10-How Does Energy Affect Wildlife

7/31/2019 10-How Does Energy Affect Wildlife

1/20

WindWise EducationTransforming the Energy of Wind into Powerful Minds

A Curriculum for Grades 6 -12

www.WindWiseEducation.org

Notice: Except for educational use by an individual teacher in a class-room setting this work may not be reproduced or distributed by me-chanical or electronic means without written permission from KidWindor Pandion. For permission to copy portions or all of this material forother purposes, such as for inclusion in other documents please contactMichael Arquin at the KidWind Project at [email protected].


2/20

WindWise Education was developed with

funding from the New York State Energy

Research & Development Authority. V1.0


3/20

How Does energyAffect wilDlife?LESSON

10

Time RequiRed

1 class period

GRades

9 12

subjecTs

Living Environment

Earth Science

Environmental Science

backGRound

To accurately compare the eects o dierent electricity generation sources (or

energy sources, such as coal, nuclear, hydroelectricity, and wind), the complete

lie cycle o each electricity generation source is examined along with an

assessment o their direct and indirect eects on wildlie. This inormation is then

used to predict the total wildlie impacts o each electricity generation type. The

results o this assessment yield balanced inormation that can be used to make

inormed decisions about which type o energy to use in a community.

objecTives

At the end o this lesson, students will

n Understand the dierent wildlie eects and risks rom electricity generated

by coal, nuclear, hydro, and wind

n Complete a thorough lie cycle analysis o each o the uels to understand

how the dierent phases are related to the dierent wildlie eects

meThod

Students will work in teams o 2 to 4. Teams will use the act sheets and

worksheets to research and compare the eects o our electricity generation

sources on wildlie. They will then compare and discuss their ndings with the

class and be prepared to write a summary report.

key concepT

Students will learn that

dierent electricity

generation sources have

very dierent eects on

wildlie.

maTeRials

Fact sheets, worksheets, and reading passage included with the activity.

www.WWet.rg

WiN

WiLd


4/20

WindWiseEducation.org

How Does energy Affect wilDlife?

2 Lesson 10

GeTTinG Ready

n Students need to know basic inormation about the energy sources used

to generate electricity.

n Make copies o act sheets, worksheets, and the reading passage or each

team.

acTiviTy

st 1: bgg qt fr stt

I students have not discussed energy generation and wildlie beore, begin the

class by asking students what they know about it.

n What types o energy sources are used to generate electricity?

n What is the dierence between nonrenewable and renewable energy

sources?

n Which sources are nonrenewable and which are renewable?n Which energy sources do you think have the greatest impacts on wildlie

populations? Why?

n Which energy sources are extracted and puried?

n Which energy sources produce pollution? What kinds o pollution?

st 2: Fr T

Form teams o 2 to 4 students or this activity.

st 3: Rg pg

Have the students read the reading passage. Reading may be assigned as

homework beore the lesson.

st 4: lf c at

Provide each student with Table 1 and the act sheets. Each student in the

team should select one or two electricity generation sources to research

(using the act sheets) and complete the corresponding column(s) in Table 1.

The act sheets are based on a NYSERDA research document, Comparison

o Reported Eects and Risks to Vertebrate Wildlie rom Six Electricity

Generation Types in The New York/New England Region. Students can also

use the internet or other sources available to them.

st 5: R erg sr b efft

Provide each team with Table 2. Based on the inormation they completed inTable 1, each team will rank the electricity generation sources on Table 2 rom

lowest to highest or eects on wildlie. Use 1 or the lowest eect and 4 or

the highest. Students should provide a reason or their decision.


5/20


dRaFTdecembeR 2010 3Lesson 10

st 6: c d

Ater each team has completed Table 2, hold a brie class discussion about

team members original thoughts and eelings and the ranks they have assignedto each source. Some sample questions

n Did team members original thoughts and eelings about the dierent

electricity generation sources hold true ater the lie cycle assessment?

Why or why not?

n Is there general agreement among the teams about the ranks or each

source? Why or why not?

vocabulaRy

Energy Lie Cycle The phases needed or the production o energy including

extraction, transportation, construction, operation, transmission, and

decommissioning.

Extraction Removal, most oten rom the ground.

Decommissioning To close down a acility and remove it rom service.

Habitat The environment where an organism or group normally lives.

Habitat Fragmentation When isolated patches o habitat are created through

land clearing and deorestation.

