Caril Alvin krad

nasc 1093 ecology

Department of biology
College of science
Polytechnic university of the philippines

Source of energy in
the biosphere
Natural
resources
 WHAT ARE EARTH’S RESOURCES?

 Earth provides what we need to survive.

 You breathe air from Earth’s atmosphere. You drink water

from Earth’s rivers, lakes, and other water bodies. You eat food
from Earth’s living things.

 A natural resource is any material from Earth that is used by

people.
 Air, soil, fresh water,
petroleum, rocks, minerals,
forests, and wildlife are
examples of natural resources.
 People use some natural
resources, such as coal and
wind, for energy. The energy in
these resources comes from
energy from the sun.
NONRENEWABLE RESOURCES

 Some resources, such as coal, petroleum, and natural gas, take

millions of years to form.

 A non-renewable resource is a resource that is used much

faster than it can be replaced.

 Renew means “to begin again.” When non-renewable

resources are used up, people can no longer use them.
RENEWABLE RESOURCES

 A renewable resource is a natural resource that can be replaced as

quickly as people use it.

 Many renewable resources are renewable only if people do not use

them too quickly.
 For example, wood is usually considered a renewable resource.
However, if people cut down trees faster than the trees can
grow back, wood is no longer a renewable resource.

 Some renewable resources, such as the sun, will never be used up,
no matter how fast people use them.
HOW CAN WE PROTECT NATURAL RESOURCES?

 Whether the natural resources you use are renewable or non-

renewable, you should be careful how you use them.

 In order to conserve natural resources, you should try to use

them only when you have to.
 For example, leaving the water running while you are
brushing your teeth wastes clean water.
 Turning the water off while you brush your teeth saves
water so that it can be used in the future.
 The energy we use to heat our homes, drive our cars, and run
our computers comes from natural resources. Most of these
resources are non-renewable.

 If we use too much energy now, we might use up these

resources. Therefore, reducing the amount of energy you use
can help to conserve natural resources.

 You can conserve energy by being careful to use it only when

you need to.
 Recycling is another important way that you can help to
conserve natural resources.

 Recycling means using things that have been thrown away to

make new objects. Objects made from recycled materials use
fewer natural resources than objects made from new materials.

 Recycling also helps to conserve energy.

 For example, it takes less energy to recycle an aluminium
can than to make a new one.
 Newspaper, aluminium cans, some plastic containers, and
many types of paper can be recycled.

 Check with your community’s recycling center to see what

kinds of materials you can recycle.

 Conserving resources also means taking care of them even

when you are not using them.
 For example, it is important to keep our drinking water
clean. Polluted water can harm the living things, including
humans, that need water in order to live.
Fossil Fuels
 HOW DO PLANTS AND ANIMALS THAT LIVED HUNDREDS OF
MILLIONS OF YEARS AGO AFFECT YOUR LIFE TODAY?

 Plants and animals that lived long ago provide much of the
energy we use. If you turned on the lights or travelled to
school in a car or bus, you probably used some of this energy.

 Energy resources are natural resources that people use to

produce energy, such as heat and electricity.

 Most of the energy we use comes from fossil fuels.

 A fossil fuel is an energy resource made from the remains of
plants and tiny animals that lived long ago. The different
kinds of fossil fuels are petroleum, coal, and natural gas.

 Fossil fuels are an important part of our everyday life.

 When fossil fuels burn, they release a lot of energy. Power

plants use the energy to produce electricity. Cars use the
energy to move.
 However, there are also some
problems with using fossil fuels.

 Fossil fuels are non-

renewable, which means that
they cannot be replaced once
they have been used.
 Also, when they burn, they
release pollution.
 NATURAL GAS
 A hydrocarbon is a compound that
contains the elements carbon,
hydrogen, and oxygen.

 Natural gas is a mixture of

hydrocarbons that are in the form of
gases. Includes methane, propane,
and butane, which can be separated
from one another.

 Most natural gas is used for heating.

NATURAL GAS FORMATION
 When tiny sea creatures die, their remains settle to the ocean
floor and are buried in sediment. The sediment slowly
becomes rock.

