Resources


 * __NON-RENEWABLE RESOURCES__

1) Nuclear Energy //Cons-//** - __Where to put radioactive waste?__ - __High Risks: __ -  __Terrorist Target __ -  __Nuclar weapons __ -  __Energy Source __ -  __Planning and building __ - __Economic Reasons__  http://timeforchange.org/pros-and-cons-of-nuclear-power-and-sustainability http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/climate_change/solutions/energy_solutions/nuclear_power/index.cfm Benefits of Nuclear Energy **
 * the waste from nuclear energy is extremely dangerous and it has to be carefully looked after
 * accidents can happen. Its technically impossible to build a nuclear power plant with 100% security
 * the processing of nuclear raw materials from nuclear mining; operating nuclear power stations; handling nuclear waste and finally re-processing, is full of leaks and contamination
 * they could be preferred targets for terrorist attacks. It would have a catastrophic effect on the whole world
 * radioactive waste can be used for the production of nuclear weapons
 * the energy source for nuclear energy is Uranium. Uranium is a scarce resource - its supply is estimated to last only for the next 30 to 60 years
 * takes about 20-30 years to build
 * “can drain badly-needed funds from energy efficiency and renewable energy programmes, most of which have substantially lower specific greenhouse gas abatement costs than nuclear energy”
 * **// Environmental //** –Nuclear energy's environmental impact is minimal. It does not contribute to air pollution. Nuclear power contributes no emissions at all to the atmosphere. Compare that to fossil fuels whose emissions, known as greenhouse gases, are blamed for everything from global climate change to ozone problems and acid rain.
 * **// Cost //** –Another benefit is the cost of producing the power. When compared to other energy types, nuclear is relatively cheap. The cost of the raw fuel, uranium, is less than natural gas, oil, or coal. The costs of running the actual plant are similar to those of running a coal or gas plant. Those lower costs combine to give consumers cheap electricity.
 * **// Reliability //** –Nuclear energy power plants produce a consistently large amount of power.
 * **// Uranium Pellets //** – One uranium nuclear fuel pellet the size of the tip of your little finger is equivalent to the energy provided by 1,780 pounds of coal; or 149 gallons of oil, as much oil as fits in three 50 gallon drums; or 17,000 cubic feet of natural gas. The energy is released inside the reactor through fission—the splitting of uranium atoms in a chain reaction. In the nuclear plant, the heat energy produced boils water into steam, which drives a turbine generator to produce electricity.
 * **// Uranium is Plentiful //** –T here’s enough to last most of a century if we use U-235 (0.7%). When we develop Fast Neutron Reactors, we will convert the U-238 (99.3%) to plutonium which is also a nuclear fuel. This will elongate the amount of energy we can gain from using Nuclear power.

How Nuclear Power works :D

Coal, petroleum (oil), and natural gas are burned in large furnaces to heat water to make steam that in turn pushes on the blades of a turbine. Most of the power in the United States is produced through the use of steam turbines in power plants. A turbine converts the kinetic energy of a moving fluid (liquid or gas) to mechanical energy. Steam turbines have a series of blades mounted on a shaft against which steam is forced, thus rotating the shaft connected to the generator. In a fossil-fueled steam turbine, the fuel is burned in a furnace to heat water in a boiler to produce steam.
 * 2) Oil**

__ Advantages: __ ·  High net energy- because most of it comes from large, accessible and cheap to extract deposits ·  Low cost ·  Easy to transport ·  Development of technology- use satellites to help find oil deposits, drill smaller holes but still obtain large amounts ·  Can be recycled and used over and over again __Disadvantages:__  ·  Burning oil as gasoline and diesel fuel for transportation is responsible for about 43% of global CO2 emissions  ·  Wildlife habitat affected when drilling into the ground for oil  ·  Oil transportation accidents can result in killing thousands of fish, birds, other wildlife, plants and soil.  ·  Oil can get into the water from natural oil seeps coming from the ocean floor  ·  The low cost does not motivate to search for alternatives <span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol"> ·  Drilling causes lots of air pollutants, toxic and hazardous materials, these emissions can impact the health and safety of workers Enough supply for 42-93 years, but need to find a substitute within 50 years.

NATURAL GAS This is how Natural Gas works: [[image:http://www.aquila.com/services/programs/documents/gas-system.jpg width="426" height="542" align="left"]]
They have ample supplies (125 years) High net energy yeilds Low cost (with huge subsidies) Less air pollution than other fossil fuels Lower CO2 emissions than other fossil fuels Moderate environmental impact Easily transported by pipeline Low land use Good fuel for fuel cells and gas turbines
 * The Pros of Natural Gas is:**

It's a nonrenewable resouce Releases CO2 when burned Methane (a greehouse gas) can leak from pipelines Difficult to transfer from one country to another Shipped across ocean as highly explosive LNG Sometimes burned off and wasted at wells because of low price Requires pipelines
 * The Cons of Natural Gas is:**