Resourcesrenewable and non-renewable

Evaluate alternative energy technologies for use in North Carolina.

Created by Kella Randolph, M.Ed.

How to use this slide show

• This slide show was created to help students begin their own individual research into some environmental issues that we face today.

• Many pages have illustrations as well as links to follow.

• Some information is given with illustrations, but students should not stop reading there. The brief information given is only meant to be a springboard to further research.

nonrenewable resourcesThe earth provides resources that are exploitable by humans for useful purposes. Some of these are non-renewable resources, such as fossil fuels, that are difficult to replenish on a short time scale.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth

Non-Renewable Energy

Non-Renewable energy is the energy which is taken from the sources that are available on the earth in limited quantity and will vanish fifty-sixty years from now. Non-renewable sources are not environmental friendly and can have serious affect on our health. They are called non-renewable because they cannot be re-generated within a short span of time. Non-renewable sources exist in the form of fossil fuels, natural gas, oil and coal.

- See more at: http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/#sthash.gUHEPJ1M.dpuf

renewable resourcesre·new·a·ble

(rĭ-noo͞′ə-bəl, -nyoo͞′-)

adj.

Relating to or being a commodity or resource, such as solar energy or firewood, that is inexhaustible or replaceable by new growth.

http://reich-chemistry.wikispaces.com/Renewable+Energy

Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources harmonscience6.wikispaces.com

Source for the next three slides:The U.S. Geological Survey, Facts About Minerals (National Mining Association); Mineral Information Institute; the Energy Information Administration

• Uses of silica, uranium, and lithium

• http://www.nma.org/index.php/minerals-publications/40-common-minerals-and-their-uses

Uses of silica

Silica

• Aluminum and aluminum alloy producers and the chemical industry are major users of silicon metal. Silica is also used in manufacture of computer chips, glass and refractory materials; ceramics; abrasives; water filtration; component of hydraulic cements; filler in cosmetics, pharmaceutical, paper, insecticides; anti-caking agent in foods; flatting agent in paints; thermal insulator; and photovoltaic cells. China is the leading producer. The U.S. was 36 percent reliant on metallurgical grade silicon metal in 2012.

Uses of uranium

• Nearly 20 percent of America's electricity is produced using uranium in nuclear generation. It is also used for nuclear medicine, atomic dating, powering nuclear submarines and other uses in the U.S. defense system. The U.S. received 83 percent of its uranium from other countries in 2012.

Uses of lithium

• Compounds are used in ceramics and glass; batteries; lubricating greases; air treatment; in primary aluminum production; in the manufacture of lubricants and greases; rocket propellants; vitamin A synthesis; silver solder; batteries; medicine. Lithium ion batteries have become a substitute for nickel-cadmium batteries in hand held/portable electronic devices. There is one brine operation in Nevada. Australia, Chile and China are major producers. The U.S. was more than 70 percent reliant for lithium in 2012.

Some non-renewable energy sources:

The original organic material, with the aid of heat and pressure, becomes a fuel such as oil or gas. Earth minerals and metal ores, fossil fuels (such as coal, petroleum, and natural gas), nuclear fuels, and groundwater in certain aquifers are all non-renewable resources. ( Below is a photo of uranium ore.)

Metal ores and Earth minerals

• Metals are often extracted from the Earth by means of mining, resulting in ores that are relatively rich sources of the requisite elements. Ore is located by prospecting techniques, followed by the exploration and examination of deposits.

Silver mine Uranium mine

• Mineral sources are generally divided into surface mines, which are mined by excavation using heavy equipment, and subsurface mines. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal

Salt mine

lodelode (lōd) n. The metalliferous ore that fills a fissure in a rock formation. b. A vein of mineral ore deposited between clearly demarcated layers of rock.

This is gold.

Earth mineralsA rare earth mineral is a mineral which contains one or more rare earth elements as major metal constituents. Rare earth minerals are usually found in association with alkaline to peralkaline igneous complexes, in pegmatites associated with alkaline magmas and in or associated with carbonatiteintrusives. Perovskite mineral phases are common hosts to rare earth elements within the alkaline complexes. Mantle derived carbonate melts also are carriers of the rare earths. Hydrothermal deposits associated with alkaline magmatism contain a variety of rare earth minerals. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rare_earth_mineral

Water in certain aquafers

In certain areas, water has been trapped underground by impermeable rock deposits. No new water can enter to replenish this aquafer. So unlike a “regular” aquafer, when humans drill and extract this ancient water, the supply only gets lower. No new water seeps into the supply. Eventually all of this water will be gone, and the land above the empty space will at some time sink to fill the cavern.

Denver Basin Aquifers www.douglas.co.us

Saudi Kingdom Tapping non-renewable Aquifers for Farming www.juancole.com

CoalA coal mine in Wyoming, United States. Coal, produced over millions of years, is a finite and non-renewable resource on a human time scale.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-renewable_resource

To learn why the Dan River coal ash spill is such a huge disaster, please click on the link below.

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2014/02/19/arsenic-levels-rising-in-nc-river-hit-by-coal-ash-disaster/

Despite legislation meant to enact safety practices to prevent coal miners from getting black lung disease, workers are still being exposed to high levels of dust. Breathing coal dust causes black lung disease, which can be accompanied by coughing, congestion and difficulty with breathing, and is debilitating and irreversible. More than 10,000 miners died from it nationwide between 1995 and 2004.

http://video.pbs.org/widget/partnerplayer/2254607310/?start=0&end=0&chapterbar=false&endscreen=false&topbar=true&autoplay=false

North Carolina Natural GasState Turning to Fracking to Create Jobs

580 x 266 149.4KB

www.nasdaq.com

USGS.gov

Hydro-fracking destroys the clean water supply.800 x 533 79.9KB

www.catawbariverkeeper.org

Oil (petroleum)

Oil refinery

An oil refinery is an industrial process plant where crude oil is processed and refined into useful petroleum products.

