Kelsey

=Kelsey= The Environment's Resources

lets use alternative forms of energy....

__//**THIS WILL WORK!!!!**//__
__Alternative Forms of Energy:__
 * Solar Energy
 * Biomass
 * Water (hydropower)
 * Wind Power
 * Geothermal

**===Solar Energy:===** can be converted into other forms of energy such as heat and electricity //**__photovoltaic energy:__**// conversion of sunlight into electricity __//**Solar Thermal Energy:**//__
 * solar energy can be converted to thermal (or heat) energy and used to:
 * 1) Heat water - for use in homes, buildings, or swimming pools
 * 2) Heat Spaces - inside greenhouses, homes, and other buildings
 * solar energy can be converted to electricity in two ways:
 * 1) Photovoltaic (PV devices) or "solar cells" - change sunlight directly into electricity
 * 2) Solar Power Plants - Indirectly generate electricity when the heat from solar thermal collectors is used to heat a fluid which produces steam that is used to power generators
 * for objectors of solar energy (some disadvantages)
 * 1) the amount of sunlight that arrives at the earth's surface is not constant. It depends on location, time of day, year and weather conditions
 * 2) because the sun doesn't deliver that much energy to any one place at one time, a large surface area is required to collect the energy at a useful rate
 * advantages:
 * 1) conversion from sunlight to electricity is direct (NO bulky mechanical generator systems)
 * 2) PV arrays can be installed quickly and in any size
 * 3) the environmental impact is minimal!!!!!! --- requiring NO water for system cooling and generating NO by-products
 * passive space heating
 * 1) less dense warm air tends to ride while more dense cooler air moves downward
 * 2) no mechanical equipentment
 * 3) think about what happens to your car in the heat of a hot summer day
 * Active Space heating
 * 1) requires a collector to absorb and collect solar radiation
 * 2) fans or pumps are used to circulate the heated air or heat absorbing fluid
 * concentrating collectors
 * 1) the area intercepting the solar radiation is greater (sometimes 100s of times greater) than the absorbed area
 * nonconcentrating collectors
 * 1) have a collector area that is the same as the absorber area
 * solar energy and the enviroment
 * 1) FREE
 * 2) produces NO air or water POLLUTION
 * 3) UNLIMITED SUPPLIES
 * there are however some indirect impacts on the environment
 * 1) manufacturing the PV cells that are used to convert sunlight into electricity, consumes silicon and produces some waste products
 * 2) large solar thermal farms can harm desert ecosystems if not properly managed

Biomass

 * organic material made from plants and animals that contains stored energy from the sun

biomass rots and releases bethane gas (biogas or landfil gas) diary farmers collect biogas from tanks called "digesters" where they put all of the muck and manure from their barns burn less fossil fuel fewer air pollutants the fastest growing alternative fuel in the U.S. renewable fuel safe biodegradable reduces the emissions of most air pollutants
 * plants absorb the sun's energy from photosynthesis --> chemical energy in plants get passed on to animals and people that eat them
 * example biomass fuels: wood, crops, manure, some garbage
 * biomass is a renewable energy source because we can always grow more trees and crops, and waste will always exist
 * biomass can be converted to other usable forms of energy like methance gas, ethanol, and biodiessel
 * 1) methane gas: garbage, agricultural and human waste
 * 2) ethanol: corn and sugar cane
 * 3) biodissel: vegetable oils and animal fats
 * energy from plants and matter
 * 1) when burned, chemical energy in biomass is released as heat (the wood you burn is a biomass fuel)
 * 2) wood waste of garbage can be burned to produce steam for making electricity or to provide ehat to industries and homes
 * produces about 3% of the energy used in the U.S.
 * can cut back on waste and support agriculture products grown in the U.S.
 * burning wood
 * 1) cost common form of biomass is wood
 * 2) about 84% of the wood and wood waste fuel used in the U.S. is consumed by the industry, electric power producers, and commercial businesses
 * 3) the rest, minly wood, is used in homes for heating and cooking
 * 4) many manufacturing plants in the wood & paper products industry use wood waste to produce their own steam and electricity
 * 5) saves these companies $$$$ because they don't have to dispose their waste products and save $$$$$$$$$$ on electricity
 * Municipal solid waste, landfill gas, and biogas,
 * 1) another source of biomass is our garbage, also called municipal solid waste
 * 2) burning in waste - to energy plants
 * 3) capturing bio gas
 * 4) trash that comes from plant or animal products is biomass
 * 5) food scraps, lawn clippings, & leaves are examples of biomass trash
 * 6) materials made out of glass, plastic, & metals are not biomass because they are made from non-renewable materials
 * 7) landfills:
 * biofuels - Ethanol and Biodiesel
 * 1) biofuels: transportation fuels like ethanol and biodiesel
 * 1) ethanol: alcohol fuel made from sugars found in grains such as corn, sorghum, and wheat
 * 2) Biodiesel: a fuel made with vegetable oils, fats, or grease
 * Biomass and the __environment__
 * 1)  biomas can pollute the air when it is burned BUT not as badly as burning fossil fuels
 * 2) does not produce pollutants like sulfur (acid rain), carbon dioxide or methane (two greenhouse gases)
 * 3) Burning wood: produces carbon monoxide - some parts of the country won't allow the use of wood burning
 * 4) burning garbage or wood waste: less garbage that's burried in landfills. Harmful chemicals and metals come from ash so it must be disposed carefully (the metals can be used to road work or construction!!)
 * 5) collecting landfill gas / biogas: reduces amount of methane (greenhouse gas) released into air
 * 6) ethanol: reduce carbon monoxide
 * 7) biodiesel: less pollution than petroleum diesel

Hydropower:
energy from moving water
 * mechanical energy: directing water
 * 1) water flows through a pipe
 * 2) then pushes to turn blades in a turbine to spin a generator to produce electricity
 * run-of-the-river-system: force of the current applies the needed pressure
 * storage system: water is accumulated in reservoirs created by dams
 * hydropower and the environment:
 * 1) almost free
 * 2) does NOT pollute the water or the air
 * 3) NO waste products
 * 4)  critics of hydropower: does change the environment by affecting natural habitats--BUT there are ways to approach this issue (ie. fish ladders help salmon swim upward)

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