Mortality The number o animals killed.

Risk (to wildlie) The probability that loss or other adverse eects will occur

to wildlie.

Transmission To move rom one place to another. In energy, this is moving

energy rom its source to the location where it will be processed.

Wildlie Eect (eect) The result o something causing harm to an animal or

population o animals. Death, injury, and loss o habitat are examples o eects.


6/20

WindWiseEducation.org


4 Lesson 10

ny sTaTe sTandaRds

itrt l sstr 4: lg ert

k i 6:

Plants and animals depend on each other and their physical environment.

Major Understandings :

6.2a As a result o evolutionary processes, there is a diversity o organisms

and roles in ecosystems. This diversity o species increases the chance

that at least some will survive in the ace o large environmental changes.

Biodiversity increases the stability o the ecosystem.

6.2b Biodiversity also ensures the availability o a rich variety o genetic

material that may lead to uture agricultural or medical discoveries with

signicant value to humankind. As diversity is lost, potential sources othese materials may be lost with it.

6.3c A stable ecosystem can be altered, either rapidly or slowly, through the

activities o organisms (including humans) or through climatic changes

or natural disasters. The altered ecosystem can usually recover through

gradual changes back to a point o longterm stability.

k i 7:

Human decisions and activities have had a proound impact on the physical and

living environment.


7.1a The Earth has nite resources; increasing human consumption o

resources places stress on the natural processes that renew some

resources and depletes those resources that cannot be renewed.

7.1b Natural ecosystems provide an array o basic processes that aect

humans. Those processes include, but are not limited to: maintenance o

the quality o the atmosphere, generation o soils, control o the water

cycle, removal o wastes, energy fow, and recycling o nutrients. When

humans change these basic processes, the changes may be detrimental.

7.1c Human beings are part o the Earths ecosystems. Human activities can,deliberately or inadvertently, alter the equilibrium in ecosystems. Humans

modiy ecosystems as a result o population growth, consumption, and

technology. Human destruction o habitats through direct harvesting,

pollution, atmospheric changes, and other actors threatens current global

stability, and i not addressed, ecosystems may be irreversibly aected.

7.2a Human activities that degrade ecosystems result in a loss o diversity o

the living and nonliving environment. For example, the infuence o humans

on other organisms occurs through land use and pollution. Land use

decreases the space and resources available to other species, and pollution

changes the chemical composition o air, soil, and water.


7/20


5Lesson 10

7.2c Industrialization brings an increased demand or and use o energy and

other resources including ossil and nuclear uels. This usage can have

positive and negative eects on humans and ecosystems.

7.3a Societies must decide on proposals which involve the introduction o new

technologies. Individuals need to make decisions which will assess risks,

costs, benets, and trade-os.

7.3b The decisions o one generation both provide and limit the range o

possibilities open to the next generation.

lg ertstr 4 (hg s)

k i 7:

Human decisions and activities have had a proound impact on the physical and

living environment.


7.1a A population consists o all individuals o a species that are ound together

at a given place and time. Populations living in one place orm a community.

The community interacting with physical actors composes an ecosystem.

7.1b Given adequate resources and no disease or predators, populations

(including humans) increase. Lack o resources, habitat destruction, and

other actors such as predation and climate limit the growth o certain

populations in the ecosystem.

7.1c In all environments, organisms interact with one another in many ways.

Relationships among organisms may be competitive, harmul, or benecial.

Some species have adapted to be dependent upon each other with the

result that neither could survive without the other.

7.2a In ecosystems, balance is the result o interactions between community

members and their environment.

7.2b The environment may be altered through the activities o organisms.

Alterations are sometimes abrupt. Some species may replace others over

time, resulting in longterm gradual changes (ecological succession).

7.2c Overpopulation by any species impacts the environment due to

the increased use o resources. Human activities can bring about

environmental degradation through resource acquisition, urban growth,

land-use decisions, waste disposal, etc.

7.2d Since the Industrial Revolution, human activities have resulted in major

pollution o air, water, and soil. Pollution has cumulative ecological eects

such as acid rain, global warming, or ozone depletion. The survival o

living things on our planet depends on the conservation and protection o

Earths resources.


8/20

6 WindWiseEducation.org

H D e A wd?

Lesson 10

Student sheets

ReadinG passaGe

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) recently produced a

report titled Comparison o Reported Eects and Risks to Vertebrate Wildlie rom Six Electricity

Generation Types in The New York/New England Region. This report compared the eects and risks towildlie rom six dierent electricity generation sources: coal, oil, natural gas, hydro, nuclear, and wind.

