Rani Rashmoni Green University

Two- Year Four Semester Course in Environmental Science

Course Code –GEST 32

Unit 1
Energy and Environment
Part 1

Dr. Kankan Mukhopadhyay

Contact no. 9433701343
Email: mukhopadhyay.kankan@gmail.com 1
 Energy

Energy is a property of matter that can be converted into work, heat or radiation

Types of energy
There are two types of energy.

Potential energy :Potential energy is that energy which is due to the position of
object

Example- chemical energy, nuclear energy, gravitational energy, mechanical

energy

Kinetic energy: Kinetic energy is that energy of an object due to its motion

Example – radiant energy, motion energy, thermal energy, electrical energy

 Form of Energy

 Mechanical energy-mechanical energy is that energy which is stored in object by the application of
force, example- stretching rubber bands or compression of spring
 Thermal energy- it is the internal energy in the substance, example- geothermal energy
 Radiant energy – it is the electromagnetic energy that travel in transverse way, example-solar
energy
 Chemical energy- it is that energy stored in the bond of atom or molecules, example-coal,
petroleum, natural gas, biomass
 Nuclear energy- it is the energy stored in nucleus of atom, example-nuclear energy of uranium
atom
 Electrical energy- it is the movement of electrons, example – light, electricity

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 Energy source is classified in two ways mainly

1. Conventional sources of energy

o Conventional sources of energy that are used since ancient time.
o It is widely used source of energy
o Most conventional source of energy are non-renewable in nature
o Most of conventional energy cause environmental pollution

2. Non- Conventional sources of energy

 These cannot be exhausted easily, can be generated constantly so can be used again and again

 Such energy sources are collected from renewable resources that can be naturally replenished on a human
timescale, including carbon neutral sources like sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves, and geothermal heat. This type of
energy source stands in contrast to fossil fuels, which are being used far more quickly than they are being
replenished.
 Although most renewable energy is sustainable energy, some is not, for example some biomass is unsustainable.
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 Conventional energy source Non-Conventional energy source
   

Conventional Non-renewable Conventional Renewable  Wind energy

energy source energy source  Solar energy
 geothermal energy
Non renewable energy sources are Mostly fossil fuels available  hydro power
limited in nature or depleting above the ground  bio energy
eventually    Tidal Energy
  Example- Fire wood, cattle  
Example-coal, petroleum and its dung, energy from
products, natural gas, , thermal vegetable waste, wood
electricity,   charcoal, Hydroelectricity
etc.

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 Fossil Fuels

ö Formation of fossil fuel is geologic processes (a process that began in the

Archean Eon (4.0 billion to 2.5 billion years ago)
ö Dead remaining of living organisms (both plant and animals)deep buried in
underground for millions of years and with anaerobic decomposition, fossil fuels
formed
ö They are also classified as non-renewable resources because they take millions
of years to form but most known viable reserves are being depleted much faster
than new ones are generated
ö Sun is the ultimate source responsible for generation of fossil fuels.
ö Fossil Fuels- Coal, Petroleum, natural Gas 6
 Fossil Fuels
Coal
It is formed from dead remains of plants (Terrestrial plants tended to form coal and
methane). Many of the coal fields date to the Carboniferous period of Earth's history.
It is a complex mixture of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen and small amount of nitrogen and
Sulphur compounds.
The process of coke formation from coal is known as Carbonization or carbonation
(Carbonization is a process in which a fuel is heated without air to leave solid porous carbon . Coke is
produced commercially by carbonization of coal, either at high or low temperatures. The main purpose in the
carbonization of coal is to produce coke, and any chemicals produced are of secondary importance)

Destructive distillation of coal gives us different byproducts- Coke, coal tar, coal gas,
ammonical liquor
Note: Industrial revolution was happened after starting of use of coal as source of energy.
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Types of Coal

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 Comparative description of different Coal

  Type of Carbon Calorific Moisture Smoke State

Coal % value
Anthracite 95-98 highest Lowest Smokeless hard coal/hard coal (largest reservoir in
Russia)

