MEE 6201, Advanced Pollution Prevention 1

Course Description An in-depth study of advanced pollution prevention practices with the preparation of a pollution prevention management plan. Emphasizes methodologies that achieve environmental compliance through less expensive pollution control methods.

Course Textbook Ashby, M. F. (2013). Materials and the environment: Eco-informed material choice (2nd ed.). Waltham, MA: Butterworth-

Heinemann.

Course Learning Outcomes Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:

1. Describe federal laws related to pollution prevention. 2. Conduct life cycle analyses. 3. Explain pollution prevention audits. 4. Evaluate economics of pollution prevention strategies. 5. Examine impact of corporate philosophy on pollution prevention. 6. Describe pollution prevention strategies for various industries. 7. Identify best available technologies for various industries. 8. Evaluate the impact of pollution prevention on ecosystems and biological communities.

Credits Upon completion of this course, the students will earn three (3) hours of college credit.

Course Structure

1. Study Guide: Each unit contains a Study Guide that provides students with the learning outcomes, unit lesson, required reading assignments, and supplemental resources.

2. Learning Outcomes: Each unit contains Learning Outcomes that specify the measurable skills and knowledge students should gain upon completion of the unit.

3. Unit Lesson: Each unit contains a Unit Lesson, which discusses lesson material. 4. Reading Assignments: Each unit contains Reading Assignments from one or more chapters from the textbook. 5. Suggested Reading: Suggested Readings are listed in Units I-VI and Unit VIII study guides. Students are

encouraged to read the resources listed if the opportunity arises, but they will not be tested on their knowledge of the Suggested Readings.

6. Discussion Boards: Discussion Boards are part of all CSU term courses. More information and specifications can be found in the Student Resources link listed in the Course Menu bar.

7. Unit Assignments: Students are required to submit for grading Unit Assignments in Units I-VIII. Specific information and instructions regarding these assignments are provided below. Grading rubrics are included with each assignment. Specific information about accessing these rubrics is provided below.

MEE 6201, Advanced Pollution Prevention Course Syllabus

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8. Ask the Professor: This communication forum provides you with an opportunity to ask your professor general or course content related questions.

9. Student Break Room: This communication forum allows for casual conversation with your classmates.

CSU Online Library The CSU Online Library is available to support your courses and programs. The online library includes databases, journals, e-books, and research guides. These resources are always accessible and can be reached through the library webpage. To access the library, log into the myCSU Student Portal, and click on “CSU Online Library.” You can also access the CSU Online Library from the “My Library” button on the course menu for each course in Blackboard. The CSU Online Library offers several reference services. E-mail (library@columbiasouthern.edu) and telephone (1.877.268.8046) assistance is available Monday – Thursday from 8 am to 5 pm and Friday from 8 am to 3 pm. The library’s chat reference service, Ask a Librarian, is available 24/7; look for the chat box on the online library page. Librarians can help you develop your research plan or assist you in finding relevant, appropriate, and timely information. Reference requests can include customized keyword search strategies, links to articles, database help, and other services.

Unit Assignments Unit I Scholarly Activity Select two out of the three writing prompts listed below. Your responses to your two chosen prompts should be at least 500 words each. No title page is needed, but be sure to indicate which writing prompts you are addressing at the top of each response. Each response needs its own reference page. Writing Prompts (respond to two only):

1. Explain the origin of the federal Pollution Prevention Act, including the year it was passed, events leading to its passage, politics leading up to its passage, by how wide of a vote it was passed, and which president signed it. Please use the CSU Online Library, the Internet, the textbook, and/or other resources to respond. Please cite and reference all sources used.

2. In Chapters 1 and 2 of the course textbook, Ashby (2013) discusses materials and energy. After studying the

chapters, select four items total (materials and/or energy) where minimal cost pollution prevention efforts can provide the most gain in environmental benefit. Also, discuss which of the laws listed in the Unit I Lesson apply to your selections.

3. Address one of the five principles described on page 102 of the textbook. In your essay, include the date that the

principle was initiated, events that led to the creation of the principle, the purpose of the principle, your thoughts about the usefulness of the principle, and any recent developments that occurred as a result of the principle.

You are required to use at least your textbook as source material for both of your responses. All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations. Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below. Unit II Scholarly Activity Select two out of the three writing prompts listed below. Your responses to your two chosen prompts should be at least 500 words each. No title page is needed, but be sure to indicate which writing prompts you are addressing at the top of each response. Each response needs its own reference page. Writing Prompts (respond to two only):

1. Using the life cycle concepts discussed in Chapter 3, select a product, and describe its life cycle.

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2. Imagine that you broke a compact disk (CD) that had music on it. Please respond to the following questions in paragraph form:

 How do you typically dispose of a broken CD?

 Does your community have a means of recycling CDs?

 Considering Figure 4.2 in the textbook, what infrastructure would be needed in your community in order to have the best end of life option, which is reuse? If reuse is not possible, discuss re-engineering, recycling, or combustion as options instead of disposal in a landfill.

 Research the materials that are in a CD. Considering Table 4.1, is recycling a possibility?

3. Imagine that you have a smart phone that has been crushed and is no longer usable. Please respond to the following questions in paragraph form:

 How would you typically dispose of a broken smart phone?

 Does your community have a means of recycling smart phones?