The study identied the stages involved in most types o electricity generation and called these the lie

cycle or energy generation: extracting the uel, transporting the uel to the power generation site,

construction o the power generation acility, operation o the acility, transmission and delivery (via

power lines) o the electricity generated, and decommissioning o the acility at the end o its liespan. Fuel

extraction and transportation are not required or renewable energy sources, such as hydro and wind,

because they are harnessed at the location where the electricity is generated.

To make an accurate comparison, the eects to wildlie were assessed or each lie cycle stage o eachelectricity generation source. An eect is something that has a negative impact on wildlie. There are our

types o direct eects on wildlie: injury, mortality (death), disruption o normal behavior, or destruction

and damage o habitat.

To accurately assess and compare the wildlie eects rom dierent electricity generation sources, the

study authors considered all our types o eects to wildlie. Researchers also considered the risks to

wildlie. Risk is the probability o an eect (injury, death, disruption o normal behavior, or destruction and

damage to habitat) actually occurring.

Wildlie can be injured or killed when they come in contact with equipment and acilities used in all stages

o the electricity generation cycle. Exposure to harmul chemicals can have toxic eects on wildlie that

also result in injury or mortality. Noise and other disturbances associated with the lie cycles stages o

electricity generation can aect (or disrupt) normal movements, home range, or breeding behaviors o

wildlie. Destruction and damage to wildlie habitat occurs when vegetation is removed or cleared rom an

area. It also occurs when habitat is divided up and goes rom being one large area to several small areas

that are isolated rom one another (called habitat ragmentation). Habitat destruction includes damage to

the ecosystem, trees, plants, soil, and ood sources.

Examples o eects on wildlie rom electricity generation include

n Bird or bat injury or mortality rom collisions with structures such as smoke stacks, power lines, or

wind turbine bladesn Bird mortality rom contact with an oil spill

n Fish and other aquatic animals becoming trapped in cooling water intake systems at power plants

n Mercury pollution rom burning ossil uels, particularly coal. Mercury escapes into the atmosphere,

travels many miles on air currents, dissolves in rain, and returns to the earth where it becomes toxic

and enters the ood chain

n Fish being prevented rom migrating up a river to spawn due to construction o a dam


9/20

7WindWiseEducation.org

H D e A wd?

Lesson 10

Student sheets

n Power line corridors, service roads, and elevated pipelines all change and ragment habitat, which can

impact the ability o wildlie to survive by making it more dicult to nd ood, shelter, and breeding

partners

n Carbon dioxide and methane released rom burning ossil uels. These greenhouse gases contribute to

global climate change, which threatens many o the worlds wildlie and ecological systems

There are also indirect eects rom electricity generation that can impact wildlie. Climate change is one o

the biggest environmental, economic, and social challenges in the world today. Carbon dioxide (CO2) and

other gasses ound in the atmosphere act as greenhouse gases, which means that they trap heat energy

and hold it in the atmosphere. The more greenhouse gases present, the more heat is trapped. It is similar

to adding a blanket to your bed on a cold night; the blanket will trap more o your body heat and prevent

it rom escaping so that you stay warmer.

Many natural sources o CO2

supply the atmosphere, such as volcanic eruptions, natural biological

decay, and orest res, which combine to account or about 95% o annual emissions. These have beenpresent on Earth or many millennia. While there is natural variation rom year to year and millennium to

millennium, the amount o CO2

emitted by natural sources is roughly equal to the amount absorbed by

plants during photosynthesis and by the ocean.

However, human sources have accounted or the dramatic rise in CO2

through the last two centuries,

principally rom CO2

released when ossil uels are burned. The industrial revolution in Europe and North

America in the latter hal o the 19th Century marked the beginning o civilizations reliance on ossil uels

or energy. Today about 70% o US electrical energy is made by burning ossil uels in power stations, and

about 82% o the associated emissions o greenhouse gases are attributed to coal by the US Department

o Energy.

Already there have been documented wildlie eects globally and regionally rom climate change and there

is great concern that those eects will continue and expand. Here are a ew examples.

n Climate change has been ound responsible or massive coral bleaching that has decimated numerous

coral ree habitats around the world.

n Polar habitats have become threatened due to increased and more rapid melting o sea ice, which

diminishes oraging opportunities or polar bears.

n Climate change has also resulted in range expansion o pest species such as the mountain pine beetle

and may contribute to the spread o Lyme disease with more temperate conditions increasing tick

populations.

