Page 155 - ABCTE Study Guide_Neat

Electrical Generation by Fuel Type Consumed
Coal 52.3%
Nuclear Energy 21.7%
Renewable Energy 12.1%
Natural Gas 10.7%
Residual Fuel 1.8%
Electrical Imports 1.2%
Distillate Fuel 0.8%

Soil, water, and air are other examples of inexhaustible natural resources. While these resources seem to exist in
an unlimited supply, human activities that pollute or deplete these resources are still a cause for serious concern.
For instance, fossil fuel combustion releases poisonous chemical compounds such as carbon monoxide into the
atmosphere. Drinking water can be tainted by chemical and organic pollutants from industry. A significant
percentage of drinking water is wasted each year in activities such as watering lawns, filling swimming pools,
and flushing toilets. Conservation measures have been in place for many years to ensure the availability of clean
soil, water, and air for future generations. As stewards of the environment, society must continue to attempt to
reduce pollution and conserve our natural resources.

With each passing year, our society's demand for electrical energy increases. Therefore, it is crucial to find other
resources that can provide uninterrupted energy for the future. Many decades ago, nuclear energy promised a
future of clean unlimited energy. Currently, nuclear energy is unpopular because radioactive waste products
usually do not break down for thousands of years. Even if they can be stored, they stay in the environment and
pose a contamination hazard. Nuclear energy claimed to be an inexhaustible energy supply. However, there are
other examples of inexhaustible energy resources that are environmentally friendly. Wind, solar, hydroelectric,
and geothermal energy are all examples of inexhaustible natural resources. These types of resources help to
reduce fossil fuel demand and provide energy though processes that do not create pollution.

Terminology

Like all disciplines, geography has its share of terminology. Here is a brief overview:

Rotation - The spinning of the Earth on its axis; one rotation per 24 hours.

Revolution - The Earth's orbit around the Sun; one every 365 days, 5 hours, and 12 minutes.

Subduction trench - Deep underwater abysses. The Marianas Trench in the Pacific goes down 35,000
feet.

Fault - Zone where the Earth's tectonic plates grind together. (Also called transformation boundaries).

Gradational forces - These affect the Earth's crust; they include erosion, weathering, and other forces.

Boundary - These can be either artificial like the ones drawn on a map, or physical, such as the Rio
Grande River that separates the US from Mexico.

Relief - The variation in elevation from one place to another.

Elevation - The height (or depth) above or below sea level.

Cardinal directions - They include north, south, east, and west. (Some would include the three directions
between each of the four main cardinal directions. For example, between north and east lie north-
northeast, northeast, and east-northeast.)