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

1. UNIT 3 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE:
SCHOOL ASSESSED COURSEWORK
AREA OF STUDY 1
Indi
A comparison of a fossil fuel and a
non-fossil fuel energy source

2. Mortlake Gas Fired Power Plant VS
Macarthur Wind Farm
Mortlake gas fired power plant
Macarthur wind farm

3. Mortlake Gas Fired Power Plant
How a gas turbine works: The Mortlake Power Station uses natural gas to operate the
two turbines, which work on
similar principles to an internal combustion
engine in a car:
• Air and gas are mixed together and combusted within the turbine
• this force causes the rotor of the turbine to turn
• the turbine is coupled to a generator
• as the turbine turns, the generator
rotates and produces electricity
•electricity from the generator is passed through a transformer and uploaded to the
grid

4. Macarthur Wind Farm
How wind energy is captured and
converted to electricity:
• Wind energy is captured using
the wind turbine’s rotor blades.
• When wind is passed through the
blades, two aerodynamic forces
are at work
• These two forces cause the rotor
blades to turn, depending on
how much force the wind exerts
on them
• The turning of the rotor blades
then converts the wind’s kinetic
energy to mechanical energy
• The turning of the rotor blades
cause the shaft to turn, which is
connected to the generator
• In this process, the rotational
mechanical energy of the shaft is
converted to electricity by the
generator

5. Fossil VS non-fossil fuel energy source
Fossil fuel: Natural Gas
Mortlake Gas Fired Power Plant
Non-fossil fuel: Wind power
Macarthur Wind Farm
What is it? Natural gas is a flexible fuel that emits
around half the carbon emissions of
coal when used to make electricity.
Gas is often referred to as ‘natural gas’
because it’s a naturally occurring
hydrocarbon. It’s colourless and consists
mainly of methane, which is the simplest
hydrocarbon.
Wind power involves converting
wind energy into electricity by
using wind turbines.
How is it formed? Gas was formed over hundreds of
millions of years from organic matter,
such as plankton, plants and other life
forms, which is why it’s sometimes
referred to as a ‘fossil fuel’. Over time,
sand, sediment and rock buried the
organic matter and eventually large
quantities of natural gas were formed
and trapped underground.
A wind turbine is made up of two
or three propeller-like blades called
the rotor. The rotor is attached to
the top of a tall tower. As the wind
blows it spins the rotor. As the rotor
spins the energy of the movement
of the propellers gives power to a
generator. There are some
magnets and a lot of copper wire
inside the generator that make
electricity.

6. Fossil VS non-fossil fuel energy source
Fossil fuel: Natural Gas
Mortlake Gas Fired Power
plant
Non-fossil fuel: Wind power
Macarthur Wind Farm
Where is it found? Gas is found in deep underground
rock formations or associated with
other hydrocarbon reservoirs in
coal beds and as methane
clathrates.
Wind comes from atmospheric
changes; changes in temperature
and pressure makes the air move
around the surface of the earth; all of
which is triggered by the sun.
How abundant
and accessible is
it?
Natural gas is a fossil fuel which
means it has been around for
hundreds of millions of years and
will therefore eventually run out.
These days it is highly accessible
although fairly expensive and it will
in time run out.
Wind power is one of the most
accessible forms of energy as it
reasonably easy to install, but it is
difficult to find an accessible large
space to place the wind turbines.

7. Extraction of energy sources
Fossil fuel: Natural Gas
Mortlake Gas Fired
Power Plant
Non-fossil fuel: Wind power
Macarthur Wind Farm
How is it
extracted?
Gas is extracted by drilling wells
into the ground, through the
geographical layers to reach
gas deposits.
Wind is collected and used straight
from the environment without proper
extraction because it is already part of
the atmosphere.
What energy
conversions are
involved?
Chemical energy from natural
gas can be transformed into
heat energy. That heat energy
can be converted into kinetic
energy by gas turbines or into
electrical energy by generators.
None as wind does not need to be
converted from one source to
another.
How efficient are
these
conversions?
Natural gas has an overall
energy efficiency of
approximately 30% for
electricity production and 90%
for heating.
The use of wind to produce electricity
under current methods is
approximately 40% efficient in terms of
all energy.
How much land is
used?
The Mortlake Gas Fired Power
Plan covers100 hectares of
land.
The Macarthur Wind Farm covers
10,000 hectares of land.

