Energy
Canada's Energy Use
Canadians are either the largest or second-largest per capita users of energy in the world. Why? Because:
There are two categories of energy sources:
Electricity
Electricity is produced by generators. Generators convert mechanical energy into electrical energy.
Power companies in Canada produce massive amounts of electricity as cheaply as possible using any of three methods to turn turbines that supply mechanical energy to generators:
Coal
Formation of Coal Deposits
Coal is formed from the remains of organic materials (i.e., trees and plants) that grew in swampy areas approximately 300-360 million years ago. The plant remains did not decay because they were deposited in very wet areas (swamps) with low oxygen levels. As layers built up on top of one another and sedimentation occurred, the weight compressed these layers of organic material. This compression led to chemical changes which turned the organic material into coal. Depending on the amount of compression that took place, three types of coal could form: Three types of coal:
Oil & Gas
Oil and gas are usually found together. They were formed hundreds of millions of years ago when areas of present-day Canada were covered by a vast, shallow ocean. Over millions of years, the remains of aquatic plants and animals fell to the sea floor and were covered by layers of sediment. As the layers built up, one on top of the other, the weight of the layers increased. Over time, the weight of these layers compressed the lower layers into sedimentary rock. Bacterial action, heat, and pressure converted the remains of the plants and animals into oil and gas.
Oil and gas are found in geological structures called anticlinal traps. These traps are non-porous layers of folded rock that prevent the oil and gas from rising to the surface. In order to find deposits of oil and gas, geologist must look for special geologic structures that have trapped the oil and gas into pockets. These structures can be very hard to find though if they exist many hundreds of meters underground. The only way to know for sure if there is oil and gas present is to drill for it which is expensive and time-consuming. Oil and gas can be removed from the ground in one of two ways:
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Chapters
27 Energy: Powering Our Nation (p. 349-374)
Definitions
Alternative Energy Source: non-conventional energy source such as solar, wind, and biomass energy.
Biomass Energy: energy produced by combusting biomass materials such as wood, peat, and manure. Conventional Energy Source: well-established source of energy such as oil, natural gas, coal, hydro- and nuclear-electricity. Fossil Fuel: any mineral that can be burned to produce energy (e.g., coal, natural gas, oil). Joule: metric unit used to measure energy. Anticlinal Trap: dome-shaped structure of rock layers created by folding. Oil and gas are often found in these traps. Secondary Recovery: variety of methods used to remove a greater percentage of oil from deposits. Even with secondary recovery, only about 60% of the oil in most deposits can be recovered. Oil Sand: mixture of heavy crude oil, sand, and water. Hydroelectric Generating Station: facility that generates electricity through the movement of water from a higher to lower elevation. Thermal-Electric Generating Station: facility that generates electricity through the use of steam produced by heat from burning fuel such as coal, oil, and natural gas. Nuclear-Electric Generating Station: place where energy, in the form of heat, is generated by splitting atoms of radioactive materials, then is used to generate electricity. Power Grid: system of electrical power lines that connects large generating stations to buildings where people use electricity. The Business of Energy
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Nuclear Electricity
Nuclear-electric generating stations are similar to thermal-electric plants. However, instead of steam, the source of heat here comes from the breakdown (fission) of radioactive atoms. The heat generated boils water that produces the steam that turns the turbines.
Advantages
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Disadvantages
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Hydro-electricity
This type of power generating station can be built anywhere there are rivers with significant changes in elevation and large, reliable flows of water. The force of the water moving from higher elevation to lower elevation drives the generator.
Advantages
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Disadvantages
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Thermal Electricity
In thermal-electric generating stations, steam, rather than moving water, turns the turbines, and this action causes the generator to turn. The steam can be produced by burning fuel such as coal, oil, natural gas, wood or even garbage.
Advantages
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Disadvantages
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Alternative Energy Sources
Solar Power
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Wind Power
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Geothermal Energy
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