Earth Science

Governor Pack Road, Baguio City, Philippines 2600

Tel. Nos.: (+6374) 442-3316, 442-8220; 444-2786;
442-2564; 442-8219; 442-8256; Fax No.: 442-6268 Science, Technology, Engineering and, Mathematics
Email: email@uc-bcf.edu.ph; Website: www.uc-bcf.edu.ph

Module III GRADE 11

Outline:
1. Introduction
2. Type of Energy Resources
3. Advantages and Disadvantages of Energy Resources
4. Energy Resources and Environmental Sustainability
5. Environmental Impacts and Energy
6. Importance of Renewable Energy Resources and Technologies For Sustainable Development

Learning Objectives:
After completing the module, the students should be able to:
 Cite ways to address the different environmental concerns related to the use fossil fuels, geothermal
energy, and hydroelectric energy.

INTRODUCTION TO ENERGY RESOURCES

Energy is the convertible currency of technology. Without energy the whole fabric of society as
we know it would crumble; the effect of a 24-h cut in electricity supplies to a city shows how totally
dependent we are on that particularly useful form of energy. Computers and lifts cease to function,
hospitals sink to a care and maintenance level and the lights go out. As populations grow, many faster
than the average 2%, the need for more and more energy is exacerbated. Enhanced lifestyle and
energy demand rise together and the wealthy industrialized economies which contain 25% of the
world's population consume 75% of the world's energy supply.

Energy sources can be classified into two types: nonrenewable and renewable. Nonrenewable
resources, such as fossil fuels and nuclear material, are removed from the earth and can be depleted.
These resources have been the most used type of energy in the modern era.

Renewable resources, such as wind, water, solar, and geothermal, come from sources that
regenerate as fast as they are consumed and are continuously available. Some, such as biofuel
produced from food crops and other plants, are replenished every growing season. In the early part
of the twenty-first century, renewable sources have become more popular as nonrenewable sources
have begun to be depleted.

TYPES OF ENERGY RESOURCES

The energy resources are divided into two groups—renewable and nonrenewable.

Renewable Energy Sources

 Energy sources that can be replenished over and over again; they are never depleted. Some
examples include hydropower, solar, wind, tidal, geothermal energy from inside the earth,
biomass from plants, and nuclear fusion.
 These types of energy sources are usually converted into electricity or thermal (heat) energy.

Nonrenewable Energy Sources

 Energy sources that we are using up and cannot produce in a short period of time. Some
examples include fossil fuels (Petroleum Oil, Natural Gas, and Coal), Tar Sands, and Nuclear
Fission.
 Another nonrenewable energy source is the element uranium, whose atoms we split (through a
process called nuclear fission) to create heat, and ultimately, electricity.
 These types of energy sources are usually converted into electricity and mechanical energy.
 We get most of our energy from these nonrenewable energy sources.
 Earth Science
Governor Pack Road, Baguio City, Philippines 2600
Tel. Nos.: (+6374) 442-3316, 442-8220; 444-2786;
442-2564; 442-8219; 442-8256; Fax No.: 442-6268 Science, Technology, Engineering and, Mathematics
Email: email@uc-bcf.edu.ph; Website: www.uc-bcf.edu.ph

Module III GRADE 11

NON RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES

Fossil fuel formation

Fossil fuel formation refers to the
process that takes place over the time
span of hundreds of millions of years to
produce a variety of fossil fuels including
coal, oil, and natural gas. Although all the
produced materials begin as organic
material and are transformed over a large
time span due to burial by sediment,
pressure, and temperature, different
conditions result in the formation of
different types of fossil fuels. Even within
one "class" of fossil fuel (such as oil) there
are a variety of ways that the oil can form
and each method results in a different oil
deposit, sometimes requiring special
techniques to access.

Major types of fossil fuels

There are several main groups of fossil fuels, including:

 Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata
in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be
regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure.
Coal is composed primarily of carbon along with variable quantities of other elements, chiefly
hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen.

Source: https://empoweryourknowledgeandhappytrivia.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/
Coalification
 also known as carbonification is the formation of coal from plant material by the processes of
diagenesis and metamorphism.

