Transcript Avail, Distrib and Manage of Natural Resources notes

Availability, Distribution and
Management of Natural
Resources
Environment and Ecology
Standards 4.2.B & C
Almost every resource needs to be
removed from the Earth and
processed in some way before it can
be used.
What ultimately determines the
availability of resources are the costs
involved in removing/extracting it from
the Earth and the costs involved in
processing/refining them into
products.
1. Removing/Extracting
Earth’s Resources –
Over time, technology
has increased the
efficiency of obtaining
our natural resources.
A. Farming practices –
changed from using
human/animal labor to
increased use of farm
machinery.
B. Tree harvesting
– changed from
using an ax and
hand saw to
chainsaws and
circular saws.
C. Quarries – are
another example of
surface mining.
They are an
excavation pit in
ground from which
mineral resources
are removed.
Ex. Granite, marble,
stone, gravel, sand,
etc…
D. Oil and Gas
Wells – A rig is
used to drill for
oil/natural gas.
After oil/natural
gas is found, the
rig can be
converted into a
pump to draw out
the resources.
2. Factors that can affect
resource availability.
A. Biological infestations – pests or invasive
species.
B. Severe weather – excess precipitation,
drought, temperature extremes, natural
disasters, etc…
C. Fire – either by natural or human means.
What were some of the examples given in
the case study?
3.
Distribution and management of
Natural Resources.
We have come to expect many things in our
homes in order to carry on a normal life.
Most of the items in your home were once
natural resources that needed to be
harvested/mined, processed, transported,
sometimes made into a product, and then
purchased.
Obviously, we cannot look at every item but
let’s take a look at an essential one –
electricity.
1. In PA, more than
half of the
electricity comes
from coal-burning
power plants.
So how do we get
the coal?
(remember the
cookie)
We mine for it.
2. Mining PA’s Coal
A. Most of the coal
used in power plants
is bituminous coal.
Where is this coal
mostly found?
There are roughly 22
billion tons of coal
reserves in Western
PA.
B. The coal is mined by
either using surface
mining or subsurface
mining.
Most of the coal in
PA is removed by
using subsurface
mining.
The two most
common methods
are:
1. Room and pillar
method.
2. Longwall method.
Surface mining is
also used. One of
the major
differences is that
the overburden
(trees, soil, and
rock) needs to be
removed to get to
the coal.
The most common
types are:
1. Strip mining.
2. Open pit mining.
C. Remember that mining is expensive.
It takes time and money to locate and then
remove the coal. It takes many different
machines and vehicles to remove and
transport the coal. These machines require
energy to work.
Mining is also very dangerous to workers.
Whether in subsurface or surface mines,
there are a lot of hazards.
Could you list a few?
D. Mining coal is
harmful to the
environment.
PA’s bituminous coal
contains a large
amount of pyrite.
(fool’s gold)
Pyrite is a mixture
of iron and sulfur.
When it is exposed
to air and water, it
forms sulfuric acid
and iron hydroxide.
In other words, acid
mine drainage.
Acid mine damage is the major source of
water pollution in PA.
Over $500 million has be spent to correct
many problems associated with A.M.D.
Currently, a company cannot get a permit
to mine unless they have steps to control
and correct A.M.D.
Coal mining changes the landscape and
habitats of the environment.
Prior to 1970, most mined land was
abandoned after the mining was complete.
The Surface Mining Control and
Reclamation Act (1977) requires all
mining companies to restore mined land to
it’s original condition. This is called
reclamation.
Abandoned site.
After reclamation.
Coal is harmful when it is burned.
Impurities of sulfur and nitrogen react with air
and water to form sulfuric acid and nitric acid.
This cause acid precipitation that is carried by
weather patterns and affects soil and surface
waters.
3. PA’s Power Plants.
A. More than half are coal burning,
40% are nuclear, and a small amount
are hydroelectric and others.
B. We have already mentioned some the
drawbacks of burning coal but what
about nuclear and hydroelectric.
How a Coal Power Plant Works.
Nuclear power plants use
much less fuel than coal
to produce the same
amount of energy and
produce much less air
pollution.
There are safety hazards:
 The fuel is radioactive.
 The process, nuclear
fission, needs to be
controlled or it can be
extremely dangerous.
 The wastes are
radioactive. They need
to be stored and
disposed of properly.
How a Nuclear Power Plant works.
Hydroelectric plants cost
less to run, produce no air
pollution and no wastes.
They are limited by
location since a dam and
reservoir s needed.
Initial cost of building the
dam and reservoir.
Damage to habitats with
reservoir formation, reduce
flow of water, and
sedimentation build-up are
all problems.
4. From power plants to consumers.
Once the electricity is produced, it
must be distributed.
In the U.S., we have a power grid that
is made up of power plants, power
substations, and mainly, overhead
power lines.
The substations have transformers
that reduce the voltage needed by
most consumers.
Power Grid for the U.S.
That is the pathway of just one
resource, electricity. And even though
the pathway is advanced and improved
with technology, it is very inefficiently.
Roughly 2/3 of energy contained in coal
is wasted before it reaches your home
as electricity.
What is the lesson here?
We need to conserve our natural
resources.
4. Conservation – is the proper use and
management of all of Earth’s resources to
prevent exploitation, pollution, destruction,
or neglect of the resources so that they are
available in the future.
Many organizations help promote conserve:
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EPA
Global Response
Conservation International
International Energy Agency.