 Considering Figure 4.2 in the textbook, what infrastructure would be needed in your community in order to have the best end of life option, which is reuse? If reuse is not possible, discuss re-engineering, recycling, combustion as options instead of disposal in a landfill.

 Research the materials that are in a smart phone. Considering Table 4.1, is recycling a possibility? You are required to use at least your textbook as source material for both of your responses. All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations. Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below. Unit III Case Study Select one of the products described in the eco-audit case study in Chapter 8 of your textbook (e.g., cups, grocery bags, electric kettle). Using the data in the textbook from the eco-audit, additional data from Chapter 15 (as necessary), and any additional resources that you find helpful, prepare a pollution prevention audit for the product that you have selected. Base your P2 audit on the steps shown in the Unit III Lesson. You do not need to use all of the P2 audit steps shown in the Unit III Lesson, but use at least three major steps from each phase (a major step being Step 5 rather than Step 5.1). Since you will not be using all of the steps shown in the Unit Lesson, you may re-number them if you wish so that your audit proceeds sequentially without skipping numbers. Your audit should include an introductory paragraph explaining both the purpose of a P2 audit and the reasons for including the steps that you have selected. Your case study must be at least two full pages in length. All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations. All references and citations used must be in APA style. The introduction should be formatted in paragraph form, and the steps can be formatted as a list. Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below. Unit IV Scholarly Activity Address all three of the following writing prompts. Your responses to your three chosen prompts should be at least 350 words each. No title page is needed, but be sure to indicate which writing prompts you are addressing at the top of each response. Each response needs its own reference page. Writing Prompts (respond to all three):

1. Review the Reading Assignment titled as “Pollution Prevention Practices in Oregon’s Electronics Industry” by Harding and Jones. In your review, include:

 an overview of the article,

 benefits of using pollution prevention in the electronics industry,

 specific process modifications discussed in the article,

MEE 6201, Advanced Pollution Prevention 4

 chemical substitutions mentioned in the article,

 economics of making the suggested changes, and

 reasons companies might not embrace pollution prevention.

2. Review the Reading Assignment titled as “Optimal Deployment of Emissions Reduction Technologies for Construction Equipment” by Barl, Zietsman, Quadrifoglio, and Farzaneh. In your review:

 Write an overview of the article.

 Describe hydrogen enrichment (HE), selective catalytic reduction (SCR), and fuel additive (FA) technologies.

 Describe the advantages and disadvantages of HE, SCR, and FA, including a discussion of costs.

 Does the computer model do a satisfactory job of determining the best technology? Explain.

 What would be your recommendations as far as which technology (HE, SCR, and/or FA) should be used, or should none be used?

3. Review the Reading Assignment titled as “Flue Gas Desulfurization: The State of the Art” by Srivastava and

Jozewicz. In your review:

 Write an overview of the article.

 Describe flue gas desulfurization (FGD) at coal-fired power plants and why it is used.

 Explain the details of one once-through process and one regenerable process.

 Summarize the section titled “The MEL [magnesium enhanced slurry] Cost Model.”

 Discuss how the article is useful to a pollution prevention manager.

 Conduct an Internet search to explain the concept of Best Available Technology (BAT) and whether any of the FGD processes described in the article are considered BATs.

You are required to use at least your textbook as source material for all of your responses. All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations. Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below. Unit V Essay Please write an essay about pollution prevention in the dry cleaning and hydraulic fracturing industries. Include the following items:

1. one-paragraph introduction; 2. five-paragraph review of the Sinshelmer, Grout, Namkoong, Gottlieb, and Latif (2007) dry cleaning article,

including an explanation of the common dry cleaning process using perchloroethylene (PCE), problems with PCE, and a review of options to PCE presented in the paper;

3. five-paragraph review (total—not five paragraphs for each article) of the Heywood (2012) article and the Chen, Al- Wadei, Kennedy, and Terry (2014) article on hydraulic fracturing, including environmental issues with hydraulic fracturing and the P2 solutions presented in each of the two articles (include the use of liquid carbon dioxide);

4. five-paragraph review of the Taylor, Carbonell, and Desimone (2010) article on using liquid carbon dioxide for P2, focusing on how liquid carbon dioxide can be used as a substitute in the dry cleaning industry and in the hydraulic fracturing industry; and a

5. two-paragraph summary to include your overall thoughts about P2 in the dry cleaning and hydraulic fracturing industries, and specifically whether liquid carbon dioxide is a reasonable, cost-effective, and environmentally- friendly alternative to traditional methods.

In order to access the resources below, you must first log into the myCSU Student Portal and access the Academic Search Complete database within the CSU Online Library. Use at least the following references: Chen, J., Al-Wadei, M. H., Kennedy, C. M., & Terry, P. D. (2014). Hydraulic fracturing: Paving the way for a sustainable

future? Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 1-10. Heywood, P. (2012, April). Fracking safer and greener? TCE: The Chemical Engineer, 850, 42-45.

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Sinshelmer, P., Grout, C., Namkoong, A., Gottlieb, R., & Latif, A. (2007). The viability of professional wet cleaning as a pollution prevention alternative to perchloroethylene dry cleaning. Air and Waste Management Association, 57, 172-178.

