3 Natural Resources Flashcards
Reseve vs Resources
Reserve: what is available at the current price level & actual technology (identify)
Resources: Total amount that is hypothetical available. probably (speculative)
Relationship between energy consumption, economic development and environment / climate
During industrialization direct link between increased energy consumption and economic development –> relationship changed during the last 30 years because of a
-reaction to energy crisis 1970
-deindustrialization
-less energy –> intensive service sector
-higher energy efficient
-new transport technologies
tranport and industry consume more than half of total energy in the EU, household 1/4 and service sector only 13%
direct connection between the GNI & energy consumption pro capita
Clare connection between industrialization & energy consumption
CO2 emission are correlated with GDP per head
regional variation in energy production and consummation in Europe
consume much more than produced,
Europe produce at most coal and nuclear.
use at most gas and oil.
there is also an increment producing and using green energy
Dominance of fossil resources.
energy consumption per capita: eastern countries use less energy, than Scandinavian, and central european countries
quite big quantity of brown coal and a lot of nuclear plant
Cole: Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Turkey and Greece big producer.
Way to classify resources
-Identified (Demonstrated (measured or indicated) or inferred)
and
-undiscovered (hiptetcial or speculative)
- non renewable vs. renewable!
- endogen /exogenous processes of the earth
- origin: mineral, herbal, animalistic, chemical
- economic sector: agrarian, mining
- ingredient: biotic, abiotic
Economy vs Ecology
Fossil:
- Readily accessible
- easy to convert using proven technologies
- cost efficient in production
- but CO2 emission
Renewable energies:
- not so efficient
- only in a few place
- costly intensive
Challenges for implementing green energy in Europe
solar
- depend of season and sun-hours,
- high costs,
- Harmful to the environment,
- subsidies influence market.
Location: southern states
Rhenish brown coal area
- biggest in Germany
- 3 different basic deposit
- small village had to be removed
- water pollution
easy and cheap to mine,
- open cast, giant digger
- labour extensive
- not all external effects internalized
low eating value
- low share of carbon
- high share of water
- high share of capping
Ecological and social problems of brown coal area
CO2 and sulphur emission
depending ground water level –> water unused
Elimination of agricultural land (less soil, very fertile soil)
Re-cultivation (lake forest)
Relocation of population
A resoueces is socially constructed Resources, Time and space
although if 2 countries have same resources available they may use different resources.
Complexity of the term resources –> its definition can vary across space at the same time
Natural material may be required as resources by society in some time and place but not in other
At the time that the industrial revolution was taking place in Europe there were societies locate elsewhere on the planet that were still at the under-gatherer stage in terms of their concept of what consisted a resource and in term of their relationship with nature
Challenges for implementing green energy in Europe
Wind
-hard to plan with,
-complex approval procedure,
-off shore wind parks expensive to develop,
-if no wind no energy
Location: coast, peaks in landscape
Challenges for implementing green energy in Europe
Biomass
conflict with agricultural resources (import form DC),
monocultures,
prices raise
Place: Central Europe
Challenges for implementing green energy in Europe
Hydro
- not so many areas for big station (Norway, alps),
- complex approval procedure,
- huge intervention in nature (rather ecosystem, straightening of watercourses)
Coal
Lignite (broan coal
- low share of carbon
- transport cost sensitive
Hard (black) coal
-High share of carbon
not as transport sensitive
most important fuel for electricity generation
Resources scarcity
- Physical scarcity
- Geopolitical scarcity
- Economic scarcity
- Renewable and environmental resources scarcity
Challenges for implementing green energy in Europe
General
store the energy
we produce where is not needed
Lower energy density –> more station, more space
