Environmental

Literature
Phan Thi Lan Anh
VNU University of Science
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=lananh1507

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1. DEFINITION AND FORMS OF ENERGY
• Energy is a property of matter that can be converted into work, heat
or radiation.
• Energy is defined as the ability to produce change or do work, and
that work can be divided into several main tasks we easily recognize:
— Energy produces light.
— Energy produces heat.
— Energy produces motion.
— Energy produces sound.
— Energy produces growth.
— Energy powers technology.

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1. DEFINITION AND FORMS OF ENERGY

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1. DEFINITION AND FORMS OF ENERGY

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SOURCES OF ENERGY

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 RENEWABLE ENERGY

• Renewable energy is energy produced from sources that do not

deplete or can be replenished within a human's life time.
• Most renewable energy is derived directly or indirectly from the sun.
Sunlight can be captured directly using solar technologies. The sun's
heat drives winds, whose energy is captured with turbines. Plants also
rely on the sun to grow and their stored energy can be utilized for
bioenergy.
• Not all renewable energy sources rely on the sun. For example,
geothermal energy utilizes the Earth’s internal heat, tidal energy relies
on the gravitational pull of the moon, and hydropower relies on the
flow of water.
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 BIOMASS RESOURCES
• Biomass potential includes wood and animal and plant wastes.
Biomass is only organic petroleum substitute which
is renewable. The term ‘biomass’ refers to forestry, purpose grown
agricultural crops, trees and plants, organic wastes, agricultural, agro-
industrial and domestic wastes (municipal and solid waste)
• Bioenergy is energy which is generated from vegetable material
(biomass)
• Biofuels are made from biomass through biochemical or
thermochemical processes. The term biofuels can refer to fuels for
direct combustion for electricity production, but is generally used for
liquid fuels for transportation. These include alcohols, esters, ethers,
and other chemicals made from biomass

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• HYDROPOWER is today the most important kind of renewable and
sustainable energy
• Hydropower systems use the energy in flowing water to produce electricity or
mechanical energy
• Hydropower is more reliable and efficient and less expensive energy source
than geothermal, biomass, wind and solar energy

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 the water cycle is important to understanding
hydropower
• Solar energy heats water on the surface of rivers,
lakes, and oceans, which causes the water to
evaporate.
• Water vapor condenses into clouds and falls as
precipitation—rain and snow.
• Precipitation collects in streams and rivers, which
empty into oceans and lakes, where it evaporates and
begins the cycle again.
The amount of precipitation that drains into rivers and streams in a geographic
area determines the amount of water available for producing hydropower.
Seasonal variations in precipitation and long-term changes in precipitation
patterns, such as droughts, can have large effects on the availability of
hydropower production. 11
 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
If you were to dig a big hole straight
down into the Earth, you would notice
the temperature getting warmer the
deeper you go. That's because the inside
of the Earth is full of heat. This heat is
called geothermal energy.
• Geothermal energy
Geothermal energy is clean, cheap and renewable, and can be utilized in
various forms such as space heating and domestic hot water supply, CO2
and dry-ice production process, heat pumps, greenhouse heating,
swimming and balneology (therapeutic baths), industrial
processes and electricity generation.
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 • Hot water is pumped from deep
GEOTHERMAL ENERGY underground through a well under
high pressure.
• When the water reaches the
surface, the pressure is dropped,
which causes the water to turn
into steam.
• The steam spins a turbine, which
is connected to a generator that
produces electricity.
• The steam cools off in a cooling
tower and condenses back to
water.
• The cooled water is pumped back
into the Earth to begin the process
again. 13
• SOLAR ENERGY
Solar energy technologies use sunlight to produce heat and electricity
Solar energy systems are solar home system, solar photovoltaic (PV)
systems, solar water heating systems, solar dryers, and solar cookers.
PV systems, other than solar home systems, are used for
communication, water pumping for drinking and irrigation and
electricity generation.

