ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT 1: List the various impacts that are caused by the process
ID: 287490 • Letter: E
Question
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
1: List the various impacts that are caused by the process of exploratory drilling to eventual gasoline usage. Then include a few ways we can reduce at least one of these impacts.
2: Explain what you feel should be the energy policy of the United States, based on the various energy options we discussed in class. Which energy source should be promoted, and which should be discouraged? Suggest laws and taxes that might be used to bring your policy into everyday use. Give a rationale for each of your recommendations.
What was the most interesting fact you learned this week? Explain why this was an interesting fact to you.
Explanation / Answer
1:
The various stages of hydrocarbon extraction and the various impacts that are caused by the those processes are given as:
Exploration: Drilling exploratory well will prodce drilling fluids which is harmfull for the environment specially when oil based drilling fluids are dumped in the offshore.
Appraisal: It include the process of quantification of the hydrocarbon that is present in the oil field and this again require Drilling Appraisal well and doing more detailed geophysical and geochemical surveys. While drilling Appraisal wells may dischage harfull drilling fluid in the environment geophysical and geochemical surveys can produce microearth quake (seismic survey).
Development: While this process the prduction of hydrocarbon will take place, production of flare gas while this process can cause serious environmental issues.
Abandonment: Unsustainable abandonment of the wells and the surface equipments can cause loss of diversity as wild animals may suffer from them.
After this the hydrocarbon produced(gasoline in our case) can cause production of green house gases in the environment which will increase earth's temperature (this phenomenon is known as global warming) and hence due to this melting of glaciers will take place.
The impacts can be decreased by using oil based drilling fluids, treating fluids before dumping them to offshore, sustailable use of hydrocarbon (gasoline in our case) should be there to prevent global warming.
2: Since various man made caused events in the last decades like extreme urbanisation, nuclear reactions, incomparable economic developments which caused enormous amount of carbon dioxide in atmosphere are some of the events which happened in the last decades that causes the damages like imbalance in the biotic and abiotic component of various ecosystems, nuclear wastes produced from various nuclear reactors spoiled the water, soil and even the biotic life of various areas, increase in various greens house gases concentration like carbon dioxide and methane raised the temperature of earth which caused melting of polar ice caps, production of chlorofluorocarbons caused hole in ozone layer, these are some of the major effects of various man Mande events of the last decades. Therefore the energy policy of the United States should inculcate the below mentioned points:
Related Questions
Navigate
Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.