A Year 12 student from Hawkesdale P12 College produced this slideshow as school assessed coursework for Unit 3 VCE Environmental Science.

1. Area of Study 1
SAC 1B
Comparison of a
fossil fuel and a non-
fossil fuel energy
source
Kirsten

2. Greenhouse Effect vs
Enhanced Greenhouse Effect

3. The Greenhouse Effect
 The greenhouse effect is a natural process that warms the
Earth. When the suns energy reaches the Earth some is
radiated back into the atmosphere and some stays to keep
the Earth warm

4. The Enhanced Greenhouse
Effect
 The Enhanced Greenhouse Effect is caused by human activity.
The problem we now face is that human activities – particularly
burning fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas), agriculture and
land clearing – are increasing the concentrations of
greenhouse gases. This is the enhanced greenhouse effect,
which is contributing to warming of the Earth.
The burning of
natural gas.

5. The Mortlake Gas Plant
The Mortlake Gas Plant is located 12km west of Mortlake. It is a 550-MW gas-
fired peaking power station that generates electricity at times of high
demands. It is owned Origin Energy.
The Mortlake Power Plant is the largest power station of it’s type in Victoria.

6. The Macarthur Wind Farm
The Macarthur Wind Farm is located between Hawkesdale and Macarthur (16 km
east of Macarthur) on 10000 hectares of farming land. It is a 420-MW wind farm
and is currently the largest in the southern hemisphere. It is owned by the
companies AGL and Malakoff and has been in operation since January 2013.
there are 20 full time jobs at the wind farm.

7. Fossil fuel vs non-fossil fuel
energy source
Mortlake Gas Plant
 Gas is non-renewable and a fossil
fuel. It is colourless, odourless and
consists of mainly methane.
 It is composed from decayed
remnants of plants and animal
matter that has been subjected to
immense pressure under the earth’s
crust over millions of years.
 Natural Gas can be found in the
Otway gas plant in Port Campbell
which is where the Mortlake Gas
Plant gets it supply from but is can
be located in many other coastal
regions.
 Natural Gas has been quite
abundant over the years but with
the energy needs of Australia,
sources will run out by 2100.
Macarthur Wind Farm
 Wind power is a form of solar power.
It is also renewable and a non-fossil
fuel.
 Wind power is formed when sunlight
fall unevenly on the Earth, heating
the air unevenly. The warm air rises
and cooler air moves in to replace it.
This circulation of air from cool areas
to warm areas to produce wind.
 Wind power can be found in any
place that is windy.
 There will always be wind so therefore
it is in abundance but it is unreliable
due to the fact that there has to be
wind to be able to produce wind
energy. It is also very accessible due
to being able to access wind
wherever you go.

8. Extraction
Mortlake Gas Plant
 It is extracted by drilling wells
into the ground through
geographic layers, to reach the
gas deposits.
 The Mortlake Gas Plant takes up
only 20 hectares of land but the
company Origin energy bought
120 hectares in case the plant
had to be expanded .
Macarthur Wind
Farm
 Wind power is extracted from the air
by the use of a turbine that has 3 or
more blades that move through the air
in a circular motion.
 The amount of land that the Macarthur
Wind farm uses in 10000 hectares but
the land is of duel use so the farmers
can have some wind turbines but can
also run their cattle or sheep on it as
well.

9. Transport
Mortlake Gas Plant
 Natural gas is transported
from the Otway Basin to
Mortlake by using a series of
pipes which therefore allows
the gas to flow through from
one location to another.
 The gas plant needs to be
located near the supply of
gas and also near the high
voltage power lines. It needs
to be near high voltage
power lines so there is no
waste energy excreted in
transportation.
Macarthur Wind
Farm
 Wind Power is transported by a
spinning blade that drives a shaft
that is connected to a
mechanical device which could
be a water pump or a generator.
 The location of the wind farm
comes into play with transport
due to the fact that it needs to
be placed in a location where
there is plenty of wind.
 The wind farm also needs to be
located near high voltage power
lines due to the fact that there is
minimal energy wasted in the
transportation of it.