Taylor, D. K., Carbonell, R., & Desimone, J. M. (2010). Opportunities for pollution prevention and energy efficiency

enabled by the carbon dioxide technology platform. Annual Review of Energy and the Environment, 25(1), 115-148.

Your paper must be at least three full pages in length, not including the title page and reference page. All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations. All references and citations used must be in APA style. Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below. Unit VI Scholarly Activity Address both of the following writing prompts. Your responses to both of your chosen prompts should be at least 500 words each. No title page is needed, but be sure to indicate which writing prompts you are addressing at the top of each response. Each response needs its own reference page. Writing Prompts (respond to both):

1. Review the Reading Assignment titled as “The Greening of a Pulp and Paper Mill” by Hill, Saviello, and Groves. In your review, describe:

 the history of the Androscoggin Mill, including when it was built, the strike, number of employees, and amount of paper produced,

 the kraft pulping process,

 pollution problems prior to 1990,

 P2 methods implemented after 1990, best available technologies, and economics, and

 key actions by the 1990s management team that changed the mill from an environmental problem to an environmental success.

2. Review the Reading Assignment titled as “Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Opportunities for Concrete

Pavements” by Santero, Loojos, and Ochsendorf. In your review, describe:

 greenhouse gas production from construction and operation of pavements,

 how each of the following reduces greenhouse emissions: embodied emissions, albedo, carbonation, and vehicle fuel consumption,

 the five greenhouse gas emissions strategies starting on page 861,

 best available technologies related to concrete paving, and

 the Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) presented in the article. You are required to use at least your textbook as source material for both of your responses. All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations. Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below. Unit VII Scholarly Activity Address both of the following writing prompts. Your responses to both of your chosen prompts should be at least 500 words each. No title page is needed, but be sure to indicate which writing prompts you are addressing at the top of each response. Each response needs its own reference page. Writing Prompts (respond to both):

1. Review the Reading Assignment titled as “Designing a Low-Cost Pollution Prevention Plan to Pay Off at the University of Houston” by Bialowas, Sullivan, and Schneller. In your review, describe:

 why the university developed a P2 plan,

 the process of bulking hazardous wastes, fume hood modifications, and cost savings,

MEE 6201, Advanced Pollution Prevention 6

 silver recovery and cost savings,

 oil reclamation plan and cost savings, and

 your overall thoughts about the university’s P2 program.

2. Review the Reading Assignment titled as “Effectiveness of State Pollution Prevention Programs and Policies” by Donna Harrington. In your review, describe:

 the three objectives of the study,

 the Toxic Releases Inventory (TRI) and its impact on P2,

 the empirical model (framework) used in the study,

 costs of P2 programs, and

 the article’s conclusions and your thoughts about the conclusions. You are required to use at least your textbook as source material for both of your responses. All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations. Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below. Unit VIII Research Paper Please write a research paper addressing the following: How important is corporate philosophy to a company’s pollution prevention efforts? Please use an example of one or more companies to support your position. The completed assignment must be a minimum of 4-5 pages in length, not including the title page and reference page. The paper should have a minimum of three sections: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. A minimum of three references should be used, and at least one of these must be from a scholarly, peer-reviewed journal. All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations. You may use articles cited in previous portions of the course but you must write new, unique content that was not in any of your previous submissions in this (or any other) course. Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below.

APA Guidelines The application of the APA writing style shall be practical, functional, and appropriate to each academic level, with the primary purpose being the documentation (citation) of sources. CSU requires that students use APA style for certain papers and projects. Students should always carefully read and follow assignment directions and review the associated grading rubric when available. Students can find CSU’s Citation Guide by clicking here. This document includes examples and sample papers and provides information on how to contact the CSU Success Center.

Grading Rubrics This course utilizes analytic grading rubrics as tools for your professor in assigning grades for all learning activities. Each rubric serves as a guide that communicates the expectations of the learning activity and describes the criteria for each level of achievement. In addition, a rubric is a reference tool that lists evaluation criteria and can help you organize your efforts to meet the requirements of that learning activity. It is imperative for you to familiarize yourself with these rubrics because these are the primary tools your professor uses for assessing learning activities. Rubric categories include: (1) Discussion Board, (2) Assessment (Written Response), and (3) Assignment. However, it is possible that not all of the listed rubric types will be used in a single course (e.g., some courses may not have Assessments). The Discussion Board rubric can be found within Unit I’s Discussion Board submission instructions. The Assessment (Written Response) rubric can be found embedded in a link within the directions for each Unit Assessment. However, these rubrics will only be used when written-response questions appear within the Assessment.

MEE 6201, Advanced Pollution Prevention 7

Each Assignment type (e.g., article critique, case study, research paper) will have its own rubric. The Assignment rubrics are built into Blackboard, allowing students to review them prior to beginning the Assignment and again once the Assignment has been scored. This rubric can be accessed via the Assignment link located within the unit where it is to be submitted. Students may also access the rubric through the course menu by selecting “Tools” and then “My Grades.” Again, it is vitally important for you to become familiar with these rubrics because their application to your Discussion Boards, Assessments, and Assignments is the method by which your instructor assigns all grades.

