Deck 19: Fossil Fuels, Their Impacts, and Energy Conservation

Question 1

Energy conservation in the United States .

A)is unlikely to ever occur
B)can be improved as individuals make conscious choices to reduce personal consumption
C)can be accomplished by changes in tax laws
D)will be a reality only if there is another major war
E)can be accomplished only through changes in environmental laws

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The world's most abundant fossil fuel is .

A)oil
B)natural gas
C)methane
D)biodiesel
E)coal

Answer 2

E

Question 3

In the United States, is the leading source of energy.

A)natural gas
B)oil
C)wood
D)nuclear
E)coal

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Secondary extraction of petroleum .

A)allows the oil to be extracted to the last drop
B)occurs immediately after primary extraction
C)is less expensive than primary extraction
D)uses solvents, water, or steam
E)causes less environmental damage than tertiary extraction

Question 5

When assessing energy resources, it is helpful to use a measure called EROI, which is .

A)amount of energy invested minus heat released into the environment
B)energy returned minus energy invested
C)energy returned divided by energy invested
D)energy returned plus energy invested
E)money invested in extraction and processing minus income from sales

Question 6

Read the following scenario and answer the questions below.
In Johannesburg, South Africa, the South West Township (Soweto)was one of several areas established early in the last century for blacks to live away from the white ruling minority. On the hills surrounding Soweto, the company that provides South Africa's electricity, Eskom, built a large, coal-burning, electricity-generating plant. The electricity was for white areas of Johannesburg, miles away from the plant. The residents of Soweto had no electrical connections.
Other than in downtown Johannesburg, the worst air pollution in the region in the year 2000 was in Soweto. The probable explanation is that in downtown Johannesburg , while in Soweto .

A)automobile traffic was the cause; the burning of fuels in each home for heating, light, and cooking was the major contributor to indoor and outdoor air pollution
B)automobile traffic was the cause; automobile traffic was also the cause
C)gasoline-powered electrical generators were the cause; trash incinerators were a problem
D)trash incinerators were a problem; gasoline-powered electrical generators were the cause
E)coal-fired electrical plants were the cause; automobile traffic in overcrowded areas was the problem

Question 7

Read the following scenario and answer the questions below.
In Johannesburg, South Africa, the South West Township (Soweto)was one of several areas established early in the last century for blacks to live away from the white ruling minority. On the hills surrounding Soweto, the company that provides South Africa's electricity, Eskom, built a large, coal-burning, electricity-generating plant. The electricity was for white areas of Johannesburg, miles away from the plant. The residents of Soweto had no electrical connections.
One of the promises made by the government in 1994 was "free electricity." Since 2003 the government has provided a small amount of electricity free to each household. Beyond that, a household must pay for the electricity that it uses. Many people would prefer a flat-rate pricing system, where each household throughout greater Johannesburg would pay the same rate each month. This would mean that .

A)wealthy households would end up paying much more and have less electricity than they do now
B)Eskom, the electric company, would probably make huge profits in Soweto
C)all households in Johannesburg would be able to have all the electricity that they need
D)with less incentive to keep electric usage low, environmental issues related to the generation of electricity would worsen
E)there would not be enough electricity left to provide service to poor households

Question 8

U.S. oil production .

A)has to fit the quotas imposed by OPEC
B)is sufficient to meet national needs, thanks to major conservation efforts
C)will peak in 2100, requiring for the first time imports to meet growing demand
D)peaked in 1970
E)is now high enough for us to export nearly 50% of our oil

Question 9

Solar radiation makes several other energy sources possible, including .

A)geothermal energy
B)nuclear energy
C)tidal energy
D)wind energy
E)hydrothermal energy

Question 10

Energy can be conserved by .

A)using cogeneration in power plants, fuel efficient transportation, and reengineered lightbulbs and appliances
B)replacing mass transit with more and larger roads for cars and trucks
C)using cogeneration in automobiles, especially in SUVs
D)replacing compact florescent with tungsten bulbs
E)repealing the law of entropy

Question 11

The energy bill passed by the U.S. Congress in 2007 .

