Engineering and Environmental Geology Environmental effects of human

Engineering and Environmental Geology Environmental effects of human activity; energy production 8.

8. 1. Energy production and consumption Photosynthesis Heterotrophic feeding Social energy production

Primary energy found in nature that has not been subjected to any conversion or transformation process Mátra Power Plan, Visonta Nuclear energy station, Paks Hydropower station at Hartbeespoortdam Secondary energy refers to the more convenient forms of energy which are transformed from other, primary, energy sources Electric network(www. europarl. europa. eu) Industrial energy generator (gozgep. lap. hu)

Relation of primary , secondary and final energy/fuel (after KERÉNYI 2003)

8. 2. Fossil fuel Coal Reconstruction of Carboniferous forest (Walter Myers) Coal beds at the Vermejo Formation; Colorado, USA Type of coals: peat lignite brown coal black coal antracite

8. 2. Fossil fuel Hydrocarbons Formation of hydrocarbons Mineral oils Hydrocarbon deposits on the selfs

Air pollution and acidification Combustion of fossil fuels generates sulfuric, carbonic, and nitric acids, which fall to Earth as acid rain, impacting both natural areas and the built environment. The most important gas which leads to acidification is sulfur dioxide. Emissions of nitrogen oxides which are oxidized to form nitric acid are of increasing importance due to stricter controls on emissions of sulfur containing compounds. The principal cause of acid rain is sulfur and nitrogen compounds from human sources, such as electricity generation, factories, and motor vehicles. Electrical power complexes utilising coal are among the greatest contributors to gaseous pollutions that are responsible for acidic rain.

Air pollution and acidification Process of the acid rain (www. enfo. agt. bme. hu)

Air pollution and acidification Map of the sensitivity of soils to the acidification

Traffic pollution Energy-using and CO 2 -emission of the traffic types (www. kti. hu) Polluter-emission of traffic in Hungary (1999 = 100%) (www. kti. hu)

8. 3. Nuclear energy Process of the nuclear fission Modell of nuclear eneergy generator (atomeromu. hu)

8. 4. Hydropower or water power is power derived from the energy of falling water and running water, which may be harnessed for useful purposes. View of the Lake Nasser Some hydropower systems such as water wheels can draw power from the flow of a body of water without necessarily changing its height. In this case, the available power is the kinetic energy of the flowing water. Water wheel at Austria (www. fotohaz. hu/fotoarena. hu; csibianyu felvétele)

8. 5. Renewable energy Solar energy Lakossági energiaellátás napelemekkel

Wind power Mezőgazdasági területen elhelyezett szélturbina-telep

Biomass (plant material) is a renewable energy source because the energy it contains comes from the sun. Geothermal energy Model of the utilization of geothermal energy Biomass power plant at Güssing (www. szentkoronaradio. hu) A Geothermal power plant at Wairakei

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