Communication Forums These are non-graded discussion forums that allow you to communicate with your professor and other students. Participation in these discussion forums is encouraged, but not required. You can access these forums with the buttons in the Course Menu. Instructions for subscribing/unsubscribing to these forums are provided below. Click here for instructions on how to subscribe/unsubscribe and post to the Communication Forums. Ask the Professor This communication forum provides you with an opportunity to ask your professor general or course content questions. Questions may focus on Blackboard locations of online course components, textbook or course content elaboration, additional guidance on assessment requirements, or general advice from other students. Questions that are specific in nature, such as inquiries regarding assessment/assignment grades or personal accommodation requests, are NOT to be posted on this forum. If you have questions, comments, or concerns of a non- public nature, please feel free to email your professor. Responses to your post will be addressed or emailed by the professor within 48 hours. Before posting, please ensure that you have read all relevant course documentation, including the syllabus, assessment/assignment instructions, faculty feedback, and other important information. Student Break Room This communication forum allows for casual conversation with your classmates. Communication on this forum should always maintain a standard of appropriateness and respect for your fellow classmates. This forum should NOT be used to share assessment answers.

Grading

Discussion Boards (8 @ 2%) = 16% Scholarly Activities (5 @ 9%) = 45% Unit III Case Study = 12% Unit V Essay = 12% Unit VIII Research Paper = 15% Total = 100%

Course Schedule/Checklist (PLEASE PRINT) The following pages contain a printable Course Schedule to assist you through this course. By following this schedule, you will be assured that you will complete the course within the time allotted.

MEE 6201, Advanced Pollution Prevention 8

MEE 6201, Advanced Pollution Prevention Course Schedule

By following this schedule, you will be assured that you will complete the course within the time allotted. Please keep this schedule for reference as you progress through your course.

Unit I Introduction to Pollution Prevention

Review:  Unit Study Guide

Read:

 Chapter 1: Introduction: material dependence  Chapter 2: Resource consumption and its drivers  Chapter 5: The long reach of legislation  Additional Reading Assignment(s): See Study Guide  Suggested Reading: See Study Guide

Discuss:

 Discussion Board Response: Submit your response to the Discussion Board question by Saturday,11:59 p.m (Central Time)

 Discussion Board Comment: Comment on another student’s Discussion Board response by Tuesday,11:59 p.m (Central Time)

Submit:  Scholarly Activity by Tuesday,11:59 p.m (Central Time)

Notes/Goals:

Unit II Life Cycle Assessment as it Relates to Pollution Prevention

Review:  Unit Study Guide

Read:

 Chapter 3: The material life cycle  Chapter 4: End of first life: a problem or a resource?  Additional Reading Assignment(s): See Study Guide  Suggested Reading: See Study Guide

Discuss:

 Discussion Board Response: Submit your response to the Discussion Board question by Saturday,11:59 p.m (Central Time)

 Discussion Board Comment: Comment on another student’s Discussion Board response by Tuesday,11:59 p.m (Central Time)

Submit:  Scholarly Activity by Tuesday,11:59 p.m (Central Time)

Notes/Goals:

MEE 6201, Advanced Pollution Prevention 9

MEE 6201, Advanced Pollution Prevention Course Schedule

Unit III Pollution Prevention Audits

Review:  Unit Study Guide

Read:

 Chapter 7: Eco-audits and eco-audit tools  Chapter 8: Case studies: eco-audits  Additional Reading Assignment(s): See Study Guide  Suggested Reading: See Study Guide

Discuss:

 Discussion Board Response: Submit your response to the Discussion Board question by Saturday,11:59 p.m (Central Time)

 Discussion Board Comment: Comment on another student’s Discussion Board response by Tuesday,11:59 p.m (Central Time)

Submit:  Case Study by Tuesday,11:59 p.m (Central Time)

Notes/Goals:

Unit IV Pollution Prevention in Specific Industries – Construction, Electronics, and Coal-Fired Power Plants

Review:  Unit Study Guide

Read:  Reading Assignment: See Study Guide  Suggested Reading: See Study Guide

Discuss:

 Discussion Board Response: Submit your response to the Discussion Board question by Saturday,11:59 p.m (Central Time)

 Discussion Board Comment: Comment on another student’s Discussion Board response by Tuesday,11:59 p.m (Central Time)

Submit:  Scholarly Activity by Tuesday,11:59 p.m (Central Time)

Notes/Goals:

Unit V Pollution Prevention in Specific Industries – Dry Cleaning and Hydraulic Fracturing

Review:  Unit Study Guide

Read:  Reading Assignment: See Study Guide  Suggested Reading: See Study Guide

Discuss:

 Discussion Board Response: Submit your response to the Discussion Board question by Saturday,11:59 p.m (Central Time)

 Discussion Board Comment: Comment on another student’s Discussion Board response by Tuesday,11:59 p.m (Central Time)

Submit:  Essay by Tuesday,11:59 p.m (Central Time)

Notes/Goals:

MEE 6201, Advanced Pollution Prevention 10

MEE 6201, Advanced Pollution Prevention Course Schedule

Unit VI Pollution Prevention in Specific Industries – Pulp and Paper Milling and Concrete Paving

Review:  Unit Study Guide

Read:  Reading Assignment: See Study Guide  Suggested Reading: See Study Guide

Discuss:

 Discussion Board Response: Submit your response to the Discussion Board question by Saturday,11:59 p.m (Central Time)

