Module-02 Natural Resources Management

ENERGY

Energy is the capacity to do work. A plenty of energy is needed to sustain industrial growth
and agricultural production.

Classification of Energy
1. Conventional energy: is in practice for long duration of time and well-established technology
is available to tap and use them. e.g. Coal, oil, natural gas, hydro power, nuclear power etc.
2. Non-conventional energy: source can be used with advantage for power generation as well
as other applications in a large number of locations and situations. These energy sources
cannot be easily stored and used conveniently. e.g. Solar, wind, tidal and geothermal etc.
Based upon nature, energy sources are classified as
1. Renewable energy sources are inexhaustible and are renewed by nature itself. Solar, wind, tidal,
hydro and biomass are few examples.
2. Non-renewable energy sources are exhaustible within a definite period of time depending upon
its usage. Fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas) and nuclear fuels are few examples.

SOLAR ENERGY

The surface of the earth receives about 1014 kW from sun in the form of solar energy
which is approximately five orders of magnitude greater than that currently being consumed
from all resources. There are two obvious obstacles to harnessing solar energy. Firstly it is not
constantly available on earth. Thus some form of storage is needed to sustain solar energy
through the night and during rainy season.
Secondly the solar energy is diffused. Although the total amount of energy is
enormous, the collection and conservation of solar energy into useful forms must be carried
out over a large area which entails large capital investments.

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 By using solar radiation, water or any fluid can be heated by using a solar collector. Such
systems can provide hot water for different applications in industries directly or as boiler feed
and also in hostels, hotels and canteens. There are two types of solar collectors in use:
Flat plate collector:
The absorber plate is metallic. It is usually coated black to absorb more heat energy. Tubes,
passages or channels integral with the collector carry water or other working fluid. Insulation
should be provided at the back and at the sides to minimize the heat losses. Usually glass
wool is used as insulation material. A transparent cover (glass) will be provided at the top to
permit the radiation from the sun to the metal plate.

Parabolic or concentrating collector

Highly polished metallic surfaces are used as the reflector. The reflector will have a
parabolic shape so that the sun rays striking the profile will be reflected on its focal point. If a
tube carrying a fluid is kept along the focal line, the fluid will be heated to a very high
temperature.

Advantages
1. Renewable source of energy
2. Pollution free
3. After the capital cost, the cost of power generation is quite low
4. Wide range of applications, powering street lights to satellites
Disadvantages
1. Capital cost is very high

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2. Large area of land is required
3. Large number of solar panels are required
4. Affected by seasons.

WIND ENERGY

The electrical energy can be generated by wind energy by utilizing the kinetic energy of
wind. The wind energy which is an indirect source of energy can be used to run a wind mill
which in turn drives a generator to produce electricity. Wind mills are classified into two
types.
Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine Horizontal axis
Wind turbines have the main rotor shaft running horizontally. Fig shows a schematic
arrangement of a horizontal axis machine. This system consists of a tower mounted two bladed
or multi bladed rotor facing the wind, rotating around a horizontal axis and turning an
electrical generator. The Blades are generally made of composite material, usually fiber
reinforced plastic (FRP) because of its high strength and light weight. Wind mills are
manufactured with a capacity from a few kilowatts to several megawatts in Europe, the USA,
and other parts of the world including India.
Vertical Axis Wind Turbine
It has the main rotor shaft running vertically. The tower construction is simple here because the
generator and gear box can be placed at the bottom, near the ground.

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Advantages
1. Wind is Renewable and free of cost
2. Pollution free
3. Can be installed in remote villages, thus reducing costly transmission lines
Disadvantages
1. Capital cost is very high
2. Large area of land is required
3. Maintenance cost is very high

TIDAL ENERGY

The periodic rise and fall of water level of sea which are carried by the action of the sun and
moon on water of the earth is called “tide”. The large scale up and down movement of sea
water represents an unlimited source of energy. The main feature of the tidal cycle is the
difference in water surface elevations at the high tide and at the low tide. If the differential
head could be utilized in operating a hydraulic turbine, the tidal energy could be converted
into electrical energy by means of an attached generator.
Tidal Power Plant
A Tidal power plant mainly consists of the following:
1. A barrage with gates and sluices
2. One or more basins
3. A power house
A barrage is a barrier constructed across the sea to create a basin for storing water. The
barrage has to withstand the pressure exerted by the water head and also should resist the
shock of the waves.
A basin is the area where water is retained by the barrage. Low head reversible water
turbines are installed in the barrage separating the sea from the basin. During high tide, water
will flow from sea to tidal basin through turbine, thus producing electricity. During low tide,
water will flow from tidal basin to sea through turbine producing electricity.

