Earth’s Changing EnvironmentLecture 9

Fossil Fuel Extraction: Environmental Impacts

                                       

                                    

Impacts of Oil Production

Oil Spills

1989, Exxon Valdez, Prince William Sound, AK

Spilled 0.25 million barrels. (1/10 of a day’s supply for US)

                                       

                                    

                                       

                                    

Quantities of Oil Spilt Globally

Shipname Year Location Spill (tonnes)

Atlantic Empress 1979 off Tobago, West Indies 287,000ABT Summer 1991 700 nautical. miles off Angola 260,000Castillo de Bellver 1983 off Saldanha Bay, South Africa 252,000Amoco Cadiz 1978 off Brittany, France 223,000Haven 1991 Genoa, Italy 144,000Odyssey 1988 700 nautical. miles off Nova Scotia, Canada 132,000Torrey Canyon 1967 Scilly Isles, UK 119,000Sea Star 1972 Gulf of Oman 115,000Irenes Serenade 1980 Navarino Bay, Greece 100,000Urquiola 1976 La Coruna, Spain 100,000Hawaiian Patriot 1977 300 nautical. miles off Honolulu 95,000Independenta 1979 Bosphorus, Turkey 95,000Jakob Maersk 1975 Oporto, Portugal 88,000Braer 1993 Shetland Islands, UK 85,000Khark 5 1989 120 nautical. miles off Atlantic coast of Morocco 80,000Prestige 2002 Off the Spanish coast 77,000Aegean Sea 1992 La Coruna, Spain 74,000Sea Empress 1996 Milford Haven, UK 72,000Katina P. 1992 off Maputo, Mozambique 72,000Exxon Valdez 1989 Prince William Sound, Alaska, USA 37,000

                                       

                                    

Incidence of Spills >700 Tonnes by Cause, 1974-2002, Global

US Off-shore Oil Development

10 % crude oil from offshore.

Effective ban off the coasts of California and Florida.

Gulf of Mexico is center of US offshore development.

Danger to tourism and wildlife.

                                                  

                         

Main Problem is Spills and Leaks

Leakage• Tankers• Pipelines• Wells• Storage

Construction impacts

                                                  

                         

                                       

                                    

Impacts of Coal Production

Strip Mining

60% of Coal mined by strip mining.

Removal of overburden.

Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 requires restoration

Acid mine drainage.

                                                  

                         

Land Transformation

Surface Mining operations can substantially alter landscape: removing mountain tops.

                                                  

                         

Subsidence

Problems include:• Soil erosion• Water pollution• Slow recovery• Subsidence• Water table disruption