 Discussion Board Comment: Comment on another student’s Discussion Board response by Tuesday,11:59 p.m (Central Time)

Submit:  Scholarly Activity by Tuesday,11:59 p.m (Central Time)

Notes/Goals:

Unit VII Pollution Prevention Economics

Review:  Unit Study Guide

Read:  Reading Assignment: See Study Guide

Discuss:

 Discussion Board Response: Submit your response to the Discussion Board question by Saturday,11:59 p.m (Central Time)

 Discussion Board Comment: Comment on another student’s Discussion Board response by Tuesday,11:59 p.m (Central Time)

Submit:  Scholarly Activity by Tuesday,11:59 p.m (Central Time)

Notes/Goals:

Unit VIII Corporate Philosophy

Review:  Unit Study Guide

Read:  Reading Assignment: See Study Guide  Suggested Reading: See Study Guide

Discuss:

 Discussion Board Response: Submit your response to the Discussion Board question by Saturday,11:59 p.m (Central Time)

 Discussion Board Comment: Comment on another student’s Discussion Board response by Tuesday,11:59 p.m (Central Time)

Submit:  Research Paper by Tuesday,11:59 p.m (Central Time)

Notes/Goals:

275

Energy comes in many forms. In most industrial nations, coal,oil, and natural gas are the predominant fuels. These non-renewable forms of energy are the lifeblood of modern indus- trial societies, but they are also a potential Achilles’ heel. If you cut the supply off for even a brief moment, industry would come to a standstill. Agriculture and mining would halt. Millions would be out of work. Automobiles would vanish from city streets. Al- most everything in our homes would cease to operate. In addition, as the Gulf oil spill in 2010 showed, our dependence on these fuels can be extremely costly!

Many of the less developed nations have pinned their hopes for economic progress on their ability to tap into oil, coal, natural gas, and to a lesser extent nuclear power, which have fueled the indus-

Nonrenewable Energy Sources

Energy Use: Our Growing Dependence on Nonrenewable Fuels What Is Energy? Fossil Fuels: Analyzing Our Options Fossil Fuels: Meeting Future Demand Nuclear Energy Guidelines for Creating a Sustainable Energy System Establishing Priorities

Spotlight on Sustainable Development 14-1: Controversy Over Oil Exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Spotlight on Sustainable Development 14-2: Coca-Cola Goes Green Point/Counterpoint: Should We Drill for Oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge? Point/Counterpoint: Should Nuclear Power Be Revived?

14.7

14.6 14.5

14.4

14.3 14.2

14.1

CHAPTER OUTLINE

CHAPTER 14

That human beings are fallible has been known since the beginning of time, but modern technology adds new urgency to the recognition.

—Garrett Hardin

276 PART IV. Resource Issues: Solutions for a Sustainable Society

FIGURE 14-1 Chang- ing options. Energy consumption in the United States by fuel type from 1850 to the present. As this graph shows, U.S. energy de- pendence has shifted over the years from wood to oil, coal, and natural gas. (Quad = quadrillion BTUs.) Source: US Statistical Abstract.

CRITICAL THINKING

Exercise Global climate change has led many propo- nents of nuclear energy in the United States to lobby the public and Congress for renewed support of nuclear energy to lessen America’s dependence on foreign oil and coal. Adver- tisements in prominent magazines still tout the benefits of nuclear power. In such ads, proponents of nuclear power note that this technology has the added benefit of not contributing to global warming, a problem worsened by the combustion of fossil fuels— especially coal, oil, and oil byproducts such as gasoline, jet fuel, and diesel.

Is this thinking valid? Why or why not?

oil, natural gas, and nuclear energy. It looks at their impacts and their abundance. It ends with some guidelines on creating a sustainable energy future.

Energy Use: Our Growing Dependence on Nonrenewable Fuels

U.S. and Canadian Energy Consumption One hundred years ago, Americans had few choices for en- ergy (FIGURE 14-1). Wood, a renewable resource, was the main form of energy. Today, the nation’s options are many: coal, oil, natural gas, hydropower, geothermal energy, solar power, nuclear power, and wind.

American energy options began to expand in the late 1800s as wood, which once fueled the nation’s factories, became depleted. Coal began to be used in factories, but coal was a dirty, bulky fuel that was expensive to mine and transport. When oil and natural gas were made available in the early 1900s, coal use began to fall. The new, cleaner-burning fuels were easier and cheaper to transport.

Today, despite numerous energy options, the United States depends primarily on three fossil fuels: oil, natural gas, and coal. In 2008, oil accounted for 37% of total energy con- sumption (FIGURE 14-2a). Natural gas provided 24%, and coal provided nearly 23% of the energy. All told, fossil fuels account for nearly 85% of our energy use. Nuclear power, another nonrenewable fuel, provided 8.5%. Renewable sources—solar, geothermal, and hydropower—supplied a little over 7%.

Canada is also heavily dependent on fossil fuels. In 2008, coal, oil, natural gas, and other fossil fuels accounted for 66% of the nation’s total energy consumption. Canada relies heav- ily on nuclear energy, which meets 7% of its total demand. Wood makes up the remaining supplies along with renewable

14.1

Nuclear energy

Hydropower, geothermal, and others

Natural gas

Oil

Coal

Wood

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trial transformation of the wealthy nations. China, for example, is hoping to get much of its future en- ergy from its abundant supplies of coal and from oil it imports from other countries. According to several sources, China is building hundreds of coal- fired power plants to supply electricity to its vast and continually growing population, which is experiencing rapid economic growth.