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• WIND ENERGY
Wind power is the most rapidly growing renewable energy source. Wind is
popular because it is abundant, cheap, inexhaustible, widely distributed,
climate-benign, and clean-attributes that no other energy source can match.
Wind technology converts the energy available in wind to electricity or
mechanical power through the use of wind turbines.

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1. DEFINITION AND FORMS OF ENERGY

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 NON-RENEWABLE ENERGY
• Non-renewable energy comes from sources that will run out or will not
be replenished in our lifetimes-or even in many, many lifetimes.
• These natural resources are a major source of power for a vast amount
of industries – however, there are numerous downsides to non-
renewable energy, including their negative environmental impact and
the fact they are in limited supply.
Environmental pollution
Public health issues
They will run out
Oil spills
Rising costs
Health risks to workers
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Coal

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Coal
• Coal is classified into four main types, or ranks: anthracite, bituminous,
subbituminous, and lignite. The ranking depends on the types and amounts
of carbon the coal contains and on the amount of heat energy the coal can
produce. The rank of a coal deposit is determined by the amount of
pressure and heat that acted on the plants over time.
• Anthracite contains 86%–97% carbon and generally has the highest heating
value of all ranks of coal. Anthracite is mainly used by the metals industry.
• Bituminous coal contains 45%–86% carbon.
• Subbituminous coal typically contains 35%–45% carbon, and it has a lower
heating value than bituminous coal.
• Lignite contains 25%–35% carbon and has the lowest energy content of all
coal ranks. Lignite coal deposits tend to be relatively young and were not
subjected to extreme heat or pressure. Lignite is crumbly and has high
moisture content, which contributes to its low heating value. 22
Petroleum (Oil)

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Petroleum (Oil)
• Petroleum is a liquid fossil fuel. It is also called oil or crude oil.
• Petroleum is trapped by underground rock formations. In some places, oil
bubbles right out of the ground. Remains of animals that got trapped there
thousands of years ago are still preserved in the tar!
• Most of the world’s oil is still deep under the ground. We drill through the
earth to access the oil. Some deposits are on land, and others are under the
ocean floor.
• When oil is under the ocean floor, companies drill offshore. They must build
an oil platform. Oil platforms are some of the biggest manmade structures in
the world!
• Once the oil has been drilled, it must be refined. Oil contains many chemicals
besides carbon, and refining the oil takes some of these chemicals out.
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Natural Gas
• Natural gas is another fossil fuel that is trapped underground in reservoirs. It is
mostly made up of methane. You may have smelled methane before. The
decomposing material in landfills also release methane, which smells like
rotten eggs.
• There is so much natural gas underground that it is measured in million,
billion, or trillion cubic meters.
• Natural gas is found in deposits a few hundred meters underground. In order
to get natural gas out of the ground, companies drill straight down. However,
natural gas does not form in big open pockets. Natural gas is trapped in rock
formations that can stretch for kilometers.

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Natural Gas
• To reach natural gas, some companies use a process called “hydraulic
fracturing,” or fracking. Hydraulic means they use water, and fracturing means
to “split apart.” The process uses high-pressure water to split apart the rocks
underground. This releases the natural gas that is trapped in rock formations.
If the rock is too hard, they can send acid down the well to dissolve the rock.
They can also use tiny grains of glass or sand to prop open the rock and let the
gas escape.
• We use natural gas for heating and cooking. Natural gas can also be burned
to generate electricity. We rely on natural gas to give power to lights,
televisions, air conditioners, and kitchen appliances in our homes.
• Natural gas can also be turned into a liquid form, called liquid natural gas
(LNG). LNG is much cleaner than any other fossil fuels.

