Dania, Shana, Brian, & Mark
Spring ‘05
Alternative Energy
Coal:
The Ignoble Fuel
Types of Coal:
Based on carbon content
Brown Coal aka Lignite
Hard Coal aka Black Coal
The Composition of Coal
Main Elements:
Carbon
Hydrogen
Oxygen
Nitrogen
Sulfur
Coal Formation:
Plant material decomposes  Peat is covered
with mud and sand Pressure Changes Peat
to Coal
Coal Extraction
Two Types of Mines:
Surface Mines
Deep Mines
Facts about coal:
United States
-Coal fills 23% of our energy demand
-Coal represents more than 80 percent of America’s
known recoverable fossil fuel reserves.
-The United States has 500 billion tons of coal
accessible through current production methods.
Worldwide
-Mined in 100 different countries on every
continent except Antarctica
-Coal is the most abundant fossil fuel
US Coal Production:
Coal Uses
Major Uses:
1)Electric Power
2)Industry
3)Manufacturing of steel
The Down Side:
Environmental Issues
-Coal is the least desirable fossil fuel.
-Negative pollution effects on water & air
erosion, & acid rain
In the US, federal laws enforce proper mine usage and
restoration. Also, several acts including the Clean Air
and Water Acts control the effects of coals negative
externalities.
Social Issues
-Boomtowns
-Job Dangers
Future Outlook:
-At
current rates, coal resources will last over a
thousand years
-Advances in coal mining technology will only
add distance to that horizon
-Increasing coal usage can lessen oil
consumption
Natural Gas
History:
-1000 B.C. gas springs
-natural fires
Uses:
-residential
-commercial
- industrial
Natural Gas:
-colorless, shapeless, & odorless
in pure form
-combustible & when burned
released energy
-clean burning & emits lower
levels of potentially harmful
byproducts
-combustible mixture of
hydrocarbon gases
Basic Compositions of Natural Gas:
Methane
Ethane
Propane
Butane
CH4
C2H6
C3H8
C4H10
~70-90%
~0-20%
~0-20%
~0-20%
Formation & Extraction:
-Found in reservoirs underneath the earth- natural gas is
commonly associated with oil deposits
-Formed from the remains of plants, animals &
microorganisms
-Production (extraction) companies search for evidence
reservoirs with use of sophisticated technology- wells are
then drilled
Advanced
3-D
Seismic
Imaging
& 4-D
Seismic
Imaging
Total energy consumed in US: 2000
source: EIA outlook
Uses of natural gas---->
Fossil Fuel Emission Levels
(Pounds per Billion Btu of Energy Input)
Pollutant
Natural Gas
Carbon Dioxide 117,000
Carbon Monoxide
40
Nitrogen Oxides
92
Sulfur Dioxide
1
Particulates
7
Mercury
0.000
Oil
164,000
33
448
1,122
84
0.007
Coal
208,000
208
457
2,591
2,744
0.016
Source: EIA - Natural Gas Issues and Trends 1998
Overview of natural gas:
-cost efficient
-domestically abundant
-secure source of energy
-relatively
environmentally
friendly
OIL
Oil:
A familiar & popular fossil fuel
3 phases of production:
-primary
- secondary
-tertiary
Crude oil loop----->
Products:
Oil extracting/producing nations:
-Saudi Arabia
-United States
-Russia [FSU]
-Iran
-Venezuela
-Iraq
Oil & the damages:
Environmental:
-emissions of greenhouse gasses
-acid rain
-addition of toxins
-over consumption
-unfriendly production
-spills
Impacts cont.
-social & political
-dependencies
-economical/industrial
Solutions:
-careful consumption & reduction
-more efficient use of oil & oil products
-cleaner & more environmentally
responsive production methods
Future of oil &
fossil fuels:
FOSSIL FUELS
FOSSIL FUELS.