Exam 20: Conventional Energy Alternatives

Read the following scenario and answer the questions below. The United States consumes 21% of the world's petroleum. Most is used for transportation, and most of it is imported. In 1992, after the first Gulf War, the federal government passed the Energy Policy Act, whose goal was to replace transportation- related petroleum with alternative fuels. Biodiesel made from vegetable oil or animal fat is an economical alternative to petroleum-based fuels. It is safe, biodegradable, nontoxic, and has the highest energy balance of any liquid fuel. Unlike unrefined oils that can be burned directly as fuels, biodiesel can be used in conventional diesel engines without engine modification. It reduces wear without compromising performance, due to its high lubricity. It is renewable and emits far less air pollution when combusted as compared to petrodiesel. The raw material used to produce biodiesel exists in billions of gallons of vegetable oil used by restaurants each year, as well as in crops. Although biodiesel burns well in pure form (B100), commonly it is blended with petrodiesel in mixtures such as B20 and B5, which reduce toxic air pollution proportional to their biodiesel content. Biodiesel is currently available at over 600 filling stations nationwide. Demand is increasing due to federal and state tax incentives as well as the increased price and decreased availability of petrodiesel. More than 600 domestic fleets use biodiesel, including the military, NASA, Yellowstone National Park, and local governments. Many school districts use biodiesel-powered school buses. Musicians Neil Young, Bonnie Raitt, and Willie Nelson fuel their tour buses with biodiesel. Nelson, a lifelong supporter of American farmers, who benefit when their crops are used for fuel, sells his own brand, BioWillie Biodiesel, at many truck stops. Because biodiesel can be manufactured locally, fuel transportation costs are low, and dependence on foreign petroleum and the need for domestic oil exploration and development of sensitive wildlife areas, such as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, can be reduced when biodiesel is used as an alternative fuel. There is concern, however, that biodiesel from crops may not be sustainable in the long term. Crops which are potentially food for humans, such as rapeseed and soy, affect the price of foods and also require land, pesticides, fertilizers and irrigation which may contribute to environmental degradation and stress on already limited resources. -Biodiesel is to _______________ as ethanol is to gasoline.

Compare Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima Daiichi.

Worldwide, the most widely used renewable energy resource is _______________

Today ______________ provide Sweden with virtually all of its electricity.

The world's largest hydroelectric dam

Location in the United States evaluated then rejected as a possible repository for radioactive waste

Is the use of biofuels for power generation economically feasible and sustainable? Why or why not?

______________ strongly influences the amount of energy generated from hydropower.

The run- of- river approach to hydropower often involves _______________

Read the following scenario and answer the questions below. The United States consumes 21% of the world's petroleum. Most is used for transportation, and most of it is imported. In 1992, after the first Gulf War, the federal government passed the Energy Policy Act, whose goal was to replace transportation- related petroleum with alternative fuels. Biodiesel made from vegetable oil or animal fat is an economical alternative to petroleum-based fuels. It is safe, biodegradable, nontoxic, and has the highest energy balance of any liquid fuel. Unlike unrefined oils that can be burned directly as fuels, biodiesel can be used in conventional diesel engines without engine modification. It reduces wear without compromising performance, due to its high lubricity. It is renewable and emits far less air pollution when combusted as compared to petrodiesel. The raw material used to produce biodiesel exists in billions of gallons of vegetable oil used by restaurants each year, as well as in crops. Although biodiesel burns well in pure form (B100), commonly it is blended with petrodiesel in mixtures such as B20 and B5, which reduce toxic air pollution proportional to their biodiesel content. Biodiesel is currently available at over 600 filling stations nationwide. Demand is increasing due to federal and state tax incentives as well as the increased price and decreased availability of petrodiesel. More than 600 domestic fleets use biodiesel, including the military, NASA, Yellowstone National Park, and local governments. Many school districts use biodiesel-powered school buses. Musicians Neil Young, Bonnie Raitt, and Willie Nelson fuel their tour buses with biodiesel. Nelson, a lifelong supporter of American farmers, who benefit when their crops are used for fuel, sells his own brand, BioWillie Biodiesel, at many truck stops. Because biodiesel can be manufactured locally, fuel transportation costs are low, and dependence on foreign petroleum and the need for domestic oil exploration and development of sensitive wildlife areas, such as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, can be reduced when biodiesel is used as an alternative fuel. There is concern, however, that biodiesel from crops may not be sustainable in the long term. Crops which are potentially food for humans, such as rapeseed and soy, affect the price of foods and also require land, pesticides, fertilizers and irrigation which may contribute to environmental degradation and stress on already limited resources. -Both pyrolysis and gasification are ways of producing ______________ from ______________.

