It's innauguration day, and you are now the President. Demand has risen amongst the nation that something be done to fix the nation's energy crisis while protecting the environment. Congress has given you carte blanche to fix it, and fix it now!
You know the extremes to each side: 1, The government simply stays out of it and lets the market regulate the energy regardless on the impact on the environment, or 2, ban anything that harms the environment regardless of the impact on human kind.
Desiring to live up to your promises of doing what is best for the long term environmental well-being of the country, without sending the country back to the stone age, you begin exploring the options set before you.
You are given a [[brief|EGR]] from the US Energy Information Administration outlining the amount of electricity produced in this country by sector, with fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, petroleum) contributing 67% in 2015.
You also received this [[report|SGGE]] from the EPA Titled "Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emmissions" outlining the dangers and sources of excess greenhouse gas caused by humans.
From these two reports and many other sources you have carefully considered, you know that fossil fuel consumption must be reduced.
You begin to explore your options:
[[ Reduce Fossil Fuel Usage | DFF ]]
[[ Explore Alternate Energy Sources | Alt Energy ]]
Coal: 33%
Natural Gas: 33%
Nuclear: 20%
Hydropower: 6%
Other Renewables: 7%
- Biomass: 1.6%
- Geothermal: 0.4%
- Solar: 0.6%
- Wind: 4.7%
Petroleum: 1%
Other Gasses: <1%
<a href="https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=427&t=3]]> Click here </a>
<img src=https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/styles/medium/public/2016-05/ghge-sources-overview.png>
The report from the [[EPA's website|https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions]] reads as follows:
"Greenhouse gases trap heat and make the planet warmer. Human activities are responsible for almost all of the increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere over the last 150 years.1 The largest source of greenhouse gas emissions from human activities in the United States is from burning fossil fuels for electricity, heat, and transportation.
EPA tracks total U.S. emissions by publishing the Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks. This annual report estimates the total national greenhouse gas emissions and removals associated with human activities across the United States.
The primary sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States are:
Electricity production (30 percent of 2014 greenhouse gas emissions) – Electricity production generates the largest share of greenhouse gas emissions. Approximately 67 percent of our electricity comes from burning fossil fuels, mostly coal and natural gas.2
Transportation (26 percent of 2014 greenhouse gas emissions) – Greenhouse gas emissions from transportation primarily come from burning fossil fuel for our cars, trucks, ships, trains, and planes. Over 90 percent of the fuel used for transportation is petroleum based, which includes gasoline and diesel.3
Industry (21 percent of 2014 greenhouse gas emissions) – Greenhouse gas emissions from industry primarily come from burning fossil fuels for energy, as well as greenhouse gas emissions from certain chemical reactions necessary to produce goods from raw materials.
Commercial and Residential (12 percent of 2014 greenhouse gas emissions) – Greenhouse gas emissions from businesses and homes arise primarily from fossil fuels burned for heat, the use of certain products that contain greenhouse gases, and the handling of waste.
Agriculture (9 percent of 2014 greenhouse gas emissions) – Greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture come from livestock such as cows, agricultural soils, and rice production.
Land Use and Forestry (offset of 11 percent of 2014 greenhouse gas emissions) – Land areas can act as a sink (absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere) or a source of greenhouse gas emissions. In the United States, since 1990, managed forests and other lands have absorbed more CO2 from the atmosphere than they emit.
Emissions and Trends
Since 1990, U.S. greenhouse gas emissions have increased by about 7 percent. From year to year, emissions can rise and fall due to changes in the economy, the price of fuel, and other factors. In 2014, U.S. greenhouse gas emissions increased compared to 2013 levels. This increase was due to a number of factors, including: cold winter conditions resulting in an increase in fuel demand, especially in residential and commercial sectors; an increase in transportation emissions resulting from an increase in vehicle miles traveled; and an increase in industrial production across multiple sectors that also resulted in increases in industrial sector emissions."
<img src="https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/styles/large/public/2016-05/ghge-total-all.png" size=50%>
Remember from your report that Fossil Fuels contribute 67% of the energy used nation wide. World wide it is estimated at 80%, so it is important to reduce our share of consumption.
There are several forms of fossil fuels.
<b>Coal -</b> Costs about $0.10 per kilowatt hour. It comes in several forms:
Lignite: 25-35% Carbon, 3.0-4.5 kWh of energy per kg.
Sub-bituminous: 35-45% Carbon, energy content higher than Lignite.
Bituminous: 45-86% Carbon, 5-8 kWh of energy per kg.
Anthracite: 86-97% carbon, more than 8 kWh of energy per kg
In North America, we use about 50% Lignite & Subituminous coal, and about 50% Bituminous & Anthracite.
