Meteorology 211 - Assignment 5

Meteorology 211

Spring Quarter 2011

Homework Assignment #5

 

Due Date: Friday, June 10

 

Answer the following questions based on the assigned reading and classroom discussions.  Answers must be typed. Please use complete sentences.

 

1)  As of 2005, what percent of the global total energy production was accounted for by fossil fuels? What percent of the total did renewable energy contribute?

    

In 2005, more than 3/4 of total global energy production was through the use of fossil fuels. Petroleum led with over 43.4 percent of the global total, followed by natural gas (15.6 percent) and coal (8.3 percent). North America is the largest consumer of fossil fuels, utilizing nearly 25 percent of global resources.

2)  Why is coal considered to be the “dirtiest” fossil fuel?

   

Coal is considered to be the "dirtiest" fossil fuel because of the great amount of greenhouse gases they emit. Even the so call "clean coal" where they say that washing coal reduces the sulfur and other pollution causing minerals during combustion, however the washing process yields large quantities of waste containing high concentrations of dangerous pollutants that must be disposed of somewhere. Large waste piles are often left exposed to the elements where rain washes through the waste piles, picks up heavy metals and other pollutants, and becomes a toxic runoff that eventually contaminates ground water and streams. After burning, coal ash is often stored in loosely regulated ponds where toxins such as arsenic, lead, mercury, and heavy metals create yet another toxic soup

3)  a. What is carbon sequestration?

     b. What are some of the uncertainties and potential problems with carbon

         sequestration?

(a)Carbon sequestration is the capture of carbon dioxide (CO2) and may refer specifically to:

-The process of removing carbon from the atmosphere and depositing it in a reservoir. (When carried out deliberately, this may also be referred to as carbon dioxide removal, which is a form of geo-engineering.)

-The process of carbon capture and storage, where carbon dioxide is removed from flue gases, such as on power stations, before being stored in underground reservoirs.

-Natural biogeochemical cycling of carbon between the atmosphere and reservoirs, such as by chemical weathering of rocks.

(b)Some uncertainties and potential problems of carbon sequestration are:

-Carbon dioxide that is stored deep underground where hydrostatic pressure acts to keep it in a liquid state, however reservoir design faults, rock fissures and tectonic processes may act to release the gas stored into the ocean or atmosphere.

-Financial cost of the use of the technology would add an additional 1-5 cents of cost per kilowatt hour, according to estimate made by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The financial costs of modern coal technology would nearly double if use of CCS technology were to be implemented.

4)  a. What are the four issues that must be overcome in order for nuclear

         power to expand into a major power source to replace fossil fuels?

     b. Which of these issues concerns you the most? (your opinion)

 

(a) The four issues that must be overcome in order for nuclear power to expand to a major source of power are:

-Costs: nuclear power has higher overall lifetime costs compared to natural gas with combined cycle turbine technology (CCGT) and coal, at least in the absence of a carbon tax or an equivalent “cap and trade” mechanism for reducing carbon emissions.

-Safety: nuclear power has perceived adverse safety, environmental, and health effects, There is also growing concern about the safe and secure transportation of nuclear materials and the security of nuclear facilities from terrorist attack.

-Proliferation: nuclear power entails potential security risks, notably the possible misuse of commercial or associated nuclear facilities and operations to acquire technology or materials as a precursor to the acquisition of a nuclear weapons capability. Fuel cycles that involve the chemical reprocessing of spent fuel to separate weapons-usable plutonium and uranium enrichment technologies are of special concern, especially as nuclear power

spreads around the world.

-Waste: nuclear power has unresolved challenges in long-term management of radioactive wastes. The United States and other countries have yet to implement final disposition of spent fuel or high level radioactive waste streams created at various stages of the nuclear fuel cycle.

(source: http://web.mit.edu/nuclearpower/pdf/nuclearpower-ch1-3.pdf)

5)  a. What are some of the practical advantages and disadvantages of wind and

         solar power as renewable energy sources?

     b. If you had some extra money to invest in one of these two energy sources,

         which would you invest in, and why?

 

(a) The practical advantages of  wind and solar power is that it is renewable and over a period of time (the time for you to produce enough energy to pay for the equipment) very cost effective, and eco-friendly in terms of no greenhouse gas emissions.

disadvantages are space and wind turbine requires 1 acre of land, the wind doesn't blow all the time and the sun doesn't shine all the time... however there is a possibility of hooking up to a grid and selling unused energy back to the power company and having it supplied back to you when solar and wind aren't available.

(b) I would choose wind power if I had extra cash laying around because I did an engineering project for designing and implementing a wind turbine...so I could do it more cheaply...as well as there doesn't seem to be a lot of sun in Washington!

6)  What does the author mean on page 215 when he says there is “no silver bullet” when it comes to getting rid of greenhouse gas emissions?

 

The author means by there is "no silver bullet" that there is no easy fix and not quick fix in correcting and improving the problem in greenhouse gas emissions.