Section outline

  • General

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  • 能源资源

    Lesson Objectives
    ::经验教训目标

    • Describe nonrenewable energy resources.
      ::描述不可再生的能源资源。
    • Identify several renewable energy resources.
      ::确定若干可再生能源资源。
    • Outline world energy use and ways to conserve energy.
      ::概述世界能源使用情况和节能方式。

    Lesson Vocabulary
    ::词汇表课程

    • conservation
      ::保护
    • fossil fuel
      ::化石燃料
    • natural resource
      ::自然资源自然资源自然资源
    • nonrenewable resource
      ::不可再生资源
    • renewable resource
      ::可再生资源

    Introduction
    ::导言

    Water is one of our most precious natural resources. A  natural resource  is anything people can use that comes from nature. Water is just one type of natural resource. There are many other natural resources. Many of these natural resources provide us with energy. This is energy we need to conduct our daily lives. 
    ::水是我们最宝贵的自然资源之一,自然资源是人类可以使用的任何自然资源,水只是一种自然资源,还有其他许多自然资源,其中许多自然资源为我们提供能源,这是我们日常生活所需要的能源。

     

     

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    Whitewater rafting is an exciting sport.

    Renewable or Nonrenewable, What's The Difference?
    ::可再生或不可再生,有什么区别?

    Imagine a glass of your favorite drink that never became empty. Now think about what really happens. You take a drink and there is less in the glass. You keep drinking and soon it is all gone. Good thing you have more to refill your glass. What if there would never be any more of your favorite drink. What would you do?
    ::想象一下你最喜欢的饮料中的一杯永远不会变成空的。 现在想想到底发生了什么。 你喝杯酒, 杯子里的酒少了一点。 你继续喝, 很快就消失了。 幸好你还有更多的酒可以再装满你的杯子。 如果再没有你最喜欢的饮料了, 你会怎么做?

    Now you know the difference between renewable and non-renewable. It's too bad that many things here on Earth will run out. This includes some of our natural resources we depend on. Things like oil will not last forever. There is a limited supply. Someday, we will run out, so then what? At current rates of use, coal will last about 300 years. Petroleum will be used up in just a few decades.
    ::现在你知道可再生和不可再生之间的区别了。 地球上的许多事情都会耗尽, 这太糟糕了。 这包括我们赖以生存的一些自然资源。 石油等事情不会永远持续下去。 供应有限。 总有一天, 我们将会耗尽, 然后呢? 按照目前的使用速度, 煤炭会耗尽大约300年。 石油将在几十年内耗尽。

    Nonrenewable Energy Resources
    ::非可再生能源资源

    Nonrenewable resources  are limited in supply. Nonrenewable resources cannot be replaced in a short period of time. We are using them up far faster than they can be replaced.
    ::不可再生资源的供应有限,不可再生资源在短期内不能被取代,我们使用这些资源的速度远远快于它们可以被取代的速度。

    It can take millions of years to produce some of our natural resources. If we used them all up today, we would have to wait a really long time. That's not even possible for humans. For this reason, we call this category of resources nonrenewable. Nonrenewable energy resources include fossil fuels such as oil and coal. It also includes radioactive elements such as uranium. Can you think of a nonrenewable resource? 
    ::生产我们的一些自然资源需要数百万年的时间。 如果我们今天把它们都用光了, 我们将不得不等待很长的时间。 这对人类来说甚至是不可能的。 因此,我们称之为这种不可再生的资源。 不可再生的能源资源包括石油和煤炭等化石燃料, 也包括铀等放射性元素。 你能想到不可再生的资源吗?

    Fossil Fuels
    ::化石燃料

    Fossil fuels  are one type of nonrenewable resources. Fossil fuels have been formed over millions of years. Why are they called "fossil" fuels? It's because they formed from the remains of dead organisms. They include petroleum (commonly called oil), natural gas, and coal. Fossil fuels provide most of our energy. This is what your local power plant burns to make electricity. 
    ::化石燃料是一种不可再生的资源。 化石燃料已经形成数百万年了。 为什么它们被称为“ 化石燃料 ” ? 因为它们是由死生物的残骸形成。 它们包括石油( 通常称为石油 ) 、 天然气 、 煤炭 。 化石燃料提供我们大部分的能源。 这就是你们本地发电厂为发电而燃烧的能源。

    Don't we use a lot of electrical energy to heat our homes? It is true, many of us heat and cool our homes with electrical energy. Do you know how most electrical energy is made? If you said from burning fossil fuel, you would be correct. You can see examples of their use in  Figure  . 
    ::我们不是用大量的电能来取暖吗? 确实,我们很多人用电力来取暖和冷却我们的家。 你知道电能的产量是多少吗?如果你说燃烧化石燃料的话,你会说对的。你可以在图中看到使用这些能源的例子。

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    Do you use any of these fossil fuels? How do you use them?

