Chapter 4 continued Nonrenewable Mineral Resources Energy Options

Chapter 4 continued • • • Nonrenewable Mineral Resources Energy Options Environmental Degradation Environmental Equity and Sustainable Development

Nonrenewable Natural Resources • The widespread distribution of nonmetallic elements (e. g. sand & gravel, nitrogen, potash, phosphorous, sulfur, etc. ) • Uneven distribution of metallic minerals • Figure 4. 12 – diversity of strategic minerals in U. S. Canada, Australia, South Africa and Russia • Growing U. S. dependent on imports • Mineral supply options: the oceans, improved mining technologies, recycling • Figure 4. 13: “transmaterialization” – substitution of advanced materials for natural materials • Environmental Impacts – use of lower quality ores

Production of Strategic Materials

Changing Consumption of Metals

U. S. Energy Consumption With about 5% of global population, the U. S. uses about 25% of global energy consumption

Total and Per Capita Energy Consumption

Global Petroleum Reserves Alaska?

% different Than Fig. 4. 18 Petroleum Reserves And Production

U. S. Oil Statistics Figure 4. 16 – text Data are very different Than the scale on This graph – see the next Slide for more accurate data

Source: U. S. Energy Administration. Tight Oil is shale oil production

Oil Production & Consumption U. S. Growing foreign dependence Rise of OPEC Global imbalance in energy demand supply Pressures to increase domestic output – Alaska, Offshore Future demands and supplies: when will global output peak, and what will be the alternative?

Crude Oil Reserves, Production & Trade

Production & Consumption Crude Oil by Major Region

Natural Gas Reserves and Production

World Trade in Natural Gas

Coal Production And Reserves

Major Iron-Producing & Coal Fields

Acid Rain Creation

Energy Options – Post Cheap Fossil Fuels • • Conservation Nuclear Power – Figure 4. 29 Geothermal Hydropower Solar Energy Wind – note case study Biomass

An Example of Renewable Energy Options RPS – Renewable Resource Portfolio Standard Source: NWPCC 6 th Northwest Power Plan, Chapter 2

Environmental Degradation • Pollution – air and water • Wildlife & habitat preservation • Environmental Equity Causes of Decrease

Sources of Air Pollutants Point vs. Non-point sources

Acid Rain Concentration

Greenhouse Gases & Global Warming

Environmental Equity and Sustainable Development • Environmental spillovers of human development • Principle of sustainable development – Western concerns with long-run growth and efficiency, externalizing environmental costs – A critique from the Global South – equity and internalizing environmental costs – P. 127 last paragraph before summary

Problems of Air pollution, Acid Rain, And Aquifer Depletion 2010 Gulf Oil Spill

Problems of poverty, Poor land distribution, Lack of rural opportunities, Exploitation of environment by corporate interests, Threatening forests, Polluting water, Creating Urban Air Quality Problems

Problems Of deforestation, Desertification, Overgrazing, Soil erosion, Wildlife extinction

Water supply problems, Overgrazing, Irrigation-induced salinization

Marine pollution, Acid rain, Polluted rivers

Summary • Resource problems can be solved by • (1) changing societal goals • (2) changing consumption patterns • (3) changing technology • (4) altering population levels Viewing the “food crisis” as socially constructed Nonrenewable resources – shifting from a growth-oriented to a balance-oriented lifestyle