A)will, according to analysts, allow us to import only 25% of our oil instead of 60%
B)mandates the rapid development of all remaining fossil fuel resources as quickly as possible
C)raised the CAFE standard to 35 mpg for vehicles by the year 2020
D)primarily focused on taxing polluters and those who profit from the fossil fuel industry
E)primarily focused on major new policies for conservation and for development of renewable energy sources

Question 12

The most cleanly burning fossil fuel available, producing the least pollutants, is .

A)kerosene
B)nuclear energy
C)natural gas
D)petroleum
E)coal

Question 13

Read the following scenario and answer the questions below.
In Johannesburg, South Africa, the South West Township (Soweto)was one of several areas established early in the last century for blacks to live away from the white ruling minority. On the hills surrounding Soweto, the company that provides South Africa's electricity, Eskom, built a large, coal-burning, electricity-generating plant. The electricity was for white areas of Johannesburg, miles away from the plant. The residents of Soweto had no electrical connections.
The fact that there is a high sulfur content in the coal burned in South African power plants means that the _ .

A)coal is very expensive, forcing most poor people to go without electricity
B)power plants burn cleanly, with little pollution
C)coal is very inexpensive, leading to an improved economy
D)power plants contribute to acid deposition
E)power plants emit high levels of radioactive pollution

Question 14

The primary energy source that is most used in the United States for production of electricity is .

A)renewable energy
B)natural gas
C)coal
D)nuclear power
E)water power

Question 15

Read the following scenario and answer the questions below.
In Johannesburg, South Africa, the South West Township (Soweto)was one of several areas established early in the last century for blacks to live away from the white ruling minority. On the hills surrounding Soweto, the company that provides South Africa's electricity, Eskom, built a large, coal-burning, electricity-generating plant. The electricity was for white areas of Johannesburg, miles away from the plant. The residents of Soweto had no electrical connections.
Oil shale deposits _ .

A)contain organic kerogen which can be processed into petroleum
B)are concentrated in the Middle East
C)are only a tiny fraction of the U.S. and Canadian potential oil reserves
D)have been too expensive to extract and use as energy resources
E)can be pumped from underground reservoirs like conventional crude oil

Question 16

Renewable energy includes all of the following except .

A)the wind
B)natural gas
C)the sun
D)rain
E)geothermal heat

Question 17

The Keystone XL pipeline .

A)carries natural gas from gas fields near Keystone, South Dakota, to the eastern United States
B)is a hotly debated oil pipeline that would pass through Montana, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, and Arizona
C)is a hotly debated pipeline that would carry petroleum from Canada to the southern United States
D)carries petroleum from northern Alaska to the Gulf of Alaska
E)would allow Canada to import more oil from Brazil

Question 18

One of the problems with finding new fossil fuel deposits in developing countries is that .

A)those countries tend to keep the resource for themselves, not sharing with other countries
B)it is very expensive to transport the deposit elsewhere
C)their governments seldom allow extraction of the deposit without imposing huge taxes to fund new social benefits for the country
D)their governments seldom allow extraction of the deposit without meeting expensive environmental regulations
E)multinational companies often move in to harvest the new deposit, and very little money or resource remains in the country

Question 19

Carbon sequestration .

A)has been used by U.S. electrical plants since 1955, converting carbon dioxide to limestone
B)has proved to be more dangerous to the environment than releasing carbon emissions
C)involves capturing carbon emissions and then releasing them into the stratosphere
D)converts carbon from carbon dioxide emissions into smaller elements that do not contribute to global climate change
E)involves converting carbon dioxide gas to a liquid form for storage in the ocean or underground

Question 20

The oil spill resulting from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster .

A)resulted in a permanent ban on all offshore drilling in U.S. coastal waters
B)was quickly cleaned up preventing loss of wildlife and damage to fisheries
C)is the largest accidental oil spill in world history, causing damage to marine and coastal ecosystems
D)is considered a minor incident compared to other oil spills
E)eclipsed all non- point oil spills by 500%

Question 21

Match the following.