 Oil
Crude oil, a liquid composed mainly of carbon and hydrogen, is often black, but exists in a variety
of colors and viscosities depending on its chemical composition. Much of it formed during the Mesozoic
period, between 252 and 66 million years ago, as plankton, algae, and other matter sank to the bottom
of ancient seas and was eventually buried.
 Earth Science
Governor Pack Road, Baguio City, Philippines 2600
Tel. Nos.: (+6374) 442-3316, 442-8220; 444-2786;
442-2564; 442-8219; 442-8256; Fax No.: 442-6268 Science, Technology, Engineering and, Mathematics
Email: email@uc-bcf.edu.ph; Website: www.uc-bcf.edu.ph

Module III GRADE 11

Source: http://www.openlearningworld.com/World_Geography/imgs/figure_7.3.3.jpg

How Oil and Gas Deposits are Formed

Deep in the Earth, oil and natural gas are formed from organic matter from dead plants and
animals. These hydrocarbons take millions of years to form under very specific pressure and
temperature conditions.

When a living organism dies, it is generally recycled in one of two ways:

o It is eaten by predators, scavengers or bacteria.
o Through exposure to ambient air or oxygen-rich water, it oxidizes. That means that the hydrogen,
carbon, nitrogen, sulfur and phosphorus contained in the matter combine with oxygen atoms
present in the air. The organic matter breaks down into water (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2),
nitrates, sulfates and phosphates that nourish new plants.

 Natural gas
An odorless gas composed primarily of methane, natural gas often lies in deposits that, like
those for coal and oil, formed millions of years ago from decaying plant matter and organisms.

How Oil and Gas Forms

 At a depth of 2,000 meters, when the temperature reaches 100°C, kerogen starts to release
hydrocarbons
 Between 2,000 and 3,800 meters, it turns into oil. This depth interval is known as the oil window.
 When the source rock sinks further, to between 3,800 and 5,000 meters, production of liquid
hydrocarbons peaks. The liquids produced become increasingly lighter and gradually turn into
methane gas, the lightest hydrocarbon. This depth interval is known as the gas window.
 There are no hydrocarbons below a depth of 8 to 10 kilometers, because they are destroyed
by the high temperature.
 The proportion of liquids and gas generated in this way depends on the type of source rock. If
the organic debris is composed mostly of animal origin, it will produce more oil than gas. If it is
composed mainly of plant debris; the source rock will produce mostly gas.
 With an estimated average sedimentation of 50 meters every million years, it takes 60 million
years for dead animals to become liquid hydrocarbons. It is hardly surprising, therefore, that oil
is classified as a non-renewable energy source.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF NON-RENEWABLE ENERGY

Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of non-renewable energy resources:
Advantages of non-renewable energy Disadvantages of non-renewable energy
 It is easy to store  Green-house gas emissions
 It is easily accessible  Air pollution
 It is more compatible  Acid rain
 It is affordable  Water pollution
 It is present in fair quantity  Soil pollution
 It can be efficiently converted to the type of  Non-biodegradable waste
energy required generation
 It is easy to transport  Oil spills
 Earth Science
Governor Pack Road, Baguio City, Philippines 2600
Tel. Nos.: (+6374) 442-3316, 442-8220; 444-2786;
442-2564; 442-8219; 442-8256; Fax No.: 442-6268 Science, Technology, Engineering and, Mathematics
Email: email@uc-bcf.edu.ph; Website: www.uc-bcf.edu.ph

Module III GRADE 11

 A power plant which runs on non-renewable  Depletion of ozone layer

source of energy can be located anywhere
as long as fuel is available
 They are available throughout the year unlike
solar energy or water energy
 They have high energy density

Explore more of this topic by watching these video links below:

 Fossil fuels https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaXBVYr9Ij0
 What Are Fossil Fuels? | National Geographic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTnE0OQPTEo
 Will Fossil Fuels Run Out? | Earth Lab https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjfs_7kwRks
 How Much Oil Is Left on Earth? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynaOH7OmMcM

Self-Assessment Questions

1. Cite another example of a non-renewable resources.

a. Explain how it is used.
b. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using this energy resource

RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES

Renewable energy is energy from sources that are naturally replenishing but flow-limited;
renewable resources are virtually inexhaustible in duration but limited in the amount of energy that is
available per unit of time. The following are the different types of renewable resources.