 Over millions of years, heat and pressure under the ground

chemically change the remains. The carbon, hydrogen, and
oxygen in them can become natural gas.

 Natural gas is always forming. Some of the sea life that dies
today will become natural gas millions of years from now.
PROBLEMS WITH NATURAL GAS

 Natural gas can be dangerous

because it burns very easily. It can
cause fires and explosions.

 Like other fossil fuels, natural gas

causes pollution when it burns.
However, it does not cause as
much pollution as other fossil
fuels.
PETROLEUM
 A mixture of hydrocarbons that are in the
form of liquids. It is also known as crude oil.

 At a refinery, petroleum is separated into

many different products, including gasoline,
jet fuel, kerosene, diesel fuel, and fuel oil.

 Petroleum products provide more than 40%

of the world’s energy, including fuel for
airplanes, trains, boats, ships, and cars.
Petroleum is so valuable that it is often
called “black gold.”
 In nature oil is a liquid that fills in empty spaces, crevices and
caverns in rocks, forming deposits in anticlines, folds at plate
boundaries and foothills.

 Oil can also be found in pores or on grains of rocks. Such oil

can form oil-saturated sandstone and limestone rocks, or
plastic and hard layers of crust, most often called natural
asphalt or oil shale.

 In the Earth liquid oil is usually buried to the depth of 0.3–5

km; when deeper, it can be found only as admixture in
deposits of natural gas.
PETROLEUM FORMATION
 Petroleum forms the same way natural
gas does.

 Tiny sea creatures die and then get

buried in sediment, which turns into
rock.

 Some of their remains become

petroleum, which is stored in
permeable rock within Earth’s crust.
PROBLEMS WITH PETROLEUM

 Petroleum can be harmful to animals

and their environment.
 For example, in June 2000, the
carrier ship Treasure sank off the
coast of South Africa.
 The ship spilled more than 400
tons of oil into the ocean. The oil
covered penguins and other sea
creatures, making it hard for them
to swim, breathe, and eat.
 Burning petroleum causes smog.

 Smog is a brownish haze that

forms when sunlight reacts with
pollution in the air.

 Smog can make it hard for

people to breathe. Many cities in
the world have problems with
smog.
COAL
 A solid fossil fuel that is made of partly decayed plant material.

 Coal was once the main source of energy in the United States. Like
other fossil fuels, coal releases heat when it is burned.

 Many people used to burn coal in stoves to heat their homes. Trains
in the 1800s and 1900s were powered by coal-burning steam
locomotives.

 Coal is now used in power plants to make electricity.

 Coal is traditionally looked
upon as the most typical fossil
fuel. Today coal is primarily
used for energy and coke
production for producing iron
and steel.

 Coal of a lower quality is used

in cement and food production
as well as in several less
important industries.
COAL FORMATION

 When swamp plants die, they sink to the bottom of the

swamp. If they do not decay completely, coal can start to form.
Coal forms in several different stages.
PROBLEMS WITH COAL
 Mining coal can create environmental problems.

 When coal is mined from Earth’s surface, people remove the

layers of soil above the coal. This can harm the plants that
need soil to grow and the animals that need soil for shelter.
 If the land is not restored after mining, wildlife habitats can be
destroyed for years.
 Coal that is on Earth’s surface can cause pollution. Water that
flows through coal can pick up poisonous metals. That water
can then flow into streams and lakes and pollute water
supplies.
 When coal is burned without
pollution controls, a gas called
sulfur dioxide is released.
 Sulfur dioxide can combine
with the water in the air to
produce sulfuric acid.
 Sulfuric acid is one of the acids
in acid precipitation. Acid
precipitation is rain, sleet, or
snow that contains a lot of acids,
often because of air pollutants.
 Acid precipitation is also called
“acid rain.” Acid precipitation
can harm wildlife, plants, and
buildings.
 There are a number of adverse health and environmental
effects of coal burning especially in power stations, and of coal
mining.

