneath Earth’s surface, and that it uses too much water that is in high demand for consumption/agriculture.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What is an issue for the world regarding petroleum?

A

Are dwindling petroleum reserves handled wisely/peacefully during a transition process of substituting other energy sources? With massive expected growth in petroleum consumption in LDCs (esp. China/India), the US and others may have little influence over price and supplies. All states need to pursue sustainable development strategies (renewable energy).

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Describe distribution of nuclear power (a nonrenewable resource)?

A

It supplies 14% of world electricity. 2/3 of world nuclear power is made in developed countries (1/3 Europe & 1/3 North America). Only 30 countries make some use of nuclear power (19 developed). The most dependent countries on it are in Europe, where it supplies 80% of France’s electricity and 50% of Belgium’s, Slovakia’s, and Ukraine’s. Dependency varies among US states. It accounts for 70% of VT electricity and 50% in CT, NJ, & SC. However, 20 states and DC have no nuclear power plants.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What are 2 examples of nuclear disasters?

A

1986 at Chernobyl (Ukraine), causing 56 deaths and 4,000 cancer-related deaths to people living near. After an earthquake and tsunami in 2011, 3 of 6 reactors at a Japan power plant experienced full meltdown. 3 workers died, and many nearby residents died and will die. Waste from nuclear fission is radioactive/lethal, and remains so for many years. Plutonium for making nuclear weapons can be harvested from the waste.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Describe the problems and attempted solutions for storing radioactive waste, which must be isolated for several thousand years until it loses radioactivity:

A

Pipes, concrete, and water near the fissioning fuel become “hot” with radioactivity. The US has failed to find a good underground storage site due to political opposition and worry about groundwater contamination. They were to be stored in NV’s Yucca Mountains in 2002, but opposition caused funding to end for that project. So, most US power plants store waste in temporary steel & concrete casks, and some at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant ( below the surface in NM).

17
Q

Explain the limited reserves situation for uranium.

A

Uranium is nonrenewable. Proven reserves will currently last 124 years, and they aren’t distributed uniformly across the world (29% of reserves in Australia, 13% in Kazakhstan, 9% in Canada & Russia). Uranium ore needs to be in a greater concentration to generate power. A breeder reactor turns uranium into a renewable resource by generating plutonium (also a nuclear fuel, but much more lethal than uranium, and easy to fashion into a bomb).

18
Q

What are some costs associated with nuclear power?

A

Nuclear power plants are very expensive (due to safety measures–they need triple backup systems). Uranium is mined in one place, refined in another, and used in another. Mining it can pollute land/water and damage miners’ health. Safe transportation also adds to the cost, so generating electricity from nuclear plants is much more expensive than coal-burning, and this hurts the future of nuclear power.

19
Q

The potential for increasing the use of biomass fuel is limited for what reasons?

A
  1. Burning biomass may be inefficient( the energy used to produce crops may be as much as the energy supplied by them).
  2. Biomass already serves essential purposes other than energy (like providing food, clothing, and shelter).
  3. When wood is burned for fuel, forest fertility may be reduced.
20
Q

What is hydroelectric power?

A

-Generating electricity from the movement of water. World’s 2nd most popular source of electricity (after coal). 2/3 of hydroelectric power is generated in LDCs, and 1/3 in MDCs. Many LDCs depend on it a lot. The most populous country to depend primarily on it is Brazil (80%), which has made considerable progress toward sustainable development. Canada gets 60% of its electricity from hydroelectric power, and the US is a leading producer, but it makes up only 8% of US electricity. This % may decline because there are few acceptable sites to build new dams.

21
Q

What is wind power?

A

Construction of a wind turbine doesn’t really modify the environment, and has great potential for increased use. Still, only a few places have utilized it (China, North America, & Europe accounting for 90% of world total). This is because turbines are expensive to build. 1/3 of the US is considered windy enough to make it economically feasible, and we’ve built hundreds of wind “farms.” But some oppose them because they can be nosy and lethal for birds/bats, & can be a visual blight in places of beauty.

22
Q

Describe past and present uses of passive solar energy systems:

A

In WWII, when fossil fuels were rationed, consumers looked for alternatives. A big glass manufacturer published a Solar book in 1947, but electricity and petroleum were cheap/abundant after WWII, so passive solar energy was disregarded. Recently, construction/remodeling have used passive solar energy thru advances in glass tech (double and triple-pane glass with higher insulating values, and low-E that can let heat in but not out). Phase-change tech can also switch glass from opaque to translucent when voltage is applied.

23
Q

What is solar-powered electricity?

A

It can be produced at a central station, distributed by an electric company. However, with coal cheap and nuclear popular, utility companies have little interest in solar tech. In MDCs, solar-generated electricity is used in spacecraft, light-powered calculators, and at remote sites where conventional power is unavailable (desert). It is used primarily as a substitute for electricity in heating water (rooftop devises collect, heat, and store water for apartments in Israel/Japan and homes in the US). Solar water heaters are initially more $ than central systems, but can be justified with time.

24
Q

What happens in indirect active solar energy?

A

Solar radiation is first converted to heat, then electricity. The Sun’s rays are concentrated by reflectors onto a pipe with synthetic oil (the heat from which generates steam to run turbines). In heat conversion, solar radiation is concentrated with reflectors/lenses that store energy for use at night and on cloudy days.

25
Q

How was electricity popular in early motor vehicles?

A

In 1900 in the US, 38% of cars were powered by electricity (popular in Northeast cities and easier to start for women), 40% by steam, and 22% by gasoline. However, electric-powered vehicles have limited range and cost more to operate. So, carmakers offer hybrid vehicles that conserve gasoline by running on electricity at low speeds. Other vehicles are fully-electric but use a gasoline engine to recharge the battery.

26
Q

In developing countries, what is the largest and fastest growing market for photovoltaic cells?

A

The 2 billion who lack electricity (esp. sub-Saharan Africa). In Morocco, solar panels are sold in bazaars/markets. In order for solar power to expand rapidly, the cells must become cheaper and more efficient. Solar energy will get more attractive as other sources become more costly. Petroleum companies now own the major US manufacturers of photovoltaic cells (bright future for solar!)