The continued warming o the Earths atmosphere rom greenhouse gasses will have dramatic eects on

wildlie in the coming decades.


10/20


H D e A wd?

Lesson 10

Student sheets

FacT sheeT: coal poWeR

Electricity generation rom coal power has wildlie eects at every stage o its lie cycle.

extrt

In the resource extraction stage, the wildlie eects and risks rom coal are high because 62% o US coal

is extracted through above ground mining. Above ground mining poses high risks to wildlie populations

because o resulting large-scale habitat destruction. For example, mountaintop mining removes the top

o a mountain to uncover coal seams (a layer o coal between rock) near the surace. The spoils rom the

removal are dumped in nearby valleys. The wildlie eects are substantial and impact all types o wildlie

and habitats including those in the area o the mining and in valleys where the spoils are dumped. Coal

mining is extensive in the Appalachians in both West Virginia and Pennsylvania where much o the coal

or the New York/New England region originates. In 2002 alone, 65,000 acres in West Virginia were

permitted or mountaintop removal coal mining. Above ground mining includes strip mining, open pit

mining, and mountaintop mining, and valley ll. Underground coal is extracted using mining machines or

explosives to expose the coal, which is then dug up and removed rom the mine. Underground deep shatmining causes minimal harm to orest habitats in comparison to strip mining.

Both above ground and below ground mining cause habitat degradation and direct injury and death to

wildlie rom toxic runo into water bodies. Mine wastes and coal processing wastes are highly acidic and

oten contain trace elements at toxic concentrations. 75% o acid runo is associated with underground

mining. This acid runo rom mine tailings (acid mine drainage) can reach streams and injure and kill sh

and other aquatic wildlie. It is estimated that about 6,400 streams in the mid-Atlantic and southeastern

US have been aected by toxic mine drainage and runo, primarily rom coal mining.

TrrttThe coal is transported via truck and train to the power plants where it will be burned. There is a low risk

o injury or death to wildlie rom vehicle collisions and rom any uel spills.

ctrt

Construction o coal acilities has a low risk o destruction o habitat rom land clearing or acilities,

ragmentation o habitat, and disturbance o wildlie rom construction noise and activity.

ort

Burning the coal produces energy, which heats water that turns to steam. This steam turns turbines that

produce electricity used to power homes, buildings, and electrical devices.

Because coal is a ossil uel, when it burns during the power generation stage it releases multiple

emissions that cause regional and global wildlie eects. As a result, electricity generation rom coal is

a signicant contributor to acidic deposition (acid rain and acid deposits), climate change, and mercury

bioaccumulation (release o mercury into the environment), which create very high risks to wildlie.

Other wildlie eects associated with power generation rom coal include bird collisions with power plant

acilities and eects to aquatic wildlie rom power plant cooling (once-through cooling) and chemical

discharges to surace waters. These pose medium risks to wildlie. Coal-red plants produce large

amounts o waste heat that is disposed o in cooling lakes or towers. In lakes, this represents thermal

pollution that causes medium risk wildlie eects.


11/20


H D e A wd?

Lesson 10

Student sheets

Tr

Eects associated with transmission and delivery include injury and mortality to wildlie rom collisions and

electrocutions associated with power lines, which pose medium potential risks.

dgThe operation o coal-red power stations have a low potential to contaminate local aquatic systems rom

waste churned up when the site is decommissioned.

FacT sheeT: nucleaR poWeR

Electricity generation rom nuclear power eects wildlie at every stage o its lie cycle.

extrt

Similar to coal, the eects rom resource extraction rom above ground surace mining have a very high

potential risk to wildlie because o the amount o surace habitat that is destroyed. Below ground mining

is considered to have a low risk because o the limited habitat disturbance compared to surace mining.Toxic runo rom mine tailings (acid mine drainage) has medium risk or injury and death to wildlie locally.

Trrtt

The quantities o uranium needed or operation o a nuclear power station are small and so transportation

has low risk o wildlie eects. Trucks and trains are used or transportation. There is a low risk o injury

or death to wildlie rom vehicle collisions and rom any uel spills.

ctrt

Construction o nuclear acilities has a low risk o destruction o habitat rom land clearing or acilities,

ragmentation o habitat, and disturbance o wildlie rom construction noise and activity.

ort

Nuclear plants create energy when nuclear ssion splits uranium atoms releasing heat that boils water to

produce steam. This steam is used to turn turbines and produce power or homes, buildings, and electrical

devices.