Discuss the conventional alternatives to fossil fuels. Why are we not using more renewables?

Read the following scenario and answer the questions below. The United States consumes 21% of the world's petroleum. Most is used for transportation, and most of it is imported. In 1992, after the first Gulf War, the federal government passed the Energy Policy Act, whose goal was to replace transportation- related petroleum with alternative fuels. Biodiesel made from vegetable oil or animal fat is an economical alternative to petroleum-based fuels. It is safe, biodegradable, nontoxic, and has the highest energy balance of any liquid fuel. Unlike unrefined oils that can be burned directly as fuels, biodiesel can be used in conventional diesel engines without engine modification. It reduces wear without compromising performance, due to its high lubricity. It is renewable and emits far less air pollution when combusted as compared to petrodiesel. The raw material used to produce biodiesel exists in billions of gallons of vegetable oil used by restaurants each year, as well as in crops. Although biodiesel burns well in pure form (B100), commonly it is blended with petrodiesel in mixtures such as B20 and B5, which reduce toxic air pollution proportional to their biodiesel content. Biodiesel is currently available at over 600 filling stations nationwide. Demand is increasing due to federal and state tax incentives as well as the increased price and decreased availability of petrodiesel. More than 600 domestic fleets use biodiesel, including the military, NASA, Yellowstone National Park, and local governments. Many school districts use biodiesel-powered school buses. Musicians Neil Young, Bonnie Raitt, and Willie Nelson fuel their tour buses with biodiesel. Nelson, a lifelong supporter of American farmers, who benefit when their crops are used for fuel, sells his own brand, BioWillie Biodiesel, at many truck stops. Because biodiesel can be manufactured locally, fuel transportation costs are low, and dependence on foreign petroleum and the need for domestic oil exploration and development of sensitive wildlife areas, such as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, can be reduced when biodiesel is used as an alternative fuel. There is concern, however, that biodiesel from crops may not be sustainable in the long term. Crops which are potentially food for humans, such as rapeseed and soy, affect the price of foods and also require land, pesticides, fertilizers and irrigation which may contribute to environmental degradation and stress on already limited resources. -A major barrier preventing more widespread use of biodiesel is _______________

The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER)is a _______________

Read the following scenario and answer the questions below. The United States consumes 21% of the world's petroleum. Most is used for transportation, and most of it is imported. In 1992, after the first Gulf War, the federal government passed the Energy Policy Act, whose goal was to replace transportation- related petroleum with alternative fuels. Biodiesel made from vegetable oil or animal fat is an economical alternative to petroleum-based fuels. It is safe, biodegradable, nontoxic, and has the highest energy balance of any liquid fuel. Unlike unrefined oils that can be burned directly as fuels, biodiesel can be used in conventional diesel engines without engine modification. It reduces wear without compromising performance, due to its high lubricity. It is renewable and emits far less air pollution when combusted as compared to petrodiesel. The raw material used to produce biodiesel exists in billions of gallons of vegetable oil used by restaurants each year, as well as in crops. Although biodiesel burns well in pure form (B100), commonly it is blended with petrodiesel in mixtures such as B20 and B5, which reduce toxic air pollution proportional to their biodiesel content. Biodiesel is currently available at over 600 filling stations nationwide. Demand is increasing due to federal and state tax incentives as well as the increased price and decreased availability of petrodiesel. More than 600 domestic fleets use biodiesel, including the military, NASA, Yellowstone National Park, and local governments. Many school districts use biodiesel-powered school buses. Musicians Neil Young, Bonnie Raitt, and Willie Nelson fuel their tour buses with biodiesel. Nelson, a lifelong supporter of American farmers, who benefit when their crops are used for fuel, sells his own brand, BioWillie Biodiesel, at many truck stops. Because biodiesel can be manufactured locally, fuel transportation costs are low, and dependence on foreign petroleum and the need for domestic oil exploration and development of sensitive wildlife areas, such as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, can be reduced when biodiesel is used as an alternative fuel. There is concern, however, that biodiesel from crops may not be sustainable in the long term. Crops which are potentially food for humans, such as rapeseed and soy, affect the price of foods and also require land, pesticides, fertilizers and irrigation which may contribute to environmental degradation and stress on already limited resources. -One key advantage of hydropower is that _______________

Use the accompanying figure to answer the following questions. -The power source with the most stable U.S. consumption pattern since 1970 is _______________

Briefly discuss the pros and cons of hydropower.

Explain nuclear meltdown.

Sweden had to rescind its pledge to replace completely nuclear power with renewable energy because _______________

Compare the environmental effects of coal and uranium as power sources.

Biofuel that does not require the growing of food crops to produce