 Solar
This form of energy relies on the nuclear fusion power from
the core of the Sun. This energy can be collected and converted
in a few different ways. The range is from solar water heating with
solar collectors or attic cooling with solar attic fans for domestic
use to the complex technologies of direct conversion of sunlight
to electrical energy using mirrors and boilers or photovoltaic cells.
Unfortunately, these are currently insufficient to fully power our
modern society.

 Wind Power
The movement of the atmosphere is driven by differences
of temperature at the Earth's surface due to varying temperatures
of the Earth's surface when lit by sunlight. Wind energy can be
used to pump water or generate electricity but requires extensive
areal coverage to produce significant amounts of energy.

 Hydroelectric energy
This form uses the gravitational potential of elevated water
that was lifted from the oceans by sunlight. It is not strictly speaking
renewable since all reservoirs eventually fill up and require very
expensive excavation to become useful again. At this time, most
of the available locations for hydroelectric dams are already used
in the developed world.
 Earth Science
Governor Pack Road, Baguio City, Philippines 2600
Tel. Nos.: (+6374) 442-3316, 442-8220; 444-2786;
442-2564; 442-8219; 442-8256; Fax No.: 442-6268 Science, Technology, Engineering and, Mathematics
Email: email@uc-bcf.edu.ph; Website: www.uc-bcf.edu.ph

Module III GRADE 11

 Biomass
Biomass is the term for energy from plants. Energy in this form is very commonly used throughout
the world. Unfortunately, the most popular is the burning of trees for cooking and warmth. This process
releases copious amounts of carbon dioxide gases into the atmosphere and is a major contributor to
unhealthy air in many areas. Some of the more modern forms of biomass energy are methane
generation and production of alcohol for automobile fuel and fueling electric power plants.

 Geothermal power.
Geothermal energy is the heat that comes from the sub-surface of the earth. It is contained in
the rocks and fluids beneath the earth’s crust and can be found as far down to the earth’s hot molten
rock, magma. To produce power from geothermal energy, wells are dug a mile deep into underground
reservoirs to access the steam and hot water there, which can then be used to drive turbines
connected to electricity generators.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES

Disadvantages of Renewable Energy Resources Advantages of Renewable Energy Resources

 Renewable energy resources will not run
out
 Solar panels are cheap to maintain
 Unused energy produced by households
can be sold back to the main national
grid
 Wind turbines can be very noisy.
 Renewable energy technologies could
produce many jobs in the future.
 Not all places in the world can make use
of renewable energy sources.
 Wind turbines can only be used if the
weather conditions are suitable.
 Renewable energy sources are clean to
use as there are fewer greenhouse gas
emissions
 Usually, the energy is produced at a
slower rate than when using fossil fuels.
 Due to use of stable source of energy,
the cost of renewable fuels does not
change much.
 Renewable energy technologies can be
used on small or large scales – e.g. One
house or an entire wind farm.
 A lot of land is required to set up large
scale systems to make enough electricity.

Explore more of this topic by watching these video links below:

 Renewable Energy 101 | National Geographic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kUE0BZtTRc
 Renewable Energy Explained https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEeH4EniM3E
 The Engineering Challenges of Renewable Energy: Crash Course Engineering #30
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4k5gyYAAEEU
 CBRED: The Story of Renewable Energy in the Philippines
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f59THmrKtjY&t=483s

Self-Assessment Questions

1. What are the renewable energy resources that is found in our country? Why is the Philippines
struggling in managing its different renewable energy resources? Cite engineering
challenges of renewable energy.
 Earth Science
Governor Pack Road, Baguio City, Philippines 2600
Tel. Nos.: (+6374) 442-3316, 442-8220; 444-2786;
442-2564; 442-8219; 442-8256; Fax No.: 442-6268 Science, Technology, Engineering and, Mathematics
Email: email@uc-bcf.edu.ph; Website: www.uc-bcf.edu.ph

Module III GRADE 11

ENERGY RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT SUSTAINABILITY

Problems with energy supply and use are

related not only to global warming, but
also to such environmental concerns as air
pollution, acid precipitation, ozone
depletion, forest destruction, and emission
of radioactive substances. These issues
must be taken into consideration
simultaneously if humanity is to achieve a
bright energy future with minimal
environmental impacts. Much evidence
exists, which suggests that the future will be
negatively impacted if humans keep
degrading the environment.

