Small Examples

Question 1

Torr Quarry

Answer 1

• 60 acres of site landscaped (trees, lakes…)
• Limestone to mimic natural scenery transported by rail (less CO2, reduced congestion)
• Decision to deepen quarry instead of widen

Question 2

Natural gas

Answer 2

• 45% less carbon than coal and 30% less than oil
• No particulates
• Extraction infrastructure less damaging
• Toxic, leakages are explosive
• Earthquakes can be caused by fracking and pumping of gas
• Odourless so leaks cannot be detected
• More abundant than other fossil fuels
• Infrastructure for extraction is expensive

Question 3

Renewable energy scheme

Answer 3

• Nepal : wood for transitional energy source (unsustainable), growing demand
• Land-locked so hard to import fuel, no significant reserves
• Solar limitations (mountainous so low sun hours, panels/cells expensive)
• micro-hydro plants channel water to a forebay tank (remove sediment) then turn a turbine that drives a generator that provides electricity
• small-scale so cheap and low environmental damage - even poor/rural communities get energy and can develop
• over 1000 micro-hydro plants so far