Nuclear plants, like coal-red plants, create large amounts o heat and require water to cool the generator

I the cooling process involves drawing water rom a lake, river, or ocean (such as in once-through cooling)

it poses medium potential risks to wildlie. The warm water discharge rom cooling systems and potential

or chemical discharge in the water pose medium risk to wildlie. Other wildlie eects associated

with power generation rom nuclear include collisions with nuclear acilities and eects rom chemicaldischarges to surace waters, which pose medium potential risks to wildlie.

Nuclear energy has a low risk or accidental or catastrophic release o radioactive materials. In the event,

o radioactive release, the wildlie eects would be large. However, there have been no such occurrences

in the US. The worst example outside the US was the Chernobyl accident in the ormer Soviet Union

where there were major impacts on the ecosystem. The likelihood o a similar instance in the US is very

low because the aulty Chernobyl-style reactor design and its lack o containment or radioactive materials

would not be licensed in the US The most serious accident in the history o U. S. nuclear acilities was a

partial meltdown o the Three Mile Island 2 reactor core in 1979. This resulted in only very small osite


12/20


H D e A wd?

Lesson 10

Student sheets

releases o radioactivity with an end result o substantially enhanced saety regulations. There is also a very

low risk o radioactive release during normal operation that may cause injury and mortality. There may be

some bioaccumulation o strontium-90, but this would likely be limited to individuals and not populations.

TrEects associated with transmission and delivery include injury and mortality to wildlie rom collisions and

electrocutions associated with power lines, which pose medium potential risks.

dg

There is a low risk o contamination o aquatic systems rom radioactive leaks. There is also a low risk o

habitat disturbance and displacement rom the demolition process due to noise and activity.

FacT sheeT: hydRoelecTRic poWeR

Hydroelectric (hydro) power is the renewable energy source that produces the most electricity in the US.

It accounted or 6% o the total US electricity generation and 67% o generation rom renewables in 2008.Electricity generation rom hydroelectric has only our stages in its lie cycle and each has wildlie eects.

extrt Trrtt

Water does not need to be extracted and transported the way coal or nuclear does. Hydroelectric power

is a renewable energy source, and the water needed to generate electricity is harnessed at the source.

ctrt

The risk to wildlie rom construction o a hydro power plant is very high because o the terrestrial and

aquatic habitat clearing and the inundation (fooding) o these habitats when the area behind the dam

is lled with water. The loss o habitat includes not only the inundated land, but also the stream or

river habitats, which poses risks to spawning, oraging, and nesting habitats or sh. This stressor canaect hundreds o acres o terrestrial habitats and tens o miles o stream habitat within the watershed

when the reservoir is lled with water. There is also risk o reduction or change in wildlie and sheries

biodiversity. Changes in the numbers and types o sh caused by dams blocking upstream movement o

these sh can have large-scale reproduction implications or sh (e.g., blocking normal sh movement

and migration to spawning habitat). Depending upon the location o the dam, there could be a threat to

species survival regionally and biologically signicant habitat loss or endangered or threatened species.

The consequences o the risk are continuous as long as the dam is in place.

ort

The amount o available energy in moving water is determined by its fow or all. Switly fowing water in abig river, like the Columbia River that orms the border between Oregon and Washington, carries a great

deal o energy in its fow. Water descending rapidly rom a very high point, like Niagara Falls in New York,

has a lot o kinetic energy. In either instance, the water fows through a pipe then pushes against and turns

blades in a turbine to spin a generator to produce electricity. In a river system, the orce o the current

applies the needed pressure, while in a storage system, water is accumulated in reservoirs created by

dams, then released as needed to generate electricity.

Many reservoirs are very deep and the water released is cold water rom the depths o the lake. These


13/20


H D e A wd?

Lesson 10

Student sheets

releases o very cold water can dramatically change downstream habitats in warmer regions and be very

damaging to native sh and invertebrate populations. Greenhouse gases and methylmercury are emitted

rom the impounded water o a hydroelectric dam and pose medium potential risks to wildlie rom

the eects o climate change. During dam operation, upstream sh have a medium risk o being injured

and killed during releases o water when they become trapped (entrainment and impingement) in thedischarge o water.

