PUBH 6011
1. Explain how en- -The more energy usage a person has, generally the
ergy influences better they are living. Also generally extends our lives.
human health -Energy protects from a lot of things...i.e. Refrigerator has
temperature control protecting us from types of contami-
nation that readily killed people a few 100 years ago
-Energy can also influence human health depending on
the types of energy. Sustainable energy improves public
health, reduces air/water pollutants (cancer, asthma, mer-
cury in fish) , industrial accidents, economic and health
impacts of fossil depletion, and climate change (heat wave
deaths, disease, crop loss). Fossil fuel burning can lead to
air pollution etc.
2. Define ethi- Some ethical considerations are that sustainable develop-
cal considera- ment means living in a way that does not compromise the
tions on what is future generations ability to live
meant by sus-
tainable develop-
ment
3. Explain how each Petroleum - 37% mostly used for transportation fuels,
major energy asphalt, plastics etc.
source is used • Natural Gas- 29% - Natural gas is mostly utilized for
and their per- electricity, agriculture (fertilizer), and building heated w/
cent contribution NG. Cyclical use in nature (winter>summer) Hydro frack-
in the US energy ing has made cheaper
mix • Coal - 14% has been shrinking and been replaced by
natural gas.
• Nuclear - 9% power homes schools and businesses
• Hydro - 3% (possibly shrinking due to droughts and the
fact that we've dammed most of big rivers already.
• Renewable - 8% (Biomass, Wind,Solar, Geothermal)
4. Using systems Health impacts of fossil fuel on a local level include de-
thinking to eval- creased air quality and an increase of the NAAQS 6 crite-
uate the health ria air pollutants which can lead to many pulmonary and
impacts of fossil cardiovascular issues.
fuel use at the • Globally: Excessive fossil fuel usage is increasing
amount of carbon emissions and leading to climate
, PUBH 6011
local and global change. As the health of the world deteriorates, drought,
level wildfires, etc. are leading to decreased health of popula-
tions as a whole.
5. What are •Canadian Tar Sands (CTS) - oily sand scooped by trucks
Canadian Tar & boiled to separate oil derivative from sand (water floats
Sands? and its the oil to the top)
health
implications and
Infrastructure
Changes.
6. What are the Health Implications: Climate change: causes erosion and
health implica- deforestation. Also soil is a living object full of microbes
tions for Tar and nutrients, so after this process, hard for things to
Sands? grow in sand, stripped soil. Adds to carbon emissions and
climate change
7. What is Infrastructure Changes: CTS is very hard to move, so
an infrastructure limited, would require a pipeline to effectively export to
changes for Tar other nations
Sands?
8. What is Moun- •Mountaintop Removal
taintop Re- • How it Works: Blowing the top off a mountain in order to
moval? go after coal
9. What is a health Health Implications: Mountain tops are usually acidic and
implication for have arsenic/ mercury accumulations. When the mountain
Mountaintop Re- top is used to fill a valley, these harmful compounds may
moval? enter the water supply.
10. What is a health •Health Implications: Takes a lot of diesel trucks that add
implication of Hy- air and noise pollution. Also produces methane emissions
draulic Fractur- and methane is an extremely strong GHG. Additionally,
ing? flowback water is salty, full or chemicals and radiological
waste, and is too dirty to put anywhere. Shale industry 4.1
times more lethal than others
11.
, PUBH 6011
What is Hy- How it works: Once a site has been identified, drill a mile
draulic Fractur- below surface past water aquifers, steel casing inserted
ing? and cement is pumped through out bottom and btw casing
and the hole to serve as a barrier btw well and water.
Drilling continues to kick-off pt. Where they start drilling at
an angle until horizontal. More cement added. After this
drilling rig is removed and valve is put at surface. Water
and gel is used to clean out well bore w/ a bit. Perforating
guns go to predetermined depth creating perf tunnels that
are about 30 in long and S in diameter. Fleet of pump trucks
then used to send water/sand mixture deep into well-bore
and out into perf tunnels. This fractures the rock, & when
pressure is relieved fractures can grow 2
• 200-400 ft. Fractures provide trapped natural oil or gas an
easy path into well-bore. Process of perforation repeated
entire length of pipe/horizontal part
12. What is an infra- Infrastructure changes: needs to be moved by rail, but is
structure change more explosive than conventional crude oil (oil spill and
from Hydraulic explosions on the rise w/ unconventional oil)
Fracturing?
13. What is the Health Implications: Takes a lot of diesel trucks that add
health implica- air and noise pollution. Also produces methane emissions
tions for Hy- and methane is an extremely strong GHG. Additionally,
draulic Fractur- flowback water is salty, full or chemicals and radiological
ing? waste, and is too dirty to put anywhere. Shale industry 4.1
times more lethal than others.
14. How is water In most of all electricity production, we just boil water. We
used in Electrici- take steam (water explosion) through a turbine, and the
ty Production? steam turns a turbine and creates electricity.
15. What are the Benefits: The benefits of renewable energy in both devel-
benefits of re- oped and developing nations is that its safer, cleaner, and
newable energy more abundant than fossil fuels. Multiple forms of renew-
in developed and able energy exist(hydro, solar, wind, geothermal etc.) Also
developing na- allows countries to work towards energy independence.
tions? Also brings in lots of jobs.
