•Hydrocarbons
•Found in sedimentary rock
•Remains of prehistoric animals, forests and sea floor life (FOSSIL FUELS)
•Toxic to wildlife (spills)
•Climate change
•Air pollution and acid Rain

• Clay, sand, water and bitumen
• Black oil rich in sulphur
• Oil sands must be heated and treated with steam to separate bitumen
•
Energy intensive
•
Sulphur dioxide emissions
•
Huge waste disposal ponds
•
Habitat fragmentation
•
Greenhouse gas emissions

Photos: Syncrude

•Most CO2 and air pollution per unit energy
•Sydney tar ponds
- the most contaminated site in Canada
* New technology may present cleaner coal burning options
(eg. improved boiler efficiency)
Illustration: Brooks Johnson,
Ontario Clean Air Alliance

•Gaseous hydrocarbon mixture
Primarily methane – CH
4
Also C
3
H
8 and C
4
H
10
•Now 45% of Canada’s energy production
•Much cleaner and more efficient
Problems: potent greenhouse gas, wildlife disruption, flaring & H
2
S

•Wood, agricultural wastes, garbage
15% of world’s energy
6% of Canada’s energy
Mainly in developing nations
•Less emission of greenhouse gases if forest replacement exceeds removal
•Biofuels for cars (ethanol - Brazil)
Problems: land clearing and associated problems

• 12% of Canada’s energy
•
No air pollution
•
Downstream irrigation regulation
Problems: Displaced wildlife/people, flooded ecosystems,

15% of Canada’s electricity
>50% of Ontario’s electricity

•No greenhouse gas emissions/air pollution (except mining)
•Minimal land disturbance
•High energy output with minimal environmental impact
Problems:
•Storage of nuclear waste
(DGD in Canadian shield proposed)
•Expensive
•Public trust / meltdown risk
(older systems)

Source: DOE, USA

•
Photovoltaic cells convert sunlight directly to electricity
•Energy of absorbed light transferred to a semiconductor (silicon)
•Electrons knocked loose and flow freely in a direction determined by the cell’s electric fields
•The current (flow) of electrons is collected by metal contacts at the two ends of the cell
•
Expensive?
(consider environmental/health benefit)

• Near zero environmental impact
• Potential exists to reverse current level of impact from other sources
• Each turbine powers at least 250
Alberta homes!
• It’s windy here!

Photo: WIRED

• 75% of the universe’s mass !
• Fuel cells convert hydrogen to electricity
• Combustion engines can be fuelled by hydrogen (Ballard Power –
Canadian company and leader in this field)
• H + H + O converted to H
2
O – electricity is produced

O
2
+ 4H + + 4e => 2H
2
O
2H
2
=> 4H + + 4e
NET REACTION: 2H
2
+ O
2
=> 2H
2
O

1985 - Canada
1990 - Canada
1991 - Japan
1992 - Canada
1993 - Japan
1994 - Canada
1995 - Norway
1996 - Canada
1997 - Canada
1998 - Canada
1999 - Canada
2000 - Norway
2001 - Norway
2002 - Norway
2003 - Norway
2004 - Norway

2NO + O
2
NO
2
O + O
2

2NO
2
+ sunlight

NO + O

O
3
CH
CH
CH
3
4
3
+ OH

CH
3
+ O
2
O
2

CH
3
+ H
O
2
+ NO

CH
3
2
O
O + NO
2
CH
3
O + O
2

H
2
CO + HO
2

H
2
CO

HCO + H
HCO + O
2

CO + HO
2
H + O2

HO
2
CO + OH

H + CO
2
H + O2

HO
2
Peroxy radicals can re-oxidize
NO to NO
2

O
3
-bronchial constriction
-respiratory irritation
-eye irritation
-decreased crop yields
-retards plant growth
-damages plastics, rubber
-odour
VOCs
- eye irritation
-respiratory irritation
-some are natural (terpenes)
-some are carcinogenic
NO
2
-decreased visibility
-heart and lung problems
-suppressed plantgrowth
-decreased infection resistance
-may encourage cancer spread
NO
2
+ R
 peroxyacetyl nitrates
-high toxicity to plants
-respiratory irritation
-damaging to proteins
-eye irritation

1. Walk , ride or use public transportation
(buses are far more efficient than cars)
2. Choose a fuel-efficient car
3. Consider car-pooling for long commutes
4. Don’t idle
. It’s no longer necessary
5. Test your older car’s emissions system
6. Don’t air condition unless necessary
7. Lower the thermostat in the winter
8. Use a pushmower.
It’s easier anyway!

9.
Are snowblowers and powerboats
(for recreation) necessary?
10.
Properly insulate your home
11. Choose cleaner fuels
12.
Choose low-solvent cleaners and paints
13.
Live near to the workplace.
14.
Choose local products whenever possible

Increases energy demand in summer
Air-conditioning also releases CFCs!
Heat related issues in summer (
 elderly death rate)
Decreases energy demand in winter

Source: NASA http://science.msfc.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/essd01jul98_1.htm

• Drinking water generally very good
• Contamination of water courses, and groundwater in some areas
•
Contamination affects the shellfish and to some extent, the fishing industries
•
E coli (Walkerton) & Salmonella

1990
Yellow
2000
Yellow
+ Orange
Image: A. Schneider, NASA Earth Observatory