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Natural Gas

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 Nuclear Energy
• Nuclear energy is usually
considered another non-renewable
energy source. Although nuclear
energy itself is a renewable energy
source, the material used in
nuclear power plants is not.
• Nuclear energy harvests the
powerful energy in the nucleus, or
core, of an atom. Nuclear energy is
released through nuclear fission,
the process where the nucleus of
an atom splits. Nuclear power
plants are complex machines that
can control nuclear fission to
produce electricity. 28
Nuclear Energy
• The material most often used in nuclear power plants is the
element uranium. Although uranium is found in rocks all over the world,
nuclear power plants usually use a very rare type of uranium, U-235.
Uranium is a non-renewable resource.
• Nuclear energy is a popular way of generating electricity around the world.
Nuclear power plants do not pollute the air or emit greenhouse gases. They
can be built in rural or urban areas, and do not destroy the environment
around them.
• However, nuclear energy is difficult to harvest. Nuclear power plants are
very complicated to build and run. Many communities do not have the
scientists and engineers to develop a safe and reliable nuclear energy
program.
• Nuclear energy also produces radioactive material. Radioactive waste can
be extremely toxic, causing burns and increasing the risk for cancers, blood
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diseases, and bone decay among people who are exposed to it.
Biomass Energy
• Biomass energy, a renewable energy source, can also be a non-renewable
energy source. Biomass energy uses the energy found in plants.
• Biomass energy relies on biomass feedstocks—plants that are processed
and burned to create electricity. Biomass feedstocks can include crops such
as corn or soy, as well as wood. If people do not replant biomass feedstocks
as fast as they use them, biomass energy becomes a non-renewable energy
source.

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 ADVANTAGES

RENEWABLE ENERGY NONRENEWABLE RESOURCE

Renewable source: it is renewable and can be High energy : The energy per unit is more
replenished easily. The more the use, the more which is not observed in renewable source.
it is reproduced. Profitable : profitable business.
Easily available: it is easily available on a Job opportunities
regular basis. Availability : It is easily accessible and more
Not polluting: Renewable resources are compatible.
environment friendly. Transportation : available in solid form, the
Low cost : This increases the saving and profit. transportation is easy
Improves health : the eco-friendly renewable Storage : storage is easier for nonrenewable
source . resource and more compatible as compared to
Stability : stability in prices because of it readily renewable energy source.
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available.
 DISADVANTAGES
RENEWABLE ENERGY NONRENEWABLE ENERGY
Non Reliability : these natural resources No replacement : Once this energy is used up,
depends upon a lot of factors and cannot be it cannot be replaced.
completely relied on. Pollution : burning of fossil fuels causes
Limited location : this is another major emission of green house gases that are highly
disadvantages of renewable energy. The plants polluting.
and the industry cannot be set up anywhere. It Global warming : nonrenewable energy adds to
can be only setup as per its availability. global warming..
Misuse : since the availability is in plenty, it is Health hazard : due to air pollution, a lot of
more likely to be misused by mankind. health issues have increased among people like
High capital investment : huge money is lung diseases, asthma, eye infections and heart
needed in building up of industries that use problems. A lot of skin infections are also
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these natural resources as raw materials. reported due to pollution.
2. ENNERGY-RELATED ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

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 Global Warming Potential (GWP)
• The Global Warming Potential (GWP) was developed to allow
comparisons of the global warming impacts of different gases.
Specifically, it is a measure of how much energy the emissions of 1
ton of a gas will absorb over a given period of time, relative to the
emissions of 1 ton of carbon dioxide (CO2).
• GWP values allow you to compare the impacts of emissions and
reductions of different gases.
• The larger the GWP, the more that a given gas warms the Earth
compared to CO2 over that time period.
• GWPs provide a common unit of measure, which allows analysts to
add up emissions estimates of different gases (e.g., to compile a
national GHG inventory), and allows policymakers to compare
emissions reduction opportunities across sectors and gases.
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 Atmospheric Lifetime
• Each gas can remain in the atmosphere for different amounts of time, ranging from a
few years to thousands of years. All of these gases remain in the atmosphere long
enough to become well mixed, meaning that the amount that is measured in the
atmosphere is roughly the same all over the world, regardless of the source of the
emissions.