    Fossil fuels contain stored chemical energy. Believe it or not, this energy originally came from the Sun. Do you know how this happens?
    ::化石燃料含有储存的化学能量。 信不信由你, 这种能量最初来自太阳。 你知道这是怎么回事吗?

    A long time ago, plants collected the Sun's energy. They changed energy from sunlight into stored chemical energy in food. In turn, the plants will get eaten by an animal, or eventually die. Their remains will be buried by sediment. They will then get squeezed as the layers of sediment pile up. They gradually get changed into fossil fuels.  Petroleum and natural gas formed from marine organisms. They are often found together. Coal formed from land plants, such as giant tree ferns and other swamp plants. 
    ::很久以前, 植物收集了太阳的能量。 它们改变了能量, 从阳光变成食物中的化学能量。 反过来, 植物会被动物吃掉, 或者最终死亡。 它们的残骸会被沉积物掩埋。 然后随着沉积层的堆积, 它们就会被挤压。 它们会逐渐变成化石燃料。 石油和天然气由海洋生物组成, 它们常常被一起发现。 煤炭由陆地植物组成, 比如巨型树苗和其他沼泽植物。

    When fossil fuels burn, they release thermal energy and water vapor. They also release carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide in the air is a major cause of global warming. The burning of fossil fuels also releases many pollutants into the air. These pollutants can kill living things. It can also do damage to metals, stonework, and other materials.
    ::当化石燃料燃烧时,它们释放热能和水蒸气,它们还释放二氧化碳。空气中的二氧化碳是全球变暖的一个主要原因。化石燃料燃烧也向空气中释放许多污染物。这些污染物可以杀死生物。它也可以对金属、石器和其他材料造成损害。

    Natural gas releases the least pollution. Coal releases the most (see  Figure  ). Petroleum has the additional risk of oil spills. Oil spills can harm plants and animals in the area. 
    ::天然气释放的污染最少,煤释放的煤最多(见图)。石油有石油溢漏的额外风险,石油溢漏可能损害该地区的动植物。

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    This table compares the levels of several air pollutants released by the burning of natural gas, oil, and coal.

    Renewable Energy Resources
    ::可再生能源资源

    Renewable resources  are natural resources that can be replaced quickly. They are almost limitless in supply. Renewable energy resources include sunlight, moving water, wind, biomass, and geothermal energy. Each of these energy resources is described in  Table  . Resources such as sunlight and wind will never run out. Renewable energy resources also have other advantages. Renewable energy resources produce very little, if any, pollution. This is great news. Renewable energy sources do not cause global warming. On the down side, the technology costs a lot of money. Once the purchase has been made the resource is free for the taking. Once you buy the solar panels, the sunlight is free. 
    ::可再生能源是能够迅速被取代的自然资源,它们的供应几乎是无限的。可再生能源包括阳光、移动水、风、生物量和地热能源。这些能源的每一种都在表格中说明。阳光和风等资源永远不会耗尽。可再生能源资源也具有其他优势。可再生能源资源产生污染的可能性很小,如果有的话。这是一个好消息。可再生能源资源不会导致全球变暖。从另一方面看,技术需要花费大量资金。一旦购买了太阳能电池板,阳光就免费了。

    What are the pros and cons of using each of the renewable energy resources described here?
    Renewable Energy Resource Example

    Sunlight
    ::太阳光

    Sunlight can be used to heat homes. It can also be used to produce electricity. This conversion is made possible by solar cells. However, solar energy may not always be practical. Some areas are just too cloudy.
    ::太阳光可以用来为家庭取暖,也可以用来发电,太阳能电池可以使这种转换成为可能,但太阳能并不总是实用的,有些区域太阴云。

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    Solar panels on the roof of this house generate enough electricity to supply a family's needs.
    ::房子屋顶上的太阳能电池板能发电 满足家庭需要

    Moving Water
    ::移动水

    Falling water can have a lot of energy. Its energy can be converted into kinetic energy. This energy can turn a turbine and generate electricity. The water may fall naturally over a waterfall or flow through a dam. A drawback of dams is that they flood land upstream. They can also reduce water flow downstream. Either effect may harm ecosystems.
    ::瀑布水可以拥有大量的能量。 其能量可以转换成动能。 这种能量可以转换涡轮机和发电。 水可能会自然地倒在瀑布上或流过大坝。 水坝的缺点是它们会淹没上游土地。 它们也可以减少下游的水流量。 这两种影响都会损害生态系统。

