(coal notes L-1)

Renewable resources – resources replaced as they used

Ex. Water, plants (trees), air, sun

Nonrenewable Resources have a limited supply

Ex. Minerals and Fossil fuels

Fossil Fuels – Forms of stored energy that are remains of living things made primarily of carbon and hydrogen through the process of carbonization. Ex. coal, oil, natural gas

*Carbonization – The decomposition of plants releasing gases which change the chemical composition of the plants leaving only carbon and hydrogen.

Coal- decomposed vegetation which is turned into solid brittle rock when it is compressed over a long period of time.

- most abundant fossil fuel

- less expensive than coal

- least efficient for energy production compared to oil and N.G

- should last for about 250 years at the current rate of use in the U.S.

- use decreased during the 40’s and 50’s because oil and gas were easier to use but has been increasing use since the Arab Oil Embargo of 1973 (look it up)

- It is now used mainly for the generation of electricity

- Mostly transported by train or barge

- China is the major producer and the U.S. is second

- The most pollutant fossil fuel

Problems with coal

- contains sulfur causing air pollution when burned. – makes acid rain

- high amounts of air pollution (CO2 and SO2) are given off by coal power plants

- causes more air pollution when burned than any other fossil fuel

- mining causes land and water pollution (see mining notes)

Types of Coal – pg. 446

(Describe each of the following fuels)

Peat à Lignite à Subbituminous à Bituminous à Anthracite

Coke – coal that was heated without oxygen to made carbon to blend with iron to make steel

Centralia coal fire video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkHfnp2czZQ

coal mining video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeXLuaEsNx0

Coal Mining

- Underground mining – dangerous ex. Collapsed mines, fires, gas explosions, and black lung – lungs are coated in coal dust

- Strip Mining - the overlying layer of rock is stripped to get to the coal from the surface – This is cheaper, safer, and yields 3X

more coal than underground mining

Problems with strip mining

- less than one-half of the mines have been reclaimed

(restored to their natural state)

- Acid Mine Drainage is when water reacts with minerals in the open mine forming highly acidic water, polluting the environment and killing aquatic organisms and waterfowl

Solutions to coal use

- Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 requires that mined land be restored to its primary use (forest, field, etc.)

- Clean Air Act of 1990 forces companies to reduce the emissions (release) of SO2 and NO2 when burning coal

- more coal in this country is coming from the mid-west instead of the east because it contains less sulfur

- new technologies are being invented to reduce air pollutants from coal (scrubber - sprays the gas with lime or calcium water binding the SO2, causing it to settle out – expensive process to install)

*Using natural gas is cleaner because it releases one-half the CO2 and SO2 of coal

Synthetic Fuels – Fuels produced by chemically changing fossil fuels like coal. They are cleaner burning pgs 446 -447

Ex. Liquid Coal –

Coal gas –

Oil Shale –

·  These processes are expensive and require a lot of water. The production process is very dirty. They actually produce more CO2.

·  These fuels are not yet a major energy source