Quiz 9: Conventional & Renewable Energy Alts. Flashcards
Globally, food crops are being displaced by biofuel crops. Crops that normally were grown for either human or animal consumption are instead being grown for fuel. This switch has resulted in price increases and food riots. Which of the following crops has caused the most issues when switched from a food crop to a biofuel crop?
corn
What is/are predicted to generate the most oil per acre in biodiesel production?
algae
Which form(s) of biomass is/are commonly burned directly for energy?
both dried manure and firewood
_____________ is a term used to explain a biofuel disadvantage that reduces the contributions made from forests and grasslands to ecosystem services
over harvesting
Ethanol produced from bioenergy starts with ________ produced by ________
starch; corn or sugar cane
Harvesting fuelwood at unsustainably high rates often leads to ________
soil erosion and desertification
The chemical product produced by a hydrogen fuel cell is ________
water
What is(are) predicted to generate the most oil per acre in biodiesel production?
algae
__________ are defined as solids, liquids, or gases that produce energy from biological material
biofuels
Which form of biomass is the easiest to ferment into bioethanol?
corn
________ strongly influences the amount of energy generated from hydropower.
The volume of water released from the reservoir
Which of the following choices has the highest energy return on energy investment (EROEI) ratio?
hydroelectric
How do run-of-the-river hydroelectric systems differ from large dams?
They do not block all of the water flow but direct some water through a turbine
Nuclear energy is considered to be a “clean energy” and more environmentally-friendly because of all but which of the following?
Less hot water is produced than by other energy-generating methods
How is a pressure water reactor different from a boiling water reactor?
In a pressure water reactor, the steam that turns the turbine is not exposed to radiation.
Compared to the generation of electricity using coal, nuclear power
generates no sulfur dioxide or carbon dioxide emissions.
Nuclear power may prove useful as
an energy source to bridge the transition from fossil fuels to new renewables
The Chernobyl nuclear accident, which occurred about 30 years ago spread
large amounts of deadly radiation over thousands of square kilometers
_____________ is a term used to explain one problem arising from the use of both forests and grasslands as a source of biofuels
over harvesting
What is the primary motivation for developing the new renewable energy sources?
It is because of the concerns over diminishing fossil fuel supplies and the negative environmental impacts of fossil fuel use
Rank the sources of electricity generation in Ontario from the highest to lowest
nuclear, hydropower, renewables, fossil fuels
The largest problem with adopting the new technologies of renewable resources is that ________.
the startup costs may be high
A major disadvantage of solar power is ________
the uneven distribution of sunshine around the world
Although photovoltaic electricity is considered a “clean” power source, one issue with this electricity is that it ________
cannot be stored easily in large quantities
A major advantage of solar power is that ________
solar systems provide local, decentralized control over power
Photovoltaic technology is best described as ________
using sunlight to directly generate electricity
Wind turbines are generally more productive if they are ________
higher, to minimize turbulence and maximize wind speed
Using wind turbines to produce electricity avoids the production of nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide, which are the major pollutants ________
in acid rain
More and more wind farms are being located ________ because winds are stronger there
offshore
The best locations to install tidal electrical generating stations are places where ________
differences in height between low and high tides are large
