Fossil Fuels
What are fossil fuels used for?
To generate electricity, power transportation, and heat buildings.
This device which is often seen spinning in fields is used to harness wind.
What are Wind turbines (AKA Windmills)?
These devices store excess electricity generated by solar panels.
What are solar batteries?
The sun produces enough energy to power the world for a year in approximately 90 minutes. As solar panels/batteries become increasingly efficient, the world can rely more on solar energy than fossil fuels.
Coal, natural gas, oil, tar sands
In World War 2, this event marked the first use of nuclear energy in warfare.
What is Hiroshima?
These are some of the benefits of wind energy.
What are less greenhouse gas emissions, low cost, creating jobs, use on land not suitable for agriculture?
2022 - investments in wind energy added 20 billion dollars to economy
Reduces 336 million tons of carbon emissions annually
These are advantages of solar energy.
What are low costs, low carbon footprint, and energy abundance?
Solar energy is less expensive than fossil fuels. It is expected to overtake fossil fuels as the leading energy source by 2050.
Why are fossil fuels bad for the environment?
Fossil fuels emit large amounts of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide when burned. This contributes to climate change which then leads to global warming
What is the main fuel used in power plants?
What is Uranium?
These are some disadvantages of wind energy.
What are high costs in places with not enough wind, remoteness, impacts on local wildlife?
This is a disadvantage of solar energy.
What is waste production?
By 2050, solar plants could be responsible for up to 78 million tonnes of waste. No energy source is 100% clean.
How do fossil fuels produce energy?
Power plants burn coal or oil to create heat, which is to generate steam, then drives a turbine to produce electricity.
This type of energy source, when compared to fossil fuel, produce lower carbon emissions when generating electricity.
Hint: "Nuclear -----" Used in aircraft carriers, submarines.
What is nuclear power?
This region in America generates the most wind power.
What is the Midwest/Central region?
Texas - 92.9 TWh (Terawatt hours)
Iowa - 34.1 TWh
Oklahoma - 29.6 TWh
This is a key factor in the importance of solar energy.
What are low costs?
In the past decade, the price of solar panels have dropped by 62%, making it a very cost-effective form of energy.
These are two key reasons why fossil fuels are not viable energy sources.
What are high carbon emissions and limited supply?
This is the main reason nuclear energy is not a viable energy source.
What is high waste production?
These are some CST themes that wind energy helps achieve.
Life and dignity of the human person: provides electricity without polluting the air and killing our own environment
Call to Family. Community, Participation: Must work together to switch to sustainable energy
Rights and Responsibilities: Our duty to take care of planet for ourselves and future generations
Option for Poor and Vulnerable: Can help developing countries with economic growth
Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers: creates jobs
Solidarity: stands with and supports those fighting for enviornmental justice
What CST theme does solar energy help achieve?