Coal and Natural Gas Energy Quiz

Fossil Fuels

• Fossil fuels account for approximately 80% of global energy consumption.
• Any climate change policy must address energy policy.
• The benefits of fossil fuel extraction and combustion are immediate and localized, while the negative consequences are long-term and widespread.
• Immediate individual incentives often push towards more fossil fuel consumption, not less.
• Well-designed policies can promote commitments to technologies and practices with long-term benefits.

U.S. Energy Policy

• Objective 1: Increase energy efficiency and conservation. Decisions often need to balance short-term losses with long-term gains. Examples include decreasing speed limits to conserve fuel.
• Objective 2: Secure future fossil fuel energy supplies from domestic sources. This objective addresses concerns regarding security, environmental impact, and economics.
• Objective 3: Develop alternative energy sources. Recent policy changes encourage consumers to sell energy back to the grid and explore better pricing of alternative sources.
• Objective 4: Meet the first three objectives without further damage to the environment. Consideration should be given to possible fossil fuel taxes per barrel.

World Energy Consumption

• Global energy demand has steadily increased throughout the past century.
• Fossil fuels remain the dominant energy source, although renewable energy sources are also increasing.

Rise of Fossil Fuels

• The increasing use of fossil fuels can be tracked back to the start of industrialization.
• Initially, "traditional biomass" (primarily wood burning) was the dominant source.
• Coal then became important, followed by oil, and subsequently natural gas.
• These fuels have rapidly replaced wood as the primary source.

Fossil Fuels: Definition and Characteristics

• Fossil fuels are energy-dense hydrocarbons derived from the remnants of prehistoric organisms. This includes coal, oil, and natural gas.
• Fossil fuels provide over 80% of the energy used in North America.
• They are non-renewable, meaning creation rates are too slow to keep up with current usage.

Current Fossil Fuels Beginnings

• Fossil fuels originated roughly 300 million years ago.
• The sun was slightly cooler; different continental structures created different climates.
• CO2 levels were typically higher to compensate for the cooler climate conditions during this period.
• Climate changes occurred on time scales of tens of thousands of years.
• Rapid changes in climate are often tied to biodiversity loss in the fossil record, suggesting large-scale extinction events.

Fossil Fuel Formation

• Coal: Heat, pressure, and time transform non-decomposed solid terrestrial plant material into carbon-rich rock.
• Oil: Primarily composed of algae, bacteria, and simple aquatic plants that have been preserved and concentrated over time.
• Natural Gas: Similar origins to oil, but at higher temperatures and pressures, the organic material breaks down into smaller hydrocarbons.

Carbon Cycle

• Carbon naturally cycles between the biosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere.
• Fossil fuels represent a long-term storage of carbon removed from circulation for hundreds of millions of years.
• Burning fossil fuels releases carbon as CO2.
• There's no natural process for quickly returning carbon emissions back to the ground. This is a massive, sudden, and irreversible transfer of carbon.

Coal

• Coal is a black, combustible solid primarily composed of carbon, water, and trace elements found in Earth's crust.
• Most coal deposits are identified.
• Grades vary based on heat and pressure during burial.
• Quality is measured by energy density per volume.
• Coal is highly flammable and dangerous to mine.
• Burning and mining release pollutants.
• 20th-century coal mining accidents resulted in about 90,000 fatalities.
• Miners face an increased risk of lung disease and cancer.

Coal Availability

• The U.S. holds approximately 24% of the world's estimated coal supply.
• Proven reserves could last around 130 years at the current rate of consumption.
• Most coal is burned for electricity generation.

Coal Contributions to Total Energy

• Coal is the dominant energy source in parts of the world.
• However, coal use is declining overall in most countries.
• Coal's relative importance to the U.S. energy sector has been declining since 2008.
• In 2023, coal's contribution to total US energy dropped significantly below 10% for the first time in 100 years.

