Subjects

AP Environmental Science

Energy resources and consumption

Fuel types and uses i

Energy: Renewable vs Nonrenewable Resources for APES - Differences, Examples & More

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Energy: Renewable vs Nonrenewable Resources for APES - Differences, Examples & More

Aubrey Longanecker

@along06

11 Followers

Renewable vs Nonrenewable Energy Sources: A Comprehensive Guide

This guide explores the key differences between renewable and non-renewable resources, their global consumption patterns, and various fuel types and uses. It provides essential information for students studying environmental science and energy resources.

• Covers renewable and nonrenewable energy sources, their characteristics, and examples
• Examines global energy consumption trends in developed and developing nations
• Discusses various fuel types, their formation, and uses in energy production
• Explores natural energy resource distribution and extraction methods
• Explains the combustion process and electricity generation from fossil fuels

5/1/2023

168

Unit 6.1: Renewable Vs. Nonrenewable Energy Sources Notes
Renewable: can be replenished naturally, at or near rate of consumption.
→depleted

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Natural Energy Resource Distribution

This section explores the global distribution of energy reserves and discusses extraction methods for fossil fuels.

Energy Reserves (estimated years of supply at current consumption rates): • Coal: 100-150 years (USA, Russia, China, Australia) • Natural Gas: 50-60 years (Russia, Iran, Qatar, USA, Saudi Arabia) • Oil: 50 years (Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Canada, Iraq)

Vocabulary: Hydraulic Fracturing (fracking) - A method of natural gas extraction that releases gas trapped in rock layers, particularly shale.

Key Points: • Fossil fuels are nonrenewable and finite, but short-term profit drives extraction • Undiscovered and unharvested reserves represent economic potential for countries • Oil sands, such as those in Alberta, Canada, extend the supply of crude oil but require high water and energy inputs for extraction

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Global Energy Consumption Patterns

This section examines the differences in energy consumption between developed and developing nations, highlighting the factors that influence energy use and the most common energy sources.

Highlight: Developed nations use more energy on a per capita basis, but developing nations use more energy in total due to their higher populations.

Key Points: • The average U.S. resident uses five times as much energy as the world average. • Developing nations are still industrializing and experiencing rapid population growth. • Energy use increases on a per-person basis as economies industrialize. • Fossil fuels are the most commonly used energy source globally.

Common Energy Sources:

Oil: Used for gasoline in vehicles
Coal: Primary fuel for electricity generation
Natural gas: Used for electricity and heating
Hydroelectric energy: Second-largest source of electricity
Nuclear energy: Third-largest source of electricity

Example: Less developed nations often depend on subsistence fuels like biomass, which can lead to deforestation.

Factors Influencing Energy Use: • Economic development: Higher GDP per capita correlates with increased energy use • Availability of fossil fuels: Depends on discovered reserves and their accessibility • Price fluctuations: Affected by new discoveries and depletion of old reserves • Government regulations: Can mandate energy source mixes and influence usage through taxes and incentives

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Fuel Types and Uses

This section provides an in-depth look at various fuel types, their formation processes, and their uses in energy production.

Subsistence Fuels: • Found or gathered by hand, commonly used in developing countries • Examples: Wood and charcoal

Highlight: Wood is free or cheap but causes deforestation and habitat loss. Charcoal is made by heating wood under low oxygen conditions.

Coal Formation and Types: • Peat: Partially decomposed organic matter found in bogs and moors • Coal types (in order of increasing energy density): Lignite → Bituminous → Anthracite

Vocabulary: Lignite - A soft, brown coal that is an early stage in coal formation.

Natural Gas: • Formed from decaying remains buried under layers of rock • Mostly composed of methane (CH4) • Considered the "cleanest" fossil fuel, producing fewer air pollutants and CO2 when burned

Crude Oil (Petroleum): • Formed from decaying organic matter trapped under rocks • Extracted by drilling wells through overlying rock layers • Can be recovered from tar sands (mixture of clay, sand, water, and bitumen)

Definition: Bitumen is a thick, sticky semi-solid form of petroleum found in tar sands.

Fossil Fuel Products: • Crude oil is converted to different products through fractional distillation • Products range from lighter (e.g., petroleum gas) to heavier (e.g., bitumen for asphalt)

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Fossil Fuels and Electricity Generation

This final section discusses the combustion process of fossil fuels and their role in electricity generation.

