Questions and Answers
Electric cars produce emissions while operating.
False
What is a significant environmental concern regarding the disposal of batteries?
They can be harmful to the environment if disposed of improperly.
What is the greatest concern with current battery technology in electric cars?
What process is used to produce hydrogen for fuel?
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What is one of the most significant uses of hydrogen power?
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Local generation allows homeowners to produce electricity and reduces dependency on centralized power grids.
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What is a drawback of local generation?
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What is often the source of electricity in large-scale power generation?
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In large-scale power generation, individuals have many opportunities to choose their energy providers.
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What is a renewable resource?
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What defines a perpetual resource?
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What is solar energy?
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What is active solar energy?
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What is passive solar energy?
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What is habitat preservation in the context of solar energy?
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What are drawbacks of using solar energy?
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What is efficiency in passive solar heating?
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What does zero emissions mean in solar energy?
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What are some benefits of building dams?
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What happens with predictable water supply and flood control from dams?
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What is the role of tidal energy in energy generation?
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What are some sources of biomass?
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What is biodiesel?
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What is waste to energy (WTE)?
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How is geothermal energy converted to useful energy?
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What is a characteristic of hybrid cars?
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Study Notes
Renewable Resources
- Renewable resources can be regenerated naturally (e.g., trees) or recycled indefinitely (e.g., water).
- Perpetual resources, like solar energy, cannot be depleted by human use.
Solar Energy
- Solar energy drives various natural processes that support renewable energy sources, including the water cycle and photosynthesis.
- Active solar energy captures sunlight directly using photovoltaic cells for electricity, commonly mounted on rooftops or in large arrays.
- Passive solar energy utilizes sunlight for heating without mechanical conversions, evident in features like building orientation and material color.
Building & Energy Efficiency
- Effective building design maximizes solar gain through strategic window placement and color choices to enhance heat absorption and minimize cooling costs.
- Passive solar heating can generate electricity by using mirrors to concentrate sunlight for heating water into steam.
Environmental Impact
- Solar power has zero emissions since it's not combustion-based, avoiding pollutant release.
- Solar installations can be placed on existing structures, preserving habitats and avoiding land disruption.
Hydroelectric Power
- Dams optimize water flow for irrigation and electricity generation, creating stable water supplies and renewable energy with no emissions.
- The Aral Sea has dramatically shrunk due to water diversion for irrigation, leading to ecological collapse.
- The James Bay Project's hydroelectric dams significantly impacted Cree communities by flooding lands and disrupting traditional practices.
Challenges of Hydropower
- Dams interfere with natural flooding cycles that replenish soil fertility, leading to sediment loss downstream.
- Fish migration, especially for species like salmon, is often hindered by dams, although some use fish ladders to help.
Ocean and Tidal Energy
- Ocean-based energy generation can harness thermal energy from sunlight and the kinetic energy from tidal movements.
- Ocean water can be used to produce electricity through heat-driven evaporation or by harnessing ocean currents.
Wind Power
- Wind energy technology, from historical windmills to modern turbines, converts wind into mechanical energy for various uses.
- Wind turbines produce no emissions and require minimal land, often allowing dual land use for agriculture or grazing.
- Environmental concerns include potential harm to birds and bats from turbine blades.
Biomass Energy
- Developing countries (LEDCs) often rely on burning biomass, like wood, for cooking, contributing to deforestation and air pollution.
- More developed countries (MEDCs) are increasing biomass energy from plants like corn and wood pellets to reduce fossil fuel dependency.
- Biodiesel from plants and waste oil is becoming popular but still produces some emissions when burned.
Waste-to-Energy (WTE)
- WTE incinerates solid waste to produce energy and reduce landfill accumulation, effective in fuel-scarce regions.
Geothermal Energy
- Geothermal energy is harnessed by accessing hot spots in the Earth’s crust to produce steam that drives turbines.
Electric and Hybrid Vehicles
- Electric cars run entirely on battery power, while hybrids utilize both batteries and an internal combustion engine for extended range.
- Electric vehicles (EVs) produce no direct emissions, but their charging often relies on fossil fuels, transferring pollution to power plants.
- Disposing of EV batteries raises environmental concerns due to their toxic materials and limited lifespan.
Hydrogen Fuel
- Hydrogen must be extracted from compounds for fuel; electrolysis is a key process separating hydrogen from water.
- NASA uses hydrogen fuel cells for rockets, demonstrating its potential in producing clean energy.### Hydrogen Fuel Cell-Powered Buses
- Brazil and Australia are investing in hydrogen fuel cell technology for public transport.
- Hydrogen fuel cells produce electricity through a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, resulting in water as the only byproduct.
- The initiative aims to reduce carbon emissions from public transportation systems.
Local Generation
- Local generation involves the use of renewable energy sources, like solar and wind, at individual residences.
- Homeowners can install solar panels or wind turbines to become less reliant on central power grids.
- Benefits include reduced electricity bills and a lower environmental impact.
- Local generation offers electricity access in less economically developed countries (LEDCs) lacking power grids.
- Challenges include high installation and maintenance costs, and potential issues with power reliability.
Large-Scale Power Generation ("the Grid")
- Most more economically developed countries (MEDCs) utilize a municipal power grid for consistent electricity supply.
- Power is generated at centralized facilities such as power plants, hydroelectric dams, wind farms, or solar fields.
- This system provides a convenient and reliable energy source, with electricity flowing to homes and businesses as long as utility bills are paid.
- Environmental concerns arise as some electricity generation methods are harmful to nature.
- Individuals relying on centralized grids may face ethical considerations regarding unsustainable energy practices.
- Limited options to choose energy providers may result in higher costs for consumers.
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Description
Explore the environmental effects of electric cars and hybrids in this quiz. Understand how their emissions compare to traditional vehicles and the implications of battery production and power generation methods. Test your knowledge on the benefits and drawbacks of different electric vehicle technologies.