Tr

Eects associated with transmission and delivery o hydro power include injury and mortality rom

collisions and electrocutions associated with power lines. These pose medium potential risks.

dg

Hydro power generation poses high potential risks during the decommissioning. It causes mortality to

aquatic wildlie and degradation o downstream aquatic habitat rom release o sediments during the

draining o the reservoir. Sediments oten build up in large quantities in dammed lakes. The dismantlingalso results in the loss o the articially created upstream lake habitat. Mortality or higher predation

rates or sh can occur as water drawdown proceeds, leaving sh stranded in shallow pools. The risk is

considered a medium risk or the sh and other aquatic lie that have been using these created habitats.

FacT sheeT: Wind eneRGy

In 2008 wind power produced about 1.5% o worldwide electricity usage and it is growing rapidly, having

doubled in the three years between 2005 and 2008.

Electricity generation rom wind has only our stages in its lie cycle and each has wildlie eects.

extrt Trrtt

This type o energy comes directly rom wind, so no extraction or transportation is needed. Like hydro,

wind is a renewable energy source, and the wind needed to generate electricity is harnessed at the source.

ctrt

Wind arm construction requires the placement o multiple turbines on the landscape. This has a low

potential or destruction or ragmentation o habitat, especially i the areas between the turbines are

minimally disturbed, as is oten the case.

ort

Wind turbines harness the wind to generate electricity. Like old ashioned windmills, todays wind turbinesuse blades to collect the winds kinetic energy. The wind fows over the blades creating lit, like the eect

on airplane wings, which causes the blades to turn. The blades are connected to a drive shat that turns an

electric generator to produce electricity. A local transormer is then used to step up the electrical voltage,

so that the electricity can be sent through transmission and distribution lines to homes, businesses, and

other users.

The most commonly cited eect rom wind power generation is injury and mortality to birds and bats

rom collision with wind turbines. For birds, this is considered medium risk. Local mortality to individuals

is likely to occur with no population-level eects and a high degree o species recovery. Biodiversity


14/20


H D e A wd?

Lesson 10

Student sheets

declines are unlikely or birds. Endangered or threatened bird species may be exposed to potential

injury or mortality. For bats, especially tree bats, the risk posed by wind turbines may be high, but this

is uncertain because o the lack o accurate population inormation and mortality studies at wind arms.

Ongoing research looks at the eects and risks to birds and bats rom wind arms, but at this time there

are no documented population-level eects. However, based on the ew available studies, there is generalconsensus rom the scientic community that bats are likely to be at the greatest risk.

The potential eects o wind turbines to birds and bats are to a large extent dependent upon decisions

made during the siting process. I turbines are not sited in areas that are heavily used by birds and bats (or

example, migration corridors or birds and near heavily used roosts or bats) then potential mortality can

be reduced.

Tr

Eects associated with transmission and delivery o wind energy include injury and mortality rom collision

and electrocution associated with power lines. These pose medium potential risks.

dg

Decommissioning o a wind arm requires rehabilitation o the site. The ootprint o each o the actual

turbines is very small, even though the turbines are spread out over a large area. There will be some

disturbance when turbines are removed. Much o the land wind arms are built on is agricultural or open

land so rehabilitation can be accomplished quickly.


15/20


H D e A wd?

Lesson 10

Student sheets

WoRksheeTs

Use the act sheets provided and any additional inormation that you have available to ll in Table 1. For

the Method boxes, list how this method (extraction, transportation, etc.) happens or each energy type. In

the Eects box, record what eects these actions have on wildlie.

T 1: lf c a f efft t Wf fr etrt Grt sr

coal nucleaR hydRo Wind

Extraction Method

Extraction Eects

Transportation

Method

Transportation

Eects

Construction Method

Construction Eects

Operation Method

Name Date Class


16/20


H D e A wd?

Lesson 10

Student sheets


Operation Eects

Transmission Method

Transmission Eects

Decommissioning

Method

Decommissioning

Eects

T 2: R etrt Grt sr b tr efft

Rank the electricity generation sources rom lowest to highest based on their eects on wildlie. Assign 1

or the lowest and 4 or the highest. Provide a justication or each rank.

Fuel Rank sTaTemenT oF jusTiFicaTion

Coal

Nuclear

Hydro

Wind


17/20


H D e A wd?

