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16 Sep 2014, 01:58
Kudos
Bookmarks
New coal-burning power plants are making moderate strides in environmental responsibility. Plants using an integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) utilize two distinct thermodynamic cycles, making them up to 15% more efficient than traditional coal-burning plants. In the first cycle, raw coal is converted into a synthetic gas, filtered to remove pollutants such as sulfur and nitrous oxide, and burned at high pressure to produce half the plant's electricity. Exhaust gases from the first cycle are captured and used to heat water, which turns a second turbine to generate another 125 megawatts. Newer plants are equipped with scrubbers to capture carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions, and older plants can be retrofitted to do the same.
Since the IGCC system yields more energy per ton of coal and is also capable of capturing harmful emissions, constructing more coal-burning plants using this technology seems to be an energy solution to satisfy both industrial and environmental groups. However, "cleaner burning" coal plants are actually short-sighted, inadequate solutions to our current energy crisis because they ignore two grave environmental dangers.
First, though coal may seem cheap economically, it is painfully expensive environmentally, as mining practices deplete land beyond recovery. In some eastern states, for example, mining companies have leveled entire mountains in their quest for coal. Experts estimate that strip-mining of sources in Appalachian forests is contaminating ground water and causing erosion that will eventually destroy several irreplaceable species.
Additionally, though carbon dioxide is not released into the atmosphere by IGCC plants, it remains a by-product, which scientists must either develop a way to process or, as in an ill-considered current trend, find a place to store. A team investigating storage possibilities in a series of caverns under the Arctic Ocean floor estimates that the caverns are large enough to store the planet's carbon dioxide emissions for the next 600 years; so far they have found no evidence that the rock is leaking. If, however, the stored carbon dioxide leaks after only 50 years, the damage to the environment will be greater than if coal plants had continued operating with no emissions-capturing provisions.
It can be inferred that the author details the workings of IGCC power plants in paragraph 1 primarily in order to
A. Explain a more efficient coal-burning process, in order to create consensus among environmental and industrial groups.
B. Form a bridge between the first and fourth paragraphs, which both discuss the containment of carbon dioxide emissions.
C. Suggest that coal-burning power plants could be even more efficient if they integrated three thermodynamic cycles instead of two.
D. Demonstrate the availability of new technologies that can be put in the service of environmental responsibility.
E. Acknowledge the reasons for viewing IGCC plants as a solution, before demonstrating that the environmental problems of coal-burning plants outweigh the solution of burning coal more efficiently.
Since the IGCC system yields more energy per ton of coal and is also capable of capturing harmful emissions, constructing more coal-burning plants using this technology seems to be an energy solution to satisfy both industrial and environmental groups. However, "cleaner burning" coal plants are actually short-sighted, inadequate solutions to our current energy crisis because they ignore two grave environmental dangers.
First, though coal may seem cheap economically, it is painfully expensive environmentally, as mining practices deplete land beyond recovery. In some eastern states, for example, mining companies have leveled entire mountains in their quest for coal. Experts estimate that strip-mining of sources in Appalachian forests is contaminating ground water and causing erosion that will eventually destroy several irreplaceable species.
Additionally, though carbon dioxide is not released into the atmosphere by IGCC plants, it remains a by-product, which scientists must either develop a way to process or, as in an ill-considered current trend, find a place to store. A team investigating storage possibilities in a series of caverns under the Arctic Ocean floor estimates that the caverns are large enough to store the planet's carbon dioxide emissions for the next 600 years; so far they have found no evidence that the rock is leaking. If, however, the stored carbon dioxide leaks after only 50 years, the damage to the environment will be greater than if coal plants had continued operating with no emissions-capturing provisions.
It can be inferred that the author details the workings of IGCC power plants in paragraph 1 primarily in order to
A. Explain a more efficient coal-burning process, in order to create consensus among environmental and industrial groups.
B. Form a bridge between the first and fourth paragraphs, which both discuss the containment of carbon dioxide emissions.
C. Suggest that coal-burning power plants could be even more efficient if they integrated three thermodynamic cycles instead of two.
D. Demonstrate the availability of new technologies that can be put in the service of environmental responsibility.
E. Acknowledge the reasons for viewing IGCC plants as a solution, before demonstrating that the environmental problems of coal-burning plants outweigh the solution of burning coal more efficiently.
General Discussion
16 Sep 2014, 01:58
Kudos
Bookmarks
Official Solution:
New coal-burning power plants are making moderate strides in environmental responsibility. Plants using an integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) utilize two distinct thermodynamic cycles, making them up to 15% more efficient than traditional coal-burning plants. In the first cycle, raw coal is converted into a synthetic gas, filtered to remove pollutants such as sulfur and nitrous oxide, and burned at high pressure to produce half the plant's electricity. Exhaust gases from the first cycle are captured and used to heat water, which turns a second turbine to generate another 125 megawatts. Newer plants are equipped with scrubbers to capture carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions, and older plants can be retrofitted to do the same.
Since the IGCC system yields more energy per ton of coal and is also capable of capturing harmful emissions, constructing more coal-burning plants using this technology seems to be an energy solution to satisfy both industrial and environmental groups. However, "cleaner burning" coal plants are actually short-sighted, inadequate solutions to our current energy crisis because they ignore two grave environmental dangers.
