Environmental Impact of Non-Renewable Resource Use: Focus on Coal, Oil, and Gas - Prof. Da, Study notes of Environmental Science

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Energy and Mineral Resources

Environmental

Figure 21.

Until the industrial revolutionand significant populationgrowth of the 19th and 20thcenturies, there were no reallarge-scale use of non-renewable resources. We will consider in thislecture the resources we useto fuel our industrial societyand the impact this use ishaving on the environment. The United States is thelargest consumer of energyand mineral (non-renewable)resources in the World.

• U.S. energy consumption in
  • Figure 21.

Nonrenewable Resource - Coal

Coal ¾^ Formed mostly from plant material ¾^ Along with oil and natural gas, coal is commonly called a fossil fuel ¾^ Major fuel used in power plants to generate electricity ¾^ Problems with coal use include environmental damage from mining / air pollution^ Figure 21.

Figure 21.6B

Strip mining is cheaper, safer, but much more damaging to the land surface. http://www.lib.ndsu.nodak.edu/govdocs/text/greatplains/fig09.jpg

http://www.sbceo.k12.ca.us/~mbguad/coal%20power%20plant%20(Converted.jpg

http://www.tristategt.org/info/craig/Coal-pile-and-stacks.jpg http://eetd.lbl.gov/ea/ies/imagesieua/coal%20power%20plant.jpg

Fundamental requirements of a good petroleum reservoir include •^ “ source” rock

=> contains enough organic matter that converted to oil/gas.

-^ “ reservoir rock

=> has a high porosity to hold a large amount of hydrocarbon

-^ “ trap” rock

=> low permeability that inhibits upwards migration of oil/gas. If trap rock is not effective, the oil will seep out onto the ground as an “oil seep”

Nonrenewable Resource - Oil and Natural Gas

Figure 21.

http://rst.gsfc.nasa.gov/Sect5/OilAnticline.jpg

Figure 21.

http://www.dailypast.com/business/oil-embargo.shtml

http://as.wn.com/i/4c/0aa159c42f4bad.jpg

http://earthsci.org/energy/fuels/wreserves.gif

There is over 55,000 miles of crude oil pipelines in U.S. Shown below are the largest,most important lines. Notice how many converge just across the river from St. Louis!

http://www.pipeline101.com/Overview/images/CrudeLines.gif

http://www.usgcrp.gov/usgcrp/Library/nationalassessment/LargerImages/OverviewGraphics/1000YrRecords.jpg Until the advent of fossil fuel burning, the CO

2

concentration and global temperatures haveremained relatively constant for the past 1000years. Is it by chance that this correlationexists or is fossil fuel burning responsible forthe CO CH+ O^4 and temperature increase.^2

=> CO 2

• 2H 2

O 2

Effects on the Environment Burning of hydrocarbons creates CO2, water,SO2, etc. depending on the composition ofthe oil.

Environmental effects of burning fossil fuels

¾^ Greenhouse effect – the atmosphere is transparent to incoming short-wavelengthsolar radiation. However, the outgoing long-wave radiation emitted by Earth isabsorbed in the lower atmosphere, keeping the air near the ground warmer

Figure 21.

Tar sands and oil shale

¾^ Oil shale^ •^

Contains enormous amounts of untapped oil • Currently, because of world markets and current technologies, not worth mining • One of the largest deposits is contained in the Green River formation of U.S.

Alternate energy sources

¾^ Possible alternate energy sources^ •^

Nuclear energy • Solar energy • Wind energy • Hydroelectric power • Geothermal energy • Tidal energy