Bituminou 45-85       Household coal as it is vastly used in India;

s used primarily as fuel in steam-electric
power generation and to make coke

Subbitumi 35-45       used primarily as fuel for steam-electric

nous power generation

Lignite 35-50       brown coal; used almost exclusively as fuel

for electric power generation;
most dangerous to health

Peat 25-30 Lowest Highest Smokey Softest, a precursor of coal

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 Fossil Fuels
Petroleum

Petroleum is formed from dead remains of organisms living in sea. It is a complex mixture of solid,
liquid and hydrocarbons, mixed with saltwater and earthy particles. It is always found trapped
between two impervious rocks.
it cannot be used in this made form either as a fuel or a basic material to produce other useful
components. Before being put to use, it has to be purified or refined. The process of separating the
various components of petroleum from one another is known as the refining of petroleum. This is
done by a process called fractional distillation which is based on the fact that the different
components of petroleum have distinctly different boiling points. In fractional distillation, crude
petroleum is heated to a temperature of, 400°C or slightly above in a furnace

Uses of Petroleum- Lubricant of machineries, gasoline and other products, tires, petroleum jelly etc.10
Fractional Distillation of Petroleum

Constituents of petroleum Its uses

It is used as fuel for home and

Liquefied Petroleum Gas  (LPG)
industry.

Petrol It is used as motor fuel and as a

solvent for dry cleaning

Kerosene (150 - 275 °C) It is used as fuel for stoves,

lamps and for jet aircraft.

Diesel
It is used as fuel for heavy motor
vehicles, electric generators

Lubricating Oil  It is used for lubrication.

Paraffin Wax It is used in ointments, candles,

Bitumen Vaseline, etc.
making paints, surfacing roads 

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 Fossil Fuels
Natural gas/ Fossil gas
Natural gas is a mixture of gaseous hydrocarbon mainly methane along with varying amounts of other higher alkanes,
and sometimes a small percentage of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide, or helium

Formation of Natural gas is happened over millions of years when layers of decomposing plant and animal matter are
deeply buried under the surface of earth and exposed to intense heat and pressure. Mostly two mechanisms (biogenic
and thermogenic) are involved in natural gas generation process. Biogenic gas is created by methanogenic organisms
in marshes, bogs, landfills, and in shallow sediments. Deeper in the earth, at greater temperature and pressure,
thermogenic gas is created from buried organic material. Natural gas is found in deep underground rock formations or
associated with other hydrocarbon reservoirs in coal beds and as methane clathrates. Petroleum is another fossil fuel
found close to and with natural gas

Natural gas is another  important non-renewable source of energy used for heating, cooking, and electricity generation.
It is also used as a fuel for vehicles and as a chemical feedstock in the manufacture of plastics and other commercially
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important organic chemicals.
 Thermal power/ Thermal Electricity

The thermal Power plant is a power generation station which burns

fossil fuels like coal, petroleum etc. to produce electricity. It does so
by utilizing the chemical energy stored in the fuel, burning it and
then converting it into mechanical energy. This mechanical energy is
utilized to operate an electrical generator to generate electricity.

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 Energy and Environment

The environmental problems directly related to energy production and consumption include air
pollution, climate change, water pollution, thermal pollution, and solid waste disposal. The emission
of air pollutants from fossil fuel combustion is the major cause of urban air pollution.

there is a strong relationship between climate change and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. CO2
emission pollutants are primarily produced by combustion of fossil fuels. Therefore, energy
consumption is considered as the main cause of climate change.

Today, world energy consumption contributes to pollution, environmental deterioration, and global
greenhouse emissions. To this end, renewable energy resources can play an important role in
controlling and reducing environmental impact.

Energy and Environment research focuses on the generation, storage and efficient utilization of
energy and natural resources and the assessment of the interaction between the environment and
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energy technologies in order to establish clean and renewable energy.