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 Advantages
1. It is inexhaustible source of energy
2. No problem of pollution
3. The cost of power generation is quite low
4. High output can be obtained compared to solar or wind energy
Disadvantages
1. Capital cost is very high
2. As the head is not constant, variable output is obtained
3. As the head is low, large amount of water is necessary for the turbine

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

Geothermal power plants derive energy from the heat of the earth’s interior. The
average increase in temperature with depth of the earth is 10C for every 30-40m. At a depth
of 10-15km, the earth’s interior is as hot as 1000-12000C. In certain areas of our planet, the
underground heat has raised the temperature of water to over 2000C which bursts out as hot
steam through the cracks in the earth’s crust. These are called thermal springs. This steam can
be utilized for power production.
Geothermal Sources
1. Hydrothermal convective systems

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(i) Vapor dominated or dry steam fields
(ii) Liquid dominated or wet steam fields
(iii) Hot water fields
2. Geo-pressure resources
3. Petrothermal or hot dry rocks
4. Magma resources
5. Volcanoes

Geothermal Power Plants Geothermal wells are drilled at suitable locations. Water
vaporized into steam comes out of the earth’s surface in a dry condition at around 200C and
8 bar. The moisture is removed by a centrifugal separator and this steam will run the turbine
coupled with a generator. Steam is condensed in a condenser and re injected back into the
ground by a rejection well.

Advantages
1. Geothermal energy is cheaper
2. Used as space heating for buildings
3. Used as industrial process heat
4. Geothermal energy is inexhaustible
Disadvantages
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 1. Low overall power production efficiency (about 15%)
2. Large areas are needed foe exploitation of geothermal energy

OCEAN THERMAL ENERGY CONVERSION

OTEC uses the temperature difference of the sea water at different depths to generate
electricity. OTEC utilizes the temperature difference that exists between the surface waters
heated by the sun and the colder deep (up to 1000m) waters to run a heat engine. This source
and sink provides a temperature difference of 20C in ocean areas within 20 of the equator.
These conditions exist in tropical coastal areas, roughly between the tropic of Capricorn and
the tropic of cancer. Such a small temperature difference makes energy extraction difficult
and expensive. Hence, typically OTEC systems have an overall efficiency of only 1 to 3%.
The OTEC is shown in fig.

Advantages
 OTEC uses clean, renewable, natural resources.
 Warm surface seawater and cold water from the ocean depths replace fossil fuels to produce
electricity.
 Suitably designed OTEC plants will produce little or no carbon dioxide or other polluting
chemicals.
 There is enough solar energy received and stored in the warm tropical ocean surface layer to
provide most, if not all, of present human energy needs.

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  The use of OTEC as a source of electricity will help reduce the state's almost complete
dependence on imported fossil fuels.
Disadvantages:
 OTEC-produced electricity at present would cost more than electricity generated from fossil
fuels at their current costs.
 OTEC plants must be located where a difference of about 20º C occurs year-round.
 Ocean depths must be available fairly close to shore-based facilities for economic operation.
Floating plant ships could provide more flexibility.
 Construction of OTEC plants and lying of pipes in coastal waters may cause localized
damage to reefs and near-shore marine ecosystems.
 Sea water corrosion affects plant durability.

