acid mine drainage 194
active solar system 203
biomass 205
black lung disease 193
geothermal energy 201
liquefied natural gas 196
nonrenewable energy sources 188 		overburden 192
passive solar system 203
photovoltaic cell 204
renewable energy sources 188
reserves 188
resources 188
secondary recovery 195 		surface mining 192
underground mining 192

On-line Flashcards
      Would you commit suicide if your culture and natural environment were about to be destroyed? The native people of a remote cloud forest are threatening mass suicide if oil exploration and drilling begins. For this controversy, read Ecuadorian Native Group Threatens Mass Suicide in Opposition to Drilling.
      Another controversial decision regarding oil exploration and drilling is in a remote coastal Alaska reserve. It is hoped that this decision by the United States government will relieve pressure to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. For the full story, check out Historic Decision to Allow Drilling in Remote Alaska Oil Reserve.
      One of the arguments for opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil exploration is that there would be minimum environmental impact. Unfortunately, some past practices by oil companies do not support these claims. What would a company do to maximize profits? Take a look at British Petroleum/Amoco Admits to Dumping Toxic Waste on Alaska's North Slope to see what happened.
 		      Another environmental consequence of oil production, use, and transport is the probabilities of spills. For the update of an oil spill that received heavy media coverage 10 years ago, read The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, Ten Years Later.
      Two other stories that received recent attention include New Carissa Oil Spill on the Oregon Coast and Major Oil Spill.
      What's tall, huge, and abundant in the Gulf of Mexico? More than 4,000 oil and gas production platforms loom in the seascape of the Gulf of Mexico. What does one do when they are no longer used? The Oilrigs As Artificial Reefs case study details a relatively inexpensive method that has the potential to also increase biodiversity.
      Building a dam . . . environmental catastrophe, cheap electricity, or protection against future flooding? For a better understanding of this issue, read Floods Devastate Coastal Mozambique.
Review Questions
  1. Why are fossil fuels important?
  2. Distinguish between reserves and resources.
  3. What are the advantages of surface mining of coal compared to underground mining? What are the disadvantages of surface mining?
  4. Compare the environmental impacts of the use of coal and the use of oil.
  5. What are some limiting factors in the development of new hydroelectric generating sites?
  6. What factors limit the development of tidal power as a source of electricity?

  1. In what parts of the world and why is geothermal energy available?
  2. Why can wind be considered a form of solar energy?
  3. Compare a passive solar-heating system with an active solar-heating system.
  4. What problems are associated with the use of solid waste as a source of energy?
  5. List three energy conservation techniques.
Critical Thinking Questions
  1. Given what you know about the economic and environmental costs of different energy sources, would you recommend that your local utility company use hydroelectricity or coal to supplement electric production? What criteria would you use to make your recommendation?
  2. Coal-burning electric power plants in the Midwest have contributed to acid rain in the eastern United States. Other energy sources would most likely be costlier than coal, thereby raising electricity rates. Should citizens of another state be able to pressure these utility companies to change the method of generating electricity? What mechanisms might be available to make these changes? How effective are these mechanisms?
  3. Imagine you are an official with the Department of Energy and are in the budgeting process for alternative energy research. Where would you put the money? Why?
  1. Given your choices from question 3, what do you think the political repercussions of your decision would be? Why?
  2. Do you believe that large dam projects like the Three Gorges Dam project in China are, on the whole, beneficial or not? What alternatives would you recommend? Why?
  3. Energy conservation is one way to decrease dependence on fossil fuels. What are some things you can do at home, work, or school that would reduce fossil-fuel use and save you money?
  4. What alternative energy resources that the text has outlined are most useful in your area? How might these be implemented?