Coal Mining Methods

• Surface Mining: Coal seams are relatively close to the surface. Coal is mined from seams that vary from 1 inch to 100 feet in thickness. Strip mining is practiced by digging trenches along seams to extract resources. Surface mining methods can be highly destructive to local environments, although they are typically safe for miners.
• Mountaintop Removal Mining: Used in hilly or mountainous regions, this process involves clearing away layers of mountains to reach the coal seams and often dumps the overburden (leftover rock and soil) into valleys or streams.
• Subsurface Mining: This method extracts minerals and energy resources from deep underground deposits, comprising approximately 40% of current coal mining operations. Although less environmentally destructive than surface mining, it's more expensive and less safe than other methods.

Atmospheric Impacts of Coal Combustion

• Coal often contains high concentrations of sulfur and nitrogen. These are released into the atmosphere during combustion.
• Resulting emissions (NOx and SOx) often contribute to pollutant formation and acid rain.
• "Clean coal" (efforts to reduce emissions) often involves adding components to remove harmful byproducts.
• These technologies do not necessarily reduce CO2 emissions.

CO2 Emissions from Coal

• CO2 emissions from coal have increasingly become a target.
• The 2014 US Supreme Court decision allowed the EPA to regulate CO2 emissions.
• This has put pressure on older, less efficient coal-burning plants to close or upgrade, often through the addition of carbon capture technologies.
• Improvements in natural gas extraction efficiency make natural gas extraction more economically competitive compared to coal mining.

Oil and Natural Gas Exploration

• Oil and natural gas tend to migrate upward and are often located in underground geologic structures if present.
• These structures help to trap oil or natural gas, leading to reserves.

Refining Technologies

• Refining separates the various hydrocarbons present in crude oil (petroleum).
• Refining processes and eventual uses depend on the boiling points of different components.
• Natural gas typically contains fewer hydrocarbons and is cleaner burning than crude oil.

Oil and Natural Gas Extraction and Consumption

• Liquid forms of energy (oil and natural gas) are versatile and easier to transport.
• These forms of energy are cleaner to burn compared to some other energy sources.
• Oil and natural gas together contribute to about 62% of U.S. energy use and about 55% of the world's energy production.

Oil and Natural Gas in Different Countries

• Oil is a significant energy source in many countries globally.
• This is particularly true for oil-rich countries.

Fractional Contribution of Oil to US Energy

• Oil's fractional contribution to the US energy sector has seen a gradual decline since the 1980s.
• Oil and natural gas have played a dominant role in US energy supply.

Natural Gas

• Natural gas is a significant global contributor to energy, with recent increases relating to improved extraction techniques.
• Natural gas currently represents roughly 33% of total U.S. energy.
• Natural gas showed a slow decline in its contribution to domestic energy until fracking technology made extraction more efficient and accessible.
• Natural gas composition is mostly simple gas-phase hydrocarbons, like methane, ethane, propane, and butane.
• Methane alone is extracted and used for heat and electricity generation.
• Compared to gasoline, natural gas emits significantly less carbon monoxide and toxic hydrocarbons.

Hydraulic Fracturing (Fracking)

• Hydraulic fracturing (fracking) techniques dramatically increased U.S. natural gas availability in the mid 2000's.
• It involves blasting rock layers with pressures to fracture and open up trapped natural gas, which is then available for extraction.
• This extraction process has significant impacts on the local environment, including water resources.

Potential Impacts of Fracking on Drinking Water

• Fracking can potentially impact local drinking water in several ways. These impacts can affect water availability and quality through onsite spills and leaks, contamination, and other accidents. 
• Chemical transportation accidents can occur and potentially impact water.

Natural Gas Well Leakage and Fluid Connection

• Emissions of natural gas or fracturing fluids can occur in underground reservoirs through faulty wells, leaks, and successful fracturing processes, which can open up cracks that allow connections with groundwater reservoirs.

Fracking Fluid Composition and Health Effects

• Fracking fluids mostly rely on water and specialized additives which assist in extraction.
• The exact composition of fracking fluids is often kept proprietary.
• There are many unknowns concerning the exact chemical composition and potential health effects. This results in challenges when regulating the industry and related health impacts.