2) Counting the Cost of Reliance on Fossil Fuels

Question 1

Trends in fossil fuel usage

Answer 1

Coal has increased at a steady rate since the 1800s, Crude oil took off around the 1910s and natural gas took over around the same time massively to current day.

Question 2

Factors causing increased fossil fuel usage

Answer 2

Increased world population, Increased number of goods and services, Increased travel and Capitalism

Question 3

who dominated the world’s economies around 2000 years ago?

Answer 3

China and India

Question 4

Top 5 economies in 1960?

Answer 4

USA, Japan, Germany, France, UK

Question 5

what about in 2019?

Answer 5

USA, China, Japan, Germany, India

Question 6

How about in 2050? (prediction)

Answer 6

China, India, USA, Indonesia and Brazil

Question 7

What are the BRIC nations, what is predicted to happen to their economies?

Answer 7

Brazil, Russia, India and China. Their economies are predicted to rise significantly over the next 20- 30 years.

Question 8

The impact of these countries economies growing in terms of resource demand:

Answer 8

More infrastructure, technology, health care needs, energy consumed and higher lifestyles, all increasing the use of fossil fuels.

Question 9

The importance of population: How much of the population do these countries take up?

Answer 9

The Bric countries take up 40.9 percent of the population and China and India take up 36.3 percent on their own.

Question 10

What is fuel security?

Answer 10

The uninterrupted availability of energy sources at an affordable price.

Question 11

What are the two important parts of this definition?

Answer 11

Uninterrupted availability and affordable price.

Question 12

Uninterrupted availability means:

Answer 12

Energy should always be available when required.

Question 13

Potential problems with this:

Answer 13

Foreign relations and safe transportation routes

Question 14

Affordable price

Answer 14

energy sources need to be affordable more than anything else.

Question 15

Current fossil fuel reserves

Answer 15

Nations with large fossil fuel reserves do not need to worry about fuel security.

Question 16

Top 5 countries with the highest coal reserves:

Answer 16

USA, Russia, China, Australia, India

Question 17

Top 5 countries with the highest crude oil reserves:

Answer 17

Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Iran, Iraq

Question 18

Top 5 countries with the highest natural gas reserves:

Answer 18

Russia, Iran, Qatar, Turkmenistan, USA

Question 19

Fuel security: geopolitics

Answer 19

If countries come into issues, problems can arise.

Question 20

Examples:

Answer 20

USA VS Iraq, Russia VS Ukraine, USA VS Venezuela

Question 21

Fossil fuel related problems in the UK in the 1970’s.

Answer 21

The UK was devastated with oil in 1970’s, so they had to drill in the North Sea, which lead to a decrease in coal production but huge increases in crude oil and natural gas production until around 2000.

Question 22

Problems associated with the burning of fossil fuels:

Answer 22

Fossil fuel locks in carbon which is released when they are burned. They release carbon dioxide which effects climate change

Question 23

Problems associated with the burning of fossil fuels: Habitat degradation;

Answer 23

Habitat degradation; Deforestation and rising sea levels

Question 24

Problems associated with the burning of fossil fuels:

Answer 24

Impact on Biodiversity

Question 25

Problems associated with the burning of fossil fuels:

Answer 25

Air quality reduction

Question 26

Problems associated with the burning of fossil fuels:

Answer 26

Water contamination

Question 26

Problems associated with the burning of fossil fuels:

Answer 26

Land pollution