Lesson 10

Student sheets

Name Date Class

agt

1. List our things that you learned about wildlie eects caused by the our electricity generation sources

while you were doing this activity.

2. Describe anything that surprised you about electricity generation while you were doing this activity.

3. Assume that you are on a committee that is charged with recommending the type o power a

community should use to increase its electrical capacity by 10 megawatts. The communitys choices

are building an extension o an existing coal-red power station or building a brand-new wind energy

acility with 5 2-megawatt wind generators. You represent the states natural resource management

department on this committee, and they are looking to you or an assessment o which new power

generation acility will have the least impact on local wildlie populations.

Based on the work you have done in this lesson, write a one-page summary report to the rest o the

committee that provides a recommendation with a clear justication or why you are recommending this

course o action.


18/20


H D e A wd?

Lesson 10

Answer sheets

agt

1. List our things that you learned about wildlie eects caused by the our electricity generation sources while you

were doing this activity.

2. Describe anything that surprised you about electricity generation while you were doing this activity.

3. Assume that you are on a committee that is charged with recommending the type o power a community should use

to increase its electrical capacity by 10 megawatts. The communitys choices are building an extension o an existing

coal-red power station or building a brand-new wind energy acility with 5 2-megawatt wind generators. You

represent the states natural resource management department on this committee, and they are looking to you or

an assessment o which new power generation acility will have the least impact on local wildlie populations.

Based on the work you have done in this lesson, write a one-page summary report to the rest o the committee that

provides a recommendation with a clear justication or why you are recommending this course o action.

For answer sheets: Answers will vary by student.

T 1: lf c a f efft t Wf fr etrt Grt sr (ct

r fr rfr)


Extraction Method Miningabove ground

and below ground

Subsurace mining o

uranium

N/A N/A

Extraction Eects Water pollution,

habitat destruction,

direct injury and death

Surace mining destroys

habitat, runo rom

mining could impact

water

N/A N/A

Transportation

Method

Trains Trains and Trucks N/A N/A

Transportation

Eects

Collisions with wildlie Collisions with wildlie N/A N/A

Construction Method Builtcentral power

station

Builtcentral power

station

Bui ltdam on river Bui lton open land

oten on hill tops

Construction Eects Habitat destruction

rom land clearing

Habitat destruction

rom land clearing

Habitat changes and

destruction due to

ooding when blocking

river

Habitat disturbance

rom building roads and

oundations.

Operation Method Burn coal to heat water

to produce steam to

turn turbines

Use uranium to split

atoms to heat water to

produce steam to turn

turbines

Water pressure created

behind dam is used to

turn turbines

Wind turns turbines

Operation Eects Acid rain and acid

deposits, climate

change, mercury

bioaccumulation, bird

collisions, chemical

discharge into water

Drawing water rom

lake, river, or ocean,

chemical discharge into

water

Movement o fsh

up and down river is

disrupted. Habitat

change due to dam on

river. Fish and wildlie

killed when trapped in

dam

Bird and bat death

rom collision with

turbines

Transmission Method Power Lines Power Lines Power Lines Power Lines


19/20


H D e A wd?

Lesson 10

Answer sheets

Transmission Eects Habitat destruction

when installing,

birds colliding with

power lines and bird

electrocutions

Habitat destruction

when installing,



electrocutions

Habitat destruction

when installing,



electrocutions

Habitat destruction

when installing,



electrocutionsDecommissioning

Method

Removal o structure

and rehabilitation o

site

Removal o structure


site

Removal o structure

and major rehabilitation

o site

Removal o structure


site

Decommissioning

Eects

Pollutants may remain,

habitat may take a

while to recover

Long-term

contamination with

radioactive material.

Possibility o radioactive

release

Original river habitats

destroyed by released

sediment and changed

water levels

Limited intrusion o

site requires limited

restoration

T 2: R etrt Grt sr b tr efft

Rank the electricity generation sources rom lowest to highest based on their eects on wildlie. Assign 1or the lowest and 4 or the highest. Provide a justication or each rank.

Fuel Rank sTaTemenT oF jusTiFicaTion

Coal Rankings

will depend

on student

answers

Students should consider the possible eects as well as the potential risk when creating their rankings.

For example, nuclear could produce radioactive leaks, but this is a very low risk so leaks should be

considered a minor actor when deciding rankings.

Nuclear

Hydro

Wind


20/20

Documents

10-How Does Energy Affect Wildlife