RESOURCE TYPE Nonrenewable Potentially Renewable EXAMPLES Our country

RESOURCE TYPE Nonrenewable Potentially Renewable EXAMPLES

• Our country contains 5% of the world’s population but uses 25% of the world’s energy. – 93% of our energy sources are nonrenewable (= fossil fuels).

COAL • Solid fossil fuel • Mostly carbon • Uses: Electricity generation**, manufacturing steel

• Forms as the remains of swamp plants are buried and subjected to high temperatures and pressure over millions of years.

Obtaining Coal… • Coal must be mined • Mining is dangerous and labor-intensive • Can be surface or subsurface mines.

Once mined, coal is taken to a processing plant where it is crushed, washed to remove impurities, dried and shipped.

Where is coal found? • US has 70% of world’s deposits; Russia and China also have large amounts.

How much coal is left? • Most abundant fossil fuel • 900 years’ supply left at current consumption rate***

Environmental Impact • Dirtiest fossil fuel – #1 for amount of air pollution • Mining can pollute water supplies and destroy land. – More on that later…

PETROLEUM = OIL • Liquid fossil fuel, composed of long hydrocarbon chains • Uses: Fuel (transportation), heating and to manufacture plastics.

• Formation: Sea plants and animals die and decompose; their remains are exposed to high temperature and pressure over millions of years.

Obtaining Oil • Determine location of deposits • Dig wells • Pump it out • Shipped to refinery for processing

Oil Deposits… • 13 countries contain 70% of the world’s oil. – Saudi Arabia (26%), Iraq (10%) – Make up OPEC = Organization of Petroleum Exporting countries. – US has 2. 3% of oil reserves, but uses 30% of the oil extracted. • We import most of our oil.

How much oil is left? • World reserves may last 50 years at current rate of usage**

Environmental Impact • Releases greenhouse gases and air pollution – Moderate amount of AP compared to other fossil fuels.

Natural Gas • Mixture of methane, other gases • Uses: Mainly used for heating but can be used for electricity • Formation: same as oil; that is why they are often found together.

Where is natural gas found? • Russia has 40% of world supply • US gets most of its NG from domestic supplies.

How much NG is left? • World reserves will last for about 120 years at current consumption rate.

Environmental Impact • Produces least amount of air pollution of all fossil fuels.

So…what are our top uses of energy in the United States?

Obtaining Fossil Fuels… • Do you feel that obtaining one of the fossil fuels is more harmful to the environment than the others? – Which do you think is most harmful, fracking, drilling or mining? WHY?