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5.0 Module Learning Objectives
5.0 Module Learning Objectives
After completion of this module, you will be able to:
Explain the different between fossil fuels and renewable energy sources.
Understand the importance of transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources.
Describe different ways that buildings can be more efficient.
Comprehend how climate change will affect current energy systems and infrastructure.
5.1 Energy Sources
5.1 Energy Sources
Reliable and affordable energy is necessary for everyday life. We use energy to power computers, vehicles, cell phones, medical equipment and so much more. Access to energy both improves and saves lives. However, energy production - mainly through the burning of fossil fuels like natural gas, petroleum and coal – accounts for around 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, air pollution from the burning of fossil fuels are responsible for at least five million deaths each year. The world needs to shift away from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources like solar and wind in order to curb greenhouse gas emissions and make the world healthier for all.
Fossil Fuels
Fossil Fuels
Oil, coal, and natural gas are all fossil fuels. Fossil fuels formed when prehistoric plants and animals died and were buried by layers of rock over the span of millions of years.
Today, fossil fuel industries drill or mine for these energy sources, burn them to produce electricity, refine them for use as fuel for heating, transportation, and to make plastics. Today, around 85% of global energy comes from fossil fuels.
Coal is mainly used to produce electricity. Power plants burn coal to make steam and the steam turns turbines that generate electricity. When coal is burned, it leaves byproducts that are also valuable. We use the byproducts to make cement, plastics, and steel for bridges, buildings and cars.
Coal is either mined from underground or from near the earth's surface. Underground mining is quite dangerous, as it requires operating heavy machinery to extract coal that is located hundreds of feet below earth's surface. Extracting coal can release dangerous gases which can cause explosions and expose miners to toxic dust. Surface mining requires entire habitats to be destroyed.
When coal is burned, it releases many toxic gases and pollutants into the atmosphere that contribute to the greenhouse effect and pose health hazards to humans and animals.
Natural gas is found in rock formations deep below earth's surface. It is mostly made up of methane, a greenhouse gas that is more than 25 times more effective than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere. Natural gas is used for heating, cooking, powering lights, TVs, air conditioners and kitchen appliances, and even can be a replacement for gasoline.
The process of extracting natural gas is called hydraulic fracturing - more commonly known as fracking. Fracking uses high-pressure water, chemicals and sand to split apart underground rock formations, which releases the natural gas that is trapped in the rock. After it is extracted, natural gas is transported through pipeline systems and eventually into our homes and businesses.
Fracking requires enormous quantities of water. In the United States, an average of between 1.5 million and 9.7 million gallons of water are used to frack a single well. Fracking also produces extremely toxic, radioactive wastewater that can leak and contaminate underground water sources used for drinking, hygiene, industry and agriculture. Natural gas leaks release methane into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change.
Oil is found trapped in rock formations below earth's surface. Oil drilling occurs both on land and on offshore oil platforms to access deposits under the ocean floor.
Most of the world's oil is refined and converted into gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel. Oil can also be processed and used to make plastics, building materials, clothing, furniture, and thousands of other products we use on a daily basis.
The process of extracting, transporting and refining oil is extremely labor intensive and releases a lot of harmful greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. If a problem with drilling machinery arises, oil spills can wreak havoc on entire ecosystems and create environmental disasters.
Renewable Energy
Renewable Energy
Renewable energy comes from sources that will not deplete. Currently, the most popular renewable energy sources are solar, wind, hydropower, tidal, geothermal and biomass. Because we have relied so heavily on coal, oil and natural gas, extracting fossil fuels from new sources is becoming significantly harder and more costly. While the extraction, transportation and refining processes involved with fossil fuels emit harmful pollutants and greenhouse gases, renewable energy sources do not. If we are to reach the goals of the Paris Agreement, a global transition to clean, renewable energy is absolutely necessary.
Image 5.1 Solar power is an unlimited, clean resource that doesn't emit any pollutants or greenhouse gases and has few environmental impacts. Topaz Solar Farm in southern California is one of the largest photovoltaic power plants in the world. It has the ability to power 180,000 California homes, generating enough renewable energy to displace about 407,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year, the equivalent of taking 77,000 cars off the road.
Image 5.2 Wind energy turns a turbine’s blades, which feeds an electric generator and produces electricity. The Altamont Pass is the location of one of the first wind farms in the United States, and it still supplies clean energy to the Bay Area.
Image 5.3 Tidal energy, a renewable energy powered by the natural rise and fall of ocean tides, is still in its developmental phase. Tidal turbines can be placed on the ocean floor where the tidal flow is strong. Similarly to wind turbines, tidal turbines have blades that turn a rotor to power a generator.
Image 5.4 Hydropower has been classified as a clean alternative to meet the world’s growing demand for electricity. However, dams disrupt and displace the natural environments where they are built. Dams divert and reduce water flows, and prevent fish like the chinook salmon from reaching their spawning grounds. As underwater vegetation decomposes in the reservoir, methane is produced and released into the atmosphere. The Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, pictured above, supplies San Francisco with about 20% of its energy.
