Energy

1
Energy

• Chapter 23 Lesson 3

2
Using Energy

• Energy keeps our world going.
• As the world population has grown, the need for
  energy has skyrocketed.
• Keeping up with this demand for energy is one of
  the biggest challenges we face in the
  twenty-first century.
• We need to find ways to stop wasting energy.
• Conservation is one solution to this problem.
• Limiting our use of energy.

3
Using Energy

• Where does our energy come from?
• It is generated in a power plant, which uses
  power lines to get electricity to your home.
• Most power plants burn fuel to produce steam from
  water the steam then drives a generator.
• Coal, petroleum (oil), and natural gas run
  generators in power plants.
• Huge chemical plants called refinery extract
  gasoline from petroleum.
• Gasoline runs cars.

4
Using Energy

• Coal, petroleum, and natural gas make up more
  than 80 of the worlds energy resources.
• Fossil fuels
• Formed from rotting plants and animals deep in
  the Earth.
• Nonrenewable resources.
• Cannot easily be replaced.

5
Meeting Energy Needs

• Most developed countries have relied on fossil
  fuels for energy.
• Faced many challenges.
• Much of the worlds oil reserves are in the Middle
  East.
• In 1973 many of the worlds biggest oil producers
  cut production and formed OPEC.
• Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.
• Raised oil prices
• Caused a global oil crisis.
• United States imports a great deal of its oil
  from OPEC.
• To solve this in 2001 President Bush began a
  campaign toward self-sufficiency.

6
Meeting Energy Needs

• Fossil fuels give off carbon dioxide when they
  burn.
• One nonrenewable resource that does not give off
  carbon dioxide is nuclear energy.
• Nuclear power uses steam to drive a generator but
  uses nuclear fuel instead of fossil fuels.
• Heat is formed by splitting atoms.
• Could last thousands of years.

7
Meeting Energy Needs

• Nuclear power is good but things can go wrong.
• In 1986 the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the
  Soviet Union had a terrible accident.
• Gases and steam blew off the top of the concrete
  building.
• Radioactive gases escaped into the atmosphere.
• About 30 people died.
• Some scientist think an additional 40,000 cancer
  deaths will occur over time due to exposure to
  nuclear radiation.
• Another problem with nuclear power is the waste
  it produces remains radioactive for thousands of
  years.
• Must be buried underground.

8
Alternative Energy

• Some people think we should use renewable
  resources.
• Solar energy, water, and wind.
• Cannot be used up easily.
• Some power plants are using giant windmills to
  drive generators.
• Others are using water power from rapidly flowing
  rivers or dams.
• Hydroelectric energy
• Water falls are a great source.
• Iguacu Falls is a major source of energy in South
  America.
• Niagara Falls in Canada provides a portion of
  Ontarios energy needs.

9
Alternative Energy

• Geothermal Energy
• Super-hot water underground.
• Many power plants could tap into this source.
• But it can only provide a portion of our energy
  needs.
• Scientist are trying to create entirely new ways
  of producing energy.
• Nuclear fusion
• joining together of nuclear atoms instead of
  splitting apart.
• Releases energy and does not produce dangerous
  waste products.

10
Alternative Energy

• Many changes need to be made to tackle energy
  challenges.
• Make automobiles and trucks more energy
  efficient.
• Hybrid cars.
• Smaller and lighter than traditional cars
• Have a much smaller gasoline engine.