Chapter 15 Flashcards
(15 cards)
Groundwater depletion solutions
Prevention Waste less water Ban new well in aquifers Subsidize water conservation Limit number of wells Control Raise price of water to discourage waste
Reducing water waste?
Redesign manufacturing processes
Landscape yards with local plants that require little water
Use drip irrigation
Fix water leaks
What is a mineral?
Inorganic elements or compounds with regular crystal structure
What is a rock?
Solid combination of 1+ minerals in the crust
How are buried surface mineral deposits removed?
Open-Pit Mine
Dredging
Area Strip Mining
contour Strip mining
Will we have enough in the future?
Depletion Time A Mine, use, throw away, no new discoveries rising prices. Depletion Time B Recycle Depletion Time C Recycle, reuse, reduce consumption
Commercial Energy Use by source
Canada Hydro 26% Nuclear 7% Natural gas 25% Oil 31% Coal 10%
Commercial Energy Use by source World
Hydro 3% Nuclear 6% Natural gas 21% Coal 24% Oil 34%
Canadian energy use by sector?
Transportation 30% Industrial 37% Agriculture 2% Residential 17% Insitutional 14%
What is net energy?
Usable amount of high-end quality energy available from a given quantity of a resource
Total energy available - energy needed to find extract
The higher the ratio the greater the net energy
How long will conventional oil supplies last?
12 OPEC Middle east has 71% of the oil
Predictions say oil will last between 42 - 93 years
Can we meet the world’s growing demand for oil?
We need to discover oil reserves equivalent to Saudi Arabian supply every 10 years, Canada could supply 6 years
China and India rapidly consuming oil
How useful are heavy oils from oil sand and oil shale?
Oil sands
Clay sand water bitumen
Bitumen
High viscosity thick heavy oil with high sulfur content
How is coal used and how long will supplies last?
Generates 40% of world electricity
Most abundant fossil fuel
Reserves expect to last 100-250 years
Life cycle of uranium?
Mining
Processing in to fuel
Use in a reactor