First, though coal may seem cheap economically, it is painfully expensive environmentally, as mining practices deplete land beyond recovery. In some eastern states, for example, mining companies have leveled entire mountains in their quest for coal. Experts estimate that strip-mining of sources in Appalachian forests is contaminating ground water and causing erosion that will eventually destroy several irreplaceable species.
Additionally, though carbon dioxide is not released into the atmosphere by IGCC plants, it remains a by-product, which scientists must either develop a way to process or, as in an ill-considered current trend, find a place to store. A team investigating storage possibilities in a series of caverns under the Arctic Ocean floor estimates that the caverns are large enough to store the planet's carbon dioxide emissions for the next 600 years; so far they have found no evidence that the rock is leaking. If, however, the stored carbon dioxide leaks after only 50 years, the damage to the environment will be greater than if coal plants had continued operating with no emissions-capturing provisions.
It can be inferred that the author details the workings of IGCC power plants in paragraph 1 primarily in order to
A. Explain a more efficient coal-burning process, in order to create consensus among environmental and industrial groups.
B. Form a bridge between the first and fourth paragraphs, which both discuss the containment of carbon dioxide emissions.
C. Suggest that coal-burning power plants could be even more efficient if they integrated three thermodynamic cycles instead of two.
D. Demonstrate the availability of new technologies that can be put in the service of environmental responsibility.
E. Acknowledge the reasons for viewing IGCC plants as a solution, before demonstrating that the environmental problems of coal-burning plants outweigh the solution of burning coal more efficiently.
To answer this question, consider the role of the first paragraph in the passage as a whole. The first paragraph is the background to the argument constructed in paragraphs 2 and 3 that IGCC plants do not account for other environmental dangers. The word seems in the last sentence of paragraph 1 signals that the author believes the IGCC solution would be reasonable if not for other environmental factors.
Answer: E
New coal-burning power plants are making moderate strides in environmental responsibility. Plants using an integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) utilize two distinct thermodynamic cycles, making them up to 15% more efficient than traditional coal-burning plants. In the first cycle, raw coal is converted into a synthetic gas, filtered to remove pollutants such as sulfur and nitrous oxide, and burned at high pressure to produce half the plant's electricity. Exhaust gases from the first cycle are captured and used to heat water, which turns a second turbine to generate another 125 megawatts. Newer plants are equipped with scrubbers to capture carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions, and older plants can be retrofitted to do the same.
Since the IGCC system yields more energy per ton of coal and is also capable of capturing harmful emissions, constructing more coal-burning plants using this technology seems to be an energy solution to satisfy both industrial and environmental groups. However, "cleaner burning" coal plants are actually short-sighted, inadequate solutions to our current energy crisis because they ignore two grave environmental dangers.
First, though coal may seem cheap economically, it is painfully expensive environmentally, as mining practices deplete land beyond recovery. In some eastern states, for example, mining companies have leveled entire mountains in their quest for coal. Experts estimate that strip-mining of sources in Appalachian forests is contaminating ground water and causing erosion that will eventually destroy several irreplaceable species.
Additionally, though carbon dioxide is not released into the atmosphere by IGCC plants, it remains a by-product, which scientists must either develop a way to process or, as in an ill-considered current trend, find a place to store. A team investigating storage possibilities in a series of caverns under the Arctic Ocean floor estimates that the caverns are large enough to store the planet's carbon dioxide emissions for the next 600 years; so far they have found no evidence that the rock is leaking. If, however, the stored carbon dioxide leaks after only 50 years, the damage to the environment will be greater than if coal plants had continued operating with no emissions-capturing provisions.
It can be inferred that the author details the workings of IGCC power plants in paragraph 1 primarily in order to
A. Explain a more efficient coal-burning process, in order to create consensus among environmental and industrial groups.
B. Form a bridge between the first and fourth paragraphs, which both discuss the containment of carbon dioxide emissions.
C. Suggest that coal-burning power plants could be even more efficient if they integrated three thermodynamic cycles instead of two.
D. Demonstrate the availability of new technologies that can be put in the service of environmental responsibility.
E. Acknowledge the reasons for viewing IGCC plants as a solution, before demonstrating that the environmental problems of coal-burning plants outweigh the solution of burning coal more efficiently.
To answer this question, consider the role of the first paragraph in the passage as a whole. The first paragraph is the background to the argument constructed in paragraphs 2 and 3 that IGCC plants do not account for other environmental dangers. The word seems in the last sentence of paragraph 1 signals that the author believes the IGCC solution would be reasonable if not for other environmental factors.
- The passage explains the process, but does is not specifically aimed at creating consensus.
- Both paragraphs discuss carbon dioxide emissions, but for opposite purposes.
- This is not discussed in the passage.
- The passage does not directly address the availability of IGCC technology.
- The phrase making moderate strides indicates the author's belief that IGCC plants are an improvement over traditional plants. The third and fourth paragraphs, however, state clearly that the author does not consider the moderate improvement to be adequate.
Answer: E