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 Atmospheric lifetime and GWP relative to CO2 at different time horizon for various greenhouse gases
Global warming potential (GWP) for
Gas name Chemical formula Lifetime (years) given time horizon
20-yr 100-yr 500-yr
Carbon dioxide CO2 30–95 1 1 1
Methane CH4 12 84 28 7.6
Nitrous oxide N2O 121 264 265 153
CFC-12 CCl2F2 100 10 800 10 200 5 200
HCFC-22 CHClF2 12 5 280 1 760 549
Tetrafluoromethane
CF4 50 000 4 880 6 630 11 200

Hexafluoroethane C2F6 10 000 8 210 11 100 18 200

Sulfur hexafluoride SF6 3 200 17 500 23 500 32 600
Nitrogen trifluoride NF3 500 12 800 16 100 20 700
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 Global Warming Potential
Gaseous emissions (g) per unit of chemical sources and their global warming potential

Inputs CO2 N2O CH4

1. Diesel (L) 3875.70 0.14 0.65
2. Nitrogen fertilizer (kg) 10,125.56 0.17 0.24

3. Phosphate (P2O5) (kg) 1496.49 0.02 0.02

4. Potassium (K2O) (kg) 973.20 0.03 0.04

5. Electricity (kW h) 948.48 0.01 0.01
GWP CO2 equivalence factor 1.00 265.00 28.00

Yang et al. (2014). J Clean Prod 76:131–139 37

Student assignment
Read the paper “Reducing agricultural carbon footprint through diversified
crop rotation systems in the North China Plain”, Journal of Cleaner
Production

Find out the formulation of Calculation of carbon footprint in section 2.4 to

understand GWP of Nitrogen

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Air pollution
Most air pollution comes from energy use and production. Burning
fossil fuels releases gases and chemicals into the air. And in an
especially destructive feedback loop, air pollution not only contributes
to climate change but is also exacerbated by it. Air pollution in the form
of carbon dioxide and methane raises the earth’s temperature. Another
type of air pollution is then worsened by that increased heat: Smog
forms when the weather is warmer and there’s more ultraviolet
radiation.
Climate change also increases the production of allergenic air
pollutants including mold (thanks to damp conditions caused by
extreme weather and increased flooding) and pollen (due to a longer
pollen season and more pollen production)
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Fine particles (PM2.5)

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Data is from Minnesota’s 2011 emissions inventory
Nitrogen oxides (NOX)

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Data is from Minnesota’s 2011 emissions inventory
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

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Data is from Minnesota’s 2011 emissions inventory
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Acid rain
Acid rain, or acid deposition, is a
broad term that includes any
form of precipitation with acidic
components, such as sulfuric or
nitric acid that fall to the ground
from the atmosphere in wet or
dry forms. This can include rain,
snow, fog, hail or even dust that
is acidic.

Flow chart that shows the formation of acid rain and its
interaction with environment
(Wondyfraw, 2014).
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 Forms of Acid Deposition
Wet Deposition
Wet deposition is what we most commonly think of as acid rain. The sulfuric and nitric
acids formed in the atmosphere fall to the ground mixed with rain, snow, fog, or hail.
Dry Deposition
Acidic particles and gases can also deposit from the atmosphere in the absence of
moisture as dry deposition. The acidic particles and gases may deposit to surfaces
(water bodies, vegetation, buildings) quickly or may react during atmospheric transport
to form larger particles that can be harmful to human health. When the accumulated
acids are washed off a surface by the next rain, this acidic water flows over and through
the ground, and can harm plants and wildlife, such as insects and fish.
The amount of acidity in the atmosphere that deposits to earth through dry deposition
depends on the amount of rainfall an area receives. For example, in desert areas the
ratio of dry to wet deposition is higher than an area that receives several inches of rain
each year.
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 Damage of acid precipitation
• Acidification of lakes, streams, and
ground waters
• Toxicity to plants from excessive
acid concentration
• Corrosion of exposed structures
• Health hazards for fish and
aquatic life
• Damage to forests and agricultural
crops
• Deterioration of buildings and
fabrics
• Harmful effect of sulfate aerosols
on physical and optical
• properties of clouds
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