A)natural gas
B)hydrogen fuel cell
C)coal
D)petroleum
E)geothermal
F)aerobic
G)mulch
I)crude oil
J)carbon dioxide
H)peat
K)nuclear
L)anaerobic
A renewable energy source

Question 22

Which of the following energy sources is considered nonrenewable?

A)fossil fuel energy
B)tidal energy
C)sunlight (solar)energy
D)wind energy
E)geothermal energy

Question 23

Match the following.

A)natural gas
B)hydrogen fuel cell
C)coal
D)petroleum
E)geothermal
F)aerobic
G)mulch
I)crude oil
J)carbon dioxide
H)peat
K)nuclear
L)anaerobic
A gaseous by-product of anaerobic microbial decomposition

Question 24

Match the following.

A)natural gas
B)hydrogen fuel cell
C)coal
D)petroleum
E)geothermal
F)aerobic
G)mulch
I)crude oil
J)carbon dioxide
H)peat
K)nuclear
L)anaerobic
An environment that has little or no oxygen

Question 25

Instead of only generating more electricity, rising energy demands may also be met by .

A)switching from natural gas to coal
B)building more coal- burning power plants
C)switching from coal and natural gas to windmills and solar technologies
D)using more nuclear power instead of fossil fuels
E)increasing the efficiency of energy consumption

Question 26

Read the following scenario and answer the questions below.
In Johannesburg, South Africa, the South West Township (Soweto)was one of several areas established early in the last century for blacks to live away from the white ruling minority. On the hills surrounding Soweto, the company that provides South Africa's electricity, Eskom, built a large, coal-burning, electricity-generating plant. The electricity was for white areas of Johannesburg, miles away from the plant. The residents of Soweto had no electrical connections.
Along with many other governmental reforms that began in 1994, the electrical plant just outside Soweto was closed in 2000, and other plants were brought into use. Some parts of Soweto were then wired for electricity. It is estimated, however, that only about 30% of the more than 1 million black inhabitants have electricity in their homes; the remainder either cannot afford the costs involved or live in areas that have no electrical access. These inhabitants probably use for fuel.

A)gas-powered home generators
B)natural gas and solar cells
C)wood and coal
D)natural gas and backyard windmills
E)charcoal and candles

Question 27

Match the following.

A)natural gas
B)hydrogen fuel cell
C)coal
D)petroleum
E)geothermal
F)aerobic
G)mulch
I)crude oil
J)carbon dioxide
H)peat
K)nuclear
L)anaerobic
Organic matter that has formed solid carbon structures while under high compression

Question 28

Read the following scenario and answer the questions below.
In Johannesburg, South Africa, the South West Township (Soweto)was one of several areas established early in the last century for blacks to live away from the white ruling minority. On the hills surrounding Soweto, the company that provides South Africa's electricity, Eskom, built a large, coal-burning, electricity-generating plant. The electricity was for white areas of Johannesburg, miles away from the plant. The residents of Soweto had no electrical connections.
The heavy levels of soot from the electrical plant upwind of Soweto, along with dust from gigantic mine dumps from gold and coal mines, created particulate pollution more than three times the recommended level. This would be expected to result in .

A)high levels of birth defects
B)high levels of heart disease
C)problems with running local automobiles and other machinery
D)enriched agricultural fields and increased crop yields
E)increased incidence of lung disease

Question 29

Natural gas is primarily composed of .

A)oxygen
B)nitrite
C)methane
D)nitrogen
E)sulfur dioxide

Question 30

Natural gas .

A)will be depleted by 2030 at current usage rates
B)is transported primarily by truck and rail
C)primary component is octane
D)discovered by M. King Hubbert in 1885
E)produces less carbon dioxide per energy unit than coal or oil

Question 31

Many developed nations have their economies closely tied to imported fossil fuels. One important consideration for those nations is that _.

