Transcript Clean Renewable Energy...The Future

Fossil Fuels
• Problems
Carbon Emissions
Global Warming
Dependence on other
countries
• Supply
Annual U.S. Imports of
crude oil(2008): 4.7 billion barrels
Oil that ends up in the world
oceans annually (Est. 2008): 706
million gallons
Known world oil reserves (Est.
2009): 1.342 Trillion barrels
Clean Renewable Energy
Renewable Energy is any method of
producing energy by means of
renewable resources with little or no
adverse effect on the surrounding
environment.
Possibilities
Wind
Solar
Biofuel
Geothermal
Water/Hydro
Wind
Process
•
Giant turbines resembling fans are
installed in areas of high air flow. Those
turbines are then spun by the air flow. The
energy produced by their movement is
then transmitted to the local power grid.
Advantages
• Completely renewable
Disadvantages
• No carbon emissions
• Expensive to erect
• Low maintenance costs once
• Visually unappealing
installed
• Unreliable flow of energy
• Virtually no environmental impact
• Lack of transmission grids
Solar
Process
• Solar Heat is collected through
panels located in sunny areas.
The heat is then used to turn
water into steam, which may
then be used to generate
electricity to be transferred into
the local power grid.
Advantages
• Completely renewable
• No carbon emissions
• Low maintenance costs once
installed
Disadvantages
•Challenge to find locations for
large solar farms for mass energy
production
Process
Biofuel
• Biomass refers to the combustion of
recently-live substances for the production of
energy. Plants ranging from corn to sugar
cane, have the ability to be burned for fuel in
a process similar to the burning of fossil
fuels. However, while the processes for
burning both are very similar, biomass
produces far less environmental damage.
Advantages
• Easy conversion from fossil
fuels
• Reduces the amount of
carbon in the atmosphere
• Easily renewable
• Sustainable Sources
•For example sugarcane
and corn
Disadvantages
• Aside from carbon, it still produces
the same pollutants as fossil fuels
• Relatively inefficient
• Expensive to produce
• Decreases available land for food
cultivation, and reduces crops
reserved for food consumption
Geothermal
Process
•
Energy originating from the creation of the
planet, decay of radioactive particles, and
the absorption of sunrays, is trapped below
the earth’s surface. By drilling into the
earth’s crust and using one of multiple
techniques, it is possible to extract that
energy in the form of hot water
Advantages
• Completely renewable
• Requires very little land area
• Creates no pollution
• Extremely efficient for space
heating
Disadvantages
• High start up costs
• Inefficient for electricity
generation
• Limited by geography
Water/Hydropower
Process
•
Hydropower comes from the
harnessing of water movements to turn
large turbines which, in turn, generate
electricity with the energy transferred
from the water.
• Tidal
• Ocean Current
• Waves
• Dams
Advantages
•
•
•
•
Completely renewable
Creates no negative emissions
Diversified sources
Extremely efficient - Dams
Disadvantages
• Isolated area of production
• High start-up costs
• Electricity transmission
problems
• Environmental impact – Dams
Mr. Francis’s Class
Solar
Owen S
Alli K
Zacharie
Chloe
Ryan
Rachel
Wind
Kayla
Shannon
Gianna C
Noah
Daniela
Emma F
Geothermal
Kirsti
Brenden
Sean
Dylan
Nick
Kevin
Water
Biofuel
Jacob
Sam
Kay
Blake
Kellen
Colin
Avery
Danilo
Aritra
Daniel
Tara
Gianna M
Mrs. Seabrook’s Class
Solar
Wind
Geothermal
Water
Biofuel