Wind on the Water

WIND on the WATER COULD OFFSHORE WIND BE OUR NEXT PRIME ENERGY SOURCE? WE ARE USING MORE AND MORE ENERGY Consumption has grown nearly 46% over the past 62 years: BTUS (in millions) AS OF 2011 359 BTUS 400 350 BTUS 350 312 BTUS Global energy use had 300 grown 2.5% 250 214 BTUS over the previous year 200 1949 1978-79 2000 2011 WHAT IS A BTU? .................. British Thermal Unit: the amount of heat it takes to raise 1 Ib. of water 1F at sea level of the earth's energy is still supplied by oil AMERICAN RENEWABLE ENERGY PRODUCTION Wind is being increasingly utilized as a resource 2011 2012 * IN QUADRILLION BTUS 4.527 3.102 4.406 1.361 2.686 0.211 0.226 1.167 0.158 0.212 % Change WIND SOLAR BIOMASS HYDRO GEOTHERMAL +16.57% +33.93% -2.67% -13.41% +6.75% WHY DEVELOP OFFSHORE WIND? .......... IT'S EFFICIENT Oceana.org estimates that Atlantic offshore winds alone could power nearly half of all vehicles on U.S. roads IT HAS LESS IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT While wind-based energy doesn't create pollution, the U.S. Department of Energy reports that 1 gigawatt of energy produced through fossil fuels... Requires: 27.6 billion cubic feet of natural gas or 1.7 million tons of coal Discharges: the equivalent of 2.7 million tons of carbon dioxide yearly IT COSTS LESS Annual fuel costs, according to Oceana.org, Sept. 2010: $1,341 Offshore wind ELECTRICITY $1,360 Natural gas FOR 1 HOME $2,259 Oil $307 Offshore wind HEAT $627 Natural gas FOR 1 HOME $1,683 Oil $503 Offshore wind POWER $544 Natural gas FOR 1 CAR $2,261 Oil PLUS, IT WILL: Increase Revitalize Reduce our greenhouse gas emissions our reliance on renewable resources economic sectors and create skilled jobs (which could help us decrease our reliance on non-renewable resources) COMING SOON NEAR YOU? ..... The European Union has been investing in offshore wind turbines and... The U.S. Department of Energy is funding 7 offshore wind projects: Number of turbines Up to 6 Atlantic City, NJ Cleveland, OH Coos Bay, OR Monhegan Island, ME Port Isobel, TX by 2030, offshore wind could power Stamford, CT Virginia Beach, VA 13%-18% of EU electrical needs INTERESTED IN ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY? .................... ............. Through 2020, all of these occupations are projected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to have faster-than-average (14%) job growth ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND PROTECTION TECH ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTIST/SPECIALIST Growth 2010-20 Growth 2010-20 Growth 2010-20 Growth 2010-20 +22% +24% +24% +19% ............... .............. ............ ............... Annual wage, 2010 Annual wage, 2010 Annual wage, 2010 Annual wage, 2010 $83,340 $51,930 $41,380 $61,700 ........... Education Needed Bachelor's Degree Education Needed Education Needed Education Needed Associate Degree Bachelor's Associate Degree Degree Earnings depend on many factors including the coursework completed, geographic location, and career options available. Nothing in this infographic guarantees results for individuals. SOURCES http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=btu http://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/monthly/pdf/mer.pdf http://www.bp.com/sectiongenericarticle800.do?categoryld=9037128&contentid=7068555 http://www1.eere.energy.gov/wind/pdfs/national_offshore_wind_strategy.pdf http://oceana.org/sites/default/files/Offshore_Wind Report_- Final_1.pdf http://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/annual/pdf/aer.pdf http://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/monthly/index.cfm#renewable http://www.reenergyholdings.com/renewable-energy/what-is-biomass/ http://www.bls.gov/ooh/ Created for WorldWideLearn.com © QuinStreet, Inc., 2013 WorldWideLearn