Biology - Fossil Fuels vs. Alternative Energy Source

Nicoletta Philippides March 15, 2013 Mr. Dunleavy, Period 4 The Effect of Fossil Fuels on Biodiversity Alternative Energy Resources Fossil fuels are hydrocarbon deposits derived from the remains of ancient plants and animals under enormous amounts of heat and pressure. Oil, or petroleum, is one of the most common fossil fuels utilized by people all over the world on a daily basis. Crude oil is a smelly, yellow-black, viscous liquid composed of mostly nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur, which is found in underground reservoirs. Oil is nonrenewable which means once it s extracted from the earth, it takes thousands of years to replace. It has been an abundant resource for many years, but it has the potential to run out because it takes so†¦show more content†¦Although oil may have its positives and negatives, solar power does also. Some by-products of oil include releasing carbon dioxide (which is the main cause of global warming), carbon monoxide (which is a colorless, odorless gas which is highly toxic to humans), and sulfur dioxide (which is the leading cause of acid rain). Moreover, nitrogen oxides, lead, and other toxics are also emitted which can lead to ground-level ozone. Living under all of these conditions can give people chronic bronchitis, asthma, lung and heart diseases, and respiratory illnesses. Additionally, drilling for oil can disturb land and ocean habitats; oil spills can damage or even destroy whole ecosystems. Leaks of gasoline on land or in water always ends up in the ocean and end up killing life because no organism can adapt to so much oil and harmful gas in the environment. This also shows extreme cases of air and water pollution due to the daily use of petroleum products (Oil (petroleum), n.d.). On the other hand, solar energy may be a renewable source of energy; however, the manufacture of PV systems uses various toxic chemicals such as arsenic, cadmium, and gallium (Langwith, ed., 2009). On the contrary, when compared to oil, a very small percentage of those hazardous chemicals are even con sidered waste products. Moreover, Solar-Thermal Power Plants can damage ecosystems if not managed properly and they use hazardous fluids toShow MoreRelatedEssay Biodiesel vs. Ethanol1076 Words   |  5 PagesBiodiesel vs. Ethanol Both biodiesel and ethanol are derivatives of biomass that have been processed to create a liquid biofuel. Both types of biofuels have been touted as secure and environmentally safe alternatives to fossil fuels, however the research verifying these claims is extensive but often contradicting. In the following paper, the efficiency and quality of the two types of biofuel will be discussed. The effects of variables such as source materials and production techniques on efficiencyRead MoreDarwins Natural Selection Process2770 Words   |  11 PagesIn science, evolution is one of the basic templates to understand the biology of an organism or ecological unit. Changes in that ecosystem cause adaptations to occur in species, if there is time. With human intervention (pollution, climate change, deforestation, etc.) many species do not have time to adapt, and therefore move to a new environment or become extinct. It is the change in inherited traits of a population through a process called natural selection in which only the strongest traitsRead MoreEssay on The Vanishing Face of Gaia3403 Words   |  14 Pages1941 and in 1948 received a Ph.D. degree in medicine from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.   He has been an independent scientist since 1964 and author of more than 200 scientific papers in different disciplines such as Medicine, Biology, Instrument Science and Geophysiology. He is the author of â€Å"The GaiaTheory, which considers the planet Earth as a self-regulated living being. Finally, he received many Honorary Doctorates in sciences from Universities around the world for his leadershipRead More2B study guide Essay7886 Words   |  32 Pagesyou to replicate the calculation, you should know the general approaches that are used to estimate global diversity] 10. Contrast autotrophs and heterotrophs in terms of how they acquire energy and nutrients. -Autotrophs: Produce their own forms of energy through inorganic materials -Heterotrophs: Obtain energy and nutrients from their diet 11. Which of the following is the best answer to why plants on land are green (a) green is the color of life (b) chlorophyll absorbs green light (c ) ChlorophyllRead MoreEnvironmental Degradation9511 Words   |  39 Pageswhich was indirectly a loss tourism department of the country ,which again indirectly affects the economy of the country.Indoor air pollution is the pollution caused in closed ares such as our houses especially in the kitchen while cooking .The biomass fuel which is used for cooking and heating threatens the health of women who always stay indoor than men. The next element is the land degradation.In most of the middle east and north African countries the soil has more salinity in it and water erosionRead More7 Megatrends 203026297 Words   |  106 Pagesan   introduction   in   chapters   A   and   B,    chapter   C   presents   all   trends   and    corporate   actions   in   detail,   while   chapter    D   gives   you   an   idea   of   life   in   2030    In   addition,   every   chapter   presents   the    most   important   sour ces,   organizations    and   indicators   to   help   you   keep   track   of    the   changes   in   the   world   as   well   as   dig    deeper   into   the   trends   presented Then   we   verified,   analyzed   and    consolidated   the   results,   using   them   to    defineRead MoreGp Essay Mainpoints24643 Words   |  99 Pages GP NOTES 2010 (ESSAY) Content Page 1. Media a. New vs. Traditional b. New: narcissistic? c. Government Censorship d. Profit-driven Media e. Advertising f. Private life of public figures g. Celebrity as a role model h. Blame media for our problems i. Power + Responsibility of Media j. Media ethics k. New Media and Democracy 2. Science/Tech a. Science and Ethics b. Government and scientist role in science c. Rely too much on technology? d. Nuclear technologyRead MoreSexually Transmitted Diseases35655 Words   |  143 Pages49-54 Water 55-68 Food 69-71 Other biomolecules of life 72-76 Unit 4 Energy in the Community Electricity 77-78 Heat 78-81 Light 82-91 Sound 92 Simple Machines 93-99 Unit 5 The Physical Environment Weather and Climate 100-113 Soils 114-128 Unit 6 Living things in the Environment Plant and animal cells 129 Eukaryotes vs prokaryotes 130 Structures and functions 133-137 Microbes 148-150 Onion andRead MoreBio 101 Essay24965 Words   |  100 Pages      Lab  Manual      Introductory  Biology  (Version  1.4)       ©Ã‚  2010  eScience  Labs,  LLC   All  rights  reserved   www.esciencelabs.com  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã‚  888.375.5487      2   Table  of  Contents:      Introduction:               Lab  1:  Ã‚  The  Scientific  Method   Lab  2:  Ã‚  Writing  a  Lab  Report   Lab  3:  Ã‚  Data  Measurement   Lab  4:  Ã‚  Introduction  to  the  Microscope      Biological  Processes:                  Lab  5:  Ã‚  The  Chemistry  of  Life   Lab  6:  Ã‚  Diffusion   Lab  7:  Ã‚  Osmosis   Lab  8:  Ã‚  Respiration   Lab  9:  Ã‚  Enzymes   Read MoreLas 432 - Genetically Modified Foods Essay14589 Words   |  59 Pagesthe Economy by Brenda Brown 22 I. Corporate Power II. The Effects of Farming GM Crops III. GM Foods around the World Psychological Considerations and Sociological Effects by Tony Balch 26 I. Current Impact on Consumers II. Organic vs. GM Foods The Technology in its Cultural Context and Media Influence by Tony Balch 35 I. What is Technology Influence? II. Is There a Consumer Perception? Implications for the Environment by Kelly Baker 37 I. Results of GMO Engineering