BIOGAS

Biogas is generated when bacteria degrade biological material in the absence of

oxygen, in a process known as anaerobic digestion. Since biogas is a mixture of methane
(also known as marsh gas or natural gas, CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) it is a renewable
fuel produced from waste treatment. Anaerobic digestion is basically a simple process carried
out in a number of steps by many different bacteria that can use almost any organic material
as a substrate .
Anaerobic digestion breaks down readily degradable organic matter in a series of steps,
where the product of one step becomes the substrate for the next step. The initial step is
usually considered to be “hydrolysis” – where extra cellular enzymes break complex organic
molecules like fats and starches into simpler molecules like glucose.
These simpler molecules are then utilized by “acetogenic” bacteria to produce acetic
acid, with carbon dioxide as another product of the breakdown. “Methanogens” are then able
to use the acetic acid and produce methane. There is also another group of “methanogens”
that convert carbon dioxide to methane. As a result of these steps “biogas” is mainly methane
(typically 60%, but less if the digester is not operating properly and sometimes up to about
80%) and carbon dioxide with traces of hydrogen sulphide, ammonia, water vapor, other
organic volatiles and possibly some nitrogen gas.

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Advantages:
Produces a renewable fuel that is flexible and can be used to produce heat, power,
domestic gas use or as a vehicle fuel; Generates methane that can be captured and used to
produce energy that might otherwise leak into the atmosphere and increase the greenhouse
effect; The process fixes nitrogen in the digestate and reduces emissions of nitrous oxide (a
strong greenhouse gas) compared to composting or landfill.
Disadvantages:
Biogas contains contaminant gases which can be corrosive to gas engines and boilers;
Will only produce a limited quantity of energy demand and is dependent upon location in
proximity to feedstock and energy users; There is little or no control on the rate of gas
production, although the gas can, to some extent be stored and used as required

HYDRO ELECTRIC POWER

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Advantages
1. Once a dam is constructed, electricity can be produced at a constant rate
2. If electricity is not needed, the sluice gates can be shut, stopping electricity generation.
3. Dams are designed to last many decades and so can contribute to the generation of
electricity
4. The lake that forms behind the dam can be used for water sports and leisure / pleasure
activities.
5. The lake's water can be used for irrigation purposes.
6. The buildup of water in the lake means that energy can be stored until needed.
7. When in use, electricity produced by dam systems does not produce greenhouse gases.
Disadvantages
1. Dams are extremely expensive to build and must be built to a very high standard.
2. The high cost of dam construction means they must operate for many decades to become
profitable.
3. The flooding of large areas of land means that the natural environment is destroyed.
4. People living in villages and towns that are in the valley to be flooded, must move out.
5. The building of large dams can cause serious geological damage.
6. Dams built blocking the progress of a river in one country.
7. Building a large dam alters the natural water table level.

Hydrogen energy
Hydrogen fuel cells produce electricity by combining hydrogen and oxygen atoms. The
hydrogen reacts with oxygen across an electrochemical cell—similar to a battery—to produce
electricity, water, and small amounts of heat.
Hydrogen is an alternative energy source that can be used in a variety of ways,
including transportation, electricity generation, and heating:
• Transportation: Hydrogen can be used in fuel cells to power vehicles, or burned
in internal combustion engines. Fuel cell vehicles produce zero tailpipe emissions, and are

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 more efficient than traditional internal combustion engines. However, there are currently
limited hydrogen fueling stations.
• Electricity generation: Hydrogen can be used to generate electricity.
• Heating: Hydrogen can be used to heat homes and businesses.
• Energy storage: Hydrogen can be used to store, move, and deliver energy from
other sources.

ADVANTAGES
• When hydrogen is used in fuel cells, the only byproduct is water vapor, making it
environmentally friendly energy source.
• Hydrogen is most abundant element in the universe
• Does not cause environmental pollution
DISADVANTAGES
• High production cost
• Some times more energy is required to produce hydrogen than the energy it can provide
• Difficult to store as it has very less energy density by volume
• It is highly flammable

APPLICATIONS
1. Fuel of Cars
2. Electricity production
3. Used in industries for making steel and fertilizers
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4. It stores energy from solar and wind power for later use
5. It can be used to heat homes and building
6. Used as rocket fuel
7. Used in Marine transportation