8. Transportation
Fossil fuel: Natural Gas
Mortlake Gas Fired Power Plant
Non-fossil fuel: Wind power
Macarthur Wind Farm
How can it be
transported?
Transporting natural gas through pipelines
in the ground is the safest way to transport
gas. There are three major types of
pipelines along the transportation route:
the gathering system, the interstate
pipeline system, and the distribution system.
The gathering system consists of low
pressure, small diameter pipelines that
transport raw natural gas from the
wellhead to the processing plant
Wind power itself is not transported,
but the generators of wind power (the
wind turbines) are transported by
delivery trucks. The energy they
produce is electricity, and this is then
transported along cables into the grid.
How efficient is
this transport?
The transportation system for natural gas
consists of a complex network of pipelines,
designed to quickly and efficiently
transport natural gas from its origin, to areas
of high natural gas demand.
Electricity is transmitted at high
voltages reduce the energy losses in
long-distance transmission. Power is
usually transmitted through overhead
power lines. Underground power
transmission has a significantly higher
cost and greater operational
limitations but is sometimes used in
urban areas or sensitive locations.
A key limitation of electric power is
that, with minor exceptions, electrical
energy cannot be stored, and
therefore must be generated as
needed.

9. Usage
Fossil fuel: Natural Gas
Mortlake Gas Fired Power
Plant
Non-fossil fuel: Wind
power
Macarthur Wind Farm
How is the energy source
used?
Natural gas is used in homes for
heating and cooking. And by
industry for heating and
manufacturing.
It is used for electricity
generation, both onsite and for
transport to the grid. Wind
power is also used to pump
bore water particularly in rural
areas.
What percentage of
Australian energy does it
provide?
Natural gas constitutes about 20%
of Australia’s energy use.
In 2011, wind power generated
6432gigawatt hours of
electricity accounting for 2.4%
of Australia’s total electricity
demand and 21.9% of total
renewable energy supply.

10. Economic impacts
Fossil fuel: Natural Gas
Mortlake Gas Fired
Power Plant
Non-fossil fuel: Wind
power
Macarthur Wind Farm
What financial
advantages/disadvantages
are there?
Advantages –
• Provided extra jobs for
people during the
construction of the power
plant
• Transportation costs are low
because of local facilities
• They can be fired up and
shut down quickly so there is
not as much wastage
Disadvantages –
• Expensive to construct
• Impacts on land acquisition
• expensive to transport
because it is low density
which makes it bulky and
prone to leaking
Advantages –
• Provided extra jobs for
people during the
construction of the wind
farm
• Wind power is a cheaper
option in countries that have
a mature industry
Disadvantages –
• Expensive to construct and
run, funds to pay farmers for
the borrowed land
• Impacts on land acquisition
• Can be unreliable

11. Social impacts
Fossil fuel: Natural Gas
Mortlake Gas Fired
Power Plant
Non-fossil fuel: Wind
power
Macarthur Wind Farm
What social
advantages/disadvantages
are there?
Advantages –
• The power plant is situated
in a rural area away from
the public
• The plant provides
employment opportunities
for the public
Disadvantages –
• Complaints of noise from the
power plant and air quality
• Origin Energy do not give
out funding to the
community
• The public may not find the
power plant visually
appealing
• Possibility terrorist attacks on
large plants or pipelines in
cities
Advantages –
• AGL are constantly giving
out grants for numerous
community projects
• The wind farm provides
employment opportunities
for the public
• Wind power can be owned
by individuals or
cooperatives
Disadvantages –
• Complaints of noise from the
turbines
• The public may not find the
turbines visually appealing
as they are situated near
homes

12. Environmental impacts
Fossil fuel: Natural Gas
Mortlake Gas Fired
Power Plant
Non-fossil fuel: Wind
power
Macarthur Wind Farm
What environmental
advantages/disadvantages
are there?
Advantages –
• It doesn’t release as much
carbon dioxide as other fossil
fuels
• Constant reliable source of
power
Disadvantages –
• Releases emissions that
contribute to the
greenhouse effect
• Biodiversity- impacts on
wildlife
• The land has to be cleared
before commencing
construction
Advantages –
• Wind power does not
release any greenhouse gas
emissions into the
atmosphere in operation
• The use of land for the farm
can still be used for
agricultural purposes whilst
the farm is in full operation
Disadvantages –
• Biodiversity – impacts on
wildlife especially birds and
bats
• During construction there
are greenhouse gases
produced
• The land has to be cleared
before commencing
construction
• Can be unreliable

13. The Greenhouse effect/Enhanced
greenhouse effect

14. The greenhouse effect
The greenhouse effect is a natural process that warms the
Earth’s surface. When the sun’s energy reaches the earths
atmosphere, some of it is reflected back into space and the rest
is absorbed and re-radiated by greenhouse gases such as
carbon dioxide, water vapour, methane, nitrous oxide and some
artificial chemicals such as fluorocarbons. The absorbed energy
warms the atmosphere and the surface of the earth. This process
maintains the earths temperature at around 33 degrees Celsius
warmer than it would be otherwise, allowing life on earth to exist.