Raw oil or unprocessed ("crude") oil is not very useful in the form it comes in out of the ground.

Oil needs to be separated into parts and refined before use in fuels and lubricants, and before some of the byproducts could be used in petrochemical processes to form materials such as plastics, and foams.

Petroleum fossil fuels are used in ship, automobile and aircraft engines.

These different hydrocarbons have different boiling points, which means they can be separated by distillation.

Since the lighter liquid elements are in great demand for use in internal combustion engines, a modern refinery will convert heavy hydrocarbons and lighter gaseous elements into these higher value products using complex and energy intensive processes.

Note: This article excerpts material from the Wikipedia article "Oil refinery", which is released under the GNU Free Documentation License.

placer depositplacer deposit, natural concentration of heavy minerals caused by the effect of gravity on moving particles.

uses of mineral resources

What are rocks, ores, and minerals?

Some mineral deposits mined in North Carolina

Another name for a fossil fuel is a hydro-carbonhydrocarbon, any of a class of organic chemical compounds composed only of the elements carbon (C) and hydrogen (H). The carbon atoms join together to form the framework of the compound; the hydrogen atoms attach to them in many different configurations. Hydrocarbons are the principal constituents of petroleum and natural gas. They serve as fuels and lubricants as well as raw materials for the production of plastics, fibres, rubbers, solvents, explosives, and industrial chemicals.

carbonizationCarbonization (or carbonisation) is the term for the conversion of an organic substance into carbon or a carbon-containing residue through pyrolysis or destructive distillation. It is often used in organic chemistry with reference to the generation of coal gas and coal tar from raw coal. Fossil fuels generally are the products of the carbonization of vegetable matter. The term carbonization is also applied to the pyrolysis of coal to produce coke. Carbonization is also a stage in the charcoal making process, and is considered the most important step of all since it has such power to influence the whole process from the growing tree to the final distribution of charcoal to various sources.[1]

In the wool processing industry, carbonising[2] is the name for a chemical process by which vegetable matter is removed from wool, it is part of the wool scouring process.

petrochemicalpetrochemical, in the strictest sense, any of a large group of chemicals (as distinct from fuels) derived from petroleum and natural gas and used for a variety of commercial purposes. The definition, however, has been broadened to include the whole range of aliphatic, aromatic, and naphthenic organic chemicals, as well as carbon black and such inorganic materials as sulfur and ammonia. In many instances, a specific chemical included among the petrochemicals may also be obtained from other sources, such as coal, coke, or vegetable products. For example, materials such as benzene and naphthalene can be made from petroleum.

environmental problems with fossil fuels

Natural Gas Fracking and the Environment: What About Water Use?

Drilling for natural gas using high volume hydraulic fracturing techniques requires a lot of freshwater. Obtaining that water can put additional pressures on water-stressed environments.

http://environment.about.com/od/fossilfuels/fl/Natural-Gas-Fracking-and-the-Environment-Water-Use.htm

Problems with the pipelineThere has been vocal opposition to the project from aboriginal groups, environmental groups, and a fluctuating proportion of Canadian citizens. A major worry is the risk of spills along the pipeline, which crosses fragile habitats. The developing company, Enbridge, has a spotty record when it comes to spills and other environmental violations. They are responsible for the largest inland oil spill in US history, when nearly a million gallons of crude oil originating from Canadian tar sands spilled in a tributary of the Kalamazoo River, in Michigan.

Another concern is the risks to coastal habitats as large tankers will have to maneuver in and out of the bay where Kitimat is located. Crude oil from tar sands is particularly heavy and a large proportion of it sinks when spilled in water, worsening the impacts on marine habitats and making cleanup more difficult. Beyond the environmental concerns, there are worries that these new industrial activities in the region will drive away tourism and cost non-oil industry jobs. http://environment.about.com/od/fossilfuels/fl/What-is-the-Northern-Gateway-Pipeline-and-Why-Does-It-Worry-So-Many.htm

Alternative Energies in the U.S.

• http://www.acwf.org/renewable-energy-north-carolina

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• http://www.alternativeenergync.com/

•

• http://sogpubs.unc.edu//electronicversions/pg/pgspsm08/article2.pdf?

•

• http://www.altenergy.org/

• Where Alternative Energy (non-fossil) sources are being used in North Carolina

http://www.acwf.org/renewable-

energy-north-carolina

http://www.alternativeenergync.

com/

http://sogpubs.unc.edu//electroni

cversions/pg/pgspsm08/article2.

pdf?

http://www.altenergy.org/

There is actually a wide variety of renewable energy resources

in NC. Which renewable energy options are available to you

depend on your geographical area in North Carolina and the

way your home is built or retrofitted.

Wind

Solar

Tides

Rain

Geothermal heat

Biofuels

Hydropower

These are just a portion of the renewable energy sources that

are currently being used in North Carolina. New renewable

energy sources are being discovered every single day, giving

consumers everywhere more control over where their energy

comes from and how much they have to pay for it.

These slides and links will help you to find more.

Usually, if you right-click on a link, and then select “open in a new tab” you can go to the linked site and not lose your place in the slide show.