AP Environmental Science

Renewable and Non-renewable Resources – chap 15-17

Check out this overview of energy units and conversions | and this interactive review of conversions (click on "converting units)

Overview of government subsidies -- often applied to energy research, development, and exploration

I. Finding and removing non-renewable resources

A. mineral resources (ores) are formed when geologic processes concentrate elements – (recall the rock cycle - geology unit 1st semester)

B. resources include metallic, non-metallic, and energy resources | check out this excellent overview

C. various mining methods are used – fig. 15-11 and p. 345 text

II. Environmental issues with mining

A. effects result from the all phases of mining and mineral resource use – fig. 15-10

B. water pollution, air pollution, and aesthetic effects are the most prominent

C. there is a finite supply (fig. 15-7 and 15-16)

1. new technologies sometimes make it possible to recover more minerals than in the past

2. the oceans are a possible new source - fig. 15-17

3. substituting other materials

4. Reducing use and recycling

D. In the US, an 1872 mining law governs mining on public land and is controversial – case study p. S54

            E. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act regulates mining cleanup (p. 534 and 605)

III. energy resources

A. current uses and trends

1. non-renewable energy sources – fig. 16-2

2. energy use varies with history/economics

3. world and US use of various energy sources (16-3)

4. energy consumption trends

5. future projections

B. Evaluating energy sources

1. net energy is the amount of energy gained from a source after subtracting the amount used to obtain it. This number is expressed as a ratio

2. comparison of various sources; ratio depends on how the energy is used (fig. 16-4)

C. Oil

1. refining – fig. 16-5

2. US supplies – p. S57

3. projections for future supplies –  text discussion p. 362 and case study p. 364

4. advantages and disadvantages are summarized in fig. 16-7

           5. oil shale and tar sands "new" sources of oil.  A look at some environmental impacts | see also fig. 16-9 and 16-10

D. Natural gas – p. 366-367 and fig. 16-11

E. Coal

1. different forms – fig. 16-12

2. projected depletion times

3. new technologies convert coal into liquid or gas fuels (fig. 16-15)

4. coal has major environmental drawbacks – fig. 16-14

F. Nuclear energy

1. currently used energy comes from fission of uranium (fig. 16-16 - overview of power plant operation)

2. uranium is processed after being mined – fig. 16-18 - the "nuclear fuel cycle"

3. advantages and disadvantages – fig. 16-19

4. low-level radioactive waste

5. high-level radioactive waste

6. new reactor technologies could help (fig. 16-21

7. is nuclear fusion a possible option? (p. 381)

IV. energy efficiency (chap 17)

A. overview of energy use and waste – fig. 17-2

B. net energy efficiency – fig. 17-4

C. saving energy in transportation

1. increasing fuel economy (CAFE) – fig. 17-5

2. hybrid-electric cars (fig. 17-7) are available now

3. fuel-cell cars (fig. 17-8 and 17-9) are in development

4. bicycles and walking

5. mass transit: rail/subways

6. mass transit: busses

7. bullet trains

Clean Car news:

D. saving energy in buildings

1. super-insulated house - fig. 17-9

2. passive and active solar - fig. 17-12, 13, 14

3. energy-saving lights, electronics and appliances

More links:

Several buildings in the DC area have received recognition as "green" buildings:

A few others

                    Smart Growth:

V. Renewable energy sources

A. solar

1. solar heating can be active or passive (fig. 1712, 17-13, 17-14)

2. advantages and disadvantages – fig. 17-14 and 17-15 and 17-19

3. availability of solar varies around the world (p. S59)

4. various technologies harness solar energy (example fig. 17-18)

5. techniques for green design have been incorporated into some buildings (more here)

B. hydroelectric power and other water sources

1. advantages and disadvantages – fig. 17-20

2. electricity from tides, waves, and heat in water – p. 400

C. wind

1. design of wind farms - fig. 17-21

2. advantages and disadvantages – fig. 17-22

D. biomass (also called biofuels and biodiesel)

1. what is it? Fig. 17-23

2. advantages and disadvantages - fig. 17-25, 17-27 (ethanol); 17-29 (biodiesel); 17-30 (methanol)

E. geothermal energy

1. pros and cons – fig. 17-32

2. sources

F. moving to a “hydrogen economy” – p. 410ff

1. generation of hydrogen fuel

2. how the system could work

3. pros and cons – fig. 17-33

G. shifting to decentralized “micropower”

1. comparing modern “centralized” power systems with future micropower systems – fig. 17-35

2. advantages of micropower – fig. 18-33

H. what can we do?

1. government role – research, policy, subsidies (fig. 17-36)

2. individual role – consumer choice in appliances, vehicles, electricity source

3. overview of solutions – fig 17-36 and 17-37

Links for Sustainable Resource use and Environmentally friendly items:

Cars and buildings

Other materials