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
It refers to the systematic approach to managing the risks and impacts of disasters,
ensuring the safety and well-being of affected populations
It involves planning, preparedness, response and recovery efforts to mitigate the impact of
disaster.
Types of Disasters
1. Natural Disasters: Earthquakes, Floods, Landslides, Wildfires.
2. Human made Disasters: Industrial accidents, Transportation accidents, Cyber-attacks,
Terrorism.
3.Biological Disasters: Pandemics, Epidemics
Stages of Disaster management
1. Prevention: Activities aimed at reducing the likelihood of disasters like land –use
planning, public education.
Preparedness: Planning and training to improve response capabilities
2. Response: Immediate actions taken after disaster strikes to ensure safety,provide
assistance and restore basic services.
3. Recovery: Long term efforts to restore affected areas, including rebuilding infrastructure,
providing psychological support
4. Mitigation: Strategies to reduce the impact of future disasters
In India, disaster management is governed by the National Disaster Management Authority
(NDMA), which develops policies and guidelines for disaster risk reduction. Local authorities,
as well as state and central governments, also plays key roles in disaster preparedness and
response

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Disaster management Strategies:
• Early warning systems
• Emergency Response Planning
• Search and Rescue Operations
• Shelter management
• Food and Water Distribution
• Health Services
• Communication Networks
• Conducting awareness campaigns

MINING
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the
earth. Materials recovered by mining include bauxite, coal, copper, gold, silver, diamonds,
iron, precious metals, lead, limestone, nickel, phosphate, oil shale, rock salt, tin, uranium, and
molybdenum.
Any material that cannot be grown from agricultural processes, or created artificially in
a laboratory or factory, is usually mined. Mining in a wider sense can also include extraction
of petroleum, natural gas, and even water. On an industrial scale can produce environmental
damages resulting from exploration and development, even long after the mine is closed.
The exploratory phase generally causes the least impact, although drilling holes to
determine the existence of deposits may involve transporting heavy equipment’s and building
roads. Environmental effects include erosion, formation of sinkholes, loss of stability,
subsidence of land, weakening of lithospheric plates, dust generation, removal of green belt,
desertification, loss of top soil, noise generation, loss of biodiversity, and contamination of
groundwater and surface water by chemicals from the mining process and products. Mining
can have adverse effects on surrounding surface and ground water if protection measures are
not exercised.
The result can be unnaturally high concentrations of some chemical elements, notably
arsenic and sulfuric acid, over a significantly large area of surface or subsurface. Old mines
are often dangerous and can contain deadly gases, snakes, and other dangerous animals.
The entrance to an old mine in particular can be very dangerous, as weather may have
eroded the earth/rock surrounding the entrance. Old mine workings, caves, etc. are commonly
hazardous simply due to the lack of oxygen in the air (a condition in mines known as
blackdamp) and this is a deadly killer which provides no warning to those entering such an
environment.

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 Acid mine drainage (AMD), or acid rock drainage (ARD), refers to the outflow of
acidic water from (usually) abandoned metal mines or coal mines. Open pit mining, generates
enormous quantities of waste compared to any other natural resource extraction activity.
Water interacts with these wastes to generate contaminated fluids that can pollute soils, rivers
and ground water. These fluids can be highly acidic and metal laden or highly alkaline and
they often contain various forms of cyanide and sulfides. SO2 + H2O -> H2SO4
Sustainable Mining
• It refers to the extracting minerals and resources in a way that minimizes environmental
impact, ensures the safety and health of workers and local communities and promotes
long-term economic benefits. It aims to balance the need for resources with
environmental conservation and responsibility
Measures to control Mining
• Shutting Down Illegal Mining.
• Rehabilitating Legitimate Mining Sites.
• Implementing Eco-Friendly Equipment and Processes.
• Ensuring Surrounding Communities Prosper.
• Using Lower-Impact Mining Techniques.

Key principles of sustainable mining:

• Environmental Protection
Land Rehabilitation: After mining activities, restoring the land to its original state
Water management: Preventing the contamination of water resources, conserving water and
reusing waste water in mining process
Air quality : Reducing emission from the mining operations and limiting the dust pollution