<b>Petrolium -</b> Costs about $21.56 per kilowatt hour. While petroleum is mainly used in transportation and oil (lubricants, etc...), about 15% of it is non-energy based. These include plastics, solvents, fertilizers, and pesticides. Only one percent of electricity production is from petrolium, so 84% of petrolium consumption is used in oil and transportation fuels.
<b>Natural Gas -</b> Costs about $0.06 per kilowatt hour.This is formed in the same geologic formations as petroleum, and burns cleaner than coal an petrolium. One of the primary ways of getting this is from fracing, which isn't very popular at this point. It's uses are:
44% Industry
25% Household
31% Electricity Generation and increasing. (Many coal burning plants are being converted to Natural Gas)
[[ Begin replacing fossil fuel usage with alternate energy sources | Alt Energy ]]
[[ You decide that fossil fuels aren't that bad and leave things the way they are|ChsFos]]
While there are multiple sources of alternate energy, there are a few that are viable options that you consider. After careful review, you have decided to select one of four options:
[[Click here|ChsNuc]] to use nuclear power at $0.02 per kilowatt hour.
[[Click here|ChsWind]] to use wind power at $0.08 per kilowatt hour.
[[Click here|ChsHydro]] to increase the use and maintenance of dams at $0.08 per kilowatt hour.
[[Click here|Solar]] to support solar energy at between $0.12 & $0.30 per kilowatt hour.
Your Nuclear initiaves are moving ahead full speed. Several plants are now online, and open pit uranium mines are ripping up the landscape to get at it's ore. Nearby streams and lakes are becoming more acidic, killing off much of the wildlife and damaging surrounding ecosystems due to runoff flowing through the mining tailings.
But on the upside, running your nuclear power plants costs less than running traditional coal power plants. But building them costs eight to nine billion dollars!
Because your Coal plants are now coming offline, you expect to see a decrease in Carbon Dioxide emmissions over the next several years.
On the political front, many are concerned about accidents such as what happened at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl. But it is thought that the causes of those accidents have been remidied. Keep your fingers crossed that they have!
Now, what to do with all those spent uranium cores? Well you can leave that for the next president to worry about.
[[Next|ElectionUnsure]]
The wind is a clean, renewable energy source. And who doesn't love having wind turbines dot the horizon for miles and miles in every direction? Unfortunately many people don't. And those turbines with blades up to 328 feet long on the edges of communities? People are complaining of the constant whooshing, but when you visit these locations, you don't really hear much. You're just happy that there is energy being made without releasing greenhouse gasses into the air.
Even though it takes energy to make each windmill, you know that over a 20 year period, the EROI (Energy Return on Investment) is between 20 & 22. They also require fossil fuels in order to make them - plastics, lubricants, and solvents used in the production all come from fossil fuels. So oil isn't going anywhere yet! However, it's good to know that each 1-megawatt turbine running for a year will offset 1800 metric tons of Carbon Dioxide! Not bad, pres!
But out of the blue, some extreme environmental groups are calling for the shut down and dismantlement of your turbines. They say they are an environmental hazard because they interfere with the natural structure of the terrain and habitats of the local wildlife. What's more, they claim that the turbines are responsible for killing migrating birds.
After doing some research on this, you decide you'll do something about the birds once the issue with the cats is resolved, seeing how they are responsible for far more bird deaths than the windmills!
And then there's the other problem. When the wind isn't blowing, the lights aren't on!
[[Next|ElectionUnsure]]
Dam it! That's what you said about pretty much every river flowing through the United States.
Hydro power is another clean, renewable resource that doesn't rely on fossil fuels. It just needs water, which is always replenished by nature's own hydrologic cycle. Plus they are relatively inexpensive to operate.
But there are some setbacks. Kayakers in washington state and oregon who have been protesting dams along their rivers are now joined by many others who's rivers are now dammed. No more paddling upstream or floating downstream.
Entire forests, and even some cities now lay beneath massive resevoirs of water. Ecosystems are gone, and people and animals are displaced. Some of the most majestic views are now lakes.
Downstream flows are diminished, and fish migrations have been frustrated despite your best efforts to inclue fish-ladders in your designs. Sediments that once flowed down stream are collecting at the bottom of the resevoirs. The nutrient rich silt that usually nurishes the trees during flood season is no longer available.
Aquatic organisms down stream are now suffering as well since the water coming out of the dam is usually colder and less oxygen rich.
But who cares about the little stuff anyhow, right? We have clean, cheap power!
[[Let's find out what happens in the long run|LongTermDams]]
Ahh the sun - and all that free energy! Surely this is the way to go. You decide to go with both solar systems in the United States, PV and CSP. So what did you get?
PV stands for Photo Voltaic, and is your typical solar cell you see on rooftops. Usually when people think of solar, this is what they're thinking of.