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    Water flowing through Hoover dam. It is located between Arizona and Nevada. It generates electricity for both of these states and also southern California. The dam spans the Colorado River.
    ::它位于亚利桑那州和内华达州之间,为这两个州和南加利福尼亚州发电,横跨科罗拉多河。

    Wind
    ::风风

    Wind is moving air. It has kinetic energy that can do work. Wind turbines change the kinetic energy of the wind to electrical energy. Only certain areas of the world get enough steady wind. Many people also think that wind turbines are noisy and not very nice to look at.
    ::风能正在移动空气。 它有动能,可以发挥作用。 风力涡轮机将风的动能改变为电能。 只有世界某些地区风力稳定。 许多人还认为风力涡轮机很吵,不太适合看。

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    This old-fashioned windmill captures wind energy. It is used for pumping water out of a well. Windmills like this one have been used for centuries.
    ::这种老式风车捕捉了风能,用来从井里抽水。这种风车已经使用了几个世纪了。

    Biomass
    ::生物量

    The stored chemical energy of trees and other plants is called biomass energy. When plant materials are burned, they produce thermal energy. This energy can be used for heating, cooking, or generating electricity. Wood is considered a form of biomass. Wood is an important energy source in poor countries. In these countries, people can't afford fossil fuels. Some plants can also be used to make ethanol. Ethanol is a fuel that is added to gasoline. Ethanol produces less pollution than gasoline. However, large areas of land are needed to grow the plants that are needed.
    ::树木和其他植物储存的化学能源称为生物量能源,植物材料被焚烧后,它们产生热能,这种能源可用于取暖、烹饪或发电。木材被视为一种生物量形式。木材是穷国的一个重要能源来源。在这些国家,人们买不起化石燃料。在这些国家,一些植物也可以用来生产乙醇。乙醇是汽油中添加的燃料。乙醇产生污染比汽油少。然而,需要大片土地来种植所需要的植物。

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    This large machine is harvesting and grinding plants. The ground up plants are used for biomass energy.
    ::这台大型机器正在收割和研磨植物,地面上的植物被用于生物量能源。

    Geothermal
    ::地热地热

    Earth's interior holds a lot of heat. This heat is called geothermal energy. It too can be used to produce electricity. A power plant pumps water underground, where it gets heated, then the hot water is pumped back to the plant. There it is converted into electricity. On a small scale, geothermal energy can be used to heat homes. Installing a geothermal system can be very costly. This is because it is necessary to drill a deep hole through hard soil and rock. 
    ::地球的内部有很多热量。 这种热量被称为地热能。 也可以用来发电。 电厂的水泵在地下, 在那里加热, 然后热水泵回电厂。 在那里, 它被转换成电。 小规模地热能可以用于家庭加热。 安装地热系统可能非常昂贵。 这是因为需要通过坚硬的土壤和岩石钻一个深洞。

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    This geothermal power plant is located in Italy. Here, hot magma is close to the surface.
    ::这个地热发电厂位于意大利 这里热岩浆靠近地表

    Energy Use and Conservation
    ::能源使用和节能

    Figure   shows the mix of energy resources used worldwide in 2006. Fossil fuels still provide most of the world's energy. Oil is still the most commonly used energy resource. Natural gas is used less than the other two fossil fuels. Even natural gas, the least used of the fossil fuels, gets used more than all the other renewable energy resources. Wind, solar, and geothermal energy contribute the least to global energy. This may seem surprising as they are virtually limitless in supply. They also have the added benefit of being nonpolluting.
    ::图表显示了2006年全世界使用的能源资源组合情况。 化石燃料仍然提供世界大部分能源。石油仍然是最常用的能源资源。天然气的使用比其他两种化石燃料少。即使是化石燃料使用最少的天然气,其使用量也比所有其他可再生能源都多。风能、太阳能和地热能对全球能源的贡献最小。这似乎令人吃惊,因为它们的供应几乎是无穷无尽的。它们还有非污染的附加好处。

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    Which of the energy resources in this circle graph are renewable?

