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Energy Resources in Canada
A Canadian atlas of resources is available online at
http://atlas.gc.ca/site/english/maps/economic. This site has a number of interesting themes, but to start, look at hte List of Topics, and click on Electrical Power Generating Station, 1997. This leads you to a list of
power utility maps. Click on the first link for the Electrical Power list:
All Stations 1997:By Capacity Map.
What is the difference in capacity between the green and red symbols? [red
is 100 to 1,000 times the green symbols, 500-9,999 kW compared to 1-5
million kW] Identify and write down three to four clusters of red (very
large) generators. [Alberta-BC oil fields, Quebec hydro, St.
Laurence/southern Ontario/Great Lakes could be divided in various ways,
the point is to fix some locations in students' minds] The distribution
of electrical stations roughly matches the distribution of population in
Canada, with several exceptions, such as northern Quebec. Where would you
say the greatest population centers are? [southern Ontario/Great Lakes,
also Maritimes and Vancouver]
After looking at the magnitude of generators, click on your "Back" button,
and this time find the link to "All stations, 1997, by Fuel map."
Identify the principal fuels used in the clusters of very large generators
you noted earlier. Zoom in on southern Ontario. How many different fuels
are used here? [all types listed: 7] How many nuclear power stations do
you see? [about 3] What is the most frequently used source of electric
power for this most populous part of Canada? [hydro, followed by gas]
Now go back to the list of maps, and choose another of economic the maps.
Identify a pattern that you think illuminates something about Canada's
economy or population, and describe it in one or two paragraphs.
Where in the World Are Our Fossil Fuels?
The U.S. Department of Energy maintains an excellent data set on energy issues. Go to www.eia.doe.gov/fueloverview.html to view a comprehensive, alphabetical list of energy information and then answer the following questions:
2. How much did total U.S. GNP increase during that time? 3. What is the ratio between answers 2 and 1? What's the significance of these numbers? 4. Where are the four Liquid Natural Gas ports in the U.S.? (Hint: look for LNG imports.) 5. From information in your text, why does this matter? 6. In 1995, how did U.S. electricity prices compare to those in Japan, Germany, China, and India? What effect do you think prices may have had on conservation and renewable energy sources? 7. What ten countries have the largest coal reserves? (Hint: scroll down to World Energy Data.) 8. Where does the U.S. rank in this list? 9. What percentage of total world coal reserves are thought to be in the U.S.? 10. What percentage of total world coal consumption occurs in the U.S.? 11. According to the Oil and Gas Journal, where are the ten largest natural gas reserves in the world? 12. What percentage of the total world gas supplies does the U.S. have? 13. What percentage of the total world gas supplies does the U.S. consume each year? 14. What ten countries have the world's largest oil reserves (as far as we know)? 15. What percentage of known oil is in the U.S.? 16. What percentage of all oil does the U.S. consume? 17. What do the answers in questions 15 and 16 suggest to you? |