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Unit 10: Energy Challenges

Drill rig for test site for sequestering carbon underground. Courtesy of Larry Hamill

Drill rig for test site for sequestering carbon underground. Courtesy of Larry Hamill

Unit Overview

Industrialized nations rely on vast quantities of readily available energy to power their economies and produce goods and services. As populations increase in developing countries and citizens demand better standards of living, global energy consumption will continue to rise, along with demands for non-fuel mineral resources such as iron and steel. Learn about new technologies that can produce ample supplies of energy without some of the environmental costs linked to current energy resources.


Content for This Unit

Online Textbook

  1. Introduction
  2. Thinking About Supply
  3. Fossil Fuels: Coal
  4. Fossil Fuels: Oil and Gas
  5. Unconventional Fossil Fuels and Technologies
  6. Nuclear Power
  7. Biomass Energy and Feedstocks
  8. Hydropower and Ocean Energy
  9. Geothermal Energy
  10. Wind Power
  11. Direct Solar Energy
  12. Hydrogen Power
  13. Material Resources: Metals
  14. Other Material Resources
  15. Increasing End-Use Efficiency of Energy and Materials
  16. Further Reading

Printable Online Text for This Unit (PDF)