Image 5.5 Geothermal energy is sourced by drilling wells one to two miles deep into the earth to pump steam or hot water to the surface. The hot water or steam is then pumped through a turbine to create electricity. Geothermal plants have low emissions if they pump the steam and water they use back into the reservoir. The Geysers, located just north of San Francisco in the Mayacamas Mountains, is the world's largest geothermal field and provide over 5% of California's electricity.
Image 5.6 Biomass is organic material that comes from plants and animals. Examples of biomass include wood, crops like corn and soybeans, paper, and animal manure. Biomass is burned and the heat that is released can be used to generate electricity with a steam turbine. Although biomass has often been classified as a clean and renewable energy source, studies have shown that many forms of biomass actually emit more carbon dioxide than fossil fuels. For example, in order to use wood as fuel, swaths of forests have to be cut down, which alters ecosystems and releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Energy Use By Country
Energy Use By Country
Image 5.7 The graphic above shows some of the largest country's energy consumption by source. The use of coal (in gray) is still heavily favored in China, India and South Africa. Sweden and Brazil get around one third of their energy from hydropower (blue). Globally, wind, solar and other renewable energy technologies still only account for about 11% of energy consumption and fossil fuels account for nearly 85% of energy consumption. As world population continues to grow, global energy demand will increase. It is imperative that those demands are met with renewable energy sources, not fossil fuels.
5.2 The Truth About the Fossil Fuel Industry
5.2 The Truth About the Fossil Fuel Industry
Companies like Exxon, Chevron, and Shell (just to name a few) have known of their role in altering earth's climate since the 1960s, but have continuously created campaigns to deny climate change and shift the blame onto their consumers. Fossil fuel companies are now using environmental language to boost their sales while simultaneously destroying the environment, a technique called greenwashing. These companies are finding ways to do less than the bare minimum to appear climate-friendly.
The main reason why fossil fuel companies have so much power is because the industry is subsidized to the tune of $5.3 trillion a year globally. We must reallocate those subsidies to renewable energy, force corporate transparency through lawsuits, make companies complete third-party audits, and elect political officials who will enforce regulations and make companies live up to their promises.
5.3 Infrastructure Emissions
5.3 Infrastructure Emissions
Houses, schools, malls, and all other building operations in the United States are responsible for 28% of our yearly energy-related carbon dioxide emissions. Buildings use a lot of energy through heating, cooling, lighting and appliances. The manufacture, transport and assembly of building materials like concrete, wood and steel are also energy-intensive processes. However, there are ways in which we can design new buildings to be "net zero", meaning they produce as much energy as they use. We can also retrofit old buildings to be as efficient as possible. Rather than being a source of emissions, buildings can be self-supporting.
This video gives a great summary of net-zero buildings and how technologies like water catch systems, green roofs, insulation, and energy efficient windows can drastically reduce building emissions.
5.4 Climate Change Impacts on Energy and Infrastructure
5.4 Climate Change Impacts on Energy and Infrastructure
Storms like Hurricane Ida have taught us that we will need to update and adapt our infrastructure and our electric grids in order to be resilient in the face of climate change.
Most of the electricity grids in the United States were built sixty to seventy years ago and were only built to last fifty years and in stable climates. As climate change continues to increase the frequency and severity of catastrophic weather events, the entire country will need to adapt to prevent massive electrical grid failures.
The electrical grid in the Bay Area will be vulnerable to power outages during wind and wildfire events. Hotter temperatures will increase the use of air conditioning units, increasing annual electricity demand for homes and businesses. This drastic increase in electricity demand is expected to cause the grid to fail and leave millions susceptible to power outages. Sea level rise and extreme storm events will threaten the electric grid as well as the Bay's natural gas transportation system that is located along waterways.
5.5 What is CLPCCD doing?
5.5 What is CLPCCD doing?
LED lighting retrofits are being implemented in buildings across both campuses
In 2014 Chabot installed a 300kW natural gas-driven co-generation plant
Both Chabot and Las Positas have installed solar arrays over parking lots on both campuses
Several buildings on both campuses are LEED Certified
5.6 What Can I do?
5.6 What Can I do?
Wash your laundry in cold water. Cold water is just as effective at getting stains out, and you will save money on your energy bill.
Unplug appliances like toasters, printers, TVs, computers, and microwaves when you aren't using them.
Switch to EnergyStar appliances, fans and electronics to save money on your energy bill and reduce energy consumption.
Switch out lightbulbs in your home and office with LEDs. LEDs use up to 85% less energy than incandescent light bulbs, and a single LED can save you more than $100 in its lifetime.
Air dry clothes when possible.
If you own your home, purchase a programmable thermostat and cut your energy consumption by 20 to 30 percent.
Use the resources below to further educate yourself on energy and infrastructure.
Articles
Articles
Books
Books
The New Climate War, by Michael E. Mann
This Changes Everything, by Naomi Klein
Buried Sunlight: How Fossil Fuels Have Changed the Earth, by Molly Bang and Penny Chisholm
5.7 Quiz
5.7 Quiz
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