Fossil Fuel basics
Fossil Fuel made from ancient plants that are subjected to heat and pressure
What is Coal
What is a device that can be used too automatically adjust temperatures in your house to be eco-friendly?
Smart thermostat
Energy generated from flowing or falling water.
Hydroelectric power
The basic process by which most power plants (fossil fuel, nuclear, biomass, geothermal) generate electricity
Turning a turbine to power a generator
The fossil fuel that produces the most CO₂ emissions per unit of energy.
Coal
Petroleum and Natural Gas form form what ancient organisms?
Algae/zoplankton
Name two ways to reduce electricity use at home
What is using LED bulbs, lowering thermostat, unplugging devices, Energy Star appliances?
This renewable source uses sunlight directly to produce electricity.
Photovoltaic cells/solar panels
Nuclear fission uses this isotope of uranium because it is easily split.
U-235
A major environmental problem caused by runoff from mountaintop removal mining.
Water pollution/acid mine draining
What is Fracking/ hydraulic fracturing
What is the concept that measures the energy we invest to get a resource vs how much we get out of it
EROI (energy return on investment)
Two disadvantages of wind power.
Aesthetic concerns, bird deaths, wind isnt constant
As conventional oil declines, we increasingly rely on unconventional sources such as ____ and ____.
Burning fossil fuels releases sulfur dioxide, contributing to this environmental problem.
Sulfur rain
What mining method chops off the top of a land feature to access coal
Mountain top removal
what term is used for when we reduce energy waste by improving technology
Energy efficiency
This renewable uses heat from Earth’s interior to produce steam.
Geothermal energy
A lower EROI means this about the cost and environmental impact of a fuel.
Higher cost and higher environmental impact because it requires far more energy to obtain the resources
Nuclear power produces this type of long-lived dangerous waste.
Radioactive waste
What are the three types of coal from lowest to highest energy content
Lignite, Bituminous, Anthracite
Where do buildings lose the most heat from
Windows and the roof
Biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel differ from fossil fuels because they are considered
Carbon neutral/ renewable because the plants absorb the carbon produced from burning the fuel (theoretically)
The unit of electricity calculated as energy per unit time, often expressed in kWh.
Power
hydroelectric dams can cause what major ecological consequences
Habitat loss, fish migration disruption, destruction of ecosystems