Is the industrial world’s dependence on coal, oil, natural gas, and nuclear energy sustainable? Can less developed nations achieve success by follow- ing in our footsteps?

This chapter examines the sustainability of the predominant nonrenewable energy fuels—coal,

CHAPTER 14: Nonrenewable Energy Sources 277

FIGURE 14-2 The U.S. energy profile. (a) This pie chart shows the major energy sources in the United States in 2009. Oil, natural gas, and coal are the three most commonly used fuels. (b) Ma- jor energy consumers in the United States. Indus- try and transportation lead the pack.

energy, primarily hydroelectricity, energy which supplies about 25% of Canada’s annual energy demand. Renewable energy from solar and wind sources provide negligible amounts of power.

FIGURE 14-2b breaks down energy consumption by user in the United States in 2009. As it shows, industry and the com- mercial sector consume about 50% of the nation’s energy. Transportation consumes about 28%, and residential use ac- counts for about 22.4%.

KEY CONCEPTS

Global Energy Consumption Virtually all industrial nations get the energy they need from nonrenewable energy sources. On average, they receive about 85% of their energy from fossil fuels, 5% from nuclear power, a type of nonrenewable energy, and 10% from renewables such as solar and wind energy, although the renewable en- ergy contribution is growing rapidly in many countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Spain, and Den- mark. (FIGURE 14-3a). In the less developed countries, renew- able energy sources such as biomass (wood and cow dung, for example) play a much more important role in supplying de- mand, satisfying about 40% of their energy requirements (FIG- URE 14-3b). Nonrenewable fossil fuels supply about 60% of the total energy. Of nonrenewable energy fuels used in these coun- tries, oil supplies the largest share. Coal and natural gas sup- ply the rest. Nuclear power contributes only a tiny fraction of their energy demand, in large part, because of the high cost of this option.

Worldwide, the biggest users of energy are Americans, who make up about 4.6% of the world’s population but con- sume about 25% of its primary energy. On a per capita ba- sis, Americans consume more than twice as much energy as the people of Japan and Western Europe and about 16 times more per capita than the people of less developed nations. Canada is also a major consumer of energy, using more per capita than any other nation except for Luxembourg. With only 0.6% of the world’s population, Canada uses

Energy use in the United States has shifted considerably over the years. Today, the United States depends on a variety of fuel sources. Fossil fuels provide the bulk of the energy. Industry and business consume the majority of the fuel. Transportation is another major energy consumer.

2.5% of the world’s energy. The reasons for this are many. It is a large country, situated in a cold climate. It has an energy-intensive industrial economy with logging, mining, agriculture, and energy production as the

chief sources of income. The extraction and processing of energy resources alone contributes 7% to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product. Historically, energy prices have been low and Canadians tend to use energy inefficiently.

KEY CONCEPTS Like the United States, most more developed countries rely pri- marily on fossil fuels. Least developed countries depend on fos- sil fuels as well, but they also receive a substantial amount of energy from various renewable fuels, especially biomass. Amer- icans make up a small portion of the world’s population but ac- count for a very large percentage of global energy consumption.

Coal Transportation

Industry

(a) Ene r gy sou r ces (b) Ene r gy consume r s

Commercial

Residential

Oil

Nuclear 8.5%

Solar, geothermal, and hydroelectric 7.3%

Natural gas

37.4%

22.5%

24%

28.5%

29.8% 19.2%

22.4%

MDCs

LDCs

Nuclear Power

Natural Gas 23%

Coal 25%

Oil 37%

7%

5%

Biomass 3%

Nuclear Power 1%

Natural Gas 7%

Coal 25%

Oil 26%

Biomass 35%

Hydropower, geothermal, solar

Hydropower, geothermal,

solar 6%

Renewable Resources

Nonrenewable Resources

41%

59%

10%

90%

FIGURE 14-3 Global energy use. (a) More developed countries. (b) Less developed countries.

(a)

(b)

278 PART IV. Resource Issues: Solutions for a Sustainable Society

What Is Energy? Energy is all around us, but it is sometimes difficult to de- fine. But what exactly is it?

Energy Comes in Many Forms Let’s begin by making a simple observation as a way to help define this term: Energy comes in many forms. For example, humans in many countries rely today on fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas. Some use a lot of nuclear energy to generate electricity. In other countries, wood and other forms of biomass are primary forms of energy. (Biomass in- cludes a wide assortment of solid fuels, such as wood, and liquid fuels, such as ethanol derived from corn, and biodiesel, a diesel fuel made from vegetable oils.) And don’t forget sun- light, wind, hydropower, and the geothermal energy—energy produced in the Earth’s interior. Even a cube of sugar con- tains energy! Touch a match to it, and it will burn, giving off heat and light energy, two additional forms of energy.