 These effects include:

 Coal-fired power plants shortened nearly 24,000 lives a year
in the United States, including 2,800 from lung cancer.

 Generation of hundreds of millions of tons of waste

products, including fly ash, bottom ash, flue gas
desulfurization sludge, that contain mercury, uranium,
thorium, arsenic, and other heavy metals.
 Acid rain from high sulphur
coal.

 Interference with groundwater

and water table levels
 HOW DO WE OBTAIN FOSSIL FUELS?
 People remove fossil fuels from
the Earth in different ways.

 The way that a fossil fuel is

removed depends on the kind of
fuel and where it is located.

 Remember that people remove

coal from the Earth by mining it.
 People remove petroleum and natural gas by drilling into the
rocks that contain the fuels.

 Then, the petroleum or natural gas is removed through a well.

These wells may be on land or in the ocean.
Alternative
Resources
 WHAT IS ALTERNATIVE ENERGY?
 What would your life be like if you couldn’t turn on the lights,
microwave your dinner, take a hot shower, or ride the bus to
school?

 We get most of the energy we use for heating and electricity

from fossil fuels. However, fossil fuels can be harmful to the
environment and to living things.

 In addition, they are non-renewable resources, so we cannot

replace them when they are used up.
 Many scientists are
trying to find
alternative energy
sources. Alternative
energy sources are
sources of energy
that are not fossil
fuels.
 Some sources can be
converted easily into
usable energy.
Others are not as
easy to use.
NUCLEAR ENERGY

 The energy that is released

when atoms come together
or break apart.

 Nuclear energy can be

obtained in two main ways:
fission and fusion.
FISSION
 Happens when an atom splits into two or more lighter atoms.
 Fission releases a large amount of energy. This energy can be
used to generate electricity.
 All nuclear power that people use today is generated by fission.
FISSION’S BENEFITS AND PROBLEMS

 One benefit of fission is that it does not

cause air pollution.

 Mining uranium, the fuel for nuclear

power, is less harmful to the
environment than mining other energy
sources, such as coal.
 However, nuclear fission power has several problems.

 The fission products created in nuclear power plants are

poisonous. They must be stored for thousands of years.
 Nuclear fission plants can release harmful radiation into the
environment.
 Also, nuclear power plants must release extra heat from the
fission reaction. This extra heat cannot be used to make
electricity.
 The extra heat can harm the environment.
FUSION
 Happens when two or more atoms join to form a heavier
atom.
 This process occurs naturally in the sun. Fusion releases a lot
of energy.
FUSION’S BENEFITS AND PROBLEMS
 Fusion has two main benefits.
 First, fusion does not create a lot of dangerous wastes.
 Second, the fuels used in fusion are renewable.

 The main problem with fusion is that it can take place only at
high temperatures.
 The reaction is difficult to control and keep going. Right now,
people cannot control fusion reactions or use them to create
usable energy.
WIND POWER

 Wind is air that is moving. Moving

air contains energy.

 People can use windmills to turn the

energy in wind into electricity.

 The electricity that is produced by

windmills is called wind power.
Large groups of windmills can
make a lot of electricity.
 Like all energy sources, wind
power has benefits and
problems.

 Since the wind can’t be used

up, wind energy is renewable.
 Wind power does not cause air
pollution. However, in many
areas, the wind isn’t strong or
regular enough to generate
enough electricity for people
to use.
FUEL CELLS
 Are devices that change chemical energy into electrical power.

 The chemical energy is released when hydrogen and oxygen

react to form water.

 Fuel cells have been used in space travel since the 1960s. They
have provided space crews with electrical energy and
drinking water. Today, fuel cells are used to create electrical
energy in some buildings and ships.
 The only waste product of fuel cells is water, so they do not
create pollution. However, not very many cars today use fuel
cells.

 The hydrogen and oxygen used in fuel cells can be expensive

to make and to store. Many people hope that we will be able
to use fuel cells to power cars in the future.
SOLAR ENERGY
 Most forms of energy originally come from the sun.
 For example, the fossil fuels we use today were made from
plants. The plants got their energy from the sun. The heat
and light that Earth gets from the sun is solar energy. This
type of energy is a renewable resource.