10. Use
Mortlake Gas Plant
 Natural Gas is mainly used in
homes for heating and
cooking and also by industry
for heat and combustion. It is
also used for transportation,
fertilizers and power
generation.
 Natural Gas produces 20%
of Australia’s energy.
 Natural gas has an overall
efficiency of approximately
30% for electricity
production and 90% for
heating.
Macarthur Wind
Farm
 Wind power is mainly used for
the use of machinery and
other farm operations such as
pumping water and things of
that nature. People can also
use wind energy as a way to
cut down electricity bills.
 Wind Power produces 4% of
Australia’s energy.
 Wind energy has an overall
efficiency of approximately
40% in terms of energy

11. Economic Impacts
Mortlake Gas Plant
 The people from the Mortlake
Power Plant (Origin Energy) are
the only people who are
making money out of this
project. Origin energy had to
buy the land to build the gas
plant on which was 120
hectares all together but the
actual plant only takes up 20 of
those hectares.
 It cost $810 million to construct.
Macarthur Wind
Farm
 Farmers get paid approximately
$5000 per turbine that is on their
property. They then spend that
money in their local community to
buy products for their farm. There
are more winners in this project
rather than the Natural Gas plant.
 AGL also offer community
assistance funds to local sporting
clubs to help resurface are rebuild
sporting facilities.
 In the period of development and
construction, the wind farm
formed over 875 jobs in the district
of Hawkesdale and Macarthur.

12. Social impacts
Mortlake Gas Plant
 Residents may be impacted
by noise, air equality and
emissions in the air.
 There are no community
benefits of Natural Gas due
to the fact that
Macarthur Wind
Farm
 The general public may
complain about noise, the
traffic in the construction
period and also how it looks
when finished.
 The wind farm have grants that
can be applied to help get
upgrades for sporting facilities
and also for school as well. This
is a social impact because the
community is benefiting from
AGL and Malakoff

13. Environmental Impacts
Mortlake Gas Plant
 Natural Gas impacts the wildlife
and vegetation because the gas
plant takes away some of the
habitat in which they live.
 Mortlake was chosen as the
location due to the fact that it was
easily accessible for the 500 MW
high voltage electricity
transmission line, had good roads
for traffic to commute to and from
the plant and it’s close proximity to
the Otway Basin where the plant
gets its gas supply from.
Macarthur Wind
Farm
 Birds and bats may be
effected due to them being
able to fly into them yet.
 Wind Power is a very clean
source of energy that can be
relied on for future
generations to use as their
main energy source.

14. Contribution to Greenhouse
Effect
Natural Gas
 Natural Gas is mostly made
up of Methane which is a
greenhouse gas.
 Natural gas does contribute
to the greenhouse effect
due to the fact that it
releases carbon dioxide
which adds to the effect. It is
clean burning as well which
also reduces the amount of
carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere.
Wind Power
 The wind farm does not
produce any greenhouse
gases except for those that
are produced in the periods
of construction,
maintenance and repair.

15. International Agreements
 Kyoto – the Kyoto Protocol is an international
agreement that is trying to reduce the amount of
emissions of greenhouse gases in the world which
finished in 2012 and was replaced by the Copenhagen
Strategy.

16. National Strategies
 The Carbon Tax. The government puts a limit on how
much carbon companies can produce. If the company
exceeds the limit of carbon, they have to pay for the
amount of carbon that they have produced over the
limit. The Carbon tax is suppose to be finish at the end of
March beginning of April.

17. State Policies
 Free public transport in Melbourne can reduce the
number of people driving and using cars. This is not
actually stated as a policy but in places such as
Melbourne and other capitals cities within Australia,
governments have tried to enforce the fact that using
public transport and car pooling with reduce the
amount of pollution in the atmosphere.

18. Local Strategies
 Recycling or Waste production programs within
the Moyne Shire. The Moyne Shire come and
collect your waste from your house with a small
fee attached due to the fact that they believe
that it is reducing the amount of waste in our local
towns.

19. References/ Bibliography
Source: Where to find it:
Issues of Sustainability: VCE
Environmental Science Units
3 and 4 (3rd Edition)
Student Text Book
AGL http://www.agl.com.au/about-agl/how-
we-source-energy/renewable-
energy/macarthur-wind-farm/
Origin Energy http://www.originenergy.com.au/1376/
Mortlake-Power-Station
The Greenhouse Effect and
the Enhanced Greenhouse
Effect
http://www.climatechange.gov.au/gree
nhouse-effect
The Moyne Shire http://www.moyne.vic.gov.au/
The Carbon Tax http://www.carbontax.net.au/