Combustion: • A reaction between oxygen and fossil fuels (hydrocarbons) that releases energy as heat • Produces carbon dioxide and water as byproducts • Applies to natural gas, gasoline, propane, butane, coal, wood, and biomass

Highlight: Combustion is a key step in the carbon cycle.

Electricity Generation: • Coal is the primary source, followed by natural gas • Process: Heat water into steam → Steam turns turbines → Turbines power generators → Electricity is produced • Other sources include oil, biomass, trash, and nuclear fission

Example: Coal-fired power plants, while effective for electricity generation, can destroy habitats and produce significant pollution.

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Renewable vs Nonrenewable Energy Sources

This section introduces the fundamental concepts of renewable and nonrenewable energy sources, providing clear definitions and examples of each.

Definition: Renewable energy sources can be replenished naturally at or near the rate of consumption, while nonrenewable sources exist in fixed amounts on Earth and cannot be replaced within human timescales.

Renewable Energy Sources: • Depleted renewables: Can run out if overused (e.g., biomass like wood, charcoal, and ethanol) • Nondepletable renewables: Do not run out (e.g., solar, wind, hydroelectric, and geothermal)

Nonrenewable Energy Sources: • Fossil fuels: Formed from fossilized remains of ancient biomass over millions of years (e.g., coal, oil, and natural gas) • Nuclear energy: Generated from uranium or other radioactive fuels

Highlight: The key difference between renewable and nonrenewable resources lies in their rate of regeneration compared to their rate of use. Renewable resources must be used at or below their rate of regeneration to remain sustainable.

Example: Fossil fuels will eventually run out because they take far longer to regenerate than the rate at which we use them.

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Subjects

AP Environmental Science

Energy resources and consumption

Fuel types and uses i

Energy: Renewable vs Nonrenewable Resources for APES - Differences, Examples & More

Aubrey Longanecker

@along06

11 Followers

Renewable vs Nonrenewable Energy Sources: A Comprehensive Guide

5/1/2023

168

AP Environmental Science

Natural Energy Resource Distribution

This section explores the global distribution of energy reserves and discusses extraction methods for fossil fuels.

Vocabulary: Hydraulic Fracturing (fracking) - A method of natural gas extraction that releases gas trapped in rock layers, particularly shale.

Global Energy Consumption Patterns

This section examines the differences in energy consumption between developed and developing nations, highlighting the factors that influence energy use and the most common energy sources.

Highlight: Developed nations use more energy on a per capita basis, but developing nations use more energy in total due to their higher populations.

Common Energy Sources:

Oil: Used for gasoline in vehicles
Coal: Primary fuel for electricity generation
Natural gas: Used for electricity and heating
Hydroelectric energy: Second-largest source of electricity
Nuclear energy: Third-largest source of electricity

Example: Less developed nations often depend on subsistence fuels like biomass, which can lead to deforestation.

Fuel Types and Uses

This section provides an in-depth look at various fuel types, their formation processes, and their uses in energy production.

Subsistence Fuels: • Found or gathered by hand, commonly used in developing countries • Examples: Wood and charcoal

Highlight: Wood is free or cheap but causes deforestation and habitat loss. Charcoal is made by heating wood under low oxygen conditions.

Coal Formation and Types: • Peat: Partially decomposed organic matter found in bogs and moors • Coal types (in order of increasing energy density): Lignite → Bituminous → Anthracite

Vocabulary: Lignite - A soft, brown coal that is an early stage in coal formation.

Definition: Bitumen is a thick, sticky semi-solid form of petroleum found in tar sands.

Fossil Fuel Products: • Crude oil is converted to different products through fractional distillation • Products range from lighter (e.g., petroleum gas) to heavier (e.g., bitumen for asphalt)

Fossil Fuels and Electricity Generation

This final section discusses the combustion process of fossil fuels and their role in electricity generation.

Highlight: Combustion is a key step in the carbon cycle.

Example: Coal-fired power plants, while effective for electricity generation, can destroy habitats and produce significant pollution.

Renewable vs Nonrenewable Energy Sources

This section introduces the fundamental concepts of renewable and nonrenewable energy sources, providing clear definitions and examples of each.

Definition: Renewable energy sources can be replenished naturally at or near the rate of consumption, while nonrenewable sources exist in fixed amounts on Earth and cannot be replaced within human timescales.

Highlight: The key difference between renewable and nonrenewable resources lies in their rate of regeneration compared to their rate of use. Renewable resources must be used at or below their rate of regeneration to remain sustainable.