Energy Can Be Renewable or Nonrenewable Energy in its various forms can be broadly classified as either renewable or nonrenewable. Renewable energy, as noted earlier, is any form of energy that’s regenerated by natural forces. Wind, for instance, is a renewable form of energy. It is available to us year after year, thanks in large part to the unequal heating of the Earth’s surface. When one area is warmed by the sun, for instance, hot air is produced. Hot air rises, and as it does, cooler air moves in from neighboring areas. As the cool air moves in, it creates winds of varying intensity. Renewable en- ergy is everywhere and is replenished year after year, provid- ing humankind with a potentially enormous supply . . . if only we’re smart enough to tap into it!

Nonrenewable energy, on the other hand, is finite. It can- not be regenerated in a timely fashion by natural processes. Coal, oil, natural gas, tar sands, oil shale, and nuclear energy are all nonrenewable forms of energy. Ironically, although most of these sources of energy were produced by natural bi- ological and geological processes early in the Earth’s history, and, although these processes continue today in some parts of the world, these fuels are not being produced at a rate even remotely close to our consumption. Coal, for instance, may be forming in some swamplands around the world. But its re- generation is taking place at such a painfully slow rate that it is meaningless. Put another way, contemporary produc- tion can never replenish the massive supplies that were pro- duced over long periods of time many millions of years ago. Because of this, coal, oil, natural gas, and others are essentially finite. When they’re gone, they’re gone.

So, now you know two basic facts about energy: energy comes in many forms, and all forms of energy broadly fit into two general categories: renewable and nonrenewable.

Energy Can Be Converted from One Form to Another Yet there’s more to energy than this. For example, even the ca- sual observer can tell you that energy can be converted from one form to another. Natural gas, for example, when burned

14.2 is converted to heat and light. Coal, oil, wood, biodiesel, and other fuels are also converted to other forms of energy dur- ing combustion. Heat, light, and electricity are the most com- mon byproducts of these conversions, but the possibilities don’t end here. Visible light contained in the sun’s energy can be converted to heat. It can also be converted to electrical energy. Even wind can be converted to electricity or to me- chanical energy to drive a pump to draw water from the ground.

Energy Conversions Allow Us to Put Energy to Good Use Not only can energy be converted to other forms, it has to derive benefit for us. Coal, by itself, is of little value to us. It’s a sedimentary rock and fun to behold, but it is the heat and electricity produced when coal is burned in power plants that are of value to us. Sunlight is pretty, too, and it feeds the plants we eat; but in our homes and factories, however, it is the heat that the sun produces and the electricity we can generate from it that is of primary value to us.

In summary, then, it is not raw forms of energy that we need. Not at all. It is the byproducts of energy that are un- leashed when we “process” them in various energy-liberating technologies that meet the complex needs of society.

Energy Can Neither Be Created nor Destroyed Another thing you need to know to deepen your under- standing of energy is that energy cannot be created nor can it be destroyed. Physicists call this the First Law of Thermo- dynamics or, simply, the First Law.

The First Law says that all energy comes from pre- existing forms. Even though you may think you are “creat- ing” energy when you burn a piece of firewood in a woodstove, all you are doing is unleashing energy contained in the wood—specifically, the energy locked in the chemi- cal bonds in the molecules that make up wood. It, in turn, came from sunlight. The sun’s energy came from the fusion of hydrogen atoms in the sun’s interior.

Energy Is Degraded When It Is Converted from One Form to Another More important to us, however, is the Second Law of Thermo- dynamics. The Second Law, says, quite simply, that anytime one converts a form of energy to another form—for example, when you convert natural gas to heat—it is degraded. Trans- lated, that means energy conversions transform high-quality energy resource to low-quality energy. Natural gas, for in- stance, contains a huge amount of energy in a small volume; it’s locked up in the simple chemical bonds that attach the car- bon atom to the four hydrogen atoms of the methane mole- cules. When these bonds are broken, the stored chemical energy is released. Light and heat are the products. Both light and heat are less concentrated forms of energy, or lower qual- ity forms of energy. Hence, we say that natural gas, a concen- trated form of energy, is “degraded.” In electric power plants,

CHAPTER 14: Nonrenewable Energy Sources 279

only about 50% of the energy contained in natural gas is con- verted to electrical energy. The rest is “lost” as heat and is dissipated into the environment.

No Energy Conversion Is 100% Efficient, Not Even Close to It! This leads us to another important fact about energy: No energy conversion is 100% efficient. When coal is burned in an electrical power plant, only about one-third of the en- ergy contained in the coal is converted to useful energy, in this case, electricity. The rest is lost as heat and light. The same goes for renewable energy technologies. One hundred units of solar energy beaming down on a solar electric module won’t produce the equivalent of 100 units of electricity. You’ll only get around 12 to 15% conversion on the most popular modules on the market today.

Energy is lost in all conversions. One hundred units of electrical energy won’t produce 100 units of light energy in a standard incandescent lightbulb. In fact, most conven- tional lightbulbs in our homes (incandescent lights) con- vert only about 5% of the electrical energy that runs through them into light. The rest comes out as heat!

Each conversion in a chain of energy conversions loses useful energy, as shown in FIGURE 14-4. Don’t forget that. To get the most out of our primary energy sources, we must re- duce the number of conversions along the path.

But let’s get something straight. Some of you may be wondering whether all of this discussion of “energy losses” is violation of the First Law, which states that energy cannot be created nor destroyed.