CSP stands for Concentrating Solar Power. These large scale projects spread mirriors across many acres and focus the sunlight at either a series of pipes containing a liquid that will then transfer heat to a heat exchanger, which heats water, which then powers a turbine, or the sunlight is focused to a tower filled with molten salt, than then heats liquid which travels to a heat exchanger, which heats water, which powers a turbine which makes electricity.
Because this industry has boomed from about $12 billion in 2004 to over $150 billion in 2013, this seems like a good way to go.
You model your CSP farms after the 350 Megawatt facilities that can power up to 250,000 homes! Wow, great job Pres!
But unfortunately you can't place your large CSP plants just anywhere. They are limited by geographic locations. They must be built in places that have fairly consistent sunlight. People who use the PV cells on their homes won't see this as much of a cost-effective solution if they live in overcast areas.
Also PV panels consume large amounts of energy to produce. A panel with the lifespan of 20 years will only produce 6 times the energy it took to make it.
They might not be the most practical solution at this point, but you know research and development is bringing the costs down.
And then there's the issue of the heavy metals used in the manufacture of the panels. What happens to that stuff in 20 years? Yikes!
[[Continue|ElectionUnsure]]
President Obama shut down the [[keystone pipeline|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keystone_Pipeline#Potential_for_oil_spills]] in 2015, but you have been approached to get the ball rolling again with this project.
You also have the opportunity now to open the [[Arctic National Wildlife Refuge|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_Refuge_drilling_controversy#Estimates_of_oil_reserves]] for drilling. However, you are concerned that backing both of these projects concurrently may not be prudent. For now you decide:
[[to allow the keystone project to move forward|ChsKstn]]
or
[[to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling|ChsANWR]]
It's been a few years since you allowed the Keystone pipeline to be built, and up until today, it was running great. But unfortunately, a section of the pipeline over the Ogalalla Aquifer in Nebraska ruptured. Crude is still pouring over the ground finding it's way into one of the largest freshwater reserves in the world. The potential damage is huge as the Ogalalla spans eight states, and provides drinking water for about 2 million people. Not only that, but it also supports a 20 Billion dollar agricultural industry.
[[Next|4Yrs]]
There are roughly between 6 and 16 billion barrels of crude in the ANWR. By opening up this wildlife refuge to drilling, you have increased the US oil production. Jobs are growing and the economy is beginning to look good - however...
A spider-web of airports, roads, and drill sites stretch across 640,000 acres, and has a total footprint of about 12,000 acres.
The ecological diversity as been severely damaged, and inupiat peoples have had their traditional way of life forever disrupted.
[[Next|4Yrs]]
Can you believe it's been four years already since you were elected? And the results are in for your re-election. Thanks in part to your decisions on protecting the environment...
YOU LOOSE!!!!
[[Continue|End1]]
Can you believe it's been 4 years since you were elected? Time sure flies when you're saving the world. There are mixed feelings about your presidency. Many have opposed you, and while your attempts at balancing the energy crisis with protecting and improving the environment weren't a failure, your actual success will be determined on election day. Good luck!
[[Continue|End1]]
Many years have passed since you were president. You're remembered as that dam president by people of your time. Not a badge you wear proudly. Life now is full of public speaking, innaugrating public libraries, and playing pranks on your Secret Service detail.
Then it happens. The news reports on houses collapsing along the US coastlines. And they blame it on you! But how so? You didn't do anything to the coasts, you just made dams!
Wait, remember how all that silt is collecting at the bottom of the resevoirs? Well it's not making it down stream and out to the coasts. The news mentioned something about "long shore drift" and you begin doing some homework.
You discover that now that there is no more silt coming out of the rivermouths, the ocean currents that lap up the beaches are in fact pushing sediment down shore from the rivermouths. With nothing to replace that sediment, what else would you expect? Bye bye million dollar beach house!
Now you really are remembered as the dam president!
[[Continue|End1]]
Well, it didn't seem to turn out all that well after all. There wasn't a clear success or solution to fix the energy vs environment problem.
But here's one last chance at redemption:
[[I'm happy with the results, now let me OUT!|Lose]]
[[Wait, let me try that one last time.|Start]]
[[Realizing that there isn't one perfect solution, you explore new technologies, make an effort to move to renewable resources, while trying to decrease our dependance on fossil fuels|Win]]
You Lost!
[[Start]]
WINNER!!! DING DING DING!!!
Congrats! You got it!
This topic is difficult, and one that has no easy solutions. Hopping on the your team's band wagon and tooting it's horn in the long run won't solve any of our problems. Neither will ignoring them. Fossil fuels are a danger to our environment, but we simply don't have anything developed at this time that can replace it. Let's use our brains to figure it out, and our hearts to care enough for those who think differently.
[[Start]]