Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
that can leak into aquifers creating a very serious, regrettably
underestimated water pollution problem (Cooley and Donnelly, 2012). The
water demand for fracking is high (2-5 million gallons/well), and
wastewater management can also be an issue. The slickwater is collected in
lined ponds and disposed of away from aquifers of potable water. Scientific
data on the costs of fracking to the environment are sparse as large-scale
fracking is just starting. But the potential damage is serious enough (Boudet
etal.,2014;Mackieetal.,2013)toadoptaprecautionaryattitudeandclosely
observe the development of this technology.
Perhaps a bright spot in the energy future is the huge untapped fossil fuel
resource of methane hydrate (or clathrate) trapped in icy marine sediments
in places such as the outer continental shelf of the United States (Chatti et
al., 2005). These reserves are larger than all fossil fuel reserves combined
(Collett, 2002). The US reserves alone are estimated to be sufficient to
replacethecurrentglobalnaturalgasdemandforacentury.Globalwarming
is slowly disrupting under sea clathrate supplies and releasing methane, a
GHG, into the atmosphere. Harvesting the methane therefore serves two
purposes: producing energy and avoiding global warming. The technology
to use the methane hydrate as an energy source is being aggressively
developed; for the first time in the world, Japan successfully extracted
methane from clathrate fields off the central coast (Nankai Trough) in
mid-2013. However, methane too is a fossil fuel that when burnt will add to
the carbon load in the atmosphere of an uncontrollably warming earth.
1.1.1.4 Nuclear Energy
Increased use of nuclear energy (a nonrenewable source) might be a
potential short-term solution especially if the penalty cost of carbon
emission (under Kyoto Protocol) increases. Decommissioning of nuclear
weaponscanofcoursebealow-costshort-termsourceforenricheduranium
thatcanbedilutedandusedasreactorfuel.Itisanoptionbeingaggressively
pursued in China, India, and Russia. In the United States, 104 nuclear
plants are presently operational. However, like with oil reserves, the known
U
235
reserves are not adequate to meet the projected global energy demand
(world uranium resources are estimated to be only ~5 million tons). As
already discussed, mining is particularly damaging to the earth and results
in the release of particulates carrying heavy metal residues into air and
acid mine drainage into groundwater. The overwhelming negative effects of
these on native wildlife and plant populations cannot be overstated.