 People can use solar energy to create electricity. Photovoltaic

cells, or solar cells, can change sunlight into electrical energy.

 Solar energy can also be used to heat buildings.

 Solar energy does not produce
pollution and is renewable.

 The energy from the sun is free.

However, some climates don’t
have enough sunny days to be
able to use solar energy all the
time.

 Also, even though sunlight is

free, solar cells are expensive to
make.
HYDROELECTRIC ENERGY

 Water wheels have been used since ancient times to help

people do work. Today, the energy of falling water is used to
generate electrical energy.

 Hydroelectric energy is electrical energy produced from

moving water.

 Causes no air pollution and is considered renewable, and

generally not very expensive to produce.
 However, hydroelectric energy can be produced only in places
that have a lot of fast-moving water.

 In addition, building a dam and a power plant to generate

hydroelectric energy can be expensive.

 Dams can harm wildlife living in

and around the river.

 Damming a river can cause

flooding and erosion.
BIOMASS
 Plants store energy from the sun. Leaves, wood, and stems
contain stored energy. Even the dung of plant-eating animals
has a lot of stored energy.

 These sources of energy are called biomass (an organic matter

that can be a source of energy).

 Commonly burned in its solid form to release heat. However,

biomass can also be changed into a liquid form.
 The sugar and starch in plants can be made into alcohol and
used as fuel. Alcohol can be mixed with gasoline to make a
fuel called gasohol.

 Biomass is the biologically degradable part of waste and

residue (including plant matter and animal waste) of
agriculture, forestry and related industries, as well as the
biologically degradable part of industrial and household
waste.

 The most important type of biofuel is biodiesel, produced by

esterification of vegetable oils, for example, soya oil, with
alcohol (methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol).
 Production of biodiesel is waste-free,
and the eventual by-products – oil
cakes, glycerol, sodium or potassium
phosphates – can be further used in
various other industries.

 Biomass is not very expensive. It is

available almost everywhere.

 Since biomass grows quickly, it is

considered a renewable resource.
However, people must be careful not to
use up biomass faster than it can grow
back.
GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

 Energy produced by the heat

within Earth. This heat makes
solid rocks get very hot.

 If there is any water contained

within the solid rock, the water
gets hot, too. The hot water can
be used to generate electricity
and to heat buildings.
 Geothermal energy is considered renewable because the heat
inside Earth will last for millions of years.

 Geothermal energy does not

create air pollution or harm
the environment. However,
this kind of energy can be
used only where hot rock is
near the surface.
 All energy production and use has environmental impacts.

 Fossil fuels and nuclear produce more solid, liquid and

gaseous wastes, while renewables (geothermal and
hydroelectric) face challenges of land and water use, visual
and noise pollution.
 Making energy cleaner is usually more expensive, and these
costs are passed along to the consumer.
THE VARIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF
EACH OF THE VARIOUS SOURCES OF ENERGY
 A successful energy future will depend on managing
environmental impacts while keeping energy affordable.

 And this can only be achieved by formulating and implementing

comprehensive energy and environmental policies with the
cooperation of the international community in the form of treaties
like the Kyoto Protocol.
 INTERNATIONAL TREATIES
 CURBING GLOBAL WARMING

 Climate change is the single biggest environmental and

humanitarian crisis of our time. We must act now to spur the
adoption of cleaner energy sources at home and abroad.

 The Earth's atmosphere is overloaded with heat-trapping carbon

dioxide, which threatens large scale disruptions in climate with
disastrous consequences. We must act now to spur the adoption of
cleaner energy sources at home and abroad.
 CREATING THE CLEAN ENERGY FUTURE

 Dependence on fossil fuels threatens our national security and

is a major contributor to global warming and toxic air
pollution.

 By investing in renewable energy sources such as the sun,

wind and biomass, we can help solve the energy and climate
crises.