Other environmental considerations have been given increasing attention by energy industries
and the public. The concept that consumers share responsibility for pollution and its cost has been
increasingly accepted. Simultaneously, concern will likely increase regarding energy-related
environmental concerns such as acid precipitation, stratospheric ozone depletion and global climate
change.

 One solution to the impending energy shortage is to make much more use of renewable energy
sources and technologies. This cause is sometimes espoused with a fervor which leads to
extravagant and impossible claims being made. Engineering practicality, reliability,
applicability, economy, scarcity of supply and public acceptability should all be considered
accordingly. All are possible sources of energy but though the science is understood, it does not
follow that provided enough research money is poured into the project an engineering solution
should be found appropriately.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AND ENERGY

Environmental aspects and quality of life indicate that environmental pollution (of air, water,
etc.) is largely linked to the increasing use of energy, presently the climate changes due to heavy use
of fossil fuel with emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide become more and more
a planetary problem and will influence in the future.

 Air pollution is one of the aspects of the environmental problems. The following pollution
agents are sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, ozone, dust and aerosols, carbon dioxide,
chlorofluorocarbons, steam-laden emissions, and meteorological inversion. Air pollution is
not the only aspect of the environmental problems created by the energy sectors.
 Earth Science
Governor Pack Road, Baguio City, Philippines 2600
Tel. Nos.: (+6374) 442-3316, 442-8220; 444-2786;
442-2564; 442-8219; 442-8256; Fax No.: 442-6268 Science, Technology, Engineering and, Mathematics
Email: email@uc-bcf.edu.ph; Website: www.uc-bcf.edu.ph

Module III GRADE 11

 Water pollution includes any detrimental alteration of surface waters, underground water,
or the marine environment with a thermal or material pollution. Water polluting agents can
be solid, liquid, or gaseous that detrimentally alters the natural conditions of waters.

Importance of renewable energy resources and technologies for sustainable development

The exploitation of renewable energy resources and technologies is a key component of
sustainable development. There are three significant reasons for it as follows.
1. They have much less environmental impact compared to other sources of energy since there is
no any energy sources with zero environmental impact. There are a variety of choices available
in practice that a shift to renewables could provide a far cleaner energy system than would be
feasible by tightening controls on conventional energy.
2. Renewable energy resources cannot be depleted unlike fossil fuel and uranium resources. If
used wisely in appropriate and efficient applications, they can provide a reliable and
sustainable supply energy almost indefinitely. In contrast, fossil fuel and uranium resources are
definite and can be diminished by extraction and consumption.
3. They favor power system decentralization and locally applicable solutions independent of the
national network, thus enhancing the flexibility of the system and the economic power supply
to small isolated settlements. That is why many different renewable energy technologies are
potentially available for use in urban areas.

CONCEPTS AT A GLANCE

1. Renewable energy, often referred to as clean energy, comes from natural sources or
processes that are constantly replenished. Meanwhile, nonrenewable sources of energy
are only available in limited amounts and take a long time to replenish.
2. There are different types of the renewable energy like solar energy, wind energy,
hydroelectric energy, biomass energy, and tidal energy.
3. Despite the advantages of these technology, it still holds disadvantages to our
environment.

Reference/s:

Sia, S.R. and L.A. Cortez.(2016).Earth and life science.Quezon Ave., Quezon City.Sibs Publishing House, Inc.
Dincer, I. (2000). Renewable energy and sustainable development: a crucial review. Renewable and
Sustainable Energy Reviews, 4(2), 157–175. doi:10.1016/s1364-0321(99)00011-8
Akella, A. K., Saini, R. P., & Sharma, M. P. (2009). Social, economical and environmental impacts of renewable
energy systems. Renewable Energy, 34(2), 390–396. doi:10.1016/j.renene.2008.05.002