A)their economy will only improve if the price of fossil fuels increases
B)as supplies decrease, fossil fuels decline in price
C)if energy conservation is put into place, the cost of fossil fuels will increase
D)their economy can be disrupted by the events and decisions made in fuel exporting nations
E)if energy conservation is put into place, the cost of fossil fuels will decrease

Question 32

Scientists search for fossil fuels in many ways. Sending a sound wave into the ground (by exploding dynamite, thumping the ground with a large weight, or using an electric vibrating machine)and measuring its return to the surface at receiving stations is called _ surveying.

A)dynamite
B)sonar
C)seismic
D)destructive
E)geologic

Question 33

Match the following.

A)natural gas
B)hydrogen fuel cell
C)coal
D)petroleum
E)geothermal
F)aerobic
G)mulch
I)crude oil
J)carbon dioxide
H)peat
K)nuclear
L)anaerobic
Organic material being slowly broken down anaerobically, but remains wet and near the surface

Question 34

Natural gas is _ .

A)only produced by bacteria during decomposition
B)still much more expensive than other fossil fuels
C)more damaging to the environment than coal when extracted
D)often associated with coal and petroleum deposits
E)trapped over some cities for commercial use

Question 35

Match the following.

A)natural gas
B)hydrogen fuel cell
C)coal
D)petroleum
E)geothermal
F)aerobic
G)mulch
I)crude oil
J)carbon dioxide
H)peat
K)nuclear
L)anaerobic
Energy from processed uranium

Question 36

Crude oil is _ .

A)refined to separate the chemicals used for gasoline, lubricants, plastics, and other products
B)formed less than 100 yards below the surface; in deeper places with more pressure, coal is formed
C)composed of three different hydrocarbon molecules
D)formed in a wide range of temperature and pressure circumstances
E)usable in its raw form

Question 37

Read the following scenario and answer the questions below.
In Johannesburg, South Africa, the South West Township (Soweto)was one of several areas established early in the last century for blacks to live away from the white ruling minority. On the hills surrounding Soweto, the company that provides South Africa's electricity, Eskom, built a large, coal-burning, electricity-generating plant. The electricity was for white areas of Johannesburg, miles away from the plant. The residents of Soweto had no electrical connections.
The major long- term global problem with using coal to generate electricity is the _ .

A)particulate pollution
B)sulfur dioxides released
C)effect of the released carbon dioxide on global climate
D)water pollution
E)environmental damage in the area around the mine

Question 38

Alaskans benefit from the trans-Alaska pipeline because Alaska's state constitution requires approximately 25% of state revenues associated with the oil industry to be placed into a monetary fund called the Permanent Fund, which .

A)pays yearly dividends to all Alaska residents
B)is placed into fuel company pockets to reduce environmental damage
C)is used for social infrastructure, such as hospitals, roads, and schools
D)pays for education of native Alaskans through scholarships
E)is divided equally among the politicians in the state for running their offices

Question 39

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

A)strives to ensure that developing nations get their fair share of fossil fuels
B)functions as a military alliance to protect developed nations' energy reserves
C)protects their national members' petroleum reserves for their own use
D)strives to develop technologies to conserve nonrenewable energy resources
E)functions to take maximum advantage of developed nations dependence on imported oil

Question 40

has more natural gas reserves than any other country.

A)Russia
B)Djibouti
C)Saudi Arabia
D)The United States
E)Brazil

Question 41

What are some of the alternative, unconventional resources for oil and natural gas?

Question 42

Compare and contrast the three patterns of energy use in developing and developed countries - the amount of use, the type of energy used, and the major uses.

Question 43

Identify and explain the ultimate sources of all of Earth's energy.

Question 44

Identify specific ways in which the transportation and electricity generating sector could reduce and/or conserve energy in an effort to become more sustainable.

Question 45

Why is it that in most parts of the world, local people do not benefit from the removal of fossil fuels from their local environment? Discuss the economics, politics, and environmental reasons that locals may not benefit.

Question 46

The question of whether we have passed the peak of availability for oil continues to be debated among energy experts. However, if we define availability to mean oil that can be extracted by conventional technologies and low prices, there is no debate. With this knowledge, discuss two specific oil- use strategies that could be employed to move toward a more sustainable lifestyle.