15. Enhanced greenhouse effect
The enhanced greenhouse effect is the problem
planet earth is currently facing. It is the impacts of
human activities on earth such as the burning of fossil
fuels including oil, coal and natural gas, and also
agriculture and land clearing. These activities are all
contributing to the enhanced greenhouse effect and
are influencing the warming of the earth.

16. Contribution to Greenhouse
effect
Fossil fuel: Natural Gas
Mortlake Gas Fired Power
Plant
Non-fossil fuel: Wind
power
Macarthur Wind Farm
What greenhouse gases
are produced?
Carbon Dioxide, Nitrous
Oxide, Methane, Sulphur
Dioxide and Mercury
compounds.
There are no greenhouse
gases produced in
production, but during the
construction of the wind
turbines some greenhouse
gases may have been
produced such as Carbon
Dioxide.
How much greenhouse
gases are produced
compared to other fuels
and energy sources?
Natural gas does however
produce emissions but are in
significantly lower proportions
compared to fossil fuels such
as the burning of coal or oil.
There are barely any
greenhouse gases produced
to create wind power
because it is a non-fossil fuel,
therefore the emissions are
bare to none compared to
fossil fuels.

17. International agreements
Kyoto protocol
The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement created under the United
Nations Convention on Climate Change, in Kyoto Japan in 1997 and came into
force in February 2005. On the 3rd of December, Australia signed Australia’s
instrument of ratification of the Kyoto Protocol. The Kyoto Protocol aims to
reduce the collective greenhouse gas emissions in developed countries Parties
by at least five per cent below 1990 levels during 2008-2012. Australia intends to
join a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol covering 2013-2020.
The Copenhagen Accord
The Copenhagen Accord was agreed in December 2009 and was an important
step along the global path forward on climate change. Under the accord,
global leaders decided for the first time under the UNFCCC to:
 hold any increase in global temperature to below 2 degrees Celsius
 specify, side by side, emissions targets for developed countries and actions to reduce
emissions by developing countries
 a framework for national and international monitoring of what developed
and developing countries will do
 considerable financing to support emissions reductions and adaptation in developing
countries.

18. National strategies
The carbon tax
The carbon tax is the idea that polluters will pay per tonne of carbon
they release in the atmosphere. This cost will initially be set at $23, and
increase gradually until 2015, when we will shift to a trading scheme
that will let the market set the cost. This is thought of as the most
effective and least costly way to reduce carbon output and reduce
the level of climate change that is currently occurring.

19. State policies
Environmental Protection Authority – EPA
The environmental Protection Authority’s sole goal is to regulate pollution
and has independent authority to make regulatory decisions under the
Environment Protection Act 1970. Based on its regulatory risk model EPA
prioritises its compliance and enforcement activity by addressing the
biggest risk to the environment and health. EPA aspires to create a healthy
environment that supports a liveable and prosperous Victoria. By effectively
regulating pollution in Victoria, they strive to deliver clean air, healthy
waterways, safe land and minimal disturbances from noise and odour for
Victorians. In 2011 EPA unveiled a ‘5 Year Plan’ to 2016 which provides a
blueprint to realise this vision. It features three strategic priorities:
 1 Deal with past pollution.
 2 Tackle current environmental issues.
 3 Shape the environmental future.
Each year an annual plan is released which details areas of focus for the
regulator. EPA employs about 400 staff, based at seven locations across
Victoria

20. Local strategies
Cities for Climate Protection – CCP
The Cities for Climate Protection Australia program assists local
governments and their communities reduce greenhouse gas
emissions. The CCP program assumes that whilst single local
government efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions may be
reasonably modest, by working together as a network of
authoritative bodies, local authorities can significantly influence
efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

21. Bibliography
 http://www.originenergy.com.au/naturalgas
 http://www.energymatters.com.au/renewable-energy/wind-
energy/
 http://www.climatechange.gov.au/greenhouse-effect
 http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-and-
you/affect/natural-gas.html
 https://unfccc.int/kyoto_protocol/items/2830.php
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_power_transmission
 http://www.carbontax.net.au/category/what-is-the-carbon-
tax/
 http://www.epa.vic.gov.au/about-us/who-we-are
 Issues of sustainability VCE Environmental Science Units 3 and
4 3rd Edition textbook