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Physical Science 101
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Click here to read Kunstler's article.
1) What aspects of Kunstler's arguments do you believe to be exaggerated or false? What aspects of Kunstler's arguments do you believe to be understated or true?
2) What do you believe his essay means to our way of life as gas prices continue to climb and fuel becomes more scarce?
Use the data below to answer the following questions:
3) What is the most used form of energy in the US?
4) Why? (What are the advantages of oil and what are the problems with the other forms of energy)
5) What percent do the non-traditional forms make up (other than oil, nat. gas and coal) together?
6) How can we raise that percentage?
7) What percent of the world’s oil do we (the US) use?
8) What percent of the world’s natural gas do we use?
9) What percent of the world’s coal do we use?
10) What percent of the world’s population are we?
Source: http://energy.cr.usgs.gov/energy/stats_ctry/Stat1.html - Sorry the data is so old, I've been looking for more current info... Try http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/international/contents.html for more modern but less useful info.
CONSUMPTION - United States (1998)
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1998 |
Percent of |
1998 DEMAND in |
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Oil |
36.57 |
38.8 % |
18.92 million barrels/day |
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Natural Gas |
21.84 |
23.2 % |
21.34 tcf/year |
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Coal |
21.62 |
22.9 % |
1038 million short tons/year |
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Nuclear |
7.16 |
7.6 % |
674 billion kWh/year |
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Hydroelectric |
3.60 |
3.8 % |
344 billion kWh/year |
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Geothermal |
0.32 |
0.3 % |
75.7 billion kWh/year (total other3) |
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Biomass |
3.05 |
3.2 % |
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Solar |
0.07 |
0.07 % |
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Wind |
0.04 |
0.04 % |
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TOTAL |
94.27 |
100 % |
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1 EIA Annual
Energy Review 1998 |
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Consumption - United States vs. World (1998)
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U.S. |
World |
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Oil |
18.92 million barrels/day |
73.6 million barrels/day |
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Natural Gas |
21.34 tcf/year |
82.2 tcf/year |
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Coal |
1.04 billion tons/year |
5.01 billion tons/year |
Consumption in 1997 by sector: - United States
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Transportation |
25.04 quads |
27% |
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Industrial |
35.43 quads |
38% |
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Residential & commercial |
33.74 quads |
36% |
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TOTAL |
94.21 quads |
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EIA Annual Energy Review 1998 (published January 2000) [Back] |
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1 Quad = 1015 BTU = 2.931 x 1011 KWHr
Year United States Population World Population
1998 270,560,981 5,924,574,901
1999 273,131,194 6,002,509,427
2000 275,562,673 6,080,141,683
2001 278,058,881 6,157,400,560
2002 280,562,489 6,234,250,387
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, International Data Base.