    Energy Use by Nation
    ::国家能源使用

    People in the richer nations of the world use far more energy than those in the poorer nations. This is true especially for energy from fossil fuels. Rich nations use far more energy from fossils fuels than poor nations.  Figure   compares the amounts of oil used by the top ten oil-consuming nations. The U.S. uses more oil than several other top-ten countries combined. If you also consider the population size in these countries, the differences are even more stunning. The average person in the U.S. uses a whopping 23 barrels of oil a year! In comparison, the average person in India or China uses just 1 or 2 barrels a year. Because richer nations use more fossil fuels, they also cause more air pollution. Air pollution is a contributing factor to global warming. 
    ::世界上较富裕国家的人使用的能源比较贫穷国家的人多得多。 特别是化石燃料的能源。 富国使用化石燃料的能源比穷国多得多。 图表比较了消费石油最多的10个国家使用的石油数量。 美国的石油使用量比其他10强国家的总和要多。 如果你也考虑到这些国家的人口规模,那么差异就更惊人了。 美国的普通人每年使用23桶石油。 相比之下,印度或中国的普通人每年只使用1或2桶。 由于较富裕国家使用更多的化石燃料,它们也造成更多的空气污染。 空气污染是造成全球变暖的一个因素。

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    The U.S. uses far more oil than any other country in the world. It is even far ahead of the next largest oil user, which is China. The differences in use per person in these countries are even greater.

    Conserving Energy
    ::保护能源

    We can reduce our use of energy resources. As a result we can also reduce the amount of pollution.  Conservation  means to use less of something.  If nothing else, we need to use the resources we have more efficiently.  Figure   shows several ways that people can conserve energy in their daily lives. What do you do to save energy? What else could you do?
    ::我们可以减少对能源资源的使用。 由此,我们也可以减少污染的数量。 保护意味着少使用某些东西。 如果别无其他的话, 我们需要更有效地使用我们拥有的资源。 图显示了人们在日常生活中可以节约能源的几种方式。 您为节约能源做了哪些工作? 您还能做什么呢 ?

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    Small savings in energy really add up when everybody conserves energy.

    KQED: Web Extra: Home Energy Audit
    ::KQED:Web ext:家庭能源审计

    QUEST teams up with Climate Watch to give you an inside look at home energy efficiency. Tag along with Sustainable Spaces on a home efficiency "green-up." Learn tips on how to make your home more energy efficient. 
    ::QUEST与气候观察组织联手, 向您介绍家庭能源效率。 与可持续空间公司一起标记家庭能源效率“ 绿化 ” 。 学习如何提高家庭能源效率的技巧 。

     

     

    Lesson Summary
    ::经验教训摘要

    • Nonrenewable resources are natural resources that are limited in supply. They cannot be replaced except over millions of years. They also release pollutants and contribute to global climate change. Nonrenewable energy resources include fossil fuels. These fuels are burned. Uranium is used for nuclear fission.
      ::不可再生资源是供应有限的自然资源,除非经过数百万年才能被替换,它们还释放污染物,助长全球气候变化,不可再生能源资源包括化石燃料,这些燃料被焚烧,铀被用于核裂变。
    • Renewable resources are natural resources that can be replaced in a relatively short period of time. They are also virtually limitless in supply. They cause little if any pollution or global climate change. Renewable energy resources include sunlight, moving water, wind, biomass, and geothermal energy.
      ::可再生资源是可以在相对较短的时间内被取代的自然资源,它们的供应几乎是无限的,几乎没有污染或全球气候变化。可再生能源资源包括阳光、移动水、风、生物量和地热能源。
    • Fossil fuels provide most of the energy used worldwide. Richer nations use far more energy resources than do poorer nations. This is especially true for fossil fuels. There are several ways that people can conserve energy in their daily lives.
      ::化石燃料提供了全世界使用的大部分能源。 富国比穷国使用能源要多得多。 化石燃料尤其如此。 人们可以通过几种方式在日常生活中节能。

    Lesson Review Questions
    ::经验回顾问题

    Recall
    ::回顾

    1. What is a natural resource?
      ::什么是自然资源?
    1. Identify three fossil fuels.
      ::查明三种化石燃料。
    1. Describe how fossil fuels form.
      ::描述矿物燃料的形态。
    1. What are drawbacks of using fossil fuels?
      ::使用矿物燃料有什么缺点?
    1. State why nuclear energy is a nonrenewable resource.
      ::说明为什么核能是一种不可再生资源。

    Apply Concepts
    ::应用概念

    1. Create a web page or poster that encourages people to conserve energy and gives tips for how to do it.
      ::创建网页或海报鼓励人们节能,

    Think Critically
    ::仔细仔细思考

    1. Compare and contrast nonrenewable and renewable energy resources.
      ::比较和对比不可再生和可再生能源资源。
    1. Argue for the use of any two renewable energy resources.
      ::主张使用任何两种可再生能源。