 Our best weapon against global climate change is clean

energy.
 Renewable power,
conservation, energy
efficiency in buildings and
elsewhere, more efficient
vehicles and clean fuels –
these are the solutions that
will reduce the impacts on
our climate, revive our
economy, and create jobs.
 REVIVING THE WORLD'S OCEANS

 The world's oceans are on the brink of ecological collapse.

 Powerful forces have pushed the world's oceans to the brink of

ecological collapse.

 Marine vitality can be restored by ending overfishing, creating

marine protected areas, improving oceans governance, and
combating emerging threats like ocean acidification.
 By focusing on these
solutions, we can achieve
the broadest, most long-
lasting benefits for our
oceans and those who
rely on oceans-related
jobs.
 DEFENDING ENDANGERED WILDLIFE AND WILD PLACES

 The destruction of our last

remaining wild lands means the loss
of vast troves of biological diversity,
critical regulators of global climate,
and irreplaceable sanctuaries.

 Our government joins forces with

NGOs and other environment
activists to defend some of our
country's most imperilled species
and their habitats.
 PROTECTING OUR HEALTH BY PREVENTING POLLUTION

 We must reduce or eliminate the

dangerous chemicals in the products
we buy, the food we eat and the air
we breathe.

 Toxic chemicals in our environment,

such as mercury, lead, and certain
manmade chemicals, have been
linked to cancer, birth defects and
brain impairments.
 Reducing or eliminating the load
of these dangerous chemicals in
the products we buy, the air we
breathe, the food we eat and the
water we drink can help reduce
the toll of human disease and
suffering.
 ENSURING SAFE AND SUFFICIENT WATER

 Clean and plentiful water is the

cornerstone of prosperous
communities.

 Yet as we enter the 21st century,

swelling demand and changing
climate patterns are draining rivers
and aquifers and pollution is
threatening the quality of what
remains.
 Our government is
integrating our expertise in
pollution prevention, water
efficiency and climate change
to sustain Philippines‘
precious water resources,
working to advance smart
water efficiency policies to
ensure that communities get
the water they need while
keeping our lakes, rivers, and
streams full and healthy.
 FOSTERING SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES

 The choices we make for where and how we live have

enormous impacts on our well- being, economy, and natural
environment.

 The government develops and advocates sustainable solutions

for our communities.
 The Philippines, through the Department of Energy, will
work on ensuring the implementation of the following plans
and programs to contribute to the attainment of these broad
policy and program frameworks. These plans and programs
are embodied in DOE's Energy Reform Agenda (ERA).
 POWER SECTOR DEVELOPMENT
 The development plans on power systems, transmission
highways, distribution facilities and missionary electrification
provide the platform to put in place long-term reliable power
supply, improve the country’s transmission and distribution
systems and attain nationwide electrification.

 Specifically, the PEP highlights the implementation of critical

power infrastructures to address possible power outages.
 Based on the Plan, the government will concentrate its efforts
on the completion of committed power projects, as well as
attract local and foreign investors to venture into indicative
and potential power projects to include electrification projects.
 FUELLING SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT PROGRAM

 As one of the biggest user of energy, the energy sector is

mainly concerned on other alternative options to fuel the
transport sector.

 Thus, the PEP will pursue the implementation of the Fuelling

Sustainable Transport Program (FSTP) which seeks to convert
public and private vehicles from diesel and gasoline to
compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)
and electric power.
 Under the program, CNG buses are envisioned to ply
throughout the country.

 It also includes the promotion of electric vehicles for public

transport and the increase in biofuels blends to 20.0 percent.

 With the FSTP, the government hopes to reduce the carbon

footprint from road transport in the Philippines.

 It has been estimated that road transportation accounts for

around 50.0 percent of the total air pollutants in the country.
 INDIGENOUS ENERGY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

 As energy demand is anticipated to grow significantly over

the indicated planning period, it is incumbent for the energy
sector to pursue all means to develop the country’s indigenous
resources.

