Environmental impact, lead energy consideration

Furthermore, the extraction of non-conventional oil has other detrimental environmental impacts, such as water pollution and loss of biodiversity. Depending on the depth of the deposits, oil sands are either strip mined in open pits or heated so that the bitumen from which the non-conventional oil is extracted can flow to the surface (in-situ extraction). Both forms of oil-sands extraction require considerable amounts of energy (i.e., natural gas) and water, and lead to significant detrimental environmental impacts (Woynillowicz et al., 2005 see also Chapter 3). 

Major Developments since 1980. During the 1980s, two fundamental changes in the polypropylene process led to a breakthrough in terms of improved process economics, energy efficiency, and reduced environmental impact. The first of these changes was the conversion from a diluent process to a process in which liquid propene acts as both reactant and diluent for the reactor slurry. This mode of operation, which is called LIPP (Liquid Propylene Process) leads to a considerable increase in the pressure at which such a process is operated. 

An environmental assessment for comparing lead-based vs. lead-free solders should be based on industrial ecology considerations. This involves a cradle to grave assessment of the material choice, energy use and environmental impact to air, water and soil. 

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