GLOBAL WARMING
Global Warming is a theory that includes the burning of fossil fuels. This creates harmful gas emissions, such as carbon dioxide, that warm the earth's atmosphere, causing the greenhouse effect. Theoretically, this rise in temperature will cause excessive melting of the polar ice caps, resulting in a rise of the sea level. As the sea level rises, land mass is engulfed in water, contributing to the loss of land along the coastlines.
World Energy Consumption
Austria, Cuba, and the United States
We began by researching alternative energy sources for these three countries. These alternative energy sources included: solar, wind, geothermal, synthetic, hydroelectric, biomass, and nuclear.
Austria
Background Information
- Population: 8,199,783
- Area in square km: 83,870
- People per square km: 97.8
- Geographical Information
- Alps
- 1900 M = highest elevation for windparks
- numerous rivers
- landlocked country
- European continent
Austria's total fossil fuel consumption is 21804 thousand metric tons (1 metric ton = 1000 kg or 2200 lbs.). Forty-two percent of Austria's total fossil fuel is petroleum.
Alternative Fuels
Sixty-seven point two percent of all energy in Austria is produced through hydroelectricity. The electricity production from such sources is 36,423,000,000 kw/h.
Geothermal energy production has been developing in Austria recently. Since 2001, Austria along with two other countries, Germany and Papua / New Guinea have been recognized for producing geothermal energy.On an annual scale, Austria harnesses 21.1 MW-th.
The conversion of wind energy into other useful forms of energy such as electricity. Austria is ranked 14th in the world, producing 918 MW. There are a total of 61 wind parks in Austria, each park averaging 250 wind turbines. The park that produces the most energy and also has the highest elevation in Europe is Tauernwindpark Oberzeiring with an elevation of 1,900 meters. The leading manufacturer of wind turbines in Wintec. In the year 1999, the wind energy production was equal to 4,000 metric tons of petroleum oil.
Synthetic fuels are not currently being manufactured in the small landlocked country of Europe.
Austria is a leader in solar thermal power, being globally recognized around the world in the small landlocked country of Europe. Solar production is equivilant to 62,000 metric tons.
Austria is not recognised as having any nuclear power plants.
Cuba
Cuba's use of alternative fuels is minimal because of its geographic location and its lack of natural resources.
- Population: 11,394,043
- Square km: 110,860
- People per Sq km: 102.8
- Terrain: It is an island located in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.
- Mountains in the south
- Plains to the north
- Two main rivers
Alternative energy sources: There are four major utilized alternative energy sources in Cuba: Hydropower, Wind, Biomass, and Solar. Cuba has two nuclear power plants, but as of right now, they are both suspended. Hydropower accounts for 2% of the alternative energy in Cuba, it has 8000 metric tons of oil equivalent. Cuba is looking at tidal power right now as another possibility for alternative energy.
Cuba has 8,000 wind turbines, not all of which are working at this time. There are three wind farms. They are located on the Island of Turiguano, the Island of Youth, and the town of Gibara. The Island of Turiguano produces 4.5 megawatts of energy per day. The Island of Youth manufactures 1.65 megawatts per day. Lastly, Gibara has an output of 5.1 megawatts. Many problems with using the wind turbines is that many birds/bats are getting caught in the turbines. Also, the loud noise bothers people who live by the turbines.
Solar Power is often used for cooking and food preparation (drying foods). This includes purification and distillation of water. It is also used for the drying of construction materials i.e. bricks, mud huts, concrete...
Cuba does not use Geothermal Energy.
Cuba uses 3 processes in making synthetic fuels. The first process is changing coal to a liquid. The second process is changing gas to a liquid. The third process is changing biomass to liquid. Cuba imports 98,100 barrels per day of synthetic fuels, while exporting 0 barrels per day.
Cuba has two partially constructed nuclear reactors. They are small and are the only commercial reactors north of the Equator in the western hemispere that EIA projects could come on-line in the first two decades of the next century. Cuba could generate an estimated 15% of its electricity supply from nuclear power if just one of the reactors manages to come on-line. These two generators are estimated at 111 meters by 50 meters. Cuba does not posess nuclear weapons and there are no credible reports of Cuba trying to acquire nuclear weapons.
United States
- Population: 301,139,947
- Square km.: 9,826,630
- People per square km.: 30.6
- Terrain: It has two mountain ranges located in the east and west.
- Canada borders it to the north, and Mexico to the south.
- It is surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Pacific Ocean.
Alternative energy sources:
There are currently no tidal power plants in the United States.
Geothermal energy is used frequently in the United States. Its generates an average of 15 billion kW hours per year. In the United States, it provides the third largest domestic source of renewable electricity. Nine western states together have the potential to provide over 20% of national electricity needs. It has a higher capacity factor than many other power sources. As of May 2007, geothermal electric power was generated in 5 U.S. states: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah.
The United States has 66 nuclear power plants and 104 reactors. The nuclear power in the U.S. produces the equivalent of 30.39 million tons of oil per year. Most of the nuclear power plants are located east of the Mississippi River.
The U.S. is not actively engaging in the use of synthetic fuels.
The United States has the third most installed capacity of wind power in the world after Germany and Spain. The U.S. currently has 3,626 wind capacity under construction as of January 2008, its wind farms had a combined capacity of 16,818 mega-watts. The U.S. makes enough power to power and serve 4.5 million households with electricity. Currently, the largest wind farm in the U.S. and the world is Florida Power And Light's Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center. It is located in Taylor County, Texas. It operates 421 wind turbines and has the capacity of 735 mega-watts. Northern California has one of the earliest wind farms.
Solar energy is the largest avalible energy source, but it is only 1% of the current electricity. The largest solar power plant in the world is located in California and over half a million solar water heaters are used in California to heat pools. The U.S. pays $400 million per year for solar research.
Inconvenient Truth study guide.pdf
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