The truth be known, the “energy losses” I’ve been talk- ing about during energy conversion are not really losses in the true sense of the word. Energy is not really destroyed; it is released in various forms, some useful and others, such as heat, not so useful. Chemical energy in gasoline that runs a car, for instance, is converted to mechanical energy of mov- ing parts that propel us forward along the highways. Some is also lost as heat that radiates off the engine. This waste heat is of little value except to use on cold winter days when cap- tured, at least in part, to warm the car’s interior.

Eventually, however, all heat produced by a motorized vehicle escapes into outer space. It is not destroyed, per se;

it escapes into space and is no longer available to us. Hence, the conversion results in a net loss of useful energy.

By now you know that there are many forms of energy. You know that energy can be renewable or nonrenewable. You understand that raw energy is not as important to us in our homes as is the useful byproducts such as electricity, light, or heat. You now also know that energy can neither be cre- ated, nor destroyed. It can only be converted from one form to another, and you’re privy to the fact that no energy con- version is 100% efficient, not even close.

You also understand that during conversions useful en- ergy decreases. Put another way, all conversions lose energy as heat that is dissipated into outer space. That fact, in turn, is important for nonrenewable fuels; once they’ve burned or reacted in the case of nuclear fuels their energy is gone for- ever. The heat radiates endlessly into outer space, heating the universe as it were.

Renewable energy resources, on the other hand, can be regenerated year after year after year. If we’re going to per- sist as a society in the long term, it is renewable energy re- sources we’ll need to rely on. Unlike fossil fuel energy and nuclear energy, renewable resources can return again and again, making our lives bright and cheery and comfortable so long as the sun continues to illuminate the daytime sky. With these important points in mind, let’s define this thing we call energy.

Energy Is the Ability to Do Work To a physicist, energy is defined as “the ability to do work.” More accurately, says engineer John Howe, “Energy is that elusive something that allows us to do work.” We and our machines, that is.

Any time you lift an object, for example, or slide an ob- ject across the floor, you are performing work. The same holds for our machines. Anytime a machine lifts something or moves it from one place to another, it performs work.

Energy, quite simply, is valuable because it allows us to perform work. It powers our bodies. It powers our homes. It powers our society. We cannot exist without energy.

According to physicists, work is also performed when the temperature of a substance, for example, water, is raised. Therefore, your stove or microwave is working when it boils water for hot tea or soup.

Radiant energy

Heat Heat Heat Heat Heat Heat

Sunlight

Chemical energy

Photosynthesis

Chemical energy

Coal

Thermal energy

Coal-burning power plant

Mechanical energy

Steam-driven turbine

Electrical energy

Transmission tower

Radiant energy

Computer monitor

FIGURE 14-4 Different forms of energy. Energy can be changed from one form to another; however, with each change a certain amount of energy is lost as heat. (Adapted from D. D. Chiras, et al. Management for a Sustainable Future, Ninth edition. Pearson Education [2005]: Upper Saddle River, NJ.)

280 PART IV. Resource Issues: Solutions for a Sustainable Society

Fossil Fuels: Analyzing Our Options

Energy is the lifeblood of modern society, but it does not come cheaply. In addition to its economic cost, huge envi- ronmental costs are posed by many forms of energy. As you shall soon see, these impacts lead many to conclude that the current energy system is unsustainable. When analyzing the sustainability of the world’s energy system, one must take into account available supplies as well as the impacts to the en- vironment, climate, and human health. This section exam- ines those impacts. Before we can understand them, though, we must first understand the many steps required to deliver energy to our homes, factories, and gas stations.

FIGURE 14-5 presents a diagram of some of the major steps involved in energy production and consumption. This chain of events constitutes an energy system and is composed of six major phases: exploration, extraction, processing, distribution, storage, and end use. Take a moment to familiarize yourself

14.3 with these steps. As a rule, the most notable environmental impacts occur at the extraction and end-use phases.

Understanding energy systems and the impacts along the way makes it clear that a simple flick of a light switch or a press on the gas pedal of an automobile creates a trail of en- vironmental damage. It shows our personal connection to the long list of environmental problems facing the world.

KEY CONCEPTS

Crude Oil Crude oil or petroleum is a thick liquid containing many combustible hydrocarbons (organic compounds made of hy- drogen and carbon). Found in deep deposits in the seafloor

Energy does not come cheaply. In addition to the economic costs, society pays a huge environmental price for its use of nonrenew- able energy in damage to the health of its people and to the en- vironment. These impacts arise at every phase of energy production. The most significant impacts arise from extraction and end use.

Longwall

Room-pillar

Auger

Truck

Conveyor

Mine rail

Barge

Tanker

Supertanker

Pipeline Refineries

National Tank truck

Tank car

Barge

Tanker

Tanker (product imports)

Pipeline

Pipeline Gas holders

LNG tanker

LNG truck

LNG truck Regasification

Storage tank

Tank truck

Tank car

Coke clean

Steam clean

Break-size

Mixed train

Unit train

Barge Generation

Transmission Truck

Aboveground

Underground

Silo

Metallurgical

Electrical

Generation

Transmission

Electrical

Generation

Transmission Electrical

Space conditioning

Other

Space conditioning

Other

Transportation

Other

Beehive

Slot oven

Conveyor

Coal

R es

ou rc

e

Tr an

sp or

ta tio

n

Pr oc

es si

ng

D is