CLOUD SEEDING
Cloud seeding is a type of weather modification that aims to change the amount or
type of precipitation that falls from clouds by dispersing substances into the air that serve as
cloud condensation or ice nuclei, which alter the microphysical processes within the cloud.
The usual intent is to increase precipitation (rain or snow), but hail and fog suppression are
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 also widely practiced in airports where harsh weather conditions are experienced. Cloud
seeding also occurs due to ice nucleators in nature, most of which are bacterial in origin. The
most common chemicals used for cloud seeding include silver iodide, potassium iodide and
dry ice (solid carbon dioxide). Liquid propane, which expands into a gas, has also been used.
This can produce ice crystals at higher temperatures than silver iodide. After promising
research, the use of hygroscopic materials, such as table salt, is becoming more popular.
When cloud seeding, increased snowfall takes place when temperatures within the clouds are
between −4 and 19 °F (−20 and −7 °C). Introduction of a substance such as silver iodide,
which has a crystalline structure similar to that of ice, will induce freezing nucleation. There
are three cloud seeding methods: static, dynamic and hygroscopic
Static cloud seeding involves spreading a chemical like silver iodide into clouds.
The silver iodide provides a crystal around which moisture can condense. The moisture is
already present in the clouds, but silver iodide essentially makes rain clouds more effective
at dispensing their water.
Dynamic cloud seeding aims to boost vertical air currents, which encourages more water to
pass through the clouds, translating into more rain. Up to 100 times more ice crystals are
used in dynamic cloud seeding than in the static method. The process is considered more
complex than static clouding seeding because it depends on a sequence of events working
properly.
Hygroscopic cloud seeding disperses salts through flares or explosives in the lower portions
of clouds. The salts grow in size as water joins with them. With an NFPA 704 health
hazard rating of 2, silver iodide can cause temporary incapacitation or possible residual
injury to humans and other mammals with intense or chronic exposure. However, there
have been several detailed ecological studies that showed negligible environmental and
health impacts.

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 Carbon Trading
Carbon trading is an exchange of credits between nations designed to reduce emissions
of carbon dioxide. It is also referred to as carbon emissions trading. Carbon emissions trading
accounts for most emissions trading. When countries use fossil fuels and produce carbon
dioxide, they do not pay for the implications of burning those fossil fuels directly. There are
some costs that they incur, like the price of the fuel itself, but there are other costs not
included in the price of the fuel. These are known as externalities. In the case of fossil fuel
usage, often these externalities are negative externalities, meaning that the consumption of
the good has negative effects on third parties. These externalities include health costs, (like
the contribution that burning fossil fuels makes to heart disease, cancer, stroke, and lung
diseases) and environmental costs, (like environmental degradation, pollution, climate
change, and global warming). Interestingly, research has found that, often, the burdens of
climate change most directly affect countries with the lowest greenhouse emissions. So, if a
country is going to burn fossil fuels, and produces these negative externalities, the thinking is
that they should pay for them.
The carbon trade originated with the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, with the objective of
reducing carbon emissions and mitigating climate change and future global warming. At the
time, the measure devised was intended to reduce overall carbon dioxide emissions to
roughly 5% below 1990 levels by between 2008 and 2012. Basically, each country has a cap
on the amount of carbon they are allowed to release. Carbon emissions trading then allow
countries that have higher carbon emissions to purchase the right to release more carbon
dioxide into the atmosphere from countries that have lower carbon emissions. The carbon
trade also refers to the ability of individual companies to trade polluting rights through a
regulatory system known as cap and trade. Companies that pollute less can sell their unused
pollution rights to companies that pollute more. The goal is to ensure that companies in the
aggregate do not exceed a baseline level of pollution and to provide a financial incentive for
companies to pollute less.

Question Bank
1. What is Energy? What are the 2 types of energy?
2. Name the non -conventional sources of energy
3. What is the working principle of Solar energy? Mention its advantages and disadvantages.
4. Explain the working of Tidal Power Plant
5. What is OTEC? How does it work?

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6. Discuss the application of Solar Energy.
7. Write notes on Wind Energy.
8. What are natural resources? Mention its types with examples.
9. Explain Disaster Management
10. What are the key stages of Disaster Management
11. What is mining? Give examples
12. What is the aim of Sustainable mining? Explain
13. Write notes on Carbon trading
14. What is renewable source of resources?
15. Tidal energy is non- conventional source of energy. Comment on this statement
16. Explain the 3 methods of Cloud Seeding
17. What are the key principles of Sustainable mining?
18. Explain the Strategies of Disaster Management
19. What are the 3 types of Disaster? Give example.
20. Write notes on Biogas. Mention is application

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