 In view of this, the Plan looks into a highly diverse energy mix
to fuel the Philippine economy within the planning period.
 Even with the dawning of renewable energy development, the
DOE recognizes the fact that the country will remain
dependent on conventional fuels for many years to come to
address its growing energy requirements.

 The Plan programs the conduct of energy contracting rounds

as an effective strategy to bring in critical investments for the
exploration, development and production of local energy
resources.
 NATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY PLAN
 With the global trend towards a clean energy future, the Renewable
Energy Act was passed in 2008 to fully harness the country’s
renewable energy potential such as geothermal, hydro, wind, solar,
biomass and ocean.

 To guide the full implementation of the law, the National Renewable

Energy Program (NREP) was launched on 14 June 2011 by President
Aquino.

 The PEP includes the targets set under the NREP to strengthen its
energy security plan. Specifically, the NREP seeks to increase the
country’s renewable energy-based capacity by 2030.
 ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND CONSERVATION PROGRAM

 With the escalating prices of imported fuels, the call for energy
efficiency and conservation has graduated from merely just a
personal virtue to that of a national commitment.

 The PEP includes the National Energy Efficiency and

Conservation Program (NEECP) as one of the center piece
strategies in pursuing energy security of the country and looks
into it as a major solution to the energy challenges of the
future.
 To lay the groundwork for a national energy efficiency plan, the PEP
recognizes the need for an energy conservation law as a critical measure
in managing the country’s energy demand.

 The proposed legislation aims to:

a) Incorporate policies and measures to develop local energy auditors
and energy managers;
b) Establish the ESCO industry;
c) Encourage the development of energy efficient technologies; and
d) Provide incentives for the effective promotion of efficiency initiatives
in the energy market sector.
 NATURAL GAS MASTER PLAN

 A complementary initiative to ensure the country’s energy

security is the review and update of the Master Plan Study for
the Development of the Natural Gas Industry in the
Philippines.

 Said update includes an evaluation of the natural gas

infrastructure requirements in the Visayas and Mindanao
regions in view of the DOE’s plan to implement a Natural Gas
Infrastructure Development Plan in these regions.
 The Master plan, with technical assistance from Japan
International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and World Bank,
evaluates the opportunities, critical infrastructures and
required investments for the development of the natural gas
industry.
 TERMS
 NATURAL RESOURCE – any natural material that is used by
humans, such as water, petroleum, minerals, forests, and
animals

 NON-RENEWABLE RESOURCE – a resource that forms at a

rate that is much slower than the rate at which the resource is
consumed

 RENEWABLE RESOURCE – a natural resource that can be

replaced at the same rate at which the resource is consumed
 RECYCLING – the process of recovering valuable or useful
materials from waste or scrap

 ACID PRECIPITATION – rain, sleet, or snow that contains a

high concentration of acids

 COAL – a fossil fuel that forms underground from partially

decomposed plant material

 FOSSIL FUEL – a non-renewable energy resource formed

from the remains of organisms that lived long ago
 NATURAL GAS – a mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons located
under the surface of Earth, often near petroleum deposits;
used as a fuel

 PETROLEUM – a liquid mixture of complex hydrocarbon

compounds; used widely as a fuel source

 SMOG – photochemical haze that forms when sunlight acts

on industrial pollutants and burning fuels
 BIOMASS – plant material, manure, or any other organic
matter that is used as an energy source

 CHEMICAL ENERGY – the energy released when a chemical

compound reacts to produce new compounds

 GASOHOL – a mixture of gasoline and alcohol that is used as

a fuel

 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY – the energy produced by heat

within Earth
 HYDROELECTRIC ENERGY – electrical energy produced by
the flow of water

 NUCLEAR ENERGY – the energy released by a fission or

fusion reaction; the binding energy of the atomic nucleus

 SOLAR ENERGY – the energy received by Earth from the sun

in the form of radiation

 WIND POWER – the use of a windmill to drive an electric

generator
 GROUP ACTIVITY

To be submitted next meeting:

 Make a plan that the community may use to conserve and

protect its resources for future generations.

 Prepare a plan that the community may implement to

minimize waste when people utilize materials and resources.