Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability 1

AdvantagesTrade-OffsDrilling for Oil and Natural Gasin Alaska’s ArcticNational Wildlife RefugeDisadvantagesWhat Are the Major Advantages andDisadvantages of Conventional Oil?A Difficult ChoiceConventional oil is versatile fuel and reserves canlast for at least 50 years, but burning it produces airpollution and releases the greenhouse gas carbondioxide.Figure 17-15 lists the advantages and disadvantages ofusing conventional crude oil as an energy resource. Aserious problem is that burning oil or any carbon-containingfossil fuel releases CO 2 into the atmosphereand thus can help promote climate change throughglobal warming. Currently, burning oil mostly as gasolineand diesel fuel for transportation accounts forabout 43% of global CO 2 emissions. Figure 17-16 comparesthe relative amounts of CO 2 emitted per unit ofenergy by the major fossil fuels and nuclear power.In 1999 Mike Bowling, CEO of ARCO Oil, said,“We are embarked on the beginning of the last days ofthe Age of Oil.” He went on to discuss the need for theworld to shift from a carbon-based to a hydrogen-basedenergy economy during this century (Figure 17-6).Could increase U.S.oil and natural gassuppliesCould reduce oilimports slightlyWould bring jobsand oil revenue toAlaskaOnly 19% chance offinding oil equal towhat U.S. consumesin 7–24 monthsToo little potential oilto significantlyreduce oil importsCosts too high andpotential oil supplytoo little to lowerenergy pricesHow Useful Are Heavy Oils from Oil Sandand Oil Shale? Can Heavier Substitutes Savethe Day?Heavy oils from oil sand and oil shale couldsupplement conventional oil, but there areenvironmental problems.Oil sand, or tar sand, is a mixture of clay, sand, water,and a combustible organic material called bitumen—aMay lower oilprices slightlyOil companies havedeveloped Alaskanoil fields withoutsignificantenvironmentalharmNew drillingtechniques willleave littleenvironmentalimpactStudies showconsiderable oilspills and otherenvironmentaldamage fromAlaskan oil fieldsPotentialdegradation ofrefuge not worth theriskUnnecessary ifimproved slantdrilling allows oil tobe drilled fromoutside the refugeFigure 17-14 Trade-offs: advantages and disadvantages ofdrilling for oil and natural gas in Alaska’s Arctic National WildlifeRefuge (ANWR). Pick the single advantage and disadvantagethat you think are the most important.AdvantagesAmple supply for42–93 yearsLow cost (withhuge subsidies)High netenergy yieldEasilytransportedwithin andbetweencountriesLow land useTechnology iswell developedEfficient distributionsystemT rade-OffsConventional OilDisadvantagesNeed to findsubstitute within50 yearsArtificially lowprice encourageswaste anddiscouragessearch foralternativesAir pollutionwhen burnedReleases CO 2when burnedModerate waterpollutionFigure 17-15 Trade-offs: advantages and disadvantages ofusing conventional crude oil as an energy resource. Pick thesingle advantage and disadvantage that you think are the mostimportant.360 CHAPTER 17 Nonrenewable Energy Resources