AP Environmental Science Nonrenewable Energy

Ultimately, all biofuels are ________, because they are the result of ________.

• geological; sedimentation
• solar; photosynthesis 
• inefficient; decomposition by microorganisms
• synthetic; chemical manipulation of hydrocarbons

Biomass energy ________.

• requires fossil fuel input to produce
• produces no greenhouse gases when burned
• can be created by microbial action or burned directly as wood or dung
• is a form of fossil fuel

Deposits of natural gas are most numerous in ________.

• the Middle East
• Panama
• South America
• USA and Russia

In deciding whether to extract oil from a site and how much of the total to extract, an oil company considers ________.

• the amount of greenhouse gases the oil will release when burned
• the current price of gasoline at the pump
• the distance the oil must be transported, current market price of oil, potential environmental damage

Which of the following energy sources is considered nonrenewable?

• fossil fuel energy
• sunlight (solar) energy
• geothermal

The world's most abundant fossil fuel is ________.

• coal
• biodiesel
• oil

The major long-term problem with using coal to generate electricity is the ________.

• environmental damage in the area around the mine
• water pollution
• carbon dioxide released

The high sulfur content of the coal burned in South African power plants means that the ________.

• coal is very expensive, forcing most poor people to go without electricity
• coal is very inexpensive, leading to an improved economy
• power plants burn cleanly, with little pollution
• power plants contribute to acidic deposition

Coal burning produces more greenhouse gases per unit of energy than any other fuel

• True
• False

As pressure and heat are added, this fossil fuel goes from Peat to lignite, then Bituminous and finally to Anthracite